Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
347 words
A valve comprising: a valve body having a cylindrical valve chamber connected with a lateral inlet passage and an axial outlet passage; a valve seat formed in said chamber about said outlet passage, said valve seat being flat and lying in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet passage; a stem member extending generally axially into said valve chamber and selectively movable between valve opened and closed positions; and, a resilient, cylindrical, generally cup-shaped valve member positioned in said valve chamber in operative communication with said stem member for movement between valve opened and closed positions and having an end face adapted to engage said seat and a peripheral side wall sealingly engaged with the inner wall of said chamber at a location axially spaced from said inlet, the end face of said valve member including a sealing portion in the form of a resilient peripheral downwardly extending flange having a length L and a tapered cross-section tapering toward and terminating in a flat, relatively narrow, circumferentially continuous band having a thickness D less than length L and lying in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet passage with said band adapted to engage said seat about said outlet, said flange being defined by inner and outer walls with the outer wall being cylindrical and having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of said valve chamber and said inner wall being inclined at an angle in the range of 20° to 40° relative to the axis of said chamber, the cooperative relationship between said stem and valve member being such that said continuous band of said flange positively engages said valve seat to form a sealing relationship therewith when said valve is in said closed position with said flange being axially compressed and at least slightly radially expanded, whereby fluid entering said chamber through said inlet passage will act against the at least slightly radially expanded area of said flange to further force said band into engagement with said valve seat and further enhance the effective sealing relationship therebetween.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
347 words
A valve comprising: a valve body having a cylindrical valve chamber connected with a lateral inlet passage and an axial outlet passage; a valve seat formed in said chamber about said outlet passage, said valve seat being flat and lying in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet passage; a stem member extending generally axially into said valve chamber and selectively movable between valve opened and closed positions; and, a resilient, cylindrical, generally cup-shaped valve member positioned in said valve chamber in operative communication with said stem member for movement between valve opened and closed positions and having an end face adapted to engage said seat and a peripheral side wall sealingly engaged with the inner wall of said chamber at a location axially spaced from said inlet, the end face of said valve member including a sealing portion in the form of a resilient peripheral downwardly extending flange having a length L and a tapered cross-section tapering toward and terminating in a flat, relatively narrow, circumferentially continuous band having a thickness D less than length L and lying in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet passage with said band adapted to engage said seat about said outlet, said flange being defined by inner and outer walls with the outer wall being cylindrical and having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of said valve chamber and said inner wall being inclined at an angle in the range of 20° to 40° relative to the axis of said chamber, the cooperative relationship between said stem and valve member being such that said continuous band of said flange positively engages said valve seat to form a sealing relationship therewith when said valve is in said closed position with said flange being axially compressed and at least slightly radially expanded, whereby fluid entering said chamber through said inlet passage will act against the at least slightly radially expanded area of said flange to further force said band into engagement with said valve seat and further enhance the effective sealing relationship therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said flange has a length approximately equal to one-tenth of the diameter of said valve member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
108 words
The valve as defined in claim 1 including means for moving said stem and valve members between said opened and closed positions and further including means for continuously biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, said flange having a length such that when said valve member is in said closed position with said continuous band engaging said and closed positions and further including means for continuously biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, said flange having a length such that when said valve member is in said closed position with said continuous band engaging said valve seat said flange is generally axially compressed and radially expanded.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said flange is formed integrally with said valve member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner wall is inclined at an angle of approximately 30° relative to the axis of said chamber.