US 3,943,971 AGranted

Diverter valve

AssigneeHancor, Inc.

InventorJohn D. Schmunk

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Abstract

The specification and drawings disclose a valve assembly particularly suited for use in septic systems for diverting flow from a single inlet to either of two separate outlets. The disclosed valve comprises a relatively thin-walled, blow molded plastic housing which defines a valve chamber having an inlet and two outlets. Valve seats are formed integrally in the housing by the transition surface between the walls of the valve chamber and the outlets. A blow molded plastic valve element is provided which is adapted to be placed in the valve chamber to selectively close off either of the outlets. The valve element includes a hollow, generally wedge-shaped plastic body having a generally conically shaped sealing surface extending outwardly from one side thereof. Boss-like protuberances are provided in the valve chamber adjacent the outlets for releasably holding the valve element in position adjacent the selected outlet. The protuberances are such that the valve element can be manually snapped into and out of position. Additionally, the protuberances are located such that when the valve element is in position adjacent the outlet, the conical sealing surface is slightly deflected by the seats to increase the sealing pressure.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A diverter valve comprising:

a housing having a continuous side wall, a bottom wall and a top wall defining a hollow valve chamber, said housing including an inlet opening and said side wall including at least two spaced apart outlet openings with said inlet and outlet openings communicating from outside said housing with said chamber, said top wall including a valve element receiving opening and said housing further having a valve seat disposed around each of said at least two outlet openings;
a valve element receivable in said chamber through said element receiving opening and movable through said receiving opening between separate spaced blocking positions in said chamber for selectively blocking at least one of said outlets and allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and the other of said outlets, said valve element comprising a body having top and bottom portions and front and rear face portions, said front face portion having an outwardly extending generally conically shaped resilient sealing surface;
and,
valve element locating and retaining means disposed in said chamber for releasably retaining said valve element in said separate blocking positions, said locating and retaining means being located such that when said valve element is in a blocking position with said at least one outlet, said resilient sealing surface is deflected by the valve seat associated with said at least one outlet.

1 more element

A diverter valve comprising:

a housing having a continuous side wall, a bottom wall and a top wall defining a hollow valve chamber, said housing including an outlet opening and said side wall including first and second spaced apart outlet openings with said inlet and outlet openings communicating from outside said housing with said chamber, said top wall having a valve element receiving opening and said housing further including a valve seat disposed around each of said outlet openings;
a valve element comprised of a body having top and bottom portions and front and rear face portions, said front face portion having an outwardly extending generally conically shaped resilient sealing surface, said valve element being insertable through said receiving opening into a first blocking position blocking said first outlet while allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and said second outlet, said valve element being selectively movable through said receiving opening from said first blocking position to a separate second blocking position blocking said second outlet while allowing communication through said chamber between said inlet and said first outlet;
and,
valve element locating and retaining means disposed in said chamber and associated with said first and second outlets for releasably retaining said valve element in said separate first and second blocking positions, said locating and retaining means being located such that when said valve element is in one of said blocking positions, said resilient sealing surface is deflected by the valve seat associated with the outlet being blocked.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.