Patent ID: 7322559

Claim:
A valve with high resolution within a flow range, the valve comprising: a valve plug having a shell surface defining a substantially cylindrical shape; a valve housing including an open region defined by an interior surface of the valve housing, the open region being shaped for receiving the valve plug and for enabling the valve plug to rotate in the open region, the open region having a radial fluid inlet for admitting a regulated flow of fluid thereto and a radial fluid outlet for expelling a regulated flow of fluid therefrom, the radial fluid outlet being spaced at an angle from the radial fluid inlet such that an axis of the radial fluid outlet is inclined with respect to an axis of the radial fluid inlet; the valve plug being disposed in the open region of the valve housing and being shaped so as to be able to rotate in the open region around a rotation axis of the valve plug, the valve plug having a cavity defined in the plug and disposed on one side thereof such that the cavity can communicate with either or both of the inlet and the outlet of the housing dependent on the rotative position of the valve plug in the valve housing, the valve plug having a shell surface defining the valve plug, the shell surface cooperating with the interior surface of the open region to regulate fluid flow and having a first sealing area and a second sealing area, the first and second sealing areas together extending along at least 180 degrees of a circumference of the valve plug; a flow regulating slit formed in the second sealing area of the shell surface and communicating with the cavity and which in cooperation with the valve housing forms a flow passage, wherein, when the valve plug is in a fully open position, the radial fluid inlet and the radial fluid outlet are located within the cavity of the valve plug and the first sealing area of the shell surface of the valve plug is situated opposite from the radial fluid outlet with respect to the axis of rotation of the valve plug, and wherein, when the valve plug is in a fully closed position, the radial fluid inlet and the radial fluid outlet both face the first sealing area and the second sealing area of the shell surface.