Actuator for ball valve

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of ball valves, and particularly discloses an actuator for a ball valve. The actuator for the ball valve comprises a valve body, a valve rod rotationally installed at the upper end of the valve body and an actuator body installed at the upper end of the valve rod, the actuator body comprises a shell, a hand wheel, a worm gear and a worm, the worm is rotationally installed on the inner wall of one end of the shell, and one end of the worm is fixedly connected with one end of the hand wheel; the worm gear is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the shell, one side of the worm gear is meshed with the outer wall of the worm, a positioning hole allowing the upper end of the valve rod to be inserted is formed in the worm gear, a plurality of positioning parts are mounted on the inner wall of the upper end of the shell and used for limiting the rotating angle of the worm gear, and a limiting part used for limiting the worm gear is mounted on the inner wall of the lower end of the shell. The rotating angle and position of the ball body of the worm gear between complete opening and complete closing of the valve can be limited, the accuracy of flow adjustment is ensured, repeated debugging is not needed, and operation convenience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ball valves, and more particularly to an actuator for ball valves. Background Technology

[0002] Ball valves are widely used in industries such as petroleum, chemical, natural gas, water treatment, and food processing, and are an indispensable component of industrial pipeline systems. Actuators are typically used to control the opening and closing of valves. They can be operated manually (via handwheel) or automatically (via electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic systems).

[0003] Existing ball valves typically consist of a valve body, a ball, a stem, and an actuator. During operation, the actuator drives the stem to rotate the ball 90°, aligning the ball's orifice with the pipe axis, allowing for full flow of the medium with minimal resistance. Conversely, the actuator drives the stem in the opposite direction, rotating the ball 90° so that the orifice is perpendicular to the pipe, completely blocking the flow of the medium. When flow regulation is required, the rotation angle of the ball (e.g., 30°, 45°) is controlled to change the overlap area between the orifice and the pipe, thus achieving flow control.

[0004] In the existing technology, ball valves are opened by manually operating the actuator. Although the operation of fully open or closed states is intuitive, it is difficult for operators to accurately control the rotation angle of the ball when adjusting the intermediate opening degree. This often requires repeated adjustments, which can easily lead to flow control deviations, affect the valve's discharge effect or process stability, and reduce the practicality and reliability of the ball valve. Utility Model Content

[0005] To reduce the need for repeated adjustments during use and improve the practicality of ball valves, this application provides an actuator for ball valves.

[0006] The actuator for a ball valve provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An actuator for a ball valve includes a valve body, a valve stem rotatably mounted on the upper end of the valve body, and an actuator mounted on the upper end of the valve stem. A seal for limiting the valve stem is installed on the upper end of the valve body. A bracket for fixing the actuator is fixedly connected to the upper end of the seal. The actuator includes a housing, a handwheel, a worm gear, and a worm. The worm gear is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of one end of the housing and its other end is fixedly connected to one end of the handwheel. The worm gear is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the housing and its one side meshes with the outer wall of the worm. The worm gear has a positioning hole for inserting the upper end of the valve stem. Multiple positioning elements are installed on the upper inner wall of the housing to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear. A limiting element for limiting the worm gear is installed on the lower inner wall of the housing.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solutions, firstly, the worm gear and worm meshing design can provide high torque transmission and self-locking function, ensuring the reliability of valve opening control; secondly, multiple positioning components can respectively limit the rotation angle and position of the ball of the worm gear between the fully open and fully closed valve, ensuring the accuracy of flow regulation, eliminating the need for repeated adjustments, and improving the convenience of operation; thirdly, the limiting components can prevent the worm gear from excessively rotating when the valve is fully open or closed, improving the stability and practicality of the structure.

[0009] Optionally, a protrusion for displaying the valve's opening and closing status is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the housing, and a pointing element fixedly connected to the upper end of the worm gear is rotatably connected to the upper end of the housing. The pointing element is used to display the rotation angle of the worm gear.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, when the pointing component points to the protrusion, the opening and closing status of the valve can be directly displayed, which makes it easier for staff to quickly determine whether the valve is fully open or closed and reduces the possibility of excessive rotation.

[0011] Optionally, the upper end of the housing is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves for the sliding of the positioning component. The positioning component includes a button, a slider, and a positioning block. The button is fixedly connected to the upper end of the slider and slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove. The slider is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove. A return spring is fixedly connected between the inner wall of the slider and the inner wall of the positioning groove. The positioning block is fixedly connected to the lower end of the slider and sleeved on the inner side of the return spring. The lower end of the positioning block passes through the lower bottom wall of the positioning groove. The positioning block is used to limit the rotation of the worm gear.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the operator can press the button to disengage the positioning block from the worm gear, adjust the rotation angle of the worm gear, and then release the button. The positioning block will then re-restrict the worm gear under the action of the reset spring, thereby achieving precise control of the rotation angle of the ball.

[0013] Optionally, each slider is provided with a pull rod rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing on one side, and a groove is provided on one side of the slider for the upper end of the pull rod to hook onto, and a locking block for hooking is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the groove.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the slider position can be fixed by the groove and locking block of the pull rod and the slider respectively, ensuring the stability of the positioning component in the unlocked and locked states, preventing the slider from accidentally resetting during use, and ensuring the reliability of the limit position.

[0015] Optionally, each slider has a slide rod fixedly connected to both sides, which is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the stability of the linear motion of the slider in the inner wall of the positioning groove can be guaranteed, and the slider can be prevented from being misaligned or rotating during the movement, thereby ensuring the stability of the structure operation.

[0017] Optionally, the upper ends of the plurality of buttons protrude from the upper surface of the housing, the plurality of buttons are arranged between two protrusions, and the interval angle between each pair of buttons is 15°, and the interval angle between adjacent buttons of each protrusion is 15°.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, operators can easily select different positioning angles by pressing the button, and the 15° interval design can meet the needs of fine adjustment. Operators can quickly and accurately select the appropriate ball rotation angle according to actual needs, avoiding repeated adjustments and improving the efficiency and accuracy of valve operation.

[0019] Optionally, the limiting member includes a limiting block and a limiting spring, and the inner wall of the housing is fixedly connected with a limiting groove for the limiting block to slide, and the limiting spring is fixedly connected between the inner wall of the limiting block and the limiting groove.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the setting of the limiting component can limit the rotation range of the worm gear, preventing the worm gear from rotating excessively and causing valve damage or failure to close properly. The function of the limiting spring enables the limiting block to automatically reset, maintaining the stability of the limiting function.

[0021] Optionally, the outer wall of the worm gear is provided with a slot for connection with the limiting block. When the valve is in a fully closed or open state, the side wall of the slot abuts against the side wall of the limiting block.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the rotation range of the worm gear is limited, preventing excessive rotation of the worm gear from causing valve damage or failure to close properly, ensuring the safety and reliability of the valve during operation, and avoiding equipment failure due to improper operation.

[0023] In summary, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. This application can separately limit the rotation angle and position of the ball of the worm gear between the fully open and fully closed valve, ensuring the accuracy of flow regulation, eliminating the need for repeated adjustments, and improving the convenience of operation.

[0025] 2. This application can effectively prevent the worm gear from rotating excessively when the valve is fully open or closed, avoid valve damage or failure to close properly due to improper operation, ensure stable valve operation, and thus improve the stability and practicality of the structure. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ball valve and actuator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the actuator and handwheel in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the housing and handwheel according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional view along line AA;

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional view along line BB;

[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of region C in the middle;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the housing and positioning groove according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component according to an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Valve body; 2. Valve stem; 3. Seal; 4. Bracket; 5. Actuator; 51. Housing; 511. Positioning groove; 512. Limiting groove; 52. Handwheel; 53. Worm gear; 531. Positioning hole; 532. Groove; 54. Worm; 55. Protrusion; 56. Pointing element; 6. Positioning element; 61. Button; 62. Slider; 621. Groove; 6211. Locking block; 63. Positioning block; 64. Return spring; 65. Pull rod; 66. Slide rod; 7. Limiting element; 71. Limiting block; 72. Limiting spring. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-8 This application will be described in further detail.

[0036] This application discloses an actuator for a ball valve.

[0037] Reference Figure 1The actuator for the ball valve includes a valve body 1 and a valve stem 2 rotatably mounted on the upper end of the valve body 1. A ball connected to the lower end of the valve stem 2 is located inside the valve body 1. Rotation of the valve stem 2 drives the ball to rotate inside the valve body 1, thus opening or closing the valve. A sealing element 3, connected to the outer wall of the valve stem 2, is fixedly connected to the upper end of the valve body 1. The sealing element 3 ensures the sealing between the valve stem 2 and the valve body 1 and ensures the stability of the valve stem 2, preventing it from falling off during use. A bracket 4 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the sealing element 3. An actuator 5, connected to the upper end of the bracket 4, is fixedly connected to the upper end of the valve stem 2. The bracket 4 ensures the stability of the connection between the actuator 5 and the valve body 1. The actuator 5 is used to quickly drive the valve stem 2 to rotate.

[0038] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The actuator 5 includes a housing 51 fixedly connected to the upper end of the bracket 4, a worm gear 53 rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing 51, and a worm 54, with the worm 54 meshing with one side of the worm gear 53. One end of the worm 54 is fixedly connected to a handwheel 52 rotatably connected to one end of the inner wall of the housing 51. Rotating the handwheel 52 drives the worm 54 to rotate, thereby driving the worm gear 53 to rotate on the inner wall of the housing 51. A positioning hole is provided in the middle of the worm gear 53 for the upper end of the valve stem 2 to be inserted. The positioning hole ensures the stability of the connection between the valve stem 2 and the worm gear 53, allowing the valve to rotate synchronously with the worm gear 53.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 7 Two protrusions 55 are fixedly connected to the upper end of the housing 51. The two protrusions 55 are arranged at right angles to each other and are used to indicate the closed and open states of the valve, respectively. A pointer 56 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the worm gear 53 and is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the upper end of the housing 51. A pointer is fixedly connected to the upper end of the pointer 56. The tip of the pointer points to the protrusions 55 and the positioning member 6 and is used to indicate the opening angle of the valve.

[0040] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The inner wall of the housing 51 is equipped with a limiting member 7 to limit the excessive rotation of the worm gear 54. The limiting member 7 includes a limiting block 71 and a limiting spring 72 fixedly connected to the limiting block 71. The inner wall of the housing 51 is provided with a limiting groove for the limiting block 71 to slide. The limiting spring 72 is fixedly connected between the limiting block 71 and the inner wall of the limiting groove. The limiting spring 72 is used to push the limiting block 71 to move within the inner wall of the limiting groove until one side of the limiting block 71 is inserted into the slot on the outer wall of the worm gear 53. When the worm gear 53 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, both sides of the slot are respectively in contact with one side of the limiting block 71, which can prevent the worm gear 53 from rotating excessively.

[0041] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The upper end of the housing 51 has multiple positioning grooves 511. Each positioning groove 511 has a positioning element 6 installed on its inner wall to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear 53. The positioning element 6 includes a button 61, a slider 62, and a positioning block 63. The button 61 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the slider 62 and slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove 511. The slider 62 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove 511. Pressing the button 61 pushes the slider 62 to slide along the inner wall of the positioning groove 511. A return spring 64 is fixedly connected between the inner wall of the slider 62 and the inner wall of the positioning groove 511. A positioning block 63, fixedly connected to the slider 62, is provided on the inner side of the return spring 64. The lower end of the positioning block 63 passes through the lower bottom wall of the positioning groove 511. The interval angle between any two buttons 61 is 15°, and the interval angle between each protrusion 55 and the adjacent button 61 is also 15°. When the button 61 is pressed, the slider 62 is pushed down, so that the lower end of the positioning block 63 passes through the positioning groove 511 and inserts into the groove of the worm gear 53, which is used to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear 53.

[0042] refer to Figure 7 , Figure 8 Each slider 62 has a sliding rod 66 fixedly connected to both ends, which is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove 511. The sliding rod 66 is used to ensure the linear movement of the slider 62 and prevent the slider 62 from being misaligned or rotating. Each slider 62 has a groove 621 on one side, and a locking block 6211 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of each groove 621. Each slider 62 also has a pull rod 65 on one side, which is connected to the inner wall of the groove 621. The lower end of the pull rod 65 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing 51, and the upper end of the pull rod 65 is used to hook the lower bottom wall of the groove 621 or the upper surface of the locking block 6211, which can limit the position of the slider 62 in the positioning groove 511. A channel is formed between the locking block 6211 and the groove 621 for the upper end of the pull rod 65 to slide, which ensures the stability of the connection between the pull rod 65 and the slider 62 and prevents the pull rod 65 from disengaging from the groove 621.

