AU2004201768A1 - A Valve - Google Patents

Description

29-APR-2004 15:28 A J PARK 64 4 472 3359 P.04/23 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Invention Title: CLAUDIO PETRONELLIW CLAUDIO PETRONELLI A J PARK, Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia A Valve The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of perbrming it known to me.

COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-AOR-2004 15:29 A J PARK 29-FR-004i5!9 PJ PW~K64 4 472 3358 P. 05/23 -2- This invention relates to a valva- While the valve can be adapted for use in conventional water taps it can, in its various embodiments, be used in a wide vadety of other applications where checkcing and control of fluid flow, and particularly liquid flow, through conduits is desired.

A conventional flow control valve typically provides a single al when the valve is closed by moving a control spidle. in commonly used globe and gate valve arraments the control spindle is rotated in a screw thread to open and close the valve. Such control valves arm often used on a conduit in association with discrete check or one-way valves which operate to allow flow in only one direction through the conduit.

One problem arises if the valve seal is faulty or becomes damaged for then leaking will occur. It was partly with this problem in mind that one embodiment of the present invention was devised. Another problem which can arise with valves used to control liquid flow is the water hammer effect. This can occur when a valve is closed too quickly.

Valves can be designed to minimise the water hammer effect and this is an object of at least some of the preferred forms of the resent invention.

The present invention is a control valve which also operates as a check or one way valve and can be applied to different types of valve but is particularly applicable to globe valves and angle valves.

The present invention broadly consists in a check and control valve including a control meas, a first valve member, a second valve member which has a fluid passage therethrough, and first sealing means carried by the first and second valve menbers; the first valve member being moveable relative to the second valve member betweent an open position where the fluid passage is open and a first closed position where the fluid passage is closed by the first sealing means; the first valve member being biased away from the open position toward the closed position: and the control means being moveable relative to the second valve member to progressively limit movement of the firs valve member from the closed position toward the open position.

1533W0- COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-fPR-2004 15:29 A3 J PAK 64 4 472 3358 P.06/23 -3- Preferably the valve has a valve body to which the second valve member is fixedly mounted, the control means is an axially moveable control spindle which is mounted through an aperture in the valve body, and the first valve member is reciprocably mounted to an inner end of the spindle.

Preferably the check and control valve includes a helical coil spring located coazially about the inner end of the spindle, wherein the coil spring provides the bias of the first valve member toward the dclosed position.

Preferably the sealing means includes a sealing member on either one of the valve members and a co-operative sealing seat on the other of the valve members.

Preferably the sealing member is located on the first valve member and the sealing seat is located on the second valve member. Alternatively the sealing member is located on the second valve member and the scaling seat is located on the first valve member.

Preferably the first and second valve members cany a second sealing means, the fluid passage is not closed by the second sealing means when the first valve member is in the first closed position, and the control means is moveable relative to the second valve member to move the first valve member relative to the second valve member to a second closed position where the fluid passage is closed by both the first and second scaling means.

Preferably a greater force is required to move the first valve member from its first closed position to its second closed position than is required to move it from its open position to its first closed position.

Preferably the first sealing means includes a resiliently compressible means which is compressed when the first valve member moves from its first closed position to its second closed position.

153380-1 COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-nPR-2004 15:29

W

A J PRK 64 4 472 3359 P.07/23 -4- Preferably the two sealing means are annular and concentric.

Preferably the first sealing means is located outside the second sealing means.

Preferably the second sealing means includes a sealing member on either one of the valve members and a co-operative scaling seat on the other of te valve members.

Preferably the scaling member of the first sealing means Is located on one of the valve members and the sealing member of the second sealing means is located on the other of the valve members This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referrem:d to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

The above broadly defines the present invention some prfered forms of which will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side view, partly in cross-section, of a globe valve; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view through the first and second valve members only, the first valve member being in an open position relative to the second valve member; Figure 3 shows a plan view of the second valve member, Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view through the first and second valve members incorporated within a check valve but with the body of the valve removed for clarity, the first valve member being in its first closed position relative to the second valve member Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding with that of Figure 4 but showing the first valve member in its second closed position relative to the second valve memaber; Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but showing an alternative preferred, form of the first and second valve members; 153380-1 COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-APR-2004 15:30 A J PARK 64 4 472 3358 P.08/23 Figure 7 is another view similar to that of Figure 2 but showing another embodiment of the first and second valve members; Figure 8 is yet another view similar to that of Figure 2 but showing yet another embodiment, and a particularly preferred embodiment of the first and second valve members; Figure 9 is a plan view of an alternative valve body, Figure 10 is a cross section on A-A of Figure 9; Figure I I is a cross section on B-B of Figure Figure 12 is a cross section on C-C of Figure 10; and Figure 13 is an end view of the alternative valve body.

Figure I shows a globe valve 10 incorporating first and second valve members, 12 and 14 respectively, according to the present invention. The globe valve shown has a fairly conventional constuction. The valve body 16 has a fluid conduit 18 passing through it between inlet and outlet ends, 20 and 22 respectively. In the valve shown these ends are internally threaded at 24 to receive the matching externally threaded ends of pipes (not shown) to be connected to the valve. Between its ends the valve body 16 has a diaphragm 26 vtending across the conduit IN. The diaphragm has a threaded aperture 28 into which the second valve member 14 is screwed. The second valve member will be described in more detail later.

As usual with globe valves, that of Figure I has a branch 30 opening to one side ofthe body 16. This branch is capped by a bonnet 32 which is screwed into the branch. A handle 34 is carried on the outer end of a spindle 36. The spindle passes through a bore (not shown) in the bonnet and crries the first valve member 12 at its inner end. The first valve member and its Interaction with the inner end of the spindle will be described in more detail later.

The spindle 36 is threadedly engaged with the bore through the bonnet in known fashion so that rotation of the handle oauses the spindle to move towards or to move away from the second valve member 14 depending on the direction of rotation of the handle. Because the position ofthe inner end ofthe spindle affects the position taken by, or which can be taken 15330-I COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-APR-2004 15:30 A J PARK 64 4 472 3358 P.09/23 -6by, the first valve member 12 relative to the second valve member 14, manual control of the valve is thereby provided.

In this embodiment, first and second sealing means are carried by the valve members 12 and 14. in the profued embodiments ofthe invention shown In the drawings, each scaling means comprises a sealing member on one ofthe valve members and a co-operative sealing seat on the other of the valve members. In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 8, there Is a sealing member, and therefore a sealing seat on each ofthe valve members. Referring to Figure 2, the first valve member 12 comprises a plug or plunger 38 baving a stem projecting from its back end. On its front end the plunger has a forwardly extending annular rim providing the sealing member 42 of the first valve member. The sealing seat 44 of the first valve member comprises an annular compressible member, preferably made from neoprene, fitted within the annular rim defining the sealing member 42. The sealing seat 44 is held in place by being fitted in an annular grove 4 8 provided in a forwardly projecting boss 46 ofthe plunger. It will be seen that the annular rim ofthe sealing member 42 projects beyond the sealing seat 44.

The second valve member 14 is itself an annular member having a fluid passage 50 passing through it. At its upper end it is bevelled to form the sealing member 52 carried by the second valve member. A projecting annular collar made ofa compressible material such as neoprene provides the sealing seat 54 carried by the second valve member. This scaling seat is engaged in an annular groove 56 below the sealing member 52. Below the sealing seat 54 the second valve member is externally threaded at 58 to enable it to be screwed into the diaphragm 26 of the valve body 16 as already described with reference to Figure 1.

When the second valve member is fitted to the diaphragm it is possible to regard the rest of the valve body as farming part of the second valve member. indeed, the second valve member can be made as an integral part of the valve body.

