CA2362991C - Improved flexible rotor valve seal and ganged rotor valve incorporating same - Google Patents

Improved flexible rotor valve seal and ganged rotor valve incorporating same Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2362991C
CA2362991C CA002362991A CA2362991A CA2362991C CA 2362991 C CA2362991 C CA 2362991C CA 002362991 A CA002362991 A CA 002362991A CA 2362991 A CA2362991 A CA 2362991A CA 2362991 C CA2362991 C CA 2362991C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
rotor
seal
cylindrical
disc
valve
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA002362991A
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French (fr)
Other versions
CA2362991A1 (en
Inventor
David J. Barbuto
Theodore T. Evangelo
James B. Horman, Jr.
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Quality Controls Inc
Original Assignee
Quality Controls Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Quality Controls Inc filed Critical Quality Controls Inc
Publication of CA2362991A1 publication Critical patent/CA2362991A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2362991C publication Critical patent/CA2362991C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16KVALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K11/00Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
    • F16K11/02Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
    • F16K11/06Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements
    • F16K11/072Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members
    • F16K11/076Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16KVALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K11/00Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
    • F16K11/02Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
    • F16K11/08Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only taps or cocks
    • F16K11/085Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only taps or cocks with cylindrical plug
    • F16K11/0856Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only taps or cocks with cylindrical plug having all the connecting conduits situated in more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16KVALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K5/00Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary
    • F16K5/08Details
    • F16K5/14Special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together
    • F16K5/18Special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together for plugs with cylindrical surfaces
    • F16K5/184Special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together for plugs with cylindrical surfaces with the plugs or parts of the plugs mechanically pressing the seals against the housing

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Multiple-Way Valves (AREA)
  • Check Valves (AREA)

Abstract

The present seal ( 10) is a disc of a rigid but deformable plastic, the top surface of which is cylindrical, and the bottom of which has a circular groove (12) containing a flexible sealing mechanism (15). This seal is suited for use in a ganged rotor valve (22) having two or more levels of independent fluid passageways through the rotor along the length thereof. Each level will usually have two independent L-shaped passageways (34, 35). The seal (10) of this invention fits into the rotor about each of the ends of the passageways (34, 35) to seal the passageway between the rotor and the valve body (22).

