Stemless ball valve

• US 7,971,855 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Big Horn Valve, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Big Horn Valve, Inc.
• Inventors: Burgess, Kevin, Walthall, Bryan, Yakos, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli; John
• Application Number:
  US12/331,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 251/315.01, 251/315.1, 251/315.16, 251/340, 251/341, 251/352
• US Class Current: 251/315.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/088 the movement of the first magnet being a rotating or pivoting movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0621 with a spherical segment mounted around a supply pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0647 Spindles or actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/20 for plugs with spherical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

A stemless ball valve comprising two flanges and a ball with a channel, two axis pins and two travel pins. One end of each axis and travel pin is fixedly attached to the ball, and the other end of each axis pin is lodged into a notch in the first or second flange such that the axis pin is allowed to rotate in the notch. The guide sleeve comprises two channels, and one end of each travel pin is situated within one of the two channels in the guide sleeve. An outer magnetic cartridge causes the inner magnetic cartridge and guide sleeve to rotate, and when the guide sleeve rotates, the travel pins move up and down within the channels in the guide sleeve. The movement of the travel pins within the channels in the guide sleeve causes the ball to rotate, thereby opening and closing the ball valve.

Claims

1. A stemless ball valve comprising:

(a) a first flange;

(b) a second flange;

(c) a ball;

(b) two ball seals;

(c) a guide sleeve;

(d) an inner housing;

(e) an inner magnetic cartridge comprising a plurality of inner magnets;

(f) an outer housing comprising a plurality of outer magnets;

(g) two axis pins; and

(h) two travel pins;

wherein the ball lies between the first and second flanges with a ball seal on either side of the ball;

wherein the axis pins each comprises a first end and a second end, and the first end of each axis pin is fixedly attached to the ball;

wherein the second end of one of the two axis pins is lodged into a notch in the first flange and the second end of the other axis pin is lodged into a notch in the second flange;

wherein the inner housing lies between the inner magnetic cartridge and the outer magnets of the outer housing;

wherein the first and second flanges are fixedly attached to the inner housing;

wherein a handle is attached to the outer housing, and when the handle is turned, the outer magnets of the outer housing cause the inner magnetic cartridge to rotate in the same direction as the handle;

wherein the guide sleeve is fixedly attached to the inner magnetic cartridge such that when the inner magnetic cartridge rotates, the guide sleeve also rotates;

wherein the guide sleeve surrounds the ball and comprises two channels;

wherein the travel pins each comprises a first end and a second end, and the first end of each travel pin is fixedly attached to the ball;

wherein the second end of one of the travel pins is situated in one of the channels in the guide sleeve, and the second end of the other travel pin is situated in the other channel in the guide sleeve;

wherein as the guide sleeve rotates, the travel pins move up and down within the channels in the guide sleeve, thereby causing the ball to rotate.

2. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the ball comprises a channel, and wherein rotation of the ball causes the channel to be aligned or disaligned with threaded apertures in each of the first and second flanges, thereby opening and closing the valve.

3. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the axis pins are separated from one another by one hundred eighty degrees.

4. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the travel pins are separated from one another by one hundred eighty degrees.

5. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, further comprising a first internal retaining ring and a second internal retaining ring, wherein the first and second internal retaining rings are located inside the magnetic cartridge on either side of the guide sleeve, and the purpose of the internal retaining rings is to prevent the guide sleeve from moving within the magnetic cartridge.

6. The stemless ball valve of claim 5, wherein the inner magnetic cartridge comprises two circular recesses into which the internal retaining rings are positioned.

7. The stemless ball valve of claim 5 wherein there is a slight gap between the first flange and the first internal retaining ring and between the second flange and the second internal retaining ring to allow pressure to be exerted on the ball seals.

8. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the ball seals are situated within recesses in each of the first and second flanges.

9. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the outer housing has a perimeter, the first flange comprises an external stop, and the outer housing comprises a recess that extends roughly ninety degrees around the perimeter of the outer housing and in which the external stop travels;

and

wherein the external stop prevents the handle, the outer magnetic cartridge, the inner magnetic cartridge, the guide sleeve and the ball from rotating more than ninety degrees.

10. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the first flange comprises an inner part with an internal recess, and the inner magnetic cartridge comprises an internal stop that fits within the internal recess;

and

wherein the internal recess extends ninety degrees around the inner part of the first flange, thereby preventing the inner magnetic cartridge, the guide sleeve and the ball from rotating more than ninety degrees.

11. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein there is an angle between the axis pins and the travel pins, and the angle between the axis pins and the travel pins is approximately forty-eight degrees.

12. The stemless ball valve of claim 2, wherein the travel pins are approximately twenty-five degrees out of plane with the axis pins and the channel in the ball.

13. The stemless ball valve of claim 1, wherein the axis pins and travel pins each comprises a tip, and wherein the tip of each axis pin or travel pin is comprised of polytetrafluoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene.

15. The stemless ball valve of claim 1 or 14, wherein the guide sleeve and inner magnetic cartridge are a single part.

14. A stemless ball valve comprising:

(a) two flanges; and

(b) a ball with a channel, two axis pins and two travel pins;

wherein one end of each of the axis pins and one end of each of the travel pins are fixedly attached to the ball;

wherein one end of one of the axis pins is lodged into a notch in the first flange, one end of the other axis pin is lodged into a notch in the second flange, and both axis pins are allowed to rotate within the notches in the flanges;

wherein a guide sleeve comprises two channels, one end of one of the travel pins is situated within one of the two channels in the guide sleeve, and one end of the other travel pin is situated within the other channel in the guide sleeve;

wherein an outer magnetic cartridge causes a inner magnetic cartridge and guide sleeve to rotate;

wherein when the guide sleeve rotates, the travel pins move up and down within the channels in the guide sleeve; and

wherein the movement of the travel pins within the channels in the guide sleeve causes the ball to rotate, thereby opening and closing the ball valve.