Claims
- 1. A valve comprising:
a valve body; a bonnet threadedly securable to said valve body; a bore through said valve body, said bore having a first open end located at an interior wall of said valve body and a second open end located at an exterior wall of said valve body, said first open end located at a position of the interior wall of the valve body such that said bonnet exposes said bore to an interior cavity defined by the interior wall of the valve body prior to removal of the bonnet from a threaded engagement with the valve body.
- 2. The valve of claim 1, wherein upon exposure of the bore to the interior cavity, an internal pressure of the valve is equalized with atmospheric pressure.
- 3. The valve of claim 1, further comprising a gasket disposed along the interior wall of the valve body, said gasket facilitating a sealed engagement of said bonnet with said valve body when the bonnet is threadedly engaged with the valve body.
- 4. The valve of claim 1, wherein said valve body includes a female-threaded opening to receive the bonnet, and said bonnet includes a male-threaded exterior.
- 5. The valve of claim 1, wherein the valve is a downward flow valve having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway being located higher than the outlet passageway.
- 6. The valve of claim 1, wherein the valve is an upward flow valve having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway being located lower than the outlet passageway.
- 7. The valve of claim 1, wherein the valve has an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway being located at the same height.
- 8. An improvement to a valve having a valve body, a bonnet threadedly securable to the valve body, said valve body having an interior wall, an exterior wall, and an interior cavity defined by the interior wall, the improvement comprising:
a bore extending from a first open end at the interior wall of the valve body to a second end at the exterior wall of the valve body, said first open end located at a position of the interior of the valve body such that said bonnet exposes said bore to an interior cavity defined by the interior wall of the valve body prior to removal of the bonnet from a threaded engagement with the valve body.
- 9. The valve of claim 8, the improvement further comprising that, upon exposure of the bore to the interior cavity, an internal pressure of the valve is equalized with atmospheric pressure.
- 10. The valve of claim 8, wherein the improvement further comprises a gasket disposed along the interior wall of the valve body, said gasket facilitating a sealed engagement of said bonnet with said valve body when the bonnet is threadedly engaged with the valve body.
- 11. The valve of claim 10, wherein the improvement further provides a means for detection of a leak in an engagement of said bonnet and said valve body, including said bore providing a path for leaked fluid within the valve body to travel from the first end of the bore to the second end of the bore at the exterior wall of the valve body, whereby said leaked fluid is detectable from outside the valve body.
- 12. The valve of claim 8, wherein the valve is a downward flow valve having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway being located higher than the outlet passageway.
- 13. The valve of claim 8, wherein the valve is an upward flow valve having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway being located lower than the outlet passageway.
- 14. The valve of claim 8, wherein the valve has an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway being located at the same height.
- 15. A valve assembly comprising:
a valve body having an interior wall and an exterior wall; a bonnet threadedly engageable with said valve body; an interior cavity defined by the interior wall, said interior cavity having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway; a gasket providing a seal at an intersection of said bonnet and the interior wall of the valve body when the bonnet is completely threadedly received in the valve body; a bore extending through the valve body from the interior cavity to the exterior wall, the bore being sealingly covered by the bonnet when the bonnet is completely threadedly received in the valve body and the bore permitting at least one of the group of equalization of pressure and the passing of fluid therethrough prior to the bonnet being completely removed from threaded engagement with the valve body.
- 16. The valve of claim 15, wherein the valve is a downward flow valve having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway being located higher than the outlet passageway.
- 17. The valve of claim 15, wherein the valve is an upward flow valve having an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway being located lower than the outlet passageway.
- 18. The valve of claim 15, wherein the valve has an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway, the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway being located at the same height.
- 19. The valve assembly of claim 15, further comprising a cover associated with an end of the bore at the exterior wall of the valve body, the cover being actuated upon release of internal pressure through the bore from a closed position substantially covering the end of the bore to an open position.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/336,087, filed Nov. 15, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60336087 |
Nov 2001 |
US |