ANNULAR VALVE
First Claim
1. An annular valve comprising an annular valve member and inner and outer valve seats, the annular valve member having a seat-facing surface which faces the annular valve seats, either the seat-facing surface of the annular valve member or the inner valve seat comprising an annular inner sealing ridge, either the seat-facing surface of the annular valve member or the outer valve seat comprising an annular outer sealing ridge, wherein the inner sealing ridge is more resistant to plastic deformation than the outer sealing ridge.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An annular valve (1) has an annular valve member (4) and inner and outer annular valve seats (12, 14). Inner and outer sealing ridges (8, 10) are formed either on the annular valve member or on the valve seats. The inner sealing ridges are more resistant to plastic deformation than the outer sealing ridges. They may be thicker, or made from a harder material. Thus, the annular valve better resists damage arising from greater plastic deformation of the inner sealing ridge than the outer sealing ridge due to greater forces (Fi, Fo) acting on the inner sealing ridge than the outer sealing ridge in use.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. An annular valve comprising an annular valve member and inner and outer valve seats, the annular valve member having a seat-facing surface which faces the annular valve seats, either the seat-facing surface of the annular valve member or the inner valve seat comprising an annular inner sealing ridge, either the seat-facing surface of the annular valve member or the outer valve seat comprising an annular outer sealing ridge, wherein the inner sealing ridge is more resistant to plastic deformation than the outer sealing ridge.
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18. A method of running in an annular valve comprising the steps of providing a fluid working machine having a working chamber of cyclically varying volume, a low pressure fluid line, a high pressure fluid line, and an annular valve according to the first aspect of the invention located between the working chamber and either the low pressure fluid line or the high pressure fluid line to thereby regulate the flow of fluid between the working chamber and either the low pressure fluid line or the high pressure fluid line, and operating the fluid working machine with a predetermined frequency of cycles of working chamber volume and predetermined low and high pressure fluid line pressures, wherein the axial extent of the inner and outer sealing ridges deform by substantially the same amount.
Specification