Patent ID: 7730735

Claim:
A refrigerant service port valve, comprising: an elongated pipe adapted for inline insertion into a refrigerant system, the pipe defining a main fluid conduit, the pipe having an exterior; a pedestal rigidly attached to the exterior of the pipe, the pedestal and the pipe having a bore extending therethrough defining a lower service passage communicating with the main service passage, the pedestal further having an internally threaded blind bore defined therein extending parallel to the lower service passage; a slider slidably mounted on the pedestal; a service port fitting mounted on the slider, the fitting having an axial bore extending therethrough defining an upper service passage, the slider being movable between a closed position in which the upper service passage is aligned with the blind bore while the slider closes the lower service passage, and an open position in which the upper service passage is aligned with the lower service passage to define a refrigerant service port and means for providing a fluid-tight seal between said service port fitting and said pedestal when said slider is in the open position; and a setscrew disposed in the blind bore, the setscrew being accessible through the refrigeration service port and movable between a position in which the set screw is entirely disposed in the blind bore to permit sliding the slider to the open position, and a position in which a portion of the setscrew is raised into the upper service passage to lock the slider in the closed position.