Diverter valve

Claim 2

A diverter valve comprising: a housing having a continuous side wall, a bottom wall and a top wall defining a hollow valve chamber, said housing including an inlet opening and said side wall including at least two spaced apart outlet openings with said inlet and outlet openings communicating from outside said housing with said chamber, said top wall including a valve element receiving opening and said housing further having a valve seat disposed around each of said at least two outlet openings; a valve element receivable in said chamber through said element receiving opening and movable through said receiving opening between separate spaced blocking positions in said chamber for selectively blocking at least one of said outlets and allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and the other of said outlets, said valve element comprising a body having top and bottom portions and front and rear face portions, said front face portion having an outwardly extending generally conically shaped resilient sealing surface; and, valve element locating and retaining means disposed in said chamber for releasably retaining said valve element in said separate blocking positions, said locating and retaining means being located such that when said valve element is in a blocking position with said at least one outlet, said resilient sealing surface is deflected by the valve seat associated with said at least one outlet.

Claim 3

The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein at least that portion of said valve element body which defines said sealing surface is hollow and has a relatively thin resilient wall.

Claim 4

The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said locating and retaining means comprises boss-like members formed in said chamber and spaced from said outlets a distance such as to engage said valve element on said rear face portion.

Claim 5

The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said locating and retaining means comprises boss-like members capable of resiliently deflecting to permit said valve element to be manually moved into and out of said blocking positions.

Claim 6

The valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing is formed substantially entirely of plastic and wherein said valve seats are at the juncture of said outlets and said chamber.

Claim 7

A diverter valve comprising: a housing having a continuous side wall, a bottom wall and a top wall defining a hollow valve chamber, said housing including an outlet opening and said side wall including first and second spaced apart outlet openings with said inlet and outlet openings communicating from outside said housing with said chamber, said top wall having a valve element receiving opening and said housing further including a valve seat disposed around each of said outlet openings; a valve element comprised of a body having top and bottom portions and front and rear face portions, said front face portion having an outwardly extending generally conically shaped resilient sealing surface, said valve element being insertable through said receiving opening into a first blocking position blocking said first outlet while allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and said second outlet, said valve element being selectively movable through said receiving opening from said first blocking position to a separate second blocking position blocking said second outlet while allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and said first outlet; and, valve element locating and retaining means disposed in said chamber and associated with said first and second outlets for releasably retaining said valve element in said separate first and second blocking positions, said locating and retaining means being located such that when said valve element is in one of said blocking positions, said resilient sealing surface is deflected by the valve seat associated with the outlet being blocked.

Claim 8

A diverter valve comprising: a housing having a continuous side wall, a bottom wall and a top wall defining a hollow valve chamber, said housing including an outlet opening and said side wall including first and second spaced apart outlet openings with said inlet and outlet openings communicating from outside said housing with said chamber, said top wall having a valve element receiving opening and said housing further including a valve seat disposed around each of said outlet openings; a valve element comprised of a body having top and bottom portions and front and rear face portions, said front face portion having an outwardly extending generally conically shaped resilient sealing surface, said valve element being insertable through said receiving opening into a first blocking position blocking said first outlet while allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and said second outlet, said valve element being selectively movable through said receiving opening from said first blocking position to a separate second blocking position blocking said second outlet while allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and said first outlet; and, valve element locating and retaining means disposed in said chamber and associated with said first and second outlets for releasably retaining said valve element in said separate first and second blocking positions, said locating and retaining means being located such that when said valve element is in one of said blocking positions, said resilient sealing surface is deflected by the valve seat associated with the outlet being blocked.

Claim 9

The valve as defined in claim 6 wherein said housing is formed substantially entirely of plastic and wherein said seats are an integral part of said housing and are formed by transition surfaces between said valve chamber and said outlets.

Claim 10

The valve as defined in claim 7 wherein said locating and retaining means includes boss-like members formed in said chamber and capable of resiliently deflecting laterally of the outlets for permitting movement of said valve member into and out of position adjacent said outlets.

Claim 11

The valve as defined in claim 7 wherein said valve element comprises a one-piece molded plastic member having a handle portion formed integrally therewith, said handle portion extending outwardly of said valve chamber through said valve element receiving opening.