CA2282129C - Valve for a container of pressurized fluid fitted with a lever for controlling the passage of the fluid - Google Patents
Valve for a container of pressurized fluid fitted with a lever for controlling the passage of the fluid Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2282129C CA2282129C CA002282129A CA2282129A CA2282129C CA 2282129 C CA2282129 C CA 2282129C CA 002282129 A CA002282129 A CA 002282129A CA 2282129 A CA2282129 A CA 2282129A CA 2282129 C CA2282129 C CA 2282129C
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- Prior art keywords
- lever
- valve
- valve according
- container
- breakage
- Prior art date
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- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K1/00—Lift valves or globe valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces
- F16K1/30—Lift valves or globe valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces specially adapted for pressure containers
- F16K1/307—Additional means used in combination with the main valve
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K31/00—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices
- F16K31/44—Mechanical actuating means
- F16K31/60—Handles
- F16K31/602—Pivoting levers, e.g. single-sided
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
- F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
- F17C2205/00—Vessel construction, in particular mounting arrangements, attachments or identifications means
- F17C2205/03—Fluid connections, filters, valves, closure means or other attachments
- F17C2205/0302—Fittings, valves, filters, or components in connection with the gas storage device
- F17C2205/0308—Protective caps
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanically-Actuated Valves (AREA)
- Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
- Preventing Unauthorised Actuation Of Valves (AREA)
- Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a valve (7), particularly a shut-off valve for a container (2) of pressurized fluid. The valve (7) comprises at least one displaceable actuating lever (8) which can be moved between at least one open position and at least one closed position. The lever (8) further comprises at least one elastically deformable and/or pre-breakage zone (3).
Description
The present invention relates to a valve actuated by a lever, intended particularly shut-off for a pressure reducer or valve/pressure-reducer assembly which can be fitted to a container for pressurized gas, which valve controls the supply of the gas.
Conventionally, pressurized-gas cylinders, such as cylinders of welding gas or cylinders of medical gas, are fitted with a valve connected to a gas-pressure-reducer or, as the case may be, to a somewhat compact assembly combining valves and pressure-reducing devices.
However, combined valve/pressure-reducer assemblies are preferred, given that they allow ease of integration inside an appropriate protective cover or cap, which cover then offers better ergonomics and better safety.
The point is that gas cylinders, particularly cylinders of welding gas, are often used in severe conditions, for example on construction sites, leading to the various parts of the cylinder being knocked.
Furthermore, while these cylinders are being transported from one site to another and while they are being handled, the gas cylinders experience, on the one hand, rather repetitive knocks to the valves and/or various members fitted to the pressure reducer or to the valve/pressure-reducer assembly, and, on the other hand, are subject to droppage likely to damage all or part of the valves and/or pressure reducers fitted to these cylinders.
To protect these sensitive parts of the cylinder, it is common practice for the cylinders to be fitted with protective covers surrounding and protecting all or part of the pressure reducer or of the valve/pressure-reducer assembly.
The protective cover therefore effectively protects the parts discussed, inside this cover.
Furthermore, in practice, a valve of the rotary type is not as easy and not as practical to manipulate as a valve of the lever type.
Conventionally, pressurized-gas cylinders, such as cylinders of welding gas or cylinders of medical gas, are fitted with a valve connected to a gas-pressure-reducer or, as the case may be, to a somewhat compact assembly combining valves and pressure-reducing devices.
However, combined valve/pressure-reducer assemblies are preferred, given that they allow ease of integration inside an appropriate protective cover or cap, which cover then offers better ergonomics and better safety.
The point is that gas cylinders, particularly cylinders of welding gas, are often used in severe conditions, for example on construction sites, leading to the various parts of the cylinder being knocked.
Furthermore, while these cylinders are being transported from one site to another and while they are being handled, the gas cylinders experience, on the one hand, rather repetitive knocks to the valves and/or various members fitted to the pressure reducer or to the valve/pressure-reducer assembly, and, on the other hand, are subject to droppage likely to damage all or part of the valves and/or pressure reducers fitted to these cylinders.
To protect these sensitive parts of the cylinder, it is common practice for the cylinders to be fitted with protective covers surrounding and protecting all or part of the pressure reducer or of the valve/pressure-reducer assembly.
The protective cover therefore effectively protects the parts discussed, inside this cover.
Furthermore, in practice, a valve of the rotary type is not as easy and not as practical to manipulate as a valve of the lever type.
Specifically, it has been found that valves of the rotary type lead to a not insignificant risk of confusion on the part of the user between which is the direction for opening the said valve and which is the direction for closing it.
Furthermore, manipulating a valve of the rotary type inside the protective cover is not an easy thing to do either, because of the lack of space available inside the said protective cover, and may therefore, in certain instances, result in injury to the useres hands.
