Flow control valve

Claim 2

Fluid flow control valve comprising a valve body having a chamber with a downwardly pitched frustoconical outlet surface, an integral resilient washer with a central orifice therethrough, said washer, when unstressed, having a surface thereof lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said orifice and spanning in spaced relation substantially the entire conical surface of said valve body, said washer including a generally toroidal shaped rim portion extending outwardly adjacent its lower edge, said rim portion having an interference fit with the valve body to provide line sealing engagement therebetween, and a closure member operable to open and close the orifice through said washer.

Claim 3

Fluid flow control valve as set forth in claim 1 in which at a predetermined fluid pressure upstream of the washer, the undersurface thereof is deflected into surface-to-surface engagement with the conical surface of the valve body, the diameter of the orifice being reduced as a function of the amount of deflection of the washer and above said predetermined pressure the diameter of the orifice being reduced as a function of the amount of compression of the resilient washer.

Claim 4

Fluid flow control valve as set forth in claim 1 in which said resilient material is an elastomer having a durometer hardness in the range 55 - 75 and in which the pitch of said conical surface is a vertical angle between said planar surface and conical surface in the range of 10* - 13*.

Claim 5

Fluid flow control valve comprising a valve body having a chamber with a frustoconical outlet surface leading therefrom, an integral resilient washer with a central orifice therethrough, a cylindrical outer surface and a circumferential generally toroidal rim extending outwardly of its lower, outer edge portion, said valve body including a generally cylindrical wall extending outwardly from the outer edge of said conical surface and having a recess therein to receive said rim, the cylindrical outer surface of the washer fitting loosely in said valve body and the rim having an interference fit in said recess to provide line-sealing engagement therebetween, said washer having a planar undersurface thereof lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said orifice and spanning entirely said conical surface in spaced relation thereto when the washer is unstressed and in substantially full surface-to-surface engagement therewith at a fluid pressure of above about 30 psi, and a closure member operable to open and close the orifice through said washer.

Claim 6

Fluid flow control valve comprising a valve body having a chamber with a frustoconical outlet surface leading therefrom, an integral resilient washer with a central orifice therethrough, a cylindrical outer surface and a circumferential generally toroidal rim extending outwardly of its lower, outer edge portion, said valve body including a generally cylindrical wall extending outwardly from the outer edge of said conical surface and having a recess therein to receive said rim, the cylindrical outer surface of the washer fitting loosely in said valve body and the rim having an interference fit in said recess to provide line-sealing engagement therebetween, said washer having a planar undersurface thereof lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said orifice and spanning entirely said conical surface in spaced relation thereto when the washer is unstressed and in substantially full surface-to-surface engagement therewith at a fluid pressure of above about 30 psi, and a closure member operable to open and close the orifice through said washer.

Claim 7

Fluid flow control valve as set forth in claim 4 in which the peripheral rim of said washer is of generally toroidal configuration, the outer surface thereof being engaged with the inner surface of the recess in the wall of said valve body and the amount of said surface-to-surface engagement between the washer and conical surface increases from the rim of the washer as the upstream pressure on the washer increases to about 30 psi, the fit of said rim in said recess being sufficient to return said washer in operative position relative to said frustoconical surface.