Abstract:
A bottom entry plastic ball valve comprises a valve stem cap ( 1 ), a valve stem ( 2 ), a valve stem sealing ring ( 3 ), a valve stem end surface sealing ring ( 4 ), a valve ball sealing ring ( 5 ), a supporting ring ( 6 ) for the valve ball sealing ring, a valve ball ( 7 ), a connecting pipe ( 8 ), and a valve body ( 9 ). A hollow valve ball chamber ( 911 ) is provided inside the valve body ( 9 ), the valve body ( 9 ) is provided with a valve bottom cover hole ( 912 ) just below the valve ball chamber ( 911 ), and the width of the valve bottom cover hole ( 912 ) is larger than the diameter of the valve ball ( 7 ). The ball valve also comprises a valve bottom cover ( 10 ) corresponding to the valve bottom cover hole ( 912 ) so that the valve bottom cover ( 10 ) can cover the valve bottom cover hole ( 912 ) and can be fusion-bonded to the valve body ( 9 ), thereby avoiding the need for electric fusion welding in the manufacture of large-diameter ball valves.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention belongs to the field of plastic ball valves, and particularly relates to a bottom entry plastic ball valve. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With wide application of plastic gas pipelines, plastic ball valve is firstly developed and manufactured in USA and widely applied to plastic gas pipeline systems to meet the needs of forming pipeline systems. People have been gradually realized the superiority of plastic ball valves in respects of performances/price and began to replace metal ball valves with plastic ball valves. 
         [0003]    For traditional plastic valves, a small-diameter ball valve is integrated by hot melt welding, and a large-diameter ball valve adopts electric fusion welding. The hot melt welding has simple process, low cost and relative low accuracy; and the electric fusion welding has complex process and high cost. 
         [0004]    Presently, the valve structure with hot melt welding commonly adopts an integral side-entry structure, in which a ball body, a valve stem and a sealing ring of one side are assembled in a valve body form one end of the valve body, the diameter of the end is equal to or larger than the diameter of a valve ball chamber; the other sealing ring is mounted on a connecting pipe seat, the valve body and the connecting pipe seat are welded together to form an integral ball valve by hot melt welding or electric fusion welding between the inner cylindrical surface with larger diameter where the valve body assembled in the ball body and the outer cylindrical surface of the connecting pipe seat. The valve stem is buckled with a valve stem cap through the buckling part of the valve stem, and the valve stem cap is buckled with the valve body through the buckling part of the valve stem cap. The two sealing rings are respectively fixed on the valve body and the connecting pipe. In assembly, the valve stem cap is firstly buckled with the valve body through the buckling part, then a sealing ring and a supporting ring thereof are mounted in a sealing ring groove and a supporting ring groove from the end with larger diameter of the valve body, next, the valve stem is mounted from the end with larger diameter of the valve body in a way that the buckling part of the valve stem is buckled in the buckling part of the valve stem cap, and finally, the valve ball is mounted; the sealing rings are mounted on a sealing ring mounting ring of the valve body and a connecting pipe seat sealing ring, then the inner cylindrical surface of the insertion-accepting part of the valve body and the outer cylindrical surface of the connecting pipe are heated and molten on a hot melting machine, and when the two cylindrical surfaces are molten to a certain thickness, the connecting pipe is inserted into the insertion-accepting part of the valve body to a certain depth and gradually cooled by keeping pressure. 
