ABSTRACT

A leak-proof magnetically actuated valve comprising: a valve body having a passage conducting a fluid flow to be controlled and a rotatable control member for manipulating said magnetically actuated valve. The valve body is encapsulated in a sealed undismountable manner. The rotatable control member is releasably connectable to said valve body such that said driving and driven magnet arrangements are brought into magnet interaction; said first and second positions of said rotatable control member correspond to blocking and releasing said fluid flow.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to magnetically actuated packless valves and more specifically to sealed undismountable magnetically actuated valves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past it has been common to use a packing material or other sealing material around the valve stem to prevent leakage. Such materials, with time, will wear and the chance of leakage thus increases with time. If the packing material is not replaced before the leakage becomes dangerous, a disastrous situation could develop. The known advantage of magnetically actuated valves is the elimination of the stuffing box which has always been a drawback. However, in the past, the use of these valves has been confined to relatively low pressures. The principal reason has been that sufficiently strong permanent magnets did not exist that would actuate the magnetic valve through the thick walls required to contain high pressures. Newly available permanent magnets permit the use of thicker walls in the valve housing providing the possibility of magnetically actuated valves for use at high pressures.

US 4284262 to Ruyak discloses a packless magnetically actuated stopper valve. A driven magnet assembly is rotatably mounted inside a nonmagnetic bonnet. A drive magnetic holder surrounds the bonnet and rotates thereon. The driven magnet assembly turns a stopper positioned in the main valve body between inlet and outlet passages. Floating valve seats associated with each passage sealably engage the stopper (Abstract).

Ruyak discloses a magnetically actuated stopper valve which is based on interaction between permanent magnets carried by control shaft and cylindrical holder. The stopper valve of Ruyak includes thread connections despite the fact that experience has proven that all threaded connections are potentially leakable.

There is a long-felt and unmet need for providing a completely encapsulated valve having a one-piece body and an actuator releasably connectable to the body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is hence one object of the invention to disclose a magnetically actuated valve comprising: (a) a valve body having a passage conducting a fluid flow to be controlled; the valve body accommodating there within: (i) a blocking arranged to block and to release the fluid flow; (ii) a control stem coupled to the rotatable member; (iii) a driven magnet arrangement mechanically connected to the control stem; (b) a rotatable control member for manipulating the magnetically actuated valve; the rotatable control member having first and second positions; the rotatable control member having a driving magnet arrangement mechanically connected thereto.

It is a core purpose of the invention to provide the valve body encapsulated in a sealed undismountable manner. The rotatable control member is releasably connectable to the valve body such that the driving and driven magnet arrangements are brought into magnet interaction. The first and second positions of the rotatable control member correspond to blocking and releasing the fluid flow. Another object of the invention is to disclose the driving and driven magnet arrangements having a conformal cylindrical shape.

A further object of the invention is to disclose the valve body having a cylindrical portion accommodating the driven magnet arrangement; the rotatable control member has a cavity configured for receiving said cylindrical portion.

A further object of the invention is to disclose a surface of the cylindrical portion having a circumferentially arranged notch; the cavity has a projection therewithin. The notch and projection are cooperatively operable such that rotation of the rotatable control member relative to valve body is retained between first and second positions.

A further object of the invention is to disclose the rotatable control member driven manually or in a motorized manner.

A further object of the invention is to disclose the control member and blocking member angularly and linearly displaceable in a conformal manner.

