A case for an electronic cigarette vaporiser, the case including an automatic lifting mechanism that lifts the vaporiser up a few mm from the case to enable a user to easily grasp the vaporiser and withdraw it from the case. The lifting mechanism can be spring-based. The case both re-fills the vaporiser with liquid and also re-charges a battery in the vaporiser.

A smoking substitute apparatus comprising an air passage, a reservoir formed from an air-permeable substrate and arranged to allow air to be drawn through the reservoir, the reservoir being loaded with a source of nicotine, and one or more one-way valves arranged along the air passage and configured to allow air to flow along the air passage in an upstream to downstream direction.

A damper comprises a pressure tube extending longitudinally between a first pressure tube end and a second pressure tube end, a piston arranged in sliding engagement inside the pressure tube, a piston rod coupled to the piston, a hydraulic rebound stop positioned in a first working chamber and including a sealing ring circumferentially extending around the piston rod and within the pressure tube. The sealing ring at least partially defining a high-pressure region within the pressure tube during a rebound stroke the damper further comprising a pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the high-pressure region. The pressure relief valve being operable to allow pressurized fluid from the high-pressure region to pass therethrough once a predefined pressure threshold has been reached.

An example valve includes: a first port, a second port, and a load-sense port; a valve piston configured to block fluid flow from the first port to the second port when the valve piston is in a neutral position; a reverse flow spring applying a first biasing force on the valve piston in a proximal direction; and a pressure compensation spring disposed in a spring chamber and applying a second biasing force on the valve piston in a distal direction, wherein when pressure level of fluid at the second port is higher than pressure level of fluid at the load-sense port, fluid flows from the second port to the spring chamber and the load-sense port, and wherein when pressure level of fluid at the load-sense port is higher than pressure level of fluid at the second port, fluid of the load-sense port is provided to the spring chamber.

A valve device (2), of a pneumatically actuatable friction clutch engageable by spring force, includes at least one inlet valve (16, 18) connected on the input side to a pressurized supply line and on the output side to an actuating cylinder of the friction clutch. A pressure-sustaining valve (20, 28) is upstream or downstream of the inlet valve and is designed as a check valve closing in the backflow direction. The pressure-sustaining valve is a springless check valve and includes a housing ring (22, 30) having a retaining basket (36), a closing element (24, 32), and a valve seat (26, 34). The closing element, in the depressurized state and with a positive pressure gradient is held in the retaining basket (36) of the housing ring (22, 30) and, with a negative pressure gradient is pressed out of the retaining basket (36) and against the valve seat (26, 34).

A pump assembly is disclosed. The pump assembly including a pump having an outer casing having a first end, an opposing second end, and a cavity therein and a multi-function valve connected to the first end of the pump. The pump further including a discharge tube positioned in the cavity and exiting the first end of the outer casing; a check valve positioned in the cavity and operably connected to the discharge tube by a coupling; and a multi-float control assembly positioned in the cavity, the multi float control assembly including a bottom float check valve operably connected to the discharge tube by the coupling and an upper float check valve connected to a vent exiting the first end of the outer casing.

A method of manufacturing a hydraulic valve component using additive manufacturing includes laying successive layers to form a flow aperture for a hydraulic valve component, and creating a lattice or mesh structure that at least partially defines the flow aperture of the hydraulic valve component, or a feature that forms an undercut along a direction that is parallel to a flow direction of the flow aperture, or a flow aperture having a size varying along a circumferential direction of the valve component.

Provided is an check valve. The check valve comprising a plurality of valve parts in which an internal flow path is selectively open/closed by opening/closing members, wherein the plurality of the valve parts are stacked in a line. And the check valve further comprising a cylinder-shaped valve housing open on one side, wherein each opening/closing member of the plurality of valve parts is received from the open one side of the valve housing.

A backflow prevention device includes a piston received in a device passage between an inlet port and outlet port. A relief port can fluidly communicate with a middle segment of the device passage. The piston is movable between a normal flow position in which the piston blocks fluid communication between the relief port and the middle segment of the device passage and a backflow position in which the piston allows fluid communication between the relief port and the middle segment of the device passage. The piston can move to the normal position in response to normal flow through the device passage from the inlet port toward the outlet port and configured to move to the backflow position in response to greater pressure in the middle segment than in the inlet port.

A pumping element comprises a first flow chamber; a second flow chamber in fluid connection with the first flow chamber, the second flow chamber including a shoulder; a check valve including a first insert and a second insert, the first insert being movable between a first position wherein the first insert forms a seal that inhibits fluid flow between the first and second flow chambers and a second position wherein the first insert permits fluid flow between the first and second flow chambers, the second insert being inserted into the second flow chamber to an extent limited by the shoulder; and a spring having a first end engaging the first insert and a second end engaging the second insert; wherein the first insert moves from the first position to the second position against a biasing force of the spring in response to pressurized fluid in the first flow chamber.