VALVE ASSEMBLY AND VALVE SEALING ELEMENT

摘要

?P-37/132 The improved valve assembly comprises, in combination, a housing having an elongated central passageway and a plurality of spaced ports in the sidewall thereof along the length thereof in communication with the passageway, an elongated drive shaft disposed in the passageway and movable between a resting position and an actuated position, first biasing means biasing the shaft into the resting position, a plurality of valve openings along the length of the passageway and providing communication between adjacent ones of said ports, a plurality of free floating valve sealing elements disposed transversely on, secured to and spaced along the shaft in the housing, each said element being disposed between two adjacent valve openings, second biasing means in the housing around the shaft biasing the valve elements apart on the shaft, and actuator means connected to the housing for hydraulic pressure movement of the shaft between the resting position wherein a first spaced set of the valve openings is closed by the valve sealing elements and the actuated position wherein a separate second spaced set of the valve openings is closed by the valve sealing elements. The biasing means may be coil springs and each valve sealing element may be a disc bearing valve sealing surfaces on opposite sides thereof. The improved valve sealing element may include a reinforcing component having a number of apertures extending through it, as well as a central opening, and a plastic enclosure molded around and encapsulating the reinforcing component, extending through the apertures and bonded to the reinforcing component. The reinforcing component includes reinforcing ribs around the central opening. The valve sealing element is disc shaped and adapted to receive a valve drive shaft through the central opening. The reinforcing component has a hardness at least 50% greater than that of the enclosure. The reinforcing component may be, for example, nylon and the enclosure may be, for example, polyurethane. The valve sealing element and valve assembly are inexpensive, durable and efficient.