AU612107B2 - A valve component for a frictionless guided valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A composite valve plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve comprises an outer valve closure member (8) having a central aperture (9) and a planar guide member (1) locatable in said central aperture (9) and being capable or providing frictionless guidance of the valve closure member (8), with said guide member (1) being locatable within said aperture (9) by location means (4, 5, 6).

Description

PCT

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION International Bureau -AU-Al-6771 4 8 7 FION TREATY (PCT) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED (51) International Patent Classification 4 F04B 39/10, F16K 15/08 Al (43) International Publication Date: 2 July 1987 (02.07.87) (21) International Application Number: PCT/GB86/00756 (22) International Filing Date: 11 December 1986 (11.12.86) SE (European patent), US.

Published With international search report.

(31) Priority Application Number: 8531550 (32) Priority Date: (33) Priority Country: 21 December 1985 (21.12.85)

GB

f\ 4I 4)0) DIRECTION SEE FOLIO VqAlVli DIRECThED \Pt~t i5b -;'AA.I 13 AUG 1f987

AUSTRALIAN

JUL 1987 SPATENT

OFFICE

(54) Title: A VALVE COMPONENT FOR A FRICTIONLESS GUIDED VALVE /^3 3 2 c <2b (57) Abstract L A composite valve plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve comprises an outer valve closure member having a central aperture and a planar guide member locatable in said central aperture and being capable or providing frictionless guidance of the valve closure member with said guide member being locatable within said aperture (9) by location means 5, 6).

WO 87/03934 PCT/GB86/00756 1 A valve component for a frictionless guided valve.

The present invention relates to a valve component for use as part of a plate-type non-return valve and more particularly to a frictionless guide member for use with a valve closure member whereby a composite valve plate is formed. It is envisaged the valve closure member and the composite valve plate also form part of the present invention.

Hitherto in frictionless guided valves, valve plates are known which have been integrally formed of steel and have mainly comprised a main outer, annular valve closure portion normally provided with arcuate slots for the passage of air or other gases, and guide means located centrally of the valve closure portion to provide what is termed "frictionless guidance" with said guide means leading to mounting means which, in use in a valve, are clamped in position between the seat and guard of the valve. Hitherto known valve plates have been totally formed of steel or if formed of another material have been integrally formed i.e. the valve closure portion and the guide therefor have been one-piece.

Proposals have been made to form valve plates of titanium or plastics material or material other than steel but difficulties have bean encountered. With a plate formed of titanium or plastics material,a considerable reduction in the weight of the plate can be achieved which is of considerable advantage since the inertia of the plate is reduced and the operation of a valve incorporating such a plate is enhanced.

However, difficulties are experienced as a result of the poor flexing and wear characteristics of the central guide means which has detracted from the advantages resulting from the savings in weight.

According to tha'present invention a guide member for use as part of a plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve zu verwenden. Im Falle frueherer Anmeldung(en), die vor den zuerst in Paragraph 2 erwaehnten gemacht worden ist/sind, jedoch diese fruehere(n) Anmeldung(en) ist/sind zurueckgezogen, aufgegeben oder verweigert und nicht zur oeffentlichen Einsicht freigegeben worden, muss diese Seite ebenso wie die Vorderseite ausgefuellt werden.

Ein Beisatz nach Paragraph 4 ist erwuenscht zur Klarstellung, ob die Anmeldung(en) zurueckgezogen, aufgegeben oder verweigert worden ist/sind und dass diese nicht zur oeffentlichen Einsicht freigegeben worden ist/sind.

FO 3 21-0 IM 9/85 -2comprises a flat valve closure member having an inner periphery defining a central region oraperture and a guide member for the valve closure member having central mounting means for mounting the plate locatable.or located in the region or said central aperture with said guide member also having at least one flexible guide arm capable of providing frictionless guidance of the valve closure member; characterised by the feature that with the guide member located in the central region or aperture the portion or portions bymeans of which the guide member is connected to the closure member lies or lie wholly within the space defined between the planes in which the opposite surfaces of the valve closure member lie, and that the whole of the at least one flexible guide arm lies within the region or aperture defined by the inner periphery of the valve closure member.

