US 12,331,846 B2
Valve position detection
Dariusz Sapija, Lowersilesian (PL); Agata Kurowska-Kalińska, Kowale (PL); and Piotr Kroczek, Wrocław (PL)
Assigned to GOODRICH CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Goodrich Corporation, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Feb. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/670,699.
Claims priority of application No. 21461513 (EP), filed on Feb. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0260179 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 37/00 (2006.01); F16K 31/04 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 37/0058 (2013.01) [F16K 31/042 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A valve assembly comprising:
a valve having a housing;
a rotatable valve closure element, rotatable relative to the housing by means of a rotary shaft; and
a position detection assembly for detecting a spatial position of the rotatable valve closure element, the position detection assembly comprising:
a colour sensor;
a first colour indicator connected to a surface rotary shaft at a first position;
a second colour indicator connected to the surface of the rotary shaft at a second position, wherein the second position is different that the first position and the first and second colors are different colors;
wherein the colour sensor is on the valve housing spaced from the surface of the rotary shaft and arranged to emit light onto the surface of the rotary shaft and detect light reflected from the surface of the rotary shaft and to determine the position of the rotary valve closure element based on the reflected light, wherein the colour sensor emits white light and determines the position of the valve closure element based on the colour of the reflected light reflected from the colour indicators on the shaft of the rotary shaft; and
wherein the colour sensor emits light of different colours at different times and determines the position of the rotary valve closure element based on the colour of the reflected light.