Patent ID: 7284742

Claim:
A flow control valve comprising: a) a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and a flow passageway extending between and interconnecting the fluid inlet with the fluid outlet, the flow passageway having a longitudinal axis and including an orifice through which fluid flows, and a valve seat defined at an upstream surface surrounding the orifice; b) a valve actuation member rotatably received in the housing and positioned between the orifice and the fluid outlet, the valve actuation member extending transversely across the flow passageway and including a cam surface; c) a valve element in the form of an elongated body member having a longitudinal axis and extending within the flow passageway and within the orifice, a sealing surface carried by the valve element adjacent an upstream end of the valve element and engageable with the valve seat to selectively allow and prevent flow through the orifice, the valve element including a shank having a uniform cross section portion and extending between the valve element sealing surface to a downstream end of the valve element, wherein a portion of the shank lies within the orifice to define with the orifice a flow opening area; d) wherein the cam surface of the valve actuation member contacts an outer surface of the valve element, so that rotation of the valve actuation member about its axis and relative to the valve housing operates to tilt the valve element relative to the orifice to shift at least part of the valve element sealing surface away from the valve seat and thereby allow fluid flow from the fluid inlet to pass around the valve element and through the orifice and flow opening to the fluid outlet; e) wherein the valve actuation member includes at least one and that extends outwardly from the valve housing, and a lever arm is operatively connected with the valve actuation member to rotate the valve actuation member in response to lever arm movement, wherein the valve actuation member has two ends that each extend outwardly from respective opposite sides of the valve housing, including a holder carried by the valve actuation member for supporting the lever arm, and a paddle member carried by the lever arm; and f) a bimetallic spiral spring positioned between the holder and the valve housing to block holder movement when ambient temperature falls below a predetermined value.