SEAL AND VALVE APPARATUS HAVING SUCH A SEAL, AS WELL AS METHOD FOR SEALING A VALVE APPARATUS

Abstract

A valve apparatus, in particular a ball valve apparatus, is provided. The apparatus includes a housing device having at least one fluid port, a closure body, wherein the closure body includes an axis of rotation about which the closure body can be rotated in a direction of rotation in order to release and close the fluid port, wherein the fluid port includes a seal for sealing abutment against the closure body. The seal includes a first and a second sealing lip, wherein the sealing lips are configured such that, during operation, only one seal sealingly abuts against the closure body.

Claims

1. A valve apparatus, in particular a ball valve apparatus, comprising a housing device having at least one fluid port, a closure body, wherein the closure body comprises an axis of rotation about which the closure body can be rotated in a direction of rotation in order to release and close the fluid port, wherein the fluid port comprises a seal for sealing abutment against the closure body. characterized in that the seal comprises a first and a second sealing lip, wherein the sealing lips are configured such that, during operation, at least during an operating state, only one of the two sealing lips sealingly abuts against the closure body.

2. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that as a function of the pressure difference between a port side and a valve side, the first and the second sealing lip alternately abut sealingly against the closure body in such a way that, when the port side is exposed to a higher pressure in a first operating state, only the first sealing lip sealingly abuts against the closure body, and when the valve side is exposed to a higher pressure in a second operating state, only the second sealing lip sealingly abuts against the closure body.

3. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure body is approximately spherical or spherically segmented or approximately cylindrical, wherein one of the sealing lips abuts sealingly against a curved surface of the closure body.

4. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first sealing lip and the second sealing lip are arranged at an angle greater than 60° or at an angle greater than 90° or at an angle greater than 100° or at an angle greater than 120° or at an angle greater than 130° or at an angle greater than 140° with respect to one another.

5. The valve apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the first sealing lip extends approximately orthogonally to a through-flow direction of the fluid port and approximately parallel to a curved surface of the closure body and the second sealing lip extends approximately in the opposite direction and approximately parallel to a curved surface of the closure body.

6. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the seal comprises an approximately tubular assembly portion and an approximately annular sealing portion, wherein the tubular assembly portion is connected to a tubular portion (nozzle) of the fluid port, and wherein a radially circumferential sealing device is provided for sealing abutment against the port and/or that the seal comprises an approximately tubular flange portion, which is formed from a harder material than the seal and is connected to the assembly portion of the seal, preferably by means of a 2-component injection molding method.

7. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the seal comprises a flap portion configured such that, when a pressure change occurs between the port side and the valve side, that is to say when the port side is exposed to a higher pressure than the valve side or vice versa, the seal folds along the flap portion such that only the first or only the second abuts sealingly against the closure body.

8. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one release recess for releasing the fluid port is configured in a closure body surface, wherein the first sealing lip extends in the direction of the release recess of the closure body and wherein the second sealing lip extends away from the release recess.

9. A method for sealing a valve apparatus according to claim 1, in particular a ball valve apparatus, wherein the valve apparatus comprises a seal having a first and a second sealing lip for sealing a closure body, comprising the following steps: sealing abutment of only the first sealing lip against the closure body when a port side is exposed to a higher pressure than a valve side in a first operating state of the closure body, and sealing abutment of only the second sealing lip against the closure body when the valve side is exposed to a higher pressure than the port side in a second operating state.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the seal comprises a flap portion, wherein, when there is a pressure change between the port side and the valve side, that is to say when the port side is exposed to a higher pressure than the valve side or vice versa, the seal folds along the flap portion in such a way that only the first sealing lip abuts sealingly against the closure body when the port side of the closure body is exposed to a higher pressure than a valve side, and only the second sealing lip abuts sealingly against the closure body when valve side of the closure body is exposed to a higher pressure than the port side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] The present invention will now be described in more detail on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the figures. The figures show:

[0062] FIG. 1 a schematic side-cut view of a valve apparatus having a seal according to the invention in a first operating state in which a first sealing lip sealingly abuts against a closure body when a port side is exposed to a higher pressure than a valve side.

[0063] FIG. 2 a further schematic side-cut view of a valve apparatus having a seal according to the invention in a second operating state in which a second sealing lip sealingly abuts against a closure body when a valve side is exposed to a higher pressure than a port side, and

[0064] FIG. 3 a side-cut view of a valve apparatus in which a seal according to the invention can be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] In the following, a valve apparatus 1, in particular a ball valve apparatus, with a seal 2 according to the invention is described in more detail (FIGS. 1 to 5).

[0066] The valve apparatus 1 comprises a housing device 3 having at least one fluid port 4.

[0067] A spherically segmented closure body 5 is provided in order to close and open the fluid port 4.

[0068] The closure body 5 comprises a release recess 6 in order to allow a fluid to flow through the closure body.

[0069] Furthermore, a bearing means 7 is provided, via which the closure body 5 is mounted such that it can rotate in the direction of rotation 8 about an axis of rotation 9.

