Patent ID: 8567302

Claim:
A compressed gas operated instrument, comprising: a connector for a compressed gas cartridge to which the compressed gas cartridge is connectable in a sealed manner by a supply channel for a stream of compressed gas flowing out of the compressed gas cartridge, and a regulating valve in the supply channel which governs the stream of compressed gas flowing through the supply channel, the regulating valve comprising a valve body which is mounted in a valve chamber through which the supply channel extends, said valve body being displaceable in the valve chamber and sealed with respect to a wall of the valve chamber by means of a first seal, the valve body being connected on an upstream side thereof in a sealed manner to a connector element by means of a second seal and being displaceable with respect to the connector element by displacement thereof in the valve chamber, the connector element comprising a continuous flow channel and being connected at an inlet end thereof to the supply channel in a sealed manner, the valve body comprising a flow passage which is connected at a gas outlet end thereof to the supply channel located downstream of the valve chamber, the valve body being displaceable in the valve chamber against a direction of flow between an open position in which there is a flowing connection between the flow channel of the connector element and the flow passage of the valve body and a closed position in which the valve body is moved against an opening of the flow channel of the connector element thereby closing it, the valve body being biased in the direction of the open position by a spring element, and a cross-sectional area of the valve body surrounded by the first seal being larger than a cross-sectional area surrounded by the second seal, wherein: the connector element is pressed by a spring element and by gas pressure downstream of the valve body into a sealing position in which the connector element tightly abuts against the supply channel entering the valve chamber and thereby connects said supply channel in a gas-tight manner to the flow channel in the connector element, the connector element is displaceable against the effect of the spring element from the supply channel into a disengaged position in which the supply channel entering the valve chamber is open into a part of the valve chamber that is located upstream of the first seal; and a ratio of the cross-sectional area of the valve body located downstream in the direction of flow with respect to the cross-sectional area of the connector element located upstream in the direction of flow is larger than a ratio of a gas pressure in the compressed gas cartridge to a regulated gas pressure downstream of the valve body at ambient temperature and is smaller than a ratio of these pressures at temperatures that are significantly higher compared to the ambient temperature.