Patent ID: 9091359
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: F16K

Abstract:
1. A pump check-valve rubber flapper life extender system comprising: a) a flapper reinforcement plate; a pump-check valve rubber flapper; and a centrifugal pump with a fluid inlet, the flapper reinforcement plate comprising: i) a mount tab having: (1) at least two mounting through-holes; ii) a semi-circular C-plate having: (1) a top end; (2) a bottom end; (3) a first contact face; (4) an outside face; and (5) two mirror-image stiffening-arms; b) wherein the pump check-valve rubber flapper has a first contact face that mates with a sealing face of said inlet of said centrifugal pump and a second-contact face that mates with said semi-circular C-plate; c) wherein said at least two mounting through-holes are positioned within said mount tab of said flapper reinforcement plate such that said at least two mounting through-holes are located between mounting means of said pump check-valve rubber flapper and said fluid inlet of said centrifugal pump whereby said flapper reinforcement plate is installed to said pump check-valve rubber flapper after said pump check-valve rubber flapper is installed in said centrifugal pump; d) wherein said mount tab and said semi-circular C-plate comprise a larger diameter than an inside diameter of said fluid inlet of said centrifugal pump; e) wherein said mount tab of said flapper reinforcement plate is structured and arranged coplanar and integral with said top end of said semi-circular C-plate; f) wherein said at least two mounting through-holes are located through said mount tab; g) wherein a transition between said mount tab and said semi-circular C-plate is rigid in two orthogonal directions about said at least two mounting through-holes within a plane of said semi-circular C-plate; h) wherein the transition between said mount tab and said semi-circular C-plate is structured and arranged, when considering the mount tab and semi-circular C-plate's intrinsic structural characteristics, to limit range of torsional flexure of said pump check-valve rubber flapper such that said pump check-valve rubber flapper is dimensionally-limited from seating off-center and preventing fluid back-feed across said sealing face of an fluid inlet of said centrifugal pump; i) wherein said bottom end is located at an opposing end from said mount tab; j) wherein said first contact face of said semi-circular C-plate is parallel planar with said outside face of said semi-circular C-plate, said first contact face and said outside face are integral with said semi-circular C-plate; k) wherein said flapper reinforcement plate is structured and arranged with a planar-face-surface configured to planarly-mate to circumferential surface-regions at a majority of a circumference on said second contact face of said pump check-valve rubber flapper; and; l) wherein said two mirror-image stiffening-arms protrude from said mount tab and have planar-surface contact with circumferential surface-regions at a majority of a circumference of said second-contact face of said pump check-valve rubber flapper that limits range of out-of-plane flexure of said pump check-valve rubber flapper such that said pump check-valve rubber flapper is dimensionally-limited from partially seating with said sealing face.