Fluid handling – Larner-johnson type valves; i.e. – telescoping internal valve...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-10
2001-04-24
Michalsky, Gerald A. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Larner-johnson type valves; i.e., telescoping internal valve...
C251S129070, C251S129110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220272
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to valves for controlling the flow of a fluid (liquids or gasses) through a pipe. The invention is particularly useful with respect to the type of in-line control valve described in our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,130, and is therefore described below with respect to that type of control valve.
The above-cited patent discloses an in-line control valve which is normally open and which is actuated to a closed position by applying a fluid pressure, e.g., the inlet pressure, to two control chambers within the valve both acting together to produce a combined closing force substantially greater than the opening force produced by the inlet pressure applied to the upstream face of the valve member, thereby better assuring fast and safe closure of the valve against the inlet pressure.
An object of the present invention is to provide in-line control valves which may be of similar construction to that of the above-cited patent but which include a number of improvements and variations enabling valves to be constructed for a wide variety of different applications.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-line control valve comprising: a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port downstream of the inlet port, and a valve seat between the two ports; and a valve assembly within the housing; the valve assembly including: a valve member movable towards and away from the valve seat and having an upstream face facing the valve seat and a downstream face facing the outlet port; a valve stem fixed to the valve member and extending downstream thereof; a piston head carried by the valve stem at the downstream end thereof and having a downstream face defining a first control chamber with a first surface of the housing; a cylindrical skirt fixed to and extending downstream of the valve member and enclosing the valve stem but terminating short of the piston head to define a second control chamber with the valve member, the valve stem and a second surface of the housing; a fluid flow passageway through the housing to permit fluid flow therethrough in the open condition of the valve member, a pressure-control passageway through the valve stem establishing communication between the first and second control chambers such that the fluid pressure in the first chamber acts on the downstream face of the piston heat tending to move it and the valve member towards the valve seat, and the fluid pressure in the second chamber acts on the upstream face of the valve member and tends to move it and the valve member also towards the valve seat; the upstream face of the piston head and a third surface of the housing defining a third control chamber such that the fluid pressure therein acts on the upstream face of the piston heat tending to move it and the valve member towards the open position of the valve member away from the valve seat; and a control port communicating with the third control chamber for applying fluid therein to move the valve member towards its open position away from the valve seat.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a control valve comprising: a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port downstream of the inlet port, and a valve seat between the two ports; and a valve assembly movable within the housing; the valve assembly including a valve member movable towards and away from the valve seat; the valve member having an upstream face facing the valve seat and a downstream face facing the outlet port; the valve seat being of conical configuration increasing in diameter in the downstream direction; the valve member carrying an annular resilient seal engageable with the conical valve seat in the closed position of the valve member; the valve member including an upstream conical valve cover and a downstream valve body of complementary conical configuration; the annular resilient seal including a conical skirt clamped between the conical valve cover and valve body; the annular resilient seal further including a thickened outer periphery having an inner section received within an annular recess formed in the outer periphery of the valve body, and an outer section having an annular face exposed by the conical valve cover for sealing engagement with the conical valve seat.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided an in-line control valve for controlling the flow of a pressurized fluid, comprising: a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port downstream of the inlet port, and a valve seat between the two ports; a valve member movable to open and close positions with respect to the valve seat and having an upstream face facing the valve seat, and a downstream face facing the outlet port; the housing including surfaces defining, with downstream surfaces of the valve member, control chamber means downstream of the valve member; a passageway through the valve member from its upstream face through its downstream face and communicating with the control chamber means such that the inlet pressure of the fluid at the inlet port is applied to the control chamber means to produce a closing force tending to move the valve member to its closed position and opposed to the opening force, tending to move the valve member to its open position, produced by the inlet pressure applied to the upstream face of the valve member; and an actuator for actuating the valve member to its open and closed positions.
Further features of the invention will be apparent from the description below.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating one form of normally-open control valve constructed in accordance with the present invention, the valve member being shown in its normally-open position which it assumes in the presence of a fluid inlet pressure;
FIG. 2
is a view similar to that of
FIG. 1
but illustrating the valve member in its closed position when a control pressure is applied to its control port;
FIG. 3
is a similar cross-sectional view as
FIG. 2
but along a section line rotated 45° to better show internal structure;
FIG. 4
is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the construction of the one-way vent of the cushioning chamber in the control valve of
FIGS. 1-3
;
FIG. 5
diagrammatically illustrates a battery of control valves according to FIG.
1
and one manner in which the valves may be controlled.
FIG. 6
is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating one form of normally-closed control valve constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 6
a
is a transverse-sectional view along line
6
a
—
6
a
of
FIG. 6
;
FIG. 7
is a similar view as
FIG. 6
but along a section line rotated 45° to better show internal structure;
FIG. 8
illustrates the control valve of
FIGS. 6 and 7
in its open condition;
FIG. 9
is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating another form of normally-closed control valve constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 10
illustrates the valve of
FIG. 9
in its actuated open condition;
FIG. 11
is an enlarged fragmentary view more particularly illustrating the construction of the resilient seal in the valve assembly;
FIGS. 11
a
-
11
c
illustrate various conditions of the resilient seal of
FIG. 11
;
FIG. 12
is a three-dimensional view, partly broken away to show internal structure, illustrating an internal-motor actuated control valve constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 13
is a longitudinal sectional view of the control valve of
FIG. 12
showing the valve in its closed condition;
FIG. 14
is a similar view as
FIG. 13
, but showing the valve in its open condition;
FIG. 15
is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to that of
FIG. 14
, but taken along a sectional line rotated 45° with respect to that of
FIG. 14
;
FIG. 16
is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an external-motor actuated control valve constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the valve in its closed condition; and
FIG. 17
i
Michalsky Gerald A.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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