GB2519077A

GB2519077A - Radiator Valve

Info

Publication number: GB2519077A
Application number: GB1317738.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Guido Bossini
Original assignee: RBM SpA
Current assignee: RBM SpA
Priority date: 2013-10-08
Filing date: 2013-10-08
Publication date: 2015-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 2033-10-08
Also published as: GB2519077B; GB201317738D0

Abstract

The manually operable radiator valve has a body 12 defining a fluid passage. A closure member 20 is threadably engaged with interior walls of the body and movable within the body to partially or wholly close the passage. A connecting member 30 has a first part (32, figure 1) engaged with a control member 50 and a second part (34, figure 1) engaged with the closure member such that rotation of the control member adjusts the position of the closure member. A first seal 28 is provided around the closure member and a second seal 38 extends around the connection member. Preferably the first and second seals are o-rings. The valve facilitates ease of replacement of the second seal without having to drain a heating system in which the valve is used. If the valve leaks, a user can remove a retaining screw 56 fixing the control member to the connecting member, remove the control member, and remove a cap 42 screwed to a male thread 46 of the body to access the connecting member and second seal. The second seal can then be replaced since the first seal substantially prevents water within the passage from leaking.

Description

Radiator Valve This invention relates to manually operated radiator valves.

Manually operated radiator valves are widely used in radiators to permit selected partial or total closing of an inlet into a central heating radiator. Such valves generally include a body with a passage defined therethrough and a closure member selectively movable within the body to partially or wholly close the passage. Conventionally a seal, which may be in the form of a packing gland, is provided to prevent water moving past the closure member and out of the valve body.

If this seal fails it is generally necessary to drain down the central heating system to enable the closure member to be removed from the valve, and for the seal to be replaced if this can be accessed. What often happens in such situations is that the valve is wholly replaced, even though it is only the seal which has failed. This means that the failure of this seal can lead to a relatively time consuming and thus expensive repair.

According to the present invention there is provided a manually operable radiator valve assembly, the assembly comprising a body defining a through passage, a control member rotatably mountable to the body to permit control of the assembly, a closure member movable within the body so as to selectively partially or wholly close the passage, the closure member being threadably engageable with interior walls of the body to be threadably movable towards or away from a position closing the passage, a seal being provided around the closure member, a connection member having a first part engageable with the control member to permit rotation of the connection member, and a second part engageable with the closure member such that rotation of the connection member causes rotation of the closure member, and a seal extending around the connection member.

The first part of the connection member may be a sliding fit in an axial direction in a recess in the closure member. The cross section of the recess and the profile of the first part of the connecting member may be such that rotation of the first part causes rotation of the closure member. The cross section of at least part of the recess in the closure member and the first part of the connection member may be hexagonal.

The closure member may have a tapered distal end which is engageable with walls of the body in the passage, and the walls of the body in the passage at the point of engagement with the closure member may be of a corresponding shape.

The seal on the closure member and/or the seal on the connecting member may be in the form of 0 rings.

The first and second parts of the connection member may be interconnected by a third pad of greater width. The connection member seal may be provided around the third part.

The third part may be too large to enter the recess in the closure member.

A cap may be provided mountable to the body to retain the connection member in position. The cap may be threadably engageable with the body and may include an opening through which the second pad of the connection member can slidably fit.

The second part of the connection member may have a female thread with which a threaded fastening member is engageable to retain the control member on the body.

An upper part of the second part may be profiled so as to be engageable with the control member such that when the control member is rotated the connection member also rotates. The upper part of the second part of the connection member may have a hexagonal cross section, and a hexagonal cross section recess may be provided within the control member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic exploded side view of the valve assembly according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross sectional partially cut away side view of the assembly of Fig. 1; Figs. 3-5 are diagrammatic partially cut away perspective views of the assembly of Fig. 1 during replacement of a part thereof; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the assembly of Fig. 1.

Figs. 1 to 6 show a valve assembly 10 suitable for use on a radiator to allow partial or total closing of an inlet into the radiator. The assembly 10 comprises a body 12 with a lower inlet 14 connectable to a pipe of a central heating system. A passage extends upwards and to the right as shown in Fig. 2 from the inlet 14 to an outlet 16 which is mountable in a conventional manner to a radiator.

An opening 18 is also provided in the top of the body 12 coaxial with the inlet 14 to locate a control arrangement as follows. A closure member 20 is provided which has an external thread 22 engageable with an internal thread on the body 12 such that the closure member 20 is selectively threadably movable in a vertical direction to partially or wholly close the passage extending from the inlet 14 to the outlet 16. Fig. 2 shows the closure member 20 closing the passage extending from the inlet 14.

The closure member 20 is profiled with a lower chamfered end 24 which is engageable with a part 26 of the internal walls of the body 12. A first seal 28 in the form of an 0 ring is provided around the closure member 20 towards the upper end thereof. The closure member 20 is hollow for an upper part thereof and has a hexagonal cross section recess. The first seal 28 should generally prevent the passage of water out past the closure member andoutoftheopening 18 atthetopofthe body 12.

A connecting member 30 comprises a first upper part 32, a lower second part 34,and a central larger third part 36 in the form of a disc with a second seal 38 provided by an 0 ring extending around the third part 36.

The lower second part 34 of the connecting member 30 is of hexagonal cross section and locates in the recess in the closure member 20 such that rotation of the connecting member 30 causes rotation of the closure member 20.

The upper first part 32 of the connecting member 30 has a female thread 40. A cap 42 is provided which has a thread 44 engageable with a male thread 46 around the upper part of the body 12. A central hole is provided through the cap 42.

A control member 50 is provided which can rotatably locate over the cap 42. The control member 50 has a central section 52 with a passage 54 therethrough to permit a retaining screw 56 to extend therethrough and engage in the thread 40 of the first upper part 32 of the connecting member 30. The control member 50 also has a hexagonal shape recess 58 which locates over the first upper part 32 to cause rotation thereof when the control member 50 is rotated.

In use the components of the assembly 10 can be fitted together such that the assembly 10 appears as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The assembly 10 can be connected to a water pipe and radiator in a conventional manner. The flow of water into the radiator can be controlled by rotating the control member to raise or lower the closure member 20 so as to open and close the passage through the body 12. Clockwise rotation of the control member will close the assembly 10.

If it has been found that despite the double seals 28, 38, described above, water is leaking out through the top of the body 12, then the second seal 38 can be replaced as follows without the requirement for draining down the central heating system.

The assembly 10 is fully closed by clockwise rotation of the control member 50 as indicated in Fig. 3. This will move the closure member 20 to a fully closed lower position. The control member 50 can then be removed by unscrewing the screw 56 and lifting the control member 50 as shown in Fig. 4.

The cap 42 can then be unscrewed as shown in Fig. 5, and the connecting member 30 can be lifted out of the recess in the closure member 20 and the second seal 36 replaced. The various components can then be returned to their original positions in the assembly 10 to provide the enclosed assembly as shown in Fig. 6.

There is thus described a radiator valve assembly with a double seal, and where the second seal can readily be replaced without having to drain down the central heating system.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the closure member and/or connection member may take a different form. The control member may be mounted differently and could take a different form.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.