Patent ID: 9482352
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: F15B,F16K,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A valve comprising: a valve body defining a bore having a central axis, the valve body also defining a gallery including an annular cavity that surrounds the central axis and includes an open inner side in fluid communication with the bore, the gallery having an axial width; and a spool mounted within the bore, the spool being movable within the bore along the central axis, the spool including a first annular sealing land and a second annular sealing land that each project radially outwardly from a main body of the spool, the spool including a flow-shaping ring disposed between the first annular sealing land and the second annular sealing land that projects radially outwardly from the main body of the spool, the flow-shaping ring having an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the first annular sealing land and the second annular sealing land, the flow-shaping ring being separated from the first annular sealing land by an annular flow-shaping groove, the annular flow-shaping groove having an axial width that is smaller than the axial width of the gallery, wherein the flow-shaping ring and the flow-shaping groove are axially co-extensive with the gallery when the gallery is fully open, and wherein the flow-shaping groove has a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the main body of the spool.