Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch – Leaf spring
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-24
2001-04-17
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Pipe joints or couplings
Essential catch
Leaf spring
C285S140100, C285S210000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217085
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A stopper attachment device with a compressed gas-propelled plunger is supplied with compressed gas, generally formed by a mixture of butane and propane, from a fuel cartridge containing, in an internal casing, gas compressed to the liquid state, referred to as “fuel” by persons skilled in the art. In addition to the fuel, the cartridge contains, between the internal casing and an external casing, a propellant formed from a mixture of nitrogen, butane and propane in the gaseous state and also intended to keep the fuel in the liquid state. A male ejection joining piece is connected to the internal casing and protrudes out of the external casing.
Upon each firing of the stopper a predetermined dose of compressed gas is injected from the fuel cartridge into a combustion chamber of the attachment device, the dose being controlled only if the compressed gas is metered in the liquid state.
In order to meter the compressed gas injected into the combustion chamber, certain attachment devices such as that disclosed in EP-0775 553A1 comprise a solenoid valve including a female joining piece for inletting compressed gas, with an integrated seal arranged in order to receive the male ejection joining piece of the fuel cartridge, the seal being intended to ensure sealing tightness of the connection between the two joining pieces. For each injection of fuel the solenoid valve is opened for a specific duration to meter fuel through, the inlet joining piece of the solenoid valve having a specific cross-section. In order to prevent possible fuel leaks, it would be appropriate to regularly change the seal which provides the sealing tightness of the solenoid valve-cartridge connection. However, changing a seal of this type has proven to be a complicated operation which, in practice, is never carried out.
It is an object of the invention to facilitate the operation of changing the seal for sealing the connection between the fuel cartridge and the solenoid valve for inletting compressed gas into the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a connection, on the one hand, for a male ejection joining piece of a fuel cartridge intended to supply compressed gas to a compressed gas attachment device and, on the other hand, for an inlet joining piece of a device for inletting compressed gas into the device, comprising a sealing arrangement to ensure sealing tightness of the connection between the two joining pieces. In accordance with the invention the joining piece of the compressed gas inlet device is a male joining piece, and the connection comprises a female seal support arranged to receive the two male joining pieces and the sealing arrangement are arranged to extend right across the seal plane of the two male joining pieces.
The invention is thus directed to relocating the seal which is no longer integrated into the inlet joining piece as in the prior art but is supported by a seal support which can be easily changed each time the fuel cartridge is changed.
The sealing arrangement can comprise a seal in the form of a sleeve arranged to surround the two male joining pieces.
In this case the seal can comprise an internal groove for retaining leaked gas. Thus, in the case of a leak, only a small volume of gas is lost
The sealing arrangement can also comprise two O-rings respectively intended to surround the two male joining pieces.
The seal support is advantageously arranged to guide the two male joining pieces in such a way as to cause them to abut against each other.
For this reason it will suffice to introduce the two joining pieces to be connected into the seal support in-order to connect them.
It is also advantageous that the seal support comprises means for attachment to the fuel cartridge.
The fuel cartridge comprising a border, the attachment means can comprise at least two hooked legs arranged to be clipped on the border of the cartridge.
The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a fuel cartridge and connection means as defined above, wherein the connection means are firmly fixed to the fuel cartridge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3514129 (1970-05-01), Holdren
patent: 4482172 (1984-11-01), DeVera et al.
patent: 5070858 (1991-12-01), Wang
patent: 5263439 (1993-11-01), Doherty et al.
patent: 5328216 (1994-07-01), Miyauchi et al.
patent: 5692783 (1997-12-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 6098652 (2000-08-01), Brandt
patent: 48 714 (1965-07-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Dunwoody Aaron
Lowe Hauptman Gilman & Berner
Societe de Prospection et d'Inventions Techniques Spit
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