Check valve with elastomeric valve element

• US 3,889,710 A
• Filed: 01/11/1974
• Issued: 06/17/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Julien H. Brost
• Original Assignee: Julien H. Brost
• Inventors: Brost, Julien H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwadron, Martin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US05/432,610
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 137/102,525,525.1,525.3,525.5,512.15,533,516.15
• US Class Current: 137/512.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2453 not being fixed to the valve body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/24 Check- or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/1402 having an integral flexible member cooperating with a plurality of seating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/141 the closure elements not being fixed to the valve body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/784 Integral resilient member forms plural valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7879 Resilient material valve

Abstract

The invention relates to a check valve comprising two rigid body members which cooperate to provide a valve chamber with generally opposed inlet and outlet passageways. One of the body members defines a concave seating surface surrounding the inlet passageway and the other member defines the outlet passageway and an abutment structure confronting but spaced from the center of the concave seating surface. A normally flat elastomeric valve disk, smaller than the seating surface, is located between that surface and the abutment structure, which flexes or dishes the disk to maintain its periphery in sealing contact with the seating surface. Fluid pressure against the face of the disk engaged by the abutment structure increases its sealing engagement with the seating surface, but pressure on the opposite disc face overcomes the resiliency of the disk and allows fluid to flow around its periphery to the outlet passageway.

Claims

1. A check valve comprising:

a housing defining a chamber having first and second opposing ends, an inlet passage having an opening entering the chamber through one of said opposing ends and an outlet passage having an opening entering the chamber through the other of said opposing ends, an annular portion of said one end of the chamber immediately surrounding the inlet passage opening forming an annular concave valve seat, an abutment means in the chamber, fluid openings being provided through the abutment means to permit fluid to flow from the inlet passage therethrough to the outlet passage, one end of the abutment means projecting towards the inlet opening, a resilient disc which is essentially flat in its relaxed condition extending transversely across the chamber between the said one end of the abutment means and the annular valve seat, said disc being of a sufficiently large cross-section, taken in the direction transverse to the flow direction, that in its normal closed condition in the chamber, the said one end of the abutment means engages the central portion of the disc on the side thereof facing the outlet opening and flexes the disc convexly toward the inlet opening as the outer periphery of the disc sealingly engages the annular valve seat, said fluid openings in the abutment means positioned to remain open for fluid flow from the inlet opening around the outer periphery of the disc and through the fluid openings to the outlet opening when the resilient disc has flexed toward the outlet opening as far as its outer dimensions and resilience allow when subjected to the largest possible pressure differential from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, said resilient disc having sufficient resiliency and arranged to increase the area of its sealing contact with the annular concave valve seat from said initial sealingly engaging outer periphery, radially inwardly, as the fluid forces from the outlet toward the inlet increase beyond the flexing force exerted by the abutment means on the disc, and the outer periphery of the disc, when in the said normal closed position, being spaced radially inwardly from the outer periphery of the concave valve seat, permitting at least slight transverse movement of the disc within the chamber when sealingly engaging the annular valve seat.

2. A check valve according to claim 1, said abutment means including a central portion which includes said one end engaging the disc, and portions extending transversely from the central portion including said fluid openings.

3. A check valve according to claim 2, in which the abutmenT means are integral with the said other end of the chamber and comprise a plurality of abutment protrusions spaced from each other and surrounding the said outlet opening within said chamber.

4. A check valve according to claim 2, said abutment means comprising sector shaped elements separated by a plurality of radial grooves extending radially outwardly from said outlet opening a greater radial distance than the radius of the disc.

5. A check valve according to claim 4, in which said sector shaped elements define a portion of a spherical surface concentric with the axis of the outlet passage.

6. A check valve according to claim 1, including an inlet body member including said inlet opening and said annular valve seat, and an outlet body member forming the other end of the chamber and said outlet opening.

7. A check valve according to claim 6, said inlet and outlet body members being generally cylindrical and constructed to mate together coaxially, said inlet and outlet passages being located along the common central axis of said mated body members.

8. A check valve according to claim 7, in which one of said body members comprises an internal cylindrical annular rib and the other body member includes an annular lip adapted to mate with the external surface of the said annular rib to enclose said chamber.

9. A check valve according to claim 1, said annular valve seat defining a portion of a sphere.

10. A check valve according to claim 9, said abutment means defining a portion of a sphere concentric with the spherical portion of the valve seat.

11. A check valve having means including opposed spaced apart first and second walls defining a chamber, an inlet passage opening into the first wall and an outlet passage opening into the second wall, the direction from the first wall to the second wall being defined as the longitudinal direction of the valve, said first wall including an essentially annular portion which is continuously concave, the said inlet passage opening into the center of this annular concave portion, said second wall including raised abutments located about the opening to the outlet passage to form airflow passageways between the abutments in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction from the transverse outer limits of the abutments inwardly to the outlet passage, and a resilient disc which is essentially flat in its relaxed condition located in the chamber and extending transversely across the space between the first and second walls, the transverse outer periphery of the disc engaging the annular concave portion, the disc being of smaller cross-section in the transverse direction than the outer limits of the annular concave portion but larger than the inner limits of the annular concave portion, the disc thus being movable transversely within the space such that its sealing peripheral edge can sealingly engage different parts of the annular concave portion, the said abutments engaging the central part of the side of the disc facing the second wall and resiliently flexing the central part of the disc towards the first wall beyond any plane at which the peripheral edge of the disc can sealingly engage the annular concave portion, such that, in the rest condition of the valve, the disc is convex towards the first wall to form said sealing engagement of the disc edge with the annular portion, the disc being sufficiently resilient such that when fluid forces from the outlet toward the inlet exceed the flexing force of the abutment on the disc, the surface of the disc facing the first wall moves against the annular portion to enlarge the sealing area between the disc and the first wall, and said abutments extending transversely a greater distance than the outer periphery of the disc such that when the disc is urged by fluid forces from the inlet to the outlet as far as possible against the second wall, a fluid flow path is provided from the inlet opening around the outer periphery of the Disc and between the abutments to the outlet openings.

12. A check valve according to claim 11, said valve being formed of a one-piece inlet body member including said inlet passage and said first wall and a one-piece outlet body member including said second wall and said outlet passage.

13. A check valve according to claim 12, in which said inlet and outlet body members include respective generally cylindrical heads adapted to mate together in coaxial confronting alignment with each other, said inlet and outlet passages being located along the common central axis of said mated body members.

14. A check valve according to claim 12, in which said valve disc is substantially circular and is cut from a flat sheet of resilient material.

15. A check valve according to claim 12, in which one of said body members comprises an internal cylindrical annular rib and the other body member includes an annular lip adapted to mate with the external surface of said annular rib to enclose the said chamber.

16. A check valve according to claim 12, in which said abutments are integral with said outlet body member and comprise a plurality of abutment protrusions spaced from each other and surrounding said outlet passage within said valve chamber.

17. A check valve according to claim 12, in which said annular concave portion of the first wall defines a portion of a sphere.

18. A check valve according to claim 13, in which said inlet and outlet body members include respective inlet and outlet tubes extending beyond said heads along said common axis.

19. A check valve according to claim 16, in which said abutments comprise sector shaped elements separated by a plurality of radial grooves extending radially outwardly from said outlet passage and terminating beyond the outer radial periphery of the disc.

20. A check valve according to claim 19, in which said sector shaped elements define a portion of a spherical surface concentric with the axis of said outlet body member.

21. A check valve according to claim 19, in which said sector shaped elements define a conical surface coaxial with the axis of said outlet body member.