         [0005]    Such structure has the following defects: 
         [0006]    I. The bottom of the valve stem has an end surface on which an O-shaped sealing ring is mounted through an annular groove provided on the end surface, a plane perpendicular to the valve stem is milled on the valve body correspondingly, the buckling part of the valve stem and the buckling part of the valve stem cap are required to cause the valve stem to maintain a proper force pointing at the outside of the valve body, such that the O-shaped sealing ring on the end surface of the valve stem can seal the end surface of the valve stem by a proper pressing force. However, in such structure, the designed pressing force is obtained through the two buckling parts on three parts, which brings more difficulties for manufacture and assembly; 
         [0007]    II. The insertion depth of the connecting pipe in the valve body directly affects the axial distance between two sealing surfaces and influences a pre-stressed force. Large insertion depth causes large pre-stressed force and large torques for opening and closing the valve and serious abrasion; small insertion depth brings small pre-stressed force of the sealing surface, thereby causing a hidden danger of inner leakage. In addition, it is difficult to ensure coincidence of central lines of the valve body and the connecting pipe during insertion, the two central lines often do not coincide and form a certain angle, resulting in uneven pressing force between the sealing rings and the ball body on a whole sealing area; 
         [0008]    III. From the view of manufacture, because the two sealing rings are respectively positioned on the valve body and the connecting pipe, and process positioning surfaces for machining mounting rings of the sealing rings are respectively positioned on two mounting rings, the axial distance between the mounting rings of the sealing rings after assembly has an error due to the manufacture of the positioning surfaces. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The object of the invention is to provide an integral bottom entry valve body structure to overcome the defects of the prior art. 
         [0010]    In order to realize the above object, the invention employs the following technical scheme: 
         [0011]    A bottom entry plastic ball valve comprises a valve stem cap, a valve stem, a valve stem sealing ring, a valve stem end face sealing ring, a valve ball sealing ring, a supporting ring for the valve ball sealing ring, a valve ball, a connecting pipe and a valve body. A hollow valve ball chamber is provided inside the valve body, the valve body is provided with a valve bottom cover hole just below the valve ball chamber, the width of the valve bottom cover hole is larger than the diameter of the valve ball, the ball valve also comprises a valve bottom cover corresponding to the valve bottom cover hole so that the valve bottom cover can cover the valve bottom cover hole and can be fusion-bonded to the valve body. 
         [0012]    The plastic ball valve of the invention is characterized in that the valve bottom cover hole is provided just below the valve ball chamber for mounting two valve ball sealing rings and a valve ball, and the valve bottom cover covers the valve bottom cover hole and adopts end surface welding through hot melt, thereby avoiding the need for electric fusion welding in manufacture of large-diameter valves. 
         [0013]    In the above technical scheme, said valve bottom cover hole is parallel to the axial line of the valve body, and the valve bottom cover hole is in the shape of a square, or a rectangle, or a circle, or an ellipse. 
         [0014]    An annular plane is provided around the valve bottom cover hole to be taken as a valve bottom cover melt adhesive surface which is parallel to the axial line of the valve body, and the valve body and the valve bottom cover are in end surface welding through the valve bottom cover melt adhesive surface by hot melt. 
         [0015]    As another structure, a conical surface is provided around the valve bottom cover hole to be taken as a valve bottom cover melt adhesive surface which is perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body, and the valve body and the valve bottom cover are in end surface welding through the valve bottom cover melt adhesive surface by hot melt. 
         [0016]    The right end and the left end of the valve body are respectively provided with a connecting pipe seat, the side of said each connecting pipe seat fusion-welded with the connecting pipe is provided with an outer end surface ring which is perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body, and the valve body and the connecting pipe are in end surface welding through the outer end surface rings by hot melt. The outer end surface rings are perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body, and because the outer end surface rings are close to the valve ball chamber, the sealing ring groove and the sealing ring supporting ring groove can be turned conveniently by a numerical control lathe; and another important function of the outer end surface rings lies in forming end surface welding with the connecting pipe by hot melt, avoiding the need for electric fusion welding process in manufacture of large-diameter ball valves. 
         [0017]    The connecting pipe is provided with a fusion welding surface used for being welded with the valve body by hot melt, and said fusion welding surface is of an annular end surface or a conical surface and corresponds to the outer end surface ring which is an annular plane or a conical surface. 
         [0018]    Both sides of the valve ball chamber of the valve body are respectively provided with a positioning end surface for the mounting ring for the valve ball sealing ring and a positioning end surface for the supporting ring for the valve ball sealing ring. The mounting ring positioning end surface for the valve ball sealing ring and the supporting ring positioning end surface for the valve ball sealing ring are machined on both sides of the valve ball chamber of the valve body, that is to say the two valve body sealing rings and the two supporting rings for the valve ball sealing rings are mounted on the valve body, which is different from two valve sealing rings of the traditional ball valve in mounting mode and position, and as for traditional ball valve sealing rings, one is mounted in from one end of the valve body, and the other is mounted on the connecting pipe. 
