Patent ID: 8061382

Claim:
A sanitary valve assembly for connection to a pressurized vessel, the valve assembly having a guide cylinder that is openable in response to a pre-selected pressure being attained in the pressurized vessel to release the pressure in the vessel, the valve assembly being divisible to permit access into the valve assembly interior for inspection and/or cleaning while retaining the pressurized vessel in a pressurized state, the sanitary valve assembly comprising: a valve body comprising a continuous sidewall forming a passageway between a top opening and a bottom opening said passageway having an interior surface, said valve body bottom opening comprising a valve seat, said interior surface having a screw thread extending into said passageway from said valve body top opening, said valve body bottom opening comprising a bottom surface having a circumferential annular lip thereon having an annular groove therein for reception of a gasket for providing a sealing connection of said valve body bottom with a vessel, said valve body top opening comprising a top surface having a circumferential annular lip thereon having an annular groove therein for reception of a gasket for providing a sealing connection of said valve body top opening with said pressure release body bottom opening, a guide cylinder within said passageway yieldingly urged against said valve seat, a cap ring having a screw thread thereon for screwable insertion into said screw thread of said valve body, said cap ring having a seat on a bottom surface thereof, a spring captured between said cap ring and said guide cylinder for urging said guide cylinder against said valve seat, said spring being variably compressible by repositioning of said cap ring along said interior surface screw thread for selection of a pressure at which said guide cylinder is urged away from said valve seat by a pressure within the vessel, a pressure release body having a continuous sidewall forming a passageway between a top opening and a bottom opening, said pressure release top opening having a seal cap thereon frictionally held to said sidewall, said seal cap being dislodgeable from said pressure release body top opening in response to an increase of pressure within said valve assembly, and a connecting means for joining said valve body top opening to said pressure release body bottom opening for communication of pressure between said valve body passageway with said pressure release body passageway, said connecting means providing for separation of said valve body from said pressure release body for inspection and/or cleaning said valve body passageway and said pressure release body passageway while said cap ring maintains said guide cylinder urged against said valve seat to retain the pressurized vessel in a pressurized state.