Valves and valve actuation – With correlated flow path – Flow path joint interlocked with valve or actuator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-13
2001-03-20
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Valves and valve actuation
With correlated flow path
Flow path joint interlocked with valve or actuator
C251S149600, C251S144000, C251S251000, C126S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202982
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device allowing the quick coupling or uncoupling of:
a cartridge of pressurized fluid, such as a liquefied petroleum gas, for example butane, the cartridge (disposable container) including a withdrawing valve with a rolled annular rim surrounding the valve head,
and an appliance that consumes this fluid for various purposes.
The coupling fulfills two separate functions, namely, on the one hand, makes a positive connection between the appliance and the cartridge and, on the other hand, opens the valve and provides a leak-tight connection between cartridge and appliance.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
European patent application no. 0 278 873 discloses a coupling device made up of:
a central core secured to the appliance and comprising the means for withdrawing the fluid, these means being designed to interact in a leak-tight manner with the valve head of the cartridge, and means for conveying the withdrawn fluid toward the appliance,
and an annular part which can pivot around the core and comprises a number of elastic and Longitudinal catching tabs distributed about its axis, forming gaps between them, each tab being equipped with an external radial catching tooth and with an internal bearing surface which can interact with a thrusting member secured to the central core, in order to push each catching tooth back into and under the rolled annular rim of the cartridge.
In this device, in which the annular part is screwed onto the central core, the coupling procedure requires the annular part to be manipulated first in one direction, in order to bring its thrusting members away from the interior bearing surfaces of the elastic tabs and then, after the catching teeth of the tabs have clipped into the rolled annular rim of the cartridge, turned in the opposite direction and over a number of turns, in order to bring the thrusting members back against the interior bearing surfaces of the tabs and make their catching teeth engage and lock in the rolled rim. Although simple, this procedure requires that the annular part be rotated in opposite directions and for a number of turns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by providing a coupling device which is even easier to handle and which can be perceived or identified by the operator.
To this end, in the device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the members for pushing the tabs of the annular part include radial studs forming cams, there being as many of these as there are catching tabs, and these cams having the same distribution as these tabs into the gaps between which they are inserted in the unlocked position, while each tab is equipped with a cylindrical or cam-shaped internal bearing surface capable of bearing on one of the studs in order, by reaction, to push its external catching tooth radially outward, and said annular part is rotationally connected to a turning member which has a restricted angular travel between two positions, namely an unlocked and identified rotational position of the annular part, in which position the tabs are free to flex, and a locked rotational position of the annular part, in which position the tabs are locked under the rolled rim of the cartridge, and pushed back by their respective studs.
Thus, with this device, the movement from the unlocked position into the locked position takes place by relative rotation between the central core and the annular part, over a short angular travel that corresponds to the travel needed by an elastic tab to move it from its unlocked position, in which it is free to flex and is between two studs, into its locked position, in which its bearing surface is resting against and pushed back by a stud.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the turning member connected to the annular part includes a lever projecting radially from one side, and this lever is equipped, in its hub, with at least one stop capable of interacting with a complementary stop projecting radially inside a cap secured to the central core, this cap at least partially surrounding the annular part and the hub of the lever.
These two stops limit the rotational movement of the lever and of the annular part to the travel needed to change from one of the positions of the coupling device to the other.
Advantageously, with a cap that forms an essentially radial protrusion, the stops made on the lever and on the cap are arranged in such a way that in the locked position the lever is essentially aligned parallel to and below the protrusion, and so that in the unlocked position it forms an angle, for example of the order of 60°, with respect to its locked position.
With this arrangement, the operator coupling the appliance to a cartridge can, with the one hand holding the appliance, on the one hand, engage the part of the coupling device vertically into the bowl of the valve of the cartridge, thus opening this valve and, at the same time, using a finger, move the lever to bring it from its unlocked position into its locked position.
Furthermore, this particular position of the lever in the locked position provides a visual indication that this position has been achieved and, conversely, immediately indicates any lack of locked coupling.
Other features and advantages will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing which depicts, by way of example, one exemplary embodiment of this device in its application to a cooking stove with just one burner.
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Carrato Eric
Huguet Alain
Magnouloux Guy
Mandica Franck
Application des Gaz
Kaufman Joseph A.
Keasel Eric
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
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