Low profile overbalanced backwater valve

• US 9,903,106 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gabe Coscarella
• Original Assignee: Gabe Coscarella
• Inventors: Coscarella, Gabe
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE, CRAIG JAMES
• Application Number:
  US14/520,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20150107698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 137448, 137409, 137423, 137527, 1375272, 1375276, 1375278, 137520, 137521, 251 65, 251 87, 251177, 251298, 251127, 405 39, 405 96, 405 97
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 7/04 Valves for preventing return flow in gullies, drains or the like E03F5/042
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7407 With counter-balance

Abstract

A backwater valve has a hollow valve body with an inlet defined by a vertical surface, an outlet, and a bottom. A pivoting valve member is pivotlly movable about a pivot axis between a normally open position along the bottom of the valve body and a closed, vertical position sealing the inlet. The valve member has a hinge and, the pivot axis being positioned at the hinge end. An overbalancing member carried by the valve member biases the float toward the closed position. The overbalancing member comprises at least one of a counterweight and a magnetic element. The overbalancing member is positioned at the hinge end and spaced from the pivot axis such that the overbalancing member is vertically above the piot axis when the valve member is in the open position and horizontally over from the pivot axis when the valve member is in the closed position.

Claims

1. A backwater valve, comprising:

a hollow valve body having an inlet defined by a vertical surface, an outlet, and a bottom;

a pivoting valve member pivotally movable about a pivot axis that is positioned below the inlet between a normally open position along the bottom of the valve body and a closed, vertical position sealing the inlet, the pivoting valve member having a peripheral edge comprising a hinge end, a remote end, and opposed sides, the pivot axis being positioned at the hinge end, the pivoting valve member carrying a float; and

an overbalancing member carried by the pivoting valve member that biases the pivoting valve member toward the closed position, the overbalancing member comprising at least one of a counterweight and a magnetic element, the overbalancing member being positioned at the hinge end and spaced from the pivot axis such that the overbalancing member is vertically aligned with and above the pivot axis when the pivoting valve member is in the open position and horizontally aligned with and over from the pivot axis when the pivoting valve member is in the closed position, wherein, in each of the open and closed positions the pivoting valve member extends from the pivot axis along a first axis and the overbalancing member extends from the pivot axis along a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis and intersecting the first axis at the pivot axis.

2. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the overbalancing member is a magnetic element and the valve body comprises a second magnetic element, at least one of the magnetic element and the second magnetic element being magnetized.

3. The backwater valve of claim 1, wherein the overbalancing member is a counterweight.

4. A backwater valve, comprising:

a hollow valve body having an inlet defined by a vertical surface, an outlet, and a bottom;

a pivoting valve member pivotally movable about a pivot axis that is positioned below the inlet between a normally open position along the bottom of the valve body and a closed, vertical position sealing the inlet, the pivoting valve member having a peripheral edge comprising a hinge end, a remote end, and opposed sides, the pivot axis being positioned at the hinge end, the pivoting valve member carrying a float; and

an overbalancing member carried by the pivoting valve member that biases the pivoting valve member toward the closed position, the overbalancing member comprising at least one of a counterweight and a magnetic element, the overbalancing member being positioned at the hinge end and spaced from the pivot axis such that, when the pivoting valve member moves between the open position and the closed position the overbalancing member travels within a region that is vertically above the pivot axis, and wherein the overbalancing member is vertically aligned with and directly above the pivot axis when the pivoting valve member is in the open position and horizontally aligned with and spaced horizontally over from the pivot axis when the pivoting valve member is in the closed position.