Overflow protection valve assembly

• US 6,076,546 A
• Filed: 03/16/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BLUE RHINO GLOBAL SOURCING, LLC (Ferrellgas Partners LP)
• Original Assignee: Blue Rhino Corporation (Ferrellgas Partners LP)
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US09/039,663
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 137/434, 137/442, 137/446, 137/389, 137/390, 137/410, 137/443, 137/444, 141/198, 222/64, 222/67
• US Class Current: 137/390
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/26 with the valve guided for rectilinear movement and the float attached to a pivoted arm
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/021 having the height as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0119 with flat end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/032 with substantially vertical main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/018 Supporting feet
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0329 manually actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0385 in blocks or units
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0394 in direct contact with the pressure vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/035 Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0413 with floats
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/022 Avoiding overfilling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/73 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7465 Assembly mounted on and having reciprocating valve element coaxial with inlet pipe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7478 With interposed cam, gear or threaded connection

Abstract

A valve assembly is provided that prevents overfilling of vessels, such as tanks used to hold liquified gas, beyond a predetermined maximum level. Preferably, the valve assembly is for use with an LP tank attached at the bottom of a service valve thereof. The valve assembly has a valve member controlled for shifting by a float assembly that rises and falls with the fluid level in the tank. The float assembly keeps the valve member removed from the flow of fluid through the valve housing during tank filling operations in a chamber of a diverter member until the maximum fill level is approached when the float assembly allows the valve member to begin to shift into a blocking position projecting from the diverter member restricting flow into the tank and eventually cutting it off when the maximum fill level is attained. Flow paths defined by recessed channels formed on the exterior of the diverter member direct incoming fluid flow around the valve member in the diverter member chamber during tank filling operations. A port of the housing is below the flow paths which direct fluid through the port during tank filling operations until the valve member shifts to its blocking position. The valve assembly also allows for outgoing flow therethrough for unloading of the tank when opened to ambient by shifting of the valve member off from its seat in the blocking position due to the pressure differential in the tank interior versus the lower ambient pressures exterior of the tank. As the tank is unloaded, the float assembly lowers pivoting cam member thereof to lift valve stem causing the valve member to shift from between the flow paths and port allowing fluid to flow out from the tank.

Claims

1. A valve assembly for permitting fluid intake into an interior space in a vessel filling operation and fluid discharge therefrom in a vessel unloading operation and for cutting off fluid intake into the vessel at a predetermined fluid level in the vessel space during filling operations, the valve assembly comprising:

a fixed housing of the valve assembly;

a fluid flow path through the housing for allowing flow through the valve into and out from the vessels so that both vessel filling and unloading operations occur via fluid flow through the valve assembly;

a port of the housing for communicating with the vessel interior;

a valve member for shifting in the housing as the fluid level chances in the vessel interior space and in response to the pressure differential between the vessel space and ambient; and

a float assembly for rising and falling in substantial correspondence to the rising and falling of the fluid level in the vessel space with the float assembly controlling shifting of the valve member to keep it removed from the flow of fluid between the flow path and the port at fluid levels below a predetermined maximum fill level in the vessel during filling and unloading operations, and during filling operations to allow it to shift into a flow blocking position between the flow path and the port at the predetermined maximum fill level for preventing further fluid flow through the flow path out from the port and into the vessel interior with the pressure differential between the vessel interior and ambient being sufficient to cause the valve member to shift away from the blocking position independent of the float assembly to begin vessel unloading operations from the filled vessel with the float assembly falling to continue shifting of the valve member away from blocking position.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the valve housing includes a seat at the port and the valve member shifts onto the seat in the blocking position at the predetermined maximum fill level with the incoming fluid flow during filling operations assisting in tightly pushing the valve member onto the seat to prevent flow through the port and into the vessel interior.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the valve housing includes a fixed inner member in which the valve member shifts and an outer member rigidly attached to the inner member with the flow path defined between the housing inner and outer members.

4. The valve assembly of claim 3 wherein the flow paths comprise a plurality of discrete flow paths around the housing inner member for directing incoming fluid around the valve member in the inner member and each of the flow paths communicating with the port of the housing for directing incoming fluid through the port during vessel filling operations and for receiving outgoing fluid therethrough from the vessel interior during vessel unloading operations.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow path has a flow opening that directs fluid flow from the flow path during a filling operation to impinge against the valve member for assisting in shifting the valve member to the blocking position when the fluid reaches the predetermined fill level in the vessel interior.

6. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the flow path has a predetermined size for permitting a predetermined flow rate of fluid therethrough during filling operations to limit fluid turbulence that would keep the valve member from shifting to the blocking position at the predetermined fill level.

7. The valve assembly of claim 6 wherein the float assembly includes a pivotable arm and attached float of predetermined length for fitting in the vessel with the float being attached to one end of the arm which pivots the arm as the float rises and falls with the fluid level, and a cam attached to the other end of the arm for being pivoted thereby, and the valve member includes a stem extending beyond the valve housing into engagement with the cam for keeping the valve member removed from the flow of fluid until the fluid in the vessel interior reaches the predetermined fill level, and

a biasing member which urges the valve member toward the blocking position with a predetermined force for overcoming turbulence created during filling operations with said predetermined force being sufficiently low to allow the arm to pivot the cam at fluid levels in the vessel interior below the predetermined fill level so that the valve member is not in its blocking position.

8. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the float assembly includes a cam which pivots as the float assembly rises and falls with the vessel fluid level, and the valve member includes a stem attached thereto and extending into engagement with the cam during both filling and unloading operations so that the cam is operable to shift the valve member in response to both rising and falling fluid levels in the vessel.

9. The valve assembly of claim 1 in combination with a vessel for containing liquified gas under pressure as supplied by a pressurized source of the liquified gas, and including a biasing member for urging the valve member toward the blocking position with a predetermined force selected to allow the valve member to shift from the blocking position when the vessel is opened to ambient for discharging fluid in vessel unloading operations.

10. A valve assembly for being connected to a service valve attached to a tank for holding liquified gas fluid in its interior at pressures greater than ambient exterior of the tank to produce a pressure differential therebetween with the liquified gas being loaded into and unloaded out from the tank interior with the service valve opened and through the valve assembly, the valve assembly comprising:

a body of the valve assembly affixed to the service valve;

an interior space of the body to provide a fluid passageway through the body between the service valve and the tank interior for loading and unloading of fluid into and out from the tank;

a single valve member that shifts in a portion of the body interior space in response to changing fluid levels in the tank interior;

peripheral flow paths formed in the body for redirecting fluid flow through the body interior space during fluid loading operations around the portion of the space containing the valve member;

a float assembly that rises and falls with the fluid level in the tank interior for shifting the valve member in the body interior space portion; and

a port of the body adjacent the flow paths with fluid flowing through the flow paths and into the port during vessel loading operations and flowing through the port and into the flow paths during vessel unloading operations,

the float assembly being operable to allow the valve member to shift in a first direction to a blocking position between the flow paths and port during tank loading operations when the fluid level therein reaches the predetermined maximum fill level to stop further loading of fluid into the tank interior with the pressure differential between the tank and ambient being sufficient to cause the valve member to shift in a second direction opposite to the first direction away from the blocking position when the service valve is opened to the ambient with the tank at the predetermined maximum fill level for allowing fluid from the tank interior to flow through the fluid passageway and into and out from the service valve.

11. The valve assembly of claim 10 wherein the body includes an outer cylindrical portion and an inner diverter member rigidly secured in the cylindrical portion with the diverter member defining the portion of the body interior space in which the valve member is disposed, the diverter member including opposite ends with one end being closed and the other end being open and facing the port, and the flow paths are formed between the diverter member and the cylindrical portion with the valve member blocking position being generally at the diverter member open end so that at least a portion of the valve member projects therefrom into the blocking position between the flow paths and the port.

12. The valve assembly of claim 10 wherein the valve assembly body is affixed to the service valve to extend generally vertically in the interior of the tank and the fluid passageway of the body has an upper section and a lower section below the upper section and at the bottom of which the port is disposed with the portion of the body interior space containing the valve member being between the fluid passageway sections so that when the tank fluid level reaches the predetermined maximum fill level during tank loading the valve member falls in the body interior space portion toward the port and into the flow of fluid which assists in shifting the valve member to its blocking position for sealing the port and preventing further fluid loading into the tank interior.

13. The valve assembly of claim 10 wherein the float assembly includes a cam that is pivoted as the tank fluid level changes, and including a valve stem connected to the valve member at one end thereof and engaged with the cam at the other end thereof with the float assembly including the cam thereof operable to support the valve stem at fluid levels below a predetermined maximum fill level during both fluid loading and unloading operations to keep the valve member in the portion of the body interior space removed from the flow paths.