Valved discharge mechanism of a fluid displacement apparatus

A discharge valve assembly for use in a fluid displacement apparatus having a suction chamber and a discharge chamber on one side of a valve plate, a compression chamber on the other side of said valve plate, and a passage formed in said valve plate extending between said compression chamber and said discharge chamber, said passage having an open end through which discharge fluid flows, said assembly comprising:

• a valve limiting means secured to said valve plate for limiting bending movement of a valve member;
• wherein
• said valve member is disposed on said valve plate and has a spring constant causing said passage to remain blocked until pressure in said compression chamber reaches a predetermined value, said valve member having a flat portion spaced apart from the passage and a curved portion extending from the flat portion and extending entirely across the passage and being bent away from said valve plate so as to reside throughout its extent in an intermediate position between said valve limiting means and said valve plate in the absence of any pressure differential between said compression and discharge chambers.