Description

IMPROVED FLEXIBLE ROTOR VALVE SEAL
AND GANGED ROTOR VALVE INCORPORATING SAME
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improved flexible rotor valve seal and an improved ganged rotor valve utilizing the seal.
More particularly, this invention is an improvement of the seal disclosed in Flexible Seal for Rotor Valves, U.S. 4,548,385, October 22, 1985, by one of the present inventors.
The improved seal permits the manufacture of a novel ganged multiway rotor valve, e.g.
an 8-way value.
The rotor valve seal ofU.S. 4,548,385 works excellently in the usual applications for which it was designed. However, when the valve has an extended rotor and a 1 o multiplicity of ports, the seal of the patent provides such a large contact area that rotor movement is unduly stiff or impeded requiring undue force to turn the rotor or a larger drive motor than may be necessary. Also, because the plastic of the seal expands with heating, it is desirable to reduce the mass thereof as much as possible.
The seal of the patent is characterized by having a rectangular shape that fits or slides into a flat-bottomed channel in the valve rotor that lies about the port to be sealed.
In a 4-way valve with the ports spaced 90 degrees about the rotor, 4 such seals would be used each having an opening registering with the ports of the rotor and valve body. The outer surface of the seal is curvilinear, mating with the curvature of the valve body. As is shown in the patent, the inner flat surface of the seal mates with the flat bottom of the 2 o channel in the rotor and has a circular groove about the port to be sealed which groove retains an O-ring.
ST TMM~ARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that the seal can be just, if not more effective, if it is circular rather than rectangular. This reduces the surface area of the seal in contact with the valve body and thus the force required to turn the rotor. The O-ring--the flexible sealing mechanism that energizes the seal--and its channel operate in the same manner as illustrated in the patent, except that the sealing force of the O-ring around the circumference of the port in the seal is more uniform, i.e. as the seal of the patent was rectangular, the force developed by the fluid pressure within the port against the inner, circular edge was not uniformly distributed around the outer portions of the seal.
The seal ofthis invention is then a disc of a rigid but deformable plastic, e.g. a glass or carbon fiber reinforced plastic, preferably one offering a low coefficient of sliding friction, such as a polytetrafluoroethylene. This disc is preferable machined but in some instances can be compression molded.
The disc, if not used to seal off an entry or exit port, has a central, circular port and its front surface is a portion of a cylindrical surface that is blemish free and without nicks and scratches. The front surface matches the curve of the valve body. The back surface of the disc is usually flat and has a circular groove therein equidistant about the central port to accommodate a flexible sealing mechanism, e.g. an O-ring. The depth of the groove preferably does not exceed 90 percent of the overall thickness of the seal.
While the back of the disc is usually flat, it can be convex or concave as the application may require.
The seal can have any diameter, e.g. from 0.5 to 100 inches, with 1 to 24 inches being common. The flexible sealing mechanism can be an O-ring or can be square in cross-section. Quad rings are particularly useful. The flexible sealing mechanism "energizes" the seal and is of a flexible elastomeric or deformable material such as Delrin or Teflon (trademarks of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.), a polyvinyl chloride, a polysulfone, a polyolefin (polyethylene), vulcanized rubber or the like.
2 o The impart a degree of toughness and resistance to damage and cold flow the plastic of the disc is preferably reinforced as with 15% to 35% glass or carbon fibers or brass or sintered steel powder or similar materials.
The improved ganged rotor valve of this invention permitted by the improved seal comprises a valve body having a cylindrical rotor chamber into which fits a rotor. The rotor 2 5 has several independent flow passageways or bores therein. One passageway can go from one level to another but more usually will go directly through the rotor. The valve body has inlet and outlet ports that mate with the rotor passageways. While at a minimum there will be at least two sets of inlets and outlets in the valve body spaced along the length thereof, i.e. an upper and a lower set, there will usually be a pair at each level along the 3 0 length of the valve body with mating passageways or bores there through in the rotor for each set. In the following description there are a pair at spaced upper and lower levels of the valve.

