Anti-knock flow valve

Claim 1

A valve for unidirectional flow of fuel therethrough, said valve comprising: a housing having an axial bore therethrough adapted to pass pressurized fluid therethrough in only one direction, said bore having a first passage portion of radial cross-sectional area A; a second passage portion having a radial cross-sectional area B, which is larger than A; and an annular shoulder between said first and second passage portions, at least a portion of said shoulder forming an annular valve seat; a hollow valve element slideably mounted in said bore, said valve element having an axially extending tubular body that includes a substantially nonexpandable open end portion disposed in said second passage portion having a radial crosssectional area C, which is less than B, but larger than A, the periphery of said open end portion of said valve element having an annular configuration that is the same as the valve seat in said housing bore and which is sized to engage the annular valve seat when said valve element moves in a direction towards said first passage portion; and a closed end portion, a portion of which extends into said first passage portion, having a radial cross-sectional area D, which is less than A, the closed end portion comprised of a resiliently expandable material so that said closed portion expands when subjected to pressure internal thereof; and stop means axially spaced from the annular shoulder in said housing bore for stopping further movement of the open end portion of said valve element within said second passage when said valve element moves in a direction away from said first passage portion, thereby allowing the periphery of said open end portion to disengage from the valve seat, whereby when the open end portion of said hollow valve element is disengaged from said valve seat fluid may pass from said first passage and through said second passage but when fluid attempts to flow in the reverse direction, the open portion of the valve element moves in the direction of the first passage and the periphery thereof engages the valve seat to prevent further flow while the resiliently deformable closed end portion of said valve element expands momentarily to absorb the transient pressure differential across the valve element when said valve element engages said valve seat.