Ball valve assembly
First Claim
1. A ball valve assembly, comprising:
- a valve body having an inlet port, an outlet port, a passageway there-between for transmitting fluid, and at least one of an open valve hydraulic port and a closed valve hydraulic port;
a ball within the valve body having a through port therein and a spherical exterior surface, the ball being rotatable within the valve body for rotation between an open position and a closed position;
a seat ring within the valve body for sealing engagement with the spherical exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and fluid pressure is upstream or downstream of the ball;
a support ring for engaging the exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and supporting the ball when fluid pressure is upstream of the ball;
an actuator sleeve surrounding the ball and axially moveable within the valve body for rotating the ball between the open position and the closed position, hydraulic pressure in the at least one hydraulic port moving the actuator sleeve axially within the valve body;
a first seal between the seat ring and the actuator sleeve;
a second seal between the support ring and the actuator sleeve;
a third seal between the actuator sleeve and the valve body;
a fourth seal between the seat ring and the valve body;
a fifth seal between the support ring and the valve body; and
the fourth seal having a diameter greater than the first seal such that fluid pressure within the seat ring exerts a force on the first seal and the fourth seal which is transmitted to the seat ring in an axial direction toward the ball.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The ball valve assembly 10 includes a valve body 12, a ball 14, a seat ring 30, a support ring 40, and an actuator sleeve 50 surrounding the ball and axially moveable within the valve body for rotating the ball between the open position and the closed position. A plurality of seals seal with the seat ring, the actuator sleeve, the support ring, and the valve body. The actuator sleeve 50 maintains fluid pressure within the valve body. The ball, support ring and seat ring are each formed from a selective material to enhance life of the ball valve assembly. A pair of pins 80, 82 each extend in a slot within the ball and holes in the sleeve, and preferably the pair of pins and the ball rotate with respect to the sleeve as the sleeve moves axially within the valve body.
13 Citations
55 Claims
-
1. A ball valve assembly, comprising:
-
a valve body having an inlet port, an outlet port, a passageway there-between for transmitting fluid, and at least one of an open valve hydraulic port and a closed valve hydraulic port;
a ball within the valve body having a through port therein and a spherical exterior surface, the ball being rotatable within the valve body for rotation between an open position and a closed position;
a seat ring within the valve body for sealing engagement with the spherical exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and fluid pressure is upstream or downstream of the ball;
a support ring for engaging the exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and supporting the ball when fluid pressure is upstream of the ball;
an actuator sleeve surrounding the ball and axially moveable within the valve body for rotating the ball between the open position and the closed position, hydraulic pressure in the at least one hydraulic port moving the actuator sleeve axially within the valve body;
a first seal between the seat ring and the actuator sleeve;
a second seal between the support ring and the actuator sleeve;
a third seal between the actuator sleeve and the valve body;
a fourth seal between the seat ring and the valve body;
a fifth seal between the support ring and the valve body; and
the fourth seal having a diameter greater than the first seal such that fluid pressure within the seat ring exerts a force on the first seal and the fourth seal which is transmitted to the seat ring in an axial direction toward the ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A ball valve assembly, comprising:
-
a valve body having an inlet port, an outlet port, a passageway there between for transmitting fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port, and at least one of an open valve hydraulic port and a closed valve hydraulic port;
a ball within the valve body having a through port therein and a spherical exterior surface, the ball being rotated within the valve body for rotation between an open position and a closed position;
a seat ring having a concave radius surface within the valve body for sealing engagement with the spherical exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and fluid pressure is upstream or downstream of the ball;
a support ring for engaging the exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and supporting the ball when fluid pressure is upstream of the ball, one of the support ring and the ball including a fluid passageway for preventing sealed engagement of the ball and the support ring;
an actuator sleeve surrounding the ball and axially moveable within to the valve body for rotating the ball between the open position and the closed position, hydraulic pressure in the at least one hydraulic port moving the actuator sleeve axially within the valve body; and
the actuating sleeve being continuous between an upper end above the ball and and a lower end below the ball, such that the actuating sleeve maintains fluid pressure within the valve body when the ball is in the open position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A ball valve assembly, comprising:
-
a valve body having an inlet port, an outlet port, a passageway there between for transmitting fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port, and at least one of an open valve hydraulic port and a closed valve hydraulic port;
a ball within the valve body having a through port therein and a spherical exterior surface, the ball being positioned within the valve body for rotation between an open position and a closed position;
a seat ring within the valve body for sealing engagement with the spherical exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and fluid pressure is upstream of the ball;
a support ring for engaging the exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and supporting the ball when fluid pressure is upstream of the ball;
an actuator sleeve surrounding the ball and axially moveable with respect to the valve body for rotating the ball between the open position and the closed position;
the ball being formed from a high strength material;
a ball engaging ring of the support ring being formed from a high strength material; and
the seat ring being formed from a low strength material. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A ball valve assembly, comprising:
-
a valve body having an inlet port, an outlet port, a passageway there between for transmitting fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port, and at least one of an open valve hydraulic port and a closed valve hydraulic port;
a ball having a through port therein and a spherical exterior surface, the ball being positioned within the valve body for rotation between an open position and a closed position;
a seat ring within the valve body for sealing engagement with the spherical exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and fluid pressure is upstream or downstream of the ball;
a support ring for engaging the exterior surface of the ball when the ball is in the closed position and supporting the ball when fluid pressure is upstream of the ball;
an actuator sleeve surrounding the ball and axially moveable with respect to the valve body for rotating the ball between the open position and the closed position;
the ball having radial opposing flats for cooperation with corresponding flats on the actuating sleeve; and
a pair of opposing pin members each extending between a flat on the ball and a corresponding flat on the sleeve for positioning within a slot in one of the ball and the sleeve and a hole in the other of the ball and the sleeve to rotate the ball between the open position and the closed position in response to axial movement of the sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
-
Specification