Patent ID: 6290208
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: B01D,F01M,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A valve assembly comprising a stationary valve body having an inner cylindrical wall defining a hollow cylindrical interior extending along an axis and having at least one radial port having an inner end opening into said hollow interior, a movable valve member having an outer cylindrical wall defining a cylinder extending alone said axis in said hollow cylindrical interior of said valve body, said valve member being rotatable about said axis, said valve member having at least one interior passage and at least one transfer passage extending radially outwardly from said interior passage and having an outer end facing said inner cylindrical wall of said valve body, a valve seal assembly comprising a seal element having a hollow tubular sleeve portion in said transfer passage and slidable therealong in a radial direction relative to said axis, and an outer face portion engaging said inner cylindrical wall of said valve body and circumferentially movable across and into and out of radial alignment with said inner end of said radial port, said sleeve portion and said outer face portion having a central passage therethrough common and colinear with said transfer passage, said transfer passage having first and second different inner diameter sections meeting at an interface forming an annular shoulder, said second inner diameter section being radially outward of and of larger diameter than said first inner diameter section, said annular shoulder facing radially outwardly in said transfer passage, an annular biasing spring in said transfer passage and having an inner end bearing against said shoulder and an outer end bearing against said seal element to bias the latter against said inner cylindrical wall of said valve body, said spring and said sleeve portion concentrically surrounding and defining said central passage extending therethrough, wherein said spring, said shoulder and said sleeve portion are colinearly aligned annuli, said sleeve portion has first and second different outer diameter sections meeting at an interface forming a second annular shoulder, said second outer diameter section being radially outward of and of larger diameter than said first outer diameter section, said second annular shoulder facing radially inwardly in said transfer passage and spaced outwardly of said first mentioned annular shoulder by an annular gap, said first and second annular shoulders facing each other along said radial direction across said annular gap, wherein said spring is in said annular gap between said first and second annular shoulders.