Patent ID: 6988513

Claim:
A proportional valve for controlling the pressure of a fluid inside a container between first and second fluid pressure levels, said second pressure level being larger than said first pressure level, said container having an opening extending into an inner volume thereof, said proportional valve comprising: a fluid outflow passageway having an exhaust opening, said outflow passageway being in fluid communication with the container inner volume; an actuatable fluid inflow passageway having an intake opening; an actuatable exhaust cover for selectively closing said exhaust opening; said fluid outflow passageway, said actuatable fluid inflow passageway and said actuatable exhaust cover being interconnected and configured such that: in response to a moving force reaching a first pre-determined threshold said actuatable exhaust cover is being displaced from a first cover position in which said exhaust cover is spaced apart from said exhaust opening to allow fluid to exhaust therethrough from the container inner volume to a second cover position in which said exhaust cover closes off said exhaust opening to prevent fluid from exhausting from the container inner volume; and in response to the moving force reaching a second pre-determined threshold said actuatable fluid inflow passageway is being displaced from a first inflow passageway position in which said fluid inflow passageway is closed to prevent fluid from flowing between said fluid inflow passageway and the container inner volume to a second inflow passageway position in which said fluid inflow passageway is in fluid communication with said fluid outflow passageway to allow fluid to flow between said fluid inflow passageway and the container inner volume.