Patent ID: 7886624

Claim:
A probe housing assembly for insertion and retraction of a probe into a pressurized vessel, comprising: a probe having first and second ends and a length, said probe having an internal fluid passage formed therethrough extending from said first end of said probe to said second end of said probe; a housing having first and second ends, said housing having an internal cavity formed therethrough extending from said first end of said housing to said second end of said housing, said housing formed to engage, in a fluidly sealed manner, a pressurized fluid process in said pressurized vessel; said probe slidingly disposed in said internal cavity formed in said housing in an approximate coaxial relationship with said housing; said probe engaging said housing so as to provide selective extension of said first end of said probe through and beyond said first end of said housing, so as to contact said pressurized fluid process in said pressurized vessel; wherein said length of said probe is situated within said internal cavity formed in said housing upon retraction of said probe into said housing such that, upon said pressurized fluid process entering said housing, a pressure equalization is provided within said housing and said pressurized vessel, so as to eliminate pressure differential between said pressure vessel, said housing and said probe.