Patent ID: 7806142

Claim:
A combination check and relief valve apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a housing member, the housing member having an inlet, a first outlet, a second outlet and a hollow housing interior; a valve body, the valve body being within the housing interior, the valve body having an inlet port, a first outlet port, and a second outlet port, the inlet port being in communication with the inlet of the housing member, the first outlet port being adjacent to the first outlet of the housing member, and the second outlet port being in communication with the second outlet of the housing member; a valve chamber, the valve chamber being within the valve body; a check valve member, the check valve member being operatively interposed between the first outlet port of the valve body and the first outlet of the housing member; a check valve seat, the check valve member being biased towards the check valve seat when fluid pressure is applied to the first outlet; a relief valve member, the relief valve member being within the valve chamber, the relief valve member being operatively interposed between the inlet port and the first outlet port and being operatively interposed between the inlet port and the second outlet port; a resilient member, the resilient member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the resilient member operatively engaging the relief valve member; a setting member, the setting member being pressure-fit within the valve chamber and operatively engaging the second end of the resilient member; and a relief valve seat, the resilient member being resiliently biased between the setting member and the relief valve member to bias the relief valve member against the relief valve seat; whereby the setting member is so pressure-fit that when a fluid having a pressure equal to or greater than a target pressure communicates with the inlet port of the valve body, the resilient member is compressed, the relief valve member thereby disengages from the relief valve seat to enable the fluid to pass through the valve chamber, said fluid disengages the check valve member from the check valve seat so that the fluid in part passes through to the first outlet of the housing member, and the fluid in part passes through the valve chamber to the second outlet of the housing member.