ONE-WAY FLUID FLOW NON-RETURN VALVE

CLAPET DE NON-RETOUR

English Abstract

The invention concerns a one-way fluid flow non-return valve, consisting of body (19) with shaft (2), onto which cover (15)
with seal (16) is mounted. Into the blind hole (4) in shaft a helical spring (3) is inserted together with piston (1) in a sliding fit.
Shaft (2), together with piston (1) is introduced into the central opening of bushing (9), having on its lower part a groove (10), into
which wedge (5) engages. Bushing has two diametrically opposed cut-out grooves (13), while the valve body (19) carries a cover
(15) with mutually rectangular molded grooves (18). A modified form of the invention includes telescoped external and internal
envelopes to reduce the possibility of malfunction due to impurities in the liquid flowing through the valve.

Claims

11
WHAT IS CLAIMED AS NEW IS AS FOLLOWS:
1. One-way fluid flow non-return valve, consisting
of body with shaft onto which a cover with gasket is
placed around screen, executed on front part of cover,
wherein into the blind hole on shaft a helical spring is
placed, together with a sliding-fit shaft of piston
whereby shaft with piston is introduced into the central
opening of bushing, made on its lower part with a helical
groove, into which wedge of shaft engages, and bushing at
the transition place of larger internal diameter of
opening to the smaller internal diameter is executed with
two diametrically opposed grooves.
2. Non-return valve according to claim 1, wherein
onto the valve body a cover with mutually rectangular
cut-out grooves is placed.
3. Improved one-way fluid flow non-return valve,
containing a two-diameter cylindrical bushing, realized
on one side in form of a larger cylindrical part and
internal opening, and on the other side in form of a
smaller cylindrical part and internal opening, and on the
place of transition of the smaller and larger cylindrical
parts, two diametrically opposed tangential grooves are
made, while into the internal opening of bushing shaft
with piston is introduced by its shaft into the blind
hole of shaft, according to the basic application wherein

12
into the internal opening of the smaller cylindrical part
of bushing with an O-ring the internal envelope of cover
is introduced, whereby the external and internal
envelopes of cover mutually connected by the bottom of
cover.
4. Improved non-return valve according to claim 1
wherein as a whole with the internal envelope end of
cover, two rectangularly crossed ribs were molded.
5. An one-way fluid flow valve including a tubular
body having a closed end and an open inlet end, a control
shaft having one end journaled through said closed end
and a second end terminating within said body a spaced
distance from said open end, a control sleeve slidable in
said body and journaled on said control shaft inward of
said closed end and including a reduced internal diameter
portion spaced beyond said second end toward said open
end and defining an annular seat at said reduced internal
diameter portion, a piston slidably mounted in said
sleeve between said second end and said seat and seatable
against the latter, biasing means operably connected
between said piston and shaft yielding biasing said
piston toward said seat, said sleeve defining at least
one lateral opening therein adjacent said seat and
between the latter and said shaft when said valve is
closed, said sleeve and shaft including coacting motion

13
converting means operative to shift said sleeve back and
forth within said body responsive to oscillation of said
shaft relative to said tubular body, said tubular body
including at least one lateral opening therein in
constant communication with the first mentioned lateral
opening.
6. The valve of claim 5 wherein said second end of
said control shaft includes a centered blind bore, said
piston including a reduced diameter shank slidably and
rotatably telescoped into the outer end portion of said
blind bore.
7. The valve of claim 6 wherein said biasing means
includes a compression spring seated in said blind bore
and applying a yieldingly outward force on said shank.
8. The valve of claim 5 wherein the end of said
control sleeve adjacent said open inlet end includes
screen means extending thereacross.
9. The valve of claim 5 wherein said open inlet end
of said body includes an internal sleeve projecting
inwardly therefrom and defining an annular space between
said body and internal sleeve closed at said inlet end of
said body, said control sleeve including an end portion
remote from said closed end of said body slidingly
telescoped and sealed within said annular space.

14
10. The valve of claim 9 wherein said end of
internal sleeve remote from said inlet end of said body
includes screen means extending thereacross.
11. The valve of claim 5 wherein said motion
converting means includes a helical slot in said control
sleeve and a radially outwardly projecting wedge lug on
said control shaft slidable in said slot.
12. The valve of claim 5 wherein said inlet and said
body includes annular seal means for sealed engagement
with a valve housing inlet and the exterior of said body
is threaded for engagement within a threaded access port
provided on said valve housing.

