A regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function

Abstract

This invention discloses a regulating valve with integrated pressure reduction and relief functions, relating to the field of valve technology. It includes a valve body and a valve seat assembly, an actuator assembly, and a pressure regulating assembly connected to the valve body. The valve seat assembly includes a valve stem, a valve seat, and a valve core that mates with the valve seat; one end of the valve stem is connected to the valve core. The actuator assembly includes a lower diaphragm cover, a diaphragm, and an upper diaphragm cover, all mounted on the valve stem from bottom to top. A deformable chamber for pulling the valve stem is formed between the diaphragm, the upper diaphragm cover, and the lower diaphragm cover. The valve body includes an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber that are interconnected. The downstream chamber and the deformable chamber are connected through a main pipeline equipped with a pressure reducing valve. A branch pipeline is provided on the main pipeline, and a relief valve is provided on the branch pipeline. Under static pressure holding conditions, when leakage occurs at the valve core and the downstream water pressure is too high, the relief valve discharges some of the downstream water, reducing the downstream pressure and preventing the downstream pipeline from bursting. Furthermore, the pressure reducing valve ensures that the pressure acting on the actuator assembly is not excessive and could not cause damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of valve technology, and in particular to a regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function. Background Technology

[0002] In patent document CN105042141A, a piston is connected to the end of the valve body away from the valve core and is located in the piston chamber. The piston chamber is connected to the water inlet chamber through a control pipeline. The valve stem passes through the actuator mounting chamber, and a pressure plate is sleeved on the valve stem in the mounting chamber. The bottom of the pressure plate is connected to a return spring, and the return spring is connected to the bottom of the mounting chamber. When the water pressure in the water inlet chamber (i.e., the upstream water pressure) is too high, the valve opening can be adjusted through the control pipeline and the piston structure. Under static pressure holding conditions, when leakage occurs at the valve body or valve core, the downstream water pressure will gradually increase, eventually leading to the downstream pipe bursting. Furthermore, during the process of increasing downstream water pressure, the excessive water pressure will cause damage to the piston and other structures of the valve body.

[0003] In patent document CN202580066U, the lower end of the valve stem is connected to a valve core whose head is inserted into the valve seat, and the upper end of the valve stem is connected to a pneumatic diaphragm actuator. The pneumatic diaphragm actuator can adjust the opening of the regulating valve upon receiving a signal. However, under static pressure holding conditions, if leakage occurs at the valve body and valve core, the downstream water pressure will continue to rise due to the downstream pipeline being closed, leading to the downstream pipeline bursting.

[0004] After carefully studying the aforementioned documents, the applicant discovered that the regulating valve described in the patent documents not only fails to prevent downstream pipe bursts under static pressure holding conditions, but also causes damage to actuators such as diaphragms due to excessive downstream water pressure. Therefore, how to effectively prevent downstream pipe bursts under static pressure holding conditions while simultaneously reducing the degree of damage to actuators such as diaphragms by downstream water has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a regulating valve with integrated pressure reduction and relief function to solve the problems existing in the prior art. Under static pressure holding conditions, it can effectively prevent downstream pipeline rupture while reducing the damage of downstream water to actuators such as diaphragms.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution:

[0007] The present invention provides a regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function, comprising a valve body and a valve seat assembly, an actuation assembly and a pressure regulating assembly respectively connected to the valve body;

[0008] The valve seat assembly includes a valve stem, a valve seat, and a valve core that cooperates with the valve seat, with one end of the valve stem connected to the valve core;

[0009] The actuation component includes a lower diaphragm cover, a diaphragm, and an upper diaphragm cover, all mounted on the valve stem from bottom to top. A deformable chamber for pulling the valve stem is formed between the diaphragm, the upper diaphragm cover, and the lower diaphragm cover.

[0010] The valve body includes an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber that are interconnected. The top of the upstream chamber is formed with a support plate for supporting the valve seat. The top of the downstream chamber is sequentially connected to both ends of the lower diaphragm cover, both ends of the diaphragm, and both ends of the upper diaphragm cover. The downstream chamber is connected to the deformable chamber through a main pipeline equipped with a pressure reducing valve. The pressure reducing valve is used to reduce the water pressure acting on the diaphragm. A branch pipeline is provided on the main pipeline, and a drain valve is provided on the branch pipeline for draining water from the downstream chamber.

[0011] The pressure regulating assembly includes an regulating cylinder connected to the upper diaphragm cover and an end cap located at the top of the regulating cylinder. The regulating cylinder is provided with an elastic component connected to the other end of the valve stem.

[0012] Preferably, the lower end face of the upper membrane cover is provided with a first guide sleeve, and the lower end face of the lower membrane cover is provided with a second guide sleeve, and the valve stem is inserted through both the first guide sleeve and the second guide sleeve.

[0013] Preferably, a sealing element is provided between the first guide sleeve and the valve stem, and between the second guide sleeve and the valve stem.

[0014] Preferably, the adjusting cylinder is further provided with sealing packing material, which is located above the elastic component.

[0015] Preferably, a bellows is provided between the second guide sleeve and the valve seat, and the bellows is sleeved on the valve stem.

[0016] Preferably, a bellows clamping member is provided between the second guide sleeve and the bellows, and a step for installing the bellows clamping member is provided in the downstream cavity.

[0017] Preferably, one end of the valve stem is provided with a locking nut for fixing the valve core, and the locking nut is located below the valve core.

[0018] Preferably, the downstream chamber is provided with a cylindrical sleeve fitted on the valve stem, and the cylindrical sleeve is located between the second guide sleeve and the valve seat.

[0019] Preferably, the top end of the cylindrical sleeve is located between the second guide sleeve and the valve stem, and a sealing ring is provided between the cylindrical sleeve and the second guide sleeve.

[0020] Preferably, the valve stem is fitted with an oil pipe, and the oil pipe contains lubricating oil.

[0021] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art:

[0022] 1. This invention employs a method of installing a relief valve on the branch pipe connected to the downstream chamber. Under static pressure holding conditions and when leakage occurs at the valve body or valve core, the relief valve can discharge part of the water in the downstream chamber and downstream pipe, reducing the downstream water pressure and preventing the downstream pipe from bursting. Furthermore, this invention also employs a method of installing a pressure reducing valve on the main pipe between the downstream chamber and the actuator deformation chamber, so that the downstream water pressure is reduced before it acts on the diaphragm and other actuators, preventing excessively high downstream water pressure from damaging the diaphragm and other actuators.

[0023] 2. The present invention employs a method of fitting a compression gasket at the lower end of the valve core and embedding an inclined sealing surface at the upper end of the compression gasket that extends beyond the outer edge of the compression gasket, so that a soft seal can be formed when the valve core is inserted into the valve seat, thereby improving the sealing performance between the valve core and the valve seat.

[0024] 3. This invention employs a cylindrical sleeve between the second guide sleeve and the valve seat, allowing the valve seat to have a threadless structure. The cylindrical sleeve edge securely positions the valve seat on the support plate, enabling it to be removed directly from the support plate when damaged, thus reducing the complexity of valve seat replacement. Furthermore, by designing the valve seat with a double sealing surface, if the upper sealing surface of the valve seat is damaged, it can be reused simply by placing the lower sealing surface upwards, eliminating the need for valve seat disassembly and assembly, further reducing the complexity of valve seat replacement. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a regulating valve that integrates pressure relief function;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the valve seat assembly.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the valve core structure when using a soft seal.

[0029] The components are as follows: 1. Valve body; 2. Seal 1; 3. Valve seat; 4. Locking nut; 5. Valve core; 6. Steel ball; 7. Seal 2; 8. Valve stem; 9. Seal 3; 10. Second guide sleeve; 11. Lower diaphragm cover; 12. Nut; 13. Seal 4; 14. Diaphragm; 15. Upper diaphragm cover; 16. First guide sleeve; 17. Seal 5; 18. Sealing sleeve; 19. Adjusting cylinder; 20. Return spring; 21. Pressure plate; 22. End cover; 23. Pressure reducing valve; 24. Relief valve; 25-1. Main pipeline; 25-2. Branch pipeline; 26. Sealing packing; 27. Sealing seat; 28. Soft sealing valve disc; 29. ​​Compression gasket; 30. Elastic washer; 31. Safety pin. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the regulating valve of the present invention includes a valve body 1 and a valve seat assembly, an actuation assembly, and a pressure regulating assembly respectively connected to the valve body 1; wherein, the valve seat assembly includes a valve stem 8, a valve seat 3, and a valve core 5 that cooperates with the valve seat 3, one end of the valve stem 8 is connected to the valve core 5, and the valve core 5 can be fixed to the valve stem 8 by a locking nut 4; the valve body 1 includes an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber that are communicative, and a support plate for supporting the valve seat 3 is formed on the top of the upstream chamber; the pressure regulating assembly includes an regulating cylinder 19 and an end cap 22 located on the top of the regulating cylinder 19, and an elastic component connected to the other end of the valve stem 8 is provided inside the regulating cylinder 19.

