RESILIENT TEST VALVE MEMBER

ELEMENT SOUPLE DE ROBINET D'ESSAI

English Abstract

A method and apparatus for pressure testing a plumbing system, includes a resilient body having a body diameter. The resilient body is adapted to elastically deform by when passing through a service opening that is smaller than the body diameter and then resiliently return to the body diameter. A sealing surface is carried by the resilient body. A rigid coupling is positioned on the resilient body. The rigid coupling is adapted for coupling the resilient body to a shaft, such that the shaft is able to manipulate movement of the resilient body. The resilient body is inserted into a service opening of a plumbing system to be pressure tested. The resilient body flexes while being inserted and then resiliently returns to the body diameter with the sealing surface performing a sealing function.

French Abstract

Une méthode et un appareil d'essai de pression d'un système de plomberie comportent un corps résilient ayant un diamètre de corps. Le corps résilient est adapté pour se déformer élastiquement au passage dans une ouverture de service qui est plus petite que le diamètre du corps, puis reprendre de manière résiliente le diamètre du corps. Une surface d'étanchéisation est portée par le corps résilient. Un raccord rigide est positionné sur le corps résilient. Le raccord rigide est adapté pour coupler le corps résilient à un arbre de sorte que l'arbre peut manipuler le mouvement du corps résilient. Le corps résilient est inséré dans une ouverture de service d'un système de plomberie à soumettre à un essai de pression. Le corps résilient se plie pendant son insertion puis reprend de manière résiliente le diamètre du corps, la surface d'étanchéisation remplissant une fonction d'étanchéisation.

Claims

What is Claimed is:
1. A valve member for pressure testing a plumbing system, comprising:
a resilient body having a body diameter, the resilient body being adapted to
elastically
deform when passing through a service opening that is smaller than the body
diameter and
then resiliently return to the body diameter, the resilient body having a
convex first face and a
concave second face, the resilient body deforming through a compression of the
concave
second face and a stretching of the convex first face;
a sealing surface carried by the resilient body; and
a rigid coupling on the resilient body, the rigid coupling being adapted for
coupling
the resilient body to a shaft, such that the shaft is able to manipulate
movement of the resilient
body.
2. A valve member for pressure testing a plumbing system, comprising in
combination:
a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a service opening having a diameter,
the
housing having an internal sealing surface;
a resilient body having a body diameter that is smaller than the service
opening
diameter, the resilient body being adapted to elastically deform when passing
through the
service opening and then resiliently return, the resilient body having a
convex first face and a
concave second face, the resilient body deforming through a compression of the
concave
second face and a stretching of the convex first face;
a sealing surface carried by the resilient body which is adapted to engage the
internal
sealing surface of the housing; and
a rigid coupling on the resilient body, the rigid coupling being adapted for
coupling
the resilient body to a shaft, such that the shaft is able to manipulate
movement of the resilient
body to bring the sealing surface of the resilient body into engagement with
the internal
sealing surface of the housing.
3. A method of pressure testing a plumbing system, the method comprising:
providing a valve member, the valve member comprising:
a resilient body having a body diameter, the resilient body being adapted to

5
elastically deform when passing through a service opening that is smaller than
the body
diameter and then resiliently return to the body diameter, the resilient body
having a convex
first face and a concave second face, the resilient body deforming through a
compression of
the concave second face and a stretching of the convex first face;
a sealing surface carried by the resilient body; and
a rigid coupling on the resilient body, the rigid coupling being adapted for
coupling the resilient body to a shaft, such that the shaft is able to
manipulate movement of
the resilient body;
connecting the coupling to a shaft; and
inserting the valve member into a service opening of a plumbing system to be
pressure
tested, the service opening having a diameter that is smaller than the body
diameter of the
resilient body, such that the resilient body flexes while being inserted and
then resiliently
returns to the body diameter with the sealing surface sealing a pipe.
4. A method of pressure testing a plumbing system, the method comprising:
providing a valve member, the valve member comprising:
a resilient body having a body diameter, the resilient body being adapted to
elastically deform when passing through a service opening that is smaller than
the body
diameter and then resiliently return to the body diameter;
a sealing surface carried by the resilient body; and
a rigid coupling on the resilient body, the rigid coupling being adapted for
coupling the resilient body to a shaft, such that the shaft is able to
manipulate movement of
the resilient body;
connecting the coupling to a shaft;
inserting the valve member into a service opening of a plumbing system to be
pressure
tested, the service opening having a diameter that is smaller than the body
diameter of the
resilient body, such that the resilient body flexes while being inserted and
then resiliently
returns to the body diameter with the sealing surface sealing a pipe; and
decoupling the rigid coupling and the shaft after inserting the valve member.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising coupling the shaft to the rigid
coupling and
removing the valve member.

