US 11,781,670 B2
Rocker valve with rocker valve mechanism
Gilles Grandvallet, Lancrans (FR); Raphael Alvarez, Nyon (CH); and Julien Schneider, Selestat (FR)
Assigned to FAS MEDIC S.A., Palézieux (CH)
Filed by FAS MEDIC S.A., Palezieux (CH)
Filed on May 20, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/417,056.
Claims priority of application No. 18173390 (EP), filed on May 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0353272 A1, Nov. 21, 2019
Int. Cl. F16K 31/10 (2006.01); F16K 11/02 (2006.01); F16K 11/16 (2006.01); F16K 31/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 31/10 (2013.01) [F16K 11/022 (2013.01); F16K 11/168 (2013.01); F16K 31/0641 (2013.01); Y10T 137/86847 (2015.04)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rocker valve comprising:
a valve body comprising first and second fluid ports;
a rocker valve mechanism located at least partially in the valve body, comprising:
a single pivot arm pivotally mounted relative to the valve body;
a first plunger pivotally fixed to the single pivot arm by a first fixed pivot, the first fixed pivot having a position which is fixed relative to the first plunger and the single pivot arm during pivoting of the single pivot arm; and
a second plunger pivotally fixed to the pivot arm by a second fixed pivot, the second fixed pivot having a position which is fixed relative to the second plunger and the single pivot arm during pivoting of the single pivot arm, and the second plunger acting in opposition to and moving substantially in parallel with the first plunger when the single pivot arm is pivoted relative to the valve body;
wherein the rocker valve mechanism does not include another pivot arm that the first plunger and the second plunger are pivotally fixed thereto; and
the rocker valve further comprising a flexible seal member extending in a lateral direction across the first and second fluid ports, wherein the flexible seal member comprises a first sealing region attached to a plunger head of the first plunger and a second sealing region attached to a plunger head of the second plunger, wherein the flexible seal member is movable by the first plunger to a first position in which the first fluid port is closed by the first sealing region and is movable by the second plunger to a second position in which the second fluid port is closed by the second sealing region, and
wherein the rocker valve mechanism is configured such that at least one of the first and second plungers is allowed to pivotally rotate with respect to the valve body when the single pivot arm is pivoted relative to the valve body, wherein a rotation of the at least one of the first and second plungers about its respective fixed pivot is constrained by the flexible seal member to a greater degree than other components to which the at least one of the first and second plungers is connected such that a lateral position of the plunger head of the at least one of the first and second plungers is automatically adjusted by the flexible seal member to balance tensile forces in the flexible seal member around said plunger head.