Single-action discharge valve

p00001Single acting discharge valve

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

p00003The present invention relates, in general, to discharge valves for releasing gaseous materials, liquids, or dry materials from a pressurized storage container, and in particular, to a single-acting discharge valve operated remotely to release material from a container. Pressurized storage. It is often desired to provide a discharge valve for releasing a material, such as a gas or liquid or mixture thereof, or a dry material or powder, from a pressurized container, and it is further desirable that such a valve be operated remotely. Often, the material to be released is corrosive and can run the internal components of the valve over time before the valve is operated. Prior art attempts are known that use an explosive charge to cause a piston to drive a piercing element through a valve seal, and such attempts are undesirable if used with the discharge of a flammable material that could catch fire.

p00004It is therefore desirable to have a discharge valve that can be operated remotely to discharge the contents of a vessel under pressure. It is also desirable that the internal components of the valve are not placed before their actuation to the pressurized material to be released. Applications for such a valve include the release of a fire extinguishing material, the release of opposing agents in biological and chemical warfare laboratories, and the emergency release of fuel in airplanes and ships. When used for emergency release of fuel or other liquids, the valve can be used to discharge from a port or hole in a lower region of the container such as, for example, a fuel tank, and the weight of the liquid container provides pressure to discharge it through the valve, and it is desirable that such a valve have a design that allows the scale to be modified from small to large sizes to accommodate a desired discharge rate.

p00005A preliminary patent search has produced the following patents and patent publications, some of which may be important for the present invention: Sundholm et al., American Patent Application Publication 2005/011552, published on January 20, 2005; Harris et al., U.S. Patent No. 3,853,180, issued December 10, 1974; Rozniecki, US Patent No. 3,915,237, issued October 28, 1975; Zehr, US Patent No. 4,006,780, issued February 8, 1977; Thomas, US Patent No. 5,918,681, issued July 6, 1999; Thomas, US Patent No. 6,164,383, issued December 26, 2000; Ahlers, US Patent No. 6,107,940, issued June 21, 2005; and McLane Jr., U.S. Patent No. 7,117,950, issued October 10, 2006.

p00006Additionally, the following patent references are also known: Hardesty, US Patent No. 3,983,892, issued October 5, 1976; Wittbrodt et al., US Patent No. 4,893,680, issued January 16, 1990; Swanson, US Patent No. 5,299,592, issued April 5, 1994; James, US Patent No. 6,189,624, issued February 20, 2001; and Grabow, US Patent No. 6,619,404, issued September 16, 2003.

p00007American Patent Application Publication 2005/011552, by Sundholm et al., In fig. 2, describes an explosive charge that propels a piercing element to pierce a disc, and fig. 3 describes a pressure driven piston that causes a piercing element to pierce a disc. US Patent No. 3,853,180 to Harris et al. Describes an explosive detonator that causes a pointed spike or spike to pierce a valve seal and release a means to extinguish fires under pressure. US Patent No. 3,915,237 to Rozniecki describes a disc that can be broken and pierced by a cutting ring that is moved by an explosive charge. In column 1, lines 45 to 50, Rozniecki describes the use of infrared and ultraviolet sensors to detect a fire. US Patent No. 3,983,892, to Hardesty, discloses an explosive valve having an electric detonator that cuts a diaphragm seal. US Patent No. 4,006,780 to Zehr describes a rupture head for fire extinguishers in which a fusible link melts and causes an elastically charged punch to break a seal. US Patent No. 4,893,680 to Wittbrodt et al. Describes sensors for a fire suppression system and, in column 3, lines 27-30, describes the use of explosive activated solenoid and fulminant valves. U.S. Patent No. 5,299,592 to Swanson describes an electrically operated valve, which has a check valve elastically charged with a solenoid operated pilot valve. US Patent No. 5,918,681 to Thomas describes a fire extinguishing system for motor vehicles in which an explosive fulminant propels a spike that extends axially from a piston to pierce a tightly sealed outlet of a cylinder, thereby releasing the material extinguisher, and an alternative embodiment describes using a solenoid to propel the piston and the spike. US Patent No. 6,164,383 to Thomas, has a description similar to US Patent No. 5,918,681 to Thomas, and additionally describes control circuits with sensors. US Patent No. 6,107,940 to Ahlers describes a valve in which a pressure cartridge actuator is used to cause a pressure wave to break a frangible disk to release the fire suppressing material. US Patent No. 6,189,624 to James describes a fire extinguisher in which a matchhead detonator, of the type used in pyrotechnic devices, is used to move a piston with a sharp point so that the tip breaks a diaphragm and cause the release of suppressor material from

