Diaphragm valve

Claim 1

AN ELECTROMAGNETIC DIAPHRAGM VALVE COMPRISING A HOLLOW VALVE BODY HAVING A VALVE OUTLET, A CENTRAL VALVE SEAT LEADING TO SAID VALVE OUTLET, A VALE INLET AND A CHAMBER SURROUNDING AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SEAT AND WITH SAID VALVE INLET AND FORMED WITH A CIRCULAR PERIPHERAL GROOVE SURROUNDING SAID VALVE SEAT AND HAVING AN INCLINED SHOULDER, A DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLY DISPOSED IN SAID CHAMBER FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SEAT TO CONTROL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INLET AND OUTLET, A BLEED PASSAGE FOR ADMITTING CONTROL PRESSURE TO SAID CHAMBER TO BIAS THE DIAPHRAGM TO THE VALVE SEAT, SAID DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM MEMBER, A RESILIENT ELEMENT DISPOSED IN OVERLYING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER, AND A CENTRAL PILOTPORT-FORMING UNIT INTERCONNECTING SAID FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM MEMBER AND SAID RESILIENT ELEMENT AND PROVIDING AN AXIAL PASSAGE THROUGH SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER AND SAID RESILIENT ELEMENT, AND VALVE OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING A VALVE MEMBER TO CONTROL THE FLOW THROUGH SAID PILOT-PORTFORMING UNIT, SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID GROOVE IN FREE-FLOATING RELATIONSHIP, SAID RESILIENT ELEMENT HAVING PERIPHERAL PORTIONS RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP, WHEREBY SAID RESILIENT ELEMENT DOES NOT BIAS SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER WHEN IT IS SEALED ON SAID VALVE SEAT, SAID PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID RESILIENT ELEMENT BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID INCLINED SHOULDER UPON PREDETERMINED MOVEMENT OF SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER FROM SAID VALVE SEAT TO RELIEVE THE DIAPHRAGM TO A PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING AMOUNT AS SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER MOVES AWAY FROM SAID VALVE SEAT, SAID RESILIENT ELEMENT SUPPORTING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE DIAPHRAGM MEMBER WHEN SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER IS IN FULLY DEFLECTED POSITION WHILE RETAINING THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID DIAPHRAGM MEMBER IN SAID GROOVE.