Flow control valve for reducing valve leakage
First Claim
1. A flow control valve comprising:
- a housing having a passage;
a valve seat installed in the passage and having a ring shape;
a valve element for closing the passage when the valve element is seated on the valve seat, and for opening the passage when the valve element is spaced from the valve seat;
a shaft connected to the valve element for movement therewith; and
a supporting member for supporting the shaft at a center of the supporting member, whereinsaid supporting member is fixed in the housing in such a manner that the center of the supporting member is aligned with a center of the valve seat;
said supporting member supports the shaft such that the shaft is movable in an axial direction of the shaft; and
said valve element has a seating surface for contacting the valve seat when the valve element is seated on the valve seat, such that the seating surface has a shape of a part of a hypothetical spherical surface having a spherical center on the center of the supporting member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flow control valve having a seating surface formed on a valve element to contact a valve seat when the valve is closed has a shape of a part of a hypothetical spherical surface having a spherical center at a center of a supporting member. Therefore, the distance from the center of the supporting member to the seating surface is kept constant, and the valve element can be seated at a periphery of the valve seat without a gap, even if the shaft is inclined. Thus, the valve leakage is reduced. The supporting member supports a shaft connected to the valve element movable in an axial direction of the shaft. The center of the supporting member is aligned with a center of the valve seat. Movement of the supporting member in a radial direction of the supporting member is prohibited. Therefore, the center of the supporting member is not displaced from the center of the valve seat in the radial direction. Accordingly, the displacement of the shaft in the radial direction can be prevented. Therefore, the valve element is certainly seated on the valve seat, and the valve leakage is prevented.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A flow control valve comprising:
-
a housing having a passage; a valve seat installed in the passage and having a ring shape; a valve element for closing the passage when the valve element is seated on the valve seat, and for opening the passage when the valve element is spaced from the valve seat; a shaft connected to the valve element for movement therewith; and a supporting member for supporting the shaft at a center of the supporting member, wherein said supporting member is fixed in the housing in such a manner that the center of the supporting member is aligned with a center of the valve seat; said supporting member supports the shaft such that the shaft is movable in an axial direction of the shaft; and said valve element has a seating surface for contacting the valve seat when the valve element is seated on the valve seat, such that the seating surface has a shape of a part of a hypothetical spherical surface having a spherical center on the center of the supporting member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A flow control valve comprising:
-
a housing having a passage; a valve seat installed in the passage and having a ring shape, and having a tapered portion; a valve element for closing the passage when the valve element is seated on the valve seat, and for opening the passage when the valve element is spaced from the valve seat; a shaft connected to the valve element for movement therewith; a supporting member for supporting the shaft at a center of the supporting member, wherein said supporting member supports the shaft such that the shaft is movable in an axial direction of the shaft; said valve element has a seating surface, having a shape of a part of a hypothetical spherical surface having a spherical center on the center of the supporting member, for contacting the valve seat such that said center of the supporting member is aligned with a center of the valve seat when the valve element is seated on the valve seat. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification