CN1114780C - Method and sealing valve unit for controlling fluid flow through passage - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealing valve unit (27) for controlling the flow of fluid through a passage (33) defined by the interior surface of a tubular casing (25) comprises a valve body (205) having a longitudinal bore therethrough. The valve body (205), a sealing assembly (211) and a filter element (71) are so constructed that they are held in assembly with one another independent of the tubular casing (25) so that they can be simultaneously installed in and removed from the passage (33) as a single unit.

Description

Method of controlling fluid flow in channel and sealing valve arrangement

Background of the invention

This invention relates generally to methods and sealing valve assemblies for controlling the flow of fluid in a passageway enclosed by the inner surface of a tubular housing, and more particularly to methods for preventing particulate material in the fluid from adversely affecting the operation of the sealing valve assembly. Affecting method and sealing valve device.

A recent improvement in the method of balancing a pneumatic wheel assembly under varying load conditions and reducing radial and lateral force variations in the wheel assembly involves encapsulating the tire with granular or powdered material. One such method is disclosed in US Patent No. 5,073,217, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The granular material is mixed with a compressed fluid (such as air) and sprayed onto the wheel assembly through the tire valve stem by suitable injection means, such as those shown and described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,386,857 and 5,472,023, which are at Also here as a reference. One well-known granular material is the polymeric plastic material sold under the trademark "EQUAL" by International Marketing Corporation.

The granular material is sprayed into a tire of a wheel assembly that does not have a spool (e.g., a sealed valve) in the valve stem (e.g., a new tire prior to installation of the spool or an old tire that has had the spool removed from the valve stem) to The material is allowed to flow freely into the tire. The tire is generally inflated or at least partially inflated when the material is sprayed onto the tire. After the tire is sprayed with the material, the valve core is mounted to the valve stem and the tire is inflated to the desired inflation pressure.

The spool is a standard sealed valve for controlling fluid flow in a passage bounded by the inner surface of the tubular housing, such as the stem passage of the valve stem. The valve part of the spool is opened and closed relative to the fixed valve seat in the channel to control the fluid flow in the channel. It is important for the operation of the valve plug that the valve and its associated valve seat be free of particulate material. However, when the valve is opened to release compressed fluid from the tire or to check the pressure of the tire, the above-mentioned granular material may fall into the valve core and adversely affect the valve core components, such as preventing the valve from fully seating on the valve core. Closed, causing fluid to continually leak from the tire. Additionally, the tire may also contain other particulate material such as dirt, debris or rubber particles that fall off the inner rim of the tire during use of the wheel assembly. These particles may also be drawn into the spool thereby adversely affecting the operation of the spool components.

In order to reduce this risk, it is known to use a valve stem with a movable filter element permanently enclosed in the valve stem between the valve element and the interior of the tyre, in order to keep the granular material in the in the tire and prevent it from reaching the valve core while allowing the fluid to flow through the filter core. For example, US Patent No. 5,479,975 (herein incorporated by reference) shows and describes a valve stem including such a cartridge. While this valve stem is very useful, users of granular materials such as EQUAL may wish to removably mount a fixed filter element to a common, i.e. standard, valve stem already in use in the industry, rather than with an already permanently installed filter element. replace the valve stem of the receptacle.

The use of spools or other similar sealing valves to control fluid flow in housing passages is also known in other industries. For example, spools are used to control fluid flow in utility lines, automobiles, home and commercial air conditioning units, carbonated beverage machines, and other devices requiring controlled fluid flow in housings. It is equally important to keep the valve and its associated seat free of particulate material for spool operation in these applications.

Contents of the invention

Multiple objects and features of the present invention are: to provide a sealing valve device, wherein the sealing valve and filter element have a structure that can be installed and removed from the tubular housing at the same time; to provide a sealing valve device, wherein, without Elements are installed and removed from the tubular housing passageway by removal or replacement of the tubular housing; a sealed valve arrangement is provided that reduces mishandling, dropping and losing the element risk; providing a sealing valve arrangement wherein no additional structure is required in the channel to retain the filter in the channel; providing a sealing valve arrangement which is easy to install in the channel; providing A sealing valve arrangement which is readily assembled from standard, currently commercially available sealing valves; and a sealing valve arrangement which prevents the flow of granular material into the valve portion of the sealing valve.

Objects and features of the present invention are also to: provide a tool for efficiently and reliably inserting a filter element into a tire without disengaging the valve stem from the tire; provide a tool for assembling a valve assembly that prevents the flow of granular material into the seal valve; a tool that is simple in mechanism; a tool that also allows the granular material to enter the tire before the filter element is inserted into the valve stem, and Without disengaging the tool from the valve stem; providing a tool that also allows installation of a seal valve to the valve stem after the cartridge is inserted into the valve stem without disengaging the tool from the valve stem.

Further objects and features of the present invention are: to provide a method for preventing escape of granular material through the valve assembly of a gas wheel assembly; to provide a method for inserting a filter into a tire valve stem, and can be implemented quickly and simply; provide a method that allows a single tool to introduce granular material into the tire and insert the filter into the valve stem; provide a method that allows the filter to be inserted The plug is then installed into the valve stem with a single tool.

Other objects and features will be partly apparent and partly pointed out in the description which follows.

A brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool of the present invention attached to the valve stem of a gas wheel assembly;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tool in Figure 1;

Figures 3A-D are partial cross-sectional views along line 3-3 in Figure 2 at four different stages of tool operation;

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view along line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly;

Fig. 6 is the perspective view of the sealing valve of the present invention that is connected with filter element;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the sealing valve of Figure 6 with the sealing device of the sealing valve moved to an open position with a portion of the filter element removed to show the end of the sealing device;

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a sealing valve similar to the sealing valve in Fig. 6, and the filter core is shown in section;

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the sealing valve of Fig. 8 installed in the valve stem, the filter element and the valve stem are shown in section;

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the sealing valve of the present invention, on which a filter assembly is connected, and the filter assembly is shown in section;

Fig. 11 is the schematic diagram of the 3rd embodiment of sealing valve of the present invention, is connected with filter assembly on it, and this filter assembly is shown in section;

Figure 12 is a schematic illustration of the sealing valve of Figure 10 installed in a valve stem, the filter assembly and valve stem shown in section;

Figure 13 is a schematic illustration of the sealing valve of Figure 11 installed in a valve stem, the filter assembly and valve stem shown in section;

Figure 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the sealing valve of the valve assembly of Figure 5;

Fig. 15 is a partial schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the sealing valve of the present invention, the filter assembly and the valve stem are shown in section;

Fig. 16 is a partial schematic view of the fifth embodiment of the sealing valve of the present invention, and the filter assembly is shown in section;

Figure 17 is a partial schematic view of the sealing valve shown in Figure 16 installed in a valve stem, the filter assembly and valve stem shown in section; and

Fig. 18 is a partial schematic view of the sixth embodiment of the sealing valve of the present invention, which has a filter assembly, the sealing valve and the filter assembly are installed on the valve stem, and the valve stem is shown in section.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

best practice

In FIG. 1 , the tool for inserting the filter element into the tire assembly is indicated generally at 21 . The tool 21 is connected to a pneumatic wheel assembly, denoted w, comprising a rim R and a pneumatic tire T mounted on the rim. The rim R and pneumatic tire T enclose an interior space V within the wheel assembly W to hold pressurized fluid. A valve assembly, indicated generally at 23, is associated with the wheel assembly W and communicates with the interior space V for allowing pressurized fluid to flow into and out of the interior space to inflate and deflate the tire T. As shown in FIG.

In the drawings of the present invention, the valve assembly 23 is generally shown in a vertical direction. In order to illustrate the present invention shown in the drawings, "up" and "down" are used to describe the components and operations of the valve assembly. However, it should be noted that the valve assembly 23 may be oriented in an orientation other than vertical, and that the components and operation of the valve assembly may be generally described as "outer" and "inner", respectively.

