Valve assembly for gas container
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A valve assembly for a gas container having a storage space, the valve assembly being disposed at the gas container, the valve assembly comprising:
- a filling passage to fill the storage space of the gas container with gas and a discharge passage to discharge the gas from the storage space, the passages, which both extend into the storage space of the gas container, allow the inside of the gas container to communicate with the outside;
a filling-side valve disposed at the filling passage, the filling-side valve configured to shut off the filling passage and prevent flow in a downstream direction, the downstream direction being the direction in which the gas flows into the gas container when the gas container is being filled from the outside;
a discharge-side valve disposed at the discharge passage, the discharge-side valve configured to shut off the discharge passage;
a communication path between the discharge passage and the filling passage, wherein the discharge passage connects to the communication path by a first continuously-open connection portion at a downstream side of the discharge-side valve, wherein the filling passage connects to the communication path by a second continuously-open connection portion to a downstream side of the filling-side valve;
a single shut-off valve in the communication path; and
a bypass path that forms when the shut-off valve in the communication path is opened with the filling-side valve closed, the bypass path allowing the gas stored inside the gas container to flow backwards through at least a portion of the filling passage, through the communication path, through at least a portion of the discharge passage, and to the exterior of the valve assembly.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a valve assembly for a gas container capable of appropriately discharging a gas from the gas container, even if a valve of a discharge passage has a failure or the like. The valve assembly for the gas container disposed at the gas container has, as passages which allow the inside of the gas container to communicate with the outside, a filling passage which fills the gas container with the gas and a discharge passage which discharges the gas. Furthermore, the valve assembly has a filling-side valve disposed at the filling passage and configured to close this passage, a discharge-side valve disposed at the discharge passage and configured to close this passage, a communication path which connects a downstream side of the discharge-side valve to a downstream side of the filling-side valve, and a shut-off valve disposed at the communication path. When the discharge-side valve does not open due to the failure or the like, the shut-off valve is opened to allow the gas to flow through the filling passage, the communication path and the discharge passage in this order.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A valve assembly for a gas container having a storage space, the valve assembly being disposed at the gas container, the valve assembly comprising:
-
a filling passage to fill the storage space of the gas container with gas and a discharge passage to discharge the gas from the storage space, the passages, which both extend into the storage space of the gas container, allow the inside of the gas container to communicate with the outside; a filling-side valve disposed at the filling passage, the filling-side valve configured to shut off the filling passage and prevent flow in a downstream direction, the downstream direction being the direction in which the gas flows into the gas container when the gas container is being filled from the outside; a discharge-side valve disposed at the discharge passage, the discharge-side valve configured to shut off the discharge passage; a communication path between the discharge passage and the filling passage, wherein the discharge passage connects to the communication path by a first continuously-open connection portion at a downstream side of the discharge-side valve, wherein the filling passage connects to the communication path by a second continuously-open connection portion to a downstream side of the filling-side valve; a single shut-off valve in the communication path; and a bypass path that forms when the shut-off valve in the communication path is opened with the filling-side valve closed, the bypass path allowing the gas stored inside the gas container to flow backwards through at least a portion of the filling passage, through the communication path, through at least a portion of the discharge passage, and to the exterior of the valve assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A valve assembly for a gas container having a storage space, the valve assembly being disposed at the gas container, comprising:
-
a discharge passage of a gas which allows the inside of the gas container to communicate with the outside; a first gas passage which allows the inside of the gas container to communicate with the outside and which is different from the discharge passage; a discharge-side valve which is disposed at the discharge passage and which is configured to shut off the discharge passage; a first valve which is disposed at the first gas passage and which is configured to shut off the first gas passage; a communication path between the discharge passage and the first gas passage, wherein the discharge passage connects to the communication path by a first continuously-open connection portion at a portion of the discharge passage outside the gas container as viewed from the discharge-side valve, wherein the first gas passage connects to the communication path by a second continuously-open connection portion to a portion of the first gas passage in the gas container as viewed from the first valve; a single shut-off valve in the communication path; and a bypass path that forms when the shut-off valve in the communication path is opened, the bypass path allowing the gas stored in the gas container to flow backwards in the following order;
through at least a portion of the first gas passage, through the communication path, through at least a portion of the discharge passage, and to the exterior of the valve assemblywherein the first gas passage is a relief passage which discharges the gas when the gas stored in the gas container reaches a predetermined pressure or more, and wherein the discharge gas passage and the first gas passage both extend into the storage space of the gas container.
-
Specification
-
- Resources
Litigation Campaign Assessment
Thank you for your request. You will receive a custom alert email when the Litigation Campaign Assessment is available.
×
-
Current AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
-
Original AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
-
InventorsOgami, Nobuyuki, Kobayashi, Nobuo, Yamashita, Akira
-
Primary Examiner(s)Schneider, Craig
-
Assistant Examiner(s)CHAUDRY, ATIF H
-
Application NumberUS11/884,129Publication NumberTime in Patent Office2,815 DaysField of Search137/577, 137/590, 137/597, 137/961, 137/588, 137/592, 137/596.12, 137/599.11, 222/3, 222/189.06, 141/18, 220/581, 220/582US Class Current137/597CPC Class CodesF17C 13/04 Arrangement or mounting of ...F17C 2201/0104 cylindricalF17C 2205/0323 ValvesF17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulatorsF17C 2205/0391 inside the pressure vesselY10T 137/8326 Fluid pressure responsive i...Y10T 137/86348 Tank with internally extend...Y10T 137/86372 Inlet internally extendingY10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multipl...
