US 12,258,952 B2
Leak-free, diffusion-blocking check valve, pump and method
David A. Borkholder, Canandaigua, NY (US); and Farzad Forouzandeh, Pacifica, CA (US)
Assigned to Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY (US)
Filed by David A. Borkholder, Canandaigua, NY (US); and Farzad Forouzandeh, Pacifica, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/108,384.
Prior Publication US 2024/0271610 A1, Aug. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. F04B 43/04 (2006.01); F04B 19/00 (2006.01); F16K 15/14 (2006.01); F16K 99/00 (2006.01)
CPC F04B 43/043 (2013.01) [F04B 19/006 (2013.01); F16K 15/1441 (2021.08); F16K 99/0015 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A closed diffusion-blocking one-way flow check valve, comprising:
a flow passage in a one-way direction through the check valve from an inlet to an outlet;
a handle comprising the inlet on one side of the handle and a valve seat disposed on a side of the handle opposite the inlet side along the flow passage;
a membrane comprising a flap tethered to the membrane by a plurality of tethers and the outlet comprising an opening adjacent the plurality of tethers between the membrane and the flap, wherein the flap comprises a valve seat contacting area on one side of the flap and an intrinsically stressed biasing element disposed on a side of the flap opposite the valve seat contacting area; and
a spacer layer disposed between the handle and the membrane creating a portion of the flow channel between the handle valve seat and the flap valve seat contacting area, wherein the biasing element forces the valve seat contacting area of the flap against the valve seat of the handle biasing the check valve in a closed position relative to the flow passage.