Elastomeric check valve

A check valve for use between an air compressor and an air receiver that stores air, said check valve comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end connectable to the air compressor and an outlet end connectable to the air receiver, a face of said valve body at about said outlet end, and a valve cavity within said valve body extending between said inlet end and said outlet end;
• a valve pressure chamber in said valve cavity located at about said outlet end of said valve body;
• a valve assembly located at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly having a plug having at least a tapered section that increases in diameter in a direction that extends away from said inlet end;
• an edge of said pressure chamber located where an inside surface of said pressure chamber intersects said face at about said outlet end of said valve body;
• and
• said valve assembly including an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end of said valve body through said valve cavity and out said outlet end, said elastomeric seal being movable on said tapered section away from sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber in response to a cracking pressure produced within said pressure chamber.

A check valve for use between an air compressor and an air receiver that stores air, said check valve comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end connectable to the air compressor and an outlet end connectable to the air receiver, and a valve cavity within said valve body extending between said inlet end and said outlet end;
• a valve pressure chamber located in said valve cavity at about said outlet end of said valve body;
• a valve assembly mounted at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly having a plug having at least a tapered section that increases in diameter in a direction that extends away from said inlet end;
• an edge of said pressure chamber located at about said outlet end of said valve cavity;
• and
• said valve assembly including an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end of said valve body through said valve cavity and out said outlet end, said elastomeric seal being movable on said tapered section away from sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber in response to a cracking pressure produced within said pressure chamber.

A check valve for use in an air compressor comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end through which air enters said check valve, an outlet end through which air exits said check valve, a valve cavity within said valve body extending between about said inlet end and about said outlet end, and an inside chamfer in said valve cavity, said chamfer having a cross section that increases in diameter in a direction that is downstream from said inlet end of said valve body;
• a valve assembly located at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly including a plug having at least a tapered section, said tapered section having a cross section that increases in diameter in a direction that is downstream from said inlet end;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said inside chamfer of said valve body and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end out said outlet end;
• said valve assembly allowing air to flow downstream from said inlet and out said outlet end of said valve body when the air compressor produces an amount of air pressure necessary to create a force against said elastomeric seal that is sufficient to cause said seal to be located at a position away from said valve body along said tapered section and to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said seal;
• the portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said elastomeric seal contacts said chamfer, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of air flowing through the preselected clearance to be sufficient to continuously remove air from said valve cavity to prevent substantial accumulation of back pressure produced by the air compressor upstream of said valve when repeated cycles of the compression cylinder of said air compressor repeatedly cause said seal to be located at a position away from the valve body and create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said seal.

A check valve for use in an air compressor system that includes an air compressor having a compression cylinder, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end through which air enters said check valve and an outlet end through which air exits said check valve, and a valve cavity within said valve body extending between about said inlet end and about said outlet end;
• a valve assembly located at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly including a plug having at least a tapered section and a shaft, said plug extending across the diameter of said valve cavity at about said outlet end of said valve body, said tapered section having a cross section that increases in diameter in a direction that is downstream from said inlet end, said shaft including four separate air passages through which air can flow downstream from said inlet end of said valve body toward said outlet end;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said valve body and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end and out said outlet end;
• said valve assembly allowing air to flow downstream from said inlet and out said outlet end of said valve body when the air compressor produces an amount of air pressure necessary to create a force against said elastomeric seal that is sufficient to cause said seal to be located at a position away from said valve body along said tapered section and to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said seal;
• a pressure chamber that is the portion of said valve cavity that is located upstream of and about adjacent said elastomeric seal;
• said elastomeric seal having an outside surface area, said seal being positioned to allow more of said outside surface area to be exposed to air pressure produced by the air compressor when said elastomeric seal is not in the normal position and in sealing contact with said valve body than when said elastomeric seal is in the normal position and in sealing contact with said valve body;
• said tapered section including a restrictor to restrict further movement of said elastomeric seal in a direction that is downstream and away from said inlet end of said valve body when said elastomeric seal is separated from said valve body by a preselected valve clearance;
• and
• the portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said elastomeric seal contacts said valve body, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of air flowing through the preselected clearance to be sufficient to continuously remove air from said valve cavity to prevent substantial accumulation of back pressure produced by the air compressor upstream of said valve when repeated cycles of the compression cylinder of said air compressor repeatedly cause said seal to be located at a position away from the valve body and create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said seal.

