Excessive pressure release valve and release valve unit having the release valve

• US 8,443,840 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Rubber Inc.
• Original Assignee: Asahi Rubber Inc.
• Inventors: Nemoto, Masashi, Yaginuma, Yukio, Yamashita, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARUNDALE, ROBERT K
• Application Number:
  US12/450,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100032039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 137/843, 137/845
• US Class Current: 137/845
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/325 comprising deformable valve members, e.g. elastic or flexible valve members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/342 Non-re-sealable arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/02 Details electrodes H01M4/86 - H01M4/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04082 Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2465 Details of groupings of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7879 Resilient material valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7881 Apertured plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7888 With valve member flexing about securement

Abstract

Provided is a small, simple-structured, homogeneous and mass-producible excessive pressure release valve which works even at a relatively low excessive pressure to surely and safely release the pressure to the external world. The excessive pressure release valve has an elastic rubber plate and a reversibly openable slit that passes through the upper and the lower surfaces and release the pressure to the external world when the internal excessive pressure stressing on the lower side surface, pushes and opens the slit toward upper surface side. The elastic rubber plate is made of silicone rubber containing 1-20% by mass of silicone oil.

Claims

1. An excessive pressure release valve which comprises:

an elastic rubber plate having an upper surface and a lower surface; and

a reversibly openable and closable slit passing through the upper and lower surfaces of the elastic rubber plate for releasing an internal excessive pressure to the external world when the slit is pushed and opened toward the upper surface side by the internal excessive pressure stressing on the lower surface side of the elastic rubber plate,

wherein the elastic rubber plate is made of a silicone rubber containing 1 to 20% by mass silicone oil,

the elastic rubber plate has a thickness ranging from 0.3 mm to 20 mm, a diameter ranging from 2 mm to 40 mm, a Durometer A hardness ranging from A20 to A80 according to Japanese Industrial Standard K6253, and

the slit having a length that is 5 to 80% of the diameter, and the slit also having wall surfaces, wherein the silicone oil saturates the wall surfaces of the slit and facilitates opening and closing of the slit, and

wherein the silicone rubber is methyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is methyl phenyl silicone oil, or the silicone rubber is methyl phenyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is dimethyl silicone oil.

2. The excessive pressure release valve according to claim 1, wherein the slit is shaped into a straight line, U-shape, V-shape, S-shape or cross line.

3. The excessive pressure release valve according to claim 1, wherein the elastic rubber plate has a thick portion at a peripheral portion thereof.

4. The excessive pressure release valve according to claim 1, wherein the elastic rubber plate further has:

a dent at a central portion of the lower surface side of the elastic rubber plate and the slit passing through a central flat portion of the dent, or

a mound at a central portion on the upper surface side of the elastic rubber plate and the slit passing through a central flat portion of the mound.

5. The excessive pressure release valve according to claim 1, wherein the silicone rubber is methyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is methyl phenyl silicone oil.

6. The excessive pressure release valve according to claim 1, wherein the silicone rubber is methyl phenyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is dimethyl silicone oil.

7. An excessive pressure release unit comprising:

a closed-system of a container, piping and/or an external connector to be connected thereto, and

an excessive pressure release valve mounted on the closed-system;

wherein the excessive pressure release valve has an elastic rubber plate for releasing an internal excessive pressure in the closed-system,

the elastic rubber plate has an upper surface and a lower surface and a reversibly openable and closable slit passing through the upper and lower surfaces of the elastic rubber plate for releasing an internal excessive pressure to the external world when the slit is pushed and opened toward the upper surface side by the internal excessive pressure stressing on the lower surface side of the elastic rubber plate,

wherein the elastic rubber plate is made of a silicone rubber containing 1 to 20% by mass silicone oil,

the elastic rubber plate has a thickness ranging from 0.3 mm to 20mm, a diameter ranging from 2 mm to 40mm, a Durometer A hardness ranging from A20 to A80 according to Japanese Industrial Standard K6253, and

the slit having a length that is 5 to 80% of the diameter, and the slit also having wall surfaces, wherein the silicone oil saturates the wall surfaces of the slit and facilitates opening and closing of the slit, and

wherein the silicone rubber is methyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is methyl phenyl silicone oil, or the silicone rubber is methyl phenyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is dimethyl silicone oil.

8. The excessive pressure release unit according to claim 7, wherein the excessive pressure release valve is fixed to the container, piping and/or external connecter to be connected to them by way of adhesion to the container, piping and/or external connector to be connected to them using a thermal adhesive film or an adhesive agent attached to the lower surface side of the elastic rubber plate;

or by way of covering of an outer edge portion of the elastic rubber plate using a guide attached to the container, piping and/or external connector to be connected to them.

9. The excessive pressure release unit according to claim 7, wherein the excessive pressure releasing valve is fixed to the container, piping and/or external connector by way of fitting of the elastic rubber plate into the container, piping and/or external connector to be connected to them, or by way of holding of an outer edge portion of the elastic rubber plate using a washer, hollow pipe or hollow screw.

10. The excessive pressure release unit according to claim 7, wherein the elastic rubber plate is compressed and subjected to a resulting compression pressure so that the excessive pressure to be released is adjusted based on the compression pressure.

11. The excessive pressure release unit according to claim 7, wherein the silicone rubber is methyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is methyl phenyl silicone oil.

12. The excessive pressure release unit according to claim 7, wherein the silicone rubber is methyl phenyl vinyl silicone rubber and the silicone oil is dimethyl silicone oil.