GB2259130A

GB2259130A - Fluid control valve

Info

Publication number: GB2259130A
Application number: GB9118697A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Douglas Parmiter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-31
Filing date: 1991-08-31
Publication date: 1993-03-03
Also published as: GB9118697D0

Abstract

A fluid control valve has a rotatable disc 8, in which are two flow apertures 11a, 11b: the disc aligns with a fixed element 13 which also has two flow apertures 12a, 12b permitting fluid flow through the valve. Both elements have elastomeric seals 15 bonded to their abutting faces and are housed within a valve body 1. The disc may be rotated through 90 DEG by means of a pin inserted through a slot 6 to engage in a blind bore 7 thereby turning the apertures out of alignment and preventing fluid flow. The elastomeric seals may be formed from an ethylene-propylene copolymer, and may be coated with a low-friction polymer (such as PTFE) to reduce wear. The valve may be used in central heating systems to allow radiators to be removed without draining them. <IMAGE>

Description

FLUID FLOW CONTROL VALVE The present invention is concerned with fluid flow control valves and particularly,but not exclusively,valves suitable for use with radiators of wet central heating systems.

There are many known types of fluid flow control valves in which a movable valve element in the form of a rotatable spherical member,cone or sliding gate is employed. Valves of this type are disclosed in,for example,U.K. Specifications 1050428;2084295; 2074697;2121144 and 2213912. The latter discloses a valve which comprises a movable valve member which can be rotated within the the main body of the valve so as to allow fluid communication through the valve when in an open position but to prevent such such fluid communication when rotated to a closed position. This valve is provided with a separate intermediate sealing means located adjacent to the valve member.A problem sometimes encountered with this arrangement is that the sealing means may be subjected to shear forces during use,which can possibly result in breakage or damage to the sealing means.

The present invention is an improved fluid control valve designed to alleviate such problems.

According to the present invention tnere is provided a fluid flow control valve including a body formed with a cylindrical bore having an hole, port and en outlet port,a valve member being a rocataDIe fit within said bore,sai valve member cprising a cylindrical element having a first elastomeric layer secured to a first face thereof,said first elastomeric layer comprising an annular overlapping section extending around a peripheral region of said first face,and a first plastics layer,zihich is bonded to to said elastomeric layer and is remote from said cylindrical element of said valve member,said elastomeric layer being substantiAy continuous between said first face and said first plastics layer and,can be arranged to form a substantially continuous seal with a contacting region of said valve body. Said valve member having at least one aperture therethrough,at least one end of the or each aperture being eccentric,said one end being provided on an outer face of said first plastics layer and sealed against an abutting face of the body or of a body member located with a close fit therin,said abutting face of said body or body member substantially consisting of a second plastics layer bonded to a second elastomeric layer,said second elastomeric layer being secured to said body or said body member as described for said valve member,whereby said abutting face of said body or said body member is slidably movable in a rotatable manner relative to said outer face of said valve member,said body or body member having at least one aperture therethrough,at least one end of the or each aperture in the body or body member being eccentric at said abutting face and alignable at a first position of rotation of the valve member,with the aperture or one of the apertures in the valve member; and at a second position of rotation,with the eccentric apertures of the valve member and of the body or of the body member out of alignment,thus inhibiting the the passage of fluid through the valve,such that in use when said valve member is in said second position,said elastomeric layers provide a positive leakage barrier to fluid communication through said valve.

Preferably the or each aperture through the valve member is parallel to the bore axis and does not embrace said axis and furthermore the or each aperture through the body or body member is parallel to the bore axis and does not embrace said axis. At the outer face of the valve member and at the abutting face of the body or te body member, the apertures through the valve member and through the body or body member are of the same size and shape.

Convenientiy,tere are a pair of said apertures in the valve ve member and in the body member,the pair being'located on a diameter through the axis and on opposite sides thereof. Each aperture,at least at the outer face of the valve member and at the abutting face of the body or the body member,may be CE circuiar shape: of course other shapes such as a quadrant may be used.

Preferably,the elastomeric layers comprise an ethylene-propylene copolymer (such as EPDM). Preferably,the plastics layers comprise a flurocarbon,such as PTFE,or any other suitable low friction polymeric material (such as silicone or other flurocarbon). The elastomeric layers when subjected to pressure can be urged to extend outwards from the valve member and thus form a seal with the valve body. The plastics layers are present to reduce friction between the elastomer layers so as to facilitate relative sliding movement therebetween.

A part circumferential slot may be formed through the body,opposite a blind radial hole into the rotatable valve member,whereby a pin, rod or other elongate element may be inserted through the slot into the hole and moved along the slot to rotate the valve member about the axis.

The valve according to the present invention is particularly suitable for use as an auxiliary valve in a central heating radiator valve; in this case the valve according to the invention is preferably that the valve member can be rotated between a first position,in which liquid communication is permitted between the main valve and the radiator,and a second position in which such liquid communication is prevented. The use of such an auxiliary valve can permit the radiator to be removed without draining. Alternatively,the valve according to the invention may be used for purposes such as oil or gas pipelines or the like.

Thereis furher provided by the present invention a kit which comprises a fluid flow control valve as hereinbefore described and an elongate element suitable for insertion into the slot of the valve body and also into the blind hole of the valve member.

The invention will now be illustrated,by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a valve according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, generally cylindrical Valve Body (1) Ls provided with a peripheral groove (2) on a part-sphericai seating (3) for the purpose of locating an '0' sealing ring (4): this partsperical seating allows connection to an adjacent component. The opposite end of the valve body has,preferably,a standard thread (5) to enable connection to,for example,a wet system central heating radiator or onto which a nut on an adjacent component can be screwed.

A part circumferential slot (6) in the valve Body allows an appro pilate tool such as a pin or rod (not shown) to be inserted so that it can locate into a blind bore (7) in the cylindrical Valve Disc element (8),thereby permitting the disc to be rotated within the valve body.

Disc element (8) fits snugly within the internal bore of the valve Body Body and is provided with a stepped surface(9*for locating an 'O' sealing ring (10). The Disc has eccentric throughbores (lla) and (llb) arranged such that when they are aligned with throughbores (12a) and (12b) in the cylindrical body member (13) -which is a non-rotatable element - they always permit fluid communication therethrough.

Body member (13) is a Fixed cylindrical Insert tightly fitting within the valve Body,having eccentric throughbores (12a) and (12b) which are arranged such that they align with throughbores (lla) and (llb) in Disc (8) when the latter is in the 'Open' position. Thus Disc(8) can be freely rotated,preferably through 909,to selectively either permit or prevent fluid communication via the said througbores.

The upper surface (14) of Insert (13) is provided with a sealing layer (15) - usually comprising an ethylene propylene copolymer which extends around an outer peripheral region of surface (14).

Layer (15),when subjected to pressure can form a continuous seal around part of Insert (13) with the internal walls of valve Body (1).

The upper surface of layer (15) is coated with an outer layer of PTFE.

Disc element (8) similarly comprises a sealing layer preferably coated with an outer surface layer of PTFE as previously described for body Insert element (13).

The valve according to the invention is particularly suitable for use in installations where both sides of the valve are under fluid pressure,such as,for example,wet central heating systems or other plumbing installations.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A fluid flow control valve including a body formed with a cylindrical bore having an inlet port and an outlet port,a cylindrical valve member being a rotatable fit within said bore,the valve member having at least one aperture therethrough,at least one end of the or each aperture being eccentric,said one end being sealed against a face of the body or of a body member located with a close fit therein, said body or body member having at least one aperture therethrough, at least one end of the or each aperture in the body or body member being eccentric at said face and alignable,at a first position of rotation of the valve member,with the aperture or one of the apertures in the valve member,and at a second position of rotation,with the eccentric apertures of the valve member and of the body or of the body member out of alignment,so as to inhibit passage of fluid through the valve,sealing means being provided between said valve member and said body or body member at said face,such that when said valve member is in said second position of rotation,said sealing means at said face provides a positive leakage barrier at said face to fluid communica tion between the or each aperture in said valve member and the or each respective aperture in said body member.

2. A fluid flow control valve according to claim 1, in which the or each aperture through the valve member is parallel to the bore axis and does not embrace said axis.

3. A fluid flow control valve according to claim 1 or 2, in which the or each aperture through the body or body member is parallel to the bore axis and does not embrace said axis.

4. A fluid flow control valve according to any preceding claim,in which, at said face,the apertures through the valve member and through the body or body member are of the same size and shape.

5. A fluid flow control valve according to any preceding claim,in which there is a pair of said apertures in the valve member and in the body member,the pair being located on a diameter through the axis and on opposite sides thereof.

6. A fluid flow control valve according to any preceding claim,in which each aperture,at least at said face,is of quadrant shape with the apex towards the axis.

7. A fluid flow control valve according to any preceding claim,in which an elastomeric seal is provided around the or each aperture at said face.

0. A fluid flow controi valve according to any preceding clai,in which a part circuferenial slot is formed through the body,opposite a blind radial hole into the valve member,whereby a pin or rod may be inserted through the slot into the hole and moved along the slot to rotate the valve member about the axis.

9. A fluid flow control valve according to any preceding claim,wherein said valve member is provided with sealing means on the face remote from said one end,such that said valve is sealed against leakage when both said inlet port and said outlet port are under hydraulicpressure.

10. A fluid flow control valve,constructed and arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.