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US 9,927,034 B2Granted
Valve seat stiffener
AssigneeMueller International, LLC
InventorsAshraf Abouelleil, Purushottam Savalia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve seat device including a valve seat and a seat stiffener, the seat stiffener formed from a non-elastomeric material and positioned on a radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat, an outer diameter of the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat being greater than an inner diameter of the seat stiffener.
Claims23
A valve seat device for a valve, the device comprising:
- a valve seat defining a groove in a radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat, a semicircular bottom portion defined in the groove, portions of the radially outward-facing surface defined in the valve seat at opposite axial ends of the groove, the radially outward-facing surface angled with respect to a horizontal axis of the valve when the valve seat is aligned concentrically about the horizontal axis and in an undeformed condition;
- and
- a ring-shaped seat stiffener, the seat stiffener
- formed from a non-elastomeric material;
- comprising a solid cross-section, the cross-section taken along an axial centerline of the valve seat device;
- positioned on the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat, an outer diameter of the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat being greater than an inner diameter of the seat stiffener;
- and
- positioned radially inward from a radially inward-facing surface of the valve seat;
- locked in an axial direction in the groove of the valve seat, a width of the groove in an axial direction and a radial depth of the groove in a radial direction relative to the horizontal axis of the valve substantially equal to the diameter of the seat stiffener, wherein the radially outward-facing surface is angled with respect to the horizontal axis of the valve to facilitate assembly of the seat stiffener on and removal of the seat stiffener from the valve seat;
- removable from the valve seat;
- and
- configured to prevent radial expansion of the valve seat.
9 more elements
A valve comprising:
- a valve body;
- a valve disc defining a sealing surface defining a first radius defining a center, the valve disc configured to rotate about a vertical axis of the valve;
- and
- a valve seat device, the valve seat device including
- a valve seat defining a sealing end and a mounting end distal from the sealing end;
- and
- a seat stiffener, the seat stiffener
- formed from a non-elastomeric wire material;
- comprising a solid cross-section, the cross-section taken along an axial centerline of the valve seat device;
- positioned on a radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat, an outer diameter of the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat being greater than an inner diameter of the seat stiffener, the valve seat defining a groove in the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat, a semicircular bottom portion defined in the groove, portions of the radially outward-facing surface defined in the valve seat at opposite axial ends of the groove;
- and
- positioned radially inward from a radially inward-facing surface of the valve seat.
9 more elements
A method of sealing a valve, the method comprising:
- closing the valve;
- contacting a sealing portion of an inner surface of a valve seat of the valve with a sealing surface of a valve disc of the valve, the sealing portion of the inner surface of the valve seat and the sealing surface of the valve disc being angled in cross-section with respect to a horizontal axis of the valve by the same angle;
- and
- preventing radial expansion of the valve seat of the valve with a seat stiffener, the seat stiffener formed from a non-elastomeric wire material comprising a solid cross-section and positioned in a groove defined in a radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat, portions of the radially outward-facing surface defined in the valve seat at opposite axial ends of the groove, an outer diameter of the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat greater than an inner diameter of the seat stiffener and angled with respect to a horizontal axis of the valve when the valve seat is aligned concentrically about the horizontal axis and in an undeformed condition, a radially inward-facing portion of a retaining ring of the valve defining a channel between the retaining ring and the valve seat.
1 more element
A method of assembling a valve seat device, the method comprising:
- aligning a seat stiffener of the valve seat device with a valve seat of the valve seat device along a common horizontal axis;
- contacting a radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat with the seat stiffener, the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat angled with respect to the horizontal axis when in an undeformed condition;
- and
- inserting the seat stiffener into a groove defined in the radially outward-facing surface of the valve seat such that the seat stiffener is fixed in the groove of the valve seat in an axial direction aligned with the horizontal axis, portions of the radially outward-facing surface defined in the valve seat at opposite axial ends of the groove.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.