GB2219844A - One way valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A one way valve comprises a hollow conically shaped body 11 which is open at its major diameter and is adapted to be supported within a conduit whereby communication past the valve body is provided by a number of relatively large openings 14 arranged around the walls of the cone, a conically shaped elastomeric insert closed at its apex having its walls formed as flaps 16 the number of flaps corresponding to the number of openings, said valve member being secured by its apex 15 to the body 11 such that the flaps overlie said openings, each flap being biassed into engagement with said valve body to sealingly close said openings. Protruberances 18 support the flaps in the event of excessive back pressure. <IMAGE>

Description

VALVE THIS INVENTION relates to one way or non return valves and applies in particular to those valves comprising a hollow substantially conically shaped rigid seat with apertures formed through its conical wall and which accommodates within it a flexible conical shaped valve member whereby the apex of the cone of the valve is directed upstream in the fluid flow.

The invention comprises an improvement of the form of valve disclosed in Australian patent specification 496203.

In one form the invention resides in a one way valve comprising a hollow conically shaped body which is open at its major diameter and is adapted to be supported within a conduit whereby communication past the valve body is provided by a number of relatively large openings arranged around the walls of the cone, a conically shaped elastomeric valve means closed at its apex having its walls formed as flaps, the number of flaps corresponding to the number of openings, said valve member being secured by its apex to the body such that said flaps overlie said openings, each flap being biassed into engagement with said valve body to sealingly close the openings.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the biassing means comprises a web interconnecting the adjacent flaps.

According to an alternative preferred feature the biassing means comprises a gusset formed on the inner face of each flap and extending to the apex of the valve member.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention each opening is provided with a protruberance extending from one side of the opening to support the outer face of the flap remote from the apex when in abutment with the inner face of the body In another form the invention resides in a one way valve comprising a hollow conically shaped body which is open at its major diameter and is adapted to be supported within a conduit whereby communication past the valve body is provided by a number of relatively large openings arranged around the walls of the body, a conically shaped elastomeric insert closed at its apex having its walls formed as flaps the number of flaps corresponding to the number of openings, said valve member being secured within the body by its apex such that said flaps overlie said openings each opening being provided with a protruberance extending from one side of the opening to support the outer face of the flap remote from the apex when in abutment with the inner face of the body.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the foliowing description of two specific embodiments.

The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve according to both of the embodiments; Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the embodiment Figure 3 is an end elevation of a valve member of the valve member according to the first embodiment in its normal at rest position; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the valve member of the first embodiment in its collapsed position; Figure 5 is an end elevation of the valve member according to the second embodiment at its normal at rest open position; and Figure 6 is an end elevation of the valve member of the second embodiment in its collapsed position.

The embodiment is directed to a one way valve comprising a hollow conical body 11 which is formed at its base with a radially directed flange 12 which is intended to be located between the ends of a pair of flanged pipes 13.

The sides of the conical body 11 are formed with three large openings 14 whereby the base of the openings are substantially co-planar with the adjacent face of the flange 12. The interior of the body supports a substantially conical valve member having a subst.antially conical support at the apex 15 adapted to be fixed to the apex of the body and supporting three flaps 16 which form the side walls of the conical member whereby the configuration of the flaps 16 correspond substantially with the configuration of the openings 14 and whereby the dimensions of the flaps 16 are larger in order that they overlie the openings 14.The valve member 15 is formed of a suitable elastomeric material such as rubber polyurethane or like elastomeric material in order that the flaps or extensions have an innate resilience in order that they are biassed into engagement with the apertures 14 of the body 11. Each of the flaps or extensions have embedded therein a rigid reinforcing plate element which may be formed of steel or like material to prevent the distortion of the flaps when in engagement with the openings 14 and subjected to the influence of back pressure.

