Patent ID: 6910499
Filing Date: 2005-06-28
Classification: F16K,F17C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A valve assembly for a pressurized fluid vessel comprising: a housing having a fluid inlet for connection, on filling, to a source of pressured fluid and a fluid outlet opening into the vessel, and defining a main fluid passageway therebetween; a main valve seat defined in said main fluid passageway; a main valve member movable against said valve seat to block the main fluid passageway; means defining a secondary fluid passageway from said main fluid passageway arranged so that an upstream side of the main valve member is exposed to fluid in the secondary fluid passageway; secondary valve means comprising a secondary valve opening and a secondary valve member arranged in said secondary fluid passageway movable to block the secondary fluid passageway; and control means responsive to a fluid level arranged to act on the secondary valve member to move this to a position on a predetermined vessel fluid level being reached in which the main valve member is exposed to a pressure differential to force the main valve member to contact the valve seat; wherein the means defining the secondary fluid passageway include chamber-defining means defining an internal chamber within the interior of the housing within which the upstream side of the main valve member is disposed; and wherein the valve member is generally in the form of an upturned cup having an upper face disposed within the chamber-defining member and exposed to pressurized fluid on opening of the secondary valve, and a depending skirt at least a lower region of which protrudes from the chamber-defining member into the main fluid passageway in the closed position.