A further object of the invention is to disclose a method of controlling a fluid flow. The aforesaid method comprises the step of: (a) providing magnetically actuated valve comprising: (i) a valve body having a passage conducting a fluid flow to be controlled; the valve body accommodating therewithin: (1) a blocking member arranged to block and to release the fluid flow; (2) a control stem coupled to the rotatable member; (3) a driven magnet arrangement mechanically connected to the control stem; (ii) a rotatable control member for manipulating the magnetically actuated valve; the rotatable control member having first and second positions; the rotatable control member having a driving magnet arrangement mechanically connected thereto; the valve body is encapsulated in a sealed undismountable manner; the rotatable control member is releasably connectable to the valve body such that the driving and driven magnet arrangements are brought into magnet interaction; the first and second positions of the rotatable control member correspond to blocking and releasing the fluid flow; (b) providing the fluid flow into the passage; (c) connecting the rotatable control member to the valve body; (d) manipulating the rotatable control member to block and release the fluid flow. A further object of the invention is to disclose the step of the connecting the rotatable control member to the valve body comprising receiving a cylindrical portion of valve body accommodating the driven magnet arrangement by a cavity of the rotatable control member.

A further object of the invention is to disclose the step of manipulating the rotatable control member comprising rotating thereof between the first and second positions retained by a circumferential notch on a surface of the cylindrical portion and projection within the cavity cooperatively arranged therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of embodiments is adapted to now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 a is an external view of a valve body;

Fig. lb is an external exploded view of a magnetically actuated valve;

Fig. lc is an external view of an assembled magnetically actuated valve;

Fig. 2a is a view of a driven magnet arrangement;

Fig. 2b is a cross-sectional view of a valve body;

Fig. 2c is a cross-sectional exploded view of a magnetically actuated valve;

Fig. 3 a illustrates a circumferential notch on a surface of a valve body;

Fig. 3b illustrates a projection within a cavity of a control member.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of a valve embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is provided, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make use of said invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this invention. Various modifications, however, are adapted to remain apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined specifically to provide a magnetically actuated valve and a method of controlling a fluid flow.

The term "rotatable member" hereinafter refers to any rotatable closure member such as a ball member, a plug member, a needle or alike.

The term "valve" hereafter refers to a ball valve, a needle valve, a gate valve, a globe valve, a butterfly valve, a knife valve, a plug valve, a pinch valve, a diaphragm valve, a monoblock valve, a metering valve or a structurally alike article.

Reference is now made to Figs la to lc, presenting the magnetically actuated valve of the present invention. The valve comprises valve body 100 and control member 200. Valve body 100 has inlet and outlet ports 110 and 120 and cylindrical portion 130. Control member 200 is provided with a lever 220 and barrel member 210 having a cavity therewithin (not shown) configured for receiving cylindrical portion 130. As shown in Fig. lc, in operation position, control member 200 is put on cylindrical portion 130. It should be emphasized that the rotatable control member 200 can be easily mounted onto the valve body 100 and dismounted from it.

Reference is now made to Figs 2a to 2c, presenting an interior arrangement of the magnetically actuated valve. Numerals 240 and 140 refer to driving and driven magnet arrangements. Opposite poles of permanent magnets in driving and driven magnet arrangements 240 and 140 face each other (Fig. lc) in the operation position. They form magnet interaction such that rotation of control member 200 including driving magnet arrangement 240 causes corresponding rotation of driven magnet arrangement 140. It should be conceived that cylindrical portion 130 of valve body 100 and barrel 210 of control member 200 are made of a non-magnetic material. There is a mechanical link between a member 180 carrying driven magnet arrangement 140 and control stem 170. According to one embodiment of the present invention, aforesaid stem 170 is integrated with ball rotatable member 160 placed within valve seat 150.

