Patent ID: 8141574

Claim:
A thermally activated pressure relief, comprising in combination: a housing having a bore therein; a piston located within said bore and adapted to move within said bore; a portion of said housing adapted to be coupled to a source of high pressure fluid with said piston acted upon by the high pressure fluid; a slide within said housing, said slide adapted to move between a first position and a second position within said housing in a direction non-parallel with said piston; said piston abutting said slide on a portion of said piston spaced from where the high pressure fluid acts upon said piston; said piston adapted to be pushed against said slide by fluid pressure from the high pressure fluid; said slide having two surfaces facing said piston, said slide surfaces spaced different distances from said piston before piston movement; said housing having at least one vent between said bore and a surrounding space; said piston having at least two positions including a closed position abutting one of said surfaces of said slide when said slide is in a first position and preventing high pressure fluid from passing through said at least one vent, and an open position abutting the other of said surfaces of said slide when said slide is in a second position and allowing high pressure fluid to pass through said vent; said slide biased toward said second position; a eutectic mass holding said slide in said first position when said eutectic mass is in a solid phase; and wherein said two surfaces of said slide facing said piston are oriented parallel to each other.