Patent 7717131 was granted and assigned to Amerikam, Inc. on May, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A diverter valve (10) for selectively controlling the flow of fluid from a fluid source to one of several fluid outlets (132, 136) includes a fixed ceramic disk (14) fixed to a housing (12) and a rotating ceramic disk (16) retained in the housing against the fixed disk by a retainer (24). An accessory mount (20) is adhered to the rotating ceramic disk to facilitate connection to accessories and to direct fluid from the valve. Flow passages (88, 90, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112) in the disks cooperate with flow passages (54, 64, 66, 68) in the housing and flow passages (116, 118, 122) in the accessory mount to balance the pressure of fluid flow within the valve against the disks to minimize leaks and prolong durability.