US 12,110,988 B2
Position sensor for a fluid flow control device
Benjamin Kirollos, Oxford (GB); Vikram Sridhar, Oxford (GB); Christopher Kennell, Oxford (GB); and Matthew Collins, Oxford (GB)
Assigned to OFIP Limited, Oxford (GB)
Appl. No. 17/616,411
Filed by OFIP LIMITED, Oxford (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/051335
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 3, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/245578, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1908174 (GB), filed on Jun. 7, 2019; and application No. PCT/GB2020/050784 (WO), filed on Mar. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0235879 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 37/00 (2006.01); F16K 1/12 (2006.01); F16K 1/38 (2006.01); G01L 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 37/0033 (2013.01) [F16K 1/12 (2013.01); F16K 1/38 (2013.01); G01L 9/0082 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for controlling the flow of fluid through a conduit from an upstream side of the device to a downstream side of the device, the device comprising:
a valve housing having defined therein a valve inlet, a valve outlet and a valve aperture, wherein the valve inlet, the valve outlet and the valve aperture are coaxial with each other;
a valve member movably mounted relative to the valve aperture and arranged to be displaced reciprocally in an axial direction coaxial with the valve aperture to selectively open and close the valve aperture;
a magnet that is discrete from the valve member and is not rigidly connected to the valve member, wherein the displacement of the valve member exerts a force on the magnet to displace the magnet in a direction parallel to the direction of displacement of the valve member;
a biasing member arranged to bias the magnet towards the valve member; and
a magnetic field sensor mounted on the valve housing.