The valve seal of this invention is inset into a circular seat in the cylindrical surface of the rotor about the end of each of the openings of the bores or passageways. The port of the seal, if it has one, aligns with the corresponding openings. The outer surface of the cylindrical seal of the disc has about the same radius of curvature, preferable slightly less, than that of the cylindrical surface with which it is in sealing contact. The groove at the bottom of the seal holding the flexible sealing mechanism operates against the disc urging the cylindrical surface of the disc against the wall of the rotor chamber.
Of particular interest is a ganged rotor valve having two paired inlet and outlet ports with each pair thereof having two inlet and outlet ports equidistant around the rotor to chamber and with the rotor having two bores independent of one another for and mating with each of said paired outlet ports whereby each of the paired inlet and outlet ports with their respective bores operate as an 8-way valve. This valve permits the control of two independent fluid flows, such as an air-conditioning fluid and domestic hot water.
The 8-way ganged rotor valve is particularly useful in an air conditioning/heating unit wherein the heating and cooling flows of the air conditioner fluid need to be reversed from time to time. This valve greatly simplifies and decreases the plumbing required besides reducing the manufacturing costs and the energy loss of the air conditioner's plumbing. The 8-way air conditioner valve may be operated by a motor, and the seal of this invention reduces the force required such that the motor can be smaller and thus less expensive.
2 o For air conditioning service, the valve may operate at a relatively low pressure, e.g.
10 psi and temperature, e.g. 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The valve can be constructed of machined aluminum, although brass or stainless steel can be used. In some cases, machinable or malleable plastics can be used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 5 In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the improved seal of this invention without a port;
Fig. 2 is a bottom view;
Fig. 3 is a half section elevational view of a disc having a central port;
Fig. 4 is a half section elevational view of a disc without a central port;
3 o Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the channel holding the sealing mechanism as circled in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating an alternative flexible sealing mechanism;
Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the 8-way valve of this invention;
Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the above;
Fig. 9 is a half section elevational view of the valve;
Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the rotor of the valve; and Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the valve taken along Line A-A of Fig. 9.
Throughout the drawings the same parts have the same numbers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figures 1-4, the sealing disc of this invention is shown at 10.
It has in to one embodiment a central port 11 and the bottom has a groove 12 spaced about the central port which groove holds O-ring 15 as shown in the enlargement in Fig. 5 of the circled portion 14 of Fig. 3. The bottom of the disc is flat, and the top of the disc is a portion of a cylindrical surface that mates with the inner wall of the valve body. The views shown in Figs. l and 4 are looking along the long axis of the cylindrical surface and that of Fig. 3 has a long axis parallel to the plane of the paper. As it has a cylindrical surface, the disc 10 fits into the valve in only one of two ways. In assembly, exact alignment is not required as the disc is self aligning to some extent as the parts are pushed together.
Fig. 4 illustrates the seal without a central port when it is to be used to close off a passageway in a valve.
2 0 Fig. 6 illustrates another type of flexible sealing mechanism that can be used;
namely, a quad ring.
Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, an 8-way valve is shown in elevation. A flange 21 to support a motor (not shown) is fastened to the valve by bolts 27.
The valve body 22 has two pairs of upper and lower inlets and outlets 23. The 2 5 bottom of the valve body is closed by flange 24 held in place in bolts 26.
Turning to Figs. 9, 10 and 1 l, the rotor 30 has at its top a recess 31 to receive the drive shaft of a motor (not shown). It has at its top a pair 32 and 33 of curved channels each connecting a pair of ports spaced 90 degrees from one another and similarly has a pair of channels 34 and 3 S at its bottom portion.
3 o The upper end of the rotor has a seal at 38 as is known. The rotor also has a seal 39 such as an O-ring between the upper and lower passageways or channels 32, 33, 34 and 35 which serves to prevent flowage between the upper and lower channels during transition flow, i.e. when the rotor is being turned to another position.
As shown in Fig. 1 l, there is a relatively thin wall 37 that separates channels 34 and 35, and there is a similar division between channel 32 and 33.
In service it can be seen that in one position the rotor allows fluid to flow from one of the nipples 23 through, for example, the rotor channel 34 to the next adjacent nipple spaced 90 degrees therefrom while fluid from another nipple can flow through channel 35.
By turning the rotor 90 degrees clockwise, the flow of the two fluids can be reversed. The ganged valve of this invention will work equally well with two-way and/or three-way flows at each level. Also, four-way flow patterns using straight through, L or T
channels in the rotor at each level can be accomplished as is conventional.
The action ofthe O-ring in channel 12 is the same as described in U.S.
4,548,385 except as noted previously the force generated is more uniform about the disc, as the disc is round rather than rectangular. The flexible sealing mechanism can have a shape other than round in cross-section, and its groove can be rectangular in cross-section as shown in Fig. 5 or round as shown in U.S. 4,548,385 and tightly configured as may be required in food processing applications to avoid contaminants from getting between the groove and the ring.
POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE
2 0 As an example, a disc seal of this invention is made of machined glass-fiber reinforced polytetrafluoro-ethylene. It has an outside diameter (O.D.) of 0.984 inches, a flat bottom and a crown with a radius of curvature of 0.750 inches. It has a central port there through of 0.563 inches diameter. About the port is an O-ring channel having an O.D.
of 0.847 inches, an inner diameter of .762 inches and a depth of 0.049 inches.

Claims (7)

