Gas valve with electronic proof of closure system

摘要

This disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly, to gas valve assemblies. In one illustrative but non-limiting example, a valve assembly may include a valve body having an interior and an exterior, a valve or valve sealing member positioned in the valve body, a sensor element (e.g., a magnet and/or a ferrous core) secured relative to the valve sealing member and a sensor (e.g., a magnetic field sensor) positioned outside of the interior of the valve body. The valve sealing member may be movable between an opened position and a closed position, and the sense element may move with the valve sealing member. The sensor may be configured to detect a position of the valve sealing member and communicate that position to a valve controller.

主权项

1. A valve assembly for controlling fuel flow to a combustion appliance, the valve assembly comprising:
a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, with a fluid path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port; a first valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port; a second valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port downstream of the first valve, with an intermediate volume between the first valve and the second valve defined by the valve body; a first valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the first valve relative to a first axis, between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position; a second valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the second valve relative to a second axis, between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position; a first sensor fluidly isolated from the fluid path by the valve body, and radially spaced from the first axis, where the first sensor senses whether the first valve is in the closed position; a second sensor fluidly isolated from the fluid path by the valve body, and radially spaced from the second axis, where the second sensor senses whether the second valve is in the closed position; a first switch having a first switched signal path and a first control input, wherein the first control input sets the state of the first switched signal path to either a first state or a second state; and a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor and the control input of the switch, the controller sends a signal to the first control input of the first switch to set the state of the first switched signal path to the first state in response to the controller receiving a signal that indicates the first sensor senses that the first valve is not in the closed position.