Patent ID: 7392820

Claim:
A valve for controlling fluid flow, said valve comprising: a chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a valve seat surrounding said outlet; a valve closing member positioned within said chamber, said closing member being movable between a closed configuration in sealing engagement with said seat thereby stopping flow of said fluid through said outlet, and an open position in spaced relation away from said seat; a biasing member engaged with said closing member, said biasing member biasing said closing member into said open configuration; an actuator engaged with said closing member, said actuator adapted to apply a force moving said closing member into said closed configuration, said actuator comprising: a cup having a first end positioned outside of said chamber adjacent to said outlet and a second, open end, positioned distally to said outlet, a nozzle extending from said outlet into said cup through an opening in said first end, said cup being slidably movable along said nozzle; and a tether having a first end attached to said cup, said tether extending through said nozzle and having a second end attached to said closing member, flow of fluid through said nozzle creating a partial vacuum within said cup when said open end engages a fluid surface, said vacuum drawing said cup along said nozzle away from said chamber, said tether drawing said closing member into said closed configuration in sealing engagement with said seat, thereby halting the flow of fluid through said chamber; and a first deflector surface positioned within said chamber between said inlet and said closing member, said first deflector surface deflecting the flow of said fluid around said closing member to prevent flow of said fluid from engaging and moving said closing member into said closed configuration.