         [0019]    Said valve ball chamber is an inner cylindrical surface coaxial with the valve body and has an indentation at the valve bottom cover hole, said valve bottom cover is provided with an inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball chamber for supplementing the indentation, the valve body is further provided with an inner cylindrical surface fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the valve ball sealing ring, the inner cylindrical surface is in the shape of a circular ring concentric with the valve body, the inner cylindrical surface has an indentation on the valve body, and the valve bottom cover is provided with an inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball sealing ring for supplementing the indentation. 
         [0020]    Said valve bottom cover comprises an inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball chamber, an inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball sealing ring, a fusion welding end surface, an axial positioning end surface of the valve bottom cover and a radial positioning cylindrical surface of the valve bottom cover, wherein the inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball chamber and the inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball chamber form an integral inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball; the inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball sealing ring and the inner cylindrical surface of the sealing ring form an integral radial positioning inner cylindrical surface for the valve ball sealing ring; the fusion welding end surface is welded with the melt adhesive surface of the valve bottom cover through hot melt welding and has the same profile with the melt adhesive surface of the valve bottom cover; the axial positioning end surface of the valve bottom cover is parallel to the fusion welding end surface and fitted with the axial positioning surface of valve bottom cover on the valve body, has the same shape with the axial positioning surface of the valve bottom cover and limits the valve bottom cover in axial direction; and the radial positioning cylindrical surface of the valve bottom cover is fitted with a circumferential positioning surface on the valve body and limits the valve bottom cover in radial direction. 
         [0021]    The invention has the following assembly process: 
         [0022]    An axial sealing ring of the valve stem and a valve stem end surface sealing ring are firstly mounted in corresponding sealing ring mounting grooves on the valve body through the valve bottom cover hole, and then the valve stem is mounted in so that the valve stem is buckled with an axial limiting buckling part on the valve body; two valve ball sealing rings are mounted in corresponding sealing ring mounting grooves on the valve body through the valve bottom cover hole, then a ball body is mounted in the valve ball chamber through the valve bottom cover hole, and next, two supporting rings for the valve ball sealing rings are respectively pressed in the valve body from the right side and the left side of the valve body; the valve bottom cover, two connecting pipes and the valve body are fusion-welded together through hot melt; and finally, the valve stem cap is assembled. 
         [0023]    In the invention, the ball body adopts a bottom entry structure, wherein two valve ball sealing rings are directly mounted on the valve body such that the axial distance between the two sealing rings can be accurately controlled, and accordingly, the pre-stressed force of the sealing surface and the torsional moment of the valve stem can be effectively controlled, thereby solving the problem in the prior art of low qualification rate because of inner leakage and overlarge torsional moment caused by inefficient control of the axial distance between sealing rings. In addition, because end surface hot melt welding or conical surface hot melt welding is used between the valve bottom cover and the valve body and between the connecting pipes and the valve body, there is no need to use electric fusion welding which has high cost and complex fusion welding process in manufacture of large-diameter valves. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of the whole structure of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a structural diagram of the valve body of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is another structural diagram of the valve body of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a structural diagram of the valve stem of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a structural diagram of the supporting ring for the sealing ring of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a structural diagram of the valve bottom cover of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  is a structural diagram of the valve stem cap of the PE ball valve of the invention; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 8  is a structural diagram of the connecting pipe of the PE ball valve of the invention; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0032]    The invention is further described by combining the drawings: 
         [0033]    Referring to the diagram of the whole structure of the PE ball valve as shown in  FIG. 1 , the plastic ball valve of the invention comprise a valve stem cap  1 , a valve stem  2 , a valve stem sealing ring  3 , a valve stem end surface sealing ring  4 , a valve ball sealing ring  5 , a supporting ring  6  for the valve ball sealing ring, a valve ball  7 , a connecting pipe  8 , a valve body  9  and a valve bottom cover  10 . 
