EP0287564B1

EP0287564B1 - A valve component for a frictionless guided valve

Info

Publication number: EP0287564B1
Application number: EP19870900197
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Godfrey Williams
Original assignee: Routledge Michael
Current assignee: ROUTLEDGE, MICHAEL
Priority date: 1985-12-21
Filing date: 1986-12-11
Publication date: 1992-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 2006-12-11
Also published as: EP0287564A1; CA1285849C; AU612107B2; GB2184521A; DE3686770T2; WO1987003934A1; DE3686770D1; GB8531550D0; AU6771487A; IN166745B; GB2184521B; AT80702T

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

The present invention relates to a composite valve plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve and more particularly to a valve plate comprising a frictionless guide member and a valve closure member.
Hithereto 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. Hithereto 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.
In US-A-1,615,279 an annular valve plate presumably of metal is disclosed having a central air-flow aperture and a metal spring located on the top of the plate with the convolutions of the spring overlying the closure part of the plate and being connected to the plate at the outer periphery by means of an inturned edge so as to provide maximum spring length. The thickness of the combined plate and spring is greater than the plate alone and there is no proposal that the components be of dissimilar metal. Furthermore, the plate cannot move on either side of the central mounting hub of the spring because of the location of the convolutions.
In DE-B-722156 two guide plates 17 and 24 are rivetted together at 25 at their outer edges and the lower resilient guide plate 17 has an inner ring 14 which overlies inner ring 12 of a closure plate 9 and is held thereto by a collared or shaped ring body parts 18 forced apart and into engagement with rings 14, 12 by a spring member 23. Here the resilient guide plates 17/24 are located on top of metal closure plate 9 and have their main resilient action outwardly of the central aperture of plate 9 and thus have substantial thickness.
Proposals have been made to form valve plates wholly of titanium or plastics material or material other than steel but difficulties have been 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 the present invention there is provided a composite valve plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve comprising a flat outer valve closure member having an inner periphery defining a central region or aperture and a guide member for the valve closure member having central mounting means for mounting the plate locatable or located in the region of 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, said guide member being connectable by location means to said valve closure member; characterised in that said location means comprises inter-cooperation means on the guide member and the valve closure member which when 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, 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, that the closure member is made of material of lesser density than the material from which the guide member is made and that said guide member when unstressed is generally flat and lies within the space defined between said planes or lies in a single plane.
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 may be generally flat or lie in a single plane. The guide member will be of a thickness 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 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 at least one flexible guide arm may extend spirally outwardly of the central mounting means and will run into the outer mounting means although any other desired arrangement may be provided.
The outer mounting means will preferably be provided with means to ensure correct position thereof relative to the valve closure member with which it is to be used and this may comprise an outwardly extending projection which cooperates with and is locatable in a corresponding recess in the inner periphery of the valve closure member.
The outer mounting means will be such as to cooperate with means provided in the inner portion or portions of the valve closure member to ensure adequate retention. Preferably the mounting means will comprise two arms extending circularly from the end of the flexible guide arm in opposite directions and terminating with a space therebetween and being sufficiently resilient in the plane of the plate so as to be engageable with a corresponding circular groove or channel in the inner periphery of the valve closure member which is provided for receiving such in the manner of an internal circlip arrangement. Suitable apertures will be provided on the free ends of the mounting arms to permit engagement by suitable tools such as a pair of circlip pliers.
The guide member thus 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 frictionless guidance thereof in desired manner.
The valve closure member comprises a generally annular or otherwise shaped plate member with through passages formed therein and having a central aperture therein for retainably receiving a 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 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 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 provide slots running into a groove or channel in the inner periphery of the valve closure member so as to permit insertion of the 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 the locating pins etc. of the valve to prevent undesired dislodgement of the guide member from the valve closure member.
The location means will preferably be inter-cooperation means on the guide member and valve closure 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 projection 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 retained against rotation relative to the valve closure member so as to maintain the passages 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 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 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 the hub 2 although may in other embodiments be of spiral or other shape extension. The guide arm 3 merges via transition portion 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 5a 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 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 5. 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 8 once the location has been effected. Whilst the groove 10 in Fig. 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.
In a modification, 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.
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 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 outer plate portion forming a valve closure part of the plate, and an integrally formed metal plate part having an outer portion encapsulated, embedded or otherwise bonded to the outer plate portion formed of a plastics material or other material of lesser density than that of the metal from which said metal plate is composed and said metal plate part having 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 the outer plate portion; said outer portion of the metal plate part 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 the valve plate to be reduced relative to known valve plates formed wholly 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 part of a known valve plate but with at least the valve closure portion being of considerably reduced density relative to known plates thereby achieving considerable weight reduction. The plastics material may be integrally moulded around the outer portion of the metal plate part or form a laminate with two annular sheets bonded either side of the outer plate portion of the metal plate part and forming the valve closure portion.

