US 8,944,098 B1Granted

Airflow restricting valve assembly

OwnerJuan Carlos Bocos, Juan Carlos Bocos Vilarinventors

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Abstract

A valve assembly is disposed within a water supply line upstream of a water meter or other delivery location and is structured to eliminate or significantly reduce the passage of air there through to the upstream location. A valve body includes a sealing portion sealing disposed within the supply line and in interruptive, exposed relation to a path of fluid flow there through. One or more valve members are biased into sealing relation to a plurality of valve seat openings formed in the sealing portion. A sufficient, predetermined biasing force is exerted on the valve members to maintain them into a sealing orientation with the valve seats, thereby preventing the opening of the valve members until a sufficient water pressure is exerted thereon by a flow water, from which the air has been removed, along the path of fluid flow. As a result, air included within the water flow supply line will be compressed and/or displaced and substantially prevented from passing independently or mixed with the flow of water downstream of the valve body.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A valve assembly structured to reduce the delivery of air to a downstream location in a water supply line, said valve assembly comprising:

a valve body disposed along and at least partially defining a path of fluid flow within the water supply line,
said valve body including a sealing portion disposed in an exposed, interruptive and at least partially sealing relation to said path of fluid flow,
at least one valve member movably disposed on said valve body between a sealing orientation and an open orientation relative to said sealing portion and in exposed relation to fluid passing along said path of fluid flow,
said valve body further including a biasing assembly disposed and structured to exert a predetermined force on said at least one valve member, and
said predetermined force being sufficient to dispose and maintain said at least one valve member into said sealing orientation relative to said sealing portion when said at least one valve member is subjected to a combined air pressure and water pressure existing within said path of fluid flow;
said valve body including a plurality of valve members and a plurality of openings formed in said sealing portion, said plurality of openings extending through said sealing portion in communicating relation with said upstream and downstream sides of said sealing portion, said plurality of valve members movably disposed between said sealing orientation and said open orientation relative to a plurality of valve seats and in direct exposed, interruptive relation to said path of fluid flow;
said valve body further including a retaining structure fixedly interconnecting said plurality of valve members and movable therewith at least between said sealed and open orientations;
said biasing assembly being interconnected to said retaining structure in biasing relation concurrently to each of said plurality of valve members;
and
a stabilizing assembly connected to said sealing portion in movement restricting relation to said plurality of valve members;
said stabilizing assembly disposed and structured to maintain a predetermined position of said plurality of valve members upon movement thereof between said sealed and open orientations.

8 more elements

A valve assembly structured to reduce the delivery of air to a downstream location in a water supply line, said valve assembly comprising:

a valve body disposed along and at least partially defining a path of fluid flow in the water supply line,
said valve body including a sealing portion disposed in sealing relation to the water supply line and exposed relation to said path of fluid flow therein,
said valve body comprising a plurality of valve members and a plurality of openings formed in said sealing portion, said plurality of openings extending through said sealing portion in fluid communication with opposite sides thereof;
each of said plurality of openings defining a valve seat for a correspondingly disposed one of said plurality of valve members,
said plurality of valve members movably disposed between a sealing orientation and an open orientation relative to said plurality of valve seats and further disposed in direct exposed relation to fluid passing along said path of fluid flow;
said sealing orientation comprising said plurality of valve members disposed in sealing engagement with said plurality of valve seats;
said open orientation comprising said plurality of valve members disposed in spaced, non-sealing relation to said plurality of valve seats;
said valve body including a biasing assembly disposed and structured to exert a predetermined biasing force on said plurality of valve members,
said predetermined biasing force being sufficient to dispose and maintain said plurality of valve members in said sealing orientation when said plurality of valve members are subjected to a combined air and water pressure of said path of fluid flow, and
a stabilizing assembly connected to said sealing portion in at least partially movement restricting relation to said plurality of valve members;
said stabilizing assembly disposed and structured to maintain a predetermined orientation of said plurality of valve members upon movement thereof between said sealed and open orientations.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.