         [0034]    Referring to the structural diagrams of the valve body of the PE ball valve as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , said valve body  9  substantially is a cylinder which is internally provided with a series of cylindrical holes communicated with each other, and the axial lines of the cylindrical holes coincide with the cylinder body of the valve body in axial direction. The valve body  9  comprises a melt adhesive surface  91  of the valve bottom cover, a circumferential positioning surface  94  of the valve bottom cover, an axial positioning surface  95  of the valve bottom cover, an inner cylindrical surface  92  fitting with the valve ball sealing ring  5 , a mounting ring groove  93  for the valve ball sealing ring, an axial positioning circumferential end surface  96  of the supporting ring for the valve ball sealing ring, an axial positioning circumferential end surface  97  of the connecting pipe, a radial positioning surface  98  of the connecting pipe, a melt adhesive containing groove  99 , a melt adhesive end surface  910  used for being fusion-welded with the connecting pipe  8 , a valve ball chamber  911 , a valve bottom cover hole  912 , a circumferential end surface  943  of the valve stem, a mounting groove  946  for the valve stem end surface sealing ring, an axial positioning buckling part groove  945  of the valve stem, a limiting convex ring  949  of the valve stem cap, a limiting cylindrical surface  9412  of the valve stem cap, a valve stem shaft hole  9410  and an axial sealing ring mounting groove  944  of the valve stem. 
         [0035]    The valve ball chamber  911  of the valve body  9  is an inner cylindrical surface concentric with the valve body, the inner cylindrical surface has an indentation at the valve bottom cover hole  912 , the indentation is positioned on the valve bottom cover  10  and combines with an inner cylindrical surface  101  of the valve ball chamber to form an integral inside of the valve ball. Said valve bottom cover hole  912  is in the shape of a circle, or a square, or a rectangle and communicated with the valve ball chamber  911 . 
         [0036]    On the valve body  9 , the inner cylindrical surface  92  fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the valve ball sealing ring  5  is in the shape of a circular ring concentric with the valve body. The inner cylindrical surface  92  has an indentation on the valve body  9 , the indentation is positioned on the valve bottom cover  10  and combines with the inner cylindrical surface  102  of the valve sealing ring of the valve bottom cover  10  to form an integral radial positioning inner cylindrical ring of the valve ball sealing ring. 
         [0037]    The circumferential end surface  943  of the valve stem is parallel to the axial line of the valve body  9  and perpendicular to the valve stem shaft hole  9410 , and is provided with the mounting groove  946  for mounting the valve stem end surface sealing ring  4 , and the axial line of the mounting groove  946  coincides with the axial line of the valve stem shaft hole  9410 . 
         [0038]    Said axial positioning buckling part groove  945  of the valve stem is an annular groove in the shape of a square, or a rectangle, or a triangle, and the axial line thereof coincides with the axial line of the valve stem shaft hole  9410 . 
         [0039]    Said limiting cylindrical surface  9412  of the valve stem cap is concentric with the valve stem shaft hole  9410  and is provided with an annular protrusion, i.e. the limiting convex ring  949  of the valve stem cap, with the cross section in the shape of a circle, or a rectangle, or an ellipse, or a rhombus at the upper part. Said limiting convex ring  949  of the valve stem cap is fitted with a buckling groove  15  of the valve stem cap  1  to limit the valve stem cap  1 . 
         [0040]    Said melt adhesive surface  91  of the valve bottom cover is a flat surface or a conical surface with rectangular, or square, or circular or elliptical inner and outer profiles. If being a flat surface, the melt adhesive surface  91  is parallel to the axial line of the valve body  9 ; if being a conical surface, the axial line of the melt adhesive surface  91  is perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body  9  and coincides with the normal line of the outer cylindrical surface of the valve body. The melt adhesive surface  91  is used for enabling the valve bottom cover  10  to be welded with the valve body  9  by being welded with the fusion welding end surface  107  on the valve bottom cover  10  through hot melt. 