A check valve for use between an air compressor and an air receiver that stores air, said check valve comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end connectable to the air compressor and an outlet end connectable to the air receiver, a face of said valve body at about said outlet end, and a valve cavity within said valve body extending between said inlet end and said outlet end;
• a valve pressure chamber located in said valve cavity at about the outlet end of said valve body;
• a valve assembly mounted at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly having a plug having at least a tapered section that increases in diameter in a direction that extends away from said inlet end, said plug extending across the diameter of said valve cavity at about said outlet end of said valve body and having at least an air passage to allow for air to pass therethrough;
• an edge of said pressure chamber located where an inside surface of said pressure chamber intersects said face at about the outlet end of said valve body;
• said valve assembly including an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end of said valve body through said valve cavity and out said outlet end, said elastomeric seal being movable on said tapered section away from sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber in response to a cracking pressure produced within said pressure chamber;
• the amount of air flowing from said inlet end out said outlet end of said valve body remains continuous when the compressor produces the clearance pressure and a preselected valve clearance exists between said elastomeric seal and said edge;
• and
• said tapered section having a restrictor to restrict further movement of said elastomeric seal in a direction that is away from said inlet end of said valve body when a preselected valve clearance exists between said elastomeric seal and said edge of said pressure chamber.

A check valve for use in an air compressor comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end through which air enters said check valve, an outlet end through which air exits said check valve, a valve cavity within said valve body extending between about said inlet end and about said outlet end, and an inside chamfer in said valve cavity, said chamfer having a cross section that increases in diameter in a direction that is downstream from said inlet end of said valve body;
• a valve assembly located at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly including a plug having at least a tapered section, and a shaft, said plug extending across the diameter of said valve cavity at about said outlet end of said valve body, said tapered section having a cross section that increases in diameter in a direction that is downstream from said inlet end, said shaft including four separate air passages through which air can flow downstream from said inlet end of said valve body toward said outlet end;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said inside chamfer of said valve body and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end out said outlet end;
• said valve assembly allowing air to flow downstream from said inlet and out said outlet end of said valve body when the air compressor produces an amount of air pressure necessary to create a force against said elastomeric seal that is sufficient to cause said seal to be located at a position away from said valve body along said tapered section and to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said seal;
• a pressure chamber that is the portion of said valve cavity that is located upstream of and about adjacent said elastomeric seal;
• said elastomeric seal having an outside surface area, said seal being positioned to allow more of said outside surface area to be exposed to air pressure produced by the air compressor when said elastomeric seal is not in the normal position and in sealing contact with said chamfer than when said elastomeric seal is in the normal position and in sealing contact with said chamfer;
• said tapered section including a restrictor to restrict further movement of said elastomeric seal in a direction that is downstream and away from said inlet end of said valve body when said elastomeric seal is separated from said chamfer by a preselected valve clearance;
• and
• the portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said elastomeric seal contacts said chamfer, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of air flowing through the preselected clearance continuous to be sufficient to continuously remove air from said valve cavity to prevent substantial accumulation of back pressure produced by the air compressor upstream of said valve when repeated cycles of the compression cylinder of said air compressor repeatedly cause said seal to be located at a position away from the valve body and create the preselected clearance between said valve body and said seal.

A check valve for use between an air compressor and an air receiver that stores air, said check valve comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end connectable to the air compressor and an outlet end connectable to the air receiver, and a valve cavity within said valve body extending between said inlet end and said outlet end;
• a valve pressure chamber located in said valve cavity at about the outlet end of said valve body;
• a valve assembly mounted at a position with respect to said valve cavity which enables said valve assembly to control the flow of air through said valve cavity, said valve assembly having a plug having at least a tapered section that increases in diameter in a direction that extends away from said inlet end, said plug extending across the diameter of said valve cavity at about said outlet end of said valve body, said plug having at least an air passage to allow for air to pass therethrough;
• an edge of said pressure chamber located at about said outlet end of said valve body;
• said valve assembly including an elastomeric seal that is mounted around said tapered section to reciprocate on said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said elastomeric seal to a normal position in sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber and said tapered section to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end of said valve body through said valve cavity and out said outlet end, said elastomeric seal being movable along said tapered section away from sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber in response to a cracking pressure produced within said pressure chamber;
• the air compressor being capable of producing at least a clearance pressure, that is greater than said cracking pressure, to move said elastomeric seal a distance away from the normal position to cause a preselected clearance between said elastomeric seal and said edge of said pressure chamber, the amount of air flowing from said inlet end out said outlet end of said valve body when said preselected clearance exists between said elastomeric seal and said edge remains continuous when the compressor produces the clearance pressure;
• a restrictor located on said tapered section to restrict further movement of said elastomeric seal in a direction that is away from said inlet end of said valve body when a preselected valve clearance exists between said elastomeric seal and said edge of said pressure chamber;
• and
• said elastomeric seal includes an outside surface area, said elastomeric seal being positioned to allow more of said outside surface area to be exposed to air pressure produced by the air compressor when said elastomeric seal is not in the normal position and in sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber than when said elastomeric seal is in the normal position and in sealing contact with said edge of said pressure chamber.