Valve assembly including removable cartridge
The disclosed technology relates to systems and methods for removably inserting a valve cartridge into a valve body of a valve assembly. The valve cartridge can include a housing and a dilating disk valve at least partially disposed within the housing. The valve body can include a cartridge recess extending into a fluid passageway that extends between an inlet and an outlet of the valve body, and the cartridge recess can at least partially receive the valve cartridge such that the dilating disk valve is aligned with the fluid passageway. The valve assembly can include a bonnet configured to detachably attach to the valve body and at least partially cover the valve cartridge.
1 . A valve assembly comprising:
a valve cartridge comprising:
a housing; and
a dilating disk valve at least partially disposed within the housing, wherein the dilating disk valve comprises:
a gear mechanism comprising a rotating ring; and
a plurality of obturator elements, each of the plurality of obturator elements comprising:
a top side having a substantially convex curvature;
a bottom side having a substantially concave curvature; and
a sidewall comprising a control aperture and a hinge aperture;
a valve body comprising:
an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid passageway extending therebetween; and
a cartridge recess extending into the fluid passageway at a location between the inlet and the outlet, the cartridge recess being configured to at least partially receive the valve cartridge, wherein when the valve cartridge is installed in the cartridge recess, the dilating disk valve is aligned with the fluid passageway; and
a bonnet configured to detachably attach to the valve body and at least partially cover the valve cartridge when the bonnet is attached to the valve body.
2 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of obturator elements comprises a tongue-and-groove feature.
3 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of obturator elements is in mechanical communication with the rotating ring via one or more linkages.
4 . The valve assembly of claim 3 , wherein the one or more linkages comprises a controlling pin and a controlling arm.
5 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of obturator elements is prevented from translationally moving by a hinge pin extending through the corresponding hinge aperture.
6 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve cartridge further comprises a shaft, wherein the shaft has (i) a first end extending from the housing of the valve cartridge and (ii) a second end disposed within the housing, the second end of the shaft comprising first gear teeth configured to mate with second gear teeth of the rotating ring.
7 . The valve assembly of claim 6 further comprising a motor in mechanical communication with the first end of the shaft.
8 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passageway has a first central axis and the cartridge recess has a second central axis that intersects the first central axis.
9 . The valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second central axis is approximately perpendicular to the first central axis.
10 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve body further comprises:
a cartridge housing comprising the cartridge recess;
a first body portion extending between the inlet and the cartridge housing; and
a second body portion extending between cartridge housing and the outlet.
11 . The valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein a diameter of the fluid passageway is substantially constant along a first length of the first body portion and a second length of the second body portion.
12 . The valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein a diameter of the fluid passageway changes along a first length of the first body portion or a second length of the second body portion.
13 . The valve assembly of claim 12 , wherein the diameter of the fluid passageway gradually decreases along the first length and gradually increases along the second length when moving in a direction extending from the inlet to the outlet.
14 . A valve cartridge comprising:
a housing; and
a dilating disk valve at least partially disposed within the housing, the dilating disk valve comprising:
a gear mechanism comprising a rotating ring; and
a plurality of obturator elements, each of the plurality of obturator elements comprising:
a top side having a substantially convex curvature;
a bottom side having a substantially concave curvature; and
a sidewall comprising a control aperture and a hinge aperture,
wherein the housing is configured to removably insert into a cartridge recess of a valve body.
15 . The valve cartridge of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of obturator elements comprises a tongue-and-groove feature.
16 . The valve cartridge of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of obturator elements is in mechanical communication with the rotating ring via one or more linkages.
17 . The valve cartridge of claim 16 , wherein the one or more linkages comprises a controlling pin and a controlling arm.
18 . The valve cartridge of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of obturator elements is prevented from translationally moving by a hinge pin extending through the corresponding hinge aperture.
19 . The valve cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the valve cartridge further comprises a shaft, wherein the shaft has (i) a first end extending from the housing of the valve cartridge and (ii) a second end disposed within the housing, the second end of the shaft comprising first gear teeth configured to mate with second gear teeth of the rotating ring.