Tightness-adjustable fire-fighting ball valve

Abstract

The tightness-adjustable fire-fighting ball valve comprises a base valve, a ball core, a ball rotating mechanism, a sealing valve seat and a floating transposition mechanism, the base valve is provided with a flowing channel allowing fluid to flow in and out, and the ball core is rotatably arranged at the flowing channel and keeps sealed with the base valve through the sealing valve seat; the rotating ball mechanism can drive the ball core to rotate to open or cut off a fluid channel, the floating transposition mechanism is installed on the base valve and can drive the sealing valve seat to be away from the ball core through the traction effect or drive the sealing valve seat to be close to the ball core through elastic force, sealing reliability can be guaranteed, and meanwhile flexible adjustment of sealing tightness is achieved. The problems that a traditional ball valve is fast in abrasion, short in service life, high in maintenance cost and the like are effectively solved, and the remarkable practical value and popularization significance are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of valves, and particularly to the technical field of ball valves. Background Technology

[0002] As an important fluid control device, ball valves occupy an indispensable position in many industrial fields such as fire protection, petroleum and chemical industry due to their advantages such as low flow resistance, rapid opening and closing and compact structure. Especially in fire protection systems, the reliability of ball valves is directly related to the flow control of fluids in emergency situations, which is of great significance to ensuring the safety of life and property.

[0003] Traditional ball valves mainly consist of a valve body as the main frame, a ball for controlling the flow of fluid, a sealing ring to ensure a seal between the valve body and the ball, and an operating rod connecting the operating mechanism to the ball. These components work together to achieve the function of controlling the fluid. The sealing ring is usually directly set on the ball facing the inlet and outlet, such as the multi-seal ball valve with publication number CN105276221A, the ball valve with publication number CN115704487A, and the ball valve with publication number CN101067456A.

[0004] In the traditional ball valve sealing structure design, to achieve effective sealing between the ball and the valve body, a fixed interference fit is typically used (i.e., increasing the interference between the ball and the two sealing rings on both sides) to ensure that the sealing rings fit tightly against the ball surface under preload, thereby preventing fluid leakage. While this design approach can meet basic sealing requirements to a certain extent, it reveals significant technical defects during long-term use. Specifically, when operating the ball valve to open, close, or regulate flow, the ball rotates around its axis, generating continuous and significant frictional force between it and the sealing rings. On the one hand, this frictional force causes the sealing rings to experience severe frictional wear and gradual wear during the ball's rotation, resulting in a decrease in the tightness of the fit between the sealing rings and the ball. On the one hand, the wear and tear can lead to a decline in sealing performance, potentially causing fluid leakage and affecting the normal operation of fire protection systems. On the other hand, frequent friction and wear can significantly shorten the service life of the sealing ring, forcing users to periodically stop the machine to replace it (this not only increases equipment maintenance and labor costs, but also affects the continuity of production or emergency work due to downtime, causing many inconveniences in practical applications). In addition, existing sealing rings usually adopt a fixed installation structure (the position of the sealing ring cannot be adjusted according to actual usage needs); that is, regardless of whether the ball rotates, the sealing ring always maintains close contact with the ball, and it is impossible to reduce friction and wear by reducing contact pressure, making it difficult to meet the requirements of modern industrial fields for efficient, durable, and low-maintenance equipment.

[0005] In summary, optimizing the sealing structure of ball valves to effectively reduce friction and wear of the sealing rings, extend their service life, and achieve flexible adjustment of the sealing ring position to adapt to different working conditions has become one of the important issues that urgently need to be addressed by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention discloses a fire-fighting ball valve with adjustable tightness, which can flexibly adjust the tightness of the seal while ensuring sealing reliability. It effectively solves the problems of rapid wear, short life and high maintenance cost of traditional ball valves, and has significant practical value and promotion significance.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an adjustable-tightness fire ball valve, comprising a base valve, a ball core, a rotating ball mechanism, a sealing valve seat, and a floating switching mechanism. The base valve has a flow passage for fluid to enter and exit. The ball core is rotatably disposed at the flow passage and is sealed to the base valve by the sealing valve seat. The rotating ball mechanism can drive the ball core to rotate to open or close the fluid passage. The floating switching mechanism is mounted on the base valve and can pull the sealing valve seat away from the ball core or use elastic force to drive the sealing valve seat closer to the ball core.