p00010fire. US Patent No. 6,619,404 to Grabow, describes a fire extinguishing piping system below the dashboard in an airplane, with discharge nozzles in the passenger and crew compartments. US Patent No. 7,117,950 to McLane, Jr., describes a manual discharge fire suppression system in combination, either with an electrically operated explosive fulminant or with an electrically operated solenoid that moves a piston from a retracted position to a extended position, thereby causing a piston with a piercing member to pierce a seal and cause a fire suppressor to be released. US 1,671,368 A describes an electromagnetic control for fluid containers by a valve with a body having a plate and a punch or cutter to penetrate the plate and electromagnetic means to drive the cutter.

p00011None of these references, either individually or in combination, describe or suggest the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

p00013The present invention is a single acting discharge valve that can be operated remotely. A solenoid swings or swings armor, causing a frangible seal to be broken and freeing the contents of a pressurized container through the valve. One or more spikes or teeth are moved by the armor to break the frangible seal. An open passage, unlocked through the valve and its armor discharges the contents of the container when the seal is broken. Until the solenoid is activated, the armature is preferably held in a first position by one or more magnets.

p00014It is an object of the present invention to provide a single acting discharge valve that can be operated remotely to discharge the contents of a vessel under pressure. It is another object of the present invention that the internal content of the valve is not exposed before the actuation of the pressurized material to be released. In another object of the invention that the valve, after unloading, be easily reconditionable for subsequent reuse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

p00016Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention taken along a diameter thereof, showing the reinforcement in a first position.

p00017Fig. 2 is also a sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention taken along the same diameter as in fig. 1, but showing the armor in a second position in which the spiked spikes have broken the frangible seal.

p00018Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the reinforcement of the first embodiment of the present invention, taken along a diameter of the reinforcement.

p00019Fig. 4 is a side view of a barb of the first embodiment of the present invention.

p00020Fig. 5 is a side view of a barb of the third embodiment of the present invention.

p00021Fig. 6 is a top view of the third embodiment of the present invention.

p00022Fig. 7 is a side elevation view of the outlet cap or cap of all embodiments of the present invention.

p00023Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the mounting base of the third embodiment of the present invention.

p00024Fig. 9 is a side elevation view of the reel of the third embodiment of the present invention.

p00025Fig. 10 is a top view of the reel of the third embodiment of the present invention, taken substantially along line 10-10 shown in fig. 9.

p00026Fig. 11 is a schematic block diagram symbolically showing sensors and drive circuits used with the valve of the present invention.

p00027Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention, taken along a diameter thereof, showing the armor in a first position, and in a dotted scheme, showing the armor when moving to a second position in which the teeth impact on the frangible seal.

p00028Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view looking upwards of the second embodiment of the present invention, taken substantially along line 13-13 shown in fig. 12, which shows the mounting of the magnets.

p00029Fig. 14 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention taken along a diameter thereof, showing the armor in a first position and, in a dotted scheme, showing the armor when moving to a second position in which the oscillating spikes impact the frangible seal.

p00032Fig. 15 is a bottom view of the armor of the second embodiment of the present invention, substantially filled along the line 15-15 shown in fig. 16.

p00033Fig. 16 is a side elevation view of the armature of the second embodiment of the present invention.

p00034Fig. 17 is a top view of the base plate of the third embodiment of the present invention, with the position of the cover or jacket screws shown with dots for illustration purposes.

p00035Fig. 18 is a sectional view of the base plate of the third embodiment of the present invention, taken substantially along line 18-18 shown in fig. 17, with the position of the cover screws shown with dots for illustration purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

p00037With reference to figs. 1-18, three preferred embodiments, 1.20, 2.20, and 3.20, of the single acting discharge valve of the present invention have been shown. The identification reference indicators for all embodiments of the valve are similarly marked, the reference indicators for the three embodiments having respectively the prefixes of "1.", "2.", and "3." and with similar structural characteristics of the different embodiments that have the same suffix (for example "1.20", "2.20", "3.20"). It will be understood that many aspects of the different preferred embodiments are substantially the same, and only the differences will be treated in detail, it being understood that similar structural characteristics of the different embodiments perform similar functions.

