Patent ID: 8109293

Claim:
A valve for controlling a flow rate of a fluid, the valve comprising: an actuating mechanism including a ball portion; a fluid control disk; and an annular spring having a central opening and a plurality of elastic flanges extending around a periphery of the central opening, wherein movement of the actuating mechanism is operable to move the fluid control disk to vary the flow rate of the fluid, wherein the annular spring is disposed between the actuating mechanism and the fluid control disk, wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring extend below an upper surface of the annular spring, away from the ball portion of the actuating mechanism and toward the fluid control disk, wherein at least a portion of the ball portion extends through the central opening of the annular spring, wherein the annular spring maintains contact with the actuating mechanism during movement of the actuating mechanism, and wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring deform to exert a substantially uniform force on the ball portion of the actuating mechanism away from the fluid control disk.