1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a ball valve and in particular to a ball valve having an enclosure for reducing deflection during operation.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
The ball of non-floating ball valves typically have trunnions protruding from the sides of the ball. The valve assembly generally includes a trunnion plate for supporting trunnions. Ball valves can stall before the end of their intended life cycles due to debris ingress, contamination formation, corrosion, and lubrication washout. These events can lead to over stressing and deformation of the mechanism, which can render the valve inoperable. Ball valves in high stress applications can be more susceptible to problems due to increased torque on the ball valve and the flat trunnion plates which support the ball.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds