Fluid valve

Claim 2

A fluid valve comprising: a housing having a valve chamber therein; means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber; a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked, said valve element having a generally hollow shape; and elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of the said chamber and said valve element; spring means for biasing said valve element toward said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said spring means comprising a generally flat spring member disposed between said valve element and a wall of said chamber, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway; actuating means actuable for rotating said valve element about said axis and including an actuating member and support means for mounting said actuating member for rotational movement about said axis, said support means including an elongated spindle-like member extending substantially along said axis and operatively connected at one end to said actuating member, the opposite end of said spindle-like member extending completely through said valve element and being operatively connected to said housing for maintaining said opposite end substantially free from transverse movement relative to said axis; and connecting means for operatively connecting said actuating member and said valve element for rotation about said axis and permitting transverse movement of said valve member relative to said axis towards and away from said sealing element.

Claim 3

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein substantially the only forces exerted on said valve element other than fluid pressure and gravity are the biasing force of said spring means and the reactive force of said resilient sealing element.

Claim 4

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means is generally flat in its unstressed state and is generally annular in shape and surrounds the opening where said inlet passageway intersects said chamber.

Claim 5

A valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein said spring means is generally rectangular in overall configuration having a generally rectangular opening in the center thereof.

Claim 6

A valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein said valve element and chamber are generally circular in a cross-sectional plane taken perpendicular to the rotational axis of said valve element, said spring means having a width slightly greater than a chord of said chamber tangent of said valve element, whereby said spring means will be deflected and maintained under a stressed condition by said valve element.

Claim 7

A valve as claimed in claim 1 with said spindle-like member having its said opposite end fixed to and extending from said housing.

Claim 8

A valve as claimed in claim 1 with said spindle-like member having its said one end secured to said actuating member for rotation therewith.

Claim 9

A fluid valve comprising: a housing having a chamber therein; means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber; a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked; an elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of said chamber and said valve element; spring means for biasing said valve element towards said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway, said spring means comprising a generally flat spring member having perpendicular appendages which extend into said inlet passageway and prevent said spring member from moving when said valve element is rotated; and securing means securing said sealing element to said housing peripherally around said outlet passageway for preventing said elastomeric sealing element from extruding into said outlet passageway under the pressure of said inlet fluid on said valve element, said elastomeric sealing element being sufficiently deformable, having a hardness of in the range of around 50 to around 60 durometer, such that under low fluid pressure said sealing element prevents fluid leakage into said outlet passageway when said valve element is in said closed position.

Claim 10

A fluid valve comprising: a housing having a chamber therein; means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber; a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked; an elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of said chamber and said valve element; spring means for biasing said valve element towards said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway, said spring means comprising a generally flat spring member having perpendicular appendages which extend into said inlet passageway and prevent said spring member from moving when said valve element is rotated; and securing means securing said sealing element to said housing peripherally around said outlet passageway for preventing said elastomeric sealing element from extruding into said outlet passageway under the pressure of said inlet fluid on said valve element, said elastomeric sealing element being sufficiently deformable, having a hardness of in the range of around 50 to around 60 durometer, such that under low fluid pressure said sealing element prevents fluid leakage into said outlet passageway when said valve element is in said closed position.

Claim 11

A fluid valve comprising: a housing having a chamber therein; means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber; a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked; a substantially annular elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of said chamber and said valve element, the radial width of said elastomeric sealing element at its surface adjacent said valve element being less than the radial width of said elastomeric sealing element at its opposite surface adjacent the wall of said chamber, whereby the possibility of excessive friction between said valve element and said sealing element is minimized; spring means for biasing said valve element towards said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway; and securing means securing said sealing element to said housing peripherally around said outlet passageway for preventing said elastomeric sealing element for extruding into said outlet passageway under the pressure of said inlet fluid on said valve element, said securing means including a plurality of holes formed in said housing adjacent the periphery of said outlet passageway and a similar plurality of complementary protrusions formed integrally on said sealing element, said protrusions being disposed within said holes, said chamber having substantially smooth side wall surfaces in the area of said sealing element whereby said sealing element is prevented from moving relative to said housing substantially solely by the interaction of said protrusions and said holes.

Claim 12

A fluid valve comprising: a housing having a chamber therein; means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber; a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked; a substantially annular elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of said chamber and said valve element, the radial width of said elastomeric sealing element at its surface adjacent said valve element being less than the radial width of said elastomeric sealing element at its opposite surface adjacent the wall of said chamber, whereby the possibility of excessive friction between said valve element and said sealing element is minimized; spring means for biasing said valve element towards said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway; and securing means securing said sealing element to said housing peripherally around said outlet passageway for preventing said elastomeric sealing element for extruding into said outlet passageway under the pressure of said inlet fluid on said valve element, said securing means including a plurality of holes formed in said housing adjacent the periphery of said outlet passageway and a similar plurality of complementary protrusions formed integrally on said sealing element, said protrusions being disposed within said holes, said chamber having substantially smooth side wall surfaces in the area of said sealing element whereby said sealing element is prevented from moving relative to said housing substantially solely by the interaction of said protrusions and said holes.

Claim 13

A valve as claimed in claim 9 wherein the surface of said elastomeric sealing element adjacent said valve element has an axially extending substantially straight cylindrical-shaped portion for wiping debris from said valve element when said valve element is rotated about said axis.

Claim 14

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a splined connection between said actuating member and said valve element.

Claim 15

A valve as claimed in claim 12, wherein said splined connection comprises mating involuted teeth.

Claim 16

A valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein sufficient clearance is provided between the elements of said splined connection to permit limited relative axial and transverse movement therebetween.