Valve seat for ball valves
First Claim
1. A valve comprising:
- a valve body having a valve chamber and fluid flow passages therethrough;
a valve member mounted in the valve chamber for movement between an open position and a closed position relative to the fluid flow passages;
an annular valve seat assembly mounted about at least one of the fluid flow passages adjacent the valve chamber for sealing against the valve member, the valve seat assembly having inner and outer seat rings relative to the flow passage, the seat rings being of generally cylindrical form and arranged in concentric juxtaposed relation to each other, and a sealing ring mounted therebetween, the outer seat ring having a concentric inner groove adjacent an end of the outer seat ring facing the valve member for mounting of the sealing ring therein, the inner seat ring having an outer peripheral frusto-conical portion adjacent the end facing the valve member such that when the two seat rings slidingly engage each other the frusto-conical portion of the inner seat ring engages and deforms the sealing ring mounted in the outer seat ring to provide a protruded annular sealing portion extending beyond the end of the seat rings which sealingly contacts the exterior surface of the valve member.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A ball valve structure (10) having a valve seat assembly (46) positioned in annular seat pockets located in a flow passage (14) on opposed sides of a ball valve member (18). Each valve seat assembly is mounted for limited longitudinal movement toward and away from the adjacent ball valve member (18) and spring means (54) are placed within the seat pockets behind the valve seat assemblies to urge the assemblies toward and into intimate contact with the ball valve member. The valve seat assembly includes inner and outer annular concentric seat rings (48, 50) with a resilient sealing ring (52) secured therebetween. The inner annular seat ring has a flared end (64) which fits inside the outer seat ring and energizes or deforms the sealing ring (52) held therebetween, thereby, securely retaining the sealing ring between the seat rings and preventing the introduction of line pressure behind the sealing ring to possibly extrude the sealing ring from its position within the seat rings. The co-acting seat rings deform the sealing ring such as to provide a protruded annular sealing portion (96) which extends beyond the end boundaries of the sealing ring facing the ball valve member so that upon intimate contact with the ball valve member the protruded sealing portion (96) provides a high pressure sealing element to prevent pressurized fluid from escaping from the flow passage of the ball valve structure.
68 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A valve comprising:
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a valve body having a valve chamber and fluid flow passages therethrough; a valve member mounted in the valve chamber for movement between an open position and a closed position relative to the fluid flow passages; an annular valve seat assembly mounted about at least one of the fluid flow passages adjacent the valve chamber for sealing against the valve member, the valve seat assembly having inner and outer seat rings relative to the flow passage, the seat rings being of generally cylindrical form and arranged in concentric juxtaposed relation to each other, and a sealing ring mounted therebetween, the outer seat ring having a concentric inner groove adjacent an end of the outer seat ring facing the valve member for mounting of the sealing ring therein, the inner seat ring having an outer peripheral frusto-conical portion adjacent the end facing the valve member such that when the two seat rings slidingly engage each other the frusto-conical portion of the inner seat ring engages and deforms the sealing ring mounted in the outer seat ring to provide a protruded annular sealing portion extending beyond the end of the seat rings which sealingly contacts the exterior surface of the valve member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13)
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8. A ball valve structure comprising:
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a valve body having a valve chamber therein, fluid flow passages through the valve body in communication with the valve chamber, and an annular seat pocket formed at the juncture of at least one of the fluid flow passages and the valve chamber and having a valve seat supporting abutment therein; a ball valve member positioned in the valve chamber movable between open and closed positions relative to the fluid flow passages; an annular valve seat assembly positioned in the seat pocket and having inner and outer concentric seat rings of generally cylindrical form wherein the outer seat ring is arranged in juxtaposed relation to a portion of the inner seating with a sealing ring mounted therebetween, the outer seat ring having an inside peripheral surface facing the inner concentric seat ring, and a sealing ring mounting groove around the inside peripheral surface at one end portion thereof the receive and mount the sealing ring, the inner seat ring having a first outer peripheral surface adjacent the outer seat ring inside surface, and an outer peripheral frusto-conical portion adjacent the end facing the ball valve member whereby upon sliding engagement of the concentric inner and outer seat rings the frusto-conical portion of the inner seat ring engages and deforms the sealing ring positioned in the outer seat ring mounting groove to provide a protruded annular sealing portion extending beyond the ends of the inner and outer seat rings to sealingly contact the exterior surface of the ball valve member; and spring means positioned in the seat pocket, one end of which contacts the valve seat supporting abutment and the other end contacts the end of the outer seat ring remote from the ball valve member to urge the valve seat assembly and protruded annular sealing portion of the sealing ring toward and into fluid-tight sealing contact with the ball valve member. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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14. A valve seat assembly for a valve having a movable valve member, the valve seat assembly having inner and outer concentric seat rings of generally cylindrical form wherein the outer seat ring is arranged in juxtaposed relation to a portion of the inner seat ring with a sealing ring mounted therebetween, the outer seat ring having an inside peripheral surface facing the inner concentric seat ring, and a sealing ring mounting groove around the inside peripheral surface at one end portion thereof adjacent the valve member to receive and mount the sealing ring, the inner seat ring having an outer peripheral surface adjacent the outer seat ring inside surface and an outer peripheral frusto-conical portion adjacent the end facing the valve member whereby upon sliding engagement of the concentric inner and outer seat rings the frusto-conical portion of the inner seat ring engages and deforms the sealing ring positioned in the outer seat ring mounting groove to provide a protruded annular sealing portion extending beyond the ends of inner and outer seat rings to sealingly contact the exterior surface of the valve member.
Specification