Abstract:
The gas valve assembly includes a housing with a bore and a main valve body and a main valve stem mounted therein. The valve body has a fluid passage fluidly connecting the inlet and one of a housing and valve body outlet with the valve stem mounting a valve seat and being movable for blocking fluid flow through the passage. In two embodiments, the housing is threadable to the neck portion of a vessel for the inlet opening to the vessel interior and the main valve body mounts a manual operated shut off valve extending within the valve body to selectively block fluid flow through the passage and an excess flow valve to block fluid flow through the passage when the flow to the outlet is greater than desired. The last two mentioned valves include a common piston in the fluid passage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention is for a valve assembly usable with cylinders or tanks or other type vessels containing gas under high pressure in liquid or gaseous form.  
         [0002]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,151 to Wass discloses a solenoid control valve mountable to the collar of a gas cylinder with the solenoid being in the interior of a cylinder for operating a valve for controlling the flow of pressurized gas from the cylinder. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,762 to Sirosh et al, there is disclosed controls for controlling the supply of gas from a gas vessel which includes a module having a pressure regulator in the interior of the vessel, pressure and temperature sensors, a pressure relief device, a solenoid valve and a check valve.  
         [0003]     In order to provide an improved assembly for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid out of a container for pressurized fluid, this invention has been made. The gas cylinder valve assembly of this invention is mountable to the neck of a vessel containing pressurized gas or liquid and can be used, for example, for controlling the flow of fuel gas, including natural gas, to the engine of a motor vehicle, controlling the flow of gas to fuel cells, controlling the flow of gases such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen for various industrial uses and controlling the flow of liquid for various industrial uses.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The gas cylinder valve assembly of two embodiments includes a valve housing or manifold threadedly mounted to the neck of a cylinder (vessel) for pressurized gas to extend into the interior of the cylinder and has an inlet opening to the cylinder interior and to a main valve bore. A fitting (valve body) is threaded to the housing to extend into the housing bore. The valve body has a body bore that opens through the external end of the body and through a valving surface remote from the external end. A valve stem mounts a valve seat that is seatable against the valving surface and mounts actuating mechanism for moving the valve stem to a main valve open position. The valve body bore has an excess flow piston therein that is resiliently retained in an open position to permit fluid flowing therethrough to a housing outlet. One end portion of the body bore has a bonnet therein which mounts an excess flow valve member and a manual shut off valve that is manually operable for abutting against the excess flow piston to selectively block fluid flow from the housing inlet to the housing outlet. In one embodiment the main valve stem is movable by magnet mechanism to main valve closed position while in a second embodiment a fluid pressure operated actuator moves the main valve stem to its open position and in a third embodiment the housing is mounted between a source of fluid under high pressure and apparatus to which the fluid is supplied with it including a main body portion extending into a valve seat the same as the other two embodiments.  
         [0005]     An object of this invention is to provide a new and novel valve assembly for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid from the interior of a cylinder (vessel) containing fluid under high pressure. In furtherance of the above object, it is another object of this invention to provide the valve assembly with the force acting on the stem is based on the inlet pressure and is constant regardless of the outlet pressure. Another object of this invention is to provide new and novel valve apparatus that is not only operable for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid from a cylinder or tank but also to automatically block such flow in the event there is excess flow through the valve assembly outlet. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the first embodiment of gas cylinder valve assembly of the first embodiment of the invention with only part of the gas cylinder being shown; said view being generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows  1 - 1  of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged showing of a fragmentary portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 :  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a further enlarged showing of a fragmentary portion of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary cross section that is taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the third embodiment 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4  of the drawings, the gas cylinder valve assembly of the first embodiment of this invention includes a housing H having a lower, externally threaded portion  11  that is threadable to the internally portion of the neck  12 A of the cylinder (tank or vessel)  12  to extend therein. The housing has a portion  13  external of the cylinder and has an axially elongated main bore B extending transversely therethrough, the central axis of the bore being designated C-C. The main bore has fitting (valve body) F mounted therein which has a first transverse end portion  14  threaded to the threaded first end portion  15  of the main bore.  