p00038All embodiments of the valve 1.20, 2.20, and 3.20 include a valve body, respectively 1.22, 2.22, and 3.22 to attach to a pressurized container 24, and the valve body of all embodiments has a passage, respectively 1.26, 2.26 , and 3.26, through which the contents of the container are discharged when the valve is opened as described below. The contents of the pressurized container 24 may be any pressurized material, such as a gas or liquid or mixture thereof, or a dry material or powder. When used for emergency release of fuel or other liquids, the valve, inverted in relation to the views shown in the drawings, can be used to discharge from a hole over a lower region of a container such as, for example, a reservoir of fuel, and the weight of the liquid in the container provides pressure to discharge through the valve. All embodiments of the invention are preferably substantially cylindrically symmetrical for ease of fabrication and for improved performance, so that sectional views along a valve diameter will suffice to show the structure of the valve. However, there is no requirement that the valve be cylindrically symmetrical, and other structures may be used. In addition, one of the advantages of all embodiments of the valve of the present invention is that it can be easily scaled to smaller or larger sizes in order to provide a larger discharge passage, to accommodate any desired discharge flow rate.

p00039All embodiments of the valve also include a frangible seal, respectively 1.28, 2.28, and 3.28 and described below in greater detail, held within the valve body and tightly closing the passage while the seal is intact. The frangible seal may be made of glass, polycarbonate or metal, but, in the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, the frangible seal is made of glass, preferably well-known and cheap sodoccalc glass. The construction of a frangible metal seal is well known, and is made by forming one or more grooves in the seal such as by mechanization or, more often, by chemical etching. An undesirable feature of constructing the frangible metal seal is that certain metals can react with the contents of the container such as corrosion or contamination while the seal blocks these contents from their release before actuating the valve. For this reason, a frangible seal of glass or polycarbonate material is preferred. It will be noted that, in all embodiments of the invention, all parts of the valve are blocked from the material contained in the pressurized container by the frangible seal, and thus the valve components are not exposed to possible corrosion or contamination by the contents. of the container, or reaction therewith, before discharge.

p00040All embodiments of the valve further include a solenoid, respectively 1.30, 2.30, and 3.30 and described in greater detail below, for selective connection to a source 32 of electrical energy, such as a bacterium or other source of electrical energy, for the selective actuation of a reinforcement, respectively 1.34, 2.34, and 3.34 and then described in greater detail, of the solenoid. The armor, as described below for the various preferred embodiments, moves from a first to a second position and moves impact means of each embodiment, respectively impact means 1.36, 2.36 and 3.36, to break the frangible seal in at least two pieces, so that the impact means break the seal when the armature moves to the second position. The fracture or breakage of the frangible seal provides an improvement over the prior art valves that simply pierce a seal without having the fracture or breakage of the seal in parts and thus do not open an enlarged passage for a rapid discharge of contents of a pressurized container In all embodiments, as explained below in greater detail, the passage, respectively 1.26, 2.26, and 3.26, preferably passes through the reinforcement, the reinforcement being substantially outside the passage and preferably surrounding the passage. Additionally, in all embodiments, the passage preferably has a central axis of symmetry, respectively 1.37, 2.37, and 3.37, along which the armature oscillates or swings from the

p00043First position to second position.

p00044With reference specifically to Figures 1-4 and 7, the structure of the first preferred embodiment 1.20 of the valve of the present invention can be explained in detail below.

p00045The valve body 1.22 of the valve 1.20 includes a housing 1.38, a top cap plate 1.40 held within the housing 1.38 such as by a plurality of screws 1.42, and a mounting base 1.44. The mounting base 1.44 is made of aluminum and has a flange or skirt 1.46 that is inserted into a port or hole 48 of the container 24, and then the mounting base 1.44 is welded around its perimeter to the container 24 such as by welding 50 for tightly closing the mounting base 1.44 to the container 24. It will be understood that the valve 1.20 is preferably assembled and tested after welding the mounting base 1.44 to the container 24. It should be understood that all embodiments of the present invention can equivalently have a well-known threaded tube (not shown) extending from the valve inlet, respectively 1.52, 2.52, and 3.52, for threaded insertion into a threaded hole correspondingly of the container 24 instead of by welding a mounting base to the container.

p00046The valve body 1.22 has an input 1.52 and an output 1.54 and the passage 1.26 through the valve body 1.22 connects the input 1.52 to the output 1.54, allowing the contents of the container 24 to discharge through the valve

p000471.20 when the 1.28 frangible seal is broken.