         [0041]    The mounting ring  93  for the valve ball sealing ring of the valve body  9  is a circular ring with a square cross section and is used for positioning the valve sealing ring  5  in axial direction. The axial positioning circumferential end surface  96  of the supporting ring for the sealing ring is a planar ring perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body and is used for positioning the supporting ring  6  for the sealing ring of the valve body  9  in axial direction. 
         [0042]    The axial positioning circumferential end surface  97  of the connecting pipe of the valve body  9  is an annular plane perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body and is used for positioning the connecting pipe  8  in axial direction. The radial positioning surface  98  of the connecting pipe of the valve body  9  is an inner cylindrical surface concentric with the valve body and is used for positioning the connecting pipe  8  in radial direction. 
         [0043]    The axial positioning surface  95  of the valve bottom cover is an annular plane with the central line coinciding with the central line of the circumferential positioning surface  94  and is used for being fitted with the axial positioning end surface  108  of the valve bottom cover  10  to limit the valve bottom cover  10  in axial direction. 
         [0044]    The mounting groove  946  for the valve stem end surface sealing ring is an annular groove which is positioned on the circumferential end surface  943  of the valve stem; the axial positioning buckling part groove  945  of the valve stem is positioned on the valve stem shaft hole  9410  and buckled with an axial positioning buckling part  24  of the valve stem  2  to limit the axial movement of the valve stem  2 ; the axial sealing ring mounting groove  944  of the valve stem is positioned on the valve stem shaft hole  9410 ; the axial lines of the axial positioning buckling part groove  945  of the valve stem, the valve stem shaft hole  9410 , the limiting convex ring  949  of the valve stem cap, the limiting cylindrical surface  9412  of the valve stem cap and the axial sealing ring mounting groove  944  of the valve stem coincide with each other, are perpendicular to the axial line of the valve body  1  and coincide with the axial line of the valve bottom cover  10 . 
         [0045]    Refereeing to the structural diagram of the valve stem as shown in  FIG. 4 , the valve stem  2  comprises a valve ball poke block  21 , a valve stem end surface sealing ring  22 , an end surface sealing plane  23 , an axial positioning buckling part  24  of the valve stem, a cylindrical section  25  of the valve stem and a torsional section  26  of the valve stem. Said valve stem end surface sealing ring  22  is a cylindrical ring concentric with the valve stem  2 , and the valve stem end surface sealing plane  23  is positioned on the valve stem end surface sealing ring  22  and perpendicular to the axial line of the valve stem  2 ; said axial positioning buckling part  24  of the valve stem is positioned on and concentric with the cylindrical section  25  of the valve stem and protrudes from the cylindrical section  25  of the valve stem, the axial positioning buckling part  24  of the valve stem has a conical cross section which is concentric with the cylindrical section  25 , and the biggest bottom surface of the axial positioning buckling part  24  is a plane closing to the valve stem end surface sealing ring  22  and perpendicular to the axial line of the valve stem. The axial positioning buckling part  24  of the valve stem is fitted with the axial positioning buckling part groove  945  of the valve stem on the valve body  9  to limit the distance of the valve stem  2  towards the valve ball. The torsional section  26  of the valve stem  2  are two parallel planes cut on the a segment of a cylinder body concentric with the valve stem  2  and smaller than the cylindrical section  25  in diameter along the axial line of the valve stem, and are used for being fitted with a torsional hole in the valve stem cap  1  and giving a torque to the valve stem to drive the valve ball to rotate. 
         [0046]    Referring to the structural diagram of the supporting ring for the valve ball sealing ring as shown in  FIG. 5 , the supporting ring  6  substantially is in the shape of a cylinder, the inner circular surface comprises two conical surfaces  61 ,  67  and a cylindrical surface, and the two conical surfaces coincide with the axle center of the cylindrical surface and coincide with two outer cylindrical surfaces  63 ,  65 . After assembly, a conical surface  62  is provided closing to the valve ball. The outer cylindrical surface  63  is fitted with the inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball sealing ring  5 . A circumferential end surface  64  is fitted with the circumferential end surface  96  on the valve body  9  to position the supporting ring  6  in axial direction. A circumferential end surface  66  is provided away from the valve ball and fitted with an axial positioning end surface  83  of the supporting ring of the connecting pipe  8 . 
