Adjustable check valve

Claim 2

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet extending along a central axis; said outlet being displaced transversely from the central axis; a valve seat surface formed within the housing coaxially about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral edge and peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for supporting the disk from the downstream side of the disk, said means comprising a post mounted to the housing downstream of the disk, the post being disposed axially along the central axis, the post having a head end for engaging and supporting the disk in a manner which enables the peripheral portion of the disk to flex, said disk supporting means being constructed and arranged as to bias the disk toward the seating surface to seal at least the peripheral edge of the disk against the seating surface; and means mounting the post to the housing for movement toward and away from the seating surface and along the central axis for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface and for varying the surface area of engagement of the disk with the seat.

Claim 3

A check valve as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said post being threaded into said housing and having a portion exposed exteriorly of said housing thereby enabling the axial position of the post to be adjustable exteriorly of the housing.

Claim 4

A check valve as defined in claim 2 further comprising: said housing having a boss extending in a downstream direction from the housing, said boss being internally threaded and receiving the threaded end of the post.

Claim 5

A check valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said post further comprises: the head end of the post being formed to define a pin; the disk having a socket formed at its center, the disk being mounted on the pin with the pin being received in the socket.

Claim 6

A check valve as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said outlet being formed in the housing downstream of the disk and being constructed so as to be in alignment with the periphery of the disk; the flow area defined by the outlet being greater that any other flow area defined through said valve.

Claim 7

A check valve as defined in claim 5 further comprising: said valve chamber being circular cross-section and defining a flow annulus between the internal periphery of the chamber and the periphery of the disk when the disk is flexed to an open configuration; said outlet means being in registry with said flow annulus.

Claim 8

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet; a valve seat surface formed with the chamber about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for biasing the disk toward the seating surface to seal the periphery of the disk against the seating surface; means for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface said means for varying the degree of bias of the disk comprising means for supporting said disk, said disk support means being movable toward and away from the seating surface; said support means further comprising a post having a head end facing the valve seat surface, the head end of the post having means for supporting the disk to enable a peripheral portion of the disk to flex; said post further comprising a threaded portion; and said head being mounted to one end of the threaded portion, the head having a central platform and plurality of wings extending radially outwardly from the central platform, the upper edges of the radial wings being beveled to defined a dish-like locus.

Claim 9

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet; a valve seat surface formed with the chamber about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for biasing the disk toward the seating surface to seal the periphery of the disk against the seating surface; means for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface said means for varying the degree of bias of the disk comprising means for supporting said disk, said disk support means being movable toward and away from the seating surface; said support means further comprising a post having a head end facing the valve seat surface, the head end of the post having means for supporting the disk to enable a peripheral portion of the disk to flex; said post further comprising a threaded portion; and said head being mounted to one end of the threaded portion, the head having a central platform and plurality of wings extending radially outwardly from the central platform, the upper edges of the radial wings being beveled to defined a dish-like locus.

Claim 10

A check valve as defined in claim 7 further comprising: the inner ends of each of the radial wings being spaced radially from the center of the platform thereby defining a socket; the disk having a central boss extending from its downstream side, the boss being received within the socket on the post head.

Claim 11

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet; a valve seat surface formed with the chamber about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for biasing the disk toward the seating surface to seal the periphery of the disk against the seating surface; means for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface; said means for varying the degree of bias of the disk comprising means for supporting said disk, said disk support being movable toward and away from the seating surface; said support means further comprising a post having a head and facing the valve seat surface, the head end of the post having means for supporting the disk to enable a peripheral portion of the disk to flex; said means for supporting the disk further comprising a head mounted at the head end of the post, the head having a central socket and a supporting surface which define a disk-like locus, the diameter of the head being smaller than that of the disk.

Claim 12

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet; a valve seat surface formed with the chamber about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for biasing the disk toward the seating surface to seal the periphery of the disk against the seating surface; means for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface; said means for varying the degree of bias of the disk comprising means for supporting said disk, said disk support being movable toward and away from the seating surface; said support means further comprising a post having a head and facing the valve seat surface, the head end of the post having means for supporting the disk to enable a peripheral portion of the disk to flex; said means for supporting the disk further comprising a head mounted at the head end of the post, the head having a central socket and a supporting surface which define a disk-like locus, the diameter of the head being smaller than that of the disk.

Claim 13

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet extending along a centeral axis; a valve seat surface formed within the housing coaxially about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for supporting the disk from the downstream side of the disk, said means comprisings a post mounted to the housing downstream of the disk, the post being disposed along the central axis, the post having a head end for engaging and supporting the disk in a manner which enables the peripheral portion of the disk to flex, said disk supporting means being constructed and arranged to bias the disk toward the seating surface to seal the periphery of the disk against the seating surface; means mounting the post to the housing for movement toward and away from the seating surface and along the central axis for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface; said outlet being formed in the housing downstream of the disk and being constructed so as to be in alignment with the periphery of the disk; the flow area defined by the outlet being greater than any other flow area defined through said valve; said valve chamber being circular in cross-section and defining a flow annulus between the internal periphery of the chamber and the periphery of the disk when the disk is flexed to an open configuration; said outlet means being in registry with said flow annulus; the outlet comprising a plurality of aperatures formed in the housing downstream of the flow annulus, the apertures being disposed substantially in alignment with the flow annulus.

Claim 14

A check valve comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet extending along a centeral axis; a valve seat surface formed within the housing coaxially about the inlet; a flexible, resilient disk adapted to bear against the valve seat surface in a dished configuration in which the peripheral margin of the disk normally engages the valve seat surface; means for supporting the disk from the downstream side of the disk, said means comprisings a post mounted to the housing downstream of the disk, the post being disposed along the central axis, the post having a head end for engaging and supporting the disk in a manner which enables the peripheral portion of the disk to flex, said disk supporting means being constructed and arranged to bias the disk toward the seating surface to seal the periphery of the disk against the seating surface; means mounting the post to the housing for movement toward and away from the seating surface and along the central axis for varying the degree to which the disk is biased toward the seating surface; said outlet being formed in the housing downstream of the disk and being constructed so as to be in alignment with the periphery of the disk; the flow area defined by the outlet being greater than any other flow area defined through said valve; said valve chamber being circular in cross-section and defining a flow annulus between the internal periphery of the chamber and the periphery of the disk when the disk is flexed to an open configuration; said outlet means being in registry with said flow annulus; the outlet comprising a plurality of aperatures formed in the housing downstream of the flow annulus, the apertures being disposed substantially in alignment with the flow annulus.