Compressor valve
OwnerRobert D. Madoche, Dan C. Madoche +2inventors
InventorsRobert D. Madoche, Dan C. Madoche, Neil O. Lepps, Dwayne R. Zukowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compressor valve with annular valve members or rings instead of the usual spring-urged engagement of the rings with the valve seat, the rings are drawn into engagement with the seat by air or other gas passing through the valve in a direction reverse to that opening the valve. Thus, on reversal of the flow, the rings are virtually instantly brought into engagement with the seat without the need for springs bringing the valve rings into closed state. Both faces of the valve rings are identical. When one face is worn, the rings can be turned over to utilize the second valve face. The advance is in simplified structure, increased reliability and in longer operation life of the valve rings.
Claims10
A compressor valve comprising a valve seat and a valve guard, said valve seat and valve guard being fixedly secured to each other and defining therebeteween a valve chamber, said valve chamber having valve means disposed therein and arranged to allow, in a first position thereof, passage of gaseous medium through the valve in a first direction, said first direction being oriented from the seat to the guard, and to prevent passage of the gaseous medium through said valve in a second direction opposite to the first direction, by sealingly engaging respective annular porting groove means in that surface of the valve seat which faces the chamber, wherein
- (a) the surface of said valve guard facing said chamber includes annular support means protruding into the chamber and disposed co-axially with the respective groove means, said support means being adapted to freely support thereon the respective valve means in a first position relative to the respective groove means, such that the respective valve means is maintained in register with the respective groove means and allows free passage of gaseous medium in the said first direction;
- (b) said valve guard forms passage means disposed to each side of the respective valve means;
- (c) said passage means in the valve guard said support means and said valve means are so arranged and disposed as to cause displacement of the valve means from said first position into sealing engagement with the respective groove means by the action of the predetermined gas flow in the second direction;
- (d) said valve means comprises a first face section and a second face section, said first face section being a mirror image of said second face section and facing said porting groove means and being convergent in said second direction;
- and
- (e) said valve means is a valve ring, said passage means being disposed to each radial side of the respective valve means.
For use in a compressor valve of the type including a valve seat and a valve guard, said seat and guard being fixedly secured to each other and defining therebetween a valve chamber, the valve further having annular groove means in that surface of the guard which faces the chamber:
- a valve ring comprising a first axial face section and a second axial face section, said axial face sections being symmetrical with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the ring and disposed centrally with respect to the length of the ring as determined by the distance between said face sections, each of said face sections having a first portion inclined, relative to said axis of the ring, radially inwardly and toward said plane, and a second portion inclined radially outwardly and toward said plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.