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Three stage valve with flexible valve seat

  • US 4,714,458 A
  • Filed: 12/23/1985
  • Issued: 12/22/1987
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A valve for regulating the flow of fluid from one location in the body to another location, comprising:

  • a bio-compatible housing;

    a flexible one-piece bio-compatible diaphragm dividing the interior of said housing into first and second interior chambers, said diaphragm including an integral valve seat portion defining a fluid passageway opening from said first interior chamber to said second interior chamber, and defining a first valving surface concentrically oriented with respect to the axis of said fluid passageway, said valve seat portion having a static position within said housing in the absence of a pressure differential between said chambers;

    inlet port means for establishing fluid communication between said first interior chamber and the one location;

    outlet port means for establishing fluid communication between said second interior chamber and the other location;

    means comprising an elongated bio-compatible valve stem member attached at one end to said housing primarily within said second chamber and extending therefrom along the axis of said fluid passageway toward said first chamber, said valve stem member defining a plurality of additional valving surfaces for coacting with said first valving surface to form a flow restriction within said passageway between said first and second chambers;

    said additional valving surfaces including, progressing from said first chamber toward said second chamber, a first surface of generally relatively lesser radial extent from said axis for providing a relatively lesser flow restriction in said passageway, a second surface of generally relatively greater radial extent for providing a relatively greater flow restriction in said passageway and a third surface of generally lesser radial extent similar to said first surface to provide a relatively lesser flow restriction in said passageway;

    valve closure means coacting with said valve seat portion in said static position to close said passageway to provide a first valving mode wherein flow between said first and second interior chambers is prevented; and

    said valve seat portion being displaceable from said static position in a direction along said axis of said fluid passageway away from said valve closure member in response to an increase in pressure differential between said first interior chamber and said second interior chamber to cause said first valving surface to successively coact with said first, second and third surfaces of said valve stem member thereby providing second, third and fourth valving modes, in said second valving mode fluid flow occurring between said interior chambers so as to maintain a first substantially constant predetermined pressure in said first chamber, in said third valving mode fluid flow remaining substantially constant between said chambers notwithstanding changes in differential pressure, and in said fourth valving mode fluid flow occurring between said chambers to maintain a second substantially constant predetermined pressure in said first interior chamber.

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