         [0013]     Joined to the fitting threaded portion is an axially intermediate portion  17  that is of a smaller diameter than the fitting threaded portion and mounts axially spaced fluid seal members  18  forming a fluid seal between the fitting and the radial adjacent parts of the main bore portion  19  which is of a smaller diameter than the bore threaded portion. The bore portion  19  at its axial opposite end opens to a further reduced diameter portion  20  to provide an annular shoulder  21 . Bore portion  20  in turn opens to a still further reduced diameter bore portion  22  which in turn opens to an enlarged diametric bore portion  23  that opens through the housing surface opposite the threaded main bore portion.  
         [0014]     The main valve body has a cylindrical portion  27  joined to body portion  17  axially opposite the fitting threaded portion to provide an annular shoulder  15 , portion  27  being of a substantially smaller diameter than each of bore portion  19  and fitting portion  17 . Integrally joined to the opposite axial end of the cylindrical portion  27  is the major base of the frustoconical portion (valve element)  30  while its minor base is joined to body terminal cylindrical end portion  31 . The valve element  30  includes a valving surface  30 A. A fluid seal  32  is mounted to the cylindrical end portion  31  which extends into and is in fluid sealing relationship with annular main valve seat  33 .  
         [0015]     The valve seat  33 , which may be made of plastic, is of a constant inner diameter except at the juncture to the minor base of a frustoconical tapered surface  33 A. The valve seat  33  is mounted, for example press fitted, in the enlarged diameter bore portion  34 A of the valve stem bore  34 , the bore  34  extending axially through the main valve stem P. The stem bore includes a reduced diameter bore portion  34 B to vent the space between the stem shoulder  38  and the valve body reduced diameter portion  31 . Instead of having threads, the bore portion  34 A and valve seat are provided with oppositely facing shoulders  24  that retain the valve seat in the bore portion  34 A. The bore portion  34 A is provided in the enlarged diameter end portion  33  of the main valve stem P. The valve stem bore reduced diameter bore portion  34 B opens to the axial end of the valve stem axially opposite the enlarged diametric portion  35  and to bore portion  34 A to provide the annular shoulder  38  against which the valve seat abuts. Bore portion  34 B opens through the end of the main valve stem that is axially opposite the main valve body. A fluid seal (O-ring)  39  is mounted by the valve seat adjacent to the shoulder  38  to form a fluid seal between the outer periphery of the valve seat  33  and the inner peripheral wall that forms valve stem bore portion  34 A.  
         [0016]     The valve stem includes a reduced diameter, cylindrical portion  40  axially between and joined to its the threaded terminal end portion  41  and a larger diameter portion  42  which in turn is joined to the valve stem portion  35 . The juncture of portions  40 ,  42  provide an annular shoulder  37 . A fluid seal (O-ring)  44  is mounted on stem portion  40  to form a fluid seal between it and the housing wall surface defining bore portion  20 .  
         [0017]     A first disk  45  is threaded to the valve stem threaded portion  41  and is located in the housing bore portion  23  for axial reciprocal movement to reciprocally move the main valve stem and is prevented from rotating, for example by a key  45 A mounted to the housing. The valve stem is of an axial length that when the main valve is in a closed position, valve element surface  33 A abuts against the tapered surface  30 A of the valve seat  30  to block fluid flow through the main valve, the terminal annular edge  33 B of the valve seat  33  and the enlarged diameter portion terminal annular edge  35 B are axially spaced from shoulder  15  to provide a fluid chamber  47  while the first disk is axially spaced from the shoulder  48  formed by the juncture of bore portions  22 ,  23  and the shoulder  53  of the stem enlarged diametric portion  33  at the juncture of stem portions  35 ,  42  are axially spaced from shoulder  21  to permit the valve stem moving to a main valve open position.  
         [0018]     A cap (bonnet)  50  is threaded to the housing to closed the main bore portion  23  and has a bore  51  extending therethrough with an enlarged bore portion  51 B opening to the main valve bore portion  23  to provide an actuator chamber in which a second disk  52  is mounted for rotation. The shaft  54 A of a rotary solenoid  54  extends through the reduced diameter bore portion  51 A of the cap and mounts the second disk for rotation therewith, the solenoid being mounted to the cap. Suitable controls  58  are provided for energizing and deenergizing the rotary solenoid in accordance with the demands of the apparatus  101  to which the pressurized gas is to be supplied.  
