Separable Ball Valve Apparatus and Ball Valve Assembly

• US 20100140522A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company Limited (Government of South Korea), Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Government of The Republic of Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company Limited (Government of South Korea), Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Government of The Republic of Korea)
• Inventors: Chang, Seok-Kyu, Song, Chul-Hwa
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/315.160
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/067 with spherical plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/535 for rotating valves F16K31/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/14 interlocking two or more valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0647 Spindles or actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87933 Common joint and valve seat faces, or sections joined by closing members

Abstract

A separable ball valve apparatus and ball valve assembly capable of selectively opening/closing a separable flow path are provided. The separable ball valve apparatus comprises a separable pipe member having a flow path through which fluid flows, a ball member having at least two balls disposed in the pipe member, opening and closing the flow path, and adjacent to each other, and an opening/closing member configured to control the ball member to open/close the flow path, wherein the balls have through-holes, respectively, and the opening/closing member includes a gear train configured to control the opening/closing of the at least two balls. Therefore, it is possible to simply open/close pipes having the flow path and detachably attach the pipes, increase space utilization due to removal of a separate coupling space for attachment/detachment of the pipes, and simultaneously open/close the two pipes, which are separated from each other through one operation.

Claims

1. A separable ball valve assembly, comprising:

a separable pipe member having a flow path through which fluid flows;

a ball member having at least two balls disposed in the pipe member, opening and closing the flow path, and adjacent to each other; and

an opening/closing member configured to control the ball member to open/close the flow path,

wherein the balls have through-holes, respectively, and the opening/closing member includes a gear train configured to control the opening/closing of the at least two balls.

2. The separable ball valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the gear train of the opening/closing member comprises:

a first gear connected to one of the balls at its rotation center;

a second gear connected to the other ball at its rotation center; and

a central gear disposed between the first and second gears,

wherein a toothed part is formed at a portion of a circumference of the central gear, and the toothed part of the central gear is sequentially meshed with a toothed part of the first gear and a toothed part of the second gear.

3. The separable ball valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ball is disposed at one end of the pipe member.

4. A separable ball valve apparatus, comprising:

a first pipe having a first flow path through which fluid flows;

a second pipe having a second flow path connected to the first flow path and detachably coupled to the first pipe;

a first ball disposed in the first pipe, configured to open/close the first flow path, and having a first through-hole;

a second ball in contact with the first ball, disposed in the second pipe to open/close the second flow path, and having a second through-hole; and

an opening/closing unit configured to control and arrange the first and second balls to communicate the first flow path, the first through-hole, the second through-hole and the second flow path,

wherein the opening/closing unit includes a gear train configured to sequentially control the opening/closing of the first and second balls through one control operation thereof.

5. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gear train comprises:

a first gear connected to the first ball to be perpendicular to the first through-hole at its rotation center;

a second gear connected to the second ball to be perpendicular to the second through-hole at its rotation center; and

a central gear disposed between the first and second gears,

wherein a toothed part is formed at a portion of a circumference of the central gear, and the toothed part of the central gear is sequentially meshed with a toothed part of the first gear and a toothed part of the second gear.

6. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the diameter of the first and the second gears are equal each other and provided with the toothed part formed on at least ¼

of the circumference of the first and the second gears, and the toothed part of the central gear is formed at a portion of the a circumference of the central gear in order to sequentially rotate the first and second gears by 90°

7. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the toothed part of the first gear is formed along the circumference of the first gear to form a central angle of 90°

, the toothed part of the second gear is formed along the circumference of the second gear to form a central angle of 90°

, and the central gear is first meshed with only the toothed part of the second gear by 90° and

then meshed with only the toothed part of the first gear by 90°

while the central gear is rotated by 180°

in a state in which the first pipe is in communication with the second pipe.

8. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gear train is constituted by a spur gear.

9. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gear train is constituted by a bevel gear.

10. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the gear train is constituted by a rack gear as the central gear, and pinion gears as the first and second gears.

11. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a handle connected to the central gear.

12. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second ball comprises a recess formed at a side surface perpendicular to the second through-hole and the rotation center of the second gear, and the recess is in contact with the first ball.

13. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the opening/closing unit is detachably coupled to the first and second balls.

14. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are disposed on a straight line.

15. The separable ball valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first and second pipes are arranged such that an imaginary extension straight line of the first flow path of the first pipe is inclined with respect to an imaginary extension straight line of the second flow path of the second pipe.