Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Filling or refilling of dispensers
Patent
1998-11-12
2000-08-22
Douglas, Steven O.
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Filling or refilling of dispensers
141197, B65B 104
Patent
active
061056324
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a combined pressure reducing and filling valve for use in conjunction with gas bottles, and particularly with such bottles that contain breathing gas under high pressure for use by underwater divers, firemen, etc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The pressure bottles normally used by underwater divers and firemen, among others, typically contain breathing gas at a pressure of 200-300 bar. These gas bottles are equipped with a first pressure reduction valve which reduces the pressure delivered to the breathing equipment to a magnitude of 10 bar. EP-A1-0 112 765 discloses one example of such a pressure reduction valve. In addition to such a valve the gas bottles also include a so-called bottle valve by means of which the bottles can be re-filled with gas.
Although these two types of valves could physically be integrated into a single unit, the valves include two different valve seats with asssociated valve bodies, one for the pressure reduction valve and the other to the bottle valve. The bottles have also included two different external connections, the other for connecting breathing gas to the breathing equipment and one for connecting the bottle to an external gas source from which the bottle can be re-filled with fresh gas when so required.
The aforedescribed valve arrangement could be greatly simplified by enabling the bottle to be emptied and filled through one and the same connector while using one single valve seat and associated valve body. This would also constitute a significant improvement with regard to safety, since a valve of this nature would only include one sealing location that needs to be checked and maintained for safe functioning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a combined pressure reduction and filling valve of this kind which includes a common connection and a valve function which common for both purposes.
The present invention defines a combined pressure reduction and bottle-filling valve for use in conjunction with gas bottles, particularly bottles that contain highly pressurized breathing gas for underwater divers, firemen, etc., comprising a valve chamber and a spring-loaded valve slide which is movable in the valve chamber and which when gas is taken from the bottle and delivered to a part of the chamber functions to reduce the pressure with the aid of the spring, so as to maintain the pressure in the chamber part substantially constant at a level determined the force exerted by the spring; an outer multipurpose valve connector which when gas is consumed connects the valve chamber to external equipment and which when filling the bottle with highly pressurized gas delivers gas to the valve chamber; wherein the supplied gas pressure opens a bottle closing valve so that the bottle is filled with gas via the same passageway as that through which gas is delivered to the valve chamber as gas is consumed.
A valve according to the present invention can be manufactured and easily maintained, since it includes relatively few components. The valve has an added degree of safety against a malfunction of the valve, by virtue of having only one single valve seat. Use of the valve is also facilitated, since the valve includes only one connector which is used commonly in both bottle emptying and in bottle filling processes.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the spring acts on the valve slide to hold open the passageway from the bottle to the valve-chamber part until the pressure in this part of the chamber equals the force exerted by the spring.
In an embodiment of the invention, the passageway is normally held closed by a check valve which is actuated by the pressure in the bottle, and the valve slide is adapted to open the check valve under the influence of the spring when the pressure in the valve-chamber part lies below the set spring force.
The valve also conveniently includes means for latching the valve slide so as to prevent the slide from opening the check valve even
REFERENCES:
patent: 5048565 (1991-09-01), Oi
patent: 5123442 (1992-06-01), Geuy et al.
patent: 5186209 (1993-02-01), McManigal et al.
Douglas Steven O.
Interspiro AB
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