Abstract:
A valve that may be used in many applications, including applications requiring a one-way diaphragm valve. Embodiments of the invention include a cap which may be manually rotated and configured to maintain engagement with the valve body. The cap contains a groove suitable for an o-ring which maintains a seal between the valve body and the cap. The bottom of the valve is configured with a plurality of openings which allow fluid to be passed through them and out through the cap when pressure is applied to the bottom of the valve to deflect a diaphragm. The valve prevents fluid flow when the cap is manually rotated to a closed position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Non-Provisional Application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/801,822 filed May 19, 2006. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to valves, and more particularly to a one-way valve. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is known that valves are used in various applications to perform various functions. Specifically one-way diaphragm valves are used in a multitude of applications. For example, diaphragm valves are used on personal cargo bags and inflatable devices which are designed to remain water and air tight during use. Most personal cargo wet-bags do not typically have a valve, but rather redundant sealing points, such as zippers, which fold over each other to create a treacherous path for water to get in. This type of bag is not usually submerged underwater for long periods of time. Various standard valves are found on most inflatable devices, where a person has to squeeze or otherwise deform (e.g., poke a nozzle through) the valve to get air inside. 
         [0004]    There are also valves without a manual shut-off. Having a manual shut-off valve is desirable for applications where the user wishes to manually lock the valve so that if the bag is squeezed, air will not exhale out of the bag. Other valve types are used in SCUBA dry suits, which employ a rotating cap to control a spring that allows air to escape. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is directed to a valve that may be used in many applications. In one embodiment, the valve according to the present invention is installed on the outside of a personal cargo bag that is designed to remain water and air tight during use. The valve will allow the user to squeeze the bag and let air out to minimize space and then auiomatically seal, preventing air from getting back in when the squeezing is stopped. This function is performed by a rubber diaphragm, which allows air to pass though the valve in only one direction. A cap on the valve has a slot which allows the cap to “lock” into place when the slot is engaged with a protrusion located on the inner wall of the valve body. In addition, the valve has an o-ring that creates a radial seal between the cap and the valve body when the cap is in a closed position. 
         [0006]    The cap includes a member on the bottom surface which compresses the diaphragm down onto the sealing surface when the cap is in a closed position. The outer diameter of the cap is smaller than the inner diameter of the valve body. The wall of the valve body is recessed to allow air past the o-ring. In use, when the valve is open and the bag is squeezed, air passes through openings in the valve bottom and through the cap. 
         [0007]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an isometric cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the valve according to the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an isometric exploded view of the valve of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are isometric views of the top of two embodiments of the valve. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are cross-sectional side views of the valve assembly in the closed and open positions, respectively. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the valve body, diaphragm, and valve bottom. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the valve bottom and diaphragm. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the valve. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    The present invention may be embodied in many forms. In one exemplary embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , in a cross-sectional view, the present invention is directed to a one-way diaphragm valve  5 .  FIG. 2  illustrates components of the valve  5  of  FIG. 1 . The valve  5  includes a valve body  10  that has an inner chamber  16  and an outer chamber  15 , which are connected by a horizontal radial member  11 , which is also illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  4   a , and  4   b . The upper end of the inner chamber  16  defines a recess  14  to facilitate the passage of air out of the valve. A surface of the inner chamber  16  has a protrusion  13  extending from it, described in detail below. The valve body outer chamber  15  comprises a flat horizontal member  12 , extending radially outward. The underside of the horizontal member  12  may be attached to another surface, such as a bag. The bag or other surface may be attached to the horizontal member  12  in any suitable manner. Such attachments may be made with an epoxy resin seal, glue, or a heat activated resin seal. Ultrasonic welding or a sewn on seal may also be employed. The valve body  10  may be made of any suitable materials. In one embodiment, the valve body  10  is made of plastic. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3   a  and  3   b , the valve  5  includes a cap  20  that has a grip member  21  extending generally perpendicular from the top surface. The grip member  21  is configured as a grip for manual rotation of the cap  20 , between the open and closed positions. Embodiments of the grip member  21  are illustrated in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b . The grip member  21  may be flat on each side as shown in  FIG. 3   a , grooved to provide finger grips, as shown in  FIG. 3   b , or any other suitable configuration. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the outer surface of the cap  20  comprises a groove  24 . The groove  24  is configured to engage with an o-ring  50  ( FIG. 1 ). As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4   a  and  4   b , the cap  20  outer surface also defines an angled slot  25  that is configured to engage with the valve body protrusion  13 . When the cap  20  is rotated to the closed position, the protrusion  13  rests in the top portion  29  of the slot  25 , which is configured in a complementary shape to the protrusion  13 . An embodiment may comprise a round protrusion  13  and a rounded surface at the top portion  29  of the slot  25 , for example. The bottom of the slot  25 , as shown in  FIG. 4   b , comprises a protrusion  27  configured to maintain the protrusion  13  within the slot  25 , and is configured to keep the cap  20  in place within the valve body  10  when the cap is in an open position. The protrusion  27  may be triangular in shape, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b . In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of protrusions, such as numerous small barbs, may be used instead of a single protrusion at or near the bottom of the slot  25 . Referring back to  FIG. 1 , when the o-ring  50  is engaged with the cap  20  and the cap  20  is in a closed position, the o-ring  50  maintains its position within the groove  24  of the cap  20  and the recess  14  of the valve body  10 , providing a seal between the valve body  10  and the cap  20 . The o-ring  50  may be made of any suitable elastomeric material. 
         [0019]    The valve  5  includes a diaphragm  30 . The diaphragm  30  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In an embodiment, the diaphragm  30  comprises a substantially round member and a stem  31  extends generally perpendicular from the center of the diaphragm  30 . On the stem  31 , near the surface of the diaphragm  30 , a conical member  32  may be disposed. The stem  31 , conical member  32 , and diaphragm  30  may be made of any suitable elastomeric material. For example, the diaphragm  30 , conical member  32 , or the stem  31  may be made of rubber. 
         [0020]    The valve  5  includes a valve bottom  40  that is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 , and  6 . Referring specifically to  FIG. 6 , in an embodiment, the surface of the valve bottom  40  defines an opening  42 . The opening  42  of the valve bottom  40  is configured to engage with the conical member  32  of the diaphragm stem  31  to secure the diaphragm  30  in place and to the valve bottom  40 . The surface of the valve bottom  40  also defines a plurality of openings  41  configured to be the fluid passageway when the valve is in an open position. The plurality of openings  41  may be triangular in shape, or may be of any other suitable shape. The plurality of openings  41  may be arranged radially from the center opening  42 , for example. The valve bottom  40  is configured to be attached to the valve body  10 . This attachment may happen in any suitable manner, such as by ultrasonic welding. 
         [0021]      FIG. 7  illustrates the valve  5  with the cap  20  in a closed position. When the valve  5  is in a closed position, the bottom rounded surface  26  of the cap  20  is in communication with the diaphragm  30 , which is held in position by the valve bottom  40 . In this position, the diaphragm  30  will then be in communication with the plurality of openings  41  in the valve bottom  40 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , when the cap is in the closed position, a radial protruding member  28  of the cap  20  contacts the edge of the diaphragm  30 , preventing air flow in through the plurality of openings  41  on the valve bottom  40 . When the cap  20  is in an open position, the protruding member  28  of the cap  20  moves away from the edge of the diaphragm  30  permitting fluid to pass by. Also, the o-ring  50  does not interfere with the valve body  10 , thus permitting fluid to pass through the valve  5 . Thus, in an open position, when pressure is applied to the valve by means such as squeezing the attached bag, fluid may pass through the plurality of openings  41 , deflect the diaphragm and travel past the diaphragm and the valve body  10 , exiting through the cap  20  via the gap between the cap  20  and the valve body  10 . 
         [0022]    Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art. 
         [0023]    Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.