In Figure 2 the first valve member 12 is shown in an open position spaced clear of the second valve member 14 so that the passage 50 through the second valve member is open to fluid tiow therethrough. In Figure 4 the first valve member 12 is shown moved to its first 1533W-I COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-APR-20 04 15-'30 A J PARK 64 4 472 3352 P. I/23 -7closed position against the second valve member 14. In this case one of the sealing means is operative to close the passage 50 while the other sealing means is not. More particularly, it can be seen that the sealing member 42 of the plunger 38 of the first valve member is seated on the sealing seat 54 of the second valve member but the sealing member 52 of the second valve member is still clear of the scaling seat 44 of the plunger, Even though only one of the sealing means is operative the passage 50 through the second valve member 14 is closed to fluid flow. In Figure 5 a greater force has been applied to the first valve member to move it even closer to the second valve member so that both first and second scaling means are operative, the sealing member 52 now being seated against the sealing seat 44, The movement of the first valve member 14 from its first closed position to its second closed position is permitted by the compression of the sealing seat 54 by the sealing member 42, The underside of the sealing seat 54 is normally supported by the diaphragm 26 of the valve body 16 as can be seen in Figure 1, The sten 40 of the frst valve member 12 fits within a bore 60 at the inner end of the spindle 36 and is normally rotatable in this bore. The valve 10 is a check or non-return valve which blocks return flow opposite to the normal flow direction. In this check valve the stem 40 is also axially reciproable in the bore 60 and the fist valve member 12 is biased towards its first closed position. The bias is preferably provided by means of a helical coil spring 62 fitted about the stem between the back end of the plunger 38 and the inner end of the spindle 36 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 shows the position of the inner end of the spindle 36 when the handle 34 shown in Figure 1 has been turned to open the valve. In thi ease a sufficient fluid pressure at the inlet end of the conduit 18 will counteract the effect of the spring 62 and move the first valve member 12 from a closed position to an open position permitting fluid flow through the passage 50 in the second valve member. An insufficient inlet pressure will have the first valve member move back to the closed position under the influence of the spring so that reverse fluid flow from outlet to inlet is preventedL When the handle 34 of the valve is turned to close the valve the spindle 36 is moved towards the second valve member 14, firstly compressing the spring 62 between the inner 1533 COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-PPR-2004 15:31 A J PAK 64 4 472 3352 P.11/23 -8end of the spindle and the back of the plunger 38 and then pushing the first valve member from its first closed position to its second closed position as shown in Figure 5. In this case the valve is closed to fluid flow in either direction through the passage 50 in the second valve member. Furthermor, because both sealing means are operative thee is a reduced possibility of leakage through the passage When fluid is flowing through the check valve and the valve is being closed by use of the handle 34 the gape between the sealing member 42 on the phlger and the sealing seat 54 on the seond valve member and between the sealing member 52 on the second valve member and the sealing seat 44 on the plunger respectively are reducing in size. Both these reducing gaps act to throttle fluid flow until the first valve member reaches its first closed position when the fir sealing means becomes operative to stop fluid flow altogether. It is thought that this double throttling prior to closure of the valve helps reduce the water hammer effect mentioned previously. Experiments have indicated that it is desirable to have the first sealing means located radially outside the second sealing means but it is possible to have the first sealing means located inside the second sealing means.

In Figure 6 the first and second valve members have been modified to improve the seal between the sealing member 52 on the second valve member and the sealing seat 44 on the first valve member. In particular, the seat 44 has been shaped to increase the area ofoontact with the sealing member 52. Furthermore, to facilitate replacement of the sealing seat 44 it is held in place by a cap 64 secured to the boss 46 by a screw 66. The sealing seat 54 ofthe second valve member is not hold in a groove but is simply secured between a flanged portion 68 at the upper end ofthe valve member and the diaphragm 26 ofthe valve body 16 when the second valve member is screwed into the diaphragm.

The above has described some preferred embodiments of the present invention and has indicated some possible modifications. It should be realised that these embodiments arc given by way of example only and that various other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as has been broadly defined. In particular, the shape and configuration ofthe first and second valve members, mid of their sealing means, 153380-1 COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-fAPR-2004 15:31 A J PRK 64 4 472 3358 P.12/23 -9can differ from those described and illustrated. The valve seats 44 and 54 can be made of materials other than neoprene. These materials, and the materials from which the other parts of the valve are made, will depend on factors such as the nature of the fluid and the pressmures and temperanmres at which the valve is designed to operate. Likewise the shape and configuration of the other valve components, such as the valve body, will depend on the purpose for which the valve has been designed.

