IP Library Granted Patent US 12,228,214
Granted Patent B2
US 12,228,214 · App. 17/686,641 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Nine port cooling valve

Inventors: Shubhada Surve (Itasca, IL); James Pearson (Itasca, IL)
Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company
F16K11/0856F16K27/065
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,228,214
App. No.
17/686,641
Filed
Mar 4, 2022
Granted
Feb 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3753
USPC
137/625.47
Abstract

A multiport valve has a stemshell rotatable within a valve body with two columns of ports arranged in a planar array. An extra port extends external to the array and inlet ports communicate with selected outlet ports. The stemshell has lateral channels and longitudinal channels which cooperate with the ports at selected angular positions to provide desired inlet/outlet flows while preventing intermixing within the valve.

Claims (39)

1. A multi-port valve comprising:

a valve body:

a stemshell having an exterior surface and rotatable about a rotation axis extending through the valve body;

at least a 2×2 planar array of adjacently disposed ports selectively communicating through the valve body depending upon the rotational position of the stemshell relative to the valve body:

wherein rotation of the stemshell to at least a first rotational position selectively directs at least two inlet ports with two outlet ports of the at least the 2×2 planar array of ports.

2. The multi-port valve of claim 1 wherein the at least the 2×2 array of ports is a 2×4 array of ports.

3. The multi-port valve of claim 2 further comprising an actuator, said actuator rotating the stemshell relative to the valve body about the rotation axis.

4. The multi-port valve of claim 2 further comprising a seal intermediate the valve body and the stemshell, said seal having openings permitting flow through the ports.

5. A multi-port valve comprising:

a valve body;

a stemsbell having an exterior surface and rotatable about a rotation axis extending through the valve body:

at least a 2×4 planar array of ports selectively communicating through the valve body depending upon the rotational position of the stemshell relative to the valve body:

wherein rotation of the stemshell to at least a first rotational position selectively directs at least two inlet ports with two outlet ports of the at least the 2×2 planar array of ports;

wherein an area of the 2×4 array is greater than a cross sectional area of the stemshell parallel to the 2×4 array.

6. The multi-port valve of claim 5 wherein an area of the 2×4 array is greater than a cross sectional area of the valve body parallel to the 2×4 array.

7. A multi-port valve comprising:

a valve body:

a stemshell having an exterior surface and rotatable about a rotation axis extending through the valve body:

at least a 2×4 planar array of ports selectively co amunicating through the valve body depending upon the rotational position of the stemshell relative to the valve body:

wherein rotation of the stemshell to at least a first rotational position selectively directs at least two inlet ports with two outlet ports of the at least the 2×2 planar array of porta;

wherein the 2×4 array is two rows of four stations and the rotation axis is one of parallel and perpendicular to the rows.

8. A multi-port valve comprising:

a valve body:

a stemshell having an exterior surface and rotatable about a rotation axis extending through the valye body;

at least a 2×4 planar array of ports selectively communicating through the valve body depending upon the rotational position of the stemshell relative to the valve body:

wherein rotation of the stemshell to at least a first rotational position selectively directs at least two inlet ports with two outlet ports of the at least the 2×2 planar array of ports; and

an extra port, said extra port outside of the array and one of (a) angled relative to the plane of the array and (b) in the plane of the array.

9. The multi-port valve of claim 8 wherein the array is two rows of stations and the rotation axis is one of parallel and perpendicular to the rows, and the extra port is linearly disposed with adjacent stations.

10. The multi-port valve of claim 9 wherein the 2×2 array of porta is a 2×4 array of ports identified as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth ports, and with the stemshell in a first position relative to the valve body, the sixth port is in fluid communication with the fifth port through a first lateral channel in the exterior surface of the stemshell, the eighth port is in fluid communication with the seventh port through a second lateral channel in the exterior surface of the stemshell, the second port is in fluid communication with the first port through a first longitudinal channel in the exterior surface of the stemshell, and the fourth port is in fluid communication with the third port through a second longitudinal channel in the exterior surface of the stemshell, wherein the first and second longitudinal channels are parallel to the rotation axis and the first and second lateral channels are perpendicularly oriented relative to the rotation axis.

11. The multi-port valve of claim 10 wherein when in the first position, the extra port is not in fluid communication with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth ports.

12. The molti-port valve of claim 11 wherein with the stemshell in a second rotational position angularly displaced from the first position relative to the valve body. the sixth port is in fluid communication with the fifth port, the eighth port is in fluid communication with the extra port through a fourth lateral channel in the exterior surface of the stemshell, the second port is in fluid communication with the third port, and the fourth port is in fluid communication with the first port.

13. The multi-port valve of claim 12 wherein when in the second position, the seventh port is not in fluid communication with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth ports.

14. The multi-port valve of claim 13 wherein with the stemshell in a third rotational position angularly displaced from the first and second positions relative to the valve body, the sixth port is in fluid communication with the extra port, the eighth port is in fluid communication with the fifth port, the second port is in fluid communication with the third port, and the fourth port is in fluid communication with the first port.

15. The multi-port valve of claim 14 wherein when in the second position, the seventh port is not in fluid communication with the first, second, third. fourth, fifth. sixth, seventh or eighth ports.

16. The multi-port valve of claim 15 wherein with the stemshell in a fourth. rotational position angularly displaced from the first, second, and third positions relative to the valve body, the sixth port is in fluid communication with the seventh port, the eighth port is in fluid communication with the fifth port, the second port is in fluid communication with the third port, and the fourth port is in fluid communication with the first port.

17. The multi-port valve of claim 16 wherein when in the second position, the extra port is not in fluid communication with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth ports.

18. The multi-port valve of claim 17 wherein the stemshell further comprises third, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth lateral channels employed selectively in the second, third and fourth positions of the stemshell.

19. The multi-port valve of claim 18 wherein the stemshell further comprises third, fourth, and fifth longitudinal channels selectively employed in the second, third and fourth positions of the stemshell.

20. The multi-port valve of claim 10 wherein the first, third and fifth ports are outlet ports, the second, fourth, sixth and eight ports are inlet ports, and the seventh port and extra port are either outlet ports or secured in the first, second, third and fourth position of the stemshell.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2024
From: SURVE, SHUBHADA; PEARSON, JAMES
To: ROBERTSHAW CONTROLS COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069329/0042 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2024
From: RANGE RED OPERATING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 069092/0195 →
TERM LOAN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 1, 2024
From: RANGE RED OPERATING, INC.
To: CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069084/0281 →
OMNIBUS TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Oct 1, 2024
From: CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY (F/K/A DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY AND SUCCESSOR AGENT TO ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC)
To: ROBERTSHAW US HOLDING CORP.; ROBERTSHAW CONTROLS COMPANY; BURNER SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 069084/0150 →
OMNIBUS TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF DEBTOR-IN-POSSESSION SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Oct 1, 2024
From: CSC DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY (F/K/A DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY)
To: ROBERTSHAW US HOLDING CORP.; ROBERTSHAW CONTROLS COMPANY; BURNER SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 069084/0266 →
OMNIBUS ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENTS Recorded Feb 5, 2024
From: ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC
To: DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066493/0146 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2023
From: ROBERTSHAW CONTROLS COMPANY; ROBERTSHAW US HOLDINGS CORP.; BURNER SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: ACQUIOM AGENCY SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 063632/0614 →