The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 13, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 28, 1993
William J Baker, Valley Center, CA (US);
National-Oilwell, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A flow control valve such as a ball valve (12) for controlling fluid flow through a flow line (16). The control valve includes a flow chamber (18), an upstream passage (19), a downstream passage (20), a cylindrical body (24), a retainer (26) sealingly engaging the outer annular surface of the flow line and secured to the valve body by a pair of flanges (28), a flow control ball (32) rotatably disposed within the flow chamber for controlling fluid flow through the passages, an operating member (42) for rotating the ball between open and closed positions and means (70)for equalizing the pressure in the valve chamber. The ball includes a centrally bored flow passageway (36) for communicating fluid through the passages and is rotatably supported within the chamber by an annular upstream seat carrier (48) and an annular downstream seat carrier (50). Each seat carrier includes a ball seat (52) positioned within an annular recess (54) provided on the inwardly facing surface (55) of the seat carrier and an O-ring (56) positioned within an annular recess (58) provided on an axially facing surface (59) of the seat carrier. Each seat 52 includes an inwardly facing surface (60)that abuts the outer surface of the ball and an axially facing surface (62) that abuts an axial surface (64) of the seat recess. The pressure equalizing means includes a passage (72) extending radially inwardly within seat carrier (48) and communicates with an annular groove (73) cut in axial recess (58) and with chamber (18) by an outlet (76) in a recessed portion (82) on an outwardly facing surface (80) of seat carrier (48). Pressure is equalized when upstream pressure is introduced into chamber (18) inside O-ring (56), through groove (73) and through passage (72). The O-ring in seat carrier (50) seals against ball (32).