GB2189870A - Valve incorporating a float body - Google Patents

Abstract

A valve used for a water supply tank is provided with a spherical valve plug 23 having a downwardly extending stem 26 pivoted to a lever 24 which is pivotally (A) mounted in a valve casing 2 and extends out of the casing to be connected with a float body 25. The spherical valve body 23 ascends and descends to move away and toward a valve seat 22a formed in the valve casing when the float body ascends and descends, as the level of the water changes. Lever 24 is mounted in a diametral groove 22c in the casing. A stop B limits ascension of valve plug 23. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Valve incorporating a float body This invention relates a valve, particularly to a valve incorporating a float body to regulate water flowing into a water supply tank according to the level of the water existing in the tank.

Valves of the above-described type have existed in the art. One of such valves is shown in Fig. 1, wherein a water inlet end of a tubular valve casing 10 is fitted to one end of a water supply pipe, an outlet end 13 extends radially from the valve casing, and a slide body 12 with a sealing member 14 is mounted movably in the valve casing to move toward and away from a valve seat 11 and is engaged cooperatively with a lever 15 which is in turn connected to a float body 17. When the float body 17 rises as the water level is raised, the slide body 12 shuts off the orifice defined by the valve seat 11.Such a valve has a disadvantage in that, since the sealing member of the slide body shuts off the valve seat 11 by moving in a direction against the advancing water, the lever, the pin by which the lever is pivoted, the slide body and the float body suffer from considerable stress and thus, the lever bends within a short period, with the result that the sealing member can not shut off the vlve seat efficiently. In addtion, the orifice of the valve seat is generally made small in order to avoid the necessity of utilizing a strong lever. This increases the power consumption. Moreover, the fouling in the valve casing may affect the movement of the slide body so that the slide body and the sealing member can not shut off the orifice efficiently.

There is another valve shown in Fig. 2 which was propsed by the inventor of the application, wherein the inventor employed a valve disc which moved in a direction similar to the direction of the water flow to be seated against the valve seat. However, such a valve is still inefficient, because the valve disc has to counteract considerable water pressure to move to an open position.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved valve of the above-described type which is of simple construction and which can control efficiently the water flowing into a water supply tank.

Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a valve in the prior art; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of another valve in the prior art; and Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of a valve according to the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 3, a valve 1 according to the invention includes a valve casing 2 constituted of an upper cylindrical hollow body 20 having a neck portion 201 with an water inlet 21, and a lower cylindrical body 202 screwed to the cylindrical body 20. The lower cylindrical body 202 has a central through-hole 22 and a diametral groove 22c intersecting the through-hole 22. The through-hole 22 has a cross-section smaller than that of the hollow portion of the upper cylindrical hollow body and is flared slightly towards the bottom side of the lower cylindrical body, forming a water outlet 22b. At the top of the lower cylindrical body 202 is formed a valve seat 22a. A spherical valve plug 23 is disposed in the cylindrical hollow body 20 and is connected with a stem 26 extending into the throughhole 22 of the lower body 202.

A lever 24 is placed in the groove 22c with a portion extending across the through-hole 22b and pivoted to the lower cylindrical body 202 at point A. Another portion of the lever 24 extends out of the lower hollow body 202 and is connected to a float body 25.

In operation, the float body 25 ascends and descends as the water level on which the float body floats changes, and the valve plug 23 moves towards and away from the valve seat 22a to shut off and open the throughhole 22 by means of the action of the lever 24. When the float body 25 ascends to a predetermined level, the valve plug 23 tightly seats against the valve seat 22a. When the float body 25 descends to a certain lower level, the valve plug is limited to ascend by the engagement of the lever 14 with the lower hollow body 202 at B.

It can be appreciated that the construction of the valve 1 is not only simple but also can provide an efficient water flow controlling effect over a prolonged period. The spherical plug body moves in the same direction as the flowing water to shut off the through-hole 22 and can move against the pressure of the flowing water without being subjected to considerable force because of its specific shape.

With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited as indicated in the appended claims.

1. A valve comprising: a valve casing having a longitudinal throughhole extending from the top to the bottom thereof forming a top water inlet and a bottom water outlet, a transverse groove at the bottom portion of the valve casing intersecting the through-hole, an annuiar projection extend ing inward from an inner side of the wall of the valve casing above the transverse groove, and a valve seat formed on the annular projection; a spherical valve plug body disposed in the valve casing above the valve seat and having a stem extending to below the valve seat; a lever placed in the groove with a portion

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Valve incorporating a float body This invention relates a valve, particularly to a valve incorporating a float body to regulate water flowing into a water supply tank according to the level of the water existing in the tank. Valves of the above-described type have existed in the art. One of such valves is shown in Fig. 1, wherein a water inlet end of a tubular valve casing 10 is fitted to one end of a water supply pipe, an outlet end 13 extends radially from the valve casing, and a slide body 12 with a sealing member 14 is mounted movably in the valve casing to move toward and away from a valve seat 11 and is engaged cooperatively with a lever 15 which is in turn connected to a float body 17. When the float body 17 rises as the water level is raised, the slide body 12 shuts off the orifice defined by the valve seat 11.Such a valve has a disadvantage in that, since the sealing member of the slide body shuts off the valve seat 11 by moving in a direction against the advancing water, the lever, the pin by which the lever is pivoted, the slide body and the float body suffer from considerable stress and thus, the lever bends within a short period, with the result that the sealing member can not shut off the vlve seat efficiently. In addtion, the orifice of the valve seat is generally made small in order to avoid the necessity of utilizing a strong lever. This increases the power consumption. Moreover, the fouling in the valve casing may affect the movement of the slide body so that the slide body and the sealing member can not shut off the orifice efficiently. There is another valve shown in Fig. 2 which was propsed by the inventor of the application, wherein the inventor employed a valve disc which moved in a direction similar to the direction of the water flow to be seated against the valve seat. However, such a valve is still inefficient, because the valve disc has to counteract considerable water pressure to move to an open position. An object of the invention is to provide an improved valve of the above-described type which is of simple construction and which can control efficiently the water flowing into a water supply tank. Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a valve in the prior art; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of another valve in the prior art; and Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of a valve according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 3, a valve 1 according to the invention includes a valve casing 2 constituted of an upper cylindrical hollow body 20 having a neck portion 201 with an water inlet 21, and a lower cylindrical body 202 screwed to the cylindrical body 20. The lower cylindrical body 202 has a central through-hole 22 and a diametral groove 22c intersecting the through-hole 22. The through-hole 22 has a cross-section smaller than that of the hollow portion of the upper cylindrical hollow body and is flared slightly towards the bottom side of the lower cylindrical body, forming a water outlet 22b. At the top of the lower cylindrical body 202 is formed a valve seat 22a. A spherical valve plug 23 is disposed in the cylindrical hollow body 20 and is connected with a stem 26 extending into the throughhole 22 of the lower body 202. A lever 24 is placed in the groove 22c with a portion extending across the through-hole 22b and pivoted to the lower cylindrical body 202 at point A. Another portion of the lever 24 extends out of the lower hollow body 202 and is connected to a float body 25. In operation, the float body 25 ascends and descends as the water level on which the float body floats changes, and the valve plug 23 moves towards and away from the valve seat 22a to shut off and open the throughhole 22 by means of the action of the lever 24. When the float body 25 ascends to a predetermined level, the valve plug 23 tightly seats against the valve seat 22a. When the float body 25 descends to a certain lower level, the valve plug is limited to ascend by the engagement of the lever 14 with the lower hollow body 202 at B. It can be appreciated that the construction of the valve 1 is not only simple but also can provide an efficient water flow controlling effect over a prolonged period. The spherical plug body moves in the same direction as the flowing water to shut off the through-hole 22 and can move against the pressure of the flowing water without being subjected to considerable force because of its specific shape. With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited as indicated in the appended claims. CLAIMS

1. A valve comprising: a valve casing having a longitudinal throughhole extending from the top to the bottom thereof forming a top water inlet and a bottom water outlet, a transverse groove at the bottom portion of the valve casing intersecting the through-hole, an annuiar projection extend ing inward from an inner side of the wall of the valve casing above the transverse groove, and a valve seat formed on the annular projection; a spherical valve plug body disposed in the valve casing above the valve seat and having a stem extending to below the valve seat; a lever placed in the groove with a portion of the lever extending across the through-hole and another portion extending out of the valve casing, the lever being pivotally connected to the stem and pivotally mounted on the valve casing for turning upward and downward; and a float body connected to the lever outside the valve casing.

2. A valve as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the valve casing is constitutied of an upper cylindrical hollow body with a- neck portion at its top side and a hollow extending through the upper cylindrical hollow body, and a lower cylindrical hollow body joined to the upper cylindrical hollow body and having a hollow extending flaredly from the top to the bottom of the lower cylindrical hollow body, the cross-section of the hollow of the lower cylindrical hollow body being smaller than that of the upper cylindrical hollow body, the lower cylindrical hollow body defining at its top the valve seat of the valve casing, the lower hollow body further having a diametral groove, which defines the transverse groove of the valve casting, intersecting the hollow of the lower hollow body and opening at the bottom side of the lower hollow body.

3. A valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.