         [0019]     The disks  45 ,  52  each mount permanent magnets  55 ,  56  which respectively are of opposite polarities with the magnets being the same radial spacing from the axis of rotation of the solenoid shaft and the same angular spacing from the angularly adjacent magnet that is of the opposite polarity. The axis of rotation of the solenoid shaft is coextensive with the central axis C-C of the main bore. In one rotary position of the solenoid shaft, the magnets on disk  52  are axially aligned with the magnets of the same polarity on disk  45  to be repelled by the magnets on disk  52  whereby the valve stem is moved to or remains in a main valve closed position and when the rotary solenoid is actuated, the disk  52  is rotated to a second position that the polarity of its magnets are aligned with magnets of opposite polarity on the reciprocal disk whereby the disk  45  is axialsly move toward the rotary disk for moving the valve stem to the main valve open position. When the main valve is in its open position, the rotary solenoid may be actuated to rotate the rotary disk sufficiently that the magnets of one polarity on the disk  52  are axially aligned with magnets of the same polarity on disk  45  for closing the main valve. Although in  FIG. 4 , the disk  52  is shown mounting four permanent with the magnet of one polarity being angularly offset from magnets of the opposite polarity, each disk may mount more or fewer magnets, depending the degree the disk  52  is to be rotated whereby the main valve stem moves between its valve open and closed positions. With four magnets such as shown in  FIG. 4 , the rotary shaft is rotated on 90 degrees for moving the main valve stem between its positions. A vent passage  102  opens to bore portion  23  and to the ambient atmosphere.  
         [0020]     The outer periphery of the main valve cylindrical stem portion  35  is of a sufficiently smaller outer diameter than the diameter of the housing wall portion defining cylindrical bore portion  19  to provide an annular clearance space  49  that is in constant fluid communication with the fluid chamber  47  and the clearance space  43  that is axially between the shoulder  21  and the annular shoulder  53 . The housing has a fluid passage (inlet)  70  that opens to the cylinder interior when mounted on the cylinder and to the annular clearance space  49  axially intermediate the shoulder  53  and the axial opposite edge  35 B of the enlarged diametric portion  35 . Thus, the shoulders  37 ,  53  are axially opposite the enlarged diametric portion from its annular edge  35 B face in the axial opposite direction and are always subject to the inlet pressure acting to move the main valve stem to its closed position and acting on the enlarged diameter stem portion surface  35 B and surface portion  33 B of the valve seat  33  to move the main valve stem to its valve open position. Since the outer peripheral surface of the stem portion  40  is a little less than the minimum inner diameter of valve seat  33 , the main valve stem is always urged by the inlet pressure to a valve closed position. As a result, the force required to move the main valve stem to a valve open position is many times less than the inlet fluid pressure.  
         [0021]     The reduced diameter portion of main valve body F has a radial outer annular groove  72  that in a main valve closed position with the valve seat tapered surface  33 A abutting against valving surface  30 A opens radially just to the inner peripheral cylindrical surface of the main valve seat  33  and through cross bores  73  to the axially elongated valve body bore T which at its axial opposite end opens through the main body exterior end surface  75  that is axially opposite stem portion  31 . The annular groove  72  is axially intermediate the terminal end surface of the valve seat  30  and the axial end surface  75 , the body bore including bore a portion  77  that opens to a larger diameter bore portion  79  to provide an annular shoulder  78  that faces the end surface  75 . Bore portion  79  in turn opens to a still larger diameter bore portion  80  which in turn opens to a larger diameter bore portion  82  to provide an annular shoulder. 81 . The bore portion  82  opens to bore portion  83  which in part is threaded to have a bonnet  84  threaded therein.  