Description

'`'~92/11480 2 0 9 g 12 3 PCT/US91/09199
ONE-WAY FLUID FLOW NON-RETURN VALVE
BACKGROUND OF THE IN V~N~1~1ON
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a one-way fluid
flow, non-return valve and is classified, by
International Patent Classification F 16 K l/02.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
The instant invention is specifically designed to
provide a valve for use in sanitary water systems with
the valve functioning to prevent the return of fluid back
into the water system in case of pressure lost, even when
the valve has been left in the open position.
Although various forms of valves of this type
heretofore have been provided, one problem existing with
previously known valves is that in the event the valve
handles water having dirt or other impurities therein it
is possible that dirt within the water passing through
the valve may accumulate in internal areas of the valve
and prevent proper non-return flow of water therethrough.
Previously known non-return flow valves are used not
only in domestic water systems but also in other fluid
systems and usually operate on the principle of a
threaded shaft, whereby movement of a valve operation
piston is effected by rotation of the threaded shaft or
a shaft equipped with a helical groove. Each of these
forms of valves usually does not protect the fluid system

WO 92/1 1480 3 PCI /US91/0919~
~,Q~9'L~
from return flow of fluid in the case of lost inlet
pressure.
Fluid flow controlling valves may be used in many
different fluid handling systems in which the valves,
during operation of the systems, remain open. In many of
these types of systems it is imperative to provide a one-
way fluid flow non-return valve in order to prevent
reverse flow of fluid in the event of pressure lost.
Further, in most fluid handling systems non-return
flow valves are installed at the inlet for the system and
are not readily adaptable for use at various discharge
points of the fluid handling system.
SUMMARY OF THE lNV~llON
In a first disclosed form of the instant invention a
blind bore is provided in the valve stem and a piston,
provided with a shank, has its shank slidably received
within the blind bore with a compression spring seated
within the blind bore in front of the piston shank. As
the valve is opened the pressure of the supply fluid
acting upon the piston maintains the latter in a
retracted position to thereby allow fluid flow through
the valve. However, if the supply pressure is
terminated, the compression spring biases the piston to
a closed position~

"'~92/11480 PCT/US91/09199
~099123
In a second disclosed form of the instant invention
additional structures are incorporated in order to reduce
any tendency of malfunction of the valve as a result of
the buildup of impurities or small dirt particles
therein.
The main object of this invention is to provide a
one-way fluid flow, non-return flow valve which may be
used in substantially any environment, and which is
specifically adapted for use at each domestic plumbing
water flow controlling valve station.
Another object of this invention is to provide a non-
return flow valve which will be wholly operative to
prevent the return flow of fluid therethrough, even if
the pressure of supply fluid to the valve is reduced to
zero.
Yet another important object of this invention is to
provide a non-return flow valve in accordance with the
pr~ce~ing objects which may be readily substituted for
existing flow controlling valve assemblies of pre-
existing domestic water controlling valve fixtures.
A final object of this invention to be specificallyenumerated herein is to provide a non-return flow valve
construction in accordance with the preceding objects and
which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture,
be of simple construction and easy to use so as to

WO92/11480 PCT/US91/0919~
~99~3
provide a device that will be economically feasible,
long-lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.
These together with other objects and advantages
which will become subsequently apparent reside in the
details of construction and operation as more fully
hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein
like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a longitll~;nAl sectional view of a first
form of non-return flow valve constructed in accordance
with the present invention; and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second
modified form of non-return flow valve constructed in
accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ~K~r~K~ED EMBoDl~r;Nls
Referring now more specifically to Figure 1, a valve
body is designated at l9 and threaded at 21 for threaded
engagement with and mounting within the body of a
domestic water supply valve housing. The body 19
includes suitable seal rings 26 and 28 for forming
desired seals with the associated valve housing.
The body 19 defines an inner chamber 20 in which a
shaft 2 is loosely received and one end ~f the haf' 2
includes a blind bore 4 formed therein in which a

~92/11480 2 0 9 ~ 1 2 3 PCT/US91/09199
compression spring 3 is seated, the shank or stem 23 of
a piston l being loosely telescoped within the outer end
of the blind bore 4 outwardly of the spring 3. The
piston l overlies and abuts the end of the shaft 2
5 through which the blind bore opens and the shaft 2
includes a diametrically enlarged shoulder or flange 6
disposed immediately inward of the centrally apertured
end wall 29 of the body l9 through which the shaft 2
projects. In addition, a clip-type retainer washer 8 is
releasably engaged in a circumferential groove 30 formed
in the shaft 2 immediately outward of the end wall 29 and
thus retains the shaft 2 against axial shifting relative
to the body l9, the end of shaft 2 remote from the blind
bore 4 being splined as at 7 for receiving a handwheel
15 thereon.
The interior of the body l9 inward of the end wall 29
defines the chamber 20 and the end of the chamber 20
remote from the end wall 29 is partially closed by a
tubular cover 15 provided with diametrically opposite
20 mutually rectangular grooves 18 establishing water outlet
openings from the cover 15, the grooves 18 being formed
in the tubular cover 15 at the juncture thereof with end
of the tubular body l9 remote from the end wall 29.
A sleeve or bushing 9 is disposed within the chamber
25 31 about the shaft 2 and includes a helical groove lO

