Spring-loaded check valve

• US 4,552,174 A
• Filed: 09/28/1984
• Issued: 11/12/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nevadunsky, Charles J., Carl, Louis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohan, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivell, John A.
• Application Number:
  US06/656,120
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 137/527, 137/527.2, 251/75, 251/336, 251/337, 251/303
• US Class Current: 137/527.2
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/033 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0232 the valve member retained by a removable closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/79 Head retained by removable closure

Abstract

A check valve particularly for use in large-volume applications includes a self-contained pressing unit which is mounted on a common pivot with the valve member in the outlet compartment of the valve housing and presses the valve member towards its closing position in which it sealingly contacts the valve seat. The pressing unit includes an elongated support member and an L-shaped pressing member which are mounted on a bearing sleeve for angular displacement relative to one another about the axis of the bearing sleeve. A buckling-type spring is mounted between a free end portion of the support element and the region of merger of the two legs of the L-shaped pressing member, the spring urging the pressing component away from the support component, and against the valve member upon installation on the pivot. The spring characteristic is such that the spring force initially rapidly increases, than drops precipitously and then remains substantially constant over a substantial range of deformation of the spring. The pressing unit is self-contained even when located outside the valve housing and can be introduced into the outlet compartment through an access opening.

Claims

1. A check valve comprising

a housing bounding an internal space and including a partitioning portion that subdivides said internal space into an inlet compartment and an outlet compartment and has a communicating passage therein and a valve seat thereon which extends around said passage and along a valve seat plane;

a supporting pivot mounted in said outlet compartment and having a pivot axis extending parallel to said plane and offset along said plane from said passage;

a valve member mounted on said pivot for pivoting about said pivot axis between a closing position in which it sealingly contacts said valve seat, and an open position in which it is remote from the latter;

a support component having a mounting portion mounted on said pivot, a support portion situated remotely from said pivot behind said valve member as considered in the direction toward said open position, and a contact portion;

a pressing component having a first portion mounted on said pivot for pivoting about said pivot axis, a second portion situated remotely from said pivot between said valve member and said support portion of said support component, and a third portion arranged to contact a predetermined area of said valve member; and

a buckling-type helical spring including one end portion secured to said support portion of said support component and another end portion secured to said second portion of said pressing component for said spring to urge said contact portion of said support component against said housing and said third portion of said pressing component toward contact with said predetermined area of said valve member.

2. The check valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a main portion having an access opening that opens into said outlet compartment, and an auxiliary portion detachably connected to said main portion in a position in which it extends across said access opening and sealingly separates the latter from the exterior of said housing.

3. The check valve as defined in claim 2, wherein said access opening is dimensioned to permit passage of at least said valve member, said support and pressing components, and said spring therethrough between the exterior of said main portion of said housing and said outlet compartment.

4. The check valve as defined in claim 3, wherein said support and pressing components and said spring are joined together to form a self-contained unit even when situated outside said housing;

wherein said access opening is dimensioned to permit the passage of said self-contained unit therethrough; and

wherein said pivot mounts said valve member and said self-contained unit in said outlet compartment after introduction thereof into the latter through said access opening.

5. The check valve as defined in claim 2, wherein said auxialiary portion bounds a cavity which opens into said access opening in said position and wherein said support portion of said support component extends into said cavity.

6. The check valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said support component extends along a substantially straight course from said mounting portion to said support portion thereof;

and wherein said contact portion extends transversely of said course intermediate said mounting and support portions.

7. The check valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said pressing component extends along a substantially L-shaped course between said first and said third portions thereof, said second portion being situated at the region of merger of the two legs of the L-shaped course.

8. The check valve as defined in claim 1, wherein the spring is of the type in which the resistance force thereof to deformation initially rapidly increases, then rapidly drops to a predetermined level, and then remains substantially at the predetermined level, with increasing deformation.

9. An arrangement for urging a check valve member mounted in an outlet compartment of a valve housing for pivoting about an axis of a pivot between a closing position in which it sealingly contacts, and an open position in which it is remote from, a valve seal provided in the valve housing, toward said closing position, said arrangement comprising

a support component having a mounting portion, a support portion situated remotely from said mounting portion and in use behind said valve member as considered in the direction toward said open position, and a contact portion;

a pressing component having a first portion, a second portion situated remotely from said first portion and in use between said valve member and said support portion of said support component, and a third portion arranged in use to contact a predetermined area of said valve member;

a buckling-type helical spring including one end portion secured to said support portion of said support component and another end portion secured to said second portion of said pressing component; and

means for mounting said support and second portions on one another for relative angular displacement about an axis for said components to form a self-contained unit with said spring, said mounting and first portions also being mounted in use on said pivot with said axes in substantial coincidence for said spring to urge said contact portion of said support component against said housing and said third portion of said pressing component toward contact with said predetermined area of said valve member.

10. The arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said support component extends along a substantially straight course from said mounting portion to said support portion thereof;

and wherein said contact portion extends transversely of said course intermediate said mounting and support portions.

11. The arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said pressing component extends along a substantially L-shaped course between said first and said third portions thereof, said second portion being situated at the region of merger of the two legs of the L-shaped course.

12. The arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein the spring is of the type in which the resistance force thereof to deformation initially rapidly increases, then rapidly drops to a predetermined level, and then remains substantially at the predetermined level, with increasing deformation.

13. The arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein said mounting means includes a mounting sleeve passing through said member and first positions and having an internal bore for receiving a portion of said pivot to mount said unit on the latter.