The guide member will be of a material such as will exhibit the required flexibility and wear characteristics and will normally be of steel as used in known integrally formed valve plates. The guide member will generally be flat or lie o o* in a single plane. The guide member will be of a thickness S such as to exhibit the required resilience and flexibility and may be of a constant thickness or have reduced thickness portions to provide enhanced characteristics as may be desired. The central mounting means may be a central hub S* portion preferably with a central circular aperture therein or may be formed from separate arm portions leading inwardly from an outer continuous mounting portion. The central mounting means will have locating means such as cut out portions to ensure correct location of the member as is known in the central portions of known valve plates.

The guide member will normally be integrally formed of one piece material preferably steel and be locatable in a specially formed valve closure member so as to provide for AT frictionless guidance thereof in desired manner.

i c I e -3 The valve closure plate will preferably comprise a generally annular or otherwise shaped plate member with through passages formed therein and having a central aperture therein for retainably receiving the guide member therein which is to provide frictionless guidance for the valve closure member.

The valve closure member is normally of a material of lesser density than steel and may be of any desired form and may be shaped to correspond to the valve closure portions of known integrally formed plate valve members there being absent the central frictionless guidance portion and mounting portion and there being provided means for enabling location 0 of the guide member centrally of the valve closure member.

The means for permitting location of the guide member centrally of the valve closure member may comprise a S circular groove or channel of any desired cross-section extending around the inner periphery of the valve closure ~member and being of such a shape as to cooperate with the outer mounting means of a guide member so as to retain such therein. If the guide member were to have on its outer periphery a number of spaced apart projections, then one arrangement for location of the guide member might be to S provide slots running into a groove or channel in the inner periphery of the valve closure member so as to permit S insertion of the projections into said groove or channel and S retention by a twisting movement of the guide member relative to the valve closure member with subsequent positional retention being achieved by the locating pins etc. of the S valve to prevent undesired dislodgement of the guide member from the valve closure member.

As mentioned the location means will preferably be inter-cooperation means on the guide member and valve closure 3= member and preferably comprise an annular groove or channel in the inner periphery of the valve closure member lying in the same plane as the valve closure member and into which channel or groove spring arms in the form of an internal circlip may be locatable for retention purposes. Other location means may be provided by way of projections or rivetting or bonding or otherwise securing the guide member in position in the valve closure member.

It is of course important for the guide member to be restrained against rotation relative to the valve closure member so as to maintain the pasoages in alignment with appropriate parts in the valve housing etc., and in this respect means are provided to prevent rotation of the guide member in the location means about a central axis transverse to the member. Stop means may comprise a radially extending projection and corresponding radially extending recess which are cooperable to prevent the mentioned rotation and may be provided on the guide member and J I o g o ooooo ooooo* *o o ii II_ 1 WO 87/03934 PCT/GB86/00756 4 closure member or vice versa. The same considerations as regards resilience and flexibility and lateral stability of the guide member as exist with the frictionless guide portions of known valve plates, for example when the guide member insert according to the present invention is made of steel or any other material suitable to provide the necessary lateral stiffness i.e. to prevent undue movement of the valve closure member in the plane in which it lies whilst at the same time providing the requisite resilience for frictionless guidance with other required characteristics of, for example, long life.

It is also important for the guide member to find its own central position or location concentrically within the valve and in this respect when, for example, the outer mounting means are in the form of oppositely directed arcuate spring arms to provide an internal circlip arrangement locatable within a groove within the central periphery of the aperture of the valve closure member, it is important for such spring arms to flex outwardly in opposite directions in the plane in which the member lies so that when located in the groove or channel of the valve closure member the central mounting means etc. ensure that the valve closure member is concentrically located within the valve housing.

