Air Admittance valve for resisting high internal pressure

Abstract

An air admittance valve device is disclosed for enabling valve sealing member to remain securely closed against high pressure in a pipe or duct produced from: equipment connected to said pipe or duct e.g. a hydraulic pipeline flusher device; fluid movement within, or as otherwise introduced to system of pipe or duct while further remaining tightly closed at normal atmospheric pressure (equilibrium) and equalizing pressure excursions that are below atmospheric pressure occurring within sanitary drainage pipes or room ventilation ducts by admitting air to said pipe or duct.

In accordance with the invention, the figures and description above on which, I claim: 
     
       1. An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into said pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within said pipe, said valve comprising: (a) a tubular body member having upper and lower ends, means provided at the lower end for affixing the tubular body .Iadd.member .Iaddend.to and in communication with said sanitary .Iadd.drainage .Iaddend.vent pipe .[.with said sanitary vent pipe.]., the upper end .Iadd.of the .Iaddend.tubular body .Iadd.member .Iaddend.being provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats;   (b) a cap .Iadd.member .Iaddend.mounted on the upper end of said tubular .[.valve.]. body member encompassing said inner and outer .Iadd.concentric .Iaddend.valve seats and forming a valve chamber, said cap member being secured to the tubular body member by means of barbs provided on an inner cap surface which mate with reversely oriented barbs provided on an outer surface of the tubular body member;   (c) an annular disk valve member mounted for movement within said valve chamber and normally resting upon said inner and outer concentric valve seats, .[.and.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.annular disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.being formed of rigid material and structurally reinforced by an annular concentric rib formed on the annular disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.and by ribs extending inwardly and upwardly from the .Iadd.annular .Iaddend.disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.to a ring having a central aperture;   (d) an elastomeric sealing membrane wrapped around the annular .[.valve.]. disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.to fully cover .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.side of said annular .[.valve.]. disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.which faces the inner and outer concentric valve seats and to partially cover the other side of the annular .[.valve.]. disk .Iadd.valve member.Iaddend.;   said annular disk .Iadd.valve .Iaddend.member maintaining sealing engagement with said inner and outer .Iadd.concentric .Iaddend.valve seats during an increase in pressure within said pipe and valve chamber, thus preventing the escape of fluid from said pipe to atmosphere.   
     
     
       2. An air admittance valve as in claim 1 in which the lower end of the tubular body member is provided with standard pipe threads for securing the .Iadd.tubular .Iaddend.body .Iadd.member .Iaddend.to said sanitary .Iadd.drainage .Iaddend.vent pipe, and with a surface projection suitable for engagement with a wrench. 
     
     
       3. An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into said pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within said pipe, said valve comprising: (a) a tubular body member having upper and lower ends, means provided at the lower end for affixing the tubular body .Iadd.member .Iaddend.to and in communication with said sanitary .Iadd.drainage .Iaddend.vent pipe .[.with said sanitary vent pipe.]., the upper end .Iadd.of the .Iaddend.tubular body .Iadd.member .Iaddend.being provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats;   (b) a cap .Iadd.member .Iaddend.mounted on the upper end of said tubular .[.valve.]. body member encompassing said inner and outer .Iadd.concentric .Iaddend.valve seats and forming a valve chamber, said cap member being secured to the tubular body member by means of barbs provided on an inner cap surface which mate with reversely oriented barbs provided on an outer surface of the tubular body member;   (c) an annular disk valve member mounted for movement within said valve chamber and normally resting upon said inner and outer concentric valve seats, said annular disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.being formed of rigid material and structurally reinforced by an annular concentric rib formed on the annular disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.and by ribs extending inwardly and upwardly from the .Iadd.annular .Iaddend.disk .Iadd.valve member .Iaddend.to a ring having a central aperture;   (d) an o-ring mounted on the top surface of each said inner and outer concentric valve seats; said annular disk .Iadd.valve .Iaddend.member maintaining sealing engagement with .[.said inner and outer valve seat o-rings.]. .Iadd.each said o-ring .Iaddend.during an increase in pressure within said sanitary .Iadd.drainage .Iaddend.vent pipe and valve chamber, thus preventing the escape of fluid from said pipe to the atmosphere.   
     
