Patent ID: 6029948
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: F16K

Abstract:
A valve assembly comprising:a.) a valve housing having a fluid passageway extending therethrough, said fluid passageway having an inlet portion, a cross-section of which is defined by an inlet surface, an outlet portion, a cross-section of which is defined by an outlet surface, and an inner chamber portion positioned between and adjacent to said inlet and outlet portions and having a first and second end, said inner chamber portion being defined by an inner chamber surface, an inner wall, and an outer wall, said inner wall extending inwardly from said inner chamber surface to said inlet surface, and said outer wall extending inwardly from said inner chamber surface to said outlet surface, said valve housing having a first coefficient of thermal expansion;b.) a ball valve located within said inner chamber portion of said fluid passageway, said ball valve being movable between a closed position wherein said fluid passageway is blocked and an open position wherein said fluid passageway is not blocked, said ball valve having an outer surface and a substantially annular valve hole therethrough, said ball valve having an inlet portion surrounding said substantially annular hole at an inlet side and an outlet lip portion surrounding said substantially annular hole at an outlet side;c.) first and second substantially annular retainer ring assemblies located within said inner chamber portion of said fluid passageway for rotatable positioning said ball valve within said inner chamber portion, said first retainer ring assembly providing a first fluid seal between said ball valve and said inner chamber surface at said first end of said inner chamber portion, and said second retainer ring assembly providing a second fluid seal between said ball valve and said inner chamber surface at said second end of said inner chamber portion of said fluid passageway;said first and second retainer ring assemblies each having a floating retainer ring and a plurality of sealing members, said floating retainer rings being movable both laterally and perpendicularly relative to said ball valve, said inner chamber surface, and said inner and outer walls, and having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than that of said valve housing, said plurality of sealing members each being sufficiently sized and being compressed so that said first and second seals are maintained during normal operation of said valve assembly;wherein a portion of said inner chamber surface at said second end of said inner chamber portion is threaded; anda substantially annular securing ring positioned within said inner chamber portion of said fluid passageway, said securing ring having a hole therethrough, a threaded outer edge, an outer side, and an inner side, said threaded outer edge being threadably engaged with said threaded portion of said inner chamber surface, said outer side being substantially aligned with and substantially complementary to said outer wall.