It is accordingly to be appreciated that the concept of the invention enables a composite valve plate to be provided wherein the outer valve closure member may benefit from materials which enhance valve efficiency, for example, when of titanium or certain plastics material considerable weight reduction and therefore reduction in inertia is achieved whilst at the same time providing the requisite desirable characteristics of frictionless guidance i.e. guidance without sliding contact.

The guide member will normally be made of steel as similar or equivalent to the central frictionless guide portions of known guide plates. It is of course to be appreciated 4 WO 87/03934 PCT/GB86/00756

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that the thickness of the plate from which the guide member is made and indeed the thickness of the guide member may be considerably less than the thickness of the valve closure member to provide the required resilient flexibility somewhat along the lines of the central frictionless guide portion of known valve plates wherein the resilient guide arms are made of reduced thickness relative to the remainder of the valve plate.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a guide member according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the guide member of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a composite valve plate according to the present invention incorporating the guide member of Figs. 1 and 2 and including an outer valve closure member also according to the present invention; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line X X of Fig. 3 but with the guide member being omitted.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a guide member 1 is illustrated comprising a central mounting means 2 in the form of an annular hub with cut-outs 2a, 2b for location purposes on pins within the valve housing (not shown). The hub 2 merges via a transition portion into a resiliently flexible spring arm or guide arm 3" which in the embodiment is concentric with thehub 2 clthough may in other embodiments be of spiral or other shape extension. The guide arm 3 merges via transition portion I 1 I i WO 87/03934 PCT/GB86/00756 into outer mounting means 4 and 5 comprising two oppositely directed resilient spring arms 4 and 5 which are spirally tapered and lead to enlarged end portions 4a and Sa which have apertures therein for receiving circlip pliers to enable the arms 4 and 5 to be moved together to permit insertion of the guide member within an outer valve closure member as will be described subsequently. It will be appreciated that the arms 4 and 5 have to be resiliently flexible in the plane of the guide member 1 and spring apart upon release of the circlip pliers to engage in the grooves of a valve closure member and preferably when in such engaged position there will be certain pressure on the groove walls to ensure some abutment contact. A projection 6 extends from one side of the guide member and is cooperable with a recess'7 in the valve closure member 8 to ensure that the guide member 1 and closure member 8 do not move relative to one another once the guide member has been located so as to ensure correct alignment of the valve closure member within a valve housing. The guide member 1 in this embodiment is formed of steel and is of a thickness and characteristic as to provide the required resilient flexibility to ensure pliable frictionless guidance whilst providing the necessary actual stability as is required with frictionless guidance portions of known integrally formed valve plate. The guide member 1 is of constant thickness although may be fashioned as desired.

The outer valve closure member 8 illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 in the embodiment is made of plastics material or may be formed of suitable metal such as titanium to provide desired characteristics such as lightweight relative to known valve plates or at least the known outer valve closure portions of known integrally formed valve plates.

It will be appreciated that the outer valve closure member may be of any suitable arrangement to close and open the valve ducts of a plate-type non-return valve and thus the particular i 1 i WO 87/03934 PCT/GB86/00756 arrangement is given by way of example only. The closure member 8 has a central circular aperture 9 and a continuous annual or groove 10 is provided as location means for the guide member 1 and receives the resilient arms 4 and A recess 7 is provided to cooperate with the projections 6 so as to permit the guide member 1 to be inserted in the central aperture 9 in the valve closure member 8 and for the arms 4 and 5 to be located in the groove 10 but is such as to prevent rotation of guide member 1 relative to closure member 2 once the location has been effected. Whilst the groove 10 in the section 4 is illustrated as being of rectangular section such may be of any suitable shape or may in fact be of lesser relief, i.e. of lesser depth.

It will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be effected without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in a valve plate arrangement whereby frictionless guidance or other guidance is effected by way of a guide portion being outwardly of the valve closure portion, the same considerations as regards composite construction and formation of the guide member of one suitable material and the valve closure member of another suitable and desirable material may be achieved.

