Patent ID: 7134449

Claim:
A flow control valve with means for indicating the status of a fluid, particularly for gas containers, comprising a valve body provided with an end on which a threaded shank is provided for hermetic coupling to a gas container, and a handwheel, a gas status indicator device being comprised within the handwheel, said handwheel forming a casing of said device, said device comprising a plunger that is constituted by a head and by a helical stem that is engaged in a cavity of a rotatable body that can rotate so that an axial movement of said plunger is matched by a rotation of said rotatable body, which has a visible portion that is marked so as to provide an indication of the status of the plunger, which can move axially, in opposition to a force exerted by a calibrated spring, between at least one minimum position, in which said head abuts against a shoulder, due to the action of said calibrated spring, and a maximum position, in which said plunger abuts against an end of said rotatable body, said plunger being rotationally fixed to said handwheel so that said device rotates with said handwheel, said handwheel having a cavity that accommodates said plunger and said rotatable body.