p00048The frangible seal 1.28 of the valve 1.20 is generally dome-shaped or ferrule-shaped, which has a peripheral part or flange 1.56 of the seal in its base that is caught by grip and tightly inside the valve body 1.22 between the housing 1.38 and the mounting base 1.44. A well known nitrile O-ring 1.58 on the lower surface of the flange 1.56 inside the circular armature 1.60 in the mounting base 1.44 provides a tight seal that prevents leakage of the pressurized contents of the container 24 while the tight seal 1.28 is intact, and the retention by grip of the seal 1.28 between the housing 1.38 and the mounting base 1.44 around the tab 1.56 provides, due to the high mechanical shear strength of the seal 1.28 on the flange 1.56, a large mechanical resistance to withstand the pressure in the container 24 without premature rupture of the seal 1.28. Valve 1.20 has a well-known nitrile washer 1.62 between the upper flange surface

p000491.56 and the valve housing 1.38 to protect the flange 1.56 from the frangible seal 2.28 from breakage during the assembly of the valve housing 1.38 to the mounting base 1.44 since those two parts are fixed by threading together in threads.

p00050The valve 1.20 includes a solenoid 1.30 comprising a coil 1.66 constructed of a length 16 of wire or wire 1.68 wound on a reel 1.70 of hard anodized aluminum surrounding a cylindrical core 1.72. It will be understood that the reel 1.70 is fully wound with the wire 1.68, and that only a part of the wire 1.68 is shown for illustrative purposes. It will be further understood that reel 1.70 can be removed if the reel

p000511.66 is wound on an external accessory and then impregnated or embedded with an impregnation compound to maintain its shape, thereby allowing additional windings of the coil in the space that would otherwise be occupied by the reel and, if required by environmental conditions extreme, coil 1.66 can also be impregnated in situ inside valve 1.20.

p00052Solenoid 1.30 further comprises an armature 1.34 which, when coil 1.66 is excited to create a magnetic field within it, oscillates upward from a first position shown in fig. 1 to a second position shown in fig. two. The reinforcement of all embodiments as well as the core and the valve body and their housing of all embodiments are preferably constructed of a so-called "electric steel" or "transformer steel" such as alloy material SAE C1017 or equivalent, which has a low carbon content so that it provides satisfactory magnetic properties. If the armature and the valve body parts are subjected to a corrosive environment, then those parts will preferably be provided with a preventive corrosion coating so as to prevent corrosion. Alternatively, stainless steel with magnetic properties could be used, or the surface of these parts could be coated with a material such as nickel to prevent corrosion.

p00053The conventional solenoid construction of the prior art is designed for rapid operation of the solenoid, which requires a very low mass armor. In contrast to these teachings, the armor of the present invention must have a significant mass so that they develop enough kinetic energy to break the frangible seal. As a mnemonic rule, the mass of the armor respectively 1.34, 2.34, and 3.34, preferably should be at least half of the mass of the valve body, respectively 1.22, 2.22, and 3.22, so that most of the energy Magnetic go to the armor movement, thereby developing enough force to break the frangible seal. Due to the armature, when the solenoid is applied, it oscillates towards the center of the solenoid, the valve is constructed so that the armature begins its oscillating movement from the first well-off-center position of the solenoid, and so that the second position, when the Impact means hit and break the frangible seal, it occurs before the oscillating armature movement reaches the center of the solenoid. It has been found that the force required to fracture a frangible seal is related to the material and thickness of a frangible seal. An armor is chosen to provide a magnetic density and a physical size that allow a sufficient previous displacement to reach

p00056maximum speed before hitting the frangible seal. The electrical energy introduced into the coil is tailored to force the coil to reach a maximum magnetic force 2.5 to 3.0 milliseconds after application of a suitable electrical signal to the coil. The electrical voltage and current supplied to the coil, the physical size and mass of the armature, the number of spikes or teeth of the impact means (described below), and the size and material of the disc are adjusted as required. for a given valve size to produce a repeatable fracture of the frangible valve seal. An advantage of the first embodiment 1.20 over the second and third embodiments 2.20 and 3.20 is that, in the first embodiment 1.20, the armature 1.34, which is external to the coil

p000571.66 and thus greater than the reinforcements of the other embodiments, it may have greater mass than the reinforcements 2.34, 3.34.

p00058It will be understood that frangible seals 1.28, 2.28, and 3.28 must be designed to have sufficient mechanical strength to contain the pressure in the container 24 and still be capable of being broken by the impact means of each embodiment, as described then. For a given seal, its mechanical strength is determined by the material used, the thickness of the material, the manner in which the seal is attached, and the presence or absence of surface imperfections on the seal. If a stronger seal is desired, surface imperfections can be removed such as by polishing or heat treatment. If a weaker seal is desired, surface imperfections can be added such as by engraving. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it has not been found necessary to add or remove surface imperfections.

