Valve assembly and method of producing the same
AssigneeSchoeller Allibert GmbH
InventorEddy Cruiming
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly has a stationary valve body and a valve member that is movable relative to the valve body at least from a closed position, in which the valve member cooperates with a valve seat to completely obstruct a fluid path formed through the valve body, to an open position, which allows fluid to flow through the fluid path. The valve member has a disc- or ball-shaped rigid component that is overmolded with a flexible component and at least partially encompasses the rigid component in a circumferential direction to form a ring gasket section.
Claims13
A valve assembly comprising:
- a stationary valve body;
- and
- a valve member that is movable relative to the valve body at least from a closed position, in which the valve member cooperates with a valve seat to completely obstruct a fluid path formed through the valve body, to an open position, in which fluid flow through the fluid path is enabled,
- the valve member comprising a disc- or ball-shaped rigid component that is overmolded with a flexible component and that at least partially encompasses the rigid component in a circumferential direction to form a ring gasket section,
- the valve member being pivotally mounted inside the valve body,
- the rigid component comprising:
- a connecting portion which does not protrude over a circular silhouette of the rigid component for connecting a shaft of a handle or actuator to the rigid component;
- and
- an axle portion located diametrically opposed to the connecting portion,
- the valve body comprising an axle receiving portion thereby forming a rotational bearing with the axle portion, and
- the ring gasket section of the flexible component comprising:
- a first opening through which the shaft or the connecting portion is inserted;
- and
- a second opening through which the axle portion or the axle receiving portion is inserted.
A method for producing a valve assembly having a stationary valve body and a valve member that is movable relative to the valve body at least from a closed position, in which the valve member cooperates with a valve seat to completely obstruct a fluid path formed through the valve body, into an open position, in which fluid flow through the fluid path is enabled, the method comprising the step of:
- overmolding a disc- or ball-shaped rigid component with a flexible component in an injection molding process, such that the flexible component at least partially encompasses the rigid component in a circumferential direction to form a ring gasket section, wherein
- the valve member is pivotally mounted inside the valve body and the rigid component comprises:
- a connecting portion which does not protrude over a circular silhouette of the rigid component for connecting a shaft of a handle or actuator to the rigid component;
- and an axle portion or an axle receiving portion located diametrically opposed to the connecting portion;
- the valve body comprises the other of the axle portion or the axle receiving portion thereby forming a rotational bearing,
- and the flexible component is molded onto the rigid component such that
- the ring gasket section of the flexible component comprises:
- a first opening through which the shaft or the connecting portion is inserted;
- and
- a second opening-through which the axle portion or the axle receiving portion is inserted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.