Valves

Details Valves Valves

1999-09-10

2001-04-10

Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3754)

Valves and valve actuation

With means to increase head and seat contact pressure

Seat pressed to valve

C251S172000, C137S015060, C137S239000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213450

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to valves, particularly but not exclusively valves for connecting conduits.
In certain manufacturing industries, such as the food industry and the cosmetics industry, it is a requirement that the manufacturing tanks and conduits are cleaned to a high standard of hygiene between production of different products. The conduits are often connected by a valve for providing selective communication between two conduits. One known type of valve comprises a ball located within a housing connectable between conduits, the ball having a passage provided therethrough which allows for selective connection of the conduits by rotation of the ball to align the passage with the conduits or remove It from alignment to cut off connection. The valve must cleanable to a high standard of hygiene.
The cleaning of conduits in manufacturing plant is often effected by piping cleaning fluid through the tanks, conduits and valves, using a pigging system Conventional valves suitable for use in a pigging system cannot be cleaned to a sufficiently high level of hygiene for use in the aforementioned industries.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a valve for connecting first and second conduits, the valve comprising a valve member movably mounted in a housing, to define a space between the valve member and the housing, the valve member being movable between an open condition in which fluid can flow through the valve and a closed condition in which fluid is substantially prevented from flowing through the valve, and releasable seal means operable to provide a seal between the valve member and the housing when the valve member is in the closed condition, and whereby the releasable seal means can be released when the valve member is in the open condition to allow fluid to flow through said space.
The seal is preferably provided between the valve member and the interior of the housing.
The valve member preferably defines a connecting passage which provides for the flow of fluid through the valve. The passage may at least partially align with the first and second conduits when in the open condition, to thereby provide communication for the flow of fluid through the valve.
The open condition desirably comprises a fully open condition in which the passage is fully aligned with the first and second conduits, and/or an intermediate, partially open condition substantially intermediate the fully open condition and the closed condition. The intermediate condition is preferably at substantially 45 degrees from the fully open condition. Desirably, the valve member is not fully aligned with either of the first or second conduits when in the intermediate condition, but off-set to provide for communication with the interior of the housing, to thereby permit the flow of fluid through the space between the valve member and the housing. The fluid may be cleaning fluid.
The valve member is preferably rotatable within the housing. Desirably, the valve member is rotatable about its central longitudinal axis. The valve member is preferably mounted on and supported by an opposing pair of pin means, such that the central longitudinal axis of the valve member is coaxial with a line through the pin means. The valve member is desirably of substantially circular section perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the valve member. The valve member may be of substantially spherical configuration.
Preferably, the interior of the housing is of a complementary shape to the valve member, such that the housing closely fits the valve member.
The releasable seal means is preferably an inflatable seal means, having an inflated condition and a deflated condition, which may be selectively inflated to seal the space between the valve member and the housing, thereby preventing flow of fluid through the space. The inflatable seal means may be a rubber seal means inflatable by a gas, such as air. A gas inlet is preferably provided in communication with the inflatable seal means for supplying gas to the seal means. The inflatable seal means may comprise a silicone joint and a pneumatic ring. The seal means is preferably of annular shape, and is desirably circular. The seal means is desirably at least partially set into the internal wall of the housing. The seal means is preferably located in the internal wall of the housing such that it is arranged generally around the passage through the valve member, preferably towards one end thereof.
Two seal means may be provided, preferably one towards each end of the passage through the valve member. Preferably each seal means is independently inflatable.
A drain means is preferably provided within the housing for enabling fluid to be drained from the interior of the housing. The drain means preferably has an open condition in which fluid may pass therethrough.
The drain means may additionally have a closed condition in which fluid is prevented from passing therethrough. The drain means is preferably in the closed condition when the valve member is in the open condition. The drain means is preferably in the open condition when the valve means is in the closed condition.
One or each seal means may be in the inflated condition or may be in the deflated condition when the valve member is in the open condition. One or each seal means may be in the inflated condition or may be in the deflated condition when the valve member is In the closed condition The or each seal means are preferably in the deflated condition when the valve member is in the intermediate condition.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of cleaning a valve, the valve being according to any of paragraphs 4 to 13, the method comprising releasing the releasable seal means, moving the valve member to the open condition, and supplying fluid to the valve from one of the first and second conduits, the fluid flowing through the passage and the space to the other of the first and second conduits.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of cleaning a valve, the valve being according to paragraphs 11 or 13, the method comprising moving the valve member to the dosed condition, deflating the or at least one inflatable seal means, and supplying fluid to the valve from one of the first and second conduits, the fluid flowing through the space and the passage.
When there are two inflatable seal means, preferably both inflatable seal means are deflated.
The method preferably further comprises flipping the valve member from the closed condition to the open condition, and preferably back again. while cleaning fluid is flowing through the valve, to assist the flow of cleaning fluid over substantially the whole surface of the valve member.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of cleaning a valve, the valve being according to paragraphs 12 or 13, the method comprising deflating the or each inflatable seal means and supplying fluid to the valve from one of the first and second conduits, the fluid flowing through the space and the passage. The valve member may be in the open condition or in the closed condition
The method preferably further comprises flipping the valve member from one of the open condition and the closed condition to the other of the open condition and the dosed condition, and preferably back again, while cleaning fluid is flowing through the valve, to assist the flow of cleaning fluid over substantially the whole surface of the valve member.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a valve assembly for connecting first and second conduits, the assembly comprising a valve member movably mounted in a housing, to define a space between the valve member and the housing, the valve member being movable between an open condition in which fluid can flow through the valve assembly and a closed condition in which fluid is substantially prevented from flowing from the first or second conduits through the valve assembly, releasable seal means operable to provide a seal between the valve member and th

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