In order to alleviate these problems, valves of the rotary type are gradually being replaced with valves of the lever type, as described in document EP-A-747,796, incorporated herein by way of reference, This is because the use of a control lever for opening and closing the supply of gas offers, in addition to the ease of operation, a clear indication of the position the valve is in, namely open when the lever is in the raised position and closed when the lever is in the lowered position, for example.
However, in order to be able to obtain sufficient travel of the lever that controls the nressure reducer, it is necessary to make, in the protective cover, an opening intended, on the one hand, to allow the user to manipulate the lever and, on the other hand, to allow the said lever to move between, in particular, its closed position and its open position, and vice versa.
In consequence, the proximal end of the lever, that is to say the end closest to the user, usually protrudes from the protective cover when the lever is in the open position, that is to say when the lever is raised, for example.
Now, it has been observed, in practice, that there is a significant risk of breaking the lever when the lever is in the open position and experiences a hard knock, for example, when the cylinder is dropped onto the ground, when the cylinder is hit by site equipment or by a heavy load, etc.
Now, the breakage of the operating lever may give rise to a certain number of unacceptable problems, such as the difficulty of quickly determining whether the cylinder is open or closed, the difficulty experienced by the user in closing the cylinder again to halt the delivery of gas or, on the other hand, of opening it in order to completely empty the cylinder before repairing or completely replacing the pressure reducer or merely the lever, etc.
To alleviate this problem of the lever breaking in the event of droppage or of being knocked, it is possible either to modify the protective cover or give it a special configurati-on, or to reduce the size of the lever to make it shorter so that it no longer protrudes from the cylinder when open.
However, these solutions are not without their drawbacks given that, on the one hand, modifying the cylinder cover is associated with resultant additional costs, given that it entails replacing the covers of all the cylinders of a holding of cylinders, which is something which is not realistic from an industrial point of view, and that, on the other hand, reducing the size of the lever makes this lever more complicated to manipulate and accentuates the difficulty experienced by the user in quickly determining which position the lever is in (open or closed).
The purpose of the present invention is therefore to find a simple, effective and inexpensive solution for alleviating the aforementioned problems, and one which is compatible with industry requirements.
The present invention therefore relates to a valve, particularly for reducing the pressure of a pressurized fluid, particularly shut-off valve for a container for pressurized fluid, comprising at least one lever which can be moved between at least one open position and at least one closed position, characterized in that the lever comprises at least one elastically deformable and/or pre-breakage zone.
In the context of the present invention, the term "pre-breakage zone" is to be understood as meaning a zone of preferential breakage, that is to say a zone which has lower resistance to breakage in the event of being knocked, for example, than the rest of the lever.
Furthermore, in the context of the invention, the term "valve" is to be understood as meaning not only an actual valve proper, but also any integrated valve/pressure-reducer assembly.
Depending on circumstances, the valve of the invention may have one or more of the following features:
- the lever comprises a distal part and a proximal part, the said distal part and proximal part being separated by the said deformable and/or pre-breakage zone;
- in the pre-breakage zone, the lever comprises at least one pre-breakage notch, preferably a V-shaped notch;
- the lever comprises, at least in the region of the pre-breakage notch, a covering, preferably a sheath, made of an elastically deformable and/or tear-resistant material;
- the elastically deformable and tear-resistant material is a polymer and/or elastomer material, preferably a vinyl polymer or a material of the rubber type;
- the elastically deformable and tear-resistant material is brightly coloured, preferably in a shade of red or orange.
As a preference, the valve according to the invention is fitted to a gas pressure reducing assembly.
According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a control lever which can be fitted to a valve according to the invention, which lever comprises at least a distal part and a proximal part, the said distal part and proximal part being separated by an elastically deformable and/or pre-breakage zone.
The present invention further relates to a container of pressurized fluid, particularly a cylinder of pressurized gas, equipped with a valve according to the invention, and for the use of such a valve or such a container for pressurized fluid in a welding operation.
The term "gas cylinder" is to be understood as meaning a container of elongate shape capable of containing a gas or a gaseous mixture in the liquid and/or gaseous state.
The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the appended figures which are given by way of non-limiting illustration of the invention.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pressure gauge/pressure-reducer assembly which can be fitted to a gas cylinder 2, for example a cylinder of welding gas a cylinder of medical gas, which valve/pressure reducer 7 is inserted inside a protective cover 1 made of plastic or made of a metallic material, for example.
The protective cover 1 is in three parts, namely a lower or base part intended to be mounted on the neck of the gas cylinder, an intermediate part 20 or shell housing most of the valve/pressure reducer 7 and comprising a peripheral wall 4, and an upper part 18 or cap, bearing a handling knob 15.
The peripheral side wall 4 of the intermediate part 20 has a certain number of cutouts or apertures 3 , 9 to allow access to the connection 21, to the knob 20, to the pressure gauges 14a and 14b, and to the lever 8 which controls the supply of gas contained in the cylinder 2.
More specifically, the aperture 3', which is essentially in the shape of a longitudinal slot, allows the lever 8 to move freely between positions (P0) in which the gas supply is open and (PF) in which it is closed.
