Patent ID: 7021331

Claim:
A check valve capable of being seated within a conduit, the check valve comprising: a casing having a front end a back end and an interior cavity oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the check valve, the casing further including: a pair of diametrically opposed slots formed in the casing, the slots extending along a length of the casing from the back end to divide the back end into a pair of wings, a pair of ramps formed in each of the wings on an interior surface of the casing, a pair of holes formed in each of the wings through the casing adjacent to the ramps, and a seat section formed near the front end; a stopper capable of seating within the seat section; a spring for fitting within the interior cavity and having a first end and a second end, the first end capable of engaging the stopper and biasing the stopper into the seat section; and a restraining mechanism, including, a spherical base capable of engaging the second end of the spring, a centering shaft for extending along the longitudinal axis at least partially through a center of the spring, and a pair of locking ears extending generally radially outward from the longitudinal axis; wherein the restraining mechanism may be mounted within the casing by forcing the restraining mechanism into the interior cavity with the locking ears riding down the pair of ramps and seating within the pair of holes, the pair of slots allowing the wings to spread apart to accommodate the width of the restraining mechanism from an end of one locking ear to an end of the other locking ear, the wings springing back substantially to their unbiased position when the pair of locking ears are seated within the pair of holes.