FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to valves and more particularly to flow control valves.

BACKGROUND

Flow control valves are used to control the flow of fluids, such as water. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0289207 to Barreda et al. discloses a valve assembly that is adapted to be disposed within a water supply line. The valve assembly is structured to reduce or significantly eliminate the passage of air and water vapour through a water meter measuring the water supply line. The valve body includes a sealing structure which is biased under a predetermined force into sealing relation with an inlet of valve assembly. The predetermined force is sufficient to prevent displacement of the sealing structure out of the sealing relation with the inlet until the force from a desired water pressure is exerted thereon. As a result, any air or water vapour within the water supply line will be compressed to reduce the flow measured through the water meter, thereby preventing unnecessary charges being made to a metered facility.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0182717 to Edgeworth discloses a system and an associated valve assembly that are adapted to increase the efficiency of an upstream water meter. By way of the valve assembly, entrained gas bubbles can be removed from a water supply. This, in turn, increases the density of the water running through the water meter. This ensures that the water meter is not inaccurately including entrained air or water vapour as metered water. The result is more accurate water readings and reduced utility bills.

While the contributions of existing flow control valves are laudable, improvements are generally desired. It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a new and useful flow control valve that can be used in a water supply line.

SUMMARY

It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description of Embodiments. This Summary is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to an aspect, there is provided a flow control valve comprising: a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a flow passage extending therebetween; a valve seat defined within the flow passage; a valve head positioned in the flow passage and movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the valve head engages the valve seat in the closed position to seal the flow passage; a spring retained within the housing, the spring biasing the valve head to the closed position and configured to maintain the valve head in the closed position until a predetermined pressure is applied to the valve head from fluid at the inlet; and a guide assembly extending along at least a section of the flow passage, the guide assembly configured to engage the valve head to constrain radial movement of the valve head.

In some embodiments of the flow control valve, one or more of the following may be provided: the guide assembly is configured to constrain radial movement of the valve head when moving between the closed position and the open position; the guide assembly extends along the entire section of the flow passage; the guide assembly comprises at least one guide rail secured within the housing and positioned to engage the valve head; at least one void is formed in the valve head, the at least one void shaped to slidingly receive the at least one guide rail; and the at least one guide rail comprises a plurality of guide rails that are circumferentially positioned around the valve head.

In some embodiments of the flow control valve, one or more of the following may be provided: the flow control valve further comprises a shaft secured to the valve head and a support slidingly mounting the shaft within the housing; the support abuts an end of the spring to retain the spring within the housing; the support comprises a reversible bar secured to the housing and having a first face that is shaped to pre-compress the spring by a first amount and a second face that is shaped to pre-compress the spring by a second amount, the second amount being greater than the first amount; the predetermined pressure is approximately 45 psi when the spring is pre-compressed by the first amount and wherein the predetermined pressure is approximately 60 psi when the spring is pre-compressed by the second amount; the valve head comprises a removable wear cap that engages the valve seat when the valve head is in the closed position; the removable wear cap is formed of Teflon™; the valve seat is defined by a narrowed portion of the housing and the valve head is completely withdrawn from the narrowed portion when the valve head is in the open position; and the valve seat and the valve head define a seal plane and wherein the valve head comprises a flat face that does not extend upstream of the seal plane when in the closed positon and that is positioned downstream of the seal plane when in the open position.

According to another aspect, there is provided a flow control valve comprising: a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a flow passage extending therebetween, the housing defining a valve seat within the flow passage; a valve plug retained within the housing and movable between a closed position and an open position, the valve plug having a valve head for sealingly engaging the valve seat when the valve plug is in the closed position, to substantially prevent fluid flow through the flow passage, and further having a valve body extending downstream from the valve head and configured to slidingly engage an inner surface of the housing as the valve plug moves between the closed position and the open position, to constrain radial movement of the valve plug; and a spring retained within the housing, the spring biasing the valve plug towards the closed position and configured to maintain the valve plug in the closed position until a predetermined pressure is applied to the valve head from fluid at the inlet.

In some embodiments of the flow control valve, one or more of the following may be provided: the valve body comprises a plurality of fins that extend radially outward beyond an outer diameter of the valve head and are configured to slidingly engage the inner surface of the housing as the valve plug moves between the closed position and the open position, to constrain radial movement of the valve plug; the fins are arranged to constrain radial movement in a plurality of radial directions; the plural of radial directions includes a horizontal radial direction and a vertical radial direction; and the fins are arranged in one of a cross-shape and a Y-shape.

In some embodiments of the flow control valve, one or more of the following may be provided: the valve head has a flat upstream face that is configured to be completely retraced from the valve seat; the housing comprises a sleeve and an insert secured to the sleeve, and the sleeve defines the inner surface of the housing and the insert defines the valve seat; the sleeve has a hollow shape with an open upstream end and a partially closed downstream end, and the insert is secured at least partially within the upstream end of the sleeve; the partially closed downstream end includes at least one opening therethrough that defines the outlet of the housing; valve plug and the spring are retained within the sleeve and between the insert and the partially closed downstream end of the sleeve; and a downstream portion of the valve body in nested within the spring.

