Valve assembly

• US 8,196,608 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AptarGroup Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AptarGroup Incorporated
• Inventors: Hatton, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Macade
• Application Number:
  US13/301,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20120074345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 204 Days
• Field of Search: 137/512.15, 137/859, 222/494
• US Class Current: 137/859
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/145 the closure elements being shaped as a solids of revolution, e.g. cylindrical or conical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/784 Integral resilient member forms plural valves

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a pressure-responsive valve assembly which functions in the nature of a check valve to control fluid flow across the assembly. The assembly includes a valve body which defines first and second internal flow passages, and includes a valve seat through which at least one flow port extends for joining the first and second passages in fluid communication with each other. A flexible, resiliently deformable valve member is positioned in operative association with the valve seat, and can be deflected, in response to a sufficient pressure differential, to move out of sealing engagement with the valve seat, to thereby permit fluid flow through the valve assembly.

Claims

1. A valve assembly (20, 120) for controlling flow of a substance within the assembly, said valve assembly (20, 120) comprising:

a valve body defining first and second internal flow passages (32, 132, 34, 134), said valve body including an internal valve seat (36, 136) positioned between said first and second internal flow passages (32, 132, 34, 134), said valve seat (36, 136) defining at least one flow port (31, 138) extending between said first and second flow passages (32, 132, 34, 134) for joining said first and second flow passages (32, 132, 34, 134) in fluid communication with each other; and

a flow-controlling valve member (28, 128) positioned within said valve body generally adjacent to said valve seat (36, 136) for controlling flow between said first and second flow passages (32, 132, 31, 134) through said flow port (38, 138),

said valve member (28, 128) including a peripheral attachment portion (42, 142) by which said valve member (28, 128) can be attached to a dispensing valve body, a flexible, resilient, intermediate portion (44, 144) extending from said peripheral attachment portion (42, 142), and a central valve head (46, 146) which (i) has a sleeve portion (52, 152) defining a central flow orifice (50, 150), and (ii) extends from said intermediate portion (44, 144) for sealing engagement with said valve seat (36, 136) of said dispensing valve body, at least part of said valve head (46, 146) being outwardly deflectable to an open configuration of said valve member (28, 128) when a sufficient pressure differential exists across said valve assembly (20, 120) to permit flow from said first internal flow passage (32, 132) through said flow port (38, 138) and said central flow orifice (50, 150) to said second internal flow passage (34, 134) whereby the flow is in a direction from upstream of said valve member (28, 128) to downstream of said valve member (28, 128),

said valve seat (36, 136) defining a compound sealing surface (62, 162, 64, 164) for cooperative sealing engagement with the valve head (46, 146) of said valve member (28, 128), said compound sealing surface (62, 162, 64, 164) including a first sealing surface (62, 162) through which said at least one flow port (38, 138) extends, and a second sealing surface (64, 164), positioned inwardly of said first sealing surface (62, 162), said valve head (46, 146) being sealingly engageable with said first and second sealing surfaces (62, 162, 64, 164) in a closed configuration of said valve member (28, 128) for preventing flow from said second internal flow passage (34, 134) through said flow port (38, 138) to said first internal flow passage (32, 132),

said valve body including (i) a valve housing (24, 124) which includes said valve seat (36, 136), and (ii) a valve retention member (26, 126) having an annular valve retention portion, said valve member (28, 128) being positioned generally within said second internal flow passage (34, 134) in captive relationship between said valve housing (24, 124) and said annular retention portion of said valve retention member (26, 126),

said second sealing surface (64, 164) including at least a portion having a frustoconical configuration tapering to a smaller diameter with increasing downstream distance from said first internal flow passage (32, 132),

said retention member (26, 126) being disposed within one of said first internal flow passage (132) and said second internal flow passage (34) of said valve body, and (ii) retained within said valve body,

said valve member (28, 128) being positioned within said valve body housing to locate said valve member valve head (46, 146) with said sleeve portion (52, 152) projecting in the downstream direction from said valve seat (36, 136) and to locate said valve member central flow orifice (50, 150) downstream of said valve seat (36, 136).

2. A valve assembly (20, 120) in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first sealing surface (62, 162) has a generally arcuate cross-sectional configuration.

3. A valve assembly (20, 120) in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second sealing surface (64, 164) has a frustoconical configuration.

4. A valve assembly (20, 120) in accordance with claim 1, wherein said valve body includes an internal thread formation at said first internal flow passage 132).

5. A valve assembly (20, 120) in accordance with claim 1, wherein said peripheral attachment portion (42, 142) of said valve member (28, 128) has a dove-tail cross-sectional configuration.

6. A valve assembly (20, 120) in accordance with claim 1 wherein said valve body includes an external thread formation at said first internal flow passage (32).