Float-controlled valve array having redundantly acting float bodies

Inventors

DE-STEFANI, Dino • Senn, Remo

Abstract

A float-controlled valve array including a valve assembly having a conduit, a valve seat formation through which the conduit passes, and a valve body formation which is movable between a closed position in which the conduit is closed and an open position in which a flow through the conduit is possible; the valve array further including a first and a second float body having a first and a second buoyancy volume portion, respectively, wherein the first and the second float bodies are articulated pivotally on a first and a second joint, respectively, so that during specified normal operation, each float body is movable along a buoyancy axis between a lowered position and a buoyant position, and wherein the first float body and the second float body are each coupled to the valve body formation in such a way that the valve body formation is in the closed position when at least one of the float bodies is in the buoyant position, and is in the open position when both float bodies are in the lowered position; the buoyancy volume portions of the two float bodies are mutually spaced apart at a distance orthogonal to the buoyancy axis in the lowered position, wherein at least one joint is located in a body spacing region between the two buoyancy volume portions.

Core Innovation

The disclosed invention is a float-controlled valve array having a valve module with a duct, a valve seat formation penetrated through by the duct, and a valve body formation. The valve body formation is displaceable between a closure position in which the duct is closed by physical abutment against the valve seat formation and a passage position in which separation from the valve seat formation permits flow through the duct. The valve array further includes a first float body and a second float body that are articulated at first and second joints, respectively, for swiveling movement.

In normal operation, each float body is moveable along a buoyancy axis parallel to the gravitational direction between a sinking position and a buoyancy position. The valve body formation is coupled with both float bodies such that the valve body formation is in the closure position when at least one float body is in the buoyancy position, and in the passage position when both float bodies are in the sinking position. Regarding the two float bodies in their respective sinking position as a reference state, the respective buoyancy volume sections are arranged with separation from one another orthogonal to the buoyancy axis.

When viewed in the sinking reference state, a body separation region between the two buoyancy volume sections contains at least one joint. The disclosed arrangement maintains effective closure under tilting by locating the joint in the body separation region between the orthogonally separated buoyancy volume portions. A humidification device for a respiratory device is described, in which a container with inlet and outlet apertures and a supply duct receives fluid to be held in a filling volume and controlled by the float-controlled valve array.

The humidification device includes a thermal-conductive bottom with a heat source/heating device and functional constraints for compactness and equivalence based on reference-fluid and reference-temperature conditions. Tilting is addressed by fluid accumulation under one buoyancy section to prevent overfilling and fluid carryover, while maintaining the closure/passage behavior of the valve array under the coupling of the floats to the valve body formation.

Claims Coverage

Independent claim clm-00001 defines a float-controlled valve array with a specific mechanical coupling between two swiveling float bodies and a displaceable valve body formation. The disclosed independent claim further includes orthogonal separation of buoyancy volume sections in a sinking reference state and placement of at least one joint in a body separation region; dependent independent extensions in the provided claim list refine geometric placement and end-use constraints for a humidification device, including quantitative limitations under reference conditions.

Overall, the claims coverage centers on a displaceable valve body formation that switches between closure and passage positions based on two swiveling floats moving along a buoyancy axis. The key structural/mechanical constraints include orthogonal separation of buoyancy volume sections in a sinking reference state and placement of at least one joint within the body separation region, further refined by joint placement and a common virtual extension plane of virtual swivel axes. The humidification-device dependents adapt the valve array to a respiratory device container configuration and impose compactness and reference-condition constraints for float behavior.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications