Patent ID: 11906076
Assignee: CONTROL COMPONENTS, INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 11:
12. A valve body for use in a valve housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the valve body comprising:
an outer surface that is of a spherical configuration, the outer surface including a closed region, a pair of restricted regions and a pair of free flow regions, the closed region including a continuous surface without any openings formed therein, each restricted region including a plurality of passageway openings each being in communication with an internal passageway extending diametrically from one side of the outer surface to an opposing side of the spherical outer surface, and each free flow region being in communication with a common free flow opening, at least one of the internal passageways having at least one segment that is of a tortuous configuration;
the valve body being moveable relative to the valve housing between a closed position, a restricted flow position, and a free flow position;
in the closed position, the closed region is in alignment with at least the fluid inlet, and the pair of restricted regions and the pair of free flow regions are out of alignment with the fluid inlet to prevent fluid flow between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
in the restricted flow position, at least a portion of each of the plurality of restricted regions is moved into fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet to facilitate fluid communication therebetween; and
in the free flow position, the pair of free flow regions are moved into fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet to facilitate fluid communication therebetween.