Valve having a bias-mounted elastomeric sealing element, and method of constructing the same

Claim 2

A valve comprising: (a) a body having a forwardly facing seating surface and a frustoconical annular groove formed in said body; (b) an elastomeric annular sealing washer, said washer having a radially inner portion retained in said groove, and having an outer circumferential edge disposed forwardly of said seating surface; (c) a valve closure having a surface extending across said seat and radially outwardly thereof, said valve closure being mounted for movement between an open position displaced from said washer and a closed position in which the closure has a line contact with said washer edge and extends radially outwardly of said edge; (d) said washer being flat in unstressed condition and the radially inner portion of said washer being held in a stretched frustoconical configuration by said groove.

Claim 3

A valve comprising: (a) a body having a forwardly facing seating surface and a frustoconical annular groove formed in said body; (b) an elastomeric annular sealing washer, said washer having a radially inner portion retained in said groove, and having an outer circumferential edge disposed forwardly of said seating surface; (c) a valve closure having a surface extending across said seat and radially outwardly thereof, said valve closure being mounted for movement between an open position displaced from said washer and a closed position in which the closure has a line contact with said washer edge and extends radially outwardly of said edge; (d) said washer having an elongated rectangular cross-section and said outer circumferential edge comprising an outer peripheral corner edge of said washer, said washer having its outermost peripheral portion projecting forwardly and outwardly of said body seating surface and being free of contact therewith.

Claim 4

A valve comprising: (a) a body having a forwardly facing seating surface and a frustoconical annular groove formed in said body; (b) an elastomeric annular sealing washer, said washer having a radially inner portion retained in said groove, and having an outer circumferential edge disposed forwardly of said seating surface; (c) a valve closure having a surface extending across said seat and radially outwardly thereof, said valve closure being mounted for movement between an open position displaced from said washer and a closed position in which the closure has a line contact with said washer edge and extends radially outwardly of said edge; (d) said washer having an elongated rectangular cross-section and said outer circumferential edge comprising an outer peripheral corner edge of said washer, said washer having its outermost peripheral portion projecting forwardly and outwardly of said body seating surface and being free of contact therewith.

Claim 5

The valve of claim 2 wherein said washer comprises a stamped portion of a flat sheet of elastomeric material.

Claim 6

A check valve comprising: (a) a housing having a flow passage extending therethrough; (b) a valve seat carried by said housing and including: (1) a body having a seating surface positioned in said flow passage, and an opening extending through said seating surface and defining a portion of said flow passage, (2) an elastomeric sealing washer having an outer circumferential edge, and (3) means for mounting said washer on said body so that said outer circumferential edge of said washer circumscribes said seating surface and defines a forward sealing edge of said valve seat, said washer having a forwardly and radially outwardly projecting portion free of contact with said body and capable of being deflected rearwardly; (c) closure means mounted in said flow passage for rearward movement into sealing engagement with said forward edge of said valve seat in response to an initial reverse fluid flow through said flow passage to thereby preclude reverse fluid flow through said opening in said body of said valve seat, said closure means being mounted for further rearward movement into sealing contact with the seating surface by rearwardly deflecting said outwardly projecting portion; (d) said mounting means comprising a frustoconical annular groove formed in said body and receiving a radially inner portion of said washer; (e) said body having an outer lateral surface extending rearwardly from said seating surface, and said groove having an entrance opening laterally circumscribing said body, at least a portion of said entrance opening being positioned rearwardly of said seating surface, whereby upon a further reverse fluid flow in said flow passage, said closure means is forced rearwardly into engagement with said seating surface, said closure means thereby rearwardly deflecting a radially outer portion of said washer without compressing the same between said closure means and said seating surface; (f) said groove extending through the juncture of said seating surface and said outer lateral surface of said body.

