Fluid valve apparatus having enclosed seals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9400061-B2
Application number	US-201313953411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2013
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

Fluid valve apparatus having enclosed seals are disclosed. An example fluid valve includes a movable flow control member positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a fluid flow passageway of the fluid valve. A retainer is removably coupled to the flow control member such that the retainer and the flow control member define a sealing cavity when the retainer is coupled to the flow control member. A seal is positioned within the sealing cavity to define a sealing surface of the flow control member. The seal has an inner core composed of a first material, where the core is substantially encased with a sheath composed of a second material different than the first material. The retainer clamps the seal to the flow control member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid valve comprising:
a movable flow control member positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a fluid flow passageway of the fluid valve;
a retainer removably coupled to a body of the flow control member, the retainer and the flow control member to define a sealing cavity when the retainer is coupled to the flow control member; and
a seal positioned within the sealing cavity to define a sealing surface of the flow control member, the seal having an inner core composed of a first material and an outer sheath composed of a second material different than the first material, the retainer to clamp the seal to the flow control member, the outer sheath having a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion to house the inner core and the second portion to be clamped between the retainer and the flow control member, 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 flow control member when the second portion of the outer sheath is clamped between the retainer and the flow control member.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the movable flow control member comprises a butterfly valve disk.

3. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the movable flow control member comprises a plug.

4. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises an annular ring that at least partially protrudes from the sealing cavity of the flow control member, the seal to engage a seat of the fluid valve.

5. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the sheath is thinner than the inner core such that the inner core causes the sheath to conform to a valve seat of the fluid valve when the flow control member sealingly engages the valve seat.

6. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the inner core comprises graphite material and the sheath comprises a metallic material.

7. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the inner core comprises a curved surface defining a sealing surface of the seal, the curved surface having a radius to conform to a radius of a seat of the fluid valve.

8. The valve of claim 1 , further comprising a blowout prevention feature to retain the seal between the retainer and the flow control member.

9. The valve of claim 8 , wherein the blowout prevention feature includes a protruding shoulder or lip to help retain the seal within the sealing cavity of the flow control member.

10. The valve of claim 9 , wherein the retainer includes a channel to receive the shoulder or the lip of the blowout prevention feature.

11. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the outer sheath includes a strip of material extending from the first portion and adjacent at least a portion of an aperture formed by the inner core.

12. The valve of claim 11 , wherein a fastener of the retainer is received by the flow control member and the strip of material.

13. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface is provided about a peripheral edge of the flow control member.

14. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the sheath forms a gap between respective ends of the sheath to expose a portion of the core and enable the core to expand.

15. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the outer sheath forms a substantially circular plate.

16. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the outer sheath is clamped between a surface of the retainer and a surface of the flow control member.

17. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the outer sheath includes an opening to receive a fastener of the retainer.

18. A valve comprising:
a flow control member positioned within a fluid valve, the flow control member having a seal assembly to define a sealing surface about a peripheral edge of the flow control member, the seal assembly having:
a first seal portion composed of an expanded graphite material; and
a second seal portion composed of a metallic material, the second seal portion having an end to substantially encase the first seal portion and an intermediate portion to extend away from the end such that the intermediate portion is spaced from the first seal portion, the second seal portion having a first side opposite a second side; and

a retainer to retain the seal assembly about the peripheral edge of the flow control member, the first side of the seal assembly to engage the flow control member and the second side of the seal assembly to engage the retainer when the retainer is coupled to the flow control member.

19. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the second seal portion comprises a sheet of material that conforms to a profile of the first seal portion.

20. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the second seal portion transfers a load between a valve seat and the first seal portion when the seal assembly is in sealing engagement with the valve seat.

21. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the seal assembly is at least partially enclosed within a groove adjacent the peripheral edge of the flow control member.

22. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the first seal portion comprises an annular ring, the intermediate portion to extend adjacent at least a portion of an opening of the annular ring, the intermediate portion to clamp to the flow control member via the retainer.

23. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the second seal portion is sufficiently thin relative to the first seal portion, the second seal portion to resiliently deform against a seat of the fluid valve.

24. A fluid valve comprising:
a flow control member positioned between an inlet and an outlet of a fluid flow passageway of the fluid valve;
a retainer removably coupled to a body of the flow control member, the retainer and the flow control member to define a sealing cavity when the retainer is coupled to the flow control member; and
a seal positioned within the sealing cavity to define a sealing surface of the flow control member, the seal having an annular ring composed of a first material and an outer sheath composed of a second material different than the first material, the outer sheath having a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion to house the annular ring and the second portion to extend across at least a portion of an opening defined by the annular ring, the second portion to engage a surface of the retainer and a surface of the flow control member.

25. The valve of claim 24 , wherein the second portion forms a substantially circular plate to be positioned between the retainer and the flow control member.

26. The valve of claim 24 , wherein the second portion of the seal includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side is to engage the flow control member and the second side is to engage the retainer when the retainer is coupled to the flow control member.

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Koester David John

Classifications

• F16K1/46

  Attachment of sealing rings · CPC title

• F16K5/0457

  Packings · CPC title

• F16K25/005 Primary

  Particular materials for seats or closure elements · CPC title

• F16K1/2261 Primary

  the sealing being arranged on the valve member · CPC title

• F16K1/36

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