[0008] Preferably, the base valve includes a valve body and a valve cover. The valve body has a built-in ball cavity that can accommodate a ball core, as well as an inlet and an outlet that are respectively connected to the outside and the ball cavity. The ball cavity, the inlet and the outlet together form a flow passage. The valve cover is detachably connected to the valve body to open or close the ball cavity. The ball core has a ball through hole that can simultaneously connect the inlet and the outlet when rotated to a specified angle range.

[0009] Preferably, the valve body and the valve cover are sealed together by a valve body sealing ring.

[0010] Preferably, the ball-rotating mechanism includes a valve stem, packing, and a handle. One end of the valve stem is connected to the ball core, while the other end extends out of the base valve and is fitted with a handle. The packing seals between the valve stem and the base valve.

[0011] Preferably, the ball core has a socket on the side facing the ball rotating mechanism, and the valve stem is connected to the ball core by a plug inserted into the socket.

[0012] Preferably, the valve stem has a screw section at its exposed end, and the screw section is threaded with a fastening nut. The packing and the handle are respectively fitted onto the outside of the valve stem. A pressure cap is also provided between the packing and the handle, fitted onto the outside of the valve stem. The fastening nut can clamp the packing, pressure cap and handle together with the base valve.

[0013] Preferably, the valve stem is further provided with a convex ring extending outward from the arc-shaped stem wall, and the convex ring is spaced from the base valve by a thrust pad.

[0014] Preferably, the floating switching mechanism includes an adjusting rod, an adjusting spring, a locking rod, a locking spring, a rod lock head, and a seat lock head. One end of the adjusting rod is fixed to the sealing valve seat, while the other end extends out of the base valve. The adjusting spring is fitted outside the adjusting rod and has an elastic tendency to push the sealing valve seat tightly against the ball core. One end of the locking rod is fixed to the rod lock head, while the other end extends out of the base valve. The locking spring is fitted outside the locking rod and has an elastic tendency to push the rod lock head closer to the sealing valve seat. The seat lock head is fixed on the sealing valve seat and can move outward with the sealing valve seat or abut against the rod lock head.

[0015] Preferably, an isolation sealing gasket is affixed to the outside of the sealing valve seat, and the adjusting rod and the rod lock head are indirectly connected to the sealing valve seat through the isolation sealing gasket.

