Patent ID: 7204313

Claim:
A flapper valve assembly comprising: a tubular valve housing defining a flowbore within; a flapper valve member within the flowbore and pivotally connected to the valve housing for movement between open and closed positions; an equalizing port assembly for selectively equalizing fluid pressure across the flapper valve member, the equalizing port assembly comprising: a fluid flow port disposed through the flapper valve body; a bleed valve member disposed within the flow port and moveable between open and closed positions; a retainer key secured within the flapper valve member radially and axially to retain the bleed valve member within the flow port a compressible spring disposed between the retainer key and the bleed valve member to bias the bleed valve member toward a closed position; an actuation tube for selectively moving the flapper valve member from a closed to an open position; and wherein the flapper valve member presents a downstream side having a raised, substantially flat actuator contact portion for contacting the actuation tube, and the equalizing port assembly is disposed through the flapper valve member within said contact portion.