Vacuum check valve

Claim 1

A vacuum check valve assembly for controlling vacuum fluid pressure in a container, said check valve assembly comprising: a housing, a valve chamber in said housing defined by opposed end walls and a side wall formed as a part of said housing, an inlet port and an outlet port formed in said housing and respectively opening through different ones of said walls so as to be in fluid communication with said valve chamber, said inlet port being adapted to be connected to a container in which vacuum fluid pressure is to be normally retained and said outlet port being adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum fluid pressure, an annular valve seat formed as a part of one of said housing end walls about said inlet port, a valve member movably mounted in said valve chamber and having a disc-like valve section in radially inwardly spaced relation to said chamber side wall, said valve member further having valve stem means extending axially from said disc-like valve section, said housing having valve stem-receiving guide means formed in said opposed end walls limiting the movements of said valve member to movements axially of said valve stem means and said disc-like valve section and toward and away from said annular valve seat to close said inlet port in one position and to open said inlet port and permit fluid flow around said disc-like valve section through said valve chamber and into said outlet port, a valve spring axially biasing said valve member toward said annular valve seat, one of said chamber end walls including a boss in which one of said valve stem-receiving guide means is formed, said boss having groove means formed therein from the outer side surface thereof in a plane intersecting the axis of said one valve stem-receiving guide means, said groove means arcuately intersecting said one valve stem-receiving guide means at at least one arcuate location, and a spring element operatively resiliently and laterally engaging said valve member and said housing and continuously biasing said valve member laterally, said spring element being a resiliently and radially inwardly biased spring received in said boss groove means and engaging the valve stem means received in said one valve stem-receiving guide means at said at least one arcuate location and exerting a resilient biasing force laterally on that valve stem means causing said valve stem means to drag and resist movements of said valve member and thus preventing undesired valve member pulsing movements and consequent valve member-generated noises during pulse-like changes of fluid pressure at at least one of said inlet and outlet ports.