Check valve with secondary backflow seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248719-B2
Application number	US-202016842664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2020
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

Check valve are disclosed having a primary seal and a secondary seal, where the primary and secondary seals resist movement of a fluid through the check valve, and the secondary seal can provide a backup seal in an instance where the check valve does not function as intended. The primary and secondary seals can be formed by first and second sealing ridges, respectively, and a valve body can be positioned within the check valve, between a valve support, the first sealing ridge, and a second sealing ridge. The valve body is configured to move relative to the first and second sealing ridges, and can have a position wherein a portion of the valve body is engaged against any of the first and second sealing ridges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A check valve comprising:
a housing comprising an inner cavity, a first port, and a second port, wherein an upstream fluid passageway extends through the first port to the inner cavity, and a downstream fluid passageway extends through the second port to the inner cavity;
a first sealing ridge, extending from the housing in a first direction into the inner cavity, and comprising a perimeter that extends around the first port;
a second sealing ridge, extending from the housing in the first direction into the inner cavity, and comprising a perimeter that extends around the upstream fluid passageway such that the first seal ridge is between the first port and the second seal ridge;
a valve support comprising a valve support surface; and
a valve body positioned within the inner cavity, the valve body comprising a first portion that is moveable in the first direction away from the first sealing ridge, and in a second direction toward the first sealing ridge, a second portion that is moveable, relative to the first portion, in the first direction away from the second sealing ridge, and in the second direction toward the second sealing ridge, and third portion is engaged against the valve support surface.

2. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the first sealing ridge comprises a first diameter and the perimeter of the second sealing ridge comprises a second diameter, the second diameter being larger than the first diameter.

3. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein, a distance between the first sealing ridge and the first portion of the valve body is less than a distance between the second sealing ridge and the second portion of the valve body.

4. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein the first sealing ridge comprises a length extending toward the first portion of the valve body, and the second sealing ridge comprises a length extending toward the second portion of the valve body, and wherein the length of the second sealing ridge is greater than the length of the first sealing ridge.

5. The check valve of claim 4 , wherein any of the first and the second sealing ridges comprise a width that tapers along the length thereof.

6. The check valve of claim 5 , wherein the width of any of the first and the second sealing ridges tapers away from the housing.

7. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the valve body is flexible.

8. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve body comprises a disk shape having a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the top surface comprises the first and second portions of the valve body, and the bottom surface comprises the third portion of the valve body.

9. The check valve of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the top surface comprises a convex surface, and at least a portion of the bottom surface comprises a concave surface.

10. The check valve of claim 1 , further comprising a wall that extends into the upstream fluid passageway to resist movement of the valve body out of the inner cavity.

11. The check valve of claim 10 , wherein the wall extends from the housing into the upstream fluid passageway.

12. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein a plane defined by an apex of the second sealing ridge is between a plane defined by an apex of the first sealing ridge and a plane defined by the valve support surface.

13. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein a plane defined by an apex of the second sealing ridge and is spaced apart from a plane defined by an apex of the first sealing ridge.

14. A check valve comprising:
a housing comprising an inner cavity, a first port, and a second port, wherein an upstream fluid passageway extends through the first port to the inner cavity, and a downstream fluid passageway extends through the second port to the inner cavity;
a first sealing ridge, extending from the housing in a first direction into the inner cavity, and comprising a perimeter that extends around the first port;
a second sealing ridge, extending from the housing in the first direction into the inner cavity, and comprising a perimeter that extends around the upstream fluid passageway such that the first seal ridge is between the first port and the second seal ridge; and
a valve body positioned within the inner cavity and comprising a first closed position, wherein a first portion of the valve body is engaged against the first sealing ridge, and a second portion of the valve body is spaced apart from the second sealing ridge in the first direction, an open position, wherein the first and second portions of the valve body are spaced apart from the first and second sealing ridges in the first direction, respectively, and a second closed position, wherein at least a portion of the first portion of the valve body is engaged against the first sealing ridge and the second portion of the valve body is engaged against the second sealing ridge.

15. The check valve of claim 14 , wherein the valve body is in the first closed position when (i) a fluid pressure at the upstream fluid passageway is at a first pressure and the fluid pressure at the downstream fluid passageway is at a second pressure, and wherein the first and second pressures are approximately equal, and (ii) when the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

16. The check valve of claim 15 , wherein the valve body is in the second closed position when the fluid pressure at the downstream fluid passageway is at a third pressure, which is greater than the first and second pressures.

17. The check valve of claim 15 , wherein the valve body is in the open position when the first pressure is greater than the second pressure.

18. The check valve of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the valve body is flexible such that, in the open position, the first portion of the valve body is biased away from the first sealing ridge.

19. The check valve of claim 18 , wherein, in the second closed position, the second portion of the valve body is biased toward the second sealing ridge.

20. A method of controlling flow comprising:
providing a check valve defining an inner cavity with a fluid passageway extending therethrough, a first sealing ridge extending into the inner cavity in a first direction, and a second sealing ridge extending into the inner cavity in the first direction; and
providing a valve body within the inner cavity in a first closed position such that a first portion of the valve body is engaged against the first sealing ridge to resist movement of a fluid between upstream and downstream portions of the fluid passageway, and a second portion of valve body is spaced apart from the second sealing ridge in the first direction;
wherein the valve body is moveable to a second closed position such that at least a portion of the first portion of the valve body is engaged against the first sealing ridge and the second portion of the valve body moves in a second direction toward and engages the second sealing ridge, wherein the second portion is movable relative to the first portion.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the valve body is moveable to an open configuration wherein the first and second portions of the valve body are spaced apart from the first and second sealing ridges, respectively, to permit a fluid to move between the upstream and downstream portions of the fluid passageway.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein providing the valve body within the inner cavity comprises positioning the valve body between a valve support an

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Maleki Shervin
• Mason Eugene
• Feith Raymond P

Classifications

• Y10T137/7867

  Sequential · CPC title

• A61M39/24 Primary

  Check- or non-return valves · CPC title

• F16K15/142

  the closure elements being shaped as solids of revolution, e.g. toroidal or cylindrical rings · CPC title

• A61M2039/2466

  being fixed in its center · CPC title

• Y10T137/7868

  Resilient gasket · CPC title