Check valve with integrated filter
AssigneeCareFusion 303, Inc.
InventorsRaymond P. Feith, Eugene Mason
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a check valve may include forming an upper housing as cylindrical body with (i) an internal surface including an upstream internal surface and a downstream internal surface having a projection and (ii) an external surface, forming a T-shaped filter member and mounting the T-shaped filter member in the internal surface of the upper housing. The method may further include forming a lower housing with a support portion at a central portion thereof, mounting a flexible valve member on the support portion, and coupling the upper housing with T-shaped filter member mounted therein onto the lower housing with flexible valve member mounted therein such that the T-shaped filter member is disposed upstream of the flexible valve member.
Claims20
A check valve, comprising:
- a lower housing comprising an outlet of the check valve, an upper housing comprising an inlet of the check valve and a projection, and a cavity formed between the upper and lower housings, wherein the projection comprises a distal end that extends into the cavity and toward the lower housing to form a sealing surface;
- a flexible valve member positioned in the cavity along a fluid pathway between the inlet and outlet of the check valve, wherein the flexible valve member is configured to permit a fluid flow along the fluid pathway in a first direction from the inlet of the check valve to the outlet of the check valve, and to resist a fluid flow along the fluid pathway in a second direction from the outlet of the check valve to the inlet of the check valve;
- and
- a filter member positioned along the fluid pathway between the inlet of the check valve and the flexible valve member.
A method of providing a check valve comprising:
- providing a housing comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and a cavity formed between the upper and lower portions of the housing, wherein the upper portion of the housing comprises an inlet of the check valve and a projection that extends into the cavity, the lower portion of the housing comprises an outlet of the check valve, and a fluid pathway extends through the inlet, the outlet, and the cavity;
- positioning a flexible valve member in the cavity along and along the fluid pathway, wherein the flexible valve member is engaged against the projection to permit a fluid flow along the fluid pathway in a first direction from the inlet to the outlet, and to resist a fluid flow along the fluid pathway in a second direction from the outlet to the inlet;
- and
- positioning a filter member along the fluid pathway between the inlet of the check valve and the flexible valve member to resist movement of undesirable matter toward the flexible valve member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.