The valve assembly 23 (FIG. 5) includes a valve stem, indicated at 25, and a sealing valve, such as a spool, indicated at 27, located in the valve stem. The valve stem 25 is generally a tubular housing having a first end, i.e. a lower end 29, connected to the wheel assembly W to communicate with the interior space V, and a second end, i.e. an upper end 31, which is accessible from the outside of the wheel assembly. The ends 29, 31 of the valve stem 25 are open, so the inner surface of the stem surrounds a valve stem passage 33, which communicates with the inner space V of the tire to allow compressed fluid to flow into or out of the tire. wheel assembly W. As shown in Figure 5, the stem passage has a central longitudinal axis X. The upper end 31 of the stem 25 has threads externally for engagement with a closure cap (not shown) or other suitable connector, and internally for engagement with the spool 27 to secure the spool within the stem. of thread.

The stem 25 has an inner annular flange near its lower end, forming a filter seat 35, the function of which will be described later. However, valve stems without the filter seat 35 also fall within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to any particular valve stem material, shape, size, or method of attachment to the wheel assembly, and, without departing from the scope of the invention, the valve stem 25 may generally be used with motorcycle tires, automobile tires, , light and heavy truck tires, aircraft tires and other tires that typically use valve stems.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the sealing valve 27 (ie, the valve core) of the present invention has a lower end 201 and an upper end 203 , and can be inserted into the stem channel 33 in a downward direction (the lower end is inserted first). This spool 27 comprises a stationary valve body, indicated at 205 , with a longitudinal axis X′. The valve body 205 is threaded at the upper end 207 for detachable connection with the valve stem 25 to prevent the valve body 205 from moving longitudinally relative to the valve stem. The valve body 205 has a longitudinal bore 209 extending along its longitudinal axis X'. The valve body 205 is coaxially connected to the valve stem 25 with the stem passage 33 such that the longitudinal axis X' of the valve body coincides with the central longitudinal axis X of the stem passage ( FIG. 5 ).

The lower end of the valve body 205 surrounding the longitudinal hole 209 encloses an annular valve seat 37 coaxially located in the valve stem channel 33 . An annular seal 39 surrounding the valve body 205 can engage with the valve stem 25 to allow fluid flowing in the valve stem channel 33 to flow through the longitudinal hole 209 . The threaded upper end 207 of the valve body 205 is preferably rotatable relative to the rest of the valve body and also has an outer surface forming a reaction plane 47 for reasons which will be explained later.

The spool 27 also includes a sealing assembly indicated by reference numeral 211, which is movable longitudinally in the stem passage 33 relative to the valve body 205 to control the flow of fluid in the longitudinal bore 209 of the valve body. The seal assembly 211 includes a seal, indicated at 213 , and an actuator pin, such as valve pin 43 . The sealing device 213 is movable along the longitudinal axis X of the valve stem passage 33 between a closed sealing position and an open position, in which the sealing device sealingly engages the valve seat 37 to prevent movement in the longitudinal direction of the valve body 205. Flow in the bore 209, in the open position the sealing device clears the valve seat to allow pressurized fluid to flow through the longitudinal bore. The valve pin 43 is connected to the sealing means for moving the sealing means to its open position. A spring (not shown) arranged on the valve body 205 exerts a force on the sealing device 213 towards its closed sealing position.

As shown in Figure 14, the sealing means 213 includes a seal 215, preferably made of rubber or other suitable material, which is seated on a generally cup-shaped seal carrier 217. Integral with the seal bracket 217 is formed a constriction 220 extending downwardly from the bracket. The valve pin 43 extends from the sealing device 213 through the longitudinal bore 209 of the valve body 205 beyond the threaded upper end 207 of the valve body. The upper end 221 of the valve pin 43 is contactable so that it can be pushed downwards against the spring force of the spring against the valve body 205 and valve stem 25, thereby moving the sealing means 213 to its open position.

The lower portion 42 of the pin 43 (not shown in FIG. 14 but shown in FIG. 8 as extending beyond the constriction member 220) extends downwardly through the seal bracket 217 and the constriction member 220, the lower portion of the pin and The constricting members share a terminal end and together form a shaft with a lower end 223 indicated at 219 . The constricting member 220 is preferably constricted by suitable constricting means (not shown) to form a firm engagement with the lower portion 42 of the valve pin 43 to thereby connect the valve device 213 to the valve pin forming the valve assembly 211. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the lower portion 42 of the valve pin 43 may also extend generally downward beyond the end of the constrictor 220 so that the shaft 219 extends further downward from the bracket 217 .

As shown in Figures 2 and 3A, the tool of the present invention includes a body 21 having a handle 53, a valve stem connector indicated by numeral 55, a fluid inlet 57, a filter insertion inlet 59, a filter receiving assembly indicated by numeral 61, The spool is inserted into the inlet 63 , the plunger assembly indicated by numeral 65 , and the selector valve indicated by numeral 67 . The selector valve 67 is mounted on the body for selectively configuring the tool to perform various operations when the tool is connected to the valve stem 25 . The tool 21 of the preferred embodiment, for example, is used to inject granular or powdered material into the interior space V of the wheel assembly W, insert the filter element 71 to the valve stem 25, and then install the valve element 27 to the valve stem. In the tool 21 shown in FIG. 2, it is approximately 6.965 inches long as measured along the handle and body, 9.325 inches thick as measured along the stem connector and plunger assembly, and 1 inch wide. However, these dimensions may vary depending on the particular type of wheel assembly W and valve stem 25 of the application tool 21 .

The body 51 is preferably formed as a single piece from a suitable material such as plastic, brass, aluminum or steel, but may be formed from multiple parts or other materials and remain within the scope of the invention. A handle 53 extends outwardly from the body 51 to provide a means for holding the tool 21 while connecting the tool to the valve stem 25 and performing various operations. The handle 53 is preferably ergonomically configured so that the operator of the tool 21 can comfortably hold the handle. The body 51 has a transversely extending generally cylindrical opening 69 for receiving a selector valve 67, the purpose of which will be described later. Various passages (FIGS. 3A-D), such as fluid passage 75, filter passage 77, plunger passage 79, spool passage 81, and outlet passage 83 (generally referred to as "the outlet"), exit from the body 51 of the tool 21. The opening 69 extends outwardly to allow the opening to communicate with components located around the body and handle 53, as will be described later.

When the tool 21 is connected to the stem 25, the outlet passage 83 in the body (FIGS. 3A-D) is aligned straight with the central longitudinal axis X of the stem passage 33 so that the opening 69 in the body 51 and the stem passage connected. The valve connector 55 is preferably a quick release connector that allows engagement of the quick release tool 21 with the valve stem 25 . The connector 55 includes a trigger 87 pivotally connected to the tool 21 and spaced from the handle 53 so that it can be squeezed with the same hand that holds the handle of the tool. Attached to the trigger 87 is a suitable spring clip 89 operable to engage the valve stem 25 to releasably connect the tool 21 to the stem. For example, squeezing the trigger 87 moves the spring clip 89 away from the valve stem 25 to allow the connector 55 to be placed over the valve stem. Disengaging the trigger 87 allows the spring clip 89 to move under its own spring force into engagement with the valve stem 25, thereby releasably connecting the tool 21 to the stem. The manufacture and operation of such an adapter, as disclosed in US Patent No. 4,276,898, is known as the prior art and is described here merely to provide a method of connecting the tool to the tire valve assembly. Other connection methods, such as those known in the art for connecting gas or liquid supply lines, may also be applied without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As best seen in FIGS. 3A-D , a fluid channel 75 extends in the body 51 and handle 53 to communicate the opening 69 in the body with the fluid inlet 57 . Connector 91 connects to the end of handle 53 at fluid inlet 57 for connection to a fluid source. A fluid is defined herein as a gas (such as air, nitrogen, or other suitable gas commonly used to inflate tires of a wheel assembly), a liquid, or a mixture of a gas or liquid under pressure and a granular or powdered material. The granular material is preferably a fine powder for balancing the wheel assembly W and reducing radial and lateral force variations in the wheel assembly under various loading conditions, such as the materials described in U.S. Patent No. 5,073,217 (which is incorporated herein by reference) . One such granular material is a polymeric plastic material sold under the trademark "EQUAL" by International Markets Corporation. The fluid source is preferably a spraying device that mixes compressed gas and granular material and sprays the mixture into the interior space V of the wheel assembly W, such as shown and described in U.S. Pat. as a reference). However, it is understood that the connector 91 may also be connected to other sources of fluid, whether granular or not, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The filter channel 77 communicates the opening 69 of the body 51 with the filter insertion inlet 59 and is sized to receive the filter element 71 . A guide tube 101 extends outwardly from the body 51 and is aligned with the filter insertion inlet to properly guide the filter element into the filter channel. The filter core 71 is preferably a mesh woven of suitable materials such as stainless steel, cloth or nylon, and has a material that can prevent granular materials (large enough to interfere with the normal operation of the valve core 27) in the inner space W of the wheel assembly W from entering the valve. The stem passage 33 has almost no influence on the flow velocity of the fluid in the valve stem passage. For example, the mesh size is preferably between about 5 microns and 100 microns, more preferably about 40-50 microns. As shown in FIGS. 3A-D , filter element 71 is generally cup-shaped (eg, a hollow cylinder with a closed end 93 ) that is in the path of fluid flow through stem passage 33 . The diameter of the filter element 71 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the valve stem passage 33 so that it fits tightly on the filter seat 35 in this passage. Due to the small mesh size, the filter element 71 is rigid enough to retain its shape when inserted into the valve stem 25 .

The filter element 71 is preferably preformed into a cup shape, but may also be formed when it is inserted into the body 51 through the filter insertion inlet 59 . In addition, the filter element 71 can also not use a mesh filter element, but is made of sintered materials (such as sintered stainless steel, sintered magnesium, sintered manganese and other sintered materials formed by using known powder metallurgy processes), or other porous materials widely used for filtering granular materials. medium. The filter element 71 may also be spherical, disc-shaped or other suitable shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, it can also be understood that, as will be explained later, the filter core 71 can also be fixed on the valve core 27 by bonding or other suitable methods, so that a sealed valve device is formed by the combined filter core and the valve core. The valve arrangement is to be inserted into the filter insertion inlet 59 to feed through the filter channel 77 to the opening 69 of the body 51 .

As shown in FIGS. 3A-D , filter seating assembly 61 is removable from body 51 to allow seating of filter cartridge 71 through filter insertion inlet 59 into filter channel 77 . The assembly 61 can then be reseat on the body 51 to push the cartridge 71 towards the opening 69 in the body. The assembly 61 includes a generally cylindrical cover 95 with a closed top and an open bottom. A helical spring 97 in the cover 95 pushes against a seat 99 adjacent the open end of the cover, which seat 99 can come into contact with the guide tube 101 . The size of the seat 99 and guide tube 101 is slightly smaller than that of the cover 95 to allow telescopic sliding of the cover relative to the seat and guide tube. The guide tube 101 acts as a reaction surface for the seat 99 to compress the spring 97 when the cover 95 is pushed down on the seat and guide tube. Attached to the top of this cover 95 is a push rod 103 extending to the filter channel 77 in the body 51 through a seat 99 and a guide tube 101, the push rod 103 being long enough so that the free end 104 of the push rod actually extends when the spring 97 is compressed. to the opening 69 of the body. The seat 99 is engageable with the flange of the push rod 103 to keep the seat and spring 97 in the cover 95 in assembly with the push rod.

In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of the free end 104 of the push rod 103 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cartridge 71 so that the push rod is at the open end of the cup-shaped cartridge, pushing the cartridge toward the opening 69 in the body 51 . It will be appreciated that other means for advancing the cartridge 71 through the passage 77 towards the opening 69 in the body 51 may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The plunger passage 79 communicates the opening 69 of the body 51 with the plunger assembly 65 and is aligned with the central longitudinal axis X of the stem passage 33 . 3A-D, the plunger assembly 65 includes a guide tube 105 and a plunger 107, the guide tube 105 is connected to the body 51 and extends outwardly from the body in alignment with the plunger channel 79, the plunger 107 can Reciprocating motion is carried out in the guide tube 105 through the working stroke and the reverse stroke. , during the reverse stroke, the head of the plunger is pulled back into the plunger channel or fully into the guide tube. The plunger 107 is preferably long enough to extend into the valve stem passage 33 during its working stroke. On top of the guide tube 105 is mounted a cap 117 for securing the plunger 107 in the tube. It will be appreciated that the plunger assembly 65 may also be flexible without departing from the scope of the present invention so that the plunger assembly need not be aligned with the central longitudinal axis X of the valve stem passage 33 as long as the head 109 of the plunger 107 It can be moved to the stem channel.

The head 109 of the plunger 107 is sized slightly smaller than the diameter of the cartridge 71 to be at the cup-shaped open end of the cartridge to push the cartridge into the valve stem passage 33 . The head 109 is preferably forked so as to cooperate with the flat surface 47 of the spool insert 45 . The plunger 107 can rotate around its axis to screw the valve core 27 into the valve stem 25 . To facilitate operation and control of the plunger, a disc-shaped knob 111 is mounted at the opposite (tail) end 113 of the plunger 107 . An annular stopper 114 is attached to the plunger 107 for movement within the guide tube 105 . The size of the stopper 114 is larger than the opening of the guide tube 105 in which the plunger 107 extends, so that the stopper restricts the plunger from entering the working stroke of the stem passage 33, thereby limiting the movement of the filter element 71 in the passage. Insertion depth. A suitable sealing ring 115 seated in the annular groove of the stop 114 forms a seal between the stop and the guide tube 105 to prevent compressed fluid from flowing from the interior space V of the wheel assembly W when the plunger 107 is used. escape, thus maintaining the pressure in the wheel assembly.

While shown and described as extending the plunger passage 79 to the opening 69 in the body 51, it will be appreciated that the plunger passage can also extend in the body such that the plunger passage is in line with the valve stem passage. Alignment, the filter passage can also be aligned vertically with the plunger passage, so that the filter element accommodated in the filter passage is directly placed in the plunger passage and pushed into the valve stem by the plunger through the plunger passage aisle.

The spool passage 81 communicates the opening 69 in the body 51 with the spool insertion inlet 63 to provide the spool 27 to the opening. If desired, the valve core 27 can be pushed toward the opening 69 by the above-mentioned filter mounting assembly 61 . It can be understood that the spool 27 can also be accommodated in the filter channel 77 instead of the spool channel 81 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 4, the selector valve 67 (generally speaking, "moving device" and "device for moving the filter element 71 so that it is aligned with the plunger passage 79 and the valve stem passage 33") is rotatably mounted on the body 51. The opening 69 is used to select and complete various operations of the tool 21 . The selector valve 67 is generally cylindrical and is preferably of two-piece construction having a cylindrical core 119 made of brass or other suitable metal and a sleeve 121 surrounding the core. 121 is constructed of polytetrachlorethylene (Teflon) or other suitable sealing, low friction material. The diameter of the selector valve 67 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening 69 of the body 51 so that the selector valve fits tightly in the opening. For example, the selector valve shown in Figure 4 is approximately 1.25 inches in diameter. However, the diameter of the selector valve 67 may vary depending on the size of the tool 21 and the diameter of the opening 69 of the body 51 . The polytetrachlorethylene sleeve 121 seals the selector valve to the body and allows the selector valve 67 to rotate relative to the body 51 around the rotation axis Y, which extends transversely of the body. As shown in Figure 3D, the axis Y is offset from the longitudinal axis X of the stem passage 33 by a distance D, however it will be appreciated that the selector valve 67 may intersect the longitudinal axis of the stem passage without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The selector valve 67 is fixed in the opening 69 of the body 51 by a snap ring 123 ( FIG. 4 ), which fits with an annular groove 125 of the body 51 on both sides of the selector valve. A non-metallic washer 127 is placed between each snap ring 123 (typically made of metal) and the selector valve 67 to prevent the valve core from grinding against the snap ring as the valve rotates. However, it is to be understood that other means may be used instead of snap ring 123 and washer 127 to rotatably secure selector valve 67 in opening 69 of body 51 without departing from the scope of the present invention, as long as the valve is free. It only needs to rotate relative to the opening around its axis of rotation Y. Rotation of the selector valve 67 in the opening 69 of the body 51 between predetermined positions is effected by a lever 129 fitted on a stub shaft 131 extending outwardly from one side of the selector valve.

