# US 12,110,979 B1 · Pressure energized gate valve seat and seal assembly

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- Number: US 12,110,979 B1
- Document ID: US12110979B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/215,450
- Filed: 2023-06-28
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-28
- Assignees: Zp Interests, LLC
- Applicants: Zp Interests, LLC
- Inventors: Balazs Horvath; Charles W. Bedford
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110979B1

## CPC

- F16K 3/207: {by means of hydraulic forces}
- F16K 3/0227: {Packings}
- F16K 3/0236: {the packing being of a non-resilient material, e.g. ceramic, metal}
- 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)}

## Abstract

A gate valve body having a gate cavity intersecting a channel having a proximal channel portion and a distal channel portion on opposing sides of the gate cavity, a gate positioned in the gate cavity and moveable between closed and open positions, the gate having a proximal gate face and a distal gate face extending perpendicular to the channel; a proximal seat between a proximal valve body portion and the gate, the proximal seat having a first proximal seat face adjacent a proximal valve body face and a second proximal seat face adjacent the proximal gate face; a proximal annular groove on a radial outer surface of the proximal seat; a proximal axial seal positioned in the proximal annular groove in contact with the proximal seat and the valve body; and a proximal conduit extending through the proximal seat between the proximal channel portion and the proximal annular groove.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gate valve, comprising:
a valve body having a gate cavity intersecting a channel having a proximal channel portion and a distal channel portion on opposing sides of the gate cavity, wherein a three-dimensional frame of reference comprises three mutually orthogonal directions, wherein an X axis corresponds to a center line of the channel, a Y axis is a center line of the gate cavity, and a Z axis orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis;
a gate positioned in the gate cavity and moveable between a closed position blocking flow through the channel and an open position allowing flow through the channel, the gate having a proximal gate face and a distal gate face extending perpendicular to the channel; and
a proximal seat between a proximal valve body portion and the gate, the proximal seat having a first proximal seat face adjacent a proximal valve body face and a second proximal seat face adjacent the proximal gate face;
a proximal annular groove on a radial outer surface of the proximal seat;
a proximal axial seal positioned in the proximal annular groove in direct contact with the proximal seat and the valve body;
a proximal conduit extending through the proximal seat between the proximal channel portion and the proximal annular groove;
a distal seat between a distal valve body portion and the gate, the distal seat having a first distal seat face adjacent a distal valve body face and a second distal seat face adjacent the distal gate face;
a distal annular groove on a radial outer surface of the distal seat;
a distal axial seal positioned in the distal annular groove in direct contact with the distal seat and the valve body; and
a distal conduit extending through the distal seat between the distal channel portion and the distal annular groove.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the proximal seat is a monolithic seat and the distal seat is a monolithic seat.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the proximal seat simultaneously contacts the proximal valve body face and the proximal gate face during pressure conditions; and
the distal seat simultaneously contacts the distal valve body face and the distal gate face during pressure conditions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein there is not a seal element positioned between the proximal valve body face and the first proximal seat face; and
there is not a seal element positioned between the proximal valve body face and the first proximal seat face.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the proximal axial seal comprises a first proximal unidirectional seal and the distal axial seal comprises a first distal unidirectional seal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the proximal axial seal is a bi-directional seal assembly comprising a first proximal unidirectional seal with a first proximal hat ring and a second proximal unidirectional seal with a second proximal hat ring; and
the distal axial seal is a bi-directional seal assembly comprising a first distal unidirectional seal with a first distal hat ring and a second distal unidirectional seal with a second distal hat ring.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the proximal axial seal is a bi-directional seal assembly comprising a first proximal unidirectional seal with a first proximal hat ring and a second proximal unidirectional seal with a second proximal hat ring;
a first passage through the first proximal hat ring between the proximal annular groove and the first proximal unidirectional seal;
a second passage through the second proximal hat ring between the proximal annular groove and the second proximal unidirectional seal;
the distal axial seal is a bi-directional seal assembly comprising a first distal unidirectional seal with a first distal hat ring and a second distal unidirectional seal with a second distal hat ring;
a first passage through the first distal hat ring between the distal annular groove and the first distal unidirectional seal; and
a second passage through the second distal hat ring between the distal annular groove and the second distal unidirectional seal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The gate valve of claim 1, wherein:
the proximal seat and the distal seat have a maximum ±0.001 inch thickness tolerance;
the gate has a maximum ±0.001 inch thickness tolerance; and
a seat pocket length from the proximal valve body face to the distal valve body face has a maximum ±0.002 inch thickness tolerance.