IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0564904
(2006-11-30)
|
등록번호 |
US-7559531
(2009-07-27)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Thomas, Kurt R.
- Jornod, Eugene R.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren P.C.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
4 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
▼
A ball valve having reduced torque requirements for rotation is presented. Torque reduction is realized by providing a shaped sealing back member to provide a back force behind essentially the entire sealing surface of the downstream seal. Torque reduction is also realized by providing a dynamic sea
A ball valve having reduced torque requirements for rotation is presented. Torque reduction is realized by providing a shaped sealing back member to provide a back force behind essentially the entire sealing surface of the downstream seal. Torque reduction is also realized by providing a dynamic sealing configuration that varies the sealing force over the valve's operating pressure conditions. An initial bias sealing force is applied by a spring member which also provides a low uniform as-assembled valve torque. As fluid pressure increases, the sealing pressure also increases as an o-ring is forced along a ramped surface of the seal. As inlet pressure decreases, the o-ring is allowed to back down the ramped surface to reduce the sealing force against the valve member. This sealing configuration allows for reverse flow or improper installation of the ball valve, and bottoms out to maintain a sealing force at higher back pressure conditions.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having an upstream flow-through end thereof, a downstream flow-through end thereof and a valve receiving chamber therebetween; a valve member disposed within the valve receiving chamber and having a throughbore th
What is claimed is: 1. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having an upstream flow-through end thereof, a downstream flow-through end thereof and a valve receiving chamber therebetween; a valve member disposed within the valve receiving chamber and having a throughbore therein, the valve member being selectively movable within the valve receiving chamber between an open and a closed position, the open position providing flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body, and the closed position providing an out of flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body for blocking flow through the flow passage; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively of the valve receiving chamber; and wherein at least the upstream seal includes a spring member positioned between the upstream flow-through end and the upstream seal to provide a bias sealing force against the valve member; wherein at least the upstream seal further includes an o-ring interposed between the spring member and the upstream seal; wherein at least the upstream seal includes a ramped back surface, wherein the ramped back surface and the valve receiving chamber form a dynamic sealing chamber, and wherein the o-ring and the spring member are accommodated in the dynamic sealing chamber; and wherein the o-ring is moved along the ramped back surface upon an increase in pressure in the dynamic sealing chamber to increase a sealing pressure on the valve member. 2. The ball valve of claim 1, wherein the downstream seal includes a downstream spring member positioned between the downstream flow-through end and the downstream seal to provide a bias sealing force against the valve member. 3. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having an upstream flow-through end thereof, a downstream flow-through end thereof and a valve receiving chamber therebetween; a valve member disposed within the valve receiving chamber and having a throughbore therein, the valve member being selectively movable within the valve receiving chamber between an open and a closed position, the open position providing flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body, and the closed position providing an out of flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body for blocking flow through the flow passage; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively of the valve receiving chamber; wherein at least the upstream seal includes a spring member positioned between the upstream flow-through end and the upstream seal to provide a bias sealing force against the valve member; and wherein at least the upstream seal further includes an o-ring interposed between the spring member and the upstream seal, the spring member operably axially acting on the o-ring such that the bias sealing force provided by the spring member against the valve member is transferred through the o-ring. 4. The ball valve of claim 3, wherein at least the upstream seal includes a ramped back surface, wherein the ramped back surface and the valve receiving chamber form a dynamic sealing chamber, and wherein the o-ring and the spring member are accommodated in the dynamic sealing chamber. 5. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein at least the upstream flow-through end includes a shoulder, and wherein the spring member biases at least the upstream seal away from the shoulder in a quiescent state thereby defining a gap therebetween allowing the dynamic sealing chamber to be in fluid communication with the upstream flow-through end. 6. The ball valve of claim 5, wherein the o-ring and the ramped back surface are configured to increase a sealing pressure on the valve member upon an increase in pressure in the upstream flow-through end. 7. The ball valve of claim 5, wherein movement of the valve member toward the upstream flow-through end is facilitated by the gap. 8. The ball valve of claim 7, wherein the spring member increases a bias force on the o-ring to thereby increase a sealing pressure on the valve member upon movement of the valve member toward the upstream flow-through end. 9. The ball valve of claim 8, wherein further movement of the valve member toward the upstream flow-through end is impeded by the upstream seal when it contacts the shoulder. 10. