Face sealing annular valve for a fluid-working machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9046098-B2
Application number	US-201113390909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2011
Priority date	Aug 3, 2011
Publication date	Jun 2, 2015
Grant date	Jun 2, 2015

Abstract

A face sealing annular valve ( 1 ) for a fluid-working machine has an annular valve member ( 10, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 ) having a relaxed configuration in which a first seat-engaging surface ( 14, 101 ) of the annular valve member can sealedly engage with a first sealing surface of an annular valve seat ( 8 ), but a second seat-engaging surface ( 15, 101 ) cannot sealedly engage with a second sealing surface ( 9 ), and is elastically deformable to a deformed configuration in which the second seat-engaging surface can sealedly engage with a second sealing surface, while the first seat-engaging surface remains sealedly engaged with the first sealing surface. The annular valve member can be made with relatively high tolerances and is only loosely retained by a guide in the relaxed configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a face sealing annular valve of a fluid-working machine, the valve having a valve body and an annular valve seat, the valve seat comprising a first annular sealing surface having a first circumference, a second annular sealing surface having a second circumference which is different from the first circumference, and which is coaxial with the first sealing surface, and at least one aperture between the first and second sealing surfaces providing a fluid pathway through the body of the valve; and an elastically deformable annular valve member having a first annular seat-engaging surface configured to cooperate with the first annular sealing surface, and a second seat-engaging surface, the annular valve member having a relaxed configuration in which the first seat-engaging surface is sized to sealedly engage with the first sealing surface and in which the second seat-engaging surface is disposed in relation to the first seat-engaging surface such that the second sealing surface and the second seat-engaging surface do not sealedly engage when the first sealing surface and the first seat-engaging surface are in sealing engagement;
the method comprising bringing the first seat-engaging surface into sealing engagement with the first sealing surface; elastically deforming the annular valve member from the relaxed configuration to a deformed configuration so as to bring the second seat engaging surface into sealing engagement with the second sealing surface, to thereby restrict the flow of fluid through the fluid pathway; and
pivoting the second seat-engaging surface around the first seat-engaging surface to bring the second seat-engaging surface into sealing engagement with the second sealing surface when the annular valve member transits from the relaxed configuration to the deformed configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising elastically deforming the annular valve member so as to change an axial distance between the first and second seat-engaging surface and thereby bring the second seat-engaging surface into sealing engagement with the second sealing surface.

3. A face sealing annular valve for a fluid-working machine, the valve having a valve body and an annular valve seat, the valve seat comprising a first annular sealing surface having a first circumference, a second annular sealing surface having a second circumference which is different from the first circumference, and which is coaxial with the first sealing surface, and at least one aperture between the first and second sealing surfaces providing a fluid pathway through the body of the valve;
and an annular valve member at least part of which is elastically deformable having a first annular seat-engaging surface configured to cooperate with the first annular sealing surface, and a second seat-engaging surface;
wherein the annular valve member has a relaxed configuration in which the first seat-engaging surface is sized to sealedly engage with the first sealing surface and in which the second seat-engaging surface is disposed in relation to the first seat-engaging surface such that the second sealing surface and the second seat-engaging surface do not sealedly engage when the first sealing surface and the first seat-engaging surface are in sealing engagement; and at least part of the annular valve member is elastically deformable to a deformed configuration in which the second sealing surface and the second seat-engaging surface are in sealing engagement while the first sealing surface and the first seat-engaging surface are in sealing engagement, thereby restricting flow of fluid through the fluid pathway, and
the annular valve member is at least partially deformable so that the second seat-engaging surface pivots around the first seat-engaging surface to bring the second seat-engaging surface into sealing engagement with the second sealing surface when the annular valve member transits from the relaxed configuration to the deformed configuration.

4. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second sealing surfaces are axially spaced apart.

5. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 3 , wherein the first seat-engaging surface is sealedly engageable with the first sealing surface by axial motion of the annular valve member, and the second seat-engaging surface is sealedly engageable with the second sealing surface by elastic deformation of the annular valve member.

6. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 5 , wherein the second seat-engaging surface is elastically deformable and a circumference of the second seat-engaging surface in the deformed configuration is different from a circumference of the second seat-engaging surface in the relaxed configuration.

7. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 5 , wherein an axial distance between the first seat-engaging surface and the second seat-engaging surface in the deformed configuration is different from an axial distance therebetween in the relaxed configuration.

8. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 3 , wherein the circumference of the first sealing surface is greater than the circumference of the second sealing surface.

9. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 3 , wherein the annular valve member is retained by a guide part comprising one or more cylindrically arranged guides, the one or more guides permitting axial motion and restricting radial motion of the annular valve member.

10. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 9 , wherein the guide part comprises a cylindrical guide.

11. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 10 , wherein the annular valve member comprises a rigid body and sealing members formed of a resilient material, wherein and the majority of the annular valve member does not deform elastically but the sealing members can deform sufficiently under pressure to enable both inner and outer seals to be formed.

12. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 9 , wherein the annular valve member is retained around the guide part.

13. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 9 , wherein the annular valve member is loosely retained by the guide part.

14. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 12 , wherein the annular valve member is sealedly engageable with the cylindrical guide by virtue of a change deformation in a circumference of at least a portion of the annular valve member, when the first and second sealing surfaces are in sealing engagement with the first and second seat-engaging surfaces.

15. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 3 , wherein the annular valve member is elastically deformable between the relaxed configuration and the deformed configuration, responsive to a fluid pressure differential.

16. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 3 , wherein the annular valve member is resiliently biased towards the annular valve seat by a resilient biasing part.

17. The face sealing annular valve according to claim 16 , wherein the annular valve member seat has an axis and inner and outer sealing surfaces of the annular valve are in a plane perpendicular to the axis.

18. A face sealing annular valve for a fluid-working machine, the valve having a valve body and an annular valve seat, the valve seat comprising a first annular sealing surface having a first circumference, a second annular sealing surface having a second circumference which is different from the first circumference, and which is coaxial with the first sealing surf

Assignees

• Stein Uwe
• Eilers Jens
• Voller Gordon
• Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Stein Uwe
• Eilers Jens
• Voller Gordon

Classifications

• F04B53/10 Primary

  Valves; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• F16K15/142

  the closure elements being shaped as solids of revolution, e.g. toroidal or cylindrical rings · CPC title

• F16K15/08 Primary

  shaped as rings · CPC title

• F16K25/00

  Details relating to contact between valve members and seats (movement of valve members other than for opening and closing F16K29/00) · CPC title