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US 4,071,220 AGranted
Ball valve
AssigneeKitazawa Shoji Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTsuyoshi Iino
Life of this patent
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AssigneeKitazawa Shoji Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTsuyoshi Iino
Estimating the term…
A ball valve is provided including coupled outer casing elements adapted to enclose a rotationally movable valve body having an axial flow passageway therethrough. An annular casing groove having an anular seal member mounted therein is located adjacent each of the opposite ends of the flow passageway for sealingly engaging the movable valve body. Each of the annular casing grooves includes an annular casing wall projecting toward the movable valve body, and each of the seal members includes a flexible leg extending between its associated casing wall and movable valve body. A first surface of each flexible leg engages the movable valve body and a second, opposed surface of each leg is spaced a predetermined distance from its associated casing wall to accommodate a flexion of the flexible leg. Each of the seal members has a secondary sealing surface extending from the first surfaces thereof, and the secondary surfaces are spaced from the movable body a distance less than the foregoing predetermined distance. A spirally wound resilient member is carried in a recess in each of the seal members to bias the flexible legs into sealing engagement with the movable valve body and to urge the seal members into their associated annular casing grooves. Each of the annular casing walls also provides a further sealing surface adapted to engage the movable valve body upon failure of the seal members and axial displacement of the movable valve body toward the annular casing wall.
A ball valve comprising an outer casing which consists of a plurality of parts and accommodates therein a movable valve body having a flow path therethrough, a valve operating shaft journaled in said outer casing and arranged to rotate said movable valve body, and annular seal members interposed between said movable valve body and said outer casing and serving as valve seats for said movable body, each of said seal members including an annular groove extending so as to surround said flow path through said movable body, each of said annular grooves forming an annular flexible edge which is urged against a spherical surface of said movable valve body, and an annular expansive resilient member associated with each of said seal members, each of said annular expansive resilient members being spirally wound around itself and forcibly engaged into said annular groove of its associated seal member to exert a pressure through said annular flexible edge upon said movable valve body while urging an outer end surface of its associated seal member against an annular bottom wall of an annular casing groove provided in said outer casing.
A ball valve comprising an outer casing which consists of a plurality of parts and accommodates therein a movable valve body having a flow path therethrough, a valve operating shaft journaled in said outer casing and operably arranged to rotate said movable valve body, annular seal members interposed between said movable body and said outer casing serving as valve seats for said movable body, at least one seat formed in said outer casing and extending around said flow path for supporting an associated one of said seal members, said one seat including an annular edge projecting from the inner periphery of said outer casing in the direction of said flow path and toward said movable valve body, said associated seal member having an annular groove extending around said flow path, said annular groove of said associated seal member forming an annular flexible edge which is partially urged against a spherical surface of said movable valve body, so that a potential resilience of an annular expansive resilient member which is spirally wound around itself and forcibly engaged into said annular groove exerts a pressure through said annular flexible edge upon said movable valve body while urging an opposed outer end surface of said associated seal member against an annular bottom wall formed in said one seat provided in said outer casing.
A ball valve comprising an outer casing which consists of a plurality of parts and accommodates therein a spherical movable valve body, a valve operating shaft journaled in said outer casing operably arranged to rotate said movable valve body and annular seal members interposed between said movable body and said outer casing serving as valve seats for said movable body, each of said seal members being made of a fluorocarbon polymer and having an annular angle edge along which the seal member is urged against said movable valve body, a metal annular expansive resilient member which is spirally wound around itself disposed adjacent the rear side of each of said seal members to urge said annular angle edge against said movable valve body, and annular seat surfaces formed in said outer casing to respectively support an associated one of said seal members and to cooperate with an associated one of said metal annular expansive resilient members so as to exert a pressure upon said rear side of said associated seal member as well as upon said seat surface.
A ball valve comprising an outer casing which consists of a plurality of parts and accommodates therein a movable valve body having a spherical outer surface and an axially extending opening therethrough for providing a fluid flow path, a valve operating shaft journaled in said outer casing and operably arranged to rotate said movable valve body, an annular casing groove provided in said outer casing having an annular seal member mounted therein for sealingly engaging said movable valve body around said opening therethrough, said annular casing groove including an annular casing wall projecting toward said movable valve body, said seal member including an annular flexible leg extending between said movable valve body and said annular casing wall of said annular casing groove, said annular flexible leg having a first surface thereof engaging said movable valve body and an opposed second surface thereof spaced a predetermined distance from said annular casing wall of said annular casing groove, said seal member also including an annular recess having an annular expansive resilient member mounted therein for biasing said first surface of said annular flexible leg against said movable valve body and simultaneously urging said annular seal into said annular casing groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.