Seal for a joint or juncture – Process of static sealing – Pipe – conduit – or cable
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-08
2001-03-27
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Process of static sealing
Pipe, conduit, or cable
C277S611000, C277S612000, C277S616000, C277S626000, C277S638000, C277S648000, C251S175000, C251S314000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206376
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to valve seals, more specifically to resilient seals for rotatable-type valves.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Rotatable-type valves are well known and are found in infinite variety. This variety is evidenced by their wide use in commerce in a multitude of applications. This type of valve is most often used in fluid piping to start and stop the flow of fluid through the piping by opening and closing the valve. The specific construction of such valves differs widely depending on the application in which they are used. Generally, however, a valve of the type involved in the present invention includes a valve housing with a center bore defining a flow passage and a hub located substantially near the middle of the length of the valve housing. The valve housing generally has at each end an orifice defined by the flow passage, although there may be more if a specific application so requires. One of the orifices is an inlet port and the other is an exit port. Usually, these ports have a common axis and are positioned 180° apart along the through axis of the flow passage.
A rotatable valve element, for example a disk valve, is pivotally disposed within the flow passage and is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the through axis of the flow passage between an open position, in which it is generally parallel to the through axis of the valve housing, and a closed position in which it is generally perpendicular to the valve housing through axis. The rotatable valve element is mounted to a shaft, itself rotatably mounted to the valve housing at the hub with bushings or bearings. As is well known in the art, the shaft may be connected to a mechanical drive mechanism or operated manually to rotate the shaft and thereby rotate the valve element within the valve body between the open and closed positions.
The valve body has, on the interior surface of the flow passage, an internal annular groove adapted to receive and retain a seal. The internal annular groove is located so that at least a portion of the seal retained therein lies in the plane of the valve element, perpendicular to the through axis of the flow passage and located so that it will engage with the valve element in a leak-tight engagement when the valve element is rotated to its closed position. The seal may be, as is well known in the art, retained in the retaining groove by many means, including adhesives, frictional engagement, welding, and riveting.
Various types of seals have been proposed and used to seal rotatable-type disc valves. The seals of the prior art, however, at times fail to effectively seal under high pressures, do not effectively seal bi-directionally, or are unable to self adjust to increases in liquid pressure.
Thus there is a need for a valve seal that can utilize increasing pressure to more effectively seal the valve. Further in certain applications it is often desirable, if not critical, to employ rotatable-type valves in applications where liquid pressure may, at different times, flow from either direction into the flow passage. Thus, there is a need for an effective bi-directional valve seal. Still further, in many applications, in addition to the need for bi-directional sealing, it is desirable to use a seal that can effectively seal as the sealed liquid pressure increases without operator adjustment. Thus there is a need for a seal that is capable of self adjusting to increased liquid pressure to continue to effectively seal once the valve element is in the closed position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the several advantages of the present invention may be noted the provision of a valve seal capable of taking advantage of the increased liquid pressure of a liquid being controlled by the valve to more effectively seal the valve; the provision of a valve seal that is bi-directional, thus able to utilize the increased pressure from liquid flowing in either direction within the valve housing while also being able to, independently, increase the seal pressure of the seal on the valve element as sealed liquid pressure increases.
Generally the present invention comprises a seal used in a valve housing containing a rotatable-type disk valve and having an internal annular groove adapted to receive the seal. The seal is comprised of two annular lobes each having an annular interior wall, an annular exterior wall and opposite annular sidewalls. Both of the annular lobes have configurations where a first of the sidewalls of each lobe engage with a side of the internal annular groove when the annular lobes are inserted into the internal annular groove. Once inserted into the internal annular groove, the second sidewalls of the lobes mutually oppose each other.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a rotatable type valve having a valve housing with a fluid passage along the through axis, a rotatable valve member and a valve seal comprised of first and second annular lobes having annular interior walls, annular exterior walls and opposite annular sidewalls. The valve housing has an internal annular groove that is adapted to receive the annular lobes with sidewalls of the annular lobes mutually opposing each other and the annular interior walls of each of the annular lobes engaging the rotatable valve member when the rotatable valve member is in a closed position. Further, the internal annular groove is dimensioned so that the opposing sidewalls of the lobes have portions with a space between them.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided to seal a rotatable-type valve having a valve housing and an internal annular groove. The method comprises the steps of providing a first annular lobe having an annular interior wall, an annular exterior wall and opposite annular sidewalls; providing a second annular lobe having an annular interior wall, an annular exterior wall and opposite annular sidewalls; and inserting the lobes into the groove so that the first annular sidewalls of each lobe engage a side of the internal annular groove. Further steps may include providing serrations on the first sidewalls and providing protrusions on the annular lobes to engage the valve member.
Other objects and features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
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Hartman Brian T.
Hartman Thomas A.
Howell & Haferkamp LC
Knight Anthony
Pickard Alison K.
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