US 12,104,703 B2
Fluid management system
Stefano Nicola, Windsor (CA); Daniel Schmitz, Altdorf (DE); and Maxime Samain, Harelbeke (BE)
Assigned to Leggett & Platt Canada Co., Halifax (CA)
Appl. No. 17/622,143
Filed by Leggett & Platt Canada Co., Halifax (CA)
PCT Filed Jun. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/CA2020/000079
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/257914, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/868,197, filed on Jun. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0243827 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 11/044 (2006.01); F16K 31/02 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 11/044 (2013.01) [F16K 31/025 (2013.01); Y10T 137/86622 (2015.04)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid management system comprising:
a housing including a first port, a second port, and a third port, wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion coupled to a second housing portion;
an actuator assembly including a shape memory alloy material and a valve body moveable within the housing between a first position and a second position, wherein the valve body is configured to seal the third port and permit fluid flow between the first port and the second port in the first position, and to seal the first port and permit fluid flow between the second port and the third port in the second position, and wherein the valve body includes a piston having first and second sealing elements disposed at opposite ends of the piston; and
a biasing element coupled to the actuator assembly, the biasing element configured to bias the valve body toward one of the first position or the second position, and
wherein the actuator assembly and biasing element are each attached to the second housing portion,
wherein the housing is configured such that the first housing portion engages against the actuator assembly to apply a pre-load to the biasing element, and
wherein the actuator assembly is configured to move the valve body to one of the first position or the second position against a biasing force of the biasing element in response to heating the shape memory alloy material of the actuator assembly.