WO2008007406A2

WO2008007406A2 - Ball valve

Info

Publication number: WO2008007406A2
Application number: PCT/IT2007/000472
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giuliano Bonomi
Original assignee: Rubinetterie Utensilerie Bonomi S.R.L.
Priority date: 2006-07-11
Filing date: 2007-07-02
Publication date: 2008-01-17
Also published as: WO2008007406A3; ITBS20060160A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a ball valve the body of which is composed of a support nucleus (13) forming a transit passage (15) of the fluid along which is inserted the ball stopper, and a covering or shell (14) which tightly surrounds at least part of said support nucleus (13) and that extends from the latter to form at least one of the input and output passages of the fluid with a relative fixing to attach a pipe to it. The support nucleus (13) is made of a metal such as brass, aluminium or the like, or of a plastic material, and the covering or shell (14) is made up of a copper or aluminium tubular element that fits to the support nucleus, or it can be made of a plastic material overmoulded to the support nucleus.

Description

"BALL VALVE"

Field of the Invention

This invention concerns the valve sector for controlling the supply of fluids in a circuit and refers in particular to a ball valve used especially, but not exclusively, in heating and cooling systems where copper pipes are used.

State of the Technique

The ball valves basically comprise a valve body with an input passage and at least one outlet passage to which the fluid delivery pipes are connected, a tumable ball stopper positioned in a seat provided between the input and output passages and held between two seals, and a control stem operating crossways to the valve body and connected to the ball to turn it between a closed and an open position of the valve.

In one type of ball valve, the valve body can be made up of one single piece, but more often of two, three or more elements made by stamping and/or machining and designed for complementary assembly by screwing or using flanges, screws or bolts.

The valve body is almost always made of brass, sometimes steel, but in all cases it is the body that when assembled forms and directly defines, both the input and output passages with respective joints or pipe fittings, both the seat for the ball port and relative seals, and both the supporting part and control stem guide. The pipes for the fluid to be supplied are in fact connected directly to the valve body that must therefore have a relatively robust and solid configuration and that anyway does not permit the use of different tube connection techniques such as brazing, radial compression joints and the like, other than fittings, for connecting Objective of the Invention

It is however the objective of this invention to provide a new and original two or more way ball valve in which the ball stopper is associated with a support nucleus, and this nucleus is at least partially housed in an additional element forming at least one or each of the input and output passages with a corresponding fitting provided to connect up to a pipe by brazing or by press-fitting. The objective of the invention is therefore achieved with a ball valve with a body comprising a support nucleus defining a fluid transit conduit along which is inserted a ball stopper flow adjuster, and a housing or shell that peripherally encloses at least a part of the support nucleus and which extends from the latter to delimit at least one of the input and output passages of the fluid plus a relative fitting to attach the pipe to.

The support nucleus can be made of metal or plastic whereas the shell will preferably be made of copper or aluminium.

The advantages of this innovation can be seen at least in the fact that one part of the valve body, where operating precision and resistance to stress due to its connection to the ball valve flow adjuster, can be made of metal, for example, brass, aluminium or some other metal and even plastic, whereas the remaining part of the valve body can be made up of a tubular element, preferably made of copper, or even steel, less robust, but however thinner and possibly more susceptible to deformation, to which however it is easier to fit one end of a pipe, usually made of copper, by brazing or simply by press-fitting.

The external shell can even be made of plastic using a an overmoulding technique on the nucleus. Furthermore, the external shell is suitable for being configured also to form a support and guide for the control stem of the ball valve. Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will furthermore be illustrated more in detail made in reference to a practical example as shown in the enclosed indicative and not limiting drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a lateral view of the valve, and

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section. Detailed Description of the Invention

Basically, the valve in question comprises a valve body 10, a tumable ball stopper 11 and a stem 12 to control the turning of said ball.

More precisely, the valve body 10 is made up of a support nucleus 13 made of one material and a covering or shell made of another.

The nucleus 13, which will be made typically of a metal such as brass or aluminium or another, without however excluding the possibility of using a plastic material, delimits a through axial passage 15 in an intermediate part of which a seat 16 is provided.

The ball valve 11 is housed in this seat 16 and turns between two fixed seals 17. The ball valve 16 and relative seals 17 are held in said seat 16, in an axial direction, by means of a gland packing ring nut 18 screwed into a part of the above mentioned passage 15. The seat 16 has, furthermore, a radial opening 19 by means of which the ball valve 11 connects up to the control stem 12. This stem 12 is assembled to turn, and with the interposition of at least one toric seal 20, in a support coupling 21 attached to the nucleus 13 in line with the radial opening 19 of the seat 16 housing the ball valve. The support sleeve 20 may be enbloc with the nucleus 13 or may be made and fixed to said nucleus in any appropriate manner. The control stem has one end provided with a tang 22 which engages radially with the ball valve 11 and the opposite end is provided with a lever or knob to manoeuvre it 23. The covering or shell 14 is made up of a relatively thin tubular element, that can be made of copper or steel and which is intimately associated with the nucleus 13.

