Ball valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964219-B2
Application number	US-201715396776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2010
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include ball valves having integrated seats. The integrated seats are included in a ball body assembly of a valve body. The ball body assembly may rotate with respect to the valve body to open or close the valve. The integrated seats may contact walls of a bore to sealingly close the valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a valve assembly, comprising:
a valve body having a fluid passage;
a body assembly disposed in the valve body along the fluid passage, wherein the body assembly comprises:
a body having a first groove;
a first seat disposed in the first groove; and
a first spring disposed in the first groove, wherein the first spring is configured to bias the first seat away from the body toward a first seating portion of the valve body to form a seal against fluid flow, and the first seating portion is disposed about the fluid passage.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a first seal disposed in the first groove separate from the first spring.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first spring comprises a plurality of curved portions.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first spring has a thickness that extends into at least a portion of a depth of the first groove, and the first spring has one or more spaces in the thickness of the first spring.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first seat comprises a first annular seat having a first central opening.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first groove comprises a first annular groove disposed about a first portion of the body, and the first annular seat is disposed in the first annular groove with the first central opening disposed about the first portion of the body.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first spring is disposed in the first annular groove with a central opening disposed about the first portion of the body.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first spring is configured to move the first seat away from the body over a range of movement.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the valve assembly is configured to limit displacement of the first seat.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first seat comprises an L-shaped cross-section.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first groove and the first seat are oriented substantially perpendicular to an axis of the fluid passage.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body assembly is configured to rotate about a rotational axis between an open position and a closed position relative to the fluid passage.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the body of the body assembly comprises an opening, the body assembly is configured to position the opening into the fluid passage in the open position, and the body assembly is configured to position the opening out of the fluid passage in the closed position.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the body assembly is at least partially ball shaped.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the body assembly is substantially ball shaped between opposite first and second stem portions.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body assembly comprises:
a second seat disposed in a second groove in the body; and
a second spring disposed in the second groove, wherein the second spring is configured to bias the second seat away from the body toward a second seating portion of the valve body.

17. The system of claim 1 , comprising a first fluid chamber disposed in the first groove, wherein the first fluid chamber is configured to use fluid pressure to bias the first seat away from the body toward the first seating portion of the valve body.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises an annular sealing interface between the first seating portion and the first seat, and the annular sealing interface extends about an axis of the fluid passage.

19. A system, comprising:
a body assembly configured to mount in a valve body along a fluid passage, wherein the body assembly comprises:
a body having a first groove;
a first seat disposed in the first groove; and
a first spring disposed in the first groove, wherein the first spring is configured to bias the first seat away from the body toward a first seating portion of the valve body to form a seal against fluid flow, and the first seating portion is disposed about the fluid passage.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the body of the body assembly comprises an opening, and the body of the body assembly is at least partially ball shaped.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first spring is not configured to seal.

22. A method, comprising:
seating a body assembly in a valve body along a fluid passage with a first seat disposed in a first groove of a body of the body assembly; and
biasing the first seat away from the body toward a first seating portion of the valve body with a first spring disposed in the first groove to form a seal against fluid flow, wherein the first seating portion is disposed about the fluid passage.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Avdjian Christophe

Classifications

• F16K5/201

  with the housing or parts of the housing mechanically pressing the seal against the plug · CPC title

• F16K5/204

  with the plugs or parts of the plugs mechanically pressing the seals against the housing · CPC title

• F16K5/0605

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title

• F16K5/205

  Sealing effected by the flowing medium · CPC title

• F16K5/0684 Primary

  on the plug · CPC title