[0043] The implementation principle of the ball valve actuator in this embodiment is as follows: When opening the valve, the handwheel 52 is rotated to drive the worm gear 54 to rotate, which in turn drives the worm wheel 53 to rotate, thereby driving the valve stem 2 and the ball to rotate until the inner wall of one side of the groove of the worm wheel 53 is in contact with one side of the limiting block 71. At this time, the pointer of the pointing component 56 points to one of the protrusions 55, and the valve is fully open. When closing the valve, the handwheel 52 is rotated in the opposite direction until the inner wall of the other side of the groove is in contact with the other side of the limiting block 71. At this time, the pointer of the pointing component 56 points to the other protrusion 55, and the valve is fully closed. When it is necessary to adjust the rotation angle of the ball, the corresponding button 61 is pressed according to the actual needs, pushing the slider 62 and the positioning block 63 to move down. At this time, the return spring 64 is compressed. At the same time, the pull rod 65 slides in the groove 621 on one side of the slider 62 until the lower end of the positioning block 63. The lever 65 passes through the inner wall of housing 51 and is inserted into the slot of worm gear 53. Then, the button 61 is released, and the return spring 64 pushes the slider 62 upward under the elastic action, so that the upper end of the lever 65 hooks the locking block 6211 in the groove 621, thereby firmly restricting the positioning block 63 to the inner side of the slot of worm gear 53. At this time, the worm gear 53 is driven to rotate until one side of the inner wall of the slot abuts against one side of the positioning block 63. At this time, the pointer of the pointing component 56 points to the corresponding button 61, completing the restriction of the valve opening angle. Press the button 61 again, so that the positioning block 63 retracts into the positioning groove 511, and the lever 65 hooks the lower bottom wall of the groove 621. At this time, the worm gear 54 can be driven to rotate to continue to adjust the rotation angle of the ball. Finally, by repeating the above steps, the valve opening can be restricted at 15° intervals, realizing the fine adjustment of the valve opening.

[0044] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An actuator for a ball valve, comprising a valve body (1), a valve stem (2) rotatably mounted on the upper end of the valve body (1), and an actuator (5) mounted on the upper end of the valve stem (2), characterized in that: The upper end of the valve body (1) is equipped with a sealing element (3) for limiting the valve stem (2). The upper end of the sealing element (3) is fixedly connected to a bracket (4) for fixing the actuator (5). The actuator (5) includes a housing (51), a handwheel (52), a worm gear (53), and a worm (54). The worm (54) is rotatably installed on the inner wall of one end of the housing (51) and one end is fixedly connected to one end of the handwheel (52). The worm gear (53) is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the housing (51) and one side is meshed with the outer wall of the worm (54). The worm gear (53) has a positioning hole (531) for the upper end of the valve stem (2) to be inserted. The upper inner wall of the housing (51) is equipped with multiple positioning elements (6). The positioning elements (6) are used to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear (53). The lower inner wall of the housing (51) is equipped with a limiting element (7) for limiting the worm gear (53).

2. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the housing (51) is fixedly connected to a protrusion (55) for displaying the opening and closing status of the valve. The upper end of the housing (51) is rotatably connected to a pointing element (56) fixedly connected to the upper end of the worm gear (53). The pointing element (56) is used to display the rotation angle of the worm gear (53).

3. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the housing (51) is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves (511) for the sliding of the positioning component (6). The positioning component (6) includes a button (61), a slider (62) and a positioning block (63). The button (61) is fixedly connected to the upper end of the slider (62). The slider (62) is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove (511). A return spring (64) is fixedly connected between the inner wall of the slider (62) and the inner wall of the positioning groove (511). The positioning block (63) is fixedly connected to the lower end of the slider (62) and sleeved on the inner side of the return spring (64). The lower end of the positioning block (63) passes through the lower bottom wall of the positioning groove (511). The positioning block (63) is used to restrict the rotation of the worm gear (53).

4. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each slider (62) has a pull rod (65) rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing (51) on one side. Each slider (62) has a groove (621) for the upper end of the pull rod (65) to hook. The inner wall of the groove (621) is fixedly connected to a locking block (6211) for hooking.

5. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each slider (62) has a slide rod (66) fixedly connected to both sides of the slide rod (66) which is slidably connected to the inner wall of the positioning groove (511).

6. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper ends of the plurality of buttons (61) protrude from the upper surface of the housing (51). The plurality of buttons (61) are arranged between two protrusions (55), and the interval angle between each pair of buttons (61) is 15°. The interval angle between each protrusion (55) and adjacent buttons (61) is 15°.

7. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting member (7) includes a limiting block (71) and a limiting spring (72). The inner wall of the housing (51) is fixedly connected to a limiting groove (512) for the limiting block (71) to slide. The limiting spring (72) is fixedly connected between the inner wall of the limiting block (71) and the limiting groove (512).

8. The actuator for a ball valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The outer wall of the worm gear (53) is provided with a slot (532) that connects to the limiting block (71). When the valve is in a fully closed or open state, the side wall of the slot (532) abuts against the side wall of the limiting block (71).

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