Valves for fuel cartridges

• US 7,617,842 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited (Lb-shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Societe BIC
• Inventors: Curello, Andrew, Spahr, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin L
• Application Number:
  US11/391,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20060196562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 137/614.03, 137/614.04, 137/614.05, 137/614.2, 137/628, 137/630, 137/630.14
• US Class Current: 137/614.2
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/063 the valve being loaded by a spring
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/32 at least one of two lift valves being opened automatically when the coupling is applied
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86976 First valve moves second valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87949 Linear motion of flow path sections operates both
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87957 Valves actuate each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87965 Valve- or closure-operated by coupling motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/88054 Direct response normally closed valve limits direction of flow

Abstract

Valves for connecting fuel supplies to a device are disclosed. The fuel supplies can be a pressurized or non-pressurized cartridge that can be used with any device, such as fuel cells or fuel refilling apparatus. The valve includes face seals to minimize the amount of fuel remaining in the valve when the fuel supply is separated from the device. In one embodiment, the valve includes deformable members including sealing surfaces, where the flow paths through the valve are sealed and unsealed by the deformation of the deformable members. In another embodiment, the female valve component includes a shortened body to limit the volume of fuel remaining in the valve. The female valve component also includes a cap with slots formed therein so that residual fuel can drain from the valve component into a fuel reservoir.

Claims

1. A valve comprising:

a first valve component connectable to one of either a fuel supply or a device;

a second valve component connectable to the other of either the fuel supply or the device, wherein one valve component is configured to be mated to the other valve component;

an inter-component sealing member disposed between a first valve component face and a second valve component face;

wherein each valve component comprises a housing, a movable inner body, and a flow path, wherein the movable inner body cooperates with a sealing surface to form a seal within the flow path of each valve component when the valve components are unconnected, and wherein during connection the inter-component sealing member forms an inter-component seal between the first valve component and the second valve component and before the flow path in at least one valve component opens, and wherein a back end of one of the valve components comprises a one-way valve fluidly connected to the flow path, so that when said valve component re-establishes the seal a suck-back effect is created.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a fuel cell.

3. The valve of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a fuel supply filling apparatus.

4. The valve of claim 1, wherein one valve component is received within the other valve component.

5. The valve of claim 1, further comprising a sealing member positioned adjacent the sealing surface, wherein the movable inner body is biased and slidable within the housing, and wherein the movable inner body cooperates with the scaling member and the sealing surface to close the flow path.

6. The valve of claim 1, wherein the movable inner body is deformable.

7. The valve of claim 6, wherein the movable inner body is elastomeric.

8. The valve of claim 6, wherein the movable inner body seals the flow path.

9. The valve of claim 1, wherein one of the valve components comprises

a valve post fixedly all ached to the valve component housing,

a valve sleeve slidably disposed around the valve post, wherein the flow path is defined between the valve sleeve and the valve post, and

wherein at least one post-sealing surface is disposed proximate to the flow path, and wherein the valve post and the valve sleeve cooperate with the post-sealing surface to seal the flow path.

10. The valve of claim 9, wherein the valve sleeve is sealed to the valve component housing.

11. The valve of claim 9, wherein at least one sleeve sealing member is disposed between the valve sleeve and the valve component housing.

12. The valve of claim 9, wherein the other valve component comprises a check valve.

13. The valve of claim 9 further comprising a cap affixed to one end of the housing, wherein the cap has at least one opening formed therein.

14. The valve of claim 9, wherein a length of the valve component housing ranges from about 4 mm to about 8 mm.

15. The valve of claim 1, wherein one of the valve components comprises a check valve.

16. The valve of claim 15, wherein the first and second valve components open simultaneously.

17. The valve of claim 15, wherein the first and second valve components open sequentially.

18. The valve of claim 15, wherein the first and second valve components close sequentially.

19. The valve of claim 18, wherein the closing of the later-closed valve component draws a fluid within the earlier-closed valve component and the later-closed valve component toward a back end of the later-closed valve component.

20. A valve comprising:

a first valve component connectable to one of either a fuel supply or a device;

a second valve component connectable to the other of either the fuel supply or the device, wherein a first valve component face is configured to mate with the second valve component face, and

an inter-component sealing member disposed between the first valve component face and the second valve component face,

wherein each valve component comprises a stationary body and a biased slidable body disposed within the valve component, and a flow path defined within the valve component, wherein the biased slidable body cooperates wit a sealing surface to form an internal seal within each valve component, and wherein during connection the stationary body of one valve component moves the biased slidable body of the other valve component, and wherein during connection the first valve component and the second valve component form an inter-component seal at an interface of the first valve component face and the second valve component face, and wherein the first and second valve components close sequentially such that a suck-back effect is created in the later-closing valve.

21. The valve of claim 20, wherein the later-closing valve has a larger displaced volume than the other valve.

22. The valve of claim 20, wherein the later-closing valve has a longer stroke than the other valve.

23. The valve of claim 20, wherein the stationary body of the first valve component comprises a housing of the first valve component and the stationary body of the second valve component comprises a center valve post.

24. The valve of claim 20, wherein a back end of one of the valve components comprises a one-way valve fluidly connected to the flow path.

25. A valve comprising:

a first valve component connectable to one of either a fuel supply or a device;

a second valve component connectable to the other of either the fuel supply or the device, wherein one valve component is configured to be connected to the other valve component;

wherein the first valve component comprises an internal seal when the valve components are disconnected and when the two valve components are connected a flow path is established therethrough and wherein a back end of the first valve component comprises a one-way valve fluidly connected to the flow path and the one-way valve closes when the two valve components are disconnected from each other, so that as the first valve component re-establishes the internal seal a suck-back effect is created.

26. The valve of claim 25, wherein the first valve component has a larger displaced volume than the second valve component.

27. The valve of claim 25, wherein the first valve component has a longer stroke than the second valve component.

28. The valve of claim 25, wherein when the two valve components are connected an inter-component seal is established.