Two passages, or holes 133, 135, extend through the selector valve 67 and, when turning the selector valve between different set positions (FIGS. 3A-D), can selectively communicate with a plurality of Channels 75, 77, 79, 81, 83 are aligned. The body 51 or the selector valve 67 can be provided with a stop limit mechanism (not shown) to ensure proper alignment of the valve holes 133 , 135 with the channels 75 , 77 , 79 , 81 , 83 . As shown in Figures 3A-D, the selector valve holes 133, 135 are completely separated from each other and there is no communication between these holes. The bores 133, 135 are also angled relative to each other and point in the direction of the chord of the selector valve 67, so that neither bore extends along the axis of rotation Y of the selector valve. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the holes 133, 135 are at an angle of approximately 45-50 degrees relative to each other. However, this relative angle may vary depending on the location of the plurality of channels 75, 77, 79, 81, 83 in the body.

The operation of the tool 21 according to the method of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 3A-D. The pressure in the interior space of the wheel assembly W is adjusted, and the tire T (whether new or used) is partially inflated, for example, to half its rated pressure. As shown in Figure 3A, hold the handle 53 and squeeze the trigger 87 of the valve stem connector 55, place the connector on the valve stem, then release the trigger to allow the spring clip 89 under its own spring force Moved into releasable engagement with the valve stem to secure the tool 21 on the valve stem 25 thereby releasably connecting the tool 21 to the valve stem 25 . Initially the plunger 107 is retracted so that the head 109 of the plunger is retracted into the guide tube 105 or the plunger passage 79, the selector valve 67 is in the first set position, and the first set position of the selector valve is in the first set position. Aperture 133 is aligned with outlet passage 83 and fluid passage 75 of body 51 to communicate stem passage 33 with a fluid source. The mixture of granular material and compressed gas is then injected into the fluid inlet 57 and flows through the fluid channel 75 , the first hole 133 and the outlet channel 83 , thereby being injected into the interior space V of the wheel assembly W through the valve stem channel 33 . After the granular material is injected into the interior volume V, compressed gas enters the fluid inlet 57 and through the valve stem passage 33 into the interior volume V of the wheel assembly W, inflating the tire R to the desired pressure.

When the selector valve 67 is at the first set position, the second hole 135 of the selector valve is aligned with the filter passage 77 . The filter mounting assembly 61 is removed from the body 51 , and the filter element 71 is placed into the channel through the filter insertion inlet 59 . The assembly 61 is then repositioned into the inlet 59 with the free end 104 of the push rod 103 extending into the filter channel 77 and in the open end of the cup-shaped cartridge 71 . Push the cover 95 of the assembly 61 downward on the guide pipe 101 toward the main body 51 , so that the filter element 71 is pushed into the second hole 135 in the selector valve 67 by the push rod 103 . Pushing the cover 95 down on the guide tube 101 compresses the coil spring 97, thereby keeping the cover away from the body 51 so that when the cover is released, the push rod 103 is withdrawn from the second hole 135. The other end of the second hole 135 is closed by the body 51, so that the filter element 71 remains in the hole as shown in FIG. 3A until the selector valve 67 turns to another setting position.

Under the condition that this filter core 71 is placed in the second hole 135 of the selector valve 67, turn the selector valve to the second setting position with the lever 129, as can be seen most from Fig. 3B, in the second setting position, the first hole 133 is no longer aligned with the fluid channel 75 and the outlet channel 83 of the body 51, thereby preventing gas from escaping from the inner space V of the wheel assembly W through the fluid channel, and the second option of placing the filter element 71 therein The valve bore 135 is aligned with the central longitudinal axis X of the stem passage 33 , which is aligned with the plunger passage 69 and the outlet passage 83 . In this set position, the open end of the cup-shaped cartridge 71 preferably faces the head 109 of the plunger 107 . Push the plunger 107 forward into the guide tube 105 to move the head 109 of the plunger to the second hole 135 and place it on the open end of the cup-shaped filter element 71 . Further forward movement of the plunger 107 pushes the cartridge 71 in the aligned outlet passage 83 and into the stem passage 33 until the cartridge contacts the filter seat 35 in the stem 25 . The plunger 107 is then pulled back by the return stroke to move the plunger head 109 back to the plunger channel 79 (or back to the guide tube 101 ). If the valve stem 25 does not have a filter seat 35, it can be understood that the top of the guide tube 105 will limit the working stroke of the plunger 107, thereby limiting the depth of the filter element 71 inserted into the valve stem passage 33, so the filter element is inserted into the valve stem passage 33. The tight fit inside of the filter secures the element in the stem passage.

The next step is to use the lever 129 to rotate the selector valve 67 to the third set position ( FIG. 3C ), where the second hole 135 is aligned with the spool passage 81 . As shown in FIG. 3C , the spool 27 is placed into the spool channel 81 through the spool insertion inlet 63 and pushed into the second hole 135 in the selector valve 67 . If desired, the filter seat assembly 61 can be used in the spool passage 81 to push the spool 27 into the second hole. The opposite end of the second hole 135 is closed by the body 51 to keep the spool 27 in the second hole until the selector valve 67 is moved to a different setting position.

As shown in Figure 3D, in the state that the spool 27 is placed on the second hole 135 of the selector valve 67, the valve is rotated back to its second setting position with the lever 129 so that the second hole is re-aligned with the outlet passage 83 and plunger channel 79 . The plunger 107 is then moved through its working stroke to push the spool 27 into the stem passage 33 . The plunger 107 should be moved a sufficient distance so that the forked head 109 of the plunger fits on the flat surface 47 of the threaded insert 45 of the spool 27, at which point the plunger 107 is rotated about its axis to rotate The valve core is engaged with the inner thread of the upper end 31 of the valve stem 25 , so that the core is fixed in the valve stem passage 33 . With the spool 27 installed in this way and the filter 71, the filter can be used to prevent granular material in the inner space V of the wheel assembly W having a size that can interfere with the normal operation of the spool from flowing through the valve stem passage 33, while allowing Other fluids under pressure are allowed to flow through the channel. The tool 21 is then disengaged from the valve stem 25 by squeezing the trigger 87 of the valve stem connector 55 again, moving the spring clip 89 out of its engagement with the valve stem, pulling the tool away from the stem. .

Although the manual operation of tool 21 has been described here, it will be appreciated that the various operating components of the tool, including lever 129 and selector valve 67, valve stem connector 55, filter mounting assembly 61 and plunger 107, also Can be automated to increase the speed at which filter elements are inserted into the wheel assembly. Furthermore, only the outlet channel 83 in the body 51 needs to be aligned along the central longitudinal axis X of the stem channel 33 . The remaining channels 75, 77, 79, 81 and components may be located in the body 51 other than as illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, although the selector valve 67 is shown and described herein as rotating in the body 51 and having a rotation axis Y perpendicular to the body, it can be understood that many other selector valve embodiments also fall within the scope of the present invention, Such as a selector valve with an axis of rotation in the plane of the body, during operation of other tool components, as long as the valve allows fluid passage into the valve stem passage 33 when moved to the first position, and when moved to another position It is sufficient to block fluid passage into and out of the valve stem passage.

Providing a filter passage 77 separate from the plunger passage 79 allows the cartridge 71 to be mounted to the stem passage 33 without disengaging the tool 21 from the stem 25 and removing the plunger 107 from its guide tube 105, thus reducing loss The risk of the plunger is reduced, the pressure loss in the inner space V of the wheel assembly W is reduced, and an efficient and reliable tool for inserting the filter element 71 into the valve stem passage 33 can be provided. The mesh size of the filter element 71 prevents particulate material from entering the valve stem passage 33 and potentially adversely affecting the operation of the valve element 27, thereby reducing the risk of gas leakage from the interior volume V of the wheel assembly W.

In addition, the provision of fluid passage 75, spool passage 81 and selector valve 67 allows the user to selectively inject fluid under pressure into the interior volume V of wheel assembly W without disengaging the tool from the valve stem. In the process, the filter element 71 is inserted into the valve stem channel 33, and the valve core 27 is installed, thereby improving the efficiency of the tool 21. This is especially useful for the manufacture of new tires (when no spool 27 is installed).

As noted above, it will be appreciated that the filter element 71 may be associated with the spool 27 for installation or removal of the spool and filter element from the valve stem passage 33 as a single sealed valve assembly (indicated at 72 in FIGS. 6-13 ). . 6-9 show a first embodiment of the sealing valve device of the present invention. The lower end 223 of the shaft 219 of the sealing device 213 is enlarged, and this lower end 223 is preferably frusto-conical with a circular base (Figure 7), or generally spherical (Figures 8 and 9), or other shapes, such as: Flat-bottomed truncated cones, hemispherical or dome-shaped, cylindrical, disc-shaped or other suitable shapes. The enlarged end portion 223 is fixed to the shaft 219 by suitable fastening means, such as clamping the enlarged end portion to the shaft to ensure its engagement, however, it will be appreciated that the enlarged end portion can also be attached to the shaft 219 The shaft is formed in one piece. The enlarged lower end 223 of the shaft 219 has a maximum transverse diameter that is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the shaft but sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the stem passage 33 to allow the enlarged end of the shaft to freely pass along the passage in the passage. The central longitudinal axis X of the stem passage moves.

Filter element 71 is preferably a fine mesh of suitable material as previously described. In this embodiment, the cartridge 71 is generally balloon-shaped with an enlarged circular body 301 and a thin neck 303 . The filter element 71 is open at its neck 303 and fits over the seal 213 above the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219 so that the body 301 of the filter element surrounds the enlarged end of the shaft and the neck of the filter element The portion of the shaft that surrounds the enlarged end of the shaft. The diameter of the neck 303 is preferably smaller than the largest transverse diameter of the body 301 of the cartridge 71 but larger than the diameter of the shaft 219 . As shown in Figure 9, the enlarged body 301 of the filter element 71 has a side portion 307 engageable with the inner surface of the valve stem 25 and a filter end portion 305 on the side portion 307 of the filter element. The lower part extends across the valve stem channel 33 . When the body 301 of the cartridge 71 is released, it has a larger diameter than the stem passage 33, which frictionally engages the side 307 of the cartridge with the inner surface of the stem 25 when the cartridge 27 is installed in this passage. The filter element 71 is sufficiently flexible to adequately conform to the inner surface of the valve stem 25 when the filter element frictionally engages the inner surface of the valve stem.

As shown in Figure 6, the filter element 71 is connected to the shaft 219 of the sealing means 213 by means of fixing means represented by reference numeral 311, and the neck 303 of the filter element is fixed in such a position that, in this position, the diameter of the neck is sufficiently smaller than the shaft 219 The maximum transverse diameter of the enlarged end portion 223 of . The fastening means 311 is preferably a band 313 made of metal or plastic which surrounds the neck 303 of the cartridge 71 to hold the cartridge on the shaft 219 . The band 313 can be adjusted in diameter to be substantially smaller than the maximum transverse diameter of the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219 . Thus, the filter element 71 cannot slip off from the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219, and the filter element is held in the sealing device 213, thereby allowing the valve body 205, the sealing assembly 211 and the filter element 71 to be simultaneously mounted to the valve stem 25 and simultaneously removed from the valve stem. remove. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 6-9 , the filter element 71 and the belt 313 together generally constitute a filter assembly generally indicated at 70 .

The strap 313 of the filter assembly 70 is preferably only adjusted to the diameter of the filter element 71 loosely attached to the seal 213, rather than clamped there tightly. This allows the shaft 219 and its corresponding enlarged end 223 to move longitudinally relative to the cartridge 71 during frictional engagement of the cartridge with the inner surface of the valve stem 25 . Although the cartridge 71 is generally deformable, it is rigid enough to remain in a fixed position relative to the valve stem 25 as the seal 213 moves between its open and closed positions. The enlarged body 301 of the filter element 71 is long enough to allow the shaft 219 to move in the filter element so that when the seal 213 moves to its open position, as shown in Figure 7, the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219 is in contact with the filter element. The filter end 305 abuts, and in the closed position, the enlarged end of the shaft abuts the neck 303 of the cartridge. However, it is understood that the cartridge 71 could also be clamped tightly to the seal 213 so as to move with the shaft in the channel 33 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

While the cartridge 71 is shown in Figure 6 to be retained on the shaft 219 of the seal 213, it will be appreciated that the cartridge could also be retained on the seal bracket 217 so that the entire shaft is surrounded by the cartridge. Additionally, cartridge 71 may also be retained on valve body 205 such that both seal carrier 217 and shaft 219 may move within the cartridge without departing from the scope of the present invention. It will also be appreciated that means other than the belt 313 may be used to retain the cartridge 71 in the seal 213, such as threading a flexible steel wire (not shown) through the mesh of the cartridge adjacent its neck 303, pulling firmly to hold the cartridge's Neck 303 is strapped around shaft 219, or parts of neck 303 of cartridge 71 are folded over other parts of the neck and welded together to permanently reduce the diameter of the neck. In addition, under the condition not departing from the scope of the present invention, the diameter of the neck portion 303 of the filter element 71 can also be equal to the maximum transverse diameter of the body 301 of the filter element at first, so as to be easy to slide the end portion 223 on the enlarged end portion 219 of the shaft 219. A filter element, as long as the filter element is balloon-shaped when the diameter of the neck of the filter element is reduced and held in place by the fixing device 311 .

As shown in Figure 9, the spool 27 and associated filter element 71 are installed in the channel in the form of a single sealing valve assembly 72 by a suitable installation tool, such as the tool 21 described above. For example, when using the tool 21, the spool 27 (comprising the valve body 205, the seal assembly 211 and the associated filter element 71) is placed in the plunger channel 79 as a single unit in the above-mentioned manner related to the installation of the spool (placed first) filter element). When the sealing valve assembly 72 was pushed down into the stem passage 33 by the plunger 107, the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219 contacted the filter end 305 of the enlarged body 301 of the filter element 71 to move the filter element towards the valve stem passage 33. Push down into the stem passage 33. The flexibility of this filter element 71 allows the side 307 of the enlarged body 301 of the filter element 71 to conform to the inner surface of the valve stem 33 in a frictional engagement, so that substantially all fluid flowing through the valve stem passage 33 must pass through the filter element 71. end 305 . Once the device 72 is fully installed in the stem passage 33, the valve pin 43 is used to move the sealing device 213 between its open and closed seals. Frictional engagement of the cartridge 71 with the inner surface of the valve stem 25 holds the cartridge 71 in a fixed position in the passage 33 as the sealing device 213 is moved between its open and closed seals. Therefore, the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219 moves longitudinally within the fixed cartridge 71 .

To remove the cartridge 71 from the stem passage 33, the valve body 205 is disengaged from the stem 25 and the plug 27 is pulled upwardly against the passage. When the enlarged end 223 of the shaft 219 moves upwardly from the valve stem passage 33, it abuts against the band 313 and neck 303 of the cartridge 71, thereby pulling the band from the valve stem together with the valve body 205 and seal assembly 211. and the filter.

10 and 12 show a second embodiment of the sealing valve arrangement 72 . The filter assembly, indicated generally at 70 , includes a spring seat 423 connected to the lower end 223 of the shaft 219 of the seal 213 and a filter element 71 . As shown in FIG. 10 , the spring seat 423 of the filter assembly 70 is generally cylindrical, generally having a closed end 424 and an open lower end 426 adapted to seat on the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 . The cutout portion 428 of the spring seat 423 facilitates fluid flow in the stem passage 25 . The closed upper end 424 of the spring seat 423 has an opening through which the shaft 219 extends. The lower end 223 of the shaft 219 is enlarged to a size sufficiently larger than the opening so that the spring seat 423 does not slip off the lower end of the shaft, thereby retaining the filter assembly 70 on the shaft.

