Patent ID: 7240694

Claim:
A flow control valve comprising: a valve body defining a fluid inlet section, a fluid outlet section, and a connecting port interconnecting the inlet and outlet sections; and a valve mechanism connected to the valve body and comprising an actuator and a valve unit connected to the actuator to be moved thereby selectively in port-opening and port-closing directions for respectively opening and closing the connecting port, the valve unit including: a valve element including a bleed passage extending therethrough for communicating the fluid inlet section with the fluid outlet section, and a bleed closure operably connected to the actuator and movable thereby relative to the valve element for opening the bleed passage with the valve element in a port-closing position; wherein the valve element includes a sealing surface for contacting a valve seat of the port; a portion of the bleed passage intersecting the port-closing end of the valve element and comprising at least one slit formed in the port-closing end and extending thereacross in a direction transversely of the longitudinal axis from the axis to an outer periphery of the valve element, the slit extending axially from the port-closing end of the valve element to a location at least halfway from a forwardmost part of the valve element to the sealing surface.