p00059The valve 1.20 further includes impact means 1.36 to break the frangible seal 1.28 in at least two pieces, the impact means 1.36 being moved by the armature 1.34 to break the frangible seal 1.28 when the armature 1.34 moves to the second position. . In the first embodiment 1.20 of the present invention, the impact means 1.36 includes at least one spike 1.74 mounted for the oscillating movement within the valve body 1.22 in a radial plane with respect to the armature 1.34, with the plane of the oscillating movement including also the axis of symmetry of the armature 1.34 within it and with a barb 1.74 preferably mounted for its oscillating movement perpendicular to the lateral wall 1.82 of the dome-shaped part 1.84 of the frangible hermetic seal 1.28. The armature 1.34 has a cam part 1.76 that is applied to the rear end 1.78 of the spike 1.74 when the armature 1.34 moves from the first position shown in fig. 1 to the second position shown in fig. 2, thereby causing the pointed tip 1.80 of the barb 1.74 to forcefully impact the side wall 1.82 of the dome part 1.84 of the frangible seal 1.28 and thus break the seal 1.28 into at least two pieces, in particular, the remainder 1.28 'of the seal shown in fig. two with the tab 1.56 held between the base of the assembly 1.44 and the housing 1.38, and at least another fragment 1.28 "of hermetic seal that is discharged through the step 1.26 by the pressure in the container 24. Preferably the valve 1.20 includes a plurality of spikes 1.74 angularly spaced around the axis of the armature 1.34 so that they jointly impact the seal 1.28 at multiple impact points around the side wall 1.82, thereby providing symmetrical forces on the armature 1.34 so that they do not cause the armor 1.34 to join when it oscillates and moves through the cam the pins 1.74. Each barb 1.74 is preferably constructed of cemented steel of Rockwell C30 hardness so as to prevent the loss of edge of the tip 1.80 during impact with the seal 1.28, and extend through a respective hole 1.86. It should be noted that armature 1.34 have some 1.87 prior cam so that armature 1.34 has a part of previous displacement of oscillating movement during which can generate sufficient kinetic energy before application back 1.78 Barbed 1.74 by the cam part

p000601.76 of the armor 1.34.

p00061As with all embodiments, the valve 1.20 may additionally have a discharge cap 88, preferably made of a durable material such as nylon, inserted at its outlet 1.54, and a surrounding cap 90 of cap 88 is applied with a corresponding slot 1.92 inside from outlet 1.54, so that it retains cap 88 inside outlet 1.54 until valve 1.20 is actuated. The purpose of cap 88 is to prevent debris such as sludge, etc., from clogging the valve before actuating the valve. When the valve discharges the contents of the container 24, the pressure of the leaking material easily blows the cap 88 out of the outlet 1.54.

p00062In order to keep the armature in the first position before the solenoid is activated, one or more magnets

p000631.94 are mounted on the valve body as in holes 1.96 to magnetically retain the armature 1.34 in the first position, and the magnets must be selected to be of sufficient intensity so that the armature 1.34 is not released from the first position before of the solenoid drive due to mechanical shocks that the valve could receive, because premature release of the armature before solenoid operation could cause an unwanted rupture of the frangible seal. This retention also causes the armature to be maintained in its first position while the coil is developing its full magnetic energy after actuation of the solenoid so that maximum kinetic energy can be imparted to the armature by the coil, thereby creating a force of major impact to break the frangible seal. If a spring had to be used to keep the armor in the first position, it would oppose the armor during its movement to the second position and thereby reduce the kinetic energy of the armor to break the frangible seal. If a glue or glue had been used to keep the armor in the first position, so that the solenoid had to overcome the bonding energy of the glue in order to release the armor from the first position, such glue could deteriorate due to temperature and humidity and thus weaken along the

p00066time, causing premature release of the first position armor. Magnets 1.94, which are preferably used in all embodiments of the present invention, are preferably cylindrical and have, for example, 0.318 cm in diameter and 1.59 cm in thickness, and are glued in holes 1.96. It will be understood that larger or smaller magnets, and a larger or smaller number of magnets, can be used when the valve is scaled to larger or smaller sizes.

p00067Returning now to figs. 12, 13, 15, and 16, the second preferred embodiment 2.20 of the valve of the present invention can be described below.

p00068The valve body 2.22 of the valve 2.20 includes a housing 2.38, a top cap plate 2.40 held within the housing 2.38 such as by a plurality of screws 2.42, and a mounting base 2.44. The mounting base 2.44 is made of aluminum and is welded around its perimeter to the container 24 such as by welding 50 to tightly close the mounting base 2.44 to the container 24, and it will be understood that, as with the first embodiment 1.20 of the valve shown in figs. 1 and 2, the mounting base 2.44 may have a flange to be inserted in the hole 48 of the container 24. It will also be understood that the valve 2.20 is assembled and tested preferably after welding the mounting base 2.44 to the container 24.