         [0022]     The bonnet  84  mounts the threaded end portion  85 A of a manual shut off valve stem  85  of a manual shut off valve V while the reduced diameter portion  85 B of the valve stem extends axially through a retainer washer  87  and into an annular valve member  88  of an excess flow valve E. The outer end of portion  85  may be provided with a screw driver slot  85 c or a key way (not shown) or extend outwardly beyond end surface  75  to have a handle (not shown) mounted thereon to facilitate manually turning the valve stem  85  between the shut off valve open and closed positions. The reduced diameter valve stem portion  85 B which is joined to threaded portion  85 A mounts a shut off valve seat  90  that in a shut off valve closed position abuts against the axially adjacent annular end of the piston  91  to block fluid flow through the piston to the clearance space  94 .  
         [0023]     The valve member  88  at one end abuts against retainer washer  87 , at the axial opposite end against the shoulder  81  and extends within the bonnet  84 . Valve member  88  has a radial inner, tapered surface  88 A providing a valving surface. An axially elongated annular piston  91  extends within stem bore portions  79 ,  80  which, in an excess flow open position, at one end  91 E abuts against the shoulder  78  and at the opposite end abuts against a spring  92  which resiliently urges the piston in an excess flow valve open position. The spring extends within the valve member  88  and mounted thereby. The piston mounts a fluid seal  93  to provide a fluid seal with the inner peripheral wall defining bore portion  79 .  
         [0024]     The outer peripheral surface of the piston and bore portion  80  provide an annular clearance space  94  that opens to the tapered surface  88 A of the valve member  88 . The housing has an outlet  95  which opens to an annular groove  97  in the valve body F which through cross bores  98  fluidly connects the groove to the clearance space  94 . The outlet is connectable by a line  100  to conventional apparatus  101  to which fluid from the cylinder is to be supplied. An excess flow valve E which blocks fluid flow from the housing inlet and through the assembly passage to the housing outlet when there is excess flow through the outlet includes at least parts of the piston  91  and the valve member  88 , for example if there is a break in the line  100  or a problem with the apparatus leaking fluid at an excessive rate while the annular terminal surface end portion of the piston and the valve seat  90  which is seatable thereagainst forms part of the manual shut off valve  
         [0025]     The piston has a bore  99  extending axially there through to, at one end, open to body bore portion  77  and at the opposite to the interior of valve member  88 . The piston has a reduced outer diameter end portion  91 A that is of a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the valve member  88  to extend or be extendable therein. The end portion  91 A is joined by a shoulder to the minor base of a piston frustoconical portion  91 B which is abuttable against the valve seat  88 A of the valve member  88  to block fluid flow from the piston bore to the clearance space  94 . The inner diameter of the orifice  99 B at the end portion  91 A of the piston bore that is adjacent to the valve member  88  is less than that of the axially elongated piston bore portion  99 C which opens to the main valve body bore portion  77 .  
         [0026]     When the main valve is in an open position, the spring  92  provides sufficient spring force that the piston is retained in abutting relationship to the shoulder  78 . However, if there is a break in the line  100  or a problem develops in the apparatus  100  so that there is an excess fluid flow, the fluid flowing through the orifice develops a sufficiently great pressure drop that the spring force is overcome whereby the piston moves away from shoulder  78  to have the piston tapered shoulder  91 B abut against the valve seat  88 B to block fluid flow from the housing inlet to the housing outlet. With the piston moving away from the valve seat, fluid pressure acting between the piston annular end surface  91 E and the shoulder  78  retains the piston in an excess flow valve in a closed position until either fluid under sufficient pressure is applied at the housing outlet or the manual shut off valve is operated to a closed position to push the piston to its excess flow valve open position whereby the spring again retains the piston in its valve open position. With to applying fluid pressure at the outlet to move the piston to a valve open position, the taper of the surfaces  91 B and  88 A are at different angles whereby a sufficient area of the surface  91 B in the excess flow valve closed position is exposed to pressure applied to the outlet will move the piston to an excess flow valve open position. The excess flow valve provides an automatically operated safety feature to prevent undesirable escape of the pressurized fluid into areas where it is not desired.  
