Valve having hard and soft seats
First Claim
1. A check valve for normally retaining pressurized fluid within an assembly and enabling said pressurized fluid to be vented from said assembly and additional pressurized fluid to be added to said assembly, said check valve including a valve body having interior walls at least partially defining a fluid passageway and a stinger axially movable within said passageway for selectively opening said passageway for fluid flow, said valve further comprising:
- a metallic ball member having a uniform sphere diameter;
a metallic seat having a circular edge formed from angled engagement of said interior walls of said valve body for substantially line contact sealing engagement with said ball member under high fluid pressure in said assembly;
a plastic seat for sealing engagement with said ball member under low fluid pressure in said assembly;
a spring member for biasing said metallic ball member towards said plastic seat;
said plastic seat having an inner surface of a diameter approximating said ball member diameter and being positioned for minimizing a radially inward fluid pressure force on said plastic seat when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat by said movable stinger;
said interior walls defining an annular void between said metallic seat, said plastic seat, and ball member when said ball member is seated on said metallic seat; and
a plastic seat retainer for fixedly positioning said plastic seat within said fluid passageway and having an angled end surface for engagement with said plastic seat for increasing resistance to radially inward movement of said plastic seat when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat by said movable stinger.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved valve is provided of the type having a spring biased ball for sealing engagement with both a metallic seat and a plastic seat. The valve is of the type including a passageway adapted for receiving a stinger to unseat the ball from both seating surfaces, thereby allowing fluid to pass through the valve body. The diameter of the soft seat approximates the diameter of the ball, and preferably at least a portion of the sealing surface of the soft seat is spaced opposite the metallic seat with respect to a plane parallel to the metallic seat and passing through the center of the fully seated ball. The soft seat may be secured in the valve body by a retainer, which maintains a radial outwardly directed force on the soft seat.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A check valve for normally retaining pressurized fluid within an assembly and enabling said pressurized fluid to be vented from said assembly and additional pressurized fluid to be added to said assembly, said check valve including a valve body having interior walls at least partially defining a fluid passageway and a stinger axially movable within said passageway for selectively opening said passageway for fluid flow, said valve further comprising:
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a metallic ball member having a uniform sphere diameter; a metallic seat having a circular edge formed from angled engagement of said interior walls of said valve body for substantially line contact sealing engagement with said ball member under high fluid pressure in said assembly; a plastic seat for sealing engagement with said ball member under low fluid pressure in said assembly; a spring member for biasing said metallic ball member towards said plastic seat; said plastic seat having an inner surface of a diameter approximating said ball member diameter and being positioned for minimizing a radially inward fluid pressure force on said plastic seat when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat by said movable stinger; said interior walls defining an annular void between said metallic seat, said plastic seat, and ball member when said ball member is seated on said metallic seat; and a plastic seat retainer for fixedly positioning said plastic seat within said fluid passageway and having an angled end surface for engagement with said plastic seat for increasing resistance to radially inward movement of said plastic seat when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat by said movable stinger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A valve of the type for normally retaining pressurized fluid within an assembly and for repeatedly enabling said pressurized fluid to be vented from said assembly, including a valve body having interior walls at least partially defining a fluid passageway, a metallic ball member having a sphere center for sealing fluid within a first normally pressurized portion of said passageway, and a second normally unpressurized portion of said passageway having a stinger axis for receiving a movable stinger to unseat said ball member, the improvement comprising:
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metallic seat means having a circular edge formed from angled engagement of said interior walls of said valve body for substantially line contact sealing engagement with said ball member under high fluid pressure in said first portion of said passageway; plastic seat means for sealing engagement with said ball member under low fluid pressure in said first portion of said passageway; biasing means for biasing said metallic ball member into sealing engagement with said plastic seat means; said plastic seat means being axially affixed within said fluid passageway with substantially all of an inner surface of said plastic seat means for sealing engagement with said ball member being positioned axially opposite said metallic seat means with respect to said center of said ball member when in sealing engagement with said metallic seat means for minimizing a radially inward fluid pressure force on said plastic seat means when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat means by said movable stinger; said interior walls further defining an annular void between said metallic seat means, said plastic seat means, and said ball member when said ball member is seated on said metallic seat means; and seat retainer means for fixedly positioning said plastic seat means within said fluid passageway and having an angled end surface for engagement with said plastic seat means for increasing resistance to radially inward movement of said plastic seat means when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat means by said movable stinger. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A valve for normally retaining pressurized fluid within an assembly and for repeatedly enabling pressurized fluid to be vented from said assembly, the valve comprising:
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a valve body having interior walls defining a through passageway; a metallic seat having a circular edge formed from angled engagement of said interior walls of said valve body; a metallic ball member for sealing engagement with said metallic seat and having a sphere center; biasing means for biasing said metallic ball member toward said metallic seat; a stinger movable relative to said metallic seat for unseating said ball member from said metallic seat; a plastic seat for sealing engagement with said ball member; said plastic seat axially affixed within said fluid passageway adjacent said center of said ball member when in sealing engagement with said metallic seat and being positioned for minimizing a radially inward force fluid pressure on said plastic seat when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat by said movable stinger; and a retainer for fixedly positioning said plastic seat within said passageway and having an angled end surface for engagement with said plastic seat for increasing resistance to radially inward movement of said plastic seat when said ball member is forced out of engagement with said metallic seat by said movable stinger. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification