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A ball valve having an improved relationship between the ball and associated seat rings and an improved seat ring design. The ball is mounted for selective rotation and limited axial movement in a valve body passageway. Seat rings disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the ball about valve inle

A ball valve having an improved relationship between the ball and associated seat rings and an improved seat ring design. The ball is mounted for selective rotation and limited axial movement in a valve body passageway. Seat rings disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the ball about valve inlet and outlet openings each include a ball engaging surface having an arcuate contour. At a relaxed preassembly reference position, the radius of curvature of the ball engaging surface is greater than the radius of curvature of the ball. Frusto-conical disc springs interposed between each seat ring and an associated valve body shoulder additionally urge the seat rings into engagement with the ball. A reinforcing ring disposed at the forward end of each seat ring acts as a rigid bearing surface. Component sizing is such that in the assembled valve, the seat rings are slightly rotatably flexed in response to the engaging surfaces thereof engaging the ball such that the surfaces are distorted to have a mating relationship with the ball. At the same time, the disc springs are compressed while continuously urging the seat ring ball engaging surfaces into ball engagement.

대표청구항 ▼

A ball valve comprising: a body having a central passageway; a ball member including a fluid flow opening therethrough, said ball member being positioned in said passageway and mounted for selective rotation between valve open and closed positions to control fluid flow through said valve, said ball

A ball valve comprising: a body having a central passageway; a ball member including a fluid flow opening therethrough, said ball member being positioned in said passageway and mounted for selective rotation between valve open and closed positions to control fluid flow through said valve, said ball member further including a radius of curvature on an outer wall surface; a pair of radially inward extending continuous shoulders in said passageway disposed circumferentially thereof on opposite sides of said ball member; a pair of radially inward extending counterbores in said passageway disposed on opposite sides of said ball member, each of said counterbores having an inner end wall and being circumferentially continuous; and, a pair of composite seat member assemblies positioned axially in said passageway on opposite sides of said ball member for fluid-sealing engagement with said ball member, each of said pair comprising: a reinforcing ring including a central opening, a first surface facing an associated one of said shoulders, a second surface abutting an associated one of said counterbore end walls and a third surface generally facing said ball member in a spaced relationship therefrom; a seat ring adapted for elastic flexure generally toward and away from said reinforcing ring and including a central opening, a first surface generally facing said associated one of said shoulders, a second surface abutting said reinforcing ring first surface, and a third surface facing said ball member for sealing engagement with said ball member outer wall surface, said seat ring third surface being contoured and having a radius of curvature in an unstressed, unassembled condition greater than said radius of said ball member; and, a disc spring having a central opening and a generally frusto-conical configuration in an unstressed condition interposed between said seat ring and said associated one of said shoulders; said ball member and pair of composite seat member assemblies being sized so that when assembled axially between said shoulders, each seat ring is flexed away from an associated reinforcing ring and stressed to have a radius of curvature at said seat ring third surface generally equivalent to said ball member radius of curvature and is disposed in sealing engagement with said ball member over the extent of said seat ring third surface, each disc spring being stressed toward a flattened condition for continuously urging the third surface of the associated seat ring toward engagement with said ball member.