What is claimed is:
1. An improved rotor valve seal comprising a disc of a rigid but deformable material having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a circumferential edge that seats in a circular receiving seat in a cylindrical outer surface of a rotor, said top surface thereof being a portion of a cylindrical surface and said bottom surface thereof having a circular groove therein equidistant from said circumferential edge, and a flexible sealing mechanism within said groove, wherein the combination of said disc and said circular groove with said flexible sealing mechanism therein comprise the sole means for urging said cylindrical surface of said disc into sliding but fluid tight engagement with the wall of a rotor chamber of a rotor valve to seal against leakage about said rotor valve seal.
2. The improved rotor valve seal of claim 1 wherein said disc is machined and has a central port within and spaced from said circular groove.
3. An improved ganged rotor valve comprising:
A.) one valve body having a cylindrical rotor chamber and having at least two sets of inlet and outlet ports spaced along the length of thereof, each set begin independent of the others;
B.) one rotor in said cylindrical rotor chamber in close engagement therewith and at least one bore there through for each of said paired inlet and outlet ports, and when in an aligned position mating therewith, and C.) the rotor valve seal of claim 1 inset into a seat in the cylindrical surface of said rotor about the end of each of the openings of said bores therein, said cylindrical surfaces thereof having about the same radius of curvature as that of said cylindrical rotor chamber, and said flexible sealing mechanism urging said cylindrical surface of said disc into sliding, fluid tight engagement with the wall of said cylindrical rotor chamber.
4. The improved ganged rotor valve of claim 3 wherein at least two of said discs each have a central port aligning with the opening of the bore with which it is associated.
5. The improved ganged rotary valve of claim 3 wherein:

A.) there are two of said sets of inlet and outlet ports with each set thereof having two paired inlet and outlet ports radially equidistantly spaced around said cylindrical rotor chamber;

B.) there are two of said bores independent of one another in said rotor for and mating with each of said paired inlet and outlet ports, and C.) whereby each of said rotor valves have a central port within said groove aligning with the opening of the bore with which it is associated, and D.) whereby each of said paired inlet and outlet ports with their respective bores operate as four-way valves.
6. The improved rotor valve seal of claim 1 wherein said bottom surface is flat.
7. The improved rotor valve seal of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said disc is in the range of about 1/2 to about 100 inches.
CA002362991A 1998-02-13 1998-02-13 Improved flexible rotor valve seal and ganged rotor valve incorporating same Expired - Fee Related CA2362991C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1998/002904 WO1999041535A1 (en) 1998-02-13 1998-02-13 Improved flexible rotor valve seal and ganged rotor valve incorporating same

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2362991A1 CA2362991A1 (en) 1999-08-19
CA2362991C true CA2362991C (en) 2005-12-27

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CA002362991A Expired - Fee Related CA2362991C (en) 1998-02-13 1998-02-13 Improved flexible rotor valve seal and ganged rotor valve incorporating same

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WO (1) WO1999041535A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4257854A1 (en) * 2022-04-07 2023-10-11 Berger Holding GmbH & Co. KG Valve for flow control in a heating and/or cooling system

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6290208B1 (en) * 1999-11-03 2001-09-18 Fleetguard, Inc. Valve seal, including for duplex head
JP5798416B2 (en) * 2011-09-06 2015-10-21 株式会社日本自動車部品総合研究所 Switching valve and cooling device
US9212751B2 (en) * 2012-09-28 2015-12-15 Robertshaw Controls Company Valve system and method
US9500299B2 (en) * 2013-07-25 2016-11-22 Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG Thermal management valve module with isolated flow chambers
CN107559459B (en) * 2017-09-11 2024-04-12 南宁宇立仪器有限公司 Electric servo valve

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2154945A (en) * 1937-01-11 1939-04-18 Riley Stoker Corp Valve
US2371657A (en) * 1943-12-30 1945-03-20 Parker Appliance Co Valve assembly
US2840109A (en) * 1957-02-25 1958-06-24 Win Well Mfg Company Rotary selector valve
US4548385A (en) * 1979-12-18 1985-10-22 Quality Controls, Inc. Flexible seal for rotor valves
US4355659A (en) * 1981-01-08 1982-10-26 The Hilliard Corp. Rotary plug valve
US4697786A (en) * 1984-06-21 1987-10-06 Itt Corporation Eccentric plug valve
US5167254A (en) * 1991-04-23 1992-12-01 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Adsorber switching valve

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4257854A1 (en) * 2022-04-07 2023-10-11 Berger Holding GmbH & Co. KG Valve for flow control in a heating and/or cooling system

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Publication number Publication date
CA2362991A1 (en) 1999-08-19
WO1999041535A1 (en) 1999-08-19

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Effective date: 20130213