p00069The valve body 2.22 has an inlet 2.52 and an outlet 2.54 and the passage 2.26 through the valve body 2.22 connects the input 2.52 to the output 2.54, allowing the contents of the container 24 to discharge through the valve

p000702.20 when the 2.28 frangible seal is broken.

p00071The frangible seals 2.28 and 3.28 of the second and third embodiments are substantially similar, and a description of the seal 2.28 and its assembly will suffice for both.

p00072The seal 2.28 is preferably a disc of sodoccalc glass held around its perimeter in a peripheral part 2.56 of the seal, trapping it inside the valve body 2.22 between the housing 2.38 and the mounting base 2.44, and an o-ring 2.58 of nitrile well known within the circular throat 2.60 of the mounting base 2.44, forms a seal between the mounting base 2.44 and the frangible seal 2.28. The valve 2.20 has a well-known nitrile washer 2.62 between the inner surface of the seal 2.28 and the valve housing

p000732.38 to protect the frangible seal 2.28 from breakage during assembly of the valve housing 2.38 to the mounting base 2.44 when these two parts are fixed by threading on the threads 2.64. It has been found that this washer 2.62 on the upper surface of the frangible seal can be removed, as shown for valve 3.20, by a more precise specification / tolerance of flatness on the surface of the lower side of the valve body (surface of the lower side of the valve housing 2.38 of the valve 2.20, or surface of the lower side of the base plate 3.102 of the valve 3.20) which makes contact with the frangible seal. Hermetic closure

p000742.28 also provides a safe mechanism against failures whereby the seal 2.28 will fracture and break if the pressure inside the container 24 is excessive, thereby preventing the explosion of the container 24.

p00075The valve 2.20 includes a solenoid 2.30 comprising a coil 2.66 constructed of a length of wire 2.68 wrapped around a reel 2.70 of hard anodized aluminum, which surrounds a cylindrical core 2.72. It will be understood that the spool 2.70 is completely wound with the wire 2.68, and that only a part of the wire 2.68 is shown for illustrative purposes. It will be further understood that reel 2.70 can be removed if coil 2.66 is wound on an external accessory and then impregnated with an impregnating compound to maintain its shape, thereby allowing additional coil windings in the space that would otherwise be occupied by the reel and, if required by extreme environmental conditions, coil 2.66 can also be impregnated in situ inside valve 2.20.

p00076Solenoid 2.30 further comprises an armature 2.34 which, when coil 2.66 is excited to create a magnetic field within it, oscillates downward from a first position shown in fig. 12 to a second position 2.34 'shown in dotted lines in fig. 12.

p00077The valve 2.20 further includes impact means 2.36 to break the frangible seal 2.28 in at least two pieces, the impact means 2.36 being moved by the armature 2.34 to break the frangible seal 2.28 when the armature 2.34 moves to the second position . In the second embodiment 2.20 of the present invention, the impact means 2.36 comprise at least one 2,100 tooth which depends on the armature 2.34 towards the seal 2.38. Preferably the valve 2.20 includes a plurality of teeth 2,100 angularly spaced around the armature shaft 2.34 so that they jointly impact the seal 2.28 at multiple impact points adjacent to the peripheral part 2.56 of the seal 2.28, thereby providing symmetric forces on the armor 2.34 so that they do not cause the armor 2.34 to join when it oscillates and cause the 2,100 teeth to impact the seal 2.28. It has been found that the 2,100 teeth are blunt upon impact with the seal 2.28, and a refinement of the third embodiment 3.20, described below, which provides spikes 3.74 separate from the armature, allows the spikes to be formed of harder material than the magnetic material used for the construction of the reinforcement, thus allowing the reuse of the 3.74 spikes or the replacement of the spikes separately from the reinforcement.

p00078As with valve 1.20, valve 2.20 may optionally have a discharge cap 88 as described.

p00081previously.

p00082In order to keep the armature in the first position before the solenoid is activated, one or more magnets

p000832.94 are mounted on the valve body such as by gluing into holes 2.96 to magnetically retain the armature 2.34 in the first position, and the magnets must be selected to be of sufficient intensity so that the armature 2.34 is not released from the first position before solenoid actuation due to mechanical shocks that the valve could receive, because premature release of the armature before solenoid operation could cause unwanted breakage of the frangible seal. As with the first embodiment, this retention also causes the armature to be maintained in its first position, while the coil is developing its full magnetic energy after solenoid actuation, so that maximum kinetic energy can be imparted to the armature by the coil, thereby creating a greater impact force to break the frangible seal.

