1. A valve for regulating the flow of a fluid, the valve comprising:
a housing defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
a valve cage disposed within the housing and defining at least one projection wall;
an axial trim at least partially disposed within the valve cage and reciprocally moveable between an open position wherein fluid is able to flow therealong from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, and a closed position wherein the flow of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet is blocked thereby, the axial trim comprising:
an elongate main body defining an axis; and
at least one opposed pair of notches formed in the main body, each of the notches of the pair defining a first wall which extends at an angle in the range of from about 20\xb0 to about 40\xb0 relative to the axis, a second wall which extends to the first wall in generally parallel relation to the axis, and a third wall which extends to the second wall in generally perpendicular relation to the axis;
the notches and the projection wall collectively defining a tortuous flow passage through the valve cage which fluidly connects the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet when the axial trim is in the open position.
2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the first wall extends at an angle of about 32\xb0 relative to the axis of the main body.
3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the axial trim has a stroke length in the range of from about \xbd inch to about 2 inches during movement between the open and closed positions.
4. The valve of claim 1 wherein:
the valve cage defines at least four projection walls which are disposed in spaced relation to each other; and
the axial trim includes at least four pairs of opposed notches;
each of the projecting walls cooperating with a respective pair of the notches in a manner wherein the notches and the projection walls collectively define the tortuous flow passage when the axial trim is in the open position.
5. The valve of claim 4 wherein:
the valve cage defines a series of inner surface sections, each of the inner surface sections extending between a corresponding pair of the wall projections; and
at least some of the inner surface sections are of progressively increasing diameter as they advance from the fluid inlet toward the fluid outlet of the housing.
6. The valve of claim 5 wherein:
the main body of the axial trim has a distal portion disposed closest to the fluid outlet which is of a first diameter;
the distal portion transitions into a section of the main body which has at least one pair of the notches formed therein, and is of a second diameter which is less than the first diameter; and
the section of the main body which is of the second diameter transitions into a section of the main body which has at least one pair of the notches formed therein, and is of a third diameter which is less than the second diameter.
7. The valve of claim 1 wherein the housing of the valve is configured such that the flow of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet occurs along a flow path which extends generally axially through the housing.
8. The valve of claim 7 wherein the main body of the axial trim further includes a rack portion formed therein and residing within the housing.
9. The valve of claim 8 further comprising a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the housing and including a spline portion which is cooperatively engaged to the rack portion such that the rotation of the drive in a first direction facilitates the movement of the axial trim to the open position, and the rotation of the drive in a second direction opposite the first direction facilitates the movement of the axial trim to the closed position.
10. The valve of claim 1 wherein the flow of the fluid through each of the notches when the axial trim is in the open position initially occurs over the first wall thereof.
11. The valve of claim 1 wherein the flow of the fluid through each of the notches when the axial trim is in the open position initially occurs over the third wall thereof.
12. A valve for regulating the flow of a fluid, the valve comprising:
a housing defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
a valve cage disposed within the housing and defining at least one projection wall;
an axial trim at least partially disposed within the valve cage and reciprocally moveable between an open position wherein fluid is able to flow therealong from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, and a closed position wherein the flow of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet is blocked thereby, the axial trim comprising:
an elongate main body defining an axis; and
at least one opposed pair of notches formed in the main body, each of the notches of the pair defining a first wall which extends angularly relative to the axis, a second wall which extends to the first wall in generally parallel relation to the axis, and a third wall which extends to the second wall in generally perpendicular relation to the axis, the first wall defining a first segment and a second segment which are separated from each other by an arcuate, convex third segment;
the notches and the projection wall collectively defining a tortuous flow passage through the valve cage which fluidly connects the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet when the axial trim is in the open position.
13. The valve of claim 12 wherein the axial trim has a stroke length in the range of from about \xbd inch to about 2 inches during movement between the open and closed positions.
14. The valve of claim 12 wherein:
the valve cage defines at least four projection walls which are disposed in spaced relation to each other; and
the axial trim includes at least four pairs of opposed notches;
each of the projecting walls cooperating with a respective pair of the notches in a manner wherein the notches and the projection walls collectively define the tortuous flow passage when the axial trim is in the open position.
15. The valve of claim 14 wherein:
the valve cage defines a series of inner surface sections, each of the inner surface sections extending between a corresponding pair of the wall projections; and
at least some of the inner surface sections are of progressively increasing diameter as they advance from the fluid inlet toward the fluid outlet of the housing.
16. The valve of claim 12 wherein the housing of the valve is configured such that the flow of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet occurs along a flow path which extends generally axially through the housing.
