Patent ID: 7686037

Claim:
A valve element comprising: a housing defining a seat and a fluid passageway, the housing further having a guide at least partially disposed within the fluid passageway so that fluid flowing through the fluid passageway flows around an exterior surface of the guide, the guide comprising an internal channel having a first geometric cross-sectional shape; a plunger disposed within the housing and arranged for reciprocal movement within the housing so that the plunger is able to selectively engage the seat, the plunger including a plunger face configured to cooperatively engage with a corresponding plunger face of a second plunger, and the plunger including a plunger shaft slideably received within the internal channel of the guide and arranged for reciprocal movement within the internal channel of the guide, the plunger shaft having a second geometrical cross-sectional shape that is different from the first geometric cross-sectional shape of the internal channel of the guide, wherein the first geometric cross-sectional shape of the guide and the second geometric cross-sectional shape of the plunger shaft cooperate to allow fluid to flow through the internal channel of the guide between an internal surface of the guide and an external surface of the plunger shaft; and a resilient element positioned at least partially around the guide and being configured and arranged to bias the plunger into a sealing engagement with the seat so that the fluid passageway is substantially sealed where no offsetting force is present, and the resilient element further configured and arranged to be susceptible to application of an offsetting force adequate to move the plunger off the seat and open the fluid passageway.