Check valve with secondary backflow seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11976737-B2
Application number	US-202217670321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

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, a second port, a first sealing ridge, a second sealing ridge, and a valve support, wherein an upstream fluid passageway extends through the first port to the inner cavity, a downstream fluid passageway extends through the second port to the inner cavity, the first sealing ridge extends into the cavity and comprises a perimeter that extends around the first port, and the second sealing ridge extends into the cavity and comprises a perimeter that extends around the first sealing ridge such that the first seal ridge is between the first port and the second seal ridge; and
a flexible valve body positioned within the inner cavity, the valve body comprising a first segment and a second segment extending between the first segment and an outer perimeter of the flexible valve body, wherein the first segment is engaged against the valve support, the second segment is movable, relative to the first segment, and the second segment comprises a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the first portion is movable relative to the perimeter of the first sealing ridge, and the second portion is moveable relative to the perimeter of the second sealing ridge and the first portion.

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 second segment of the valve body is less than a distance between the second sealing ridge and the second segment of the valve body.

4. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein the first sealing ridge comprises a length extending toward the second segment of the valve body, and the second sealing ridge comprises a length extending toward the second segment 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 1 , wherein the second segment comprises the outer perimeter of the flexible valve body.

7. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is moveable in a first direction away from the first sealing ridge and in a second direction toward the first sealing ridge, and the second portion is moveable in the first direction away from the second sealing ridge and in the second direction toward the second sealing ridge.

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 second segment of the valve body, and the bottom surface comprises the first segment 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 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.

12. 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.

13. The check valve of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the second segment forms an entire outer perimeter of the flexible valve body that is movable relative to the housing.

14. A check valve comprising:
a housing comprising an inner cavity, a first port, a second port, a first sealing ridge, a second sealing ridge, and a valve support, wherein an upstream fluid passageway extends through the first port to the inner cavity, a downstream fluid passageway extends through the second port to the inner cavity, the first sealing ridge extends into the cavity and comprises a perimeter that extends around the first port, and the second sealing ridge extends into the cavity and comprises a perimeter that extends around the first sealing ridge such that the first seal ridge is between the first port and the second seal ridge; and
a flexible valve body positioned within the inner cavity and comprising a first segment and a second segment, wherein the second segment is positioned radially outward from the first segment and extends from the first segment to an outer perimeter of the flexible valve body, and, in a first closed position of the valve body, a first portion of the second segment is engaged against the first sealing ridge, in an open position of the valve body, the first portion and a second portion of the second segment are spaced apart from the first and second sealing ridges, and in the first closed position and the open position of the valve body, the second portion is moveable relative to the first portion.

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 open position when the first pressure is greater than the second pressure.

17. The check valve of claim 15 , wherein, in a second closed position, the first and second portions of the second segment are engaged against the first and second sealing ridges.

18. The check valve of claim 17 , 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.

19. The check valve of claim 17 , wherein, in the second closed position, the second segment of the valve body is biased toward the second sealing ridge.

20. The check valve of claim 14 , wherein, in the open position, the second segment of the valve body is biased away from the first sealing ridge.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Maleki Shervin
• Mason Eugene
• Feith Raymond P

Classifications

• F16K15/148 Primary

  the closure elements being fixed in their centre · CPC title

• F16K15/142

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

• Y10T137/7867

  Sequential · CPC title

• Y10T137/7868

  Resilient gasket · CPC title

• A61M39/24 Primary

  Check- or non-return valves · CPC title