Patent ID: 7651071

Claim:
A valve assembly, comprising: a flowbody; a valve element movably disposed within the flowbody; and a flat beam spring-energized seal mechanism, comprising: a wiper seal carried by one of the flowbody and the valve element and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the wiper seal including a wave contour along at least a portion of a periphery and defining at least one seal wave; at least one recess in cooperative alignment with the at least one seal wave; at least one flat beam spring disposed between the at least one seal wave and the at least one recess, the at least one flat beam spring configured to urge the wiper seal toward the extended position at least when a force is exerted upon the at least one flat beam spring by the at least one seal wave, the at least one recess configured to receive the at least one flat beam spring at least when the at least one flat beam spring is deflected into the at least one recess by the force exerted upon it by the at least one seal wave.