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This is a record of a document published elsewhere, first published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as US-5960821-A, on 5 October 1999. OpenTechnical did not first disclose it. The identifier, hashes and timestamps below record what this library served and when, not when the material became public. View the original.

OT-2026-000003174

Flow sensor device and associated vacuum holding system

Published
Permanent URL
Classification
Tools & Tooling › Clamping Tools
Inventors
JOHNSON EDWIN LEE
Original source
US-5960821-A, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, 5 October 1999
Document SHA-256
402d108e9f88ec67bafb855611c022ee8cfe25920c6f8c64faadd1ea627b0dee

A flow sensor device includes a main passage having a normally open shut off valve therein which is configured to shut off at a predetermined rate of air flow therethrough. The shut off valve includes a seating structure and a centering structure positioned within the main passage, a sealing member being positioned between the seating structure and centering structure. The sealing member is biased toward the centering structure by a resilient member. Air flow through the main passage exerts a force on the sealing member which pushes the sealing member toward the seating structure. When the force caused by the air flow exceeds the opposing force of the resilient member, the sealing member contacts the seating structure in a sealing relationship such that air flow through the main passage is substantially eliminated. The flow sensor device may also include a controllable release valve and/or a controllable reset valve, enabling control of the shut off valve of the main passage. Further, an air pulse distribution device is also provided for controlling the reset valves and/or release valves of a plurality of flow sensor devices.

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Abstract

A flow sensor device includes a main passage having a normally open shut off valve therein which is configured to shut off at a predetermined rate of air flow therethrough. The shut off valve includes a seating structure and a centering structure positioned within the main passage, a sealing member being positioned between the seating structure and centering structure. The sealing member is biased toward the centering structure by a resilient member. Air flow through the main passage exerts a force on the sealing member which pushes the sealing member toward the seating structure. When the force caused by the air flow exceeds the opposing force of the resilient member, the sealing member contacts the seating structure in a sealing relationship such that air flow through the main passage is substantially eliminated. The flow sensor device may also include a controllable release valve and/or a controllable reset valve, enabling control of the shut off valve of the main passage. Further, an air pulse distribution device is also provided for controlling the reset valves and/or release valves of a plurality of flow sensor devices.

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Publication information

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Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000003174, “Flow sensor device and associated vacuum holding system,” published September 15, 2026 at 19:43:48 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000003174.

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Terms

This record reproduces a document published elsewhere and is provided for reference and study. Rights in the original remain with its owner. See the publication policy.