Patent ID: 7004194

Claim:
A check valve comprising a valve body and a flapper, the valve body defining an internal valve seat, the flapper being hingedly retained within the valve body, being sized and dimensioned to mate with the valve seat, and being adapted to alternatively swing between (i) a closed position wherein the flapper is in sealing contact with the valve seat, and (ii) an open position wherein the flapper is spaced apart from the valve seat, the flapper comprising: (a) a flapper base having a forward surface, a rearward surface and a flapper base stem extending away from the forward surface; (b) a gasket having a first surface, a second surface and a central aperture, the first surface of the gasket being disposed in abutment with the flapper base, with the flapper base stem disposed through the central aperture in the gasket; and (c) a flapper cover having a forward surface, a rearward surface and a central aperture, the forward surface of the flapper cover being disposed in abutment with the second surface of the gasket with the flapper base stem disposed through the central aperture in the flapper cover; wherein a central recess is defined in either the forward surface of the flapper base or in the forward surface of the flapper cover, the central recess being sufficient in depth and area to allow liquid disposed between the flapper base and the gasket when the flapper is in the closed flapper position to migrate to the flapper base stem.