The filter element 71 forms a frusto-conical shape with a wide open end 415 , sides 407 and a narrow filter end 405 . The wide open end 415 of the filter element 71 preferably faces the valve body 25 of the valve element 27 . When cartridge 71 is released, side 407 of the cartridge has a maximum diameter that is larger than the diameter of stem passage 33 so that it frictionally engages the inner surface of stem 25 when cartridge 27 is installed in the passage. The filter end 405 of the cartridge 71 includes the portion of the cartridge 71 below the side 407 that engages the inner surface of the valve stem 25 . And it is adapted to extend generally in the transverse direction of the stem channel 33 . The cartridge 71 is sufficiently flexible to positively conform to the inner surface of the valve stem 25 as the cartridge frictionally engages the inner surface of the valve stem.

The cartridge 71 is initially formed preferably from an annular mesh screen (not shown) cut along its radius to allow the cartridge to be disposed about the shaft 219 of the seal 213 at the upper end of the spring seat 423 . The loose ends of the cartridge 71 formed by radial cuts are slightly overlapped and brazed together so that the cartridge cannot be removed from the shaft 219 to retain the cartridge on the seal 213 . It is also understood that the cartridge 71 may be pre-formed into a frusto-conical shape with a central opening (not shown) so that the cartridge can be fitted to the shaft 219 before the spring seat 423 is attached to the shaft.

Between the seal bracket 217 and the upper end 424 of the spring seat 423, a spring 421 for exerting a resilient force on the seal 213 towards its closed sealing position is held loosely on the shaft 219 of the seal so that The filter core 71 is fixed on the sealing device by clamping between the spring and the spring seat. A spring (not shown) arranged in the valve body 25 acts together with a spring 421 held on the shaft 219 to push the sealing device 213 further towards its closed position, however, the spring in the valve body can also be omitted without detaching scope of the invention. As shown in Figure 12, when the sealing device moves to its open position, the spring 421 also exerts elastic force downward on the spring seat 423 and the filter element 71 in the valve stem passage, so that the spring seat contacts the inside of the valve stem 25. The annular flange 35 remains fixed (together with the filter element). It is understood that cartridge 71 may be retained on shaft 219 between seal carrier 217 and spring 421 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Referring further to FIG. 12 , the sealing valve device 72 is installed in the valve stem passage 33 by a suitable installation tool such as the tool 21 described above. For example, during use of the tool 21, the device 72 is placed into the plunger channel 79 (filter assembly first) as described above. As the device 72 is pushed down the stem passage 33 by the plunger 107, the cartridge 71 held between the spring seat 423 and the spring 421 is pushed further down the passage.

The flexibility of the cartridge 71 allows the side 407 to positively conform to the inner surface of the valve stem 25 when frictionally engaged so that substantially all fluid flowing through the passage must pass through the filter end 405 of the cartridge. The device 72 is pushed down the stem passage 33 until the spring seat 423 engages the inner annular flange 35 of the stem 25 and the threaded upper end 207 of the valve body 205 engages the inner threads of the stem. Once the sealing valve assembly 72 is fully installed in the valve stem passage 33, the valve pin 43 is used to move the sealing assembly 213 between its open and closed sealing positions.

When the seal 213 is moved to its open position, the shaft 219 of the seal moves downward relative to the spring seat 423 and the cartridge 71 . The seal bracket 217 compresses the spring 421 located between the bracket and the spring seat 423 so that the bias of the spring exerts a spring force on the spring seat downwardly in the valve stem passage 33 to hold the spring seat in contact with the valve stem. The inner annular flange 35 of 25 meets. Thus, when the seal 213 is moved to its open position, the cartridge 71 remains stationary and the shaft 219 of the seal 213 moves longitudinally through the opening in the filter end 405 of the stationary cartridge 71 and the upper end 424 of the spring seat 423 .

To remove the cartridge 71 from the stem passage 33, the valve body 205 is disengaged from the stem 25 and the sealing valve assembly 72 is pulled upwardly against the passage. The enlarged lower end 223 of the shaft 219 of the sealing device 213 contacts the upper end 424 of the spring seat 423 to pull the spring seat and filter element 71 upwards out of the valve stem passage 33, thereby releasing the valve stem 25 together with the valve body 205 and the sealing assembly 211. Remove the filter.

11 and 13 show a third embodiment of the sealing valve device 72 of the present invention similar to the second embodiment. The filter element 71 of the filter assembly 70 is generally cup-shaped with a generally cylindrical side wall 507 or side, an open end 515 and a filter end 505 formed by the end wall opposite the open end. The cartridge 71 is adapted to fit over the spring seat 423 so that the body 501 of the cartridge (comprising the side walls 507 and the filter end 505) surrounds the spring seat 423 and the neck 503 of the cartridge adjoining its open end 515 surrounds and is retained on the shaft 219 A part of the upper spring 421 located above the spring seat. When installed in the valve stem passage 33 , the filter end 505 of the filter element 71 engages the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 and is held in a fixed position by the spring seat 423 . The filter end 505 is adapted to extend generally across the stem passage 33 so that substantially all fluid flowing through the passage passes through the filter end of the cartridge 71 .

The filter assembly also includes retaining means generally indicated at 511 to connect the cartridge 71 to the shaft 219 of the sealing means 213 . The holding means 511 fixes the neck 503 of the filter element 71 in a position in which the diameter of the neck is smaller than the largest diameter of the spring seat 423 . In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining means 511 is a band 513 made of metal or plastic that surrounds the neck 503 of the cartridge 71 to retain the cartridge on the shaft 219, the band 513 being adjustable to A diameter sufficiently smaller than the maximum diameter of the spring seat 423 . Therefore, the filter element 71 will not slip off the spring seat 423, so that the filter element remains on the sealing device 213, allowing the valve body 205, the sealing assembly 211 and the filter element 71 to be installed on and removed from the valve stem 25 simultaneously.

The band 513 is preferably only adjusted to the diameter of the filter element 71 loosely attached to the seal 213, rather than tightly clamped thereto. Thus, shaft 219 and spring 421 are allowed to move longitudinally relative to filter element 71 and spring seat 423 while the element is held in a fixed position in stem passage 33 between spring seat 423 and inner annular flange 35 of valve stem 25 .

The cartridge 71 shown in Figure 11 is retained on the shaft 219 of the seal 213, but it is understood that the cartridge could also be retained on the valve body 205 so that the seal bracket 217 and the shaft 219 can be moved without departing from the scope of the present invention. Move through the filter. It will also be appreciated that means other than the belt 513 may be used to retain the filter element 71 in the seal 213, such as threading a flexible steel wire (not shown) through the mesh of the filter element adjacent to its neck 503, pulling firmly to hold the filter element 71 in place. The neck is strapped around the spring 421, or parts of the neck of the cartridge are folded over other parts of the neck and welded together to permanently reduce the diameter of the neck.

As shown in FIG. 13, the sealing valve device 72 of the third embodiment can be installed in and removed from the stem passage 33 by a method similar to that of the second embodiment. When the sealing valve assembly 72 is pushed into the stem passage 33, the spring seat 423 pushes against the filter end 505 of the cartridge 71 to push the cartridge into the passage until it engages the inner annular flange of the stem and the valve body The threaded upper end 207 of 205 engages the internal thread of valve stem 25 .

FIG. 15 shows a fourth embodiment of the sealing valve device 72 of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is basically similar to the third embodiment, except that the filter element 71 is directly connected to the spring seat 423 by welding or other suitable connection methods.

Figures 16 and 17 show a fifth embodiment of a sealing valve device 72, which is similar to the second, third and fourth embodiments, except that the filter assembly 70 includes a filter housing 651 connected to the lower end 223 of the shaft 219 and a configuration Filter element 71 in the housing. The filter housing 651 is generally cylindrical and has a channel 653 extending between an upper end 624 and a lower end 626 of the housing. The lower end 626 of the filter housing 651 is sized to rest on the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 when the device 72 is installed in the valve stem passage 33 so that substantially all of the flow in and out of the tire T passes through the valve stem passage. The fluid passes through passage 653 in the filter housing. In the depicted embodiment, the filter housing passage 653 is enlarged adjacent the lower end 626 of the housing 651 so that its diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the stem passage 33 at the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 . The filter housing channel 653 narrows sufficiently as it extends toward the upper end 624 of the housing 651 to constitute an inner annular flange 655 of the housing.

