Gas cylinder valve assembly
First Claim
1. A valve assembly for controlling the flow of fluid from a source under high pressure, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet for fluid from the source and a housing bore having a central axis extending axially through the housing that opens to the inlet;
a valve stem mounted to the housing and extending within the housing bore, the valve stem having an enlarged diametric portion that has an enlarged diametric terminal edge disposed within the housing bore and an axial stem bore opening through the enlarged diametric terminal edge;
an annular valve seat mounted in the axial stem bore and having an annular terminal edge and a cylindrical inner peripheral surface;
an axial extending main valve body mounted in the housing bore, at least one of the housing and the axial extending main valve body having a fluid outlet;
the axial extending main valve body having a first reduced diameter first edge portion extending within the annular valve seat;
a valving surface portion formed with the first reduced diameter first edge portion;
a terminal second edge portion axially remote from the first reduced diameter first edge portion and;
a fluid passage opening through the first reduced diameter first edge portion to the cylindrical inner peripheral surface and to the fluid outlet;
the axial extending main valve body having a cylindrical portion in fluid sealing relationship with the housing and having a valve body shoulder facing the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge to provide an annular chamber that opens to the inlet;
the valve stem being axially movable between a valve closed position at which the annular valve seat blocks fluid flow from the annular chamber to the fluid passage and a valve open position permitting fluid flow from the annular chamber to the fluid passage;
the valve stem having at least one annular shoulder facing axial opposite the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge in fluid communication with the inlet and of an area slightly greater than the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge whereby the inlet pressure is in fluid communication with the at least one annular shoulder and the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge to constantly urge the valve stem to move to the valve closed position;
and an actuator for selectively moving the valve stem to the valve open position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The gas valve assembly includes a housing with a bore and a main valve body and a main valve stem mounted therein. The valve body has a fluid passage fluidly connecting the inlet and one of a housing and valve body outlet with the valve stem mounting a valve seat and being movable for blocking fluid flow through the passage. In two embodiments, the housing is threadable to the neck portion of a vessel for the inlet opening to the vessel interior and the main valve body mounts a manual operated shut off valve extending within the valve body to selectively block fluid flow through the passage and an excess flow valve to block fluid flow through the passage when the flow to the outlet is greater than desired. The last two mentioned valves include a common piston in the fluid passage.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A valve assembly for controlling the flow of fluid from a source under high pressure, comprising:
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a housing having an inlet for fluid from the source and a housing bore having a central axis extending axially through the housing that opens to the inlet; a valve stem mounted to the housing and extending within the housing bore, the valve stem having an enlarged diametric portion that has an enlarged diametric terminal edge disposed within the housing bore and an axial stem bore opening through the enlarged diametric terminal edge; an annular valve seat mounted in the axial stem bore and having an annular terminal edge and a cylindrical inner peripheral surface; an axial extending main valve body mounted in the housing bore, at least one of the housing and the axial extending main valve body having a fluid outlet; the axial extending main valve body having a first reduced diameter first edge portion extending within the annular valve seat; a valving surface portion formed with the first reduced diameter first edge portion; a terminal second edge portion axially remote from the first reduced diameter first edge portion and; a fluid passage opening through the first reduced diameter first edge portion to the cylindrical inner peripheral surface and to the fluid outlet; the axial extending main valve body having a cylindrical portion in fluid sealing relationship with the housing and having a valve body shoulder facing the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge to provide an annular chamber that opens to the inlet; the valve stem being axially movable between a valve closed position at which the annular valve seat blocks fluid flow from the annular chamber to the fluid passage and a valve open position permitting fluid flow from the annular chamber to the fluid passage; the valve stem having at least one annular shoulder facing axial opposite the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge in fluid communication with the inlet and of an area slightly greater than the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge whereby the inlet pressure is in fluid communication with the at least one annular shoulder and the annular terminal edge and the enlarged diametric terminal edge to constantly urge the valve stem to move to the valve closed position; and an actuator for selectively moving the valve stem to the valve open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A valve assembly mountable to a threaded neck portion of a vessel containing fluid under pressure, comprising:
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a housing having a housing portion threadable to the threaded neck portion; the housing portion having an inlet opening to a vessel interior when the housing is mounted to the threaded neck portion and an outlet, and a fluid passage fluidly connecting the inlet to the outlet, said fluid passage disposed in the housing; an axially elongated housing bore having a central axis and extending axially through the housing and opening to both the inlet and the outlet; a valve stem mounted to the housing and extending within the axially elongated housing bore, the valve stem having an enlarged diametric portion that has an enlarged diametric terminal edge disposed within the axially elongated housing bore; an operable main valve that forms at least part of the fluid passage and extending in the axially elongated housing bore for selectively blocking fluid flow through the fluid passage and permitting fluid flow through said fluid passage; a manually operated valve extending at least in part in said fluid passage between the operable main valve and the outlet for selectively blocking fluid flow through the fluid passage; and an excess flow valve extending in the fluid passage for automatically blocking fluid flow to the outlet in the event the rate of flow through to the outlet exceeds a preselected value; the excess flow valve being mounted by the operable main valve; and an actuator for selectively operating the operable main valve between a valve closed position and a valve open position. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A valve assembly mountable to a threaded neck portion of a vessel-containing fluid under pressure, comprising:
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a housing having a housing portion threadable to the threaded neck portion and an axially elongated housing bore extending axially through the housing, the axially elongated housing bore having a first end portion and a second end portion; the housing portion having an inlet opening to the axially elongated housing bore and to a vessel interior when the housing is mounted to the threaded neck portion and an outlet; an axially extending main valve body bounded in the first end portion; a valve stem mounted to the housing for axial movement between a valve open position and a valve closed position; said valve stem extending within the second end portion and having an enlarged diameter portion that has an enlarged diametric terminal edge axially adjacent to the axially extending main body; the enlarged diametric portion having an axial stem bore; an annular valve seat mounted in the enlarged diametric portion and having an axial seat bore that has an inner peripheral surface; the axially extending main valve body including a reduced diameter portion having an annular groove opening radially to the inner peripheral surface, an axial intermediate portion in fluid sealing relationship with the housing, a second cylindrical end portion axially opposite the reduced diameter portion, a valving portion extending between the axial intermediate portion and the reduced diameter portion to provide a cylindrical shoulder opening toward the annular valve seat and axially spaced from the annular valve seat and the enlarged diametric portion in the valve closed position to provide an annular fluid chamber and in the valve closed position being abuttable against the annular valve seat to block fluid flow from the annular fluid chamber to the annular groove and; an axial body bore opening to the annular groove and to the outlet; the valve stem having at least one annular shoulder opening axially opposite from said annular fluid chamber; the axially elongated housing bore having a bore portion surrounding the enlarged diametric end portion to provide an annular clearance that in both the valve open position and the valve closed position has the inlet opening to the annular clearance, opens to the at least one annular shoulder and opens to said annular fluid chamber. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification