1-37. (canceled)
38. A valve device, comprising:
a fluid input port and a fluid output port;
a valve body defining a valve cavity and including a valve closure surface;
an operator connected to a control circuitry constructed to control automatically operation of said operator; and
a fram assembly including a fram member and a sliding seal acting on a surface of said cavity providing two pressure zones and being movable within said valve cavity with respect a guiding member; pressure in a first of said pressure zones being controlled by said operator and pressure in a second of said pressure zones being determined by fluid pressure from said fluid input port, said fram assembly being constructed to move to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port upon reduction of pressure in said first of said pressure zones initiated by said operator; and being constructed to move to a closed position, upon increase of pressure in said first pressure zone, thereby closing said valve closure surface and preventing flow from said input port to said output port.
39-40. (canceled)
41. The valve device of claim 38, wherein said operator includes a latching actuator.
42. The valve device of claim 38, wherein said operator includes a non-latching actuator.
43. The valve device of claim 38, wherein said operator includes an actuator having an isolation membrane for containing fluid inside a plunger cavity of said actuator.
44. The valve device of claim 38 wherein said fram member includes a pliable member and a stiff member, said pliable member being constructed to come in contact with said valve closure surface to form said seal in said closed position.
45. The valve device of claim 44, wherein said valve closure surface includes a lip providing said seal in said closed position.
46. The valve device of claim 38 including a bias member.
47. The valve device of claim 44 wherein said bias member is constructed and arranged to assist movement of said fram member from said open position to said closed position.
48. The valve device of claim 44 wherein said bias member includes a spring.
49-51. (canceled)
52. The valve device of claim 38 wherein said guiding member includes a pin.
53. The valve device of claim 52 wherein said fram member is constructed to slide over said pin having a groove and enabling a guiding motion of said fram member and said groove providing a control passage.
54. The valve device of claim 48 wherein said guiding member includes a pin and said spring is located around and parallel with respect to said pin.
55. The valve device of claim 38 further including two control passages connected to said first pressure zone, said control passages being symmetrically located with respect to said guiding member.
56. The valve device of claim 38 further including two control passages connected to a pilot chamber, said control passages being non-symmetrically located with respect to said guiding member.
57. The valve device of claim 38, wherein said sliding seal includes a one-sided seal.
58. The valve device of claim 38, wherein said sliding seal includes a two-sided seal.
59. The valve device of claim 38, wherein said valve device is constructed to function inside a bathroom flusher connected to a pressurized water supply and arranged to control water flow between said input port and said output port.
60. The valve device of claim 59 further including a sensor constructed to detect a user, said sensor being connected to provide signals to said control circuitry.
61. A method of controlling fluid flow, comprising the acts of:
providing a fluid input port and a fluid output port associated with a valve body defining a valve cavity and including a valve closure surface;
providing a fram assembly including a fram member defining two pressure zones and being movable within said valve cavity with respect a guiding member, pressure in a first of said pressure zones being controlled by said operator and pressure in a second of said pressure zones being determined by fluid pressure from said fluid input port;
reducing pressure in said first of said pressure zones by action of an actuator and thereby initiating movement of said fram assembly to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port; and
providing a signal from a control circuitry to said actuator for closing a control passage to increase of pressure in said first pressure zone and thereby initiating movement of said fram member from said open position to said closed position preventing flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port.
64. The method of claim 61 wherein said reducing the pressure includes automatically activating said actuator by said control circuitry upon detecting action of a user.
65. The method of claim 61 wherein said providing said signal for closing said control passage includes detecting action of a user.
66. The method of claim 61 wherein said movement of said fram member from said open position to said closed position is assisted by a bias member.
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 return mechanism for an escape device of an elevator, the return mechanism mounted at a wall of a car, comprising:
a drive sheave;
upper and lower secondary sheaves;
a rope extended from the escape device to be disposed between the drive sheave and the secondary sheaves;
a wheel coaxially disposed with the drive sheave and located on an inner wall of the car;
a lever including a lower pivot end, a positioning bar proximate the pivot end, an upper end rotatably coupled to the drive sheave, and a longitudinal groove in about intermediate portion of the lever;
a link including a pin end defined by the groove and a roller at the other end, the link being substantially perpendicular to the lever;
a support sleeved on a portion of the link so as to permit the link to slide therethrough;
a catch disposed proximate an open end of the positioning bar; and
a plurality of projecting return members disposed along a vertical opening, each return member being allotted to a unique floor,
wherein in a case of car failure, a trapped passenger is able to continuously rotate the wheel and thus the drive sheave, the lever is activated to pivot about the pivot end to move the drive sheave to a position between the secondary sheaves and interengage the drive sheave therewith, the rope is activated to run downward along the drive sheave and the secondary sheaves, the escape device is activated to lower or hoist the car, the link moves toward the return member, the positioning bar moves into the catch for being locked therein, the movement of the car is stopped once the roller contacts the return member, and the roller immediately moves backward until the positioning bar is clear from the catch, the drive sheave is not engaged with both the secondary sheaves, and the rope is located between the drive sheave and the secondary sheaves.
2. A return mechanism for an escape device of an elevator, the return mechanism mounted at a wall of a car, comprising:
a drive sheave;
upper and lower secondary sheaves;
a rope extended from the escape device to be disposed between the drive sheave and the secondary sheaves;
a wheel coaxially disposed with the drive sheave and located on an inner wall of the car;
a lever including a lower pivot end, a positioning bar proximate the pivot end, the positioning bar including an elongated trough, an upper end rotatably coupled to the drive sheave, and a longitudinal groove in about intermediate portion of the lever;
a link including a pin end defined by the groove, a latched member on a surface, and a roller at the other end, the link being substantially perpendicular to the lever;
an actuator including a shaft having an upper end defined by the trough;
a limit switch disposed proximate the link;
a push button disposed on the inner wall of the car;
a support sleeved on a portion of the link so as to permit the link to slide therethrough; and
a plurality of projecting return members disposed along a vertical opening, each return member being allotted to a unique floor,
wherein in a case of car failure, a trapped passenger is able to press the push button to activate the actuator for pulling down the shaft, the lever is activated to pivot about the pivot end to move the drive sheave to a position between the secondary sheaves and interengage the drive sheave therewith, the rope is activated to run downward along the drive sheave and the secondary sheaves, the escape device is activated to lower or hoist the car, the link moves toward the return member, the movement of the car is stopped once the roller contacts the return member, and the roller immediately moves backward until the latched member contacts the limit switch for deactivating the actuator with the link being adapted to pivot backward to return both the drive sheave and the rope to their non-operating position.
3. The return mechanism of claim 2, wherein the actuator is an electromagnetic actuator.
4. The return mechanism of claim 3, wherein the electromagnetic actuator is operated by a backup power supply.