Gate valve with improved seal unit
First Claim
1. A gate valve having a main body structure with first and second sides to which respective first and second conduits are attachable and an opening that defines a passageway along an axis between the conduits, comprising:
- a gate that is positionable to occlude the passageway and that extends from the main body structure in a direction that is transverse to the first and second conduits, the gate having opposing sides that each have a peripheral margin;
moving means coupled to the gate for moving it along the axis to selectively occlude the passageway; and
first and second annular seal members attachable to the main body structure within the passageway on opposite sides of the gate to engage its peripheral margins, the first and second seal members including first and second rigid mounting hubs to which respective first and second annular elastomer sleeves are attached, each elastomer sleeve having a continuous lip section and plural angularly spaced cavities, the lip sections of the first and second sleeves engaging the peripheral margins of the gate when it occludes the passageway and engaging each other otherwise, the first and second mounting hubs including axially outward radial flanges that extend along the respective first and second sides of the main body structure,whereby the plural cavities facilitate displacement of the elastomer sleeves when they engage the gate and the axially outward radial flanges of the mounting hubs function to prevent overcompression of the elastomer sleeves by attachment of the first and second conduits to the main body structure.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gate valve sealing unit includes first and second annular seal members that are attached to a main body structure within a passageway that receives and is selectively occluded by a gate. The first and second seal members include first and second rigid mounting hubs to which are mounted first and second annular elastomer sleeves, respectively. Each elastomer sleeve has a continuous lip section and plural axially spaced cavities, the lip sections of the first and second sleeves engaging peripheral margins on opposite sides of the gate when it occludes the passageway and engaging each other otherwise. The first and second mounting hubs include axially outward radial flanges that extend from the respective first and second sides of the main body structure.
41 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A gate valve having a main body structure with first and second sides to which respective first and second conduits are attachable and an opening that defines a passageway along an axis between the conduits, comprising:
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a gate that is positionable to occlude the passageway and that extends from the main body structure in a direction that is transverse to the first and second conduits, the gate having opposing sides that each have a peripheral margin; moving means coupled to the gate for moving it along the axis to selectively occlude the passageway; and first and second annular seal members attachable to the main body structure within the passageway on opposite sides of the gate to engage its peripheral margins, the first and second seal members including first and second rigid mounting hubs to which respective first and second annular elastomer sleeves are attached, each elastomer sleeve having a continuous lip section and plural angularly spaced cavities, the lip sections of the first and second sleeves engaging the peripheral margins of the gate when it occludes the passageway and engaging each other otherwise, the first and second mounting hubs including axially outward radial flanges that extend along the respective first and second sides of the main body structure, whereby the plural cavities facilitate displacement of the elastomer sleeves when they engage the gate and the axially outward radial flanges of the mounting hubs function to prevent overcompression of the elastomer sleeves by attachment of the first and second conduits to the main body structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12)
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7. The valve of claim i in which the plural cavities in the elastomer sleeves are canted axially inwardly toward the gate.
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10. The valve of claim I in which the main body structure includes first and second face-to-face body halves that are substantially identical.
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13. In a gate valve having a main body structure with first and second sides to which respective first and second conduits are attachable, an opening that defines a passageway along an axis between the conduits, and a gate that is positionable to occlude the passageway and that extends from the main body structure in a direction that is transverse to the first and second conduits, the gate having opposing sides that each have a peripheral margin, the improvement comprising:
first and second annular seal members attachable to the main body structure within the passageway on opposite sides of the gate to engage its peripheral margins, the first and second seal members including first and second rigid mounting hubs to which respective first and second annular elastomer sleeves are mounted, each elastomer sleeve having a continuous lip section for engaging the peripheral margin of the gate when it occludes the passageway and engaging each other otherwise, the first and second mounting hubs including axially outward radial flanges that extend along the respective first and second sides of the main body structure, whereby the axially outward radial flanges of the mounting hubs function to prevent overcompression of the elastomer sleeves by attachment of the first and second conduits to the main body structure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
Specification