     
       4. An air admittance valve as in claim 3 in which the lower end of the tubular body member is provided with standard pipe threads for securing the .Iadd.tubular .Iaddend.body .Iadd.member .Iaddend.to said sanitary .Iadd.drainage .Iaddend.vent pipe, and with a surface projection suitable for engagement with a wrench. .Iadd.5. An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into the pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within the pipe, said valve comprising a tubular body member having a lower end adapted to be affixed to and in communication with the pipe, and an upper end provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats, a cap mounted on the upper end encompassing said valve seats and forming a valve chamber, a ring shape valve disk mounted for movement within said valve chamber, said valve disk normally resting upon said valve seats, said valve disk being formed of rigid material having an upper side facing away from said valve seats and a lower side facing said valve seats, said lower side being substantially flat for maintaining sealing engagement with said valve seats during an increase in pressure within said pipe and said valve chamber, said valve disk being structurally reinforced by rib means on said upper side, said rib means including radial ribs extending substantially the full radial extent of said upper side of said valve disk and radially inwardly from said valve disk to a central support, said rib means also including a concentric rib intermediate the radial extent of said upper side of said valve disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.6. An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into the pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within the pipe, said valve comprising a tubular body member having a lower end adapted to be affixed to and in communication with the pipe, and an upper end provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats, a cap mounted on the upper end encompassing said valve seats and forming a valve chamber, a ring shape valve disk mounted for movement within said valve chamber, said valve disk normally resting upon said valve seats, said valve disk being formed of rigid material having an upper side facing away from said valve seats and a lower side facing said valve seats, said lower side being substantially flat for maintaining sealing engagement with said valve seats during an increase in pressure within said pipe and said valve chamber, said valve disk being structurally reinforced by radial ribs on said upper side of said valve disk, and an annular concentric rib intermediate the radial extent of said upper side of said valve disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.7. An air admittance valve as in claim 6 wherein said central support comprises a ring having a central aperture. 
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd..  An air admittance valve as in claim 6 further comprising an elastomeric sealing member between said valve disk and said valve seats for maintaining sealing engagement with said valve seats during an increase in pressure within said pipe and said valve chamber. .Iaddend..Iadd.9. An air admittance valve as in claim 8 wherein said sealing member substantially covers said lower side of said valve disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. An air admittance valve as in claim 6 further comprising seal members mounted on upper surfaces of said valve seats, said valve disk maintaining sealing engagement with said seal members during an increase in pressure within the pipe and said valve chamber. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into the pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within the pipe, said valve comprising a tubular body member having upper and lower ends, the lower end being adapted to be affixed to and in communication with the pipe, the upper end being provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats, a cap mounted on the upper end encompassing said valve seats and forming a valve chamber, a valve member mounted for movement within said valve chamber and normally resting upon said valve seats, said valve member including an annular disk which is maintained in engagement with said valve seats during an increase in pressure within the pipe and said valve chamber, thus preventing the escape of fluid from the pipe to atmosphere, said annular disk being formed of rigid material having an upper side facing away from said valve seats and a lower side facing said valve seats, said annular disk being structurally reinforced by an annular concentric rib and radial ribs formed on the upper side of the annular disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. An air admittance valve as in claim 11 wherein said radial ribs extend inwardly and upwardly from the annular disk to a central support. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. An air admittance valve as in claim 11 wherein said valve member further includes an elastomeric sealing member between said annular disk and said valve seats which maintains sealing engagement between said valve member and said valve seats during an increase in pressure within the pipe and said valve chamber, thus preventing the escape of fluid from said pipe to atmosphere. .Iaddend..Iadd.14. An air admittance valve as in claim 13 wherein said sealing member substantially covers the lower side of said annular disk which faces said valve seats. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. An air admittance valve as in claim 14 wherein said sealing member is wrapped around said annular disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into the pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within the pipe, said valve comprising a tubular body member having a lower end adapted to be affixed to and in communication with the pipe, and an upper end provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats, a cap mounted on the upper end encompassing said valve seats and forming a valve chamber, a ring shape valve disk mounted for movement within said valve chamber, said valve disk normally resting upon said valve seats, said valve disk being formed of rigid material having an upper side facing away from said valve seats and a lower side facing said valve seats, said valve disk being structurally reinforced by radial ribs integral with a substantial portion of the radial extent of the upper side of said valve disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. An air admittance valve as in claim 16 wherein said radial ribs extend radially inwardly from said valve disk to a central support. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. An air admittance valve as in claim 16 wherein said valve disk is further structurally reinforced by an annular concentric rib 
     
     
        formed on the upper side of said valve disk. .Iaddend..Iadd.19.  An air admittance valve adapted to be affixed to a sanitary drainage vent pipe, said valve opening to admit outside air into the pipe upon presence of a pressure drop within the pipe, said valve comprising a tubular body having one end adapted to be affixed to and in communication with the pipe, and an other end provided with inner and outer concentric valve seats, a cap mounted on the other end encompassing said valve seats and forming a valve chamber, a substantially flat ring shape disk mounted for movement within said valve chamber toward and away from said valve seats, said disk being formed of rigid material, a single annular concentric rib formed on said disk intermediate the radial extent of said disk, and ribs extending radially inwardly from said disk to a central support. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. An air admittance valve as in claim 19 further comprising an elastomeric sealing member between said disk and said valve seats for maintaining sealing engagement with said valve seats during an increase in pressure within the pipe and said valve chamber, said elastomeric sealing member being affixed to said disk for movement therewith. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. An air admittance valve as in claim 20 wherein said central support comprises a ring having a central aperture. .Iaddend.