US-12624697-B2 - Float box with valve

Abstract

A float box for priming a fluid pump is provided. The float box comprises a floater inside a float chamber, and an air valve assembly that is operated by the floater. The air valve assembly comprises a valve holder that bounds a valve chamber and an insert opening towards the valve chamber, and a valve body that is inserted in the valve chamber. The valve body comprises a valve cover that closes the insert opening, and a seal holder inside the valve chamber. The seal holder has a seal chamber with an access opening where the seal chamber debouches spaced apart from the valve cover. The air valve assembly comprises a seal element with a seal channel inside the seal chamber, and a valve head that is connected with the floater to close off and release the seal channel.

Inventors

• Johannes Bruin

Assignees

• B.B.A. PARTICIPATIES B.V.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20231205

Priority Date

20221221

Claims (15)

1. 1 . A float box for priming a fluid pump, the float box comprising: a suction inlet and a suction outlet between which a suction channel extends, a float housing that bounds a float chamber that is in fluid communication with the suction channel, a floater inside the float chamber, and an air valve assembly that is operated by the floater, wherein the air valve assembly comprises a valve holder above the float chamber that bounds a valve chamber and an insert opening towards the valve chamber, and a valve body that is inserted in the valve chamber in an insert direction via the insert opening, wherein the valve body comprises a valve cover that closes the insert opening, and a seal holder inside the valve chamber, wherein the seal holder has a seal chamber with an access opening where the seal chamber debouches spaced apart from the valve cover in the insert direction, wherein the air valve assembly comprises a seal element with a seal channel inside the seal chamber, and a valve head that is connected with the floater to close off and release the seal channel.
2. 2 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cover is transverse to the insert direction larger than the seal holder.
3. 3 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cover comprises multiple mounting holes and the valve holder comprises multiple threaded holes that are aligned therewith, wherein the air valve assembly comprises multiple mounting bolts that have a bolt head above the valve cover and a screw thread in the threaded holes of the valve holder.
4. 4 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cover comprises multiple threaded holes, wherein the air valve assembly comprises multiple release bolts that have a bolt head above the valve cover and a screw thread in the threaded holes of the valve cover that abut the valve holder aside the insert opening.
5. 5 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve holder comprises a circumferential wall that bounds the valve chamber and the insert opening, wherein the valve holder has an air evacuation channel through the circumferential wall that debouches in the valve chamber.
6. 6 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body comprises a central stem between the valve cover and the seal holder, wherein the stem is transverse to the insert direction smaller than the seal holder and the valve cover.
7. 7 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve holder comprises a circumferential wall that bounds the valve chamber and the insert opening, wherein the valve holder has an air evacuation channel through the circumferential wall that debouches in the valve chamber, and wherein the valve body comprises a central stem between the valve cover and the seal holder, wherein the stem is transverse to the insert direction smaller than the seal holder and the valve cover, wherein the valve cover, the stem and the seal holder bound an air chamber around the stem that is in fluid communication with the seal chamber and the air evacuation channel.
8. 8 . The float box according to claim 6 , wherein the seal holder extends fully inside the valve chamber, spaced apart from the valve cover in the insert direction.
9. 9 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cover, the stem and the seal holder form one unity or mono piece.
10. 10 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve chamber has an inner wall with a circular cross section, wherein the air valve assembly comprises a seal around the valve body that seals off inside and against the inner wall.
11. 11 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve holder comprises a bottom receptacle under the valve chamber, and wherein the air valve assembly comprises a guide body that is separate from the valve body and that is received in the bottom receptacle, wherein the seal holder and the guide body together confine the seal element.
12. 12 . The float box according to claim 11 , wherein the guide body comprises a guide channel that is aligned with the seal channel, wherein the valve head extends through the guide channel.
13. 13 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the valve cover and the seal holder are made of a metal.
14. 14 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the seal element is made of a flexible material.
15. 15 . The float box according to claim 1 , wherein the seal element is a disk shaped seal element and the seal channel extends centrally through the disk shaped seal element.

Description

BACKGROUND The invention relates to a float box for priming a fluid pump, wherein the float box comprises a suction inlet and a suction outlet between which a suction channel extends, a float housing that bounds a float chamber that is in fluid communication with the suction channel, a floater inside the float chamber, and an air valve assembly that is operated by the floater. A known float box of this type has a valve housing on top of the float housing. The valve housing comprises a mounting flange that is bolted around a hole through the top wall of the float housing, and a vacuum hose connection that is connected to a vacuum pump via a vacuum hose. The housing consists of multiple parts that are bolted to each other to enclose an internal seal element with a seal channel. The air valve assembly comprises a valve head that is connected to the floater to open and close the seal channel to allow a connected vacuum pump to evacuate air from the float chamber. The internal seal element is subject to wear whereby it need to be replaced on a regular basis. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A disadvantage of the known float box is that the replacement of the internal seal element requires the disassembly of the valve housing from the float housing by unbolting the mounting flange from the top wall, and subsequently the disassembly of the parts of the removed valve housing to reach and remove the internal seal element. Usually the vacuum hose remains connected as it is much work to take it off from the valve housing. After replacement the housing needs to be reassembled and mounted back onto the float housing. This is a complex operation, in particular inside a pump skid housing in which the float box is integrated with a fluid pump and an engine to drive the fluid pump and the vacuum pump as the reachability and the sight on the valve housing are pour. It is an object of the present invention to provide a float box with an air valve assembly of the abovementioned type, of which a seal element can be replaced easily. According to a first aspect, the invention provides a float box for priming a fluid pump, wherein the float box comprises a suction inlet and a suction outlet between which a suction channel extends, a float housing that bounds a float chamber that is in fluid communication with the suction channel, a floater inside the float chamber, and an air valve assembly that is operated by the floater, wherein the air valve assembly comprises a valve holder above the float chamber that bounds a valve chamber and an insert opening towards the valve chamber, and a valve body that is inserted in the valve chamber in an insert direction via the insert opening, wherein the valve body comprises a valve cover that closes the insert opening, and a seal holder inside the valve chamber, wherein the seal holder has a seal chamber with an access opening where the seal chamber debouches spaced apart from the valve cover in the insert direction, wherein the air valve assembly comprises a seal element with a seal channel inside the seal chamber, and a valve head that is connected with the floater to close off and release the seal channel. The float box according to the invention comprises an air valve assembly having a valve body that carries the seal element in the open seal chamber of the seal holder. The valve body can be inserted easily in the valve holder via the access opening of the valve chamber, which can be performed with limited sight or even tactile. When the valve body is taken out of the valve chamber, the element is directly exposed at the access opening to be replaced. This makes the replacement of the seal element easy. In an embodiment the valve cover is transverse to the insert direction larger than the seal holder whereby it can close off the insert opening by abutment of the valve holder along the insert opening. In an embodiment the valve cover comprises multiple mounting holes and the valve holder comprises multiple threaded holes that are aligned therewith, wherein the air valve assembly comprises multiple mounting bolts that have a bolt head above the valve cover and a screw thread in the threaded holes of the valve holder. The bolt heads are located above the valve cover while the remainder of the valve body extends below the valve cover. This makes the bolt heads practically accessible from above. In an embodiment the valve cover comprises multiple threaded holes, wherein the air valve assembly comprises multiple release bolts that have a bolt head above the valve cover and a screw thread in the threaded holes of the valve cover that abut the valve holder aside the insert opening. The heads of the release bolts are located above the valve cover while the remainder of the valve body extends below the valve cover. This makes the bolt heads practically accessible from above. The release bolts can initiate the removal of the valve body from the valve holder. In an embodiment the valve holder comprises a circum