Patent ID: 8439069

Claim:
An air release valve assembly comprising: a valve inlet in fluid communication with a discharge from a pump; a passageway from the inlet to a valve outlet; a first cavity defined by one or more first cavity walls, the first cavity being in fluid communication with the passageway; a diaphragm disposed within the first cavity that sealingly engages the one or more first cavity walls to form within the cavity a pair of adjacent pressure chambers, a first pressure chamber that is in fluid communication with the passageway and a second pressure chamber; an actuating fluid disposed within the second pressure chamber; a valve mechanism in fluid communication with the second pressure chamber and capable of being actuated between a closed valve position in which flow through the passageway is impeded by the valve and a open valve position in which flow through the passageway is substantially unimpeded by the valve mechanism; the valve mechanism comprising a plunger having a head and a plug connected to the plunger head, and wherein in response to a flow of fluid from the second pressure chamber the plunger is moved between the open valve position in which the plug is substantially retracted from the material passageway and the closed valve position in which the plug protrudes fully into the passageway, wherein the plug has a chamfer at a distal end that defines a limited flow path for matter through the passageway when the valve is in the closed valve position; a flow orifice disposed between the second pressure chamber and the valve mechanism that regulates flow of fluid between the second pressure chamber and the valve mechanism; and wherein fluid in the second pressure chamber that is displaced by an increase in pressure in the first pressure chamber flows through the flow orifice and acts upon the valve mechanism to move the valve mechanism to the closed position.