Backflow prevention assembly with telescoping bias assembly and reversible valve member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674609-B2
Application number	US-202117402737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2021
Priority date	Aug 17, 2020
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A valve assembly with a spring retention assembly including an elongated cylinder portion having an open threaded end and a closed end and an elongated piston portion having a free end and a threaded tab end configured to thread through the open threaded end and, thereby, be slideably captured in the cylinder portion. A spring couples to the body portion and the piston portion to provide a force to urge the body portion and the piston away from one another, wherein the closed end and the free end are similarly shaped so that the spring retention assembly can be reversibly mounted to a valve member that can also be reversibly mounted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve assembly comprising:
a bias assembly including: an elongated cylinder portion having an open threaded end and a closed end; and an elongated piston portion having a free end and a threaded tab end configured to thread through the open threaded end and, thereby, be slideably captured in the cylinder portion, wherein the closed end and the free end are similarly shaped so that the bias assembly can be reversibly mounted; and
a valve member including a central disc having a first side and a second side, each side forming a sealing region and having a retention cup, wherein both retention cups can capture the closed end or the free end so that the valve member is reversible.

2. A valve assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bias assembly includes a spring coupled to the elongated cylinder portion and the piston portion to provide a force to urge the elongated cylinder portion and the piston away from one another.

3. The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein: the cylinder portion has a retention collar; the piston portion has a retention collar; and the spring is helical and extends between the retention collars.

4. The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spring is under a predetermined amount of compression less than an amount of force of a forward flow of fluid in a backflow prevention system of which the valve assembly is apart of.

5. The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein: an inner diameter of the cylinder portion and an outer diameter of the captured end are approximately equal so that lateral movement of the piston portion is reduced.

6. The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spring is disposed around the cylindrical portion.

7. A valve member for a valve assembly comprising:
a bias assembly including: an elongated cylinder portion having an open threaded end and a closed end; and an elongated piston portion having a free end and a threaded tab end configured to thread through the open threaded end and, thereby, be slideably captured in the cylinder portion, wherein the closed end and the free end are similarly shaped so that the bias assembly can be reversibly mounted; and
a central disc having a first side and a second side, each side thrilling a sealing region and having a retention cup, wherein the sealing regions and the retention cups are similarly shaped so that the valve member is reversible.

8. The valve member of claim 7 , wherein the sealing regions are ring-shaped elastomeric inserts.

9. The valve member of claim 7 , wherein the retention cups: are centrally located on the respective side; include a plurality of deflectable fingers for receiving a spherical end of a spring retention assembly; and are of a same shape and size.

10. The valve member of claim 9 , further comprising a hinge portion extending radially from the central disc, wherein the hinge portion includes a pair of opposing arms extending radially from the central disc and having distal protruding tabs.

11. The valve member of claim 7 , wherein the first and second sides are about an axis.

12. A spring retention valve assembly for a valve assembly, comprising:
an elongated cylinder portion having an open end and a closed end;
an elongated piston portion having a free end and a captured end configured to be slideably captured in the cylinder portion;
a spring coupled to the elongated cylinder portion and the piston portion to provide a force to urge the elongated cylinder portion and the piston away from one another; and
a central disc having a first side and second side, each side forming a sealing region and having a retention cup, wherein the sealing regions and the retention cups are similarly shaped so that the central disc is reversible,
wherein the closed end and the free end are similarly shaped so that the spring retention assembly can be reversibly mounted to the central disc.

Assignees

• Watts Regulator Co

Inventors

• Bouchard Peter P
• Chase Tyler
• Michaud David

Classifications

• F16K15/033

  spring-loaded · CPC title

• E03B7/077

  Arrangement of backflow preventing devices · CPC title

• E03F7/04

  Valves for preventing return flow {(in gullies, drains or the like E03F5/042)} · CPC title

• F16K15/035

  with a plurality of valve members · CPC title

• F16K17/30

  spring-loaded · CPC title