Air valve seat and land

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100935-B2
Application number	US-201514851664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

An air valve includes a valve body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet and an outlet; a sealing device mounted within the valve body, the sealing device including a first contacting portion and a second contacting portion; and a float moveable within the valve body, the float having a first sealing position and a second sealing position.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An air valve comprising:
a valve body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface and the outer surface defining an inlet and an outlet;
a sealing device mounted within the valve body, the sealing device including a first contacting portion and a second contacting portion; and
a float moveable within the valve body, the float having a first sealing position and a second sealing position;
wherein a first material forming the first contacting portion has a material hardness of less than or equal to about 20 on the Shore A scale; and
wherein a second material forming the second contacting portion has a material hardness of less than or equal to about 70 on the Shore A scale.

2. The air valve of claim 1 , wherein the float engages the first contacting portion but not the second contacting portion when the float is in the first sealing position, and wherein the float engages both the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion when the float is in the second sealing position.

3. The air valve of claim 1 , wherein the sealing device further includes a third contacting portion, the float further having a third sealing position, the float engaging the third contacting portion when the float is in the third sealing position.

4. The air valve of claim 3 , wherein a material hardness of the third contacting portion is greater than a material hardness of the first contacting portion and greater than a material hardness of the second contacting portion.

5. The air valve of claim 3 , wherein:
the third contacting portion of the sealing device includes a land;
the float contacts the land in the third sealing position; and
a surface of the land contacting the float in the third sealing position has a cross-sectional shape that is complementary to a cross-sectional shape of an upper surface of the float.

6. The air valve of claim 3 , wherein the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion are deformed elastically but not deformed plastically when the float is in the third sealing position.

7. The air valve of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the upper surface of the float polished to a mirror finish.

8. The air valve of claim 1 , wherein a first vertical gap is defined between a first point of contact on the first contacting portion and a first point of contact on the float and a second vertical gap is defined between a first point of contact on the second contacting portion and a second point of contact on the float, the first vertical gap less than the second vertical gap.

9. The air valve of claim 1 , wherein the float engages a valve device in at least one of the first sealing position and the second sealing position, the valve device contacting the first contacting portion but not the second contacting portion when the float is in the first sealing position, and the valve device contacting both the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion when the float is in the second sealing position.

10. The air valve of claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the float is flat.

11. The air valve of claim 1 , further comprising a third contacting portion, wherein the first contacting portion is on a first ring, the second contacting portion is on a second ring, and the third contacting portion is on a third ring.

12. A method for venting air from a fluid system, the method comprising:
installing an air valve apparatus on the fluid system, the air valve apparatus including
a valve body defining an inlet and an outlet,
a sealing device mounted inside the valve body, and
a float moveable within the valve body,
the sealing device including a first contacting portion and a second contacting portion,
wherein a first material forming the first contacting portion has a material hardness of less than or equal to about 20 on the Shore A scale, and
wherein a second material forming the second contacting portion has a material hardness of less than or equal to about 70 on the Shore A scale;

moving the float to a first sealing position engaging the first contacting portion but not the second contacting portion; and
moving the float to a second sealing position engaging the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first contacting portion is deformed when the float is in the second sealing position.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising replacing a prior sealing device with the sealing device prior to moving the float to a first sealing position.

Assignees

• Mueller Int Llc

Inventors

• Milroy Jeff

Classifications

• F16K1/36 Primary

  Valve members (for double-seat valves F16K1/44 {; for butterfly valves F16K1/222, F16K1/223}) · CPC title

• F16K1/427

  Attachment of the seat to the housing by one or more additional fixing elements · CPC title

• F16K31/22

  with the float rigidly connected to the valve · CPC title

• F16K24/048

  a transmission element, e.g. arm, being interposed between the float and the valve element, the transmission element following a non-translational, e.g. pivoting or rocking, movement when actuated · CPC title

• F16K24/044

  the float being rigidly connected to the valve element, the assembly of float and valve element following a substantially translational movement when actuated, e.g. also for actuating a pilot valve · CPC title