Free float steam trap

• US 5,287,878 A
• Filed: 10/30/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TLV Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: TLV Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oike, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US07/968,875
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 137/192, 137/194, 137/549
• US Class Current: 137/194
• CPC Class Codes: F16T 1/22 of closed-hollow-body type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3068 Float
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3074 With outlet extending above liquid in trap
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7326 Low level safety cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8085 Hollow strainer, fluid inlet and outlet perpendicular to each other

Abstract

This invention relates to a free float steam trap comprises a trap which casing having an inlet port and an outlet port and a valve chest formed therein, a valve seat member attached to the lower portion of the valve chest and having a valve orifice opened through which the valve chest communicates with the outlet port, a float valve arranged in a free state in the valve chest, rising and descending in accordance with the water level in the valve chest to directly open and close the valve orifice and a means for dispersing and passing condensate flow downward, provided at a fluid inlet through which the inlet port communicates with valve chest.

Claims

1. A free float steam trap comprising:

a trap casing having an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve chest formed therein;

a valve seat member attached to a lower portion of the valve chest and having a valve orifice opening through which the valve chest communicates with the outlet port;

a float valve arranged in a free state in the valve chest, rising and descending in accordance with the water level in the valve chest to directly open and close the valve orifice; and

a vertical dispersing screen having an upper end, a middle section and a lower end, the middle section including an inlet opening and porous sidewalls located below the inlet opening and the lower end closed by an end member, condensate entering the inlet opening of the middle section of the vertical dispersing screen and exiting through the porous sidewalls, the end member forcing the condensate to flow through the porous sidewalls, the vertical dispersing screen being provided in a fluid inlet through which the inlet port communicates via the inlet opening and the porous sidewalls with the valve chest and located substantially above the valve orifice in order to thrust the float valve away from the valve orifice without pressing the float valve on the valve orifice using the falling condensate.

2. A steam trap according to claim 1, wherein two float seats are formed on a bottom face of the valve chest to be parallel with a central axis of the valve orifice.

3. A steam trap according to claim 1, wherein the vertical dispersing screen is cylindrically shaped.

4. A steam trap according to claim 3, wherein two float seats are formed on a bottom face of the valve chest to be parallel with a central axis of the valve orifice.

5. A steam trap according to claim 1, wherein said valve orifice opening has an opening diameter increasing from the valve chest to the outlet port.

6. A steam trap according to claim 1,

wherein the float valve includes a center and a surface located between the valve orifice and a perpendicular passing through the center, and

wherein the vertical dispersing screen disperses the condensate to strike the float valve on the surface without pressing the float valve on the valve orifice.

7. A steam trap according to claim 1, wherein said valve orifice communicates with the outlet port through an outlet passage and a plane member made of hard material is provided at a portion where the central axis of said valve orifice intersects the outlet portion.

8. A steam trap according to claim 7 wherein angles respectively formed by the central axis of said valve orifice and the central axis of said outlet passage, and said portion are equal to each other.