초록 ▼

A valve assembly includes a stack of valve members which define a number of annular valve slits between knife-edge valve seats and opposing valve surfaces. The valve members are rings having grooves formed therein to define a low pressure liquid chamber. A ridge between the central hole in each ring

A valve assembly includes a stack of valve members which define a number of annular valve slits between knife-edge valve seats and opposing valve surfaces. The valve members are rings having grooves formed therein to define a low pressure liquid chamber. A ridge between the central hole in each ring and the chamber groove forms the knife edge valve seat. Homogenizing pressure can be controlled by flexing a bearing plate at the end of the stack of valves. Spring elements between the valves bias the valves apart when they are released by the hydraulic valve actuator to enable cleaning of the valve slits.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A valve assembly for homogenizing or mixing a fluid comprising valve members stacked within a housing and defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber within the housing, at least one of the valve members having an annular valve seat protruding axially therefrom and spaced from an adjacent

1. A valve assembly for homogenizing or mixing a fluid comprising valve members stacked within a housing and defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber within the housing, at least one of the valve members having an annular valve seat protruding axially therefrom and spaced from an adjacent valve member by rigid spacing means to provide a valve slit between the central and peripheral chambers through which fluid is expressed, the spacing means being positioned between the valve members radially from the valve seat, wherein: the valve members are clamped together with rigid spacing means therebetween by means of a rigid actuator operative from the exterior of said housing to exert a variable axial clamping force on an end valve member, which force is concentrated radially from rigid spacing means associated with said end valve member for flexing that valve member to adjust the gap of a valve slit formed by said end valve member. 2. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rigid spacing means is positioned along the outer periphery of the valve members and the clamping force is concentrated centrally of the valve members. 3. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of valve members stacked to form a plurality of valve slits therebetween. 4. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexed valve member comprises a hard, annular valve surface fixed to a relatively soft main body. 5. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the valve seats are axially directed knife edges and the spacing of the knife edge valve seats from adjacent valve members is less than about 0.003 inches. 6. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rigid actuator is a hydraulic valve actuator. 7. A valve assembly for homogenizing or mixing a fluid comprising a plurality of valve members stacked within a housing and defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber within the housing, at least some of the valve members having annular, knife edge valve seats protruding axially therefrom and spaced from adjacent valve members by rigid spacing means to provide a plurality of valve slits between the central and peripheral chambers through which fluid is expressed, wherein: the rigid spacing means are positioned between the valve members radially outward from the knife edge valve seats; and the valve members are clamped together with the rigid spacing means therebetween by means of a rigid actuator acting centrally against an end valve member to exert a variable axial clamping force on said end valve member, which force is concentrated against said end valve member radially from rigid spacing means associated with said end valve member for flexing at least said end valve member to adjust the gap of at least one of the valve slits. 8. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein said end valve member comprises a hard, annular valve surface formed on a relatively soft main body. 9. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said end valve member has a counterbore formed at the center thereof for retaining a valve actuating rod. 10. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein said end valve member includes a hard annular valve surface and a center counterbore on each surface thereof for reversible use of said end member. 11. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the spacing of the knife edge valve seats from adjacent valve members is less than about 0.003 inches. 12. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the valve members are biased away from each other by springs. 13. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one of the valve members is a rigid ring having a peripheral chamber groove in one face thereof concentric with a central hole in the ring, the groove partly defining a peripheral chamber and the resultant ridge between the central hole and the chamber groove forming a valve seat. 14. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein valve members are spaced radially inward from said housing and the valve members are held in alignment by means of spring elements positioned in complementary spring grooves in adjacent valve members. 15. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the rigid actuator is a hydraulic valve actuator. 16. A valve assembly for homogenizing or mixing a fluid comprising a plurality of valve members stacked within a housing and defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber within the housing, at least some of the valve members having annular, knife edge valve seats protruding axially therefrom and spaced less than 0.003 inch from adjacent valve members to provide a plurality of valve slits between the central and peripheral chambers through which fluid is expressed, the valve assembly comprising: rigid spacing means positioned between the valve members radially outward from the knife edge valve seats; valve actuating means for releasably clamping the valve members together into a tight stack, with rigid spacing means therebetween, by means of a rigid actuator operative from the exterior of said housing to exert an axial clamping force on the stack of valve members, which force is concentrated centrally on an end valve member radially inward from rigid spacing means associated with said end valve member for flexing at least said end valve member to adjust the gap of at least one of the valve slits; and spring elements between the valve members for exerting axial spring forces on the valve members to separate the valve members when the members are released by the valve actuating means, the valve members being thus separated to allow for substantially larger slit gaps for cleaning the slits, a valve slit gap between each valve seat and adjacent valve member being determined by said rigid spacing means independent of the spring elements in homogenizing or mixing operation, the valve members and rigid spacing means being fully compressed into a tight stack with the spring elements compressed therebetween. 17. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein said end valve member comprises a hard, annular valve surface formed on a relatively soft main body. 18. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein the spring elements are annular springs positioned in complementary spring grooves in the faces of adjacent valve members and the spring elements further serve to align the valve members in the stack. 19. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least one of the valve members is a rigid ring having a peripheral chamber groove in one face thereof concentric with a central hole in the ring, the groove partly defining a peripheral chamber and the resultant ridge between the central hole and the chamber groove forming a valve seat. 20. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 19 wherein said at least one of the valve members further comprises: a flat valve surface aligned with the valve seat on the opposite face of the ring; a peripheral rim having flat axially directed surfaces, one surface being coplanar with the flat valve surface, the other surface being near coplanar with the valve seat but spaced axially a predetermined amount to assure a gap between the valve seat and the flat valve surface of a like valve member; and a plurality of axial fluid passages through the ring from the chamber groove. 21. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 20 further comprising a spring groove in each of said flat axially directed rim surfaces. 22. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 20 wherein said axially directed surface spaced a predetermined amount from the valve seat is on a shim. 23. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein an end valve member is a rigid ring having a peripheral chamber groove in one face thereof concentric with a central hole in the ring, the groove partly defining a peripheral chamber and the resultant ridge between the central hole and the chamber groove forming a valve seat, the assembly having a fluid seal between the end valve member and the housing to prevent seepage of liquid behind the end valve member. 24. A valve assembly for homogenizing or mixing a fluid of the type comprising a plurality of valve members stacked within a housing and defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber within the housing, at least some of the valve members having annular valve seats protruding axially therefrom and spaced from adjacent valve members by rigid spacing means to provide a plurality of valve slits between the central and peripheral chambers through which fluid is expressed, the valve assembly comprising: valve actuating means operative from the exterior of said housing for releasably clamping the valve members together into a tight stack, with rigid spacing means therebetween, to provide slits of predetermined gaps determined by the spacing means and actuator; and spring elements between the valve members for exerting axial spring forces on the valve members to separate the valve members when they are released by the valve actuating means, the valve members being thus separated to provide for substantially larger slit gaps for cleaning of the slits, a valve slit gap between each valve seat and adjacent valve member being determined by said rigid spacing means independent of the spring elements in homogenizing or mixing operation, the valve members and rigid spacing means being fully compressed into a tight stack with the spring elements compressed therebetween. 25. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 24 wherein the valve seats are axially directed knife edges and the spacing of the knife edge valve seats from adjacent valve members is less than about 0.003 inches. 26. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 24 wherein the spring elements are annular springs positioned in complementary spring grooves in the faces of adjacent valve members and the spring elements further serve to align the valve members in the stack. 27. A valve member suitable for a stacked configuration homogenizing valve assembly, the valve member comprising a rigid ring having a central hole and having opposite faces which provide a valve surface and a valve seat for respective valve slits, the rigid ring further comprising: a chamber groove in one face thereof concentric with the central hole in the ring; an annular knife-edge valve seat forming a ridge between the central hole and chamber groove; a flat valve surface aligned with the valve seat on the opposite face of the ring; a peripheral rim having flat axially directed surfaces, one surface being coplanar with the flat valve surface, the other surface being near coplanar with the valve seat but spaced axially a predetermined amount to form a rigid spacer which assures a gap between the valve seat and the flat valve surface of a like valve member; and a plurality of axial fluid passages through the ring from the chamber groove. 28. A valve member as claimed in claim 27 wherein the main body of the valve and the peripheral rim are formed in a unitary body. 29. A valve member as claimed in claim 27 wherein the rim includes a shim which provides the rim surface spaced axially from the valve seat. 30. A valve members as claimed in claim 27 wherein the rim surface is spaced less than 0.003 inches axially from the valve seat. 31. A valve member as claimed in claim 27 further comprising a spring groove in at least one of said peripheral rim surfaces. 32. A valve member as claimed in claim 31 comprising a spring groove in each of said peripheral rim surfaces. 33. A valve member suitable for a stacked configuration homogenizing valve assembly, the valve member comprising a rigid ring having a central hole and having opposite faces which provide a valve surface and a valve seat for respective valve slits, the rigid ring further comprising: a chamber groove in a face thereof concentric with the central hole in the ring; an annular knife edge valve seat forming a ridge between the central hole and chamber groove; a flat valve surface aligned with the valve seat on the opposite face of the ring; a peripheral rim having flat axially directed surfaces, one surface being coplanar with the flat valve surface, the other surface being near coplanar with the valve seat but spaced axially a predetermined amount less than 0.003 inch to form a rigid spacer which assures a gap between the valve seat and the flat valve surface of a like valve member; a plurality of axial fluid passages through the ring from the chamber groove; and a spring groove in each of said peripheral rim surfaces. 34. A method of controlling the gap between a valve seat and opposing valve surface on opposing valve members comprising: providing a predetermined gap between the valve seat and opposing valve surface by means of a rigid spacer spaced from the valve seat; applying a force to at least one of the valve members to flex the valve member about the spacing means and thereby adjust the gap between the valve seat and opposing valve surface. 35. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the valve seats are annular knife-edge valve seats spaced radially inward from the spacer means and an axial actuating force is applied at the center of a valve member. 36. A method of controlling the gap between a valve seat and opposing valve surface on opposing valve members within a housing comprising: providing a predetermined gap between the valve seat and opposing valve surface by means of a rigid spacer; and applying a force to at least one of the valve members by means of an actuator operative from the exterior of said housing to adjust the gap between the valve seat and opposing valve surface.