Also whilst the present invention is generally related to a valve plate it is also considered to be within the scope of the present invention to provide an equivalent arrangement in a valve component such as guide washers, spring plates, cushion plates, damper plates and the like. As an example of an alternative arrangement for location of the guide member within the closure member, separate projections may be provided on the outer surface of the guide member almost in the form of castellations and be insertable via corresponding castellated recesses in the periphery of the central aperture of the valve closure member leading to a groove therein or grooves therein with suitable locking means to prevent removal -e< W.

WW-

WO 87/03934 PCT/GB86/00756 possibly somewhat in a manner of a bayonet clip arrangement.

Alternatively projections or rivets may be provided for the location and securement.

As a further development of the inventive concept of the present invention a composite valve plate comprises an integrally formed metal plate part having an outer portion encapsulated, embedded or otherwise bonded to a plastics material or other material of lesser density than that of the metal from which said plate is composed and an inner portion comprising central mounting means and at least one resiliently flexible guide arm extending outwardly from or located outwardly of said central mounting means and joining with theouter plate portion; said outer plate portion corresponding in shape to a valve closure portion or otherwise extending from said central portion to act as interconnection means with said plastics material which is shaped so as to form the valve closure part of the plate. This development of the concept enables the weight of thee valve plate to be reduced relative to known valve plates formed whrlly of metal whilst taking advantage of the desirable characteristics of resilience, flexibility and long life enjoyed by the frictionless guidance of metal plates i.e. normally of steel. The metal plate part may be formed in the shape of a known valve plate but with at least the valve closure portion being of considerably reduced thickness relative to known plates thereby achieving considerable weight reduction. The plastics material may be integrally moulded around the outer plate portion or form a laminate with two annular sheets bonded either side of the outer plate portion and forming the valve closure portion.

Claims (19)

1. A composite valve plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve comprising a flat valve closure member having an inner periphery defining a central region or aperture (9) and a guide member for the valve closure member having central mounting means for mounting the plate locatable or located in the region or said central aperture with said guide member also having at least one flexible guide arm (3) capable of providing frictionless guidance of the valve closure member characterised by the feature that with the guide 10 member located in the central region or .aperture the portion or portions 5, 10) by means of which the guide member i is connected to the closure member lies or lie wholly i within the space defined between the planes in which the opposite surfaces of the valve closure member lie, and that the whole of the at least one flexible guide arm lies within the region or aperture defined by the inner periphery of the valve closure member 0

2. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 1, in which in the unstressed condition of the valve plate the whole of the guide member lies in said space defined by said planes.

3. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in .which the guide member is securable to said closure member 25 by location means 5, 10) which comprise inter- cooperation means 10) on the guide member and the valve closure member

4. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 3, in which the location means comprises an annular groove or channel in the inner periphery of the valve closure member lying in 'the same plane as the valve closure member and into which groove pr channel spring arms 5) extending i ^SAQ from the rsilient- arm of the guide member in the form of an internal circlip are locatable for retention purposes. U6- i- A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which means are provided to prevent rotation of the guide member in the location means (10) about a central axis transverse to the guide member

6. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 5, in which the rotation prevention means comprise stop means in the form of a radially extending projection of the guide member (1) and a corresponding radially extending recess located within the annular groove (10) which are cooperable to prevent