WO 92/11480 PCI/US91/O91~`n
20991~3
formed therein. The shaft 2 includes a radially
outstAn~;ng wedge 5 slidingly received within the groove
10 and the bushing 9 is loosely received in the chamber
20 and includes a O-ring 31 sealing the exterior of the
bushing 9 to the chamber 20 while the shaft 2 includes a
pair of O-rings 32 and 33 sealing the exterior of the
shaft 2 to the interior of the bushing 9.
The end of the bushing 9 adjacent the flange 6 is
somewhat larger in diameter than the end of the bushing
9 adjacent the cover 15, whereupon an annular space 21 is
defined about the end of the bushing 9 remote from the
flange 6 within the body 19.
The end of the bushing 9 in which the shaft 2 is
rotatably received has a large inside diameter as at 11
and the end of the bushing 9 remote from the flange 6 has
a small inside diameter as at 12, the bushing 9 defining
an annular seating surface at 24 between the large and
small inside diameter portions of the bushing 9.
The small inside diameter end portion of the bushing
9 is slidably received within the cover 15 and includes
an O-ring 34 forming a fluid tight seal between the
interior of the cover lS and the bushing 9.
The open end of the bushing 9 remote from flange 6 is
provided with a relatively coarse screen and the open
upper end of the cover 15 is provided with a finer

'-~92/11480 PCT/US91/09l99
2~9912~:
integral screen 17, the upper terminal end of the cover
15 including an annular gasket supported therefrom for
fluid tight seal engagement with an opposing seat of a
valve casing (not shown) in which the body 19 is
threadedly engaged.
The sleeve or bushing 9, downstream from the seating
surface 24, includes diametrically opposed tangential
grooves 13 by which water may pass from the interior of
the sleeve or bushing 9 into the annular space 21 and
thereafter from the annular space 21 through the
rectangular grooves 18 to the exterior of the body 19
along path A when the piston 1 is moved away from the
seating surface 24.
Assuming that the body 19 is threaded into an
attendant valve casing, by turning the shaft 2 through
the utilization of a handwheel secured over the splined
portion 7, the sleeve may be axially shifted upwardly as
viewed in Figure 1 from the closed position of the valve.
This of course moves the seating surface 24 upwardly away
from the upper end of the shaft 2 in which the blind bore
4 is formed and, with the pressure of the attendant water
supply pushing downward on the piston 1, the seating
surface 24 moves upwardly away from the piston 1 to
thereby allow water flow downwardly through the upper
small diameter interior portion 12 of the bushing 9,

WO92/l1480 PCT/US91/091~
2o~9~23
through the tangential grooves 13, into the annular space
21 and thereafter outwardly of the grooves 13 along path
A. However, should the pressure of the water supply
entering the upper end of the bushing 9 be substantially
reduced or terminated, the spring 3 upwardly biases the
piston 1 back into contact the seating surface Z4 and
thereby terminates the flow of fluid through the body 19
in either direction.
Of course of the strength of the spring 3 may be
varied in order to prevent reverse flow of fluid through
the body 19 whenever the inlet pressure of fluid drops
below a selected predetermined value.
With attention now invited more specifically to
Figure 2, a second form of invention is illustrated
including various parts thereof which correspond directly
to similar parts of the first form of the invention
illustrated in Figure 1 and which are indicated by
corresponding prime reference numerals.
The structure of Figure 2 differs from the structure
of Figure 1 in that the shaft 2' includes a single O-ring
32' sealing the shaft 2' relative to the bushing 9' and
the bushing 9' includes a pair of O-rings 33' sealing the
bushing 9' to the chamber 20', the upper end of the shaft
2' being radiused as 2t 2''.

---'~92/11480 PCT/US91/09199
~099123
In addition, the cover 15' includes an inwardly
projecting upper annular end wall 38 downwardly from
whose inner periphery an internal sleeve 39 extends
defining an annular space 40 within the cover the 15'.
In addition, the upper end of the bushing 9 includes a
smaller diameter upper portion 41 which is upwardly
slidingly received within the annular space 40 and
includes an O-ring 42 establishing a fluid tight seal
between the exterior of the upper portion 41 and the
outer surface of the annular space 40.
The operation of the invention as illustrated in
Figure 2 is generally the same as the operation of that
form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, rotation
of the shaft 2' causing upward displacement of the
bushing 9' and thereby enabling inlet pressure of fluid
within the inner sleeve 39 maintain the piston 1' seated
upon the upper end of the shaft 2 and water to therefore
pass downwardly through the internal sleeve 39, the
smaller part 41 of the bushing 9' and thereafter
outwardly through the grooves 13' and the grooves 18'
along path A'.
on the other hand, should the inlet pressure of fluid
to the internal sleeve 39 be terminated, the piston 1'
will be biased unwardl y by the spring 3' to seat the
piston 1' against the seating surface 24', to thus

WO92/11480 PCT/US91/091~
~o99~3
terminate flow of fluid through the valve in either
direction.
The internal sleeve 39 includes crossed bars 35
forming a screen.
The internal sleeve 39 of cover 15' functions to
reduce pressure within the annular space 40 to thereby
reduce to a great extent the possibility of eventual
sticking of the small diameter upper portion 41 of the
bushing 9' during axial and rotational displacment when
the wedge 5' contacts the end of the spiral groove 10'.
Thus, the second modified form of the invention
illustrated in Figure 2 is less likely to malfunction in
the event of impurities contained within the liquid
flowing therethrough.

Representative Drawing