Patent ID: 6874528

Claim:
A fill valve assembly comprising: a valve body extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a fluid inlet, a valve seat and at least one fluid outlet; an axially slidable valve element arranged for axially slidable movement along said longitudinal axis, into and out of sealing engagement with said valve seat, said axially slidable valve element defining a first sloped surface sloping generally outward towards said valve body and having a first surface area, and a second sloped surface, sloping generally inward towards a center of the fill valve assembly and disposed downstream with respect to said first surface, said second surface having a second surface area greater than said first surface area; and a fill sensor, operatively associated with said valve element below a predetermined fill threshold, so as to prevent said axially slidable valve element from establishing sealing engagement with said valve seat; said valve seat having a contact surface for contacting said second sloped surface; wherein said first surface and said second surface are configured so as to allow, in an open position, a passage of a fluid past said surfaces, and wherein said valve body and said valve element are configured such that when said passage of said fluid is substantially at a maximum flow rate and a fluid level is below said predetermined fill threshold, a minor portion of said second surface area extends below a top of said contact surface of said valve seat, so as to produce a dynamic lifting force on said axially slidable valve element along said longitudinal axis to maintain said valve element in said open position until said predetermined fill threshold is attained.