9. ~the mentioned rotation of the guide member .99. 7. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the valve closure member is of titanium or plastics material, or other material which enhances valve efficiency and achieves considerable weight reduction and S therefore reduction in inertia; and the guide member is made of steel similar or equivalent to the central frictionless guide portions of known guide plates. *99999 8. A composite valve member as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, in which the closure member is of a material of lesser density than steel or of the material from which the guide ooo member is made. o 9. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to S 8, in which the thickness of the guide member is .9.99. S considerably less than the thickness of the valve closure member to provide the required resilient flexibility. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said central mounting means enables the guide member to be located in position in a valve, said at least one resiliently flexible guide arm extending outwardly from or located outwardly of said central mounting means and *I r i 'I 11 leading to or joining with outer mounting means which permits the guide member to be connected to or mounted on the valve closure member wherein said outer mounting means comprises two arms extending circularly from the end of the guide arm of the guide member in opposite directions and terminating with a space therebetween and being sufficiently resilient in the plane of the valve closure member with which it is to be used so as to be engageable with a corresponding circular groove or channel (10) in the inner periphery of the valve closure member when provided for receiving such in the manner of an internal circlip arrangement.

11. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 10, in which apertures are provided on the free ends (4a,5a) of the mounting arms to permit engagement by a suitable tool.

12. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 10 or 11, which is made of steel having characteristics of spring arms as used in known integrally formed valve plates.

13. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12, in which the guide member is generally flat or lies in a single plane.

14. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, in which the central mounting means of the guide member is a central hub portion A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 14, in which the central hub portion has a central circular aperture therein or is formed from separate arm portions leading inwardly from an outer continuous mounting portion. 'i -12-

16. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims to 15, in which the central mounting means has locAting means such as cut out portions (2a,2b) to ensure correct location of the member in a valve.

17. A composite valve plate as claimed in any .of claims to 16, in which the at least one flexible guide arm (3) extends spirally outwardly of the central mounting means which is a central hub portion and the arm (3) S10 runs into the outer mounting means 9S*S

18. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 0 10 to 17, in which the outer mounting means is provided with means to ensure correct position thereof relative to the valve closure member with which it is to be used. 0 0

19. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 18, in which the correct positioning means comprises an outwardly extending projection which cooperates with and is a 20 locatable in a corresponding recess in the inner periphery of the valve closure member A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 10 to 19, in which the outer mounting means are such as to coop- ate with reans (10) provided in the inner portion or. portions of the valve closure member to ensure adequate retention.

21. A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to in which the valve closure member comprises a generally annular or otherwise shaped plate member of titanium, plastics material or of other material of lesser density than steel and has through passages formed therein and having said central aperture therein for retainably receiving therein S the guide member -13-

22. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 21, in which the means for permitting location of the guide member (2) centrally of the valve closure member comprises a circular groove or channel (10) extending around the inner periphery of the valve closure member and being of such a shape as to co-operate with the outer mounting means of a guide member with which it is to be used so as to retain such therein.

23. A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 22, in which, where the means for permitting location of the guide member centrally comprises a number of spaced apart projections on the outer periphery, one arrangement for a°ol location of the guide member comprises the provision of slots running into a groove or channel in the inner periphery of the valve closure member so as to permit insertion of the S projections into said groove or channel and retention by a twisting movement of the guide member relative to the valve closure member with subsequent positional retention being achieved by locating pins of the valve to prevent undesired dislodgement of the guide member from the valve closure member. C AS

24. A composite valve plate comprising an outer valve closure plate having a central aperture in which there is a. guide member said guide member comprising an S integrally formed metal plate part having an inner portion comprising central mounting means defining a central aperture and at least one resiliently flexible guide arm extending outwardly from or located outwardly of said central mounting means and joining with an outer metal plate portion which is connected to said valve closure plate characterised by the feature that said at least one flexible guide arm is located wholly within said central aperture of the valve closure plate and said outer metal plate portion is encapsulated or embedded in or otherwise bonded to the valve -14- closure plate ana that the valve closure plate is formed totally of plastics material or other material of lesser density than that of the metal from which said metal plate part is composed. Dated this 13th day of February

1991. DAVID GODFREY WILLIAMS and MICHAEL ROUTLEDGE, By their Patent Attorneys, RK. MADDERN A TOCATES 0 S 0005 0 OOOSOO S 0S 006 a 00 0 See C ~0* 00 t B. 0 0000 totes: *.s0 o 00 0