[0016] Preferably, the base valve has a spring chamber that can accommodate a locking spring, the spring chamber being switched by a cover plate extending from the locking lever.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1) Adjustable sealing tightness reduces wear and extends service life: This invention employs a floating displacement design. On one hand, when the ball core needs to be rotated, the adjusting rod is pulled to move the sealing valve seat away from the ball core, thereby reducing direct frictional contact between the ball core and the sealing valve seat during rotation and significantly reducing the wear of the sealing valve seat. On the other hand, after the ball core has finished rotating, the elastic force of the adjusting spring drives the sealing valve seat to move closer to and tightly adhere to the ball core, ensuring sealing performance. This adjustable sealing method effectively solves the problem of excessive wear caused by the sealing ring in traditional ball valves due to continuous tight contact with the ball core, greatly extending the service life of sealing components and reducing the frequency of maintenance and replacement. 2) Reasonable structural design and convenient operation: In this invention, the plug-in connection between the valve stem and the ball core in the rotating ball mechanism, as well as the cooperation of components such as the fastening nut and the pressure cap, not only ensures the stability of the transmission between the valve stem and the ball core, but also facilitates assembly and maintenance; in addition, the adjusting rod and locking rod in the floating position mechanism are respectively set through the base valve, making it simpler and easier for users to adjust the position of the sealing valve seat without complicated tools and steps (allowing users to operate quickly according to actual needs); 3) Comprehensive optimization of sealing performance: In this invention, the valve body and valve cover of the base valve are sealed by a valve body sealing ring, the valve stem and the base valve are sealed by packing, and an isolation sealing gasket is attached outside the sealing valve seat. The multiple sealing structures work together to protect against possible leaks, comprehensively improving the overall sealing performance of the ball valve and further ensuring the safety of the fire protection system. 4) Scientific material selection, balancing wear resistance and ease of maintenance: In this invention, the sealing valve seat uses a hard sealing material, which can significantly improve its friction resistance and adapt to the friction contact scenarios that may occur when the ball core rotates, reducing the wear of the sealing valve seat body caused by long-term friction; in addition, the isolation sealing gasket uses a soft sealing material, which can be torn off and replaced periodically according to the actual wear condition while ensuring the sealing effect, without the need to replace the entire sealing valve seat, greatly reducing maintenance costs and operation difficulty, and extending the overall service life of the sealing valve seat; 5) Component protection is in place, improving equipment durability: In this invention, a thrust pad is provided between the convex ring of the valve stem and the base valve, which can play a buffering role during the tightening of the nut, preventing the valve stem and ball core from being damaged due to excessive compression, ensuring the normal rotation function of the ball core, and improving the structural stability and durability of the entire ball valve equipment.

[0018] The features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the adjustable fire ball valve of the present invention when the sealing valve seat is tightly attached to the ball core; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of point A; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure when the sealing valve seat is far from the ball core; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of point B.

[0020] In the diagram: 1-Base valve, 11-Valve body, 111-Ball cavity, 112-Inlet, 113-Outlet, 12-Valve cover, 13-Valve body sealing ring, 2-Ball core, 21-Ball through hole, 22-Spigot, 3-Rotating ball mechanism, 31-Valve stem, 311-Plug, 312-Screw part, 313-Raised ring part, 32-Packing, 33-Gland, 34-Handle, 35-Fastening nut, 36-Thrust washer, 4-Sealing valve seat, 5-Floating switching mechanism, 51-Adjusting rod, 52-Adjusting spring, 53-Locking rod, 54-Locking spring, 55-Rod lock head, 56-Seat lock head, 57-Isolation sealing gasket, 58-Cover plate. Detailed Implementation

[0021] See Figures 1 to 4The present invention relates to an adjustable fire ball valve, comprising a base valve 1, a ball core 2, a rotating ball mechanism 3, a sealing valve seat 4, and a floating switching mechanism 5. The base valve 1 has a flow passage for fluid to enter and exit. The ball core 2 is rotatably disposed at the flow passage and is sealed to the base valve 1 by the sealing valve seat 4. The rotating ball mechanism 3 can drive the ball core 2 to rotate to open or close the fluid passage. The floating switching mechanism 5 is mounted on the base valve 1 and can pull the sealing valve seat 4 away from the ball core 2 or use elastic force to drive the sealing valve seat 4 closer to the ball core 2.

[0022] The base valve 1 includes a valve body 11 and a valve cover 12. The valve body 11 has a built-in ball cavity 111 that can accommodate the ball core 2, and an inlet 112 and an outlet 113 that are respectively connected to the outside and the ball cavity 111. The ball cavity 111, the inlet 112 and the outlet 113 together form a flow passage. The valve cover 12 is detachably connected to the valve body 11 to open or close the ball cavity 111. The ball core 2 has a ball through hole 21 that can simultaneously connect the inlet 112 and the outlet 113 when rotated to a specified angle range.

[0023] The valve body 11 and the valve cover 12 are sealed together by a valve body sealing ring 13.

[0024] The ball-rotating mechanism 3 includes a valve stem 31, a packing 32, and a handle 34. One end of the valve stem 31 is connected to the ball core 2, while the other end extends out of the base valve 1 and is fitted with a handle 34. The packing 32 seals between the valve stem 31 and the base valve 1.

