Valve with body and stem of plastic material

• US 4,275,868 A
• Filed: 11/29/1978
• Issued: 06/30/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Franke Consumer Products, Inc. (Michael Pieper, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Unarco Industries, LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crone, Jerry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cline, William R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spiegel, H. Jay
• Application Number:
  US05/964,618
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 251/309, 251/310, 251/316, 251/317, 251/357, 251/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 251/310
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0414 Plug channel at 90 degrees to the inlet
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/045 Particular coverings and materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 251/90 Valves with o-rings

Abstract

A plastic valve assembly includes a body member and a controller member each having alignable transverse flow passageways and constantly aligned longitudinal flow passageways. The controller member is positioned in the body member for rotatably aligning the transverse passageways. Axially spaced about the exterior of the transverse body passageway are a pair of lands and axially spaced about the transverse controller passageway are a pair of resilient seals. A recess completely surrounds the exterior of the transverse controller passageway with a resilient wiper seal seated in the recess. The controller member is so positioned in the body member that the resilient seals constantly and sealingly engage the lands and the wiper seal constantly and sealingly engages the interior wall of the body member surrounding the transverse controller flow passageway.

Claims

1. In a two-element valve member for liquid under pressure that includes:

a body member as one element with an elongated flow chamber therein;

a rotatable controller member as the second element with an elongated cylindrical flow plug of a size adapted for positioning within said flow chamber;

there being inlet and outlet flow openings including a lateral flow opening in said body member, and inlet and outlet flow openings including a lateral flow opening in said flow plug, such that the lateral flow openings of said plug and body member may be selectively positioned in a flow relationship or a no-flow relationship to each other, upon effecting rotational movement of the second element relative to said first element;

the improvement comprising, in combination;

at least one of said members being formed of plastic;

a pair of longitudinally spaced, cylindrical, circumferential lands defined on one of said members, a pair of longitudinally spaced circumferential seals being provided on the other member and adapted for engagement with said lands, to provide spaced rotational seals, between said members in the flow chamber, located on opposite sides of said lateral flow openings and operative to prevent leakage therepast of liquid under pressure;

a recess defined in the exterior of said rotatable cylindrical flow plug, said recess being of channel-shaped cross-section and extending chordally of the cylindrical flow plug with the web of the channel-shaped recess being flat and intersecting and completely surrounding a terminus of said lateral flow opening therein, a wiper seal positioned in said recess and being of a size and shape to provide a planar interior surface to engage said web of the channel-shaped recess in the flow plug to surround and bound said terminus of said lateral opening in the flow plug and being of a dimension to sealingly engage both the portions of the recess that surround and define the terminus of the lateral flow opening in the flow plug and the annular wall portions of the cylindrical flow chamber that surround the lateral flow opening in said body member when the two said lateral flow passageways are aligned in a flow relationship, and to sealingly engage against an annular wall portion of the cylindrical flow chamber that is adjacent but circumferentially offset from the lateral flow opening in said body member when the two said lateral flow passageways are in a no-flow relationship, so that no flow will pass through the lateral flow openings in the flow plug and the body member.

2. A valve as in claim 1 wherein the body member defines a tubular receiver for receiving thereinto, by axial push-fit assembly, the controller member;

and holding means including a retainer member separate from the body member and the controller member and operatively associated with said two members for holding the members assembled.

3. A valve as in claim 2 wherein the holding means includes cooperating oppositely facing bearing shoulders on the two members which provide a rotary bearing between the two members, and also serve as a locating means for properly positioning the wiper seal and O-rings within the cylindrical flow chamber.

4. In a valve member for liquid under pressure that includes:

a body member with an elongated flow chamber therein;

a controller member with an elongated flow plug of a size adapted for positioning within said flow chamber;

there being inlet and outlet flow openings including a lateral flow opening in said body member, and inlet and outlet flow openings including a lateral flow opening in said flow plug, such that the lateral flow openings of said plug and body member may be selectively positioned in a flow relationship or a no-flow relationship to each other, upon effecting a relative rotational movement between said members;

the improvement comprising, in combination;

at least one of said members being formed of plastic;

a pair of longitudinally spaced, cylindrical, circumferential lands defined on one of said members, a pair of longitudinally spaced circumferential seals being provided on the other member and adapted for engagement with said lands, to provide spaced rotational seals, between said members in the flow chamber, located on opposite sides of said lateral flow openings and operative to prevent leakage therepast of liquid under pressure;

a recess defined in the exterior of said flow plug and completely surrounding said lateral flow opening therein, a wiper seal positioned in said recess surrounding said lateral opening in the flow plug and being of a dimension to sealingly engage annular wall portions of the cylindrical flow chamber that surround the lateral flow opening in said body member when the two said lateral flow passageways are aligned in a flow relationship, and to sealingly engage against an annular wall portion of the cylindrical flow chamber that is adjacent but circumferentially offset from the lateral flow opening in said body member when the two said lateral flow passageways are in a no-flow relationship, so that no flow will pass through the lateral flow openings in the flow plug and the body member,

the recess defined on the flow plug being of channel-shaped cross-section with the web of the channel surrounding the lateral opening through the flow plug, and the wiper seal including a tubular stud that enters the lateral opening in the flow plug.

5. A valve as in claim 4 wherein the body member defines a tubular receiver for receiving the controller member thereinto by axial push-fit assembly;

and holding means operatively associated with the two members for holding the members assembled.

6. A valve as in claim 5 wherein the holding means includes cooperating oppositely facing bearing shoulders on the two members which provide a rotary bearing between the two members, and also serve as a locating means for properly positioning the wiper seal and O-rings within the cylindrical flow chamber.

7. In a valve member for liquid under pressure that includes:

a body member with an elongated flow chamber therein;

a controller member with an elongated flow plug of a size adapted for positioning within said flow chamber;

there being inlet and outlet flow openings including a lateral flow opening in said body member, and inlet and outlet flow openings including a lateral flow opening in said flow plug, such that the lateral flow openings of said plug and body member may be selectively positioned in a flow relationship or a no-flow relationship to each other, upon effecting a relative rotational movement between said members;

the improvement comprising, in combination;

at least one of said members being formed of plastic;

a pair of longitudinally spaced, cylindrical, circumferential lands defined on one of said members, a pair of longitudinally spaced circumferential seals being provided on the other member and adapted for engagement with said lands, to provide spaced rotational seals, between said members in the flow chamber, located on opposite sides of said lateral flow openings and operative to prevent leakage therepast of liquid under pressure;

a recess defined in the exterior of said flow plug and completely surrounding said lateral flow opening therein, a wiper seal positioned in said recess surrounding said lateral opening in the flow plug and being of a dimension to sealingly engage annular wall portions of the cylindrical flow chamber that surround the lateral flow opening in said body member when the two said lateral flow passageways are aligned in a flow relationship, and to sealingly engage against an annular wall portion of the cylindrical flow chamber that is adjacent but circumferentially offset from the lateral flow opening in said body member when the two said lateral flow passageways are in a no-flow relationship, so that no flow will pass through the lateral flow openings in the flow plug and the body member,

the recess defined on the flow plug being of channel-shaped cross-section with the web of the channel surrounding the lateral opening through the flow plug, and the wiper seal being seated against the web of the channel, and the outer face of the seal being in the form of a cylindrical arc of radius corresponding substantially with the radius of curvature of the cylindrical flow chamber to effect sealing therewith.