[0070] The seal 2 is provided on the fluid port 4 for sealing abutment against the closure body 5.

[0071] The seal 10 comprises a first and a second sealing lip 11, 12, wherein the sealing lips 11, 12 are configured such that, during operation, only one of the sealing lips 11, 12 sealingly abuts against the closure body 5.

[0072] The first sealing lip 11 and the second sealing lip 12 are arranged at an angle between 60° and 140° to one another. A suitable angle between the first sealing lip 11 and the second sealing lip 12 depends on the curvature or corresponding radius of the spherical or spherically segmented closure body 5. The greater the radius of the closure body 5, the greater the angle between the first sealing lip 11 and the second sealing lip 12.

[0073] The first sealing lip 11 extends approximately orthogonally to a flow direction 13 of the fluid port 4 and towards the fluid port 4 as well as approximately parallel to a curved surface 14 of the closure body 5.

[0074] The second sealing lip 12 extends approximately parallel to the curved surface 14 of the closure body 5 and away from the fluid port 4.

[0075] The portion of the seal in which the first and second sealing lips 11, 12 are provided is approximately annular in configuration, wherein the first sealing lip 11 extends approximately radially inward and the second sealing lip 12 is positioned at a predetermined angle between 60° and 130° to the first sealing lip, as described above.

[0076] An approximately tubular assembly portion 16 is integrally formed with the annular portion 15 of the seal.

[0077] Via the tubular assembly portion 16, the seal 2 is fitted with a tubular portion or port 17 of the fluid port 4.

[0078] The seal 2 is formed from a soft component. An interference fit for connecting the seal 2 to the nozzle 17 is provided.

[0079] Furthermore, the tubular assembly portion 16 can comprise an approximately tubular flange portion (not shown) formed from a harder material than the seal 2 or from a hard component. It is preferably connected to the assembly portion 16 of the seal 2 by means of a two-component injection molding process.

[0080] A stiffening structure 20 is provided at least in some portions between the two sealing lips 11, 12.

[0081] If a pressure on a valve side 18 is present in the valve apparatus, or if a higher pressure is present on the valve side in the region of the housing device 3 or the closure body 5, then the second sealing lip 12 is pressed onto a curved surface of the closure body 5 (FIG. 2).

[0082] In particular, it is provided here that only the second sealing lip 12 radially circumferentially abuts against the closure body 5 in a sealing manner about a corresponding release recess 6.

[0083] Such a pressure is hereinafter referred to as the valve-side pressure and the second operating state 22.

[0084] If, on the other hand, an increased pressure is present in the region of the fluid port 4, then, correspondingly, only the first sealing lip 11 sealingly abuts a curved surface of the closure body 5 (FIG. 1). A pressure from this side is hereinafter referred to as the port-side pressure and the first operating state 21.

[0085] Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for sealing a valve apparatus 1 described above, wherein a seal 2 is provided with a first and a second sealing lip 11, 12 for sealing a closure body 5.

[0086] The method comprises the following steps:

[0087] sealing abutment of only the first sealing lip 11 against the closure body 5 when a port side 19 is exposed to a higher pressure than a valve side 18 (first operating state 21; FIG. 1), and Sealing abutment of only the second sealing lip 12 against the closure body 5 when the valve side 18 is exposed to a higher pressure than the port side 19 (second operating state 22; FIG. 2).

[0088] Additionally, the seal can comprise a flap portion (not shown), wherein, when there is a pressure change between the port side and the valve side, that is to say when the port side 19 is exposed to a higher pressure than the valve side 18 or vice versa, the seal 2 folds along the flap portion in such a way that only the first sealing lip 11 abuts sealingly against the closure body 5 when the port side 19 of the closure body 5 is exposed to a higher pressure than a valve side 19 [sic: 18], such that a first operating state 21 is given (FIG. 1), and

[0089] only the second sealing lip 12 abuts sealingly against the closure body 5 when the valve side 18 of the closure body 5 is exposed to a higher pressure than a port side 19, such that a second operating state 22 is given (FIG. 2).

[0090] The non-sealing sealing lip is then arranged at a distance of approximately 1 mm to 3 mm, in particular approximately 1 mm to 2 mm, from the surface of the closure body 5.L

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0091] 1 Valve apparatus

[0092] 2 Seal

[0093] 3 Housing device

[0094] 4 Fluid port

[0095] 5 Closure body

[0096] 6 Release recess

[0097] 7 Bearing device

[0098] 8 Direction of rotation

[0099] 9 Axis of rotation

[0100] 10

[0101] 11 First sealing lip

[0102] 12 Second sealing lip

[0103] 13 Through-flow direction

[0104] 14 Curved surface

[0105] 15 Annular sealing portion

[0106] 16 Assembly portion

[0107] 17 Tubular portion

[0108] 18 Valve side

[0109] 19 Port side

[0110] 20 Stiffening structure

[0111] 21 First operating state

[0112] 22 Second operating state