In the example shown, the covering or shell 14 completely encloses the nucleus 13 and extends axially from opposite sides of the nucleus itself. It has an intermediate portion 24 tightened at least around the external surface of said nucleus and two opposite terminal portions 25, 26. Said intermediate portion 24 fits tightly to the nucleus 14 with the interposition, where needed, of a seal 27 and locking itself, at least axially, thanks to the anti-sliding steps 28. In their turn, said opposite portions 25, 26 of the covering or shell 14 respectively forma n input passage 29 and an output passage 30 in line and in communication with the conduit 15 of said nucleus and each having an end neck or connection 31 , 32 to connect a respective pipe 33, 34 to them, as stated above by brazing or press-fitting. However, and as shown in the drawings, the covering or shell 14 could also be configured to adapt to and enclose, with one of its portions 14', at least a part of the support sleeve 21 of the control stem. The covering or shell 14 could, on the other hand, be made to form itself a means of support and guide for the control stem, in substitution and in place of the support sleeve 20 described previously. Worthy of mention furthermore, even if not shown and without by this digressing from the objective of the of this invention, the covering or shell may be set up and limited to totally or partially enclose the nucleus and extend only from one part of the latter to form an input or output passage for the fluid, and that on the contrary, the nucleus itself, may be provided from the opposite part with an input and output passage with a fitting to connect it, in the traditional way, to a respective pipe, perhaps made of iron.

Furthermore, in each of the configurations described above, the covering or shell, that peripherally enclosed the nucleus and which delimits at least one or both input and output fluid passage fittings, can be made of a plastic material using an overmoulding technique.

Claims

"BALL VALVE"C L A I M S

1. Ball valve for fluids comprising a valve body with an input passage and at least one output passage of the fluid, a ball stopper turning in said body and a stem fixed to said ball to make it turn corresponding to the opening and closing of the valve, characterised in that the valve body is composed of a support nucleus (13) forming a transit conduit (15) of the fluid along which is inserted the ball stopper, and in that a covering or shell (14) which tightly surrounds at least part of said support nucleus (14) and that extends from the latter to form at least one of the input and output passages of the fluid with a relative fixing to connect a pipe to it.

2. Ball valve according to claim 1 , characterised in that said covering or shell (14) has an intermediate portion that peripherally encloses the support nucleus (13) and that extends axially from opposite parts of said nucleus to respectively form an input passage (29) and an output passage (30) of the fluid in line and in communication with the conduit (15) of the support nucleus and a neck or end fitting (31 , 32) in line with each of said passages to connect a respective pipe to (33, 34).

3. Ball valve according to claim 1 , characterised in that said covering or shell (14) has a portion that peripherally encloses the support nucleus (13) and that extends axially from part of said nucleus to form one of the input (29) and output (30) passages of the fluid in line and in communication with the conduit (15) of said nucleus and a neck or end fitting in line with each of said passages to connect a respective pipe to , the support nucleus forming an output and input passage for the fluid from the opposite part of the formed by said covering or shell.

4. Ball valve according to claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the control stem of the ball stopper is assembled and turning in a support sleeve (21 ) integral with or fixed to the support nucleus, characterised in that the covering or shell (14) extends from the portion enclosing the support nucleus to partially enclose at least also said support sleeve.

5. Ball valve according to claims 1 and 2 or 3, characterised in that the covering or shell (14) extends radially to the portion that encloses the support nucleus (13) to form a housing for the control stem of the ball stopper.

6. Ball valve according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that between the support nucleus (13) and the portion of the covering or shell (14) that encloses it peripherally seal gaskets (27) are positioned.

7. Ball valve according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that between the support nucleus (13) and the portion of the covering or shell (14) that encloses it peripherally steps are formed to provide an axial grip between one and the other.

8. Ball valve according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the support nucleus (13) is made of a metal such as brass, aluminium or a plastic material, and the covering or shell (14) is made up of a copper or aluminium tubular element that fits to the support nucleus.

9. Ball valve according to any of the previous claims from 1-8, characterised in that the support nucleus (13) is made of metal such as brass, aluminium or the like, or a plastic material, and the covering or shell (14) is made of plastic overmoulded to the support nucleus.