Fluid handling – Systems – Multi-way valve unit
Patent
1995-12-19
1999-05-11
Rivell, John
Fluid handling
Systems
Multi-way valve unit
7386381, F16K11/074
Patent
active
059017481
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a selector valve which may be used to control flow between a plurality of inputs and a single output or between a single input and a plurality of outputs. Although the invention will be primarily described in relation to a sampling valve which can take fluid flowing from any of a plurality of inlets and direct it to a single outlet, it will be appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to a distributor valve arrangement acting in the opposite way and to comparable structures and devices.
Typical known selector valves are describe in GB 995016D, U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,213B, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,522B, WO87/02428 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,9641B.
In the prior known valves, for example the valve described in WO87/02428, and also in the known valve shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a known selector valve 10 has a plurality of selectable ports 11 each terminating at a sealing surface 12 which forms a path for and is slidingly engaged by a selector head 13 whose port 14 is surrounded by a seal member 15 urged against a surface 12 as by a spring 16. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 it will be seen that as the seal member 15 traverses the mouths of the ports 11 in use there is a degree of wear over that central band 17 which engages the edges of the mouths of the ports 11. After some use that central band 17 tends to become more worn than the remainder of the seal member 15 and this wear is shown (in an exaggerated manner) as a central groove 18 in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that the groove 18 effectively provides a leak path in the direction of arrow 19.
It will be appreciated that comparable problems will arise in relation to similar selector valves, for example the selector valve described in specification GB995016B wherein the selector head moves over a flat surface rather than over a cylindrical surface. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved selector valve.
The invention provides a selector valve having a plurality of selectable ports terminating at mouths in a sealing surface which can be traversed by a selector head having a seal member which provides a seal between a selected port and a port of the selector head, the seal member having, considered in its direction of travel relative to the selectable ports a central band which traverses those ports and lateral portions which do not traverse the ports, the areas of said lateral portions being selected so that the wear which they undergo during their traversing of the sealing surface without contact with the selectable ports is generally equal to the rate of wear of the central band which traverses the ports.
The invention also provides a selector valve having a plurality of selectable ports terminating at mouths in a sealing surface which can be traversed by a selector head having a seal member which provides a seal between a selected port and a port of the selector head, the seal member having, considered in its direction of travel relative to the selectable ports a central band which traverses those ports and lateral portions which do not traverse the ports, wherein the area of the lateral portions of the seal member are smaller than the area of the central band so as to wear at about the same rate as the central band.
The invention further provides a selector valve having a plurality of selectable ports terminating at mouths in a sealing surface which can be traversed by a selector head having a seal member which provides a seal between a selected port and a port of the selector head, the seal member having, considered in its direction of travel relative to the selectable ports a central band which traverses those ports and lateral portions which do not traverse the ports, wherein the areas of the lateral portions of the sealing face of the seal member are reduced so as to wear at about the same rate as the central band.
As it will be appreciated, the seal member has in the past generally been selected to be circular to uniformly surround the selected ports on the selector surface. In carrying out the invention it
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Proteus Developments Limited
Rivell John
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