A preferred valve is mostly made of metal, for example, stainless steel. The sealing seats 44,54 are made of neoprene or other suitable rubber. Where the sealing members 42,52 make contact with their respective sealing seats 54 and 44, the metal of the sealing members (which metal is preferably stainless steel) is preferably ceramic coated to provide hard, heat and/or wear-resistant surfaces so that the valve can be used satisfwactorily with fluids at high temperatures and/or carrying abrasive particles. Where the scaling members 42,52 are ceramic coated, the risk of cracking the coating is reduced by ensuring that the first and second members 12, 14 do not come into contact with each other or with other hard surfaces but make firm contact with only the resilient material of the sealing seats 44, 54 in use.

The material of the sealing seats 44, 54 may be reinforced, for example, by annular reinforcing members, which may be metal washers 70,72 (shown in Figure 6) embedded in the neoprene or other resilient material of the valve seats.

The preferred check valve which has been described and illustrated has a handle 34 attached to a spindle 36. In another embodiment of the invention these parts may be omitted in which case the stem 40 ofthe first valve member could be axiallyreciprocable in a bore provided dhirectly in the bonnet 32. In this case it would take a sufficiently large enough back pressure to force the first valve member from its first closed position to its second closed position.

Although a preferred check and control valve has been described having two sealing means (and which therefore reduces the likelihood of leakage over a valve having only a single 153380-I COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-AcPR-20034 15:32 A 3 PARK 64 4 472 335e P.13/23 sealing means), the valve can have only one, or more than two, sealing means, in the former cae, where the valve ha only one sealing means, the second sealing means shown in the figures (provided by the sealing member 52 on the second valve member and the sealing seat 44 on the first valve member) is prcfcrubly omitted and the first sealing means (provided by the sealing member 42 on the first valve member and the sealing seat 54 on the second valve member) retained. Alternatively, in the latter case, where the valve has more than two sealing means, any two or more of the sealing means can seal simultaneously. In this case, there Is preferably one sealing means which scals before or even after the other sealing means. In any case, the sealing members can be carried by one of the valve members and the saling seats by the other of the valve members.

While the valve of Figure I is shown in a form suitable for connection in a pipeline it can also be adapted for use as a conventional water tap, whether fir domestic, commercial or industrial use.

The check and control valve of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in a feeder line from a water main to the property of a user, for example, a household or business. A usual requirement is that these feeder lines incorporate one-way valves to prevent any backflow from the property into the water main. Another requirement is that these check valves should require a certain pressure dift ertial between the water main and the normal outlet end of the feeder line before water from the water main can flow through them to the property. In New Zealand, a typical required pressure differential is 7 kpa. A reason for requiring the pressur differential is in case work has to be done on the water main. After the work has been completed, the main can be flushed with water at aplure low enough that the dirty flush water will not flow past the valve from the water main to the property. When the water main has been flushed, clean water is supplied by the water main at a pressure high enough to be able to pass the valves.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the valve for this purpose is that using the first and second valve members 12, 14 shown in Figure 8 in the valve body shown in Figures 9-13.

This body has been designed to improve fluid flow through it compared with the body of 153O5-1 COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 fD-m lflr2- tA A R It-Dd A J -IGK 64 4 472 3356 P. 14/'23 the valve shown in Figure 1. The intention is to reduce turbulence and hence reduce head or press=re losses caused by the valve.

Returning to Figure 8, the differecs between the first valve 12 shown compared with that of Figure 6 are that the sealing seat 44 has an exposed outer surfae that slopes towards the sealing member 42, preferably at an angle of about 27 degrees, and the rim of the sealing member 42 is inwardly beveled or radiused. In comparing the second valve member 14 of Figure 8 with that of Figure 6. the sealing seat 54 has been replaced by an O-ring 54a. The purpose of this O-ring is simply to ensure that the second valve member 14 is sealed in its seat in the diaphragm 26 of the valve body 16 when fitted to it.