p00084Returning now to figs. 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, and 18, the third preferred embodiment 3.20 of the valve of the present invention can be described below.

p00085The valve body 3.22 of the valve 3.20 includes a housing 3.38, a base plate 3.102 held within the housing 3.38 such as by a plurality of screws 3.42, a pressure sealing plate 3.104 to maintain the 3.56 frangible seal within the body 3.22 valve, and a 3.44 mounting base that is made of aluminum. In a variant of the first and second embodiments, the mounting base 3.44 can be separated from the valve body 3.22 and can be welded around its perimeter to the container 24 such as by welding 50 to tightly close the mounting base 3.44 to the container 24 while tab 3.46 is received in hole 48 of container 24. This valve structure 3.20 allows the valve 3.20 to be assembled and tested under pressure independent of the mounting base 3.44, and prevents damage to the valve 3.20 when the mounting base is welded to the container 24. In a modified mounting structure of the sealing valve 2.20, a sealing pressure plate 3.104 is threaded into the threads 3.64 of the base plate 3.102, such as by inserting a tool or wrench into blind holes 3.106 of the 3,104 hermetic seal pressure plate during assembly. It will be understood that the structure of the base plate 3.102, the pressure plate 3.104 of the seal, and the mounting base 3.44 could be used with embodiments 1.20 and 2.20. A hexagonal nut attachment 3,107, best seen in fig. 6, is preferably provided in the upper part of the housing 3.38 to allow the valve to tighten

p000863.20 on the base of mounting 3.44 after the mounting base 3.44 has been welded to container 24.

p00087The valve body 3.22 has an input 3.52 and an output 3.54 and the step 3.26 through the valve body 3.22 connects the input 3.52 to the output 3.54, allowing the contents of the container 24 to be discharged through the valve 3.20 when the 3.28 frangible seal is broken.

p00088The frangible seals 3.28 and 3.28 of the second and third embodiments are substantially similar, and the previous description of the seal 2.28 is sufficient for both.

p00089The frangible seal 3.28 is preferably a sodacalcic glass disk held around its perimeter in a peripheral part 3.56 of the seal being trapped inside the valve body 3.22 between the base plate

p000903.102 and the pressure seal plate 3.104, and a well-known 3.58 nitrile O-ring inside the circular groove 3.60 in the pressure seal plate 3.104 forms a seal between the pressure seal plate 3.104 and the frangible seal 3.28. It should be noted that the valve 3.20 does not require a washer between the upper surface of the seal 3.28 and the base plate 3.102 to prevent the seal 3.28 from breaking during the assembly of the pressure plate 3.104 of the seal on the base plate 3.102 and that these two parts are fastened together by threading on threads 3.64. It has been found that this washer on the upper surface of the frangible seal could be eliminated by a more precise specification / tolerance of flatness on the surface of the lower side of the base plate 3.102 which makes contact with the frangible seal 3.28. As described so far for the seal 2.28, the seal 3.28 also provides a safe mechanism against failures whereby the seal 3.28 will fracture and break if the pressure inside the container 24 is excessive, thereby preventing the explosion of the container 24.

p00091The valve 3.20 includes a solenoid 3.30 comprising a coil 3.66 constructed of a length of wire 3.68 wrapped around a reel 3.70 of hard anodized aluminum. It will be understood that the reel 3.70 is fully wound with the wire 3.68, and that only a part of the wire 3.68 is shown for illustrative purposes. The reel

p000923.70 of the valve 3.20 also serves as the core of this valve, instead of having a separate core as in other embodiments.

p00093Solenoid 3.30 further comprises an armature 3.34 which, when coil 3.66 is excited to create a magnetic field therein, oscillates downward from a first position shown in fig. 14 to a second position 3.34 'shown in dotted lines in fig. 14.

