Door assembly for a fluid handling system

Abstract

Embodiments of a door assembly with a door component that can open and close in response to pressure of fluids that flow in a fluid handling system. These embodiments utilize elements to seat and lock the door in position without the need for manual intervention and/or interaction, e.g., by a technician and/or maintenance personnel. However, these elements do not need to support the weight of the door and, thus, provide a more robust and cost effective design to achieve automated and reliable operation necessary for use in fluid handling systems.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A door assembly, comprising:
 a door component with a pivot axis that permits the door component to move between a first position and a second position, the door component having a bottom portion with an engagement feature extending generally downwardly from the door component; and   a reset component comprising a latch component that engages the engagement feature in the first position and a grabber element having at least one orientation that biases the door component toward the first position.   
     
     
         2 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the latch component comprises a latch element and a spring element secured to the latch element, wherein the spring element generates a spring force on the latch element to move the latch element from an unlatched position to a latched position that engages the engagement feature in the first position. 
     
     
         3 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor component that monitors the orientation of the grabber element. 
     
     
         4 . The door assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor component comprises a first sensor and a second sensor that correspond to a first orientation and a second orientation for the grabber element. 
     
     
         5 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a heating element disposed about the periphery of the door component. 
     
     
         6 . The door assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the heating element generates heat in response to electrical stimulation. 
     
     
         7 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a pneumatic actuator coupled to the grabber element, wherein actuation of the pneumatic actuator rotates the grabber element to the least one orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis is located at a top of the door component. 
     
     
         9 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a peripheral seal, wherein the door component compresses the peripheral door seal in the first position. 
     
     
         10 . The door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more cover components that form a volume that surround the reset component. 
     
     
         11 . A closure assembly for a blow-in door on a fluid handling system,
 a plurality of actuators comprising a first actuator and a second actuator;   a grabber element coupled to the first actuator, the grabber element having a first orientation and a second orientation that is radially offset from the first orientation relative to the blow-in door;   a lever element coupled to the second actuator; and   a latch element engaging the lever element,   wherein the lever element moves in response to the second actuator to change the position of the latch element from a latched position that engages the blow-in door to an unlatched position that permits the blow-in door to move from a first position to a second position that is different from the first position.   
     
     
         12 . The closure of  claim 11 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator comprise a pneumatic cylinder. 
     
     
         13 . The closure of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of sensors comprising a first sensor proximate the grabber element in the first orientation and a second sensor proximate the grabber element in the second orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The closure of  claim 13 , further comprising a second sensor proximate the latch element in the latched position. 
     
     
         15 . The closure of  claim 11 , further comprising a first solenoid valve coupled with the first actuator and a second solenoid valve coupled with the second actuator. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a closure assembly for a blow-in door, comprising
 receiving a first signal indicating a position of the blow-in door;   generating a first output in response to the first signal that contains instructions to move a grabber element from a first orientation to a second orientation,   wherein the second orientation biases the blow-in door toward a closed position.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising receiving a second signal indicating the first orientation of the grabber element and receiving a third signal indicating the second orientation of the grabber element. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , generating a second output that contains instructions to move a latch element from a latched position to an unlatched position that permits the blow-in door to move from the first position to a second position that is different from the first position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a signal indicating a value for a fluid property;   comparing the value to a threshold criteria; and   generating the second output if the value deviates from the threshold criteria.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the threshold criteria defines a pressure differential.