[0025] The ball core 2 is provided with a socket 22 on the side facing the ball rotating mechanism 3, and the valve stem 31 is connected to the ball core 2 by a plug 311 inserted into the socket 22.

[0026] The valve stem 31 has a screw part 312 added to its exposed end. The screw part 312 is threaded with a fastening nut 35. The packing 32 and the handle 34 are respectively sleeved on the valve stem 31. A pressure cap 33 is also provided between the packing 32 and the handle 34 and sleeved on the valve stem 31. The fastening nut 35 can clamp the packing 32, the pressure cap 33 and the handle 34 together with the base valve 1.

[0027] The valve stem 31 is also provided with a convex ring portion 313 extending outward from the arc-shaped stem wall. The convex ring portion 313 is spaced from the base valve 1 by a thrust pad 36. The thrust pad 36 can play a certain buffering role, thereby preventing the valve stem 31 and ball core 2 from being damaged by the overtight fastening nut 35, while allowing the ball core 2 to rotate normally.

[0028] The floating switching mechanism 5 includes an adjusting rod 51, an adjusting spring 52, a locking rod 53, a locking spring 54, a rod lock head 55, and a seat lock head 56. One end of the adjusting rod 51 is fixed to the sealing valve seat 4, while the other end extends out of the base valve 1. The adjusting spring 52 is fitted outside the adjusting rod 51 and has an elastic tendency to push the sealing valve seat 4 tightly against the ball core 2. One end of the locking rod 53 is fixed to the rod lock head 55, while the other end extends out of the base valve 1. The locking spring 54 is fitted outside the locking lever 53 and has an elastic tendency to push the lever locking head 55 closer to the sealing valve seat 4. The seat locking head 56 is fixed on the sealing valve seat 4 and can move outward with the sealing valve seat 4 or abut against the lever locking head 55. The lever locking head 55 and the seat locking head 56 have intersecting arc-shaped and straight-shaped surfaces, respectively, so that they contact each other through the two arc-shaped surfaces when pushing each other and through the two straight-shaped surfaces when abutting each other.

[0029] An isolation sealing gasket 57 is attached to the outside of the sealing valve seat 4. The adjusting rod 51 and the rod lock head 55 are indirectly connected to the sealing valve seat 4 through the isolation sealing gasket 57. The sealing valve seat 4 can be made of hard sealing materials (such as metal, ceramic and graphite), while the isolation sealing gasket 57 can be made of soft sealing materials (such as rubber and silicone). This design can improve the friction resistance of the sealing valve seat 4, and the isolation sealing gasket 57 can be removed and replaced periodically as needed.

[0030] The base valve 1 has a spring chamber that can accommodate a locking spring 54, which is opened and closed by a cover plate 58 that extends through the locking lever 53.

[0031] Working process of this invention: like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the flow passage of the ball core 2 is open, the fluid can first enter the ball cavity 111 along the inlet 112, and then enter the outlet 113 through the ball through hole 21 to be discharged outside the valve.

[0032] When it is necessary to switch the flow path from an open state to a closed state, the adjusting rod 51 can be pulled outward first, thereby moving the sealing valve seat 4 away from the ball core 2; during this process, the seat lock head 56 will gradually approach the rod lock head 55 along with the sealing valve seat 4, using its arc surface to push the arc surface of the rod lock head 55 outward, until the rod lock head 55 and the seat lock head 56 abut together through the straight surface (i.e., the seat lock head 56 is locked by the rod lock head 55, such as...). Figure 3(As shown); at this time, hold the handle 34 and rotate the valve stem 31, thereby using the valve stem 31 to drive the ball core 2 to rotate 90 degrees so that the ball through hole 21 is no longer aligned with the inlet 112 and the outlet 113 (during the rotation of the ball core 2, the sealing valve seat 4 is not in contact with the ball core 2); then, pull the locking lever 53 outward until the lever locking head 55 and the seat locking head 56 are misaligned (that is, the seat locking head 56 is no longer locked by the lever locking head 55), thereby using the elastic force of the adjusting spring 52 to force the sealing valve seat 4 to reset and re-adhere to the ball core 2.

