Spring actuated check valve

A check valve for use in a fluid system that includes a fluid pump for moving a fluid, said check valve comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end through which fluid enters said check valve and an outlet end through which fluid 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 fluid through said valve cavity, said valve assembly including a plug having at least a tapered section and a non-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 a sealing ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said non-tapered section;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric actuation ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said actuation ring to a normal position where said actuation ring contacts and positions said sealing ring in contact with said valve body and said valve assembly to prevent fluid from flowing downstream from said inlet end and out said outlet end;
• said valve assembly allowing fluid to flow downstream from said inlet and out said outlet end of said valve body when the fluid pump produces an amount of fluid pressure necessary to create a force against said sealing ring that is sufficient to cause said sealing ring to exert a force against said actuation ring and to cause said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring;
• and
• a portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said sealing ring contacts said valve body, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of the fluid flowing through said preselected clearance to be sufficient to continuously remove fluid from said valve cavity to prevent substantial accumulation of back pressure produced by the fluid pump upstream of said valve when continuous operation of the fluid pump repeatedly causes said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body and create said preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring.

A check valve for use in an air compressor system that includes an air compressor having a compression cylinder, said check valve 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 non-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 sealing ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said non-tapered section;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric actuation ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said actuation ring to a normal position where said actuation ring contacts and positions said sealing ring in contact with said valve body and valve assembly to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end and out said outlet end;
• and
• said valve assembly allowing air to flow downstream from said inlet end 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 sealing ring that is sufficient to cause said sealing ring to exert a force against said actuation ring and to cause said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring.

A check valve for use in an air compressor system that includes an air compressor having a compression cylinder, said check valve 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 non-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 sealing ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said non-tapered section;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric actuation ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said actuation ring to a normal position where said actuation ring contacts and positions said sealing ring in contact with said valve body and said valve assembly 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 sealing ring that is sufficient to cause said sealing ring to exert a force against said actuation ring and to cause said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring;
• and
• a portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said sealing ring contacts said valve body, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of the air flowing through said 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 sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body and create the preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring.

A check valve for use in a fluid system that includes a fluid pump for moving a fluid, said check valve comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet end through which fluid enters said check valve and an outlet end through which fluid 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 fluid through said valve cavity, said valve assembly including a plug having at least a tapered section and a non-tapered section, said plug having a shaft that includes four separate fluid passages through which fluid can flow downstream from said inlet end of said valve body through said valve cavity to said outlet end, 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 a sealing ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said non-tapered section;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric actuation ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said actuation ring to a normal position where said actuation ring contacts and positions said sealing ring in contact with said valve body and said valve assembly to prevent fluid from flowing downstream from said inlet end and out said outlet end;
• an edge at about said outlet end of said valve body, said sealing ring being biased to contact said valve body at said edge when said actuation ring is in the normal position;
• a pressure chamber that is the portion of said valve cavity that is located upstream of and about adjacent said sealing ring;
• said valve assembly allowing fluid to flow downstream from said inlet and out said outlet end of said valve body when the fluid pump produces an amount of fluid pressure necessary to create a force against said sealing ring that is sufficient to cause said sealing ring to exert a force against said actuation ring and to cause said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring, said preselected clearance being sufficiently large to allow a process flow of fluid from said inlet end through said outlet end of said valve body when the fluid pump produces a clearance pressure;
• said tapered section including a restrictor to restrict further movement of said actuation ring in a direction that is downstream and away from said inlet end of said valve body when said sealing ring is separated from said valve body by said preselected clearance there between;
• said sealing ring including an outside surface area, said sealing ring seal being positioned to allow more of said outside surface area to be exposed to fluid pressure produced by the fluid pump when said actuation ring is not in the normal position and when said sealing ring is not in sealing contact with said valve body than when said actuation ring is in the normal position and when said sealing ring is in sealing contact with said valve body;
• said valve body having an inside chamfer in said valve cavity, said valve cavity having a diameter at said chamfer that increases in size in a downstream direction, said sealing ring being biased to contact said valve body at said chamfer when said actuation ring is in the normal position;
• and
• a portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said sealing ring contacts said valve body, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of the fluid flowing through said preselected clearance to be sufficient to continuously remove fluid from said valve cavity to prevent substantial accumulation of back pressure produced by the fluid pump upstream of said valve when continuous operation of the fluid pump repeatedly causes said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body and create said preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring.

A check valve for use in an air compressor system that includes an air compressor having a compression cylinder, said check valve 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 non-tapered section, said plug having a shaft that includes four separate fluid passages through which air can flow downstream from said inlet end of said valve body through said valve cavity to said outlet end, 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 a sealing ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said non-tapered section;
• said valve assembly having an elastomeric actuation ring that is mounted to reciprocate at least along said tapered section, said tapered section biasing said actuation ring to a normal position where said actuation ring contacts and positions said sealing ring in contact with said valve body and said valve assembly to prevent air from flowing downstream from said inlet end and out said outlet end;
• an edge at about said outlet end of said valve body, said sealing ring being biased to contact said valve body at said edge when said actuation ring is in the normal position;
• a pressure chamber that is the portion of said valve cavity that is located upstream of and about adjacent said sealing ring;
• 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 sealing ring that is sufficient to cause said sealing ring to exert a force against said actuation ring and to cause said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body to create a preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring, said preselected clearance being sufficiently large to allow a process flow of air from said inlet end through said outlet end of said valve body when the air compressor produces a clearance pressure;
• said tapered section including a restrictor to restrict further movement of said actuation ring in a direction that is downstream and away from said inlet end of said valve body when said sealing ring is separated from said valve body by said preselected clearance there between;
• said sealing ring including an outside surface area, said sealing ring seal being positioned to allow more of said outside surface area to be exposed to air pressure produced by the air compressor when said actuation ring is not in the normal position and when said sealing ring is not in sealing contact with said valve body than when said actuation ring is in the normal position and when said sealing ring is in sealing contact with said valve body;
• said valve body having an inside chamfer in said valve cavity, said valve cavity having a diameter at said chamfer that increases in size in a downstream direction, said sealing ring being biased to contact said valve body at said chamfer when said actuation ring is in the normal position;
• and
• a portion of said valve cavity, between about said inlet end and about the location where said sealing ring contacts said valve body, having a minimum cross sectional area that allows the pressure of the air flowing through said 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 continuous operation of the air compressor repeatedly causes said sealing ring to be located at a position away from said valve body and create said preselected clearance between said valve body and said sealing ring.