         [0027]     When the main valve is in a closed position and the excess flow valve and the manually operated valves are in their open positions, the main valve blocks fluid flow through the fluid flow path from the cylinder  12  through the inlet, chamber  47 , the clearance space  49  to the annular groove  72  and the cross bores  73  to the main body bore T and through the piston to the clearance space  94  and bores  98  to the housing outlet. Since in the main valve closed position, the cross bores  73  open to the cylindrical inner peripheral wall of the valve seat, the outlet pressure does not provide a force acting to move the main valve stem to a valve open position.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the second embodiment of the invention, generally designated  110 , is the same as the first embodiment other for the differences set forth herein. The second embodiment includes a housing R that is the same as housing H except that instead of a vent passage opening to bore portion  23 , the housing R has a passage  111  that opens to bore portion  23  for selectively applying a pressurized fluid, for example air, from a source  111 A. Further the second embodiment includes a main valve body, a manually shut off valve and an excess flow valve that is the same as the corresponding members of the first embodiment. The main valve stem, generally designated  117 , of the second embodiment are the same as the first embodiment other than the valve stem portion  118  which is joined to stem portion  40 . The stem  117  has a vent passage that functions the same as passage  34 A. Instead of providing magnet mounting disks, an actuating piston  119  is mounted of stem portion  118  to abut against the shoulder formed at the juncture of stem portions  118  and  40  while retainer nuts  120  are mounted on the threaded part of stem portion  118  to abut against the piston. The piston has a radial inner groove mounting a fluid seal  121  in fluid sealing relationship with the stem portion  118  and a radial outer annular groove mounting a fluid seal  122  in fluid sealing relationship with the inner peripheral wall of bore portion  23 . A cap  124  is threaded to the part of the housing having bore portion  23  to close the bore portion  23  and has a bore  127  extending axially therethrough. A spring  128  is mounted in the cap bore to abut against a cap shoulder and the piston  119  to constantly resiliently urge to the piston to move the main valve stem to its main valve closed position. When air under pressure is applied to passage  111  from a pressurized fluid source  112 , the piston is moved from its main valve closed position to a valve open position. It is noted that the pressure required to move the actuating piston from its valve closed position to its open position is many time lower than the pressure applied from the cylinder  12 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the third embodiment has a housing  150  having an axial bore  151  extending axially therethrough, the housing bore having a first end portion and a cap  124  closing the first end portion that is the same as that of the second embodiment. Further the valve stem, the valve seat mounted by the valve stem and the actuator mechanism for moving the valve stem is the same as that of the second embodiment. The housing bore has a threaded portion  151 A that is threaded to have the valve body Y extend therein and has a threaded portion  152  threaded to the housing bore threaded bore portion. The main body Y includes an intermediate diameter portion  153  joined to thread portion  152  and is joined to a still smaller diameter portion  154  to provide an annular shoulder  155  axially spaced from the valve stem enlarged diameter terminal edge  35 B and the main valve seat terminal edge portion  33 B to provide an annular chamber  158 . The main body includes a reduced diameter terminal end portion  159  axially opposite the valve body threaded end portion that is the same as the valve body reduced diameter portion  31  of the first embodiment and extends within the valve seat  33  in the same way.  
         [0030]     The stem of the third embodiment has shoulders  53 ,  37  facing stem shoulder  170 ,  171  that are the same as shoulder  37 .  21  with shoulder  170 ,  53  provide an annular clearance space  43  while the outer diameter of the cylindrical enlarged diametric portion to in combination with the body wall forming the body cylindrical bore  153  provides an annular clearance space  192  that opens to the housing inlet  181  and to the chamber  158  and the clearance space  43  and shoulder  37  in both of the main valve open and closed positions. The inlet is fluidly connected to a vessel  195  containing fluid under high pressure. The stem mounts a piston  119  with a spring  128  abutting against the piston and the cap  124  that are the same as the corresponding members of the second embodiment and a vent passageway  193  that is the same as that of the second embodiment.  
         [0031]     The main body Y has an annular groove that opens radial to the annular inner peripheral surface of the valve seat with cross bores  73  opening thereto and to the axially elongated body bore  177  in the same manner as that of the first embodiment. The body bore  177  opens to the outlet  178  that opens outward of the body threaded portion which is fluidly connected to the conventional apparatus  180  to which fluid is to be supplied.