Adjacent the sealing member 52, the second valve member has an annular groove about its external periphery in which is fitted another O-ring 74. It is this O-ring contacting the sealing member 42 that provides the first sealing means as the first valve member 12 is pushed into contact with the second valve member 14. When the first valve member is pushed sufficiently further onto the second valve member, then the scaling member 52 contacts the sealing seat 44 to give effect to the second sealing means, as before. At this stage there are effectively two seals operating.

With this type of valve inserted in a feeder line between a water main and a property, the first valve member is set so that only the first sealing means is operative, that being to prevent backilow from the property to the water main. However, when water is drawn at the property by, for example, a tap being turned on, the rcsulting pressure differential causes the first valve member 12 to open against the force of the spring 62 (see Figure 4) allowing water to flow from the water main to the property. When the tap on the property is turned off, the spring causes the first valve member 12 to close sufficiently for the first sealing mean to become effective again. However, the valve may be closed completely by the handle 34 (see Figure 1) being turned to make both first and second scaling means effective (see Figure That enables work to be done on the feeder line on the property side of the valve or on other parts of the water supply system on the property. With the first valve member 12 set in other positions, short of making the second sealing means effective, 1533W0-I COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29 29-PR-2004 15:32 A J PARK 64 4 472 3358 P.15/23 a greater or lesser resistance can be set requiring a greater or lesser pressure differential to cause opening of the valve to allow water to flow through it.

The invention has been particularly described with respect to a globe valve. However, as has been stated, the invention is also applicable to angle valves and gate valves and other like types of lift valve where both oheck and control functions are required.

15338.I COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29

Claims (8)

1. A check ad control valve including: a control means, a first valve member, a second valve member which has a fluid passage therethrough, and first sealing means carried by the first and second valve members; the first valve member being moveable relative to the second valve member between an open position where the fluid passage is open and a first closed position where the fluid passage is dosed by the first sealing means; the first valve member being biased away from the open position toward the closed position; and the control means being moveable relative to the second valve member to progmively limit movement of the first valve member from the closed position toward the open position.

2. A check and control valve as claimed in clam 1, wherein the valve has a valve body to which the second valve member is fixedly mounted, the control means is an axially moveable control spindle which is mounted through an apertme in the valve body, and the first valve member is reciprocably mounted to an inner end of the spindle.

3. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 2 and which includes a helical coil spring located coaxially about the inner end of the spindle, wherein the coil spring provides the bias of the first valve member toward the dosed position.

4. A check and control valve as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein the scaling means includes a sealing member on either one of the valve members and a co- operative sealing seat on the other of the valve members.

5. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 4 wherein the sealing member is located on the first valve member and the sealing seat is located on the second valve member.

6. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 4 wherein the sealing member is located on the second valve member and the sealing seat is located on the first valve member. 1'53380- COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29

29-nPR-2004 15:33 A I PAIRK 64 4 472 335e P.17/23 14- 7. A check and control valve as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein the first and second valve members carry a second sealing means, the fluid passage is not dosed by the second scaling means when the first valve member is in the first dosed position; and the control means is moveable relative to the second valve member to move the first valve member moveable relative to the second valve member to a second dosed position where the fluid passage is closed by both the first and second sealing means. 8. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein a greater force is required to move the first valve member from its first closed position to its second closed position than is required to move it from its open position to its first closed position. 9. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherin the first sealing means includes a resiliently compressible means which is compressed when the first valve member moves from its first closed position to its second closed position. A check and control valve as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the two sealing means are annular and concentric. 11. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first sealing means is located outside the second sealing means. 12. A check and control valve as claimed in any one of claim 7 to 1l. whein the second sealing means includes a sealing member on eith= one of the valve members and a co-operative sealing seat on the other of the valve membem. 13. A check and control valve as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sealing member ofthe first sealing means is located on one of the valve members and the sealing member of the second scaling means is located on the other of the valve members.

153330-1 COMS ID No: SMBI-00726391 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:19 Date 2004-04-29