Patent ID: 11920699
Assignee: INTECH INDUSTRIES, INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. An auto-drain ball valve comprising:
a body with
a first circulation hole and
an exhaust port with a threading;

a cap with a second circulation hole;
the body
secured to the cap and
cooperating with the cap to form a chamber;

a ball
secured in the chamber,
having a flowthrough hole,
having a cavity located adjacent to the exhaust port, and
having a channel extending through the ball with
a first end of the channel proximate to the exhaust port and
a second end of the channel distant from the exhaust port;

a needle
partially located within the cavity of the ball,
rotationally locked to the ball, and
connected to the threading of the exhaust port, wherein
a threading is configured to move the needle further into or out of the cavity of the ball when the ball is rotated;

the auto-drain ball valve having an open configuration wherein
the first circulation hole of the body, the second circulation hole of the cap, and the flowthrough hole of the ball are aligned to enable a fluid or gas to flow between the first and second circulation holes,
the needle seals the exhaust port to prevent the fluid or gas from passing through the exhaust port, and
the second end of the channel is distant from both the first circulation hole and the second circulation hole; and

the auto-drain ball valve having a closed configuration wherein
the flowthrough hole of the ball is unaligned with the first circulation hole of the body and the second circulation hole of the cap to prevent the fluid or gas from passing between the first and second circulation holes,
the needle is disengaged from a portion of the exhaust port to enable the fluid or gas to pass through the exhaust port, and
the second end of the channel is adjacent to either the first circulation hole or the second circulation hole to enable the fluid or gas in the chamber to vent from the chamber through the channel to the exhaust port.