Patent ID: 9702474
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: F16K

Claim:
1. An apparatus comprising a lower housing assembly for a valve actuator wherein: (a) the lower housing assembly comprises a lower housing and a latch subassembly; (b) the lower housing at least partly defines a housing interior volume and includes a valve stem aperture and a valve mounting post aperture, each of which is sized and positioned so as to receive therethrough and into the interior volume a valve stem and a valve mounting post of a valve, respectively, upon assembly of the lower housing with the valve; (c) the latch subassembly comprises (i) a substantially rigid latch lever that is connected at a pivotable connection point thereof to an interior surface of the lower housing and is pivotably movable about the pivotable connection point between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and (ii) a latch bias member structurally arranged so as to apply a bias force that urges the latch lever toward the engaged position; (d) in the engaged position and with no valve assembled with the lower housing, a first portion of the latch lever at least partly obstructs the valve mounting post aperture so as to prevent passage of the valve mounting post into the interior volume through the mounting post aperture and concomitant assembly of the lower housing with the valve; (e) in the engaged position and with the lower housing assembled with the valve and the valve mounting post received through the valve mounting post aperture, the first portion of the latch lever engages a slot in the valve mounting post so as to prevent removal of the valve mounting post from the valve mounting post aperture and concomitant disassembly of the lower valve housing from the valve; and (f) in the disengaged position, the valve mounting post aperture is substantially unobstructed by the latch lever, thereby permitting movement of the valve mounting post into and out of the interior volume through the valve mounting post aperture and concomitant assembly and disassembly, respectively, of the lower housing and the valve.