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US 2008/0173359 A1Published application
Valve Assembly
AssigneeOatey Co.
InventorMichael W. Minnick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly for plumbing installations. The valve assembly has a unitary valve body with three interconnected ports and a fluid control mechanism. Connector portions are formed about each port of the unitary valve body to thereby enable connection of the valve assembly into a fluid supply line and for connecting an appliance and various devices and fluid lines to the valve assembly. The fluid control mechanism of the valve assembly is constructed to direct fluid through the valve body and to enable the fluid flow to be shut off.
Claims20
A valve assembly comprising:
- a) a unitary valve body having a first valve chamber with a first plurality of ports and a second valve chamber with a second plurality of ports, each said valve chamber having a specified volume, said first and second plurality of ports each including opposing ports;
- b) annular seals positioned about each said opposing ports in said first and second valve chambers to thereby form opposing sealed ports;
- c) first and second valve elements, each having a fluid blocking portion, said first and second valve elements disposed for rotation between said annular seals in said first and second valve chambers;
- and
- d) a fluid control member connected to said first and second valve elements to selectively move said fluid blocking portion of said first and second valve elements with respect to one of said opposing sealed ports in said first and second valve chambers.
2 more elements
A valve assembly comprising:
- a) a unitary valve body having a first portion with a first valve chamber and having three ports, a mid portion and a second portion with a second valve chamber and having three ports, one of said ports in said first and second valve chambers being a sealed port;
- b) a first rotatable valve element positioned in said first valve chamber and having a flow blocking portion and communicating channels therethrough and being constructed and arranged to align with said three ports of said first portion of said valve body;
- c) a second rotatable valve element positioned in said second valve chamber and having a flow blocking portion and communicating channels therethrough and being constructed and arranged to align with said three ports of said second portion of said valve body;
- and
- d) a fluid control member operative in said mid portion of said valve body and being connected to said first and second valve elements to selectively move said communicating channels and said flow blocking portions of said first and second valve elements simultaneously with respect to said sealed port of said first and second valve chambers of said valve body to control fluid flow therethrough.
2 more elements
A valve assembly comprising:
- a) a unitary valve body having a first and a second internal cavity and at least three ports extending from each said first and second internal cavity, said first and second at least three ports being defined by openings in said first and second internal cavities of said valve body, said first and second internal cavities each having a predetermined volume and an interior wall having a rear wall portion with an opening and having an annular washer thereagainst;
- b) a stem member and first and second movable ball valve elements mounted on said stem member for rotation in said first and second internal cavities of said valve body, each said ball valve element having a flow blocking portion, one said valve body port having an annular sealing element positioned against said interior wall in said internal cavity and forming one sealed port opposite said annular washer against said opening in said rear wall portion, each said ball valve element being disposed in each said internal cavity between said one sealed port and said annular washer against said rear wall portion, whereby said flow blocking portion of each said movable valve element is arranged in each said internal cavity to block flow to or from each said one sealed port, each said ball valve element having a volume smaller than said predetermined volume of each said internal cavity to thereby allow fluid flow through each said internal cavity and freely around each said ball valve element between the other of said valve body ports;
- and
- c) a lever on the exterior of said unitary valve body, said lever being connected to said stem member to selectively rotate and move said flow blocking portions of said first and second ball valve elements with respect to each said sealing element of said one sealed port in each said valve chamber, whereby said valve assembly controls fluid flow at said one sealed port and allows free fluid flow around said ball valve element between the other ports in said first and second valve chambers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.