Fluid valve apparatus having enclosed seals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016238149-A1
Application number	US-201615138861-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Fluid valve apparatus having enclosed seals are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a seal having an inner core composed of a first material and an outer sheath composed of a second material different than the first material, a carrier having a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion. The first portion couples to the seal. The second portion clamps between a retainer and a valve body of a fluid valve to couple the seal to the valve body. A first surface of the second portion engages the retainer and a second surface of the second portion opposite the first surface engages the valve body when the second portion of the carrier is clamped between the retainer and the valve body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a seal having an inner core composed of a first material and an outer sheath composed of a second material different than the first material; and a carrier having a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion to couple to the seal, the second portion to be clamped between a retainer and a valve body of a fluid valve to couple the seal to the valve body, a first surface of the second portion is to engage the retainer and a second surface of the second portion opposite the first surface is to engage the valve body when the second portion of the carrier is clamped between the retainer and the valve body.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is coupled to the seal via a weld.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is to allow the seal to compress or deflect relative to a center axis of a flow control member when the flow control member engages the seal.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the seal or the carrier is ring-shaped.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the carrier is to deflect or move relative to the second portion of the carrier.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner core comprises graphite material and the outer sheath comprises a metallic material.

7 . An apparatus comprising:
a valve body defining a fluid flow passageway between an inlet and an outlet; a flow control member positioned in the fluid flow passageway to control fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet; a retainer removably coupled to the valve body; and a seal assembly positioned between the retainer and the flow control member, the flow control member to engage the seal assembly to restrict or prevent fluid flow through the fluid flow passageway, the seal assembly including:
a seal; and
a carrier coupled to the seal, the carrier to enable the seal to compress or deflect when the flow control member engages the seal, the carrier to urge the seal radially inward toward a center of the fluid flow passageway and toward a sealing edge of the flow control member to provide a sufficiently tight seal between the seal and the sealing edge of the flow control member, the carrier having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled to the seal and the second end being clamped between the retainer and the valve body.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seal includes a first seal portion and a second seal portion encasing the first seal portion.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first seal portion is composed of an expanded graphite material and the second seal portion composed of a metallic material.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the carrier includes a J-shaped profile.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seal is coupled to the first end of the carrier via a weld.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seal and the carrier provide a pressure-assisted seal.

13 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second end of the carrier includes a first face and a second face opposite the first face, the first face to engage a surface of the retainer and the second face to engage a surface of the valve body when the second end of the carrier is clamped between the retainer and the valve body.

14 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the carrier is shaped to bias to the seal.

15 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the carrier suspends the seal within the fluid flow passageway of the fluid valve.

16 . An apparatus comprising:
a flow control member positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a fluid flow passageway of a fluid valve; a retainer removably coupled to a valve body of the fluid valve; and a seal assembly positioned within the fluid flow passageway, the seal assembly including:
a seal having an annular ring composed of a first material and an outer sheath composed of a second material different than the first material; and
a carrier coupled to the seal, the carrier having a first portion to support the seal and a second portion to be clamped between the retainer and the valve body to suspend the seal in the fluid flow passageway adjacent a sealing surface of the flow control member.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the outer sheath is relatively thin compared to the annular ring to enable the annular ring to resiliently deform to cause the outer sheath to seal against the sealing surface of the flow control member to provide a shut-off that is substantially equivalent to a shut-off capability provided by the annular ring if the outer sheath was not coupled to the annular ring.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first portion of the carrier is to deflect relative to the second portion to enable the seal to compress or deflect when the sealing surface of the flow control member sealingly engages the seal.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the carrier is to bias the seal toward a center of the fluid flow passageway.

20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the carrier is to urge the seal against the sealing surface of the flow control member when the flow control member engages the seal.

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Koester David John

Classifications

• F16K1/36

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

• F16K25/005 Primary

  Particular materials for seats or closure elements · CPC title

• F16K1/46

  Attachment of sealing rings · CPC title

• F16K1/2261 Primary

  the sealing being arranged on the valve member · CPC title

• F16K5/0457

  Packings · CPC title