Check valve
First Claim
1. A check valve comprising a valve body, a sealing assembly provided within said valve body and at least one wall pivot joint between said sealing assembly and said valve body, said valve body having an inner wall surface, an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve seat adjacent said inlet port, said sealing assembly comprising an armature having a proximal end and a distal end, a sealing member and a seal pivot joint, said sealing member being pivotally attached to said distal end of said armature at said seal pivot joint, said proximal end of said armature being pivotally attached to said inner wall surface of said valve body at said wall pivot joint, said sealing member being biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against said valve seat, wherein said sealing member is Pivotable relative to said armature about said pivot joint but not translatable relative to said armature.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A check valve is provided having a valve body and a sealing assembly within the valve body. The sealing assembly is biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against a valve seat adjacent or surrounding an inlet port of the valve body. The sealing assembly includes an armature that has a proximal end and a distal end, and a sealing member that is pivotally attached to the distal end of the armature at a seal pivot joint. The proximal end of the armature is pivotally attached to the inner wall surface of the valve body at a wall pivot joint. Thus, the armature is a dual-hinged armature, providing at least two degrees of freedom, one translational and one rotational, for the sealing member to be properly seated against the valve seat. Effective sealing is thus achieved despite potentially imperfect alignment between the valve seat and the sealing assembly, and also despite a non-perfectly smooth valve seat.
38 Citations
40 Claims
- 1. A check valve comprising a valve body, a sealing assembly provided within said valve body and at least one wall pivot joint between said sealing assembly and said valve body, said valve body having an inner wall surface, an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve seat adjacent said inlet port, said sealing assembly comprising an armature having a proximal end and a distal end, a sealing member and a seal pivot joint, said sealing member being pivotally attached to said distal end of said armature at said seal pivot joint, said proximal end of said armature being pivotally attached to said inner wall surface of said valve body at said wall pivot joint, said sealing member being biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against said valve seat, wherein said sealing member is Pivotable relative to said armature about said pivot joint but not translatable relative to said armature.
- 25. A check valve comprising a valve body, a sealing assembly provided within said valve body and at least one wall pivot joint between said sealing assembly and said valve body, said valve body having an inner wall surface, an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve seat adjacent said inlet port, said sealing assembly comprising an armature having a proximal end and a distal end, a sealing member and a seal pivot joint, said sealing member being pivotally attached to said distal end of said armature at said seal pivot joint, said proximal end of said armature being pivotally attached to said inner wall surface of said valve body at said wall pivot joint, said sealing member being biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against said valve seat, said check valve having at least three ports.
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27. A check valve comprising a valve body, a sealing assembly provided within said valve body and at least one wall pivot joint between said sealing assembly and said valve body, said valve body having an inner wall surface, an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve seat adjacent said inlet port, said sealing assembly comprising an armature having a proximal end and a distal end, a sealing member and a seal pivot joint, said sealing member being pivotally attached to said distal end of said armature at said seal pivot joint, said proximal end of said armature being pivotally attached to said inner wall surface of said valve body at said wall pivot joint, said sealing member being biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against said valve seat, said armature having, at said proximal end, a first extending portion and a second extending portion, each of said first and second extending portions having a first pin-receiving bore therein, said valve body further comprising a plurality of pivot support arms cantilevered from said inner wall surface of said valve body, said pivot support arms each having a second pin-receiving bore therein corresponding to, and aligned with, said first pin-receiving bores in said first and second extending portions respectively, a first pin being retained in said aligned first and second pin-receiving bores associated with said first extending portion of said armature to provide said at least one wall pivot joint, and a second pin being retained in said aligned first and second pin-receiving bores associated with said second extending portion of said armature to provide an additional wall pivot joint, said check valve thereby comprising two wall pivot joints.
- 28. A check valve comprising a valve body, a sealing assembly provided within said valve body and at least one wall pivot joint, said valve body having an inner wall surface, an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve seat adjacent said inlet port, said sealing assembly comprising an armature having a proximal end and a distal end, a sealing member and a seal pivot joint, said sealing member being pivotally attached to said distal end of said armature at said seal pivot joint, said sealing member being rotatable about a first rotational axis drawn substantially through said seal pivot joint, said proximal end of said armature being pivotally attached to said inner wall surface of said valve body at said wall pivot joint such that said sealing member is translatable along an arcuate path that is substantially aligned with said valve seat, said sealing member being biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against said valve seat, wherein said sealing member is pivotable relative to said armature about said pivot joint but not translatable relative to said armature.
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33. A valve comprising:
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a housing defining an interior volume and having at least two flow ports therethrough; and
a cover having a sealing assembly pivotally attached thereto, said cover being removably attachable to said housing in a plurality of orientations to selectively orient said sealing assembly adjacent any one of said ports such that fluid is permitted to flow into said interior volume of said housing through said adjacent port and said sealing assembly prevents said fluid from flowing out of said interior volume through said adjacent port, wherein said sealing assembly comprises;
an armature pivotally attached to said cover;
a biasing member between said cover and said armature;
a seal pivot joint; and
a sealing member pivotally attached to said at said seal pivot joint, wherein said sealing member comprises at least one lip that extends around a perimeter of said sealing member and is supported thereby to contact said housing, and wherein said sealing member is pivotable relative to said armature about said pivot joint but not translatable relative to said armature. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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- 37. A check valve comprising a valve body, a sealing assembly provided within said valve body and at least one wall pivot joint between said sealing assembly and said valve body, said valve body having an inner wall surface, an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve seat adjacent said inlet port, said sealing assembly comprising an armature having a proximal end and a distal end, a sealing member and a seal pivot joint, said sealing member being pivotally attached to said distal end of said armature at said seal pivot joint, said proximal end of said armature being pivotally attached to said inner wall surface of said valve body at said wall pivot joint, said sealing member being biased, via a biasing force, in a seated position against said valve seat, wherein said sealing member is pivotable relative to said armature about only a single rotational axis.
Specification