Valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10900587-B2
Application number	US-201916262006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a valve housing having a bore formed therein. The bore has an axis A and comprises a circumferentially extending groove formed at an end portion. An axially outer wall of the groove includes at least two circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending retaining elements defining an axial slot therebetween. An end cap is received in the end portion of the bore and closes the end of the bore. The end cap includes a retaining portion that includes at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element which is shaped to be insertable through the axial slot into the groove and rotatable therein to a retaining position in which the radially outwardly extending retaining element aligns with one of the radially inwardly extending retaining elements to prevent axial withdrawal of the end cap from the bore.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve assembly comprising:
a valve housing having a bore formed therein, the bore having an axis A and comprising a circumferentially extending groove formed therein at an end portion thereof, an axially outer wall of said groove comprising at least two circumferentially spaced radially inwardly extending retaining elements defining an axial slot therebetween;
an end cap received in the end portion of the bore and closing the end of the bore, the end cap comprising a retaining portion comprising at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element which is shaped so as to be insertable through the axial slot into the groove and rotatable therein to a retaining position in which the radially outwardly extending retaining element aligns with one of the radially inwardly extending retaining elements to prevent axial withdrawal of the end cap from the bore;
an anti-rotation element insertable axially into the axial slot after the end cap has been rotated to its retaining position to prevent rotation of the end cap from its retaining position to a position in which it may be withdrawn axially from the bore; and
a locking element preventing withdrawal of the anti-rotation element from the axial slot.

2. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the axially outer wall of the groove comprises a plurality of radially inwardly extending retaining elements defining a plurality of axial slots therebetween, wherein the axial slots are circumferentially equi-spaced about the axis A of the bore.

3. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the retaining portion of the end cap comprises a plurality of radially outwardly extending retaining elements, wherein, the radially outwardly extending retaining elements are circumferentially equi-spaced about the bore axis (A).

4. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the number of radially outwardly extending retaining elements is equal to the number of axial slots.

5. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking element is a separate element from the end cap or the anti-rotation element.

6. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation element comprises a base portion with at least one blocking element projecting axially therefrom for engagement in an at least one axial slot.

7. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the anti-rotation element comprises a plurality of blocking elements, each blocking element received within a respective axial slot.

8. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the base portion is a ring and the at least one blocking element projects axially from the ring.

9. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein base portion further comprises a bar extending diametrically across the ring, and wherein a head portion of the end cap comprises a slot extending thereacross for receiving the bar.

10. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the locking element is mounted in the head portion of the end cap and extends across the bar preventing its removal from the slot.

11. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the head portion of the end cap comprises opposed aligned bores opening into the slot from opposite sides thereof, the locking element extending through the bores and across the bar to prevent its removal from the slot.

12. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking element is a wire.

13. The valve assembly as claimed in any claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation element is made from a plastics material.

14. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly is a servovalve assembly, the bore mounting a spool.

15. A method of capping a bore in a valve housing, the valve housing having a bore formed therein, the bore comprising a circumferentially extending groove formed therein at an end portion thereof, an axially outer wall of the groove comprising at least two radially inwardly extending retaining elements defining an axial slot therebetween; the method comprising:
aligning an at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element of an end cap with the at least one axial slot, the end cap to be received in the end portion of the bore, for closing the end of the bore, the end cap comprising a retaining portion comprising the at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element which is dimensioned so as to be insertable through the at least one axial slot into the circumferentially extending groove and rotatable therein to a retaining position in which the at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element aligns with one of the radially inwardly extending retaining elements to prevent axial withdrawal of the end cap from the bore;
inserting the end cap into the bore such that the at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element of the end cap passes through the at least one axial slot into the circumferentially extending groove;
rotating the end cap relative to the valve housing such that the at least one radially outwardly extending retaining element of the end cap circumferentially aligns with one of radially inwardly extending retaining elements of the valve housing to prevent axial withdrawal of the end cap from the bore;
inserting an anti-rotation element into the at least one axial slot such that it prevents rotation of the end cap, the anti-rotation element;

and
locking the anti-rotation element in position.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
• Hamilton Sunstrand Corp

Inventors

• Cis Marcin
• Sawicki Piotr

Classifications

• F16K27/041 Primary

  cylindrical slide valves · CPC title

• F16K31/1262 Primary

  one side of the diaphragm being spring loaded · CPC title