PRESSURE-BALANCED VALVE
A valve includes a first seal seat, a second seal seat, and a flow path for a fluid across the first seal seat. A seal is sealed against the first seal seat and the second seal seat. An actuator is adjacent the first seal seat and is operable to deflect the seal and thereby permit flow of the fluid through the flow path. the seal defines a through-passage fluidly connecting the first seal seat to a pressure-balance cavity behind the seal at the second seal seat.
1 . A valve comprising:
a first seal seat, a second seal seat, and a flow path for a fluid across the first seal seat;
a seal sealed against the first seal seat and the second seal seat;
an actuator adjacent the first seal seat and operable to deflect the seal and thereby permit flow of the fluid through the flow path; and
the seal defining a through-passage fluidly connecting the first seal seat to a pressure-balance cavity behind the seal at the second seal seat.
2 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the seal has a first seal side sealed against the first seal seat, a second seal side opposite the first seal side and sealed against the second seal seat, and the through-passage fluidly connects the first seal side and the second seal side.
3 . The valve as recited in claim 2 , wherein the second seal side remains sealed against the second seal seat upon operation of the actuator to deflect the seal.
4 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the seal is elastomeric.
5 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the seal defines a central axis, and the through-passage is coaxial with the central axis.
6 . The valve as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first seal seat includes a port that is coaxial with the central axis and through which a pintle portion of the actuator extends.
7 . The valve as recited in claim 6 , wherein the pintle portion has a through hole that is coaxial with the central axis and fluidly connected with the through-passage of the seal
8 . The valve as recited in claim 7 , wherein the flow path extends between the pintle portion and the first seal seat.
9 . The valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the seal is elastomeric, the seal has a first seal side sealed against the first seal seat, a second seal side opposite the first seal side and sealed against the second seal seat, the through-passage fluidly connects the first seal side and the second seal side, the seal defines a central axis, the through-passage is coaxial with the central axis, the first seal seat includes a port that is coaxial with the central axis and through which a pintle portion of the actuator extends, the pintle portion has a through hole that is coaxial with the central axis and fluidly connected with the through-passage of the seal, and the flow path extends between the pintle portion and the first seal seat.
10 . A valve comprising:
a first seal seat, a second seal seat, and a flow path for a fluid across the first seal seat;
a seal having a closed state in which the seal is sealed against the first seal seat to block flow of the fluid through the flow path and an open state in which the seal is deflected with respect to the first seal seat to permit flow of the fluid through the flow path, the second seal seat being sealed against the second seal seat in both the open state and the closed state;
an actuator adjacent the first seal seat and operable to deflect the seal to move from the closed state to the open state; and
the seal defining a through-passage fluidly connecting the first seal seat to a pressure-balance cavity behind the seal at the second seal seat, the through-passage permitting the fluid to flow to the pressure-balance cavity and create a pressure-balance across the seal in the closed state.
11 . The valve as recited in claim 10 , wherein the seal has a first seal side sealed against the first seal seat in the closed state, a second seal side opposite the first seal side and sealed against the second seal seat in the open state and the closed state, and the through-passage fluidly connects the first seal side and the second seal side.
12 . The valve as recited in claim 10 , wherein the seal is elastomeric.
13 . The valve as recited in claim 10 , wherein the seal defines a central axis, and the through-passage is coaxial with the central axis.
14 . The valve as recited in claim 13 , wherein the first seal seat includes a port that is coaxial with the central axis and through which a pintle portion of the actuator extends.
15 . The valve as recited in claim 14 , wherein the pintle portion has a through hole that is coaxial with the central axis and fluidly connected with the through-passage of the seal
16 . The valve as recited in claim 15 , wherein the flow path extends between the pintle portion and the first seal seat.