Thermally responsive valve

Claim 1

A thermally responsive valve comprising a body provided with an inlet port and an outlet port and separated into an upper portion and a lower portion spaced from said upper portion; first, second, and third passages arranged in parallel to one another provided in said body and connecting said inlet port with said outlet port respectively, wherein a part of said first passage is defined by said lower and upper portions of said body and the space therebetween, and a part of said third passage encloses said part of said first passage defined by said space; a bimetal operated valve disposed in said first passage; and a check-valve having a base and a lip portion and having said base portion positioned between said third passage and said first passage for permitting fluid flow only from said inlet port to said outlet port, wherein said checkvalve is made of elastic material and said base is disposed between and sealingly contacts said upper portion and said lower portion to maintain a fluid-tight sealing therebetween and to fluid tightly separate said parts of said first and third passages and wherein said lip portion permits fluid flow through said second passage only from said inlet to said outlet.