Rotary valve

Claim 2

A valve comprising in combination, a housing having an inlet opening in one of the housing walls and a substantially equally sized outlet opening coaxially aligned opposite the inlet opening in another housing wall, said housing forming an annular internal sealing ring recess surrounding the outlet opening and defining an annular shoulder between the recess and the outlet opening, an elastomeric sealing ring disposed within said recess, a control member rotatably disposed within said housing having a confined flow passage extending therethrough parallel to the axis of rotation of the control member, said flow passage being sized substantially equally to said inlet and outlet openings and being aligned therewith in an open position of said control member, said control member having opposed surfaces spaced closely adjacent the corresponding inside surfaces of said housing such that pressure fluid flows straight through the valve with minimum turbulence and fills (a) a space between said control member and said inside surfaces of the housing to partially balance pressure forces on the control member, and (b) the sealing ring recess behind the sealing ring to force the sealing ring into sealing engagement between said shoulder and the adjacent surface of said control member, and rotating means for rotating said control member to shift the confined flow passage out of alignment with said openings to shut off flow through the valve.

Claim 3

A valve according to claim 1 wherein with fluid flow shutoff, pressure fluid admitted through said inlet opening produces a force holding said control member against said sealing ring to block leakage through said outlet opening, the magnitude of said force being a function of the pressure drop across said valve and the effective area of said sealing ring.

Claim 4

A valve as defined in claim 2 in which said rotating means includes a shaft and in which said housing includes a shaft opening receiving the shaft and having a surrounding annular recess containing an elastomeric shaft-sealing ring, the surface of said control member adjacent said inlet opening being in sealing engagement with said elastomeric shaft-sealing ring.

Claim 5

A valve as defined in claim 3 in which said control member is a disc rotatable through 360* of rotation.

Claim 6

A valve comprising in combination, a housing having an inlet opening in one of the housing walls and alternative outlet openings in another housing wall, one of said outlet openings being coaxially aligned opposite said inlet opening and the alternative outlet opening being angularly spaced from the first outlet opening, said housing forming annular internal sealing ring recesses surrounding each of said outlet openings and defining an annular shoulder between the recess and the respective outlet opening, elastomeric sealing rings disposed within said recesses, a control member rotatably disposed within said housing having opposed surfaces spaced closely adjacent the corresponding inside surfaces of said housing such that pressure fluid flowing through the valve fills (a) a space between said control member and said inside surfaces of the housing to partially balance pressure forces on the control member, and (b) the sealing ring recEsses behind the sealing rings to force the sealing rings into sealing engagement between said shoulders and the respective adjacent surfaces of the control member, said control member having a confined flow passage extending therethrough parallel to the axis of rotation of the control member permitting flow through either of said outlet openings when said control member is rotated to align said confined flow passage therewith, one of said outlet openings being aligned with said inlet opening for straight through connection by said confined flow passage allowing straight through flow of fluid through the valve, said control member further having a laterally extending diversion passage in communication with said confined flow passage for connection of said inlet opening and said alternate outlet opening for an alternate flow path through the valve, the inactive outlet opening being sealed by the sealing engagement of the associated sealing ring and the adjacent surface of said control member, and rotating means for rotating said control member to (a) allow flow through either of said outlet openings, or (b) shift the confined flow passage out of alignment with either of said outlet openings to shut off flow through the valve.

Claim 7

A valve comprising in combination, a housing having an inlet opening in one of the housing walls and alternative outlet openings in another housing wall, one of said outlet openings being coaxially aligned opposite said inlet opening and the alternative outlet opening being angularly spaced from the first outlet opening, said housing forming annular internal sealing ring recesses surrounding each of said outlet openings and defining an annular shoulder between the recess and the respective outlet opening, elastomeric sealing rings disposed within said recesses, a control member rotatably disposed within said housing having opposed surfaces spaced closely adjacent the corresponding inside surfaces of said housing such that pressure fluid flowing through the valve fills (a) a space between said control member and said inside surfaces of the housing to partially balance pressure forces on the control member, and (b) the sealing ring recEsses behind the sealing rings to force the sealing rings into sealing engagement between said shoulders and the respective adjacent surfaces of the control member, said control member having a confined flow passage extending therethrough parallel to the axis of rotation of the control member permitting flow through either of said outlet openings when said control member is rotated to align said confined flow passage therewith, one of said outlet openings being aligned with said inlet opening for straight through connection by said confined flow passage allowing straight through flow of fluid through the valve, said control member further having a laterally extending diversion passage in communication with said confined flow passage for connection of said inlet opening and said alternate outlet opening for an alternate flow path through the valve, the inactive outlet opening being sealed by the sealing engagement of the associated sealing ring and the adjacent surface of said control member, and rotating means for rotating said control member to (a) allow flow through either of said outlet openings, or (b) shift the confined flow passage out of alignment with either of said outlet openings to shut off flow through the valve.