# US 11,898,652 B2 · Flow control device and trim cartridge assembly for a flow control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,652 B2 - Document ID: US11898652B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/223,067 - Filed: 2021-04-06 - Published: 2021-12-16 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-15 - Assignees: Fisher Controls International LLC - Applicants: Fisher Controls International LLC - Inventors: Steven K. Hostetter; Aaron Anderson; Lucas J. Schmitt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898652B2 ## CPC - F16K 3/246: {Combination of a sliding valve and a lift valve} - F16K 27/08: Guiding yokes for spindles; Means for closing housings; Dust caps, e.g. for tyre valves - F16K 27/041: {cylindrical slide valves} - F16K 27/12: Covers for housings - F16K 47/08: for decreasing pressure {or noise level} and having a throttling member separate from the closure member {, e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths} - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A flow control device has a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet and a unitary trim cartridge assembly secured to the valve body. The trim cartridge assembly has a cage disposed in the flow path, a bonnet coupled to the cage, and a retaining element disposed between the cage and the bonnet. The cage includes an exterior groove formed on an exterior surface of the cage, the bonnet includes an interior groove formed on an interior surface of the bonnet, and the retaining element extends into the interior groove and the exterior groove. A height of the interior groove and/or a height of the exterior groove is greater than a height of the retaining element to allow the cage to move longitudinally within the bonnet with the bonnet and cage assembled. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flow control device, comprising: a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet; and a unitary trim cartridge assembly secured to the valve body, the trim cartridge assembly comprising: a cage disposed in the flow path and including an exterior groove formed on an exterior surface of the cage; a bonnet coupled to the cage and including an overlapping portion and an interior groove formed on an interior surface of the bonnet and on the overlapping portion; and a retaining element disposed between the cage and the bonnet and extending into the interior groove of the bonnet and the exterior groove of the cage; wherein a height of the interior groove in the bonnet and/or a height of the exterior groove of the cage is greater than a height of the retaining element to allow the cage to move longitudinally within the bonnet with the bonnet and cage assembled. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the retaining element is solid and is one of an O-ring, a snap ring, a retaining ring, a spring retention ring, a shaped wire, or a wave spring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The flow control device of claim 2, wherein the retaining element is a stainless steel spiral retaining ring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the retaining element permanently secures the cage to the bonnet such that the cage cannot be removed from the bonnet without damaging the cage or the bonnet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the trim cartridge assembly includes a control element positioned in and guided by the cage and a valve stem secured to control element and extending through a bore in the bonnet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flow control device of claim 5, wherein the cage includes an integral valve seat and the control element engages the valve seat in a closed position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The flow control device of claim 1, wherein the bonnet includes a bevel configured to compress the retaining element during assembly. ### Claim 8 A unitary trim cartridge assembly for a flow control device, the trim cartridge assembly comprising: a cage including an exterior groove formed on an exterior surface of the cage; a bonnet coupled to the cage and including an overlapping portion and an interior groove formed on an interior surface of the bonnet and on the overlapping portion; and a retaining element disposed between the cage and the bonnet and extending into the interior groove of the bonnet and the exterior groove of the cage; wherein a height of the interior groove in the bonnet and/or a height of the exterior groove in the cage is greater than a height of the retaining element to allow the cage to move longitudinally within the bonnet with the bonnet and cage assembled. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The trim cartridge assembly of claim 8, wherein the retaining element permanently secures the cage to the bonnet such that the cage and the bonnet cannot be separated without damaging the cage or the bonnet and is one of an O-ring, a snap ring, a retaining ring, a spring retention ring, a shaped wire, or a wave spring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The trim cartridge assembly of claim 9, wherein the retaining element is a stainless steel spiral retaining ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The trim cartridge assembly of claim 8, comprising a control element positioned in and guided by the cage and a valve stem secured to the control element and extending through a bore in the bonnet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The trim cartridge assembly of claim 11, wherein the cage includes an integral valve seat that engages the control element in a closed position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The trim cartridge assembly of claim 8, wherein the bonnet includes a bevel configured to compress the retaining element during assembly. ### Claim 14 A method of assembling a flow control device, comprising the steps of: assembling a unitary trim cartridge assembly by: installing a retaining element into an exterior groove of a cage; inserting the cage into an overlapping portion of a bonnet until the retaining element extends into an interior groove formed in the overlapping portion of the bonnet, wherein a height of the interior groove in the bonnet and/or a height of the exterior groove of the cage is greater than a height of the retaining element to allow the cage to move longitudinally within the bonnet with the bonnet and cage assembled; inserting the trim cartridge assembly into a valve body; and securing the trim cartridge assembly to the valve body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the overlapping portion of the bonnet includes a bevel that engages and compresses the retaining element when the cage is inserted into the bonnet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising the step of performing at least one of a leak test and a flow test on the trim cartridge assembly before inserting the trim cartridge assembly into the valve body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the retaining element is one of an O-ring, a snap ring, a retaining ring, a spring retention ring, a shaped wire, or a wave spring. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the retaining element is a stainless steel spiral retaining ring. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the retaining element permanently secures the cage to the bonnet such that the cage and the bonnet cannot be separated without damaging the cage or the bonnet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein assembling the trim cartridge assembly includes the steps of: inserting a control element into the cage before the cage is inserted into the bonnet; and inserting a valve stem through a bore in the bonnet and securing the valve stem to the control element.