Shut-off valves as recited before, in particular a ball-, cylinder- or cone valve have been known for a long time and are used in various technical applications in different sizes. Two-channel- and multichannel shut-off valves are known.
The housing of the shut-off valve is typically assembled from two connection fittings, which are screwed together or glued together. The connection fittings are used for connecting the shut-off valve to a duct, through which a fluid can flow. The connection of the duct sections to the connection fittings can be performed by threading them in, by welding them on or by pressing them in.
Through an actuation element, which can be driven e.g. mechanically, electrically, pneumatically, electromagnetically or hydraulically, a shut-off body within the housing of the shut-off valve is rotated perpendicular to the flow path. The shut-off valve with one of its sections closes the flow channel in the closed position of the shut-off valve by the shut-off section blocking the flow path. By rotating the shut-off body through the actuation element into an open position, the shut-off sections of the shut-off body open the flow path.
The shut-off body can be configured ball shaped, cone shaped or cylinder shaped and can be comprised of a body made of solid material, in case of a spherical shut-off body, it can be comprised of a solid sphere with a pass-through bore hole.
The solid body is thus turned on a lathe from a blank, typically a cylinder, whose diameter corresponds at least to the final diameter at the widest location of the solid body to be produced, thus corresponds e.g. to the diameter of the solid sphere. Thus, a relatively large portion of the blank has to be turned down, which increases the fabrication labor required. Additionally, there is more complexity involved in fabricating the pass-through bore hole.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds