Flow control apparatus

Claim 2

A flow control apparatus including a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block of resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said passage, one of said hollow body and said plunger including a first member affixed thereto and extending into said first passage and the other of said hollow body and said plunger including a second member affixed thereto and in said first passage on the other side of said valve member from said first member, wherein the improvement comprises each first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material.

Claim 3

The flow control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the improvement further comprises said first member including a distal end having an end surface at least a portion of which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage.

Claim 4

The flow control apparatus of claim 2 wherein the improvement further comprises said second member extending into said first passage and including a second distal end having an end surface at least a portion of which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage.

Claim 5

A flow control apparatus including a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block of resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said passage, said hollow body including a first member affixed thereto and extending into said first passage and said plunger including a second member fixed thereto and extending into said first passage on the other side of said valve from said first member, wherein the improvement comprises said first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material, said first member including a distal end having a first end surface which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage and said second member including a distal end having a second end surface which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage, said first and second end surfaces being oriented such that they are mutually divergent.

Claim 6

A flow control apparatus including a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block of resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said passage, said hollow body including a first member affixed thereto and extending into said first passage and said plunger including a second member fixed thereto and extending into said first passage on the other side of said valve from said first member, wherein the improvement comprises said first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material, said first member including a distal end having a first end surface which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage and said second member including a distal end having a second end surface which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage, said first and second end surfaces being oriented such that they are mutually divergent.

Claim 7

The flow control apparatus of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said valve member is a ball having a diameter in interference fit with the inside diameter of said first passage.

Claim 8

A flow control apparatus comprising in combination a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said first passage, said valve member being a ball having a diameter in interference fit with the inside diameter of said first passage, one of said hollow body and said plunger including a first member fixed thereto and extending into said first passage to said valve member and the other of said hollow body and said plunger including a second member fixed thereto and in said first passage on the other side of said valve member from said first member, said first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material, said first member including a distal end having an end surface which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage.

Claim 9

A flow control apparatus comprising in combination a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said first passage, said valve member being a ball having a diameter in interference fit with the inside diameter of said first passage, one of said hollow body and said plunger including a first member fixed thereto and extending into said first passage to said valve member and the other of said hollow body and said plunger including a second member fixed thereto and in said first passage on the other side of said valve member from said first member, said first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material, said first member including a distal end having an end surface which is other than perpendicular to the center line of said first passage.

Claim 10

A flow control apparatus comprising in combination a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block of resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said passage, one of said hollow body and said plunger including a first member fixed thereto and extending into said first passage to said valve and the other of said hollow body and said plunger including a second member affixed thereto and in said first passage on the other side of said valve member from said first member, said first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material, said first passage being adjacent a surface of said block of resilient material defining a wall therebetween, said wall being relatively thicker immediately upstream of said valve member than adjacent to and downstream of said valve member.

Claim 11

A flow control apparatus comprising in combination a housing having a hollow body and a plunger slidably positioned in and extending from said hollow body, said housing including a central cavity defined by said hollow body and said plunger, an inlet into said central cavity and an outlet from said central cavity; a block of resilient material positioned in said central cavity between said inlet and said outlet and having a first passage therethrough oriented to provide communication between said inlet and said outlet; and a valve member in said passage, one of said hollow body and said plunger including a first member fixed thereto and extending into said first passage to said valve and the other of said hollow body and said plunger including a second member affixed thereto and in said first passage on the other side of said valve member from said first member, said first and second members being constructed and arranged to extend to and displace said valve member against one side of said first passage when said hollow body and said plunger are compressed toward one another against said resilient material, said first passage being adjacent a surface of said block of resilient material defining a wall therebetween, said wall being relatively thicker immediately upstream of said valve member than adjacent to and downstream of said valve member.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first passage includes a first section and a second section, said first section of said first passage being narrower than said second section, said first and second members retaining said valve member in said second section adjacent one end of said first section, said first section being adjacent and thereby defining said thicker portion of said wall.