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A valve includes: (i) a valve seat; (ii) a guide assembly including a check portion, the guide assembly being configured to move between a first closed position where the check portion contacts the valve seat and a first open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat; (iii

A valve includes: (i) a valve seat; (ii) a guide assembly including a check portion, the guide assembly being configured to move between a first closed position where the check portion contacts the valve seat and a first open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat; (iii) a plurality of guides that are sized and configured to contact an outer perimeter of the guide assembly to axially align the guide assembly at least when (a) the guide assembly is in the first closed position and (b) the guide assembly is in the first open position; (iv) a plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels being located between at least two of the plurality of guides.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A valve for conveying fluid from a source to a destination, the valve comprising: a body defining an inlet configured to receive fluid from the source;a valve seat;a guide assembly comprising (a) an upper portion comprising a check portion and a head portion, and (b) a lower portion comprising a

1. A valve for conveying fluid from a source to a destination, the valve comprising: a body defining an inlet configured to receive fluid from the source;a valve seat;a guide assembly comprising (a) an upper portion comprising a check portion and a head portion, and (b) a lower portion comprising a stem portion and a first spring;wherein the guide assembly is configured to move between (a) a first closed position where the check portion contacts the valve seat and (b) a first open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat, the first spring biasing the guide assembly to the first closed position; anda plurality of guides joined with the body and being sized and configured to contact the upper portion of the guide assembly to discourage radial oscillation thereof;wherein each of the plurality of guides includes an inner face, each of the plurality of guides are sized and configured to contact the upper portion of the guide assembly via the respective inner face, and each of the inner faces has a radius of curvature exceeding a maximum outer radius of the upper portion of the guide assembly. 2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the body defines at least one channel located between at least two of the plurality of guides, the at least one channel being in fluid communication with the inlet when the guide assembly is in the first open position. 3. The valve of claim 2, wherein the at least one channel has an axially extending longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, wherein the longitudinal axis of the at least one channel is offset from the longitudinal axis of the body such that the longitudinal axis of the body does not intersect the at least one channel. 4. The valve of claim 3, wherein the at least one channel has a length in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, the head portion has a length in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, and the length of the at least one channel exceeds the length of the head portion. 5. The valve of claim 1, wherein the body defines a plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels being located between at least two of the plurality of guides. 6. The valve of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of guides is diametrically opposed with another of the plurality of guides and a total number of the plurality of channels is equal to a total number of the plurality of guides. 7. The valve of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of channels has a length in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, at least one of the plurality of guides has a length in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, and the length of the at least one channel is shorter than the length of the at least one guide. 8. The valve of claim 5, configured and arranged such that all of the channels are in fluid communication with the inlet when the guide assembly is in the first open position and none of the channels are in fluid communication with the inlet when the guide assembly is in the first closed position. 9. The valve of claim 1, wherein the inner faces of the plurality of guides and an outer surface of the head portion are polished. 10. The valve of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of channels is axially spaced from the valve seat, such that when the guide assembly is in the first open position, at least some fluid passes along the valve seat before entering one of the plurality of channels. 11. A valve for conveying fluid from a source to a destination, the valve comprising: a body defining an inlet configured to receive fluid from the source;a valve seat;a guide assembly comprising (a) an upper portion comprising a check portion and a head portion, and (b) a lower portion comprising a stem portion and a first spring;wherein the guide assembly is configured to move between (a) a first closed position where the check portion contacts the valve seat and (b) a first open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat, the first spring biasing the guide assembly to the first closed position;a plurality of guides joined with the body and being sized and configured to contact the upper portion of the guide assembly to discourage radial oscillation thereof,wherein the body defines at least one channel located between at least two of the plurality of guides, the at least one channel being in fluid communication with the inlet when the guide assembly is in the first open position; andan artifact extending from the at least one channel, the artifact being a recess having a radial depth less than a radial depth of the at least one channel. 12. The valve of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of transitions, each of the plurality of transitions extending from the body to one of the plurality of guides, each of the plurality of transitions having a radial thickness less than a minimum radial thickness of any of the plurality of guides. 13. A valve for conveying fluid from a source to a destination, the valve comprising: a body defining an inlet configured to receive fluid from the source;a valve seat;a guide assembly comprising (a) an upper portion comprising a check portion and a head portion, and (b) a lower portion comprising a stem portion and a first spring;wherein the guide assembly is configured to move between (a) a first closed position where the check portion contacts the valve seat and (b) a first open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat, the first spring biasing the guide assembly to the first closed position; anda plurality of guides joined with the body and defining a plurality of axially extending channels, the plurality of guides and being sized and configured (a) to contact the upper portion of the guide assembly to discourage radial oscillation thereof, (b) such that when the guide assembly is axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the body, minor radial gaps are defined between each of the plurality of guides and the upper portion of the guide assembly, (c) such that the upper portion of the guide assembly, when misaligned with the longitudinal axis of the body, may contact some, but not all of the plurality of guides;wherein the body comprises: a ring-shaped intermediate outlet portion defining a cylindrical intermediate outlet void, one or more transitions extending from the intermediate outlet portion to each of the plurality of guides, a first radial distance between the longitudinal axis of the body and at least one of the plurality of guides being less than a second radial distance between the longitudinal axis of the body and at least one of the one or more transitions, which is less than a third radial distance between the longitudinal axis of the body and the intermediate outlet portion. 14. The valve of claim 13, wherein the guide assembly is configured to move to a second open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat and intersecting a reference plane defined by the intermediate outlet portion, the reference plane being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body. 15. The valve of claim 14, further comprising a retainer, the retainer being integral with, fixed with respect to, or stopped against the body, the retainer being configured to arrest axial translation of the guide assembly along the longitudinal axis of the body when the guide assembly is in a fourth open position; wherein, when the guide assembly is in the fourth open position, the upper portion of the guide assembly intersects the reference plane defined by the intermediate outlet portion. 16. The valve of claim 15, further comprising at least one artifact extending from at least one of the channels, the artifact being a minor recess defined in the body, wherein the one or more transitions serve to funnel the upper portion of the guide assembly from the fourth open position to the first closed position, and the valve seat, the plurality of guides, the transitions, and the intermediate outlet portion are integral with the body. 17. A valve for conveying fluid from a source to a destination, the valve comprising: a body defining an inlet configured to receive fluid from the source;a valve seat;a guide assembly comprising (a) an upper portion comprising a check portion and a head portion, and (b) a lower portion comprising a stem portion and a first spring;wherein the guide assembly is configured to move between (a) a first closed position where the check portion contacts the valve seat and (b) a first open position where the check portion is spaced apart from the valve seat, the first spring biasing the guide assembly to the first closed position; anda plurality of guides joined with the body and defining a plurality of axially extending channels, the plurality of guides and being sized and configured (a) to contact the upper portion of the guide assembly to discourage radial oscillation thereof, (b) such that when the guide assembly is axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the body, minor radial gaps are defined between each of the plurality of guides and the upper portion of the guide assembly, (c) such that the upper portion of the guide assembly, when misaligned with the longitudinal axis of the body, may contact some, but not all of the plurality of guides;wherein when the guide assembly is in the first open position, the plurality of axially extending channels are in fluid communication with the inlet; and wherein at least one of the plurality of channels includes an upper channel portion and a lower channel portion, the upper channel portion of the at least one channel being in a shape of a partial cone and the lower channel portion of the at least one channel being in a shape of a partial cylinder, and at least one of the plurality of guides includes an inner radial face having an upper guide portion and a lower guide portion, the upper guide portion of the inner radial face being trapezoidal and the lower guide portion of the inner radial face being rectangular.