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having an upstream flow-through end thereof, a downstream flow-through end thereof and a valve receiving chamber therebetween; a valve member disposed within the valve receiving chamber and having a throughbore therein, the valve member being selectively movable within the valve receiving chamber between an open and a closed position, the open position providing flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body, and the closed position providing an out of flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body for blocking flow through the flow passage; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively of the valve receiving chamber; wherein at least the upstream seal includes a spring member positioned between the upstream flow-through end and the upstream seal to provide a bias sealing force against the valve member; wherein at least the upstream seal further includes an o-ring interposed between the spring member and the upstream seal; wherein at least the upstream seal includes a ramped back surface, wherein the ramped back surface and the valve receiving chamber form a dynamic sealing chamber, and wherein the o-ring and the spring member are accommodated in the dynamic sealing chamber; wherein at least the upstream flow-through end includes a shoulder, and wherein the spring member biases at least the upstream seal away from the shoulder in a quiescent state thereby defining a gap therebetween allowing the dynamic sealing chamber to be in fluid communication with the upstream flow-through end; and wherein the o-ring is moved along the ramped back surface upon an increase in pressure in the dynamic sealing chamber to increase a sealing pressure on the valve member. 11. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having an upstream flow-through end thereof, a downstream flow-through end thereof and a valve receiving chamber therebetween; a valve member disposed within the valve receiving chamber and having a throughbore therein, the valve member being selectively movable within the valve receiving chamber between an open and a closed position, the open position providing flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body, and the closed position providing an out of flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body for blocking flow through the flow passage; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively of the valve receiving chamber; and wherein at least the upstream seal includes a spring member positioned between the upstream flow-through end and the upstream seal to provide a bias sealing force against the valve member; and wherein the downstream seal includes a shaped sealing back member positioned between the downstream flow-through end and the downstream seal, the shaped sealing back member having a contact surface directly contacting substantially all of a back surface of the downstream seal, the contact surface having a same profile as the back surface of the downstream seal. 12. The ball valve of claim 11, further comprising a flow control disk interposed between the shaped sealing back member and the downstream flow-through end. 13. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body defining a flow passage having an upstream flow-through end thereof, a downstream flow-through end thereof and a valve receiving chamber therebetween; a valve member disposed within the valve receiving chamber and having a throughbore therein, the valve member being selectively movable within the valve receiving chamber between an open and a closed position, the open position providing flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body, and the closed position providing an out of flow-through alignment of the throughbore with the upstream and downstream flow-through ends of the valve body for blocking flow through the flow passage; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively of the valve receiving chamber; and wherein at least the downstream seal includes a shaped sealing back member positioned between the downstream flow-through end and the downstream seal, the shaped sealing back member having a contact surface directly contacting substantially all of a back surface of the downstream seal, the contact surface having a same profile as the back surface of the downstream seal. 14. The ball valve of claim 13, wherein the upstream seal includes a shaped sealing back member positioned between the upstream flow-through end and the upstream seal, the shaped sealing back member contacting substantially all of a back surface of the upstream seal. 15. The ball valve of claim 13, wherein the upstream seal includes an o-ring and a spring member positioned between the upstream flow-through end and the upstream seal to provide a bias sealing force against the valve member. 16. The ball valve of claim 15, wherein the upstream seal includes a ramped back surface configured to increase a sealing pressure on the valve member when the o-ring is biased toward the valve member. 17. The ball valve of claim 16, wherein the o-ring is in fluid communication with the upstream flow-through end, and wherein an increase in fluid pressure in the upstream flow-through end biases the o-ring toward the valve member thereby increasing the sealing pressure of the upstream seal on the valve member. 18. The ball valve of claim 16, wherein the upstream seal is sized to allow for movement of the valve member toward the upstream flow-through end a given distance, the upstream seal providing an increasing sealing pressure on the valve member as it moves toward the upstream flow-through end. 19. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body; a valve member disposed within the valve body; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively; and wherein at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal includes a spring member to provide a bias sealing force to the at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal against the valve member; and wherein at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal includes a shaped sealing back member, the shaped sealing back member having a contact surface directly contacting a back surface of the at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal, the contact surface and the back surface having a mating profile such that contact surface contacts substantially all of the back surface of the at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal. 20. A ball valve, comprising: a valve body; a valve member disposed within the valve body; and an upstream seal and a downstream seal operatively connecting the valve member to the valve body at upstream and downstream ends respectively; and wherein at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal includes a spring member to provide a bias sealing force to the at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal against the valve member; and wherein at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal includes a shaped sealing back member, the shaped sealing back member contacting substantially all of a back surface of the at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal; wherein the valve body defines an inlet and an outlet, and wherein at least one of the upstream seal or the downstream seal further includes a ramped back surface and an o-ring in fluid communication with one of the inlet or the outlet, the ramped back surface configured to increase a sealing pressure on the valve member when the o-ring is biased toward the valve member and along the ramped back surface due to an increase in pressure in one of the inlet or the outlet.
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