Low profile overbalanced backwater valve

Abstract

A backwater valve has a hollow valve body with an inlet defined by a vertical surface, an outlet, and a bottom. A pivoting valve member is pivotally movable about a pivot axis between a normally open position along the bottom of the valve body and a closed, vertical position sealing the inlet. The valve member has a hinge end, the pivot axis being positioned at the hinge end. An overbalancing member carried by the valve member biases the float toward the closed position. The overbalancing member comprises at least one of a counterweight and a magnetic element. The overbalancing member is positioned at the hinge end and spaced from the pivot axis such that the overbalancing member is vertically above the pivot axis when the valve member is in the open position and horizontally over from the pivot axis when the valve member is in the closed position.

1 . A backwater valve, comprising:
 a hollow valve body having an inlet defined by a vertical surface, an outlet, and a bottom;   a pivoting valve member pivotally movable about a pivot axis that is positioned below the inlet between a normally open position along the bottom of the valve body and a closed, vertical position sealing the inlet, the pivoting valve member having a peripheral edge comprising a hinge end, a remote end, and opposed sides, the pivot axis being positioned at the hinge end, the pivoting valve member comprising a float; and   a first magnetic element carried by the pivoting valve member and a second magnetic element attached to the hollow valve body adjacent to the inlet, such that, as the pivoting valve member approaches the closed position, the first magnetic element is magnetically attracted toward the second magnetic element to bias the pivoting valve member toward the closed position and to maintain the pivoting valve member in the closed position until sufficient pressure is applied from the inlet to the pivoting valve member to open the valve member.   
     
     
         2 . The backwater valve of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element is magnetized and the other of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element is ferrous. 
     
     
         3 . The backwater valve of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are magnetized and with opposite poles facing the other along a travel path of the pivoting valve member.