Patent ID: 7051996
Filing Date: 2006-05-30
Classification: F16K,F25B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An air conditioning service plug-type valve, comprising in combination: a. a valve body having a chamber and an inlet opening and an outlet opening communicating with said chamber, said valve body including, at an open end of said chamber, an exteriorly threaded portion and a generally cylindrical pocket portion having a deformable collar; b. a stem, including a generally cylindrical plug with a peripheral surface, located on one end and a contiguous actuating portion extending from another end thereof, said plug being disposed within said chamber and being rotatable within said chamber, about an axis between a closed position and an open position; c. said plug including a first, through, lateral passageway communicating with said inlet and outlet openings when said plug is in said open position, thereby providing a first flowpath for the fluid through said valve, said inlet and outlet openings, together with said first lateral passageway, being disposed along a straight axis when said plug is in said open position; d. said plug further including a second lateral passageway normal to, emanating from and communicating said first lateral passageway with said valve body chamber; e. a first seal, disposed between said valve body and said plug in a first seal groove in said plug peripheral surface; f. a second seal, disposed between said valve body and said plug in a second seal groove, of a serpentine shape and including contiguous first and second seal groove portions, in said plug peripheral surface, said second seal being stretched a predetermined amount during its installation into said second seal groove and being spaced apart from said first seal and defining, therebetween and said valve body and said plug, a closed volume without said first lateral passageway; g. said second seal, upon installation thereof in said second seal groove assumes the shape of said second seal groove, thus including first and second contiguous seal portions, said first seal portion being disposed above said inlet and outlet openings, said second seal portion extending from one end of said first contiguous seal portion downwardly to below said inlet and outlet openings and then back upwardly to another contiguous end of said first seal portion such that one of said inlet and outlet openings is disposed within said closed volume and the other of said inlet and outlet openings is disposed outside of said closed volume when said plug is in said closed position; h. said stem contiguous actuating portion including a generally cylindrical portion, including a radially extending stop member, adjoining said plug, a tool-receiving portion adjoining said generally cylindrical stem portion, and a service fitting adjoining said tool-receiving portion, said stem further including a central axial passageway normal to, emanating from and communicating said first lateral passageway with said service fitting, said service fitting being adapted for receiving a valve core for refrigerant medium charging purposes; i. a generally annular retainer member positioned around said stem cylindrical portion, axially within said valve body pocket portion, with the inside diameter of said retainer member being smaller than the diameter of said plug and having a recessed portion of a predetermined circumferential extent, with said stop member being received within said recessed portion, said valve body deformable collar being adapted to be radially inwardly swaged over said retainer member during the assembly of said valve; j. a cap for sealing said valve cavity and protecting said stem actuating portion, said cap including an interiorly threaded base portion, adapted to mate with said threaded valve body portion, and an integral truncated closure portion having an internal cavity for covering said service fitting and valve core; and k. a third seal, located in an internal gland portion of said cap, adapted for sealing said cap against said valve body swaged collar portion, upon assembly of said cap onto said valve body.