         [0047]    Referring to the structural diagram of the valve bottom cover as shown in  FIG. 6 , the valve bottom cover  10  mainly comprises an inner cylindrical surface  101  of the valve ball chamber, an inner cylindrical surface  102  of the valve ball sealing ring, a fusion welding end surface  107 , an axial positioning end surface  108  of the valve bottom cover, and a radial positioning cylindrical surface  1011  of the valve bottom cover. The inner cylindrical surface  101  of the valve ball chamber and the inner cylindrical surface  911  of the valve ball chamber of the valve body  9  form an integral inner cylindrical surface of the valve ball; and the inner cylindrical surface  102  of the valve ball sealing ring and the inner cylindrical surface  92  of the sealing ring of the valve body  9  form an integral radial positioning inner cylindrical ring of the valve ball sealing ring. The axial line of the fusion welding end surface  107  coincides with the axial line of the valve stem shaft hole on the valve body, and is used for being welded with the melt adhesive surface  91  on the valve body  9  through hot melt process, and has the same profile with the melt adhesive surface  91  of the valve bottom cover on the valve body  9 . The axial positioning end surface  108  of the valve bottom cover is parallel to the fusion welding end surface  107 , is fitted with the axial positioning surface  95  of the valve bottom cover on the valve body  9 , has the same shape and size with the axial positioning surface  95  of the valve bottom cover, and plays a role of limiting the valve bottom cover  10  in axial direction. The axle center of the radial positioning cylindrical surface  1011  of the valve bottom cover coincides with the axle center of the valve stem shaft hole and is fitted with the circumferential positioning surface  94  on the valve body  9  to limit the valve bottom cover  10  in radial direction. 
         [0048]    The structural diagram of the valve stem cap as shown in  FIG. 7  comprises a sectional axial side view (c) of a quarter of the valve stem cap  1 , a sectional view (a) and an enlargement view (b) of part A. Said valve stem cap  1  comprises a torsional hexagonal prism  18 , a rotary limiting block  16  of the valve stem cap, a conical surface  11  of a cap mouth, a torsional hole  17  fitted with the torsional section  26  of the valve stem, and an end surface  110  between the rotary limiting block  16  and the torsional hole  17 . The cross section of the buckling groove  15  is in the shape of a square, or an ellipse, or a circle, or a triangle, and the axial line of the buckling groove coincides with the axial lines of the torsional hole  17  and the conical surface  11  of the cap mouth. Said buckling groove  15  closes to the wall surface of the cap mouth and is tangential to the conical surface  11  of the cap mouth at the joint position through an arc surface  12 , a cylindrical surface  13  and an arc surface  14  to form a smooth curved surface, thereby facilitating the limiting convex ring  949  of the valve stem cap of the valve body  9  to smoothly enter the buckling groove  15  and avoiding damage to the limiting convex ring  949  of the valve stem cap in entry. Said torsional hole  17  consists of two parallel planes and two opposite cylindrical surfaces having the same diameter. 
         [0049]    Referring to the structural diagram of the connecting pipe as shown in  FIG. 8 , the connecting pipe  8  is substantially is a revolution body with a round cross section, and comprises a pipe body  85 , an axial positioning end surface  83  of the supporting ring used for limiting the supporting ring  6  for the valve ball sealing ring in axial direction, a radial limiting cylindrical surface  82 , a fusion welding end surface  81  and an adhesive containing groove  84 . Said limiting end surface  83  contacts with the circumferential end surface  66  of the supporting ring  6  and limits the supporting ring  6  in axial direction. Said fusion welding surface  81  is an annular plane perpendicular to the axial line of the pipe body  85  or a conical surface coinciding with the axial line of the pipe body  85  and is used for being welded with the melt adhesive surface  910  of the connecting pipe  8  on the valve body  9  through hot melt. Said adhesive containing groove is an annular groove with the cross section in the shape of a square, or a rectangle, or a circle, or other shapes and is used for containing excess molten plastic during hot melt insertion.