Diaphragm valve

A diaphragm valve, comprising:

• a valve body in the form of a cylinder defining a center line and having a passageway defined by a length axis, said valve body having a cross section which is substantially uniform from end to end in a direction of the length axis, said valve body formed with an opening which communicates with an interior space of the valve body and has a three-dimensional curved configuration, said opening traversing a cylinder wall of the valve body;
• a diaphragm supported by a holder of the valve body, with the holder bounding the opening of the valve body in surrounding relationship on an outside of the valve body and following a contour of the opening so as to have a configuration in the shape of a saddle in a direction of the length axis of the passageway, said holder being sized to extend to the center line of the valve body;
• and
• a compressor for moving the diaphragm on the holder between a closing position in which the diaphragm is forced through the opening to bar a flow of fluid through the passageway as the diaphragm is caused by the compressor to seal a valve seat formed by the cylinder wall of the valve body, and an open position in which the diaphragm covers the opening by substantially complementing the cylindrical configuration of the valve body to thereby enable a flow of fluid through the passageway substantially without narrowing the cross section of the passageway.