Patent ID: 6186159
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A pressure responsive valve assembly comprising:a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therein;an actuating unit including a mechanism that defines a collapsible fluid chamber,said actuating unit including structure that defines a relief chamberfluidly connected to the fluid chamber, and a first fluid line providing selective access to the fluid chamber and a second fluid line providing selective access to the relief chamber,said actuating unit further including a moveable pressure responsive valve member that is engageable with the valve seat, positioned to experience the pressure conditions at the inlet, and operably coupled with the mechanism to cause collapsing of the fluid chamber when the valve member moves relative to the valve seat to establish or close communication between the inlet and outlet; anda rupture disk fluidly interposed between the fluid and relief chambers so that the disk blocks flow between the chambers until being ruptured and associated with the mechanism to prevent collapsing of the fluid chamber and corresponding movement of the valve member until the valve member experiences a predetermined maximum pressure at the inlet, whereupon the valve member moves relative to the valve seat and causes the disk to rupture and the fluid chamber to collapse.