Ridge seal segmented valve
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsSteve E. Kim, Mostafa Donyanavard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Technologies are generally described for valve assemblies that include a valve body whose inner wall defines two ports and a controllable flow path that extends along the inner wall between the two ports of the valve body. Each port may be fitted with a corresponding gasket. A rotatable member disposed in the controllable flow path of the valve body may include a hemispherical-shaped body with a substantially flat disk-shaped surface portion, and a seal ridge formed about a perimeter of the substantially flat disk-shaped surface portion. During opening and closing operation, the seal ridge may be selectively engaged with either one of the gaskets reducing an initial contact surface, and thereby reducing friction between the rotatable member and the gaskets.
Claims17
A method for a ball valve assembly comprising:
- actuating a position of a rotatable member a ball valve assembly through rotation of a shaft member of the ball valve assembly coupled to the rotatable member, wherein the rotatable member is disposed in a controllable flow path within a valve body defined by an inner wall of the valve body between an inlet port and an outlet port;
- selectively engaging a seal ridge formed about a perimeter of an outer surface portion the rotatable member with a first shaped gasket or a second shaped gasket, wherein
- the first shaped gasket is disposed about the inlet port and comprises a lip portion protruding from an inside surface of the first shaped gasket, and
- the second shaped gasket is disposed about the outlet port and comprises another lip portion protruding from an inside surface of the outlet shaped gasket;
- and
- causing the seal ridge to contact only the lip portion of the first shaped gasket or the other lip portion of the second shaped gasket during a transitional operation rather than an entire side surface of the seal ridge contacting the entire inside surface of the first shaped gasket or the second shaped gasket.
A ball valve assembly comprising:
- a valve body having an inner wall, the inner wall defining an inlet port, an outlet port, and a controllable flow path that extends along the inner wall between the inlet port and the outlet port of the valve body;
- a first shaped gasket disposed about the inlet port and comprising a lip portion protruding from an inside surface of the first shaped gasket;
- a second shaped gasket disposed about the outlet port and comprising another lip portion protruding from an inside surface of the outlet shaped gasket;
- a rotatable member disposed in the controllable flow path, wherein the rotatable member comprises:
- an outer surface portion;
- a seal ridge formed about a perimeter of the outer surface portion, wherein the seal ridge is arranged to contact only the lip portion of the first shaped gasket or the other lip portion of the second shaped gasket during a transitional operation rather than an entire side surface of the seal ridge contacting the entire inside surface of the first shaped gasket or the second shaped gasket;
- and
- a shaft member coupled to the rotatable member, wherein the shaft member is configured to actuate a position of the rotatable member such that the seal ridge is selectively engaged with the first shaped gasket or the second shaped gasket.
A ball valve assembly comprising:
- a valve body having an inner wall, the inner wall defining an inlet port, an outlet port, and a controllable flow path that extends along the inner wall between the inlet port and the outlet port of the valve body;
- a first shaped gasket disposed about the inlet port and comprising a lip portion protruding from an inside surface of the first shaped gasket;
- a second shaped gasket disposed about the outlet port and comprising another lip portion protruding from an inside surface of the outlet shaped gasket;
- a rotatable member disposed in the controllable flow path, wherein the rotatable member comprises:
- an outer surface portion;
- a seal ridge formed about a perimeter of the outer surface portion, wherein the seal ridge is arranged to contact only the lip portion of the first shaped gasket or the other lip portion of the second shaped gasket during a transitional operation rather than an entire side surface of the seal ridge contacting the entire inside surface of the first shaped gasket or the second shaped gasket;
- and
- a shaft member coupled to the rotatable member, wherein the shaft member is:
- coupled to the rotatable member in an offset manner to facilitate a flow of a fluid or a gas between the inlet port and the outlet port in an open position of the rotatable member, and
- configured to actuate a position of the rotatable member such that the seal ridge is selectively engaged with the first shaped gasket or the second shaped gasket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.