Dual spring valve
AssigneeMueller International, LLC
InventorsJulian Ramirez, Aurelian Ioan Furcoiu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Example aspects of a sliding disc assembly for a dual spring valve, a dual spring valve, and a method of operating a dual spring valve are disclosed. The sliding disc assembly can comprise a shaft defining a first end and a second end; a disc mounted on the shaft between the first end and the second end, the disc defining an upper disc surface, a lower disc surface, and an annular base surface; a first spring mounted on the shaft between the lower disc surface and the first end of the shaft; and a second spring mounted on the shaft between the upper disc surface and the second end of the shaft, wherein the first spring defines a spring force that is different from a spring force of the second spring.
Claims20
A sliding disc assembly for a dual spring valve comprising:
- a shaft defining a first end and a second end;
- a disc mounted on the shaft between the first end and the second end, the disc defining an upper disc surface, a lower disc surface, and an annular base surface;
- a first spring mounted on the shaft between the lower disc surface and the first end of the shaft;
- and
- a second spring mounted on the shaft between the upper disc surface and the second end of the shaft, wherein the first spring defines a spring force that is different from a spring force of the second spring.
A dual spring valve comprising:
- a valve body, the valve body defining an inlet end, an outlet end, and a cavity extending from the inlet end to the outlet end;
- a seat body positioned within the cavity and defining a seating surface;
- and
- a sliding disc assembly positioned within the cavity, the sliding disc assembly comprising a disc, a first spring, and a second spring, the disc defining a base surface, the sliding disc assembly movable between a first position, wherein the base surface is spaced from the seating surface, and a second position, wherein the base surface seats with seating surface, the second spring biasing the sliding disc assembly towards the first position, and the first spring biasing the sliding disc assembly towards the second position;
- wherein the dual spring valve is in an open configuration when the sliding disc assembly is in the first position and a closed configuration when the sliding disc assembly is in the second position.
A method of operating a dual spring valve comprising:
- providing the dual spring valve comprising a valve body defining a cavity and a sliding disc assembly received in the cavity, the sliding disc assembly comprising a first spring, a second spring, and a disc, wherein a spring force of the second spring is greater than a spring force of the first spring;
- biasing the sliding disc assembly to a first position within the cavity with the second spring, wherein the disc is spaced from a seat body of the dual spring valve in the first position;
- applying a fluid force to the disc with fluid in the cavity;
- and
- biasing the sliding disc assembly to a second position within the cavity with the first spring and the fluid force, wherein a base surface of the disc engages a seating surface of the seat body in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.