Filter element 71 is generally disc-shaped and sized to fit within the enlarged portion of housing passage 653 so as to generally rest within inner annular flange 655 of filter housing 651 . The cartridge 71 frictionally engages the inner surface of the filter housing 651 to secure the cartridge to the housing. Insert a retaining ring 657 sized to frictionally engage the inner surface of the filter housing 651 in the enlarged portion of the housing passage 653 to place the filter between the ring and the inner annular flange 655 of the housing. The filter element is fixed in this channel. It can be understood that, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the filter element 71 can also be fixed to the housing 651 by methods other than the ring 657, such as welding the filter element to the inner surface of the housing or using other suitable methods.

As shown in FIG. 17 , the filter housing 651 is sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the valve stem passage 33 to define an annular gap 659 between the filter housing outer surface and the inner surface of the valve stem 25 . An outer annular groove 661 extends around the filter housing and communicates with the gap 659 . The opening 663 of the filter housing 651 extends across the housing 653 and communicates with the outer annular groove 661 to communicate with the annular gap 659 of the filter housing channel and the valve stem channel 33 . The openings 663 are located above the filter element 71 at a relatively large distance, so that the fluid flowing from the tire T is filtered by the filter element before flowing out of the housing 651 and into the sealing device 213 .

The filter housing channel 653 tapers radially inwardly and upwardly near the upper end 624 of the housing 651 to define a reduced diameter opening 665 at the upper end of the housing. The shaft 219 extends through this opening 665 and into the filter housing channel 653 . The lower end 223 of the shaft 219 is enlarged to a size sufficiently larger than the diameter of the opening 665 at the upper end 624 of the housing 651 so that the housing does not slip off the lower end of the shaft, thereby connecting the housing to the shaft. However, the enlarged lower end 223 of the shaft 219 has dimensions smaller than the diameter of the filter housing passage 653 to allow the shaft to move longitudinally within the housing 651 as the seal 213 moves between its open and closed positions.

A spring 421 on the shaft extends between the seal bracket 217 and the upper end 624 of the filter housing 651, applying a spring force to the filter housing towards the lower end 223 of the shaft 219 so that when the seal 213 is in its open and The housing remains stationary on the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem as it moves between closed and sealed positions. This spring 421 also pushes the sealing device 213 towards its closed position. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring 421 rests loosely on the filter housing 651 and bracket 217, but it is conceivable that the spring could also be fixed to the housing and/or without departing from the scope of the present invention. or on the seal bracket. The spring provided on the valve body 205 also pushes the sealing device 213 into its closed position, however, the spring can also be omitted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 17, the sealing valve assembly 72 is installed in the valve stem passage 33 by a suitable installation tool, such as the tool 21 described above. For example, when using the tool 21, the seal valve assembly 72 (comprising valve body 205, seal assembly 211 and filter assembly 70) is placed as a single unit into the plunger channel 79 (filter assembly first) in the manner described above. The device 72 is pushed into the valve stem passage 33 by the plunger 107 until the lower end 626 of the filter housing 651 engages the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 and the threaded upper end 207 of the valve body 205 engages the inner portion of the valve stem. thread. Once the sealing valve assembly 72 is fully installed in the valve stem passage 33, the valve pin 43 is used to move the sealing assembly 213 between its open and closed sealing positions.

When the seal 213 is moved to its open position, the shaft 219 of the seal moves downwardly in the valve stem passage 33 relative to the filter housing 651 and the lower end 223 of the shaft moves within the housing. The seal bracket 217 compresses the spring 421 between the bracket 217 and the upper end 624 of the housing 651 so that the elastic force of the spring pushes the filter housing down in the valve stem channel 33 to hold the housing It is fixedly in contact with the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 . The fluid flowing out of the tire T flows into the filter housing channel 653 adjacent to the lower end 626 of the housing 651 and is filtered by the filter element 71 disposed in the housing. The filtered fluid then flows up through the filter housing channel 653 , out of the housing 651 through the opening 663 , and into the valve stem channel 33 at the gap 659 between the filter housing and the inner surface of the valve stem 25 . The fluid then exits the valve stem 25 in the usual manner. The fluid flowing down through the valve stem flows into the filter housing 651 through the opening 663 along the opposite channel, flows down through the housing channel 653 and the filter element 71 , and then enters the tire T.

To remove the filter assembly 70 from the stem passage 33, the valve body 205 is disengaged from the stem 25 and the sealing valve assembly 72 is pulled upwardly against the passage. The enlarged lower end 223 of the shaft 219 of the seal 213 engages the upper end 624 of the filter housing 651 and pulls the housing and cartridge 71 upwardly from the valve stem passage 33, thereby removing the valve stem together with the valve body 205 and seal assembly 211. 25 Remove the filter element.

FIG. 18 shows a sixth embodiment similar to the fifth embodiment. In this fifth embodiment, a filter assembly 70 includes a filter housing 651 and a filter element 71 arranged in the filter housing. In the sixth embodiment, the annular groove 661 and opening 663 ( FIGS. 16 and 17 ) are omitted, eliminating the need for a gap 659 between the filter housing 651 and the inner surface of the valve stem 25 . Therefore, although the outer diameter of the filter housing 651 shown in FIG. The housing can move in the valve stem channel 33 to engage with the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 .

In place of the annular groove 651 and opening 653 of the fifth embodiment, the filter housing 651 of the sixth embodiment has a pair of opposing flat surfaces 781 adjacent to its upper end 624 and an opening 783 extending between the pair of flat surfaces. , to enable fluid communication between the filter housing channel 653 and the valve stem channel 33 . The upper end 624 of the filter housing 651 is generally planar and includes an opening 665 through which the shaft 219 extends. The spring 421 rests loosely on the upper end 624 of the filter housing 651 .

When the sealing device 213 of the sixth embodiment is moved to its open position, the shaft 219 of the sealing device moves downward in the valve stem passage 33 relative to the filter housing 651 and the lower end 223 of the shaft moves in the housing . The seal bracket 217 compresses the spring 421 between the bracket 217 and the upper end 624 of the housing 651 so that the elastic force of the spring pushes the filter housing down in the valve stem channel 33, thereby retaining the housing It is in fixed contact with the inner annular flange 35 of the valve stem 25 . Fluid flowing out of the tire T flows into the filter housing channel 653 adjacent to the lower end 626 of the housing 651 and is filtered by the filter element 71 disposed in the housing. The filtered fluid then flows up through the filter housing channel 653 and out of the housing 651 (and into the stem channel 33 ) through an opening 783 extending between flat surfaces 781 adjacent the upper end 624 of the housing. The fluid then exits in the usual manner. Fluid flowing down through the valve stem follows the opposite path, eg, through opening 783 into filter housing 651 , down through housing channel 653 and filter element 71 and into tire T.

While shown and described using the sealing valve arrangement 72 of FIGS. The device may be used with any number of other tubular housings having inner surfaces forming fluid passages. For example, spools are used to control utility lines, automobiles, home and commercial air conditioning units, carbonated beverage machines, and other devices requiring control of the flow of fluid in a housing. The spools currently used in these devices can be replaced by the current sealed valve devices. The passages formed by these devices are generally small, so the spools and filter elements installed in these passages must also be correspondingly small. For example, the filter elements shown in the embodiments of the invention preferably have a diameter of 0.1-0.2 inches. However, by using the disclosed mesh size of the filter element, the velocity of fluid flow in the channel is generally unaffected by the installation of the filter element in the channel.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that securing or connecting the filter element 71 to the valve element 27 satisfies the various objects of the present invention and achieves other advantageous results. For example, since the filter element 71 can be installed simultaneously with the valve element 27 as a single unit, a separate filter insertion step in the above method using a filter insertion tool can be omitted. Correspondingly, the filter channel 77 and the filter receiving assembly 61 of the tool can also be omitted, thereby simplifying the structure and operation of the tool. Furthermore, the valve core 27 and filter core 71 can be removed and replaced from the valve stem passage 33 without the added expense and effort associated with replacing the valve stem 25 .