In the first embodiment shown at figures 3 and 4 the flaps 16 are interconnected at their sides by webs 18 which are of a reduced thickness and extend for only a portion of the lengths of the flaps 16. The webs are intended to lie against the inner face of the hollow body 11 when in the at rest position at which position the valve is closed. On the flaps or extensions being caused to move inwardly under the influence of forward fluid flow through the pipes 13 the web members are caused to be resiliently distorted and compressed by such inward movement of the flaps 16 and such resilient distortion and compression serves to bias the flaps 16 into engagement with the openings. This biassing force provides for positive closure of the valve under still conditions.In addition the biassing is effected by utilisation of the natural resilience of the elastomeric material and is not reliant on a separate element which may be formed of a material reactive to the fluid flowing through the valve and which requires separate manufacture and fitting. As shown at figure 3 the lengths of the webs from the apex 15 of the valve member may vary whereby the axial extent of one web member 18a is greater than the other two 18b and 18c. Such variation in length results in the one web 18a collapsing least and being supported more than other webs 18b and 18c under the influence of fluid pressure to cause an asymmetric collapse of the valve member as shown at figure 3 which increases the cross sectional area available for fluid flow through the valve.If desired each of the webs may be of a differing length in order that each of the webs may be distorted differently to increase the cross sectional area available for fluid flow through the valve.

If desired the webs may be of varying thickness instead or in addition to a variation in the length.

The second embodiment shown at figures 5 and 6 is of similar form to the first embodiment with the exception of the webs utilises a valve member which is formed with an inwardly directed boss 19 at the inner face of the apex 15. In addition the inner face of each flap 16 is formed with a longitudinal gusset 20 which extends from the boss 19 along the inner face of each extension or flap. The position on each flap of the gussets is offset from the central axis of each flap 16 in order that the support provided to the flap is assymetric or off centre. As a result of such assymetric support each flap 16 will collapse in an assymmetric manner in relation to the central axis of the valve in the manner shown at figure 5 to increase the cross sectional area available for fluid flow through the valve. If desired the gussets may be of differing length and/or width to apply differing biassing forces in the flaps.

In order to provide support for the flaps 16 of each of the embodiments in the region of the base of the opening 14 in the event of an excessive back pressure each opening is formed with a protruberance 18 located on the base of the opening 14 and extending from the base across the opening for a short distance. The inner radial face 19 of the protruberance is intended to be aligned with the normal position of the outer face of the flap 16 when in engagement with the opening 14 while the outer radial face 20 of the protruberance is intended to lie in close abutting relationship with the inner face of the pipe 13 accommodating the valve. The axial end face 21 of the protruberance remote from the flange 12 is inclined inwardly from the outer radial face 20 in the direction of the central axis in order that any fibrous or web material which may become engaged with the protruberance 18 will be caused to move with the fluid stream out of such engagement on the opening of the valve members. Since the free radial side of the flap has the least support provided to it by the sides of the opening the protruberance 18 serves in providing such support as well as support to the central portion of the flap.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiment described above.

Claims (10)

1. A one way valve comprising a hollow conically shaped body which is open at its major diameter and is adapted to be supported within a conduit whereby communication past the valve body is provided by a number of relatively large openings arranged around the walls of the cone, a conically shaped elastomeric insert closed at its apex having its walls formed as flaps the number of flaps corresponding to the number of openings, said valve member being secured by its apex to the body such that the flaps overlie said openings each flap being biassed into engagement with said valve body to sealingly close said openings.

2. A valve as claimed at claim 1 wherein the biassing means comprises a web interconnecting the adjacent flaps.

3. A valve as claimed at claim 1 wherein the biassing means comprises a gusset formed on the inner face of each flap and extending to the apex of the valve member.

4. A valve as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the biassing force applied to each flap by the biassing means may be different.

5. A valve as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the biassing force applied to each flap may be asymmetrical in its application.

6. A valve as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein each opening is provided with a protruberance extending from one side of the opening to support the outer face of the flap remote from the apex when in abutment with the inner face of the body.

7. A one way valve comprising a hollow conically shaped body which is open at its major diameter and is adapted to be supported within a conduit whereby communication past the body is provided by a number of relatively large openings arranged around the walls of the body, a conically shaped elastomeric valve member closed at its apex having its walls formed as flaps, the number of flaps corresponding to the number of openings, said valve member being secured to the body by its apex such that said flaps create said openings, each opening being provided with a protruberance extending from one side of the opening to support the outer face of the flap remote from the apex when in abutment with the inner faces of the body.

8. A valve as claimed at claim 8 or 9 wherein the outer radial face of the protruberance is to be located in abutment with the inner face of the pipe.

9. A valve as claimed at claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein the axial upstream face of the protruberance is inclined radially inwardly.

10. A one way valve substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.