Patent ID: 7874308

Claim:
A valve assembly suitable for use in controlling a fluid flow, said valve assembly comprising: a) a valve housing including i) an upper body portion and a lower body portion, the upper and lower body portions defining ii) an internal chamber suitable for accommodating a valve member configured in a pivoting relationship with the valve housing, and the valve housing defining an inlet port and an outlet port, the inlet port and the outlet port being axially aligned and being formed in the upper and lower body portions, respectively; b) a generally spherical valve member seatable within the internal chamber of the valve housing and including i) an axial bore extending therethrough, ii) the valve member mounted for movement between an open position wherein the axial bore of the valve member is axially aligned with the inlet port and outlet port of the valve housing to allow the flow of said fluid therethrough, and a closed position wherein the axial bore of the valve member is out of alignment with the inlet port and the outlet port of the valve housing; c) a camming mechanism for moving the valve member between the open position and the closed position when the upper body portion of the housing is rotated about a central axis with respect to the lower body portion; and the camming mechanism including cam surfaces formed on an exterior surface of the valve member and a cam pin formed on an interior surface of the upper body portion of the housing, wherein the cam surfaces formed on the exterior surface of the valve member are defined by a recess having a pair of reaction surfaces, the reaction surfaces being at an angle to one another.