17. The valve of claim 16 wherein the main body of the axial trim further includes a rack portion formed therein and residing within the housing.
18. The valve of claim 17 further comprising a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the housing and including a spline portion which is cooperatively engaged to the rack portion such that the rotation of the drive in a first direction facilitates the movement of the axial trim to the open position, and the rotation of the drive in a second direction opposite the first direction facilitates the movement of the axial trim to the closed position.
19. A valve for regulating the flow of a fluid, the valve comprising:
a housing defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
an axial trim disposed within the housing and reciprocally moveable between an open position wherein fluid is able to flow therealong from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, and a closed position wherein the flow of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet is blocked thereby, the axial trim comprising:
an elongate main body defining an axis; and
at least one opposed pair of notches formed in the main body, each of the notches of the pair defining a first wall which extends at an angle in the range of from about 20\xb0 to about 40\xb0 relative to the axis, a second wall which extends to the first wall in generally parallel relation to the axis, and a third wall which extends to the second wall in generally perpendicular relation to the axis;
the notches partially defining a tortuous flow passage through the housing which fluidly connects the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet when the axial trim is in the open position.
20. The valve of claim 19 wherein the axial trim has a stroke length in the range of from about \xbd inch to about 2 inches during movement between the open and closed positions.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A self-propelled device for an endoscope comprising:
an attachment portion detachably mounted on an insertion section of an endoscope;
a rotary body formed in a hollow toroidal shape or obtained by forming a belt in a ring shape;
a driving roller disposed to come in contact with said rotary body, said driving roller circulating and moving said rotary body;
a driven roller disposed to face said driving roller across said rotary body, said rotary body being nipped between said driven roller and said driving roller, said driven roller rotating in accordance with the circulation of said rotary body; and
a flange formed on at least one of said driven roller and said driving roller, said flange satisfying the following equation so as to deform a part of said rotary body being nipped between said driven roller and said driving roller:
R1+R2+D>L
wherein,
R1: radius of the flange of said driving roller with the flange, or radius of the roller of said driving roller without flange
R2: radius of the flange of said driven roller with the flange, or radius of the roller of said driven roller without flange
D: thickness of said rotary body being nipped
L: distance between shafts of said driving roller and said driven roller
2. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein
said flange has a first flange and a second flange formed at both ends of said driven roller,
said driving roller has a width smaller than said driven roller, and is disposed between said first and second flanges; and
said rotary body is deformed by said driven roller and said driving roller.
3. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:
a gear barrel rotating about a central axis of said insertion section;
a worm gear formed on an outer periphery of said gear barrel; and
a worm wheel being meshed with said worm gear and rotating about an axis perpendicular to said central axis of said insertion section, said worm wheel corresponding to said driving roller.
4. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein
said worm wheel has a tooth row formed on its outer periphery with a tooth tip of said tooth row being tilted with respect to an axis of rotation of said worm wheel, and said frictional force between said rotary body and said driving roller is increased by suppressing said rotary body toward said flange by a thrust load generated due to the tilt of said tooth tip.
5. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:
a linear projection formed on a surface of said rotary body that is in contact with said driven roller, said projection being formed to pass through a center in a width direction of an outer periphery of said driven roller in accordance with the circulation of said rotary body.
6. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 5, further comprising:
a groove formed at the center in the width direction of the outer periphery of said driven roller so that said projection penetrates into said groove.
7. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 6, wherein
a height of said projection is larger than a depth of said groove.
8. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 6, wherein
a height of said projection is equal to or smaller than a depth of said groove.
9. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:
a linear projection formed on a surface of said rotary body that is in contact with said driving roller, said projection being formed to pass through a center in a width direction of an outer periphery of said driving roller in accordance with the circulation of said rotary body; and
a groove formed at the center in the width direction of the outer periphery of said driving roller so that said projection penetrates into said groove.
10. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 9, further comprising:
a protrusion formed at a center in a width direction of an outer periphery of said driven roller so as to press said projection toward said groove.
11. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein
said attachment portion has an opening through which said insertion section is inserted, and is mounted on an outer periphery of said insertion section as said insertion section is inserted through said opening.
12. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein
said rotary body is an endless belt that is obtained by forming a belt in a ring shape, and a plurality of said rotary bodies is disposed at regular intervals about a central axis of said insertion section.
13. The self-propelled device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein
said flange has a first flange and a second flange formed at both ends of said driving roller,
said driven roller has a width smaller than said driving roller, and is disposed between said first and second flanges; and
said rotary body is deformed by said driving roller and said driven roller.