[0033] When the regulating valve of this invention is installed at the end of a pipeline, it has two working states. When the water pressure P1 in the upstream chamber and the upstream pipeline of the regulating valve is greater than the sum of the water pressure P2 in the downstream chamber and the downstream pipeline of the regulating valve and the elastic force F applied to the valve core 5 by the regulating mechanism, the valve core 5 is opened by the upstream water, that is, the valve body 1 is in the open state at this time, and the pipeline can drain normally. When the downstream pressure P2 of the regulating valve is close to the upstream pressure P1, the valve core 5 will move downward under the action of the elastic component to block the valve seat 3, thereby realizing the closure of the valve body 1. At this time, the regulating valve is in the static pressure holding state.

[0034] However, it should be noted that with only the above structure, the regulating valve cannot adjust the opening of the valve body 1 according to the changes in upstream and downstream pressure, so as to keep the upstream and downstream pressures of the valve body 1 balanced. Thus, when the regulating valve is in the closed state, if the upstream water flow velocity is too high, it is easy to push open the valve core 5, causing the downstream pipeline water pressure to rise and burst.

[0035] To solve this problem, the present invention provides an actuation component between the pressure regulating component and the downstream chamber. The actuation component includes a lower diaphragm cover 11, a diaphragm 14, and an upper diaphragm cover 15, all mounted on the valve stem 8 from bottom to top. A deformable chamber for pulling the valve stem 8 is formed between the diaphragm 14, the upper diaphragm cover 15, and the lower diaphragm cover 11. The top of the downstream chamber is sequentially connected to both ends of the lower diaphragm cover 11, both ends of the diaphragm 14, and both ends of the upper diaphragm cover 15. The downstream chamber is connected to the deformable chamber through the main pipeline 25-1. When the upstream pressure is unstable and pushes open the valve core 5 under static pressure holding conditions, the downstream pressure increases and acts on the diaphragm 14 through the main pipeline 25-1 (which can also be called the regulating pipeline). The diaphragm 14 drives the valve stem 8 to move downward, re-clamping the valve core 5, which was pushed open by the upstream water, back into the valve seat 3, thereby completing the pressure stabilization work.

[0036] However, it is important to understand that in existing technologies, fire-fighting pipelines are often only equipped with self-regulating valves at the end to automatically regulate pipeline pressure. However, due to limitations in the manufacturing process of self-regulating valves, the valve body 1 cannot achieve a complete seal when closed. Furthermore, after a period of use, the valve body 1 or valve core 5 will wear down. For these reasons, even when the self-regulating valve is closed and in a static pressure holding state, some water will still flow from upstream to downstream. In this static pressure holding state, the downstream pipeline does not drain water. It should also be noted that although the self-regulating valve has a pressure regulating function, due to wear at the valve core 5 or valve seat 3, no matter how the opening of the self-regulating valve is changed, it cannot prevent water from flowing from upstream to downstream. As a result, the downstream water pressure will continue to rise until it exceeds the pressure limit of the downstream pipeline, causing a pipe burst. Moreover, the excessively high water pressure during the self-regulating valve's regulation process will damage the diaphragm 14 / piston and other actuators or valve components of the self-regulating valve.

[0037] To solve the above problems, such as Figure 1 As shown, the present invention has a relief valve 24 on the branch pipe 25-2 connected to the downstream chamber. When the water pressure in the downstream chamber and the downstream pipe is too high, the relief valve 24 can discharge some of the downstream water to reduce the downstream pressure and prevent the downstream pipe from bursting. In addition, a pressure reducing valve 23 is provided on the main pipe 25-1 connected to the downstream chamber and the deformation chamber. The pressure reducing valve 23 reduces the water pressure acting on the deformation chamber and the diaphragm 14, thereby reducing the damage of downstream water to the actuator and other valve components.

[0038] Furthermore, the elastic element also includes a return spring 20 sleeved on the valve stem 8, and a pressure plate 21 fixed to the other end of the valve stem 8. One end of the return spring 20 is connected to the pressure plate 21, and the other end is connected to the lower membrane cover 11.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to prevent leakage of the regulating valve, the present invention provides sealing elements between the valve seat 3 and the support plate, between the valve core 5 and the valve stem 8, and between the lower diaphragm cover 11 and the top end cover 22 of the downstream chamber. In addition, a stuffing box / sealing packing 26 is provided inside the regulating cylinder 19, which effectively seals the connection between the end cover 22 and the regulating cylinder 19.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a first guide sleeve 16 and a second guide sleeve 10 at the lower ends of the upper membrane cover 15 and the lower membrane cover 11, respectively. The first guide sleeve 16 and the second guide sleeve 10 guide the up and down movement of the valve stem 8, improve the anti-eccentricity of the valve stem 8, prevent the valve stem 8 from shaking when the upstream water flow velocity is too fast, which would cause the flow area between the valve core 5 and the valve seat 3 to change, and ensure that the valve core 5 can be accurately inserted into the valve seat 3. In order to prevent water from leaking between the valve stem 8 and the first guide sleeve 16, or between the valve stem 8 and the second guide sleeve 10, the present invention provides a sealing element between the valve stem 8 and the first guide sleeve 16, or between the valve stem 8 and the second guide sleeve 10. The sealing element can be an O-ring, a Y-ring, or other sealing ring. The first guide sleeve 16 and the second guide sleeve 10 can also reduce the wear of the sealing element when the valve stem 8 is overloaded.

[0041] Furthermore, since the diaphragm 14 is a pressure-bearing and deformation element, its deformation is limited and it is prone to wear. Therefore, the diaphragm 14 in this invention can also be replaced with a piston seat to improve the service life of the actuator.

[0042] Furthermore, the valve seat 3 in this invention can adopt a high-strength, threadless structure. When installing the valve seat 3, it can be directly placed on the support plate. The valve seat 3 is positioned and fixed by the cylindrical sleeve or bellows between the second guide sleeve 10 and the valve seat 3, thereby enhancing the strength of the valve seat 3 and improving the leakage level of the valve. At the same time, since there is no threaded connection between the valve body 1 and the valve seat 3, no special tools are required for installation and removal, simplifying the disassembly and installation steps of the valve seat 3.

[0043] Furthermore, the present invention can employ a valve seat 3 with upper and lower double sealing surfaces. After long-term use of the valve, when the upper sealing surface of the valve seat 3 is damaged, it is only necessary to disassemble the valve body 1 and flip the valve seat 3 over so that it can continue to be used, thereby further simplifying the disassembly and installation steps of the valve seat 3.

[0044] Furthermore, in existing self-operated pressure regulating valves, the upstream water pressure is converted into downstream pressure through the throttling of valve core 5 and valve seat 3. The force exerted by the upstream water pressure on valve seat 3 is relatively small, while the force exerted on valve stem 8 accounts for a larger portion. Thus, when the upstream water pressure changes, the downstream pressure after throttling by valve core 5 is often unstable and varies considerably. This can easily lead to instability in the relative position of valve core 5 and valve seat 3, resulting in significant changes in water flow and thus limiting the application range of the regulating valve.

[0045] To solve this problem, the present invention provides a cylindrical sleeve between the second guide sleeve 10 and the valve seat 3. The cylindrical sleeve isolates the valve stem 8 from the water, so that the water flows through the cylindrical sleeve with almost no resistance, thereby reducing the force of the upstream pressure on the valve stem 8.

[0046] Furthermore, the present invention provides a bellows between the second guide sleeve 10 and the valve seat 3, which isolates the valve stem 8 from the water flow, thereby reducing the wear of the valve stem 8. A bellows clamping member is provided between the second guide sleeve 10 and the bellows. By welding the bellows clamping member, the bellows, and the valve stem 8 together, the strength of the valve assembly is improved, thereby improving the service life of the valve assembly.

[0047] It should be noted that the bellows and the cylindrical sleeve do not coexist; they are improvements made by this invention to adapt to different working conditions.

[0048] It should also be noted that the existing self-operated pressure regulating valves with soft seals have an unreasonable structure. The valve disc is easily eroded, not wear-resistant, and has poor high-temperature resistance, which greatly affects the sealing performance of the valve. Moreover, the current soft seal materials are mainly polytetrafluoroethylene and various types of rubber, which cannot be used under high-temperature conditions. Hard seal valves always have a certain degree of leakage, which can easily lead to pipe bursts in downstream pipelines.

[0049] To improve the sealing performance of valve body 1 under high-temperature conditions, such as Figure 3 As shown, the present invention has a compression gasket 29 sleeved on the lower end of the valve core 5, and a soft sealing valve disc 28 embedded on the upper end of the compression gasket 29. The inclined sealing surface on the outer side of the soft sealing valve disc 28 extends beyond the outer edge of the compression gasket 29. Thus, when the soft sealing valve disc 28 is stuck in the valve seat 3, the compression gasket 29 will be located between the soft sealing valve disc 28 and the valve seat 3, thereby eliminating the gap between the valve core 5 and the valve seat 3 and providing a good sealing effect at the contact point between the valve core 5 and the valve seat 3.

[0050] Furthermore, the present invention provides a sealing seat 27 above the compression gasket 29 and a locking nut 4 below the compression gasket 29. The soft-seal valve disc 28 is clamped and fixed by the sealing seat 27 and the locking nut 4. The above structure can prevent the soft-seal valve disc 28 from being eroded, thereby achieving a better sealing effect. In order to achieve a double anti-loosening effect, the present invention provides an elastic washer 30 between the compression gasket 29 and the locking nut 4, and fixes the nut 12 to the lower end of the valve core 5 by a safety pin 31. The soft-seal valve disc 28 can be made of soft sealing materials, such as nitrile rubber, fluororubber, polytetrafluoroethylene, nylon, and para-polystyrene (PPL), so that the valve core 5 can be used in special working conditions such as high temperature and high pressure, corrosion, and radiation, and maintain good sealing performance.

[0051] In addition, to reduce wear between the valve stem 8 and the first guide sleeve 10, and between the valve stem 8 and the second guide sleeve 16, an oil pipe can be fitted on the outside of the valve stem 8, and lubricating oil can be added between the oil pipe and the valve stem 8 to reduce wear on the valve stem.

[0052] It should also be noted that the regulating valve, pressure reducing valve 23 and relief valve 24 in this invention are all equipped with inlet pressure adjustment knobs, which can be used to adjust the inlet pressure according to different working conditions.

[0053] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function, characterized in that: It includes a valve body and a valve seat assembly, an actuation assembly, and a pressure regulating assembly, which are respectively connected to the valve body; The valve seat assembly includes a valve stem, a valve seat, and a valve core that cooperates with the valve seat, with one end of the valve stem connected to the valve core; The actuation component includes a lower diaphragm cover, a diaphragm, and an upper diaphragm cover, all mounted on the valve stem from bottom to top. A deformable chamber for pulling the valve stem is formed between the diaphragm, the upper diaphragm cover, and the lower diaphragm cover. The valve body includes an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber that are interconnected. The top of the upstream chamber is formed with a support plate for supporting the valve seat. The top of the downstream chamber is sequentially connected to both ends of the lower diaphragm cover, both ends of the diaphragm, and both ends of the upper diaphragm cover. The downstream chamber is connected to the deformable chamber through a main pipeline equipped with a pressure reducing valve. The pressure reducing valve is used to reduce the water pressure acting on the diaphragm. A branch pipeline is provided on the main pipeline, and a drain valve is provided on the branch pipeline for draining water from the downstream chamber. The pressure regulating assembly includes an regulating cylinder connected to the upper diaphragm cover and an end cap located at the top of the regulating cylinder. The regulating cylinder is provided with an elastic component connected to the other end of the valve stem. The lower end face of the upper membrane cover is provided with a first guide sleeve, and the lower end face of the lower membrane cover is provided with a second guide sleeve. The valve stem is inserted through both the first guide sleeve and the second guide sleeve. A sealing element is provided between the first guide sleeve and the valve stem, and between the second guide sleeve and the valve stem. The sealing element between the first guide sleeve and the valve stem is a sealing element five, and part of the sealing element five is embedded in the valve stem. The sealing element between the second guide sleeve and the valve stem is a sealing element three, and part of the sealing element three is embedded in the valve stem. The regulating cylinder is also provided with sealing packing, which is located above the elastic component. A bellows is provided between the second guide sleeve and the valve seat, and the bellows is sleeved on the valve stem. A bellows clamping member is provided between the second guide sleeve and the bellows. A step for installing the bellows clamping member is provided in the downstream chamber.

2. The regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the valve stem is provided with a locking nut for fixing the valve core, and the locking nut is located below the valve core.

3. A regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The downstream chamber is provided with a cylindrical sleeve fitted on the valve stem, and the cylindrical sleeve is located between the second guide sleeve and the valve seat.

4. A regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top end of the cylindrical sleeve is located between the second guide sleeve and the valve stem, and a sealing ring is provided between the cylindrical sleeve and the second guide sleeve.

5. A regulating valve with integrated pressure relief function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve stem is fitted with an oil pipe, and the oil pipe contains lubricating oil.

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