Fluid valve

A fluid valve comprising:

• a housing having a chamber therein;
• means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber;
• a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked;
• an elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of said chamber and said valve element;
• spring means for biasing said valve element towards said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway, said spring means comprising a generally flat spring member having perpendicular appendages which extend into said inlet passageway and prevent said spring member from moving when said valve element is rotated;
• and securing means securing said sealing element to said housing peripherally around said outlet passageway for preventing said elastomeric sealing element from extruding into said outlet passageway under the pressure of said inlet fluid on said valve element, said elastomeric sealing element being sufficiently deformable, having a hardness of in the range of around 50 to around 60 durometer, such that under low fluid pressure said sealing element prevents fluid leakage into said outlet passageway when said valve element is in said closed position.

A fluid valve comprising:

• a housing having a chamber therein;
• means defining inlet and outlet passageways communicating with said chamber;
• a valve element disposed in said chamber rotatable generally about an axis between a closed position in which flow from said inlet passageway to said outlet passageway is blocked and an open position in which said flow is not blocked;
• a substantially annular elastomeric sealing element disposed about the periphery of said outlet passageway between the adjacent wall of said chamber and said valve element, the radial width of said elastomeric sealing element at its surface adjacent said valve element being less than the radial width of said elastomeric sealing element at its opposite surface adjacent the wall of said chamber, whereby the possibility of excessive friction between said valve element and said sealing element is minimized;
• spring means for biasing said valve element towards said sealing element in all positions of said valve element, said valve element being arranged so that said valve element is urged against said sealing element by the pressure of inlet fluid in all positions of said valve element whereby sealing between said valve element and said sealing element is enhanced by the fluid pressure at said inlet passageway;
• and securing means securing said sealing element to said housing peripherally around said outlet passageway for preventing said elastomeric sealing element for extruding into said outlet passageway under the pressure of said inlet fluid on said valve element, said securing means including a plurality of holes formed in said housing adjacent the periphery of said outlet passageway and a similar plurality of complementary protrusions formed integrally on said sealing element, said protrusions being disposed within said holes, said chamber having substantially smooth side wall surfaces in the area of said sealing element whereby said sealing element is prevented from moving relative to said housing substantially solely by the interaction of said protrusions and said holes.