Description

CA 02553114 2006-07-18
1
TITLE
Resilient test valve member
FIELD
The present application relates to a valve member used in plumbing test
systems.
BACKGROUND
Canadian patent application no. 2,501,800 discloses an apparatus for testing a

plumbing system.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect there is provided a valve member for pressure testing
a
plumbing system, which includes a resilient body having a body diameter. The
resilient body
is adapted to elastically deform by when passing through a service opening
that is smaller
than the body diameter and then resiliently return to the body diameter. A
sealing surface is
carried by the resilient body. A rigid coupling is positioned on the resilient
body. The rigid
coupling is adapted for coupling the resilient body to a shaft, such that the
shaft is able to
manipulate movement of the resilient body.
According to another aspect there is provided a method of pressure testing a
plumbing
system. A valve member is provided, as described above. The valve member is
inserted into
a service opening of a plumbing system to be pressure tested. The service
opening has a
diameter that is smaller than the body diameter of the resilient body. The
resilient body flexes
while being inserted and then resiliently returns to the body diameter with
the sealing surface
sealing a pipe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features will become more apparent from the following
description in
which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the
purpose of
illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a rear plan view of the valve member.
FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the valve member.

CA 02553114 2006-07-18
2
FIG. 3 is a side plan view in section of the valve member with an alternative
sealing
surface.
FIG. 4 is a side plan view in section of the valve member with another
alternative
sealing surface.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the valve member being inserted through a service
opening.
FIG. 6 is a top view in section of the valve member installed in a housing.
FIG. 7 is a detailed side view in section of the housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A valve member for pressure testing a plumbing system generally identified by
reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 through
4. Valve
member 10 in combination with a housing, generally identified by reference
numeral 100,
will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and 6.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIG. 2, valve member 10 includes a resilient body 12, and a
sealing
surface 14 carried by resilient body 12. Alternative sealing surfaces may
include, referring to
FIG. 3, a ledge with a gasket 16, or, referring to FIG. 4, an embedded o-ring
18. Referring to
FIG. 1, a rigid coupling 20 on resilient body 12 allows resilient body 12 to
be coupled to a
shaft 22, such that shaft 22 is able to manipulate movement of resilient body
12. Rigid
coupling 20 includes rigid vanes 24 to ensure a proper connection between
coupling 20 and
body 12. Referring to FIG. 5, resilient body 12 is adapted to elastically
deform when passing
through a service opening 26 that is smaller than the diameter of resilient
body 12, and
resiliently return to the body diameter in a non-confining space, as shown in
FIG. 6.
Referring to FIG. 3, resilient body 12 has a convex first face 28 and a
concave second face
30, such that resilient body 12 deforms through a compression of the concave
second face 30
and a stretching of the convex first face 28. Referring to FIG. 6, convex
first face 28 and
concave second face 30 also provides structural support to resilient body 12
when sealing
against a surface, such as the outlet 32 within a housing 34, where resilient
body 12 is
installed such that fluid pressure builds from the inlet 36 against convex
first face 28.
Operation:

CA 02553114 2013-09-20
3
Referring to FIG. 1 through 4, valve member 10 is provided as described above.

Referring to FIG. 5 and 6, valve member 10 in combination with housing 34 is
provided as
described above, and generally indicated by reference numeral 100. Referring
to FIG. 1,
shaft 22 is connected to rigid coupling 20 to allow body 12 to be manipulated
by shaft 22.
Referring to FIG. 5, valve member 10 is then inserted into service opening 26
of a plumbing
system to be pressure tested. If service opening 26 has a diameter that is
smaller than the
body diameter of resilient body 12, resilient body 12 will flex while being
inserted, and then
resiliently returns to the body diameter as shown in FIG. 6 with sealing
surface 14 sealing a
pipe, or outlet 32 as shown. As shown, a slot 38 in housing 34 allows
resilient body 12 to
return to the body diameter. Referring to FIG. 7, to prevent glue from
entering slot 38 when
e.g. a riser pipe 40 with service opening 26 (shown in FIG. 5) is being
attached to housing 34,
a cap 42 is installed above slot 38. Cap 42 is shown to be inserted into holes
44. Once valve
member 10 is correctly positioned, shaft 22 may be decoupled to allow service
opening 26 to
be sealed. Flow may then be introduced through inlet 36, such that pressure
builds against
convex first face 28, causing sealing surface 14 to create a seal, and
allowing the plumbing
system to be tested. After testing, shaft 22 is recoupled to rigid coupling 20
and resilient body
12 may be removed using shaft 22.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting
sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
The scope of the following claims should not be limited by the preferred
embodiments
set forth in the examples above and in the drawings, but should be given the
broadest
interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Representative Drawing