Patent ID: 6880571
Filing Date: 2005-04-19
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A gas regulating valve comprising: a valve housing confining an interior space and formed with a stem opening for access into said interior space, said stem opening having an axis, said interior space having a stem mounting portion and a valve mounting portion respectively disposed proximate to and distal from said stem opening along said axis, said valve mounting portion being confined by an inner wall surface that surrounds said axis, said inner wall surface being formed with a radially disposed gas inlet bore that is adapted to be connected to a gas source; a tubular valve member received in said valve mounting portion of said interior space and rotatable about said axis, said valve member having an outer valve surface in sliding contact with said inner wall surface of said valve mounting portion and an inner valve surface that surrounds said axis and that defines a valve space, said inner valve surface being formed with a radial inward annular valve seat that defines a valve opening registered with said axis, said valve seat dividing said valve space into a gas feed portion and a gas supply portion respectively disposed proximate to and distal from said stem opening along said axis, said gas supply portion being adapted to be disposed in fluid communication with a gas consuming device, said valve member being provided with a gas feed orifice that is formed through said inner and outer valve surfaces and that is in fluid communication with said gas feed portion, said outer valve surface being formed with a gas feed channel to fluidly communicate said gas feed orifice with said gas inlet bore when said valve member is rotated about said axis to register said gas feed channel with said gas inlet bore; and a valve stem having an operating stem portion disposed outwardly of said valve housing, and a valve coupling portion extending along said axis from said operating stem portion into said stem mounting portion through said stem opening, said valve coupling portion being provided with a frusto conical valve piece distal from said operating stem portion, said valve piece extending along said axis into said gas feed portion of said valve member and having a smallest cross-section smaller than said valve opening in said valve seat, said valve coupling portion being coupled co-rotatably to said valve member and being movable along said axis relative to said valve member, said valve coupling portion being further coupled rotatably to said valve housing such that rotation of said operating stem portion about said axis results in corresponding rotation of said valve member and further results in translation of said valve piece along said axis in said gas feed portion of said valve member, translation of said valve piece toward said valve opening enabling said valve piece to reduce amount of gas flowing from said gas feed portion into said gas supply portion through said valve opening, translation of said valve piece away from said valve opening enabling said valve piece to increase the amount of gas flowing from said gas feed portion into said gas supply portion through said valve opening.