US4096879A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adjustable fluid flow regulator
Assignee: International Biomedical Laboratories Inc
•
Filing: 1976-09-27
•
Granted: 1978-06-27
•
Expires: 1996-09-27
Abstract
Abstract A rate of flow regulator comprising upper and lower fluid chambers, the upper chamber having a double acting float valve to maintain a predetermined level of fluid therein, vent means venting each chamber to atmosphere, and metering means for regulating fluid flow to the lower chamber, the height of said upper chamber being adjustable relative to said metering means to change the fluid flow rate.
Inventors
- 👤 Juan Ricardo Serur
- 👤 Herbert Heinz Loeffler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 14:02
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M5/00; A61M5/14; A61M5/168; A61M5/16804; A61M5/16818; G; G05; G05D; G05D7/00; G05D7/01; G05D7/0146; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7287; Y10T137/7303; Y10T137/7358; Y10T137/7404; Y10T137/7423; Y10T137/7426; Y10T137/7436; Y10T137/7498
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
In a rate of flow regulator for use in a gravity assisted fluid delivery system, the regulator comprising: an upper fluid chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and further having means for maintaining a predetermined level of fluid in said upper chamber; a separate lower fluid chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a flexible tube connecting said fluid inlet in fluid flow communication with said upper chamber fluid outlet; and vent means for communicating atmospheric pressure to each said chamber; the improvement in which structure defining a restricted metering orifice of predetermined cross-sectional area at said lower chamber fluid inlet in the fluid flow path from said upper chamber to said lower chamber for metering fluid flow to said lower chamber, said tube connected to said metering orifice structure; the vertical distance between said lower chamber and said upper chamber is adjustable to vary the distance between said metering orifice and said predetermined level in said upper chamber whereby fluid flow rate between said chambers may be adjusted by adjusting said vertical distance.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
In a rate of flow regulator for use in a gravity assisted fluid delivery system, the regulator comprising: an upper fluid chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and further having means for maintaining a predetermined level of fluid in said upper chamber; a separate lower fluid chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a flexible tube connecting said fluid inlet in fluid flow communication with said upper chamber fluid outlet; and vent means for communicating atmospheric pressure to each said chamber; the improvement in which structure defining a restricted metering orifice of predetermined cross-sectional area at said lower chamber fluid inlet in the fluid flow path from said upper chamber to said lower chamber for metering fluid flow to said lower chamber, said tube connected to said metering orifice structure; the vertical distance between said lower chamber and said upper chamber is adjustable to vary the distance between said metering orifice and said predetermined level in said upper chamber whereby fluid flow rate between said chambers may be adjusted by adjusting said vertical distance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The improvement claimed in claim 1 in which said metering orifice is incrementally adjustable to change the cross-sectional size of said metering orifice and thereby change said flow rate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The improvement claimed in claim 2 in which said metering orifice structure defines a plurality of metering orifices of differing cross-sectional areas and is adjustable to place a selected one of said orifices in said fluid flow path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The improvement claimed in claim 1 in which said means for maintaining said predetermined level in said upper chamber comprises valve means in said upper chamber for opening and closing selectively said upper chamber inlet and outlet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The improvement claimed in claim 1 in which said vent means includes a vent in said lower chamber and said lower chamber includes means for closing said inlet thereto when fluid in said lower chamber increases to a predetermined level below said vent in said lower chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The improvement claimed in claim 5 in which said lower chamber comprises means at said outlet thereof closing said outlet thereof when fluid in said lower chamber is less than a predetermined amount.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The improvement claimed in claim 6 in which said means for closing said lower chamber inlet and said means for closing said lower chamber outlet comprise single means for selectively opening and closing said lower chamber inlet and outlet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
The improvement claimed in claim 7 in which said means for maintaining said predetermined level of fluid in said upper chamber and said single means for opening and closing said lower chamber inlet and outlet comprise double-acting float valves, one in each said chamber, for opening and closing the respective inlets and outlets of said upper and lower chambers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The improvement claimed in claim 8 in which the top of said float valve in said upper chamber slopes outwardly and ribs connected to said chamber extend downwardly to a position spaced closely adjacent and above the top of the float valve and parallel to said top of said float valve in its uppermost position in said upper chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The improvement claimed in claim 1 further including a chamber support, said chambers connected thereto and relatively adjustable therealong.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The improvement claimed in claim 10 in which said support has indicia of flow rates therealong corresponding to different spacings of said predetermined level and said metering orifice structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The improvement claimed in claim 10 in which said support comprises a tubular structure and said chambers are mounted within said structure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The improvement claimed in claim 10 in which said lower chamber is mounted in a fixed position on said support and said upper chamber is movable therealong.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The improvement claimed in claim 13 in which said metering orifice is incrementally adjustable to change the cross-sectional size of said metering orifice and thereby change said flow rate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The improvement claimed in claim 14 in which said metering orifice structure defines a plurality of metering orifices of differing cross-sectional areas and is adjustable to place a selected one of said orifices in said fluid flow path.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The improvement claimed in claim 15 in which said support comprises a tubular structure and said chambers are mounted within said structure.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
The improvement claimed in claim 16 in which said support has sets of indicia of flow rates therealong corresponding to different distances of said predetermined level and said metering orifice structure and corresponding to the metering orifices in said metering orifice structure.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
87 words
The improvement claimed in claim 17 in which said upper and lower chamber each have separate vents to atmosphere, said lower chamber includes means for regulating the level of fluid therein, and said means for maintaining said predetermined level of fluid in said upper chamber and for regulating the level of fluid in said lower chamber comprise double-acting float valves, one in each said chamber, for opening and closing the respective inlets and outlets of said chambers and adapted to maintain fluid levels respectively below said vents.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
83 words
The improvement claimed in claim 1 in which said metering orifice structure comprises a metering stem connected to said lower chamber at said inlet thereof, said stem having a groove on the exterior thereof and said flexible tube extending over said stem and said groove defining with said tube an elongated metering orifice, one end of said orifice in fluid flow communication with said lower chamber inlet and the other end in fluid flow communication through said tube with said upper chamber outlet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
56 words
The improvement claimed in claim 19 in which said stem has a plurality of grooves of different cross-sectional areas, each covered by said tube, defining a plurality of orifices, said stem adjustable relative to said lower chamber inlet for selectively positioning a single one of said orifices in fluid flow communication with said lower chamber inlet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
94 words
The improvement claimed in claim 20 in which said lower chamber inlet comprises an inlet stem having a central opening therethrough and a vertical groove on one side thereof, said metering stem is rotatably positioned on said inlet stem and an opening extends from each said groove in said metering stem, at said one end thereof, therethrough to said inlet stem, whereby on relative rotation of said stems a particular orifice may selectively be placed in communication with said inlet by alignment of its opening through said metering stem with said inlet stem groove.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1831318A
Cited
US1621876A
Cited
US1926413A
Cited
US2090273A
Cited
US2602464A
Cited
US3233457A
Cited
US3756233A
Cited
US3877428A
Cited
US3929157A
Cited
US3931818A
Cited
US3989043A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-06-26 | 1981-12-26 | 1982-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-06-26 | 1985-12-26 | 1986-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-06-26 | 1989-12-26 | 1990-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |