BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a diaphragm valve; and more particularly relates to a weir-type diaphragm valve.

2. Brief Description of Related Art

Figures 1 a and 1 b show a diaphragm valve that is known in the art. In such a diaphragm valve, the diaphragm requires two mechanisms to make the valve work in both pressure and vacuum service conditions. A closing force, provided through the compressor (1 ), and an opening force, applied through the diaphragm stud (2), can be applied in numerous ways. Normally, a diaphragm stud is located in the center of the diaphragm. The stud and stud retention components create a non-uniformity in the sealing gasket cross section. This non-uniformity interrupts the pressure applied to the contact surface between the weir and diaphragm along the sealing bead of the valve body. This interruption can cause inconsistency of sealing for three reasons:

1 ) If the stud is too long or adjusted improperly, it can result in over compression of the diaphragm in the center, causing poor valve sealing characteristics and possible damage to the diaphragm.

2) If the stud is too short or adjusted improperly, it can result in under compression of the diaphragm in the center, causing poor valve sealing characteristics. 3) The transition area between the center seal line under the stud and the side seal line of the compressor may not experience the required seal pressure even if the pressure under the aforementioned components are balanced.

It is noted that the peripheral seal of the valve body is independent of the aforementioned weir portion sealing and is made by components omitted from Figures 1 a, 1 b.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to some embodiments, the present invention may take the form of apparatus, including a diaphragm valve, that includes a valve body, a diaphragm, a compressor, and at least two studs. The valve body has a fluid flow channel and may be configured with a weir portion to control the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel. The diaphragm may be configured to respond to a closing force and to an opening force to make sealing contact with the weir portion to interrupt the flow, or to release the sealing contact with the weir portion to allow the flow. The compressor may be configured to apply the closing force or the opening force in order to interrupt or allow the flow. The at least two studs may be configured to:

couple the compressor and the diaphragm together,

attach to the diaphragm so as to provide attachment points on the diaphragm on each side of the weir portion, and

respond to the closing force or the opening force so that the attachment points on both sides of the weir portion cause the diaphragm to make sealing contact with the weir portion or cause the sealing contact to be released. According to some embodiments of the present invention, each stud may be configured with one end embedded within the diaphragm, and with another end having a ball-like member.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the compressor may be configured with two slots, each slot of the compressor configured to receive and engage a respective ball-like member on a respective end of a respective stud.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the valve body may be configured with a diaphragm attachment pin; and the diaphragm may be configured with a portion configured with a diaphragm attachment pin aperture to receive and engage the diaphragm attachment pin to provide a slide on attachment and three point constraint to keep each ball in the respective slot of the compressor.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus may include a backing cushion arranged between the compressor and the diaphragm, and configured with two apertures for receiving and passing the two studs. The backing cushion may be made of an elastomeric material, and may be a composite of an elastomeric material containing a fiber or a fiber mesh.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, more than two studs may be used. For example, the at least two studs may take the form of four studs that are configured to couple the compressor and the diaphragm together; and attach to the diaphragm so as to provide four attachment points, e.g., including two attachment points on the diaphragm on each side of the weir portion. Alternatively, the at least two studs may take the form of three studs that are configured to couple the compressor and the diaphragm together; and attach to the diaphragm so as to provide three attachment points, e.g., including two attachment points on the pressure side of the weir portion and one attachment point on the outlet side of the weir portion.

In effect, in the present invention a weir gasket seal, made up of the diaphragm and backing cushion, is uninterrupted by the diaphragm stud connection. This allows controlled and even compression of the diaphragm along the entire length of the weir portion of the valve body. The technique according to the present invention replaces the single center attachment used in the prior art with two attachment points to either side of the weir gasket seal. The attachment mechanism disclosed herein take the form of the two studs embedded within a PTFE diaphragm on one end, and threaded into balls on the other end. The attachment mechanism according to the present invention may also take the form of a single piece, e.g., based at least part of design factors or parameters, such as cost and reliability. The technique according to the present invention as disclosed herein uses a uniform layer of PTFE and a uniform layer of elastomer between the compressor and the weir valve body. The PTFE diaphragm contacts the process fluid and makes the seal to the weir valve body. The fiber/elastomeric composite provides membrane strength to resist the high pressure of the process fluid, and provides compliance, resulting in a well distributed seal pressure transmission to the PTFE diaphragm and weir portion of the valve body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing includes the following Figures, not necessarily drawn to scale: Figure 1 a is a cross-section of a known Weir diaphragm valve having traditional PTFE valve sealing components.

Figure 1 b is an exploded view of traditional sealing components of a known

Weir valve.

Figure 2 is an expanded three dimensional view of sealing components in relation to the valve body according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional centerline view (transverse to the direction of flow) of sealing components in relation to the valve body according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view (parallel to the direction of flow) of sealing components in relation to the valve body according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a view of sealing components according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of valve sealing body according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view (parallel to the direction of flow) of sealing components in relation to the valve body according to some embodiments of the present invention.

In the following description of the exemplary embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying Figures in the drawing, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of an embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, as structural and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figures 2-4 shows apparatus, in the form of a diaphragm valve, generally indicated as 10 according to some embodiments of the present invention, having a valve body 12, a compressor 14, a diaphragm 16 and at least two studs 18a, 18b.

The valve body 12 has a fluid flow channel 12a configured with a weir portion 12b to control the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a. The weir portion 12b is understood, and known in the art, as a dam-like portion that is raised and extended across the fluid flow channel 12a, and typically forms part of a Weir-type diaphragm valve. The valve body 12 may also be configured with a diaphragm attachment pin 12c (see Figures 5-6).

The compressor 14 may be configured to apply a closing force in order to interrupt the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a of the valve body 12, and also configured to apply an opening force in order to allow the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a of the valve body 12, consistent with that set forth herein. The compressor 14 may be coupled to a spindle 20. As shown, the compressor 14 has a male coupling member 14a configured to be received and coupled to a female coupling member 20a of the spindle 20. The spindle 20 may be configured to receive and apply the closing force and the opening force on the compressor 14, although the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the manner or technique in which the spindle 20 receives or applies the closing force and the opening force. The technique for coupling the compressor 14 and spindle 20 is shown by way of example, and the scope of the invention is also not intended to be limited to any particular type or kind of technique for coupling the compressor 14 and spindle 20 together. In Figures 4-7, the compressor 14 is shown having a surface 14b with two slots 14bi , 14b ₂ (see Figure 5).

In operation, the diaphragm 16 is configured to respond to the closing force and make sealing contact with the weir portion 12b of the valve body 12 to interrupt the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a of the valve body 12. In Figures 2- 4, the closing force would be a force applied on the spindle 20 directed or pushed downwardly (from the top to bottom of the page), as shown. The diaphragm 6 is also configured to respond to the opening force and release the sealing contact with the weir portion 12b to allow the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a of the valve body 12. In Figures 2-4, the opening force would be a force applied on the spindle 20 directed or pulled upwardly (from the bottom to top of the page), as shown. By way of example, the diaphragm 1 6 is shown as being made of

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is a synthetic fluoropolymer of

tetrafluoroethylene that is known in the art, although the scope of the invention is intended to include the diaphragm 16 being made from other types or kinds of materials either now known or later developed in the future.

The two studs 18a, 18b are configured to couple the compressor 14 and the diaphragm 16 together; attach to the diaphragm 16 so as to provide attachment points PL P2 on the diaphragm 1 6 on each side of the weir portion 12b, as best shown in Figure 4; respond to the closing force so that the attachment points Pi , P ₂ on both sides of the weir portion 12b cause the diaphragm 16 to make sealing contact with the weir portion 12b of the valve body 12 for interrupting the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a of the valve body 12; and respond to the opening force so the attachment points Pi , P2 on the both sides of the weir portion 12b cause the sealing contact between the diaphragm 16 and the weir portion 12b of the valve body 12 to be released for allowing the flow of fluid through the fluid flow channel 12a of the valve body 12.

In effect, the two studs 18a, 18b provide for non-criticality of stud positions for a reliable seal and improved opening. By way of example, each stud 18a, 18b is shown herein as being configured with one end 18ai , 18bi (see Figure 5) embedded within, or forming part of, the diaphragm 16, and with its other end 18a ₂ , 18b2 having a ball-like member configured to be received and engaged in or by a respective slot 14bi, 14b ₂ of the compressor 14, as best shown in Figures 4-7. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the two studs 18a, 18b have intermediate stem-like portion 18a ₃ , 18b ₃ , and the ball-like members may be affixed on the ends 18a ₂ , 18b ₂ , including, e.g., by threading or screwing the ball-like members onto the ends 18a ₂ , 18b2. The scope of the invention is intended to include other types or kinds of ways for coupling or affixing the intermediate stem-like portion 18a ₃ , 18b ₃ , and the ball-like members either now known or later developed in the future.

As best shown in Figure 5, the ^' all-like member of the two studs 18a, 18b is shown being received in an enlarged portion of the slots 14bi, 14b ₂ and the intermediate stem-like portion 18a ₃ , 18b ₃ of the two studs 18a, 18b is configured for sliding into a narrower portion of the slots 14bi, 14b ₂ . The ball-like member on each end 18a ₂ , 18b ₂ is wider than the width of the slots 14bi, 14b ₂ so that the ball-like member on each end 18a ₂ , 18b ₂ is retained in and engaged by the narrower portion of the slots 14bi, 14b ₂ once it is slid into the same.

The diaphragm 16 is configured with a portion 16a having a diaphragm attachment pin aperture 16b to receive and engage the diaphragm attachment pin 12c to provide a slide-on attachment and three point constraint to keep each ball-like member on the ends 18a ₂ , 18b2 in the respective slot slots 14bi, 4b2 of the compressor 14.

The diaphragm valve 10 may also be configured with a backing cushion 22 arranged between the compressor 14 and the diaphragm 16, and configured with two apertures (one of which is shown as element 22a in Figure 1 ) for receiving and passing the two studs 18a, 18b.

Figure 7 includes a first arrow ai pointing to the two studs 18a, 18b and the weir portion 12b and indicating that the stud position can vary according to the present invention; a second arrow a ₂ pointing to the two studs 18a, 18b and the weir portion 12b and indicating that there is weir seal independence that results from the configuration according to the present invention; and a third arrow a ₃ pointing to the two studs 18a, 18b and the weir portion 12b and indicating that the center and both sides experience a full opening stroke that results from the configuration according to the present invention.

The scope of the invention is also intended to include embodiments having more than two studs. For example, embodiments are envisioned in which the at least two studs 18a, 18b take the form of four studs that are configured to couple the compressor 14 and the diaphragm 16 together; and attach to the diaphragm 16 so as to provide four attachment points, e.g., including two attachment points on the diaphragm 16 on each side of the weir portion 12b. Embodiments are also envisioned in which the at least two studs 18a, 18b take the form of three studs that are configured to couple the compressor 14 and the diaphragm 16 together; and attach to the diaphragm 16 so as to provide three attachment points, e.g., including two attachment points on the pressure side of the weir portion 12b and one attachment point on the outlet side of the weir portion 12b. Advantages

Some advantages of present invention include at least the following:

a) Ease of proper installation.

- The technique according to the present invention slides into place and is oriented by a passive bonnet constraint, as shown (see Figure 5).

b) Relaxation of assembly dimensional constraints to attachment mechanism.

- The technique according to the present invention does not require tight tolerances on the stud positions to obtain a good seal. c) Flow improvement with the same stroke.

Opening the diaphragm at two points to either side of the weir can result in improved flow characteristics over the standard opening mechanisms having the same stroke (spindle vertical motion).

Other variations or embodiments of the present invention may include, but are not limited to:

(1 ) Use of any form of mechanical attachment which opens the diaphragm without disrupting the centerline gasket uniformity. By way of examples, the attachment may include following:

(a) Embedding the studs in the PTFE of a laminated diaphragm.

(b) Embedding the studs between the PTFE and elastomer of a laminated diaphragm.

(c) Embedding the studs in the elastomer section of a laminated diaphragm.

(d) Embedding the studs in the elastomer diaphragm. (e) Use of other attachment methods away from the weir seal line, such as molded plastic or elastomer knobs or posts made as part of the diaphragm.

(2) Use of a multitude of attachment points located away from the weir seal line. Example: use four stud with two studs, knobs or posts on each side of the weir.

(3) Gasket cross section above the weir does not have to be uniform, as manipulation of local gasket thickness to achieve good seal characteristics is also possible using the method of attachment described in this disclosure.

The Scope Of The Invention

It should be understood that, unless stated otherwise herein, any of the features, characteristics, alternatives or modifications described regarding a particular embodiment herein may also be applied, used, or incorporated with any other embodiment described herein. Also, the drawings herein are not drawn to scale.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, the foregoing and various other additions and omissions may be made therein and thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.