p00094The valve 3.20 further includes impact means 3.36 to break the frangible seal 3.28 in at least two pieces, the impact means 3.36 being moved by the armature 3.34 to break the frangible seal 3.28 when the armature 3.34 moves to the second position . In the third embodiment 3.20 of the present invention, the means

p00097of impact 3.36 comprise at least one spike 3.74 mounted for vertical oscillating movement within the valve body 3.22 preferably substantially parallel to the mutual axis 3.37 of step 3.26 and of the armature 3.34. Preferably the valve 3.20 includes a plurality of spikes 3.74 angularly spaced around the armature shaft 3.34 and mounted within bores 3.112 through the base plate 3.102 so that they jointly impact the seal 3.28 at multiple impact points adjacent to the part 3.56 peripheral seal 3.28, thereby providing symmetric forces on the armature 3.34 so that they do not cause the armature 3.34 to join when it oscillates and cause the spikes 3.74 to impact the seal 3.28 when they move to a position shown in dotted lines such as 3.74 '. As an improvement of the third embodiment

p000983.20 on the second embodiment 2.20, the 3.74 spikes are provided separately from the armature, thereby allowing the spikes to be formed of harder material than the magnetic material used for armor construction, thereby allowing the 3.74 spikes to be reused or the replacement of the barbs separately from the armor.

p00099As best seen in fig. 18, the base plate 3,102 has a beveled surface 3,108, at an angle 3,110 of approximately 22 degrees, adjacent bores in 3,112 for tines 3.74, thereby allowing a better discharge of the frangible seal 3.28 when it is broken. As best seen in fig. 17, a channel 3.114 is preferably provided within the base plate 3.102 so that the wires 3.68 pass from the core 3.66 to the outside of the valve body 3.22.

p00100As with valves 1.20 and 2.20, valve 3.20 may optionally have a discharge cap 88 as described above.

p00101In order to keep the armature in the first position before the solenoid is activated, one or more magnets

p001023.94 are mounted on reel 3.70 such as by gluing into holes 3.96 to magnetically retain the armature 3.34 in the first position, and the magnets must be selected to be of sufficient intensity so that the armature 3.34 is not released from the first position before solenoid actuation due to mechanical shocks that the valve could receive, because premature release of the armature before solenoid operation could cause unwanted breakage of the frangible seal. As with the first and second embodiments, this retention also causes the armature to be maintained in its first position, while the coil is developing its full magnetic energy after solenoid actuation, so that maximum kinetic energy can be imparted to the armature. by the coil, thereby creating a greater impact force to break the frangible seal.

p00103With reference to fig. 11, to use all the embodiments of the valve of the present invention as a fire extinguishing apparatus, the valve, generally represented as valve 20 in fig. 11, is assembled, tested and mounted, as described above, in a container 24. The wires, generically represented as 68 in fig. 11, are connected to control circuit means 116 interposed between a well-known electrical power source 32 and the valve 20 for selective connection of the power source 32 to the valve 20. A plurality of inputs 118, 120, 122 are connected Operationally to control circuits 116, which respond to the inputs and, in response thereto, apply electrical power to the valve 20. Infrared sensors 118, which are triggered when the optical energy is detected in the region near the infrared between approximately 0.2 microns to 10 microns, inclusive, and preferably in the range between approximately 2 to 10 microns, inclusive, are provided for early alarm detection of flames or heat sources 124 and for firing control circuits 116. Temperature sensors 120, well known in the prior art, are provided to trigger control circuits 116 when the detected temperature reaches a certain predetermined set temperature. One or more push button motors 122 are provided for manual actuation of the valve 20. And, as described above, an overpressure state within the container 24 will cause a safe break against failures of the frangible seal of the valve 20. When used as a fire extinguishing apparatus, there are thus multiple ways that the valve 20 can be operated. The first and most sensitive activation threshold is when one of the infrared optical sensors 118 detects sufficient optical energy in the range close to the infrared described above. When the temperature detected by one of the temperature sensors 120 detects a state of excess temperature, the valve will also be tripped. As a third mode of activation, if the pressure inside the vessel 24 is generated to the point of an overpressure state that exceeds the mechanical resistance of the frangible seal, the seal will fracture due to the overpressure state, thereby releasing Secure the pressurized contents of the container 24.

p00104After use, the valve can then be restored and reused. Barbed tips 1.74, 3.74 or teeth 2,100 can be inspected and, if necessary, barbs 1.74 and 3.74 could be replaced from a restoration kit. Similarly, if 2,100 teeth have become blunt, then 2.34 armor with teeth

p001052,100 could be replaced as a unit. Alternatively, a maintenance history of the valve can be preserved, these parts being replaced after a certain number of drives. In critical reliability situations, spikes 1.74, 3.74 or armor 2.34 with teeth 2,100 could be replaced at each restoration. All seals and o-rings will be replaced with new seals and new o-rings at each restoration to ensure reliable performance and operation.

p00106Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment and a preferred use for

p00109It should not be so limited since modifications and changes can be made therein, which are within the fully intended framework of the invention.