Patent ID: 8091577

Claim:
A hydraulic circuit comprising a plurality of valve units that are provided continuously, wherein each of the valve units includes: an upstream supply circuit; a downstream circuit; a valve structure permitting forward flow of a fluid from the supply circuit to the downstream circuit but prohibiting backflow of the fluid from the downstream circuit to the supply circuit; and a housing incorporating the valve structure, wherein the valve structures of the valve units are arranged parallel with each other, wherein the valve structure of each valve unit includes: a valve seat arranged between the supply circuit of the same valve unit and the downstream circuit of the same valve unit; a valve body blocking a flow of the fluid between the supply circuit and the downstream circuit by contacting the valve seat, and connecting the supply circuit to the downstream circuit for supplying the fluid to the downstream circuit by separating from the valve seat; and a through hole extending through the valve body and defining a part of the supply circuit, the through hole being defined in such a manner that the fluid that has passed through the through hole flows in a space between the valve seat and the valve body and is thus supplied to the downstream circuit, wherein each valve unit includes a passage provided separately from the through hole of the same valve unit in such a manner as to merge a flow of the fluid sent from the through hole with a flow of the fluid in the passage, the passage of each valve unit defining a part of the supply circuit of the same valve unit and being formed continuously with the passage of another valve unit; and wherein the valve body is formed in such a manner that a pressure receiving area at an upstream side of the through hole is smaller than a pressure receiving area at a downstream side of the through hole.