Self-relieving ball valve seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982789-B2
Application number	US-63234009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2009
Priority date	Dec 7, 2009
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A system, in certain embodiments, includes an annular ball valve seat including an annular spring, which biases the annular ball valve seat axially. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the annular ball valve seat includes a main body section, a lip section extending from the main body section, and a seat groove between the main body section and the lip section, wherein the first annular spring is disposed within the seat groove. A first leg of the annular spring biases the lip section in a first axial direction and a second leg of the annular spring biases the main body section in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction. The annular ball valve seat is configured to be disposed within a ball valve, on either side of a ball of the ball valve. The particular design of the annular ball valve seat enables pressure within a body cavity of the ball valve to be self-relieving.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ball valve capable of relieving cavity pressure, comprising:
a body, comprising a first groove and a body passage;
an adapter, comprising a second groove and an adapter passage, wherein the adapter is coupled to the body;
a ball disposed between the body and the adapter and configured to rotate about a radial axis to allow or block a flow of fluid through the body passage and the adapter passage;
a first unitary annular seat disposed within the first groove and in contact with and disposed between the body and the ball, wherein the first unitary annular seat comprises a first annular spring disposed between axially opposite first and second surfaces of the first unitary annular seat, the first surface comprises a first angled portion and a second angled portion, the first angled portion defines a first length and the second angled portion defines a second length, wherein the second length is greater than the first length and the second angled portion is configured to contact the ball, wherein the first and second angled portions are radially offset from each other and acutely angled relative to a central axis of the body passage, wherein the radial offset is configured to block contact between the first angled portion and the ball, and wherein the first annular spring biases the first and second surfaces of the first unitary annular seat axially away from one another along the central axis of the body passage and the adapter passage, and wherein the first unitary annular seat is configured to self-relieve; and
a second unitary annular seat disposed within the second groove and in contact with and disposed between the ball and the adapter, wherein the second unitary annular seat comprises a second annular spring disposed between axially opposite third and fourth surfaces of the second unitary annular seat, the second annular spring biases the third and fourth surfaces of the second unitary annular seat axially away from one another along the central axis, and wherein the second unitary annular seat is configured to self-relieve.

2. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first unitary annular seat contacts the body to form a first seal at a first diameter, and the first unitary annular seat contacts the ball to form a second seal at a second diameter, wherein a difference between the first and second diameters develops a force which biases the first unitary annular seat against the body when a cavity pressure is higher than a body passage pressure, thereby relieving the cavity pressure.

3. The ball valve of claim 2 , wherein the second unitary annular seat contacts the adapter to form a third seal at a third diameter, and the second unitary annular seat contacts the ball to form a fourth seal at a fourth diameter.

4. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first unitary annular seat comprises a first main body section, a first lip section extending from the first main body section, and a first seat groove between the first main body section and the first lip section, wherein the first annular spring is disposed within the first seat groove, and the second unitary annular seat comprises a second main body section, a second lip section extending from the second main body section, and a second seat groove between the second main body section and the second lip section, wherein the second annular spring is disposed within the second seat groove.

5. The ball valve of claim 4 , wherein a first leg of the first annular spring biases the first lip section in a first axial direction along the central axis and a second leg of the first annular spring biases the first main body section in a second axial direction along the central axis opposite to the first axial direction, and a third leg of the second annular spring biases the second lip section in a third axial direction along the central axis and a fourth leg of the second annular spring biases the second main body section in a fourth axial direction along the central axis opposite to the third axial direction.

6. The ball valve of claim 4 , wherein the first groove is rectangular, and the second groove is rectangular.

7. The ball valve of claim 6 , wherein the first annular spring biases the first lip section against a first surface of the first groove, the first annular spring biases the first main body section away from the first surface of the first groove and against the ball, the second annular spring biases the second lip section against a second surface of the second groove, and the second annular spring biases the second main body section away from the second surface of the second groove and against the ball.

8. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first and second angled portions are radially separated by a connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion is perpendicular to the central axis.

9. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first and second annular springs are both u-shaped springs having opposite legs configured to bias along the central axis.

10. The ball valve of claim 9 , wherein the first and second annular springs comprise metallic cantilever springs.

11. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the first and second unitary annular seats are comprised of plastic or a combination of plastic and metallic materials.

12. A system, comprising:
a valve housing comprising an annular groove with a rectangular cross-sectional shape;
a ball disposed in the valve housing;
a unitary annular ball valve seat disposed within the annular groove, the unitary annular ball valve seat comprises a main body section and a lip section, wherein the main body section defines opposite first and second axial surfaces and inner and outer circumferential surfaces, and wherein the lip section is recessed below the outer circumferential surface; and
an annular spring disposed within a seat groove of the unitary annular ball valve seat, wherein the seat groove extends radially into the unitary annular ball valve seat at a position axially between the first and second axial surfaces of the unitary annular ball valve seat, and the annular spring biases the opposite first and second axial surfaces of the unitary annular ball valve seat axially into contact with the ball and the valve housing.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unitary annular ball valve seat comprises a main body section, the lip section extending from the main body section, and the seat groove between the main body section and the lip section, wherein the annular spring is disposed within the seat groove.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a first leg of the annular spring biases the lip section in a first axial direction and a second leg of the annular spring biases the main body section in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unitary annular ball valve seat comprises an angled surface configured to interface with the ball.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the angled surface comprises a first surface configured to make contact with the ball, a second surface configured to not make contact with the ball, and a tapered section connecting the first and second surfaces.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the annular spring is a u-shaped spring.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the annular spring comprises a metallic cantilever spring.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unitary annular ball valve seat is comprised of plastic or a combination of plastic and metallic materials.

20. The system of claim 13 , wher

Assignees

• Mircea Balan
• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Mircea Balan

Classifications

• F16K5/0673 Primary

  Composite packings · CPC title

• Y10T137/6041

  Replaceable · CPC title

• Y10T137/6038

  Particular valve seat or interface seal · CPC title

• F16K5/0678

  in which only one of the components of the composite packing is contacting the plug · CPC title

• F16K5/20 Primary

  for plugs with spherical surfaces · CPC title