[0033] The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any simple modifications to the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fire ball valve with adjustable tension, characterized in that: The system includes a base valve (1), a ball core (2), a rotating ball mechanism (3), a sealing valve seat (4), and a floating switching mechanism (5). The base valve (1) has a flow passage for fluid to enter and exit. The ball core (2) is rotatably disposed at the flow passage and is sealed to the base valve (1) by the sealing valve seat (4). The rotating ball mechanism (3) can drive the ball core (2) to rotate to open or close the fluid passage. The floating switching mechanism (5) is mounted on the base valve (1) and can pull the sealing valve seat (4) away from the ball core (2) or use elastic force to drive the sealing valve seat (4) closer to the ball core (2).

2. The adjustable-tightness fire-fighting ball valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The base valve (1) includes a valve body (11) and a valve cover (12). The valve body (11) has a built-in ball cavity (111) that can accommodate the ball core (2) and an inlet (112) and an outlet (113) that are respectively connected to the outside and the ball cavity (111). The ball cavity (111), the inlet (112) and the outlet (113) together form a flow passage. The valve cover (12) is detachably connected to the valve body (11) to open or close the ball cavity (111). The ball core (2) has a ball through hole (21) that can simultaneously connect the inlet (112) and the outlet (113) when rotated to a specified angle range.

3. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The valve body (11) and valve cover (12) are sealed together by a valve body sealing ring (13).

4. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The ball-rotating mechanism (3) includes a valve stem (31), packing (32) and a handle (34). One end of the valve stem (31) is connected to the ball core (2), while the other end extends out of the base valve (1) and is fitted with a handle (34). The packing (32) is sealed between the valve stem (31) and the base valve (1).

5. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The ball core (2) has a socket (22) on the side facing the ball rotating mechanism (3), and the valve stem (31) is connected to the ball core (2) through the plug (311) inserted into the socket (22).

6. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The valve stem (31) is provided with a screw part (312) at the exposed end. The screw part (312) is threaded with a fastening nut (35). The packing (32) and the handle (34) are respectively sleeved outside the valve stem (31). A pressure cap (33) is also provided between the packing (32) and the handle (34) and sleeved outside the valve stem (31). The fastening nut (35) can clamp the packing (32), pressure cap (33) and handle (34) together with the base valve (1).

7. The adjustable-tightness fire-fighting ball valve as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The valve stem (31) is also provided with a convex ring (313) extending outward from the arc-shaped stem wall, and the convex ring (313) is spaced from the base valve (1) by a thrust pad (36).

8. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The floating switching mechanism (5) includes a position adjustment rod (51), a position adjustment spring (52), a locking rod (53), a locking spring (54), a rod lock head (55), and a seat lock head (56). One end of the position adjustment rod (51) is fixed to the sealing valve seat (4), while the other end extends out of the base valve (1). The position adjustment spring (52) is fitted outside the position adjustment rod (51) and has an elastic tendency to push the sealing valve seat (4) tightly against the ball core (2). In this configuration, one end of the locking lever (53) is fixed to the lever lock head (55), while the other end extends through the base valve (1). The locking spring (54) is fitted outside the locking lever (53) and has an elastic tendency to push the lever lock head (55) closer to the sealing valve seat (4). The seat lock head (56) is fixed on the sealing valve seat (4) and can move outward with the sealing valve seat (4) by pushing the lever lock head (55) or abut against the lever lock head (55).

9. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in claim 8, characterized in that: An isolation sealing gasket (57) is attached to the outside of the sealing valve seat (4), and the adjusting rod (51) and the rod lock head (55) are indirectly connected to the sealing valve seat (4) through the isolation sealing gasket (57).

10. The adjustable-tightness fire ball valve as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The base valve (1) has a spring chamber that can accommodate a locking spring (54), which is switched by a cover plate (58) extending through the locking lever (53).

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