Claim 7

A check valve comprising: (a) a housing having a flow passage extending therethrough; (b) a valve seat carried by said housing and including: (1) a body having a seating surface positioned in said flow passage, and an opening extending through said seating surface and defining a portion of said flow passage, (2) an elastomeric sealing washer having an outer circumferential edge, and (3) means for mounting said washer on said body so that said outer circumferential edge of said washer circumscribes said seating surface and defines a forward sealing edge of said valve seat, said washer having a forwardly and radially outwardly projecting portion free of contact with said body and capable of being deflected rearwardly; (c) closure means mounted in said flow passage for rearward movement into sealing engagement with said forward edge of said valve seat in response to an initial reverse fluid flow through said flow passage to thereby preclude reverse fluid flow through said opening in said body of said valve seat, said closure means being mounted for further rearward movement into sealing contact with the seating surface by rearwardly deflecting said outwardly projecting portion; (d) said mounting means comprising a frustoconical annular groove formed in said body and receiving a radially inner portion of said washer; (e) said body having an outer lateral surface extending rearwardly from said seating surface, and said groove having an entrance opening laterally circumscribing said body, at least a portion of said entrance opening being positioned rearwardly of said seating surface, whereby upon a further reverse fluid flow in said flow passage, said closure means is forced rearwardly into engagement with said seating surface, said closure means thereby rearwardly deflecting a radially outer portion of said washer without compressing the same between said closure means and said seating surface; (f) said groove extending through the juncture of said seating surface and said outer lateral surface of said body.

Claim 8

An inline check valve comprising: (a) a generally cylindrical body having a pair of opposite ends, an axially extending flow passage opening outwardly through said opposite ends and having a transversely enlarged intermediate portion, and an inner cylindrical portion, said inner cylindrical portion being coaxial with said flow passage and having an end portion circumscribed by said intermediate flow passage portion and having a forward end surface, an axially extending opening defining a portion of said flow passage, and a frustoconical annular groove having a width, a depth, and a minimum diameter, said groove extending inwardly through the juncture of said forward end surface of said end portion; (b) an elastomeric annular washer having a radially inner portion retained in said groove, and an outer circumferential edge projecting in unsupported relation radially outwardly and forwardly of and circumscribing said forward end surface of said inner cylindrical portion of said body; (c) a closure disc mounted in said intermediate flow passage portion for rearward axial movement into a first closure position in sealing engagement with said outer circumferential edge of said washer in response to an initial reverse fluid flow through said flow passage, and into a second closure position, rearwardly of said first closure position, in sealing engagement with said forward end surface of said body, said outer circumferential edge being deflected rearwardly by said disc in said second closure position; (d) said washer being a stamped washer having a pair of outer peripheral corner edges, a thickness not greater than said width of said groove, a cross-sectional width greater than said depth of said groove, and an inner diameter less than said minimum diameter of said groove, and said outer circumferential edge of said washer comprising one of said pair of outer peripheral corner edges thereof.

Claim 9

An inline check valve comprising: (a) a generally cylindrical body having a pair of opposite ends, an axially extending flow passage opening outwardly through said opposite ends and having a transversely enlarged intermediate portion, and an inner cylindrical portion, said inner cylindrical portion being coaxial with said flow passage and having an end portion circumscribed by said intermediate flow passage portion and having a forward end surface, an axially extending opening defining a portion of said flow passage, and a frustoconical annular groove having a width, a depth, and a minimum diameter, said groove extending inwardly through the juncture of said forward end surface of said end portion; (b) an elastomeric annular washer having a radially inner portion retained in said groove, and an outer circumferential edge projecting in unsupported relation radially outwardly and forwardly of and circumscribing said forward end surface of said inner cylindrical portion of said body; (c) a closure disc mounted in said intermediate flow passage portion for rearward axial movement into a first closure position in sealing engagement with said outer circumferential edge of said washer in response to an initial reverse fluid flow through said flow passage, and into a second closure position, rearwardly of said first closure position, in sealing engagement with said forward end surface of said body, said outer circumferential edge being deflected rearwardly by said disc in said second closure position; (d) said washer being a stamped washer having a pair of outer peripheral corner edges, a thickness not greater than said width of said groove, a cross-sectional width greater than said depth of said groove, and an inner diameter less than said minimum diameter of said groove, and said outer circumferential edge of said washer comprising one of said pair of outer peripheral corner edges thereof.

Claim 12

The method of claim 6 wherein said providing step (b) is performed by stamping said washer from a sheet of elastomeric material.

Claim 15

The method of claim 8 wherein said washer forming step (c) is performed by stamping said washer from a sheet of elastomeric material.

Claim 16

The method of claim 8 wherein said washer-forming step (c) includes forming said washer with a thickness not greater than said width of said groove.

Claim 17

The method of claim 8 wherein said washer-forming step (c) includes forming said washer with an inner diameter less than said minimum diameter of said groove, and wherein said inserting step (e) includes bringing the inner peripheral surface of said washer into sealing engagement with said inner end surface of said groove.