GB2067718A - Multi-way valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-way valve includes a housing (10) provided with fluid conduits and a rotatable valve plug (14) inserted into a corresponding bore (12) in housing (10). The valve plug (14) comprises pocket-like recesses (34), (36) in its circumference, which recesses serve to establish a fluid communication between selected said fluid conduits. A coating of plastics material covers completely the axial area of the pocket-like recesses (34), (36) and both axially adjacent locations thereof. The coating may include circumferentially extending sealing beads (30), (32), for forming a seal against the environment, and axially extending sealing beads (38) which extend from one circumferential bead to the other. The latter sealing beads seal the recesses (34), (36) against flow communication with fluid conduits which are in a shut off condition. The circumferential surface of the valve plug is preferably cone- shaped. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Multi-way valve The present invention relates to a multi-way valve including a housing provided with a plurality of connection joints, a bore arranged inside of said housing and a plurality of fluid conduits arranged in said housing and opening into said bore, whereby at preselected rotational positions of said rotatable valve body fluid communication between selected of said conduits is established.

The valve body of known multi-way valves have been customarily provided with bores or channels, respectively, with which respective conduits in the valve housing can selectively be brought into communication with each other in accordance with a respective rotational position of the valve body. Such arrangement causes, however, trouble in such cases where the valve body must be corrosion proof whilst small nominal diameters prevail. In order to render such valve body corrosion proof a coating by a plastics material, specifically an elastomeric material is resorted to.

If now the bores within such valve body prior to the application of such coating are extremely small, there exists the possibility and danger that they will become clogged during the application of such coating or will be deficiently coated, where against if such bores are made after the application of such coating, such obviously cuts through the coating such that these locations are not corrosion proof.

The present invention provides an improved construction of a multi-way valve having a corrosion proof coated valve body without the danger of clogging connecting bores, the multiway valve comprising pocket-like recesses arranged in the circumferential surface of its valve body intended to establish a fluid communication between predetermined fluid conduits in the valve housing and comprising further a coating of a plastics material covering completely the valve body at the axial area of the pocket-like recesses and at both axially adjacent locations thereof acting as seal to seal against the environment.

The coating may comprise bead-like seals of coating material extending in axial and circumferential direction of the valve body such to seal the fluid conduits against each other as well as to seal the pocket-like recesses against the environment and the valve may have a cone-like shaped valve body such to obtain a perfect sealing at the valve body circumference, yet at the same time requiring a small torque for rotating such valve body.

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a view of an axial section of a multiway valve for differential pressure apparatuses; and Fig. 2 is a view of a section along line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in Fig. 1 a valve housing 10 comprising a tapered bore 12 for receipt of a valve body 14. The housing 10 is provided with four internal conduits 56, 58, 60, 62 leading to connection joints 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26, respectively, formed at the housing 10. These connection joints 1 6 and 1 8 are intended for a direct coupling of the valve to a measuring transducer. The valve body 14 is inserted into the tapered bore 12 of the housing 10 and comprises a corresponding substantially tapered shape and is provided at its narrower end projecting out of the housing 10 with two parallel extending surfaces 50 which are intended to be engaged by an operating member such as a wrench.The thicker end 64 of the valve body 12 rests against a cup spring 52 which bears in turn against a circlip 54 received in mentioned bore 12. Due to the spring action of the cap spring 52 the valve body 14 is urged together with its sealing beads manufactured of rubber or caoutchouc, respectively, against the inner wall 66 of the tapered bore 12. There are provided two circumferentially extending beads 30 and 32 each acting as a seal sealing against the ambient.

Furthermore, there are provided four axially extending sealing beads 38 extending from the one circumferential sealing bead 30 to the other circumferential sealing bead 32. The object of the four axially extending sealing beads 38 is to seal circumferentially extending areas of the valve body 12 located between the two sealing beads 30 and 32 from each other. In the surface areas of the valve body 14 pocket-like recesses 34 and 36 are provided in sections intermediate of the two circumferential sealing beads 30, 32. These pocket-like recesses 34, 36 are to bring individual conduits 56, 58, 60, 62 into communication with each commensurate with the individual rotational or switching, respectively, positions of the valve body 14.

The circumferentially extending beads 30 and 32 as well as the axially extending beads 38 are parts of a coating of an oil resistant rubber, which coating acts as a protective coating covering completely the surface area of the valve body 14 extending between the two circumferential beads 30, 32. Accordingly, any surface area located between the beads, specifically the recesses 34, 36 defining the path of communication between individual conduits are covered by a protective layer of rubber. In order to define the individual rotational positions of the valve 14 a not particularly shown ball notch arrangement or similar means is provided in the housing 10, which arrangement cooperates with a position indicator 48 mounted on the valve body.

While there is shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (5)

1. A multi-way including a housing provided with a plurality of connection joints, a bore arranged inside of said housing and a rotatable valve body received in said bore, a plurality of fluid conduits arranged in said housing and opening into said bore, whereby at preselected rotational positions of said rotatable valve body fluid communication between selected of said conduits is established, pocket-like recesses arranged in the circumferential surface of said valve body intended to establish a fluid communication between predetermined of said fluid conduits, and a coating of a plastics material covering completely said valve body at the axial area of said pocket-like recesses and at both axially adjacent locations thereof acting as seal to seal against the environment.

2. The multi-way valve of claim 1, wherein said plastics coating comprises a plurality of beads projecting from the circumferential surface area of said valve body, whereby beads serving to seal against the environment extend circumferentially of said valve body, and whereby further beads serving to seal fluid conduits against each other extend along the surface area of said valve body at locations between said pocket-like recesses in an axial direction from one of said circumferentially extending beads to another of said circumferentially extending beads.

3. The multi-way valve of claim 1, wherein said valve body comprises at the axially extending area of said coating of plastics material a cone-like shape.

4. The multi-way valve of claim 1, wherein coating of plastics material is a coating of an elastomeric material.

5. A multi-way valve according to claim 1 substantially as herein described and as illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.