Multi-port ball valve with induced flow in ball-body cavity
AssigneeVelan Inc.
InventorsPeter Geoffrey Kindersley, Kyle Phillip Zedick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multiport ball valve body has one entry port and at least two exit ports disposed transversely to the ball valve body entry port. A ball disposed in the body has one entry port and one exit port that is disposed transversely to the ball entry port. The ball can be rotated to selectively align the ball exit port with one of the at least two body exit ports. Holes through the ball admit part of the fluid flow into the cavity between the ball and the body, and internal parts are exposed, such that the cavity and the internal parts are kept flushed.
Claims19
A multiport ball valve comprising:
- a valve body with a body cavity having a body entry port along a first axis and at least two body exit ports along respective and different associated axes, said body exit port axes being disposed at predetermined angles from each other and also disposed at a transverse angle with respect to said body entry port axis;
- a hollow ball rotatably disposed within said body cavity and having a ball entry port to an interior space of the ball, with a ball entry port axis that is aligned with the body entry port axis and with a truncated exterior surface opposite said ball entry port, said ball also having a transversely directed ball exit port rotatable to selectively align with each of said body exit ports;
- and
- a valve seat, disposed in each body exit port, biased inwardly towards a respectively corresponding one of said body exit ports by a compressed bellows housed within a tubular support structure having a plurality of apertures there-within;
- wherein
- said hollow ball includes at least one passage leading from inside said hollow ball to said truncated exterior surface;
- and
- said body includes a curved interior surface, spaced from and opposing said truncated exterior surface of the ball, said curved interior surface being disposed to direct fluid passing out of said at least one passage of the hollow ball into at least some of said plurality of apertures of the tubular support structure.
A multiport ball switch valve comprising:
- a valve body with a body cavity having a body entry port along a body entry port axis and at least two body exit ports along respective and different associated body exit port axes, said body exit port axes being disposed at predetermined angles from each other and also disposed at a transverse angle with respect to said body entry port axis;
- a hollow ball rotatably disposed within said body cavity and having a ball entry port to an interior space of the ball, with a ball entry port axis that is aligned with the body entry port axis, said ball also having (a) a transversely directed ball exit port rotatable to selectively align with each of said body exit ports and (b) a truncated exterior surface opposite said ball entry port;
- and
- a metal bellows coaxially disposed along each of said body exit port axes, said metal bellows being in compression within an apertured tubular support, a first end of said metal bellows being in contact with a metal valve seat, and a second end of said metal bellows being in contact with said apertured tubular support;
- wherein said hollow ball includes at least one passage leading from inside said hollow ball to said truncated exterior surface and to at least one aperture in said tubular support.
A multipart ball valve comprising:
- a valve body with a body cavity and a hollow ball selectively rotatable within said body cavity to switch fluid from a tapered valve body entry port to one of a plurality of valve exit ports,
- said hollow ball having at least one hole there-through with one end being disposed opposite said entry port and another end disposed in said body cavity;
- said valve body having an internally curved concave surface disposed opposite said at least one hole of the hollow ball;
- and
- a valve seat at each of said valve exit ports, each said valve seat being in contact with a respectively corresponding compressed bellows within an apertured tubular support that has an external apertured surface in fluid communication with a space at least partially defined or delimited by said internally curved concave surface of the valve body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.