Reference is now made Figs 3 a and 3b, presenting valve body 100 and barrel 210 cooperatively operating as a retaining arrangement. Valve body 100 is provided with a circumferentially arranged notch 105, while barrel 210 has a projection 230. When control member 200 is put on cylindrical portion 130 of valve body 100, rotation of control member 200 is retained by displacement of projection 230 within notch 105. Terminals of notch 105 correspond to first and second (open and closed) positions of barrel 210.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4 presenting a cross sectional view of alternative embodiment 300 of a leak-proof magnetically actuated valve. Contrary to the previously disclosed embodiments where stem 170 rotatably controls ball rotatable member 160 blocking and releasing a fluid flow, the present embodiment, stem 171 is linearly displaceable by means of magnetic interaction between driving magnets 140 secured within cylindrical member 130 and driven magnets 140 secured within cylindrical member 330. The valve body includes main body 103 having inlet and outlet ports 110 and 120, respectively, and cap 105 interconnectable by weld 107. Stem 171 is linearly displaceable within stem guide 173 provided with slip bearing 175. Cylindrical member 230 is connected to stem 170 by means of bolt 179 with washer 177. Manually rotatable handle 220 is mechanically connected to member 130 carrying driving magnets 140 by bolt 250 provided with locking ferrule 253 and nut 251. Actuating the valve of the present embodiment by any type of an actuator (electric, pneumatic, mechanic, magnetic) is also in the scope of the invention. Cover 225 tops bolt 250 and nut 251. When bolt 250 is reciprocatively screwed in and out into cap 105, driving magnets 140 force driven magnets 240 in the same direction. As a result, stem 171connected to driven magnets 240 moves accordingly. Thus, a fluid flow via inlet and outlet ports 110 and 120 is controllable by linearly positionable stem 171 within a fully encapsulated valve.

According to the present invention, a leak-proof magnetically actuated valve comprises: (a) a valve body having a passage conducting a fluid flow to be controlled; the valve body accommodating therewithin: (i) a blocking arranged to block and to release the fluid flow; (ii) a control stem coupled to the rotatable member; (iii) a driven magnet arrangement mechanically connected to the control stem; (b) a rotatable control member for manipulating the magnetically actuated valve; the rotatable control member having first and second positions; the rotatable control member having a driving magnet arrangement mechanically connected thereto. It is a core feature of the invention to provide the valve body encapsulated in a sealed undismountable manner. The rotatable control member is releasably connectable to the valve body such that the driving and driven magnet arrangements are brought into magnet interaction. The first and second positions of the rotatable control member correspond to blocking and releasing the fluid flow.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving and driven magnet arrangements have a conformal cylindrical shape.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the valve body has a cylindrical portion accommodating the driven magnet arrangement; the rotatable control member has a cavity configured for receiving said cylindrical portion.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a surface of the cylindrical portion having a circumferentially arranged notch; the cavity has a projection therewithin. The notch and projection are cooperatively operable such that rotation of the rotatable control member relative to valve body is retained between first and second positions.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the rotatable control member is driven manually or in a motorized manner.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the control member and blocking member are angularly and linearly displaceable in a conformal manner.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a method of controlling a fluid flow is disclosed. The aforesaid method comprises the step of: (a) providing magnetically actuated valve comprising: (i) a valve body having a passage conducting a fluid flow to be controlled; the valve body accommodating therewithin: (1) a blocking member arranged to block and to release the fluid flow; (2) a control stem coupled to the rotatable member; (3) a driven magnet arrangement mechanically connected to the control stem; (ii) a rotatable control member for manipulating the magnetically actuated valve; the rotatable control member having first and second positions; the rotatable control member having a driving magnet arrangement mechanically connected thereto; the valve body is encapsulated in a sealed undismountable manner; the rotatable control member is releasably connectable to the valve body such that the driving and driven magnet arrangements are brought into magnet interaction; the first and second positions of the rotatable control member correspond to blocking and releasing the fluid flow; (b) providing the fluid flow into the passage; (c) connecting the rotatable control member to the valve body; (d) manipulating the rotatable control member to block and release the fluid flow.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the step of the connecting the rotatable control member to the valve body comprises receiving a cylindrical portion of valve body accommodating the driven magnet arrangement by a cavity of the rotatable control member.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the step of manipulating the rotatable control member comprises rotating thereof between the first and second positions retained by a circumferential notch on a surface of the cylindrical portion and projection within the cavity cooperatively arranged therebetween.