Patent Application
20070151607
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a check valve, and more particularly to a check valve easily constructed yet having the ability to stop fluid flowing from one direction to the other direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A check valve is used in a fluid system to stop fluid flowing from one direction to the other direction. In order to accomplish this objective, most of the check valves are composed of complicated structure and complex operation process. Therefore, the manufacture cost of the check valve is high and the maintenance fee thereof is also high. A type of a conventional check valve is composed of a rubber ball movably received between an inlet and an outlet of a water sprinkler such that when the water is flowing from the water source to the outlet of the water sprinkler, the rubber is moved away from the inlet of the water sprinkler to allow the water to smoothly flow out of the water sprinkler. When the water flow is stopped by shutting off the water supply, the pressure inside the water sprinkler forces the rubber ball back to the inlet of the water sprinkler so that there will be no fluid leakage.
Using water pressure alone seems inadequate to stop water flow from the water source. Especially, when the faucet is not turned off, the water flow will continuously flow out of the water sprinkler in that the simple structure cannot stop the pressure from the water source.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved check valve to mitigate the aforementioned problems.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved check valve having simple structure yet high performance in providing a sufficient force to stop water flow even though the faucet is not turned off.
In order to accomplish the foregoing objective, the check valve of the present invention includes a first tube, a second tube received in and securely connected to the firs tube, a rubber ball movably received between the first tube and the second tube and a spring a first end of which is abutted against a face of the second tube and a second end of which is urged against the rubber ball so that water pressure resulting from the water flow is able to push the rubber ball away from a hole of the first tube and then the recoil force from the spring is able to force the rubber ball back to plug the hole of the first tube.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
With reference to
The rubber ball (3) has a diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the hole (11) and is received in the first tube (1). One end of the spring (4) is abutted against a bottom face of the top face of the second tube (2) and the other end of the spring (4) is urged against a periphery of the rubber ball (3).
Therefore, it is noted from the depiction of
When water is flowing from the water source, the pressure of the water flow forces the rubber ball (3) away from the hole (11) of the first tube (1) to allow water to flow into the hole (11) and away from the check valve from the apertures (22) of the second tube (2). While the rubber ball (3) is moved away from the hole (11) of the first tube (1), the spring (4) is compressed so as to store a recoil force to push the rubber ball (3) back to its original position. Therefore, when the water supply is shut off, the spring (4) forces the rubber ball (3) back to plug the hole (11) such that the entire water passage is blocked and no water leakage occurs.
With reference to
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
