Patent ID: 7185671

Claim:
A check valve comprising: a valve body having a first fluid port and a second fluid port generally at right angles to one another, and an access port parallel to or aligned with one of said fluid ports; a removable closure normally closing said access port; and a unitary poppet assembly insertable into and removable from said body through said access port when said access port is not closed and including a sleeve-like element of a shape generally the same as said access port and a size sufficiently small to move through said access port, a poppet valve secured to said sleeve-like element and slidable therein toward and away from a valve seat located about the other of said fluid ports, a biasing spring mounted on said sleeve-like element between said sleeve-like element and said poppet valve and normally biasing said poppet valve toward said seat, and a relief in said sleeve-like element through which said poppet valve may move between a portion substantially within the envelope of said sleeve-like element and a position outside said envelope and in sealing engagement with said valve seat, wherein said poppet valve is secured to said sleeve-like element by a snap-fit connection, wherein said post has an open interior slidably receiving a stem, wherein said stem has a cross-like cross section intermediate its ends and said open interior is at least partially configured to mate with said cross-like cross section, and wherein an end of said stem remote from said valve seat has a partial frustoconical shape that is bifurcated with an enlarged shoulder facing said valve seat and said open interior has a partial cross-like shape and a partial cylindrical shape of a size to receive and compress said frustoconical shape, and an enlarged shoulder facing away said valve seat, said enlarged shoulder being in interfence relation to retain said stem in said post for reciprocal movement thereon.