Since the cartridge 71 remains on the cartridge 27, the risk of dropping and losing the cartridge 71 is reduced. Allowing simultaneous removal of the cartridge 71 and cartridge 27 from the stem passage 33 also eliminates the need for a separate cartridge removal tool. In addition, since the filter element is secured in a fixed position by the components of the valve assembly, such as by frictionally engaging the filter element 71 on the inner surface of the valve stem 25, or by pushing the filter into a fixed position by the spring 421, the valve stem (or other tubular housing) without additional structure or mechanical means to install the filter element to the valve stem and to keep the filter element in a fixed position in the passage 33, thereby making it easy to install the valve core 27 and filter element.

In particular, the sealing valve device 72 of the first embodiment (FIGS. 6-9) can be installed in any channel that needs to control the fluid flow in the channel, wherein the spring (not shown) of the valve core 27 is housed in the valve body 205, So that the spring seat and the inner flange 35 for placing it are not required.

Since various changes could be made in the above structure and method without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (12)

1. sealing valve unit, the flowing of fluid that is used for control channel, this passage is surrounded by the internal surface of tubular shell, and the sealing control valve unit has the inner and outer end and is suitable for inserting the passage that is inserted into this tubular shell earlier along direction inwardly innerly, and described sealing valve unit comprises:

Have longitudinal axis and pass the valve body in vertical hole wherein, when the longitudinal shaft that this valve body is inserted into the passage of this tubular shell and arrives this valve body during usually with the coaxial position of this passage, described valve body is releasably connected to this tubular shell;

Valve seat on this valve body;

Black box, comprise and be suitable for the seal arrangement that engages with this valve seat, the sealing device can move to the open position from the close encapsulation position along relative this valve seat of direction inwardly, in this close encapsulation position, the sealing device engages this valve seat hermetically and flows through hole in this valve body to stop fluid, in this open position, sealing device and this valve seat partition distance flow through in this hole to allow fluid; And

In abutting connection with the filter core of sealing control valve unit the inner, the particulate matter that its structure can stop size to be enough to disturb the sealing device to move to its close encapsulation position really passes through;

The structure of described valve body, black box and filter core can make it be independent of this tubular shell ground and be held in assembly mutually, is installed on the tubular shell passage simultaneously and can be used as single device and side by side remove from this tubular shell passage so that they can be used as single device.

2. sealing valve unit as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: described filter core is connected to the sealing device.

3. sealing valve unit as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: when described seal arrangement was mobile between its opening and closing position, the sealing device can move relative to this filter core.

4. sealing valve unit, the fluid that is used for controlling the passage of the tubular shell with inward flange flows, and the sealing control valve unit has inner and outer end and being suitable for along the slotting earlier passage that inserts this tubular shell of direction inwardly innerly, and described sealing valve unit comprises:

Have longitudinal axis and pass the valve body in vertical hole wherein, when the longitudinal shaft that this valve body is inserted into the passage of this tubular shell and arrives this valve body during usually with the coaxial position of this passage, described valve body is releasably connected to this tubular shell;

Valve seat on this valve body;

Black box, comprise and be suitable for the seal arrangement that engages with this valve base sealing, the sealing device can move to the open position from the close encapsulation position along relative this valve seat of direction inwardly, in this close encapsulation position, the sealing device engages this valve seat hermetically and flows through hole in this valve body to stop fluid, in this open position, sealing device and this valve seat partition distance flow through in this hole to allow fluid; And

Filter assemblies in abutting connection with sealing control valve unit the inner, it has the size and the structure of the inward flange that can engage this housing, so that the fluid of all these passages of flowing through is by this filter assemblies basically, this filter assemblies comprises filter core, and the particulate matter that the structure of this filter core can stop size to be enough to disturb the sealing device to move to its close encapsulation position really passes through;

The structure of described valve body, black box and filter assemblies can make it be independent of this tubular shell ground and be held in assembly mutually, is installed on the tubular shell passage simultaneously and can be used as single device and side by side remove from this tubular shell passage so that they can be used as single device.

5. sealing valve unit as claimed in claim 4, it is characterized in that: this filter assemblies comprises filter core and the spring seat that links to each other with the sealing device, this spring seat is suitable for fixing this filter core between the inward flange of this spring seat and this housing when the sealing valve is installed to this passage, this filter core remained on when mobile fixed position in this passage between the open and closing position at it when the sealing device, this filter core has the filtration end, this filtration end have can engage with the inward flange of this passage size and structure so that all fluids that flow through this passage are by the filtration end of this filter core basically.

6. sealing valve unit as claimed in claim 4, it is characterized in that: this filter core has the filtration end that is suitable for crossing this passage extension, and have the size and the structure that can engage this housing, so that the fluid of all these passages of flowing through is by the filtration end of this filter core basically.

7. sealing valve unit as claimed in claim 4, it is characterized in that: this filter assemblies comprises filter core and filter housings, this filter housings is suitable for engaging with the inward flange of this tubular shell, so that the fluid of all these passages of flowing through all passes through this filter housings basically, this filter core generally is configured in this filter housings.

8. one kind is used to prevent the method for bulk material through the valve assembly effusion of turbine assembly, described wheel assembly forms the inner space that is used to hold compressed fluid that is surrounded, described valve assembly is included in wherein channelled valve rod, to allow that compressed fluid is directed to described inner space, described passage has and can said method comprising the steps of from the entrance point of wheel assembly outside contact and the outlet end of the described inner space of adjacency:

When this valve rod links to each other with this wheel assembly, in this valve stem passage, insert filter core, the structure of described filter core can allow compressed fluid by the time stop bulk material to pass through; And

After inserting this filter core, in this valve stem passage, seal valve is installed, the sealing valve can be mobile between the open position that allows compressed fluid to flow through described passage and close encapsulation position, and between the entrance point and filter of this passage, thereby this filter positively stops the seal closure that disturbs the sealing valve from the bulk material of this wheel assembly inner space.

9. one kind is used to prevent the method for bulk material through the valve assembly effusion of turbine assembly, described wheel assembly forms the inner space that is used to hold compressed fluid that is surrounded, described valve assembly has valve rod, this valve rod has passage therein, to allow that compressed fluid is directed to described inner space, described passage has and can said method comprising the steps of from the entrance point of wheel assembly outside contact and the outlet end of the described inner space of adjacency:

Filter core is fixed on the sealing valve; And

The sealing valve is installed to this valve stem passage with the filter core that is fixed thereon, the sealing valve can move between the open position that allows compressed fluid to flow through described passage and close encapsulation position, and the structure of this filter core can positively stop the seal closure from the bulk material interference sealing valve of this wheel assembly inner space.

10. the method that is used to prevent that bulk material from overflowing through the valve assembly of turbine assembly as claimed in claim 9 is characterized in that: when this valve rod links to each other with this wheel assembly and this inner space when having held compressed fluid, the sealing valve is installed to this valve stem passage.

11. valve assembly, be used for the turbine assembly combined, this turbine assembly comprises the circular rim of the turned round wheel hub that is connected to vehicle and is connected to the annular tire of this wheel rim, this wheel rim and tire surround and can pressurize to support this vehicle inside space, this valve assembly allows fluid to enter described inner space and optionally stop fluid to flow out from described wheel assembly, and this valve assembly comprises:

Valve rod, this valve rod has inner passage therein and is used for this valve rod is connected to the device of this wheel assembly, the inner space that this inner passage is used to be communicated with this wheel assembly passes in and out this wheel assembly and has entrance point and outlet end to allow fluid, so that this entrance point of described passage can be from this wheel assembly outside contact, the outlet end of this passage is in abutting connection with the inner space of this wheel assembly;

Seal valve, sealing valve are arranged in this valve stem passage so that mobile between the open position that allows compressed fluid to flow through described passage and close encapsulation position; And

Filter core, this filter core are fixedly located in this valve stem passage, and the particulate matter that the structure of this filter core can stop size to be enough to disturb the sealing valve to move to its close encapsulation position really passes through.

12. valve assembly as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that: this filter core is fixed to the sealing valve.

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