Claims

A composite valve plate for use in a plate-type non-return valve comprising a flat outer valve closure member (8) having an inner periphery defining a central region or aperture (9) and a guide member (1) for the valve closure member (8) having central mounting means (2) for mounting the plate locatable or located in the region of said central aperture (9) with said guide member (1) also having at least one flexible guide arm (3) capable of providing frictionless guidance of the valve closure member (8), said guide member (1) being connectable by location means (4, 5, 10) to said valve closure member (8); characterised in that said location means comprises inter-cooperation means on the guide member (1) and the valve closure member (8) which when the guide member (1) is connected to the closure member (8) lies or lie wholly within the space defined between the planes in which the opposite surfaces of the valve closure member (8) lie, that the whole of the at least one flexible guide arm (3) lies within the region or aperture (9) defined by the inner periphery of the valve closure member (8), that the closure member (8) is of a material of lesser density than the material from which the guide member (1) is made and that said guide member when unstressed is generally flat and lies within the space defined between said planes or lies in a single plane.
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 1, in which the location means comprises an annular groove or channel (10) in the inner periphery of the valve closure member (8) lying in the same plane as the valve closure member (8), and into which groove or channel (10), spring arms (4, 5) extending from the resilient arm (3) of the guide member (1) in the form of an internal circlip are locatable for retention purposes.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 2, in which means (6) are provided to prevent rotation of the guide member (1) in the location means (10) about a central axis transverse to the member (1).
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 3, in which the rotation prevention means comprise stop means in the form of a radially extending projection (6) of the guide member (1) and a corresponding radially extending recess (7) located within the annular groove (10) which are cooperable to prevent the mentioned rotation of the guide member (1).
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer valve closure member (8) is of titanium or plastics material, or other material which enhances valve efficiency and achieves considerable weight reduction and therefore reduction in inertia; and the guide member (1) is made of steel similar or equivalent to the central frictionless guide portions of known guide plates.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which the closure member is of a material of lesser density than steel or of the material from which the guide member is made.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, in which the thickness of the guide member (1) is considerably less than the thickness of the valve closure member (8) to provide the required resilient flexibility.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, in which the guide member comprises central mounting means (2) for enabling the guide member (1) to be located in position in a valve, at least one resiliently flexible guide arm (3) extending outwardly from or located outwardly of said central mounting means (2) and leading to or joining with outer mounting means (4,5) which permits the guide member (1) to be connected to or mounted on the outer valve closure member (8), wherein said mounting means comprises two arms (4,5) extending circularly from the end of the guide arm (3) of the guide member (1) in opposite directions and terminating with a space therebetween and being sufficiently resilient in the plane of the plate 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 (8) when provided for receiving such in the manner of an internal circlip arrangement.
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 8, in which apertures are provided on the free ends (4a,5a) of the mounting arms (4,5) to permit engagement by a suitable tool.
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 8 or 9, which is made of steel having characteristics of spring arms as used in known integrally formed valve plates.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, in which the guide member is generally flat or lies in a single plane.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, in which the central mounting means of the guide member is a central hub portion (2).
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 12, in which the central hub portion (2) has a central circular aperture therein or is formed from separate arm portions leading inwardly from an outer continuous mounting portion.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 8 to 13, in which the central mounting means (2) has locating means such as cut out portions (2a,2b) to ensure correct location of the member (8) in a valve.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 8 to 14, in which the at least one flexible guide arm (3) extends spirally outwardly of the central mounting means (2), which is a central hub portion (2), and the arm (3) runs into the outer mounting means (4,5).
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 8 to 15, in which the outer mounting means (4,5) is provided with means (6) to ensure correct position thereof relative to the valve closure member (8) with which it is to be used.
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 16, in which the correct positioning means comprises an outwardly extending projection (6) which cooperates with and is locatable in a corresponding recess (7) in the inner periphery of the valve closure member (8).
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 8 to 17, in which the outer mounting means (4,5) are such as to cooperate with means (10) provided in the inner portion or portions of the valve closure member (8) to ensure adequate retention.
A composite valve plate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18, in which the valve closure member comprises a generally annular or otherwise shaped plate member (8) of titanium, plastics material or of other material of lesser density than steel and has through passages formed therein and having said central aperture (9) therein for retainably receiving therein the guide member (1).
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 19, in which the means for permitting location of the guide member (1) centrally of the valve closure member (8) comprises a circular groove or channel (10) extending around the inner periphery of the valve closure member (8) and being of such a shape as to cooperate with the outer mounting means (4,5) of a guide member (1) with which it is to be used so as to retain such therein.
A composite valve plate as claimed in claim 20, 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 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 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 the locating pins etc. of the valve to prevent undesired dislodgement of the guide member from the valve closure member.
A composite valve plate comprising an outer plate portion forming a valve closure part (8) of the composite valve plate and an integrally formed metal plate part being a guide member and having 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 an outer portion of the metal plate which is connected to said valve closure part (8); characterised by the feature that said at least one flexible guide arm lies wholly within the space defined between the planes in which the opposite surfaces of the valve closure part lie and is located within a central aperture defined by the valve closure part, that said outer portion of the metal plate is encapsulated or embedded in or otherwise bonded to the said outer plate portion forming the valve closure part (8), and that the outer portion of the composite valve plate forming the valve closure part 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.