# US 12,110,975 B2 · Valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,975 B2 - Document ID: US12110975B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/124,113 - Filed: 2023-03-21 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-23 - Assignees: Lee Ventus Ltd. - Applicants: Lee Ventus Ltd. - Inventors: James Samuel Bumby; Stuart Andrew Hatfield - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110975B2 ## CPC - F16K 15/144: {the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery} - F04B 53/1047: {the valve being formed by one or more flexible elements} - F16K 25/04: Arrangements for preventing erosion, not otherwise provided for - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract A valve for controlling fluid flow, the valve comprising: a first plate comprising a plurality of first holes extending through said first plate; a second plate comprising a plurality of second holes extending through said second plate, the second holes being substantially offset from the first holes of said first plate; wherein said first plate and said second plate are arranged to form a cavity therebetween in fluid communication with the first holes of said first plate and the second holes of said second plate; and a flap disposed and moveable between said first plate and said second plate, said flap having holes substantially offset from the first holes of said first plate and substantially aligned with the second holes of said second plate; wherein said flap is operable to be motivated between said first and second plates in response to a change in direction of differential pressure of the fluid across the valve; wherein said first plate comprises a coating disposed on a surface of the first plate; wherein the first plate comprises a plurality of clearance regions, substantially aligned with the holes of the flap, in which a thickness of the coating is reduced; and wherein each of the clearance regions defines a respective inner region in which a thickness of the coating is generally greater than its defining clearance region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve for controlling fluid flow, the valve comprising: a first plate comprising a plurality of first holes extending through said first plate; a second plate comprising a plurality of second holes extending through said second plate, the plurality of second holes being substantially offset from the plurality of first holes of said first plate; wherein said first plate and said second plate are arranged to form a cavity therebetween in fluid communication with the plurality of first holes of said first plate and the plurality of second holes of said second plate; and a flap disposed and moveable between said first plate and said second plate, said flap having holes substantially offset from the plurality of first holes of said first plate and substantially aligned with the plurality of second holes of said second plate; wherein said flap is operable to be motivated between said first and second plates in response to a change in direction of differential pressure of the fluid across the valve; wherein said first plate comprises a coating disposed on a surface of the first plate; wherein the first plate comprises a plurality of clearance regions, substantially aligned with the holes of the flap, in which a thickness of the coating is reduced; and wherein each of the plurality of clearance regions defines a respective inner region in which a thickness of the coating is generally greater than its defining clearance region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of clearance regions are arranged to inhibit contact between edges of the holes of the flap and the coating. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of clearance regions are arranged to inhibit contact between edges of the holes of the flap and the coating during formation of the holes of the flap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein each of the clearance regions is substantially aligned with a respective hole of the flap and shaped to complement said respective hole of the flap. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The valve of claim 4, wherein the respective hole of the flap is substantially circular in shape and wherein each clearance region is substantially annular in shape to complement the respective hole of the flap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the coating in the inner region is substantially the same as the thickness of the coating outside of the clearance region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein, for each clearance region, an outer diameter of the clearance region is greater than a diameter of a respective hole of the flap with which the clearance region is substantially aligned. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein, for each inner region, a diameter of the inner region is less than a diameter of a respective hole of the flap with which the inner region is aligned. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein, in each clearance region, the thickness of the coating is zero. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein each inner region comprises at least one island of coating isolated from a rest of the coating by its defining clearance region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the coating is less hard than the flap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the coating is arranged to control the distribution of one or more forces asserted on said flap when said flap impacts or is in contact with said first plate by controlling areas of the flap over which said forces are asserted to inhibit wear of said flap at said areas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The valve of claim 12, wherein said areas of the flap over which said forces are asserted are areas of said flap that impact or contact regions of said first plate adjacent said first holes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the coating extends at least partially into the plurality of first holes of said first plate to cover at least part of an internal surface of the plurality of first holes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the coating is at least one of the following: less than 100 μm, less than 10 μm, and around 4 μm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises one of the following: a polymer, a soft polymeric material, and Parylene. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein each clearance region lies between the plurality of first holes in the first plate such that the coating surrounds the plurality of first holes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The valve of claim 1, wherein each clearance region comprises one or more separate sub-regions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A pump comprising at least one valve according to claim 1. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method of providing a first plate for a valve according to claim 1, the method comprising: applying the coating onto the surface of said first plate; at least partially removing the coating in each of the plurality of clearance regions of the first plate to form the plurality of clearance regions, substantially aligned with the holes of the flap, in which a thickness of the coating is reduced; and retaining the coating in each inner region defined by a respective clearance region of the plurality of clearance regions, in order that a thickness of the coating is generally greater in each inner region than its defining clearance region of the plurality of clearance regions.