Furthermore, manipulating a valve of the rotary type inside the protective cover is not an easy thing to do either, because of the lack of space available inside the said protective cover, and may therefore, in certain instances, result in injury to the useres hands.
In order to alleviate these problems, valves of the rotary type are gradually being replaced with valves of the lever type, as described in document EP-A-747,796, incorporated herein by way of reference, This is because the use of a control lever for opening and closing the supply of gas offers, in addition to the ease of operation, a clear indication of the position the valve is in, namely open when the lever is in the raised position and closed when the lever is in the lowered position, for example.
However, in order to be able to obtain sufficient travel of the lever that controls the nressure reducer, it is necessary to make, in the protective cover, an opening intended, on the one hand, to allow the user to manipulate the lever and, on the other hand, to allow the said lever to move between, in particular, its closed position and its open position, and vice versa.
In consequence, the proximal end of the lever, that is to say the end closest to the user, usually protrudes from the protective cover when the lever is in the open position, that is to say when the lever is raised, for example.
Now, it has been observed, in practice, that there is a significant risk of breaking the lever when the lever is in the open position and experiences a hard knock, for example, when the cylinder is dropped onto the ground, when the cylinder is hit by site equipment or by a heavy load, etc.
Now, the breakage of the operating lever may give rise to a certain number of unacceptable problems, such as the difficulty of quickly determining whether the cylinder is open or closed, the difficulty experienced by the user in closing the cylinder again to halt the delivery of gas or, on the other hand, of opening it in order to completely empty the cylinder before repairing or completely replacing the pressure reducer or merely the lever, etc.
To alleviate this problem of the lever breaking in the event of droppage or of being knocked, it is possible either to modify the protective cover or give it a special configurati-on, or to reduce the size of the lever to make it shorter so that it no longer protrudes from the cylinder when open.
However, these solutions are not without their drawbacks given that, on the one hand, modifying the cylinder cover is associated with resultant additional costs, given that it entails replacing the covers of all the cylinders of a holding of cylinders, which is something which is not realistic from an industrial point of view, and that, on the other hand, reducing the size of the lever makes this lever more complicated to manipulate and accentuates the difficulty experienced by the user in quickly determining which position the lever is in (open or closed).
The purpose of the present invention is therefore to find a simple, effective and inexpensive solution for alleviating the aforementioned problems, and one which is compatible with industry requirements.
The present invention therefore relates to a valve, particularly for reducing the pressure of a pressurized fluid, particularly shut-off valve for a container for pressurized fluid, comprising at least one lever which can be moved between at least one open position and at least one closed position, characterized in that the lever comprises at least one elastically deformable and/or pre-breakage zone.
In the context of the present invention, the term "pre-breakage zone" is to be understood as meaning a zone of preferential breakage, that is to say a zone which has lower resistance to breakage in the event of being knocked, for example, than the rest of the lever.
Furthermore, in the context of the invention, the term "valve" is to be understood as meaning not only an actual valve proper, but also any integrated valve/pressure-reducer assembly.
Depending on circumstances, the valve of the invention may have one or more of the following features:
- the lever comprises a distal part and a proximal part, the said distal part and proximal part being separated by the said deformable and/or pre-breakage zone;
- in the pre-breakage zone, the lever comprises at least one pre-breakage notch, preferably a V-shaped notch;
- the lever comprises, at least in the region of the pre-breakage notch, a covering, preferably a sheath, made of an elastically deformable and/or tear-resistant material;
- the elastically deformable and tear-resistant material is a polymer and/or elastomer material, preferably a vinyl polymer or a material of the rubber type;
- the elastically deformable and tear-resistant material is brightly coloured, preferably in a shade of red or orange.
As a preference, the valve according to the invention is fitted to a gas pressure reducing assembly.
According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a control lever which can be fitted to a valve according to the invention, which lever comprises at least a distal part and a proximal part, the said distal part and proximal part being separated by an elastically deformable and/or pre-breakage zone.
The present invention further relates to a container of pressurized fluid, particularly a cylinder of pressurized gas, equipped with a valve according to the invention, and for the use of such a valve or such a container for pressurized fluid in a welding operation.
The term "gas cylinder" is to be understood as meaning a container of elongate shape capable of containing a gas or a gaseous mixture in the liquid and/or gaseous state.
The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the appended figures which are given by way of non-limiting illustration of the invention.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pressure gauge/pressure-reducer assembly which can be fitted to a gas cylinder 2, for example a cylinder of welding gas a cylinder of medical gas, which valve/pressure reducer 7 is inserted inside a protective cover 1 made of plastic or made of a metallic material, for example.
The protective cover 1 is in three parts, namely a lower or base part intended to be mounted on the neck of the gas cylinder, an intermediate part 20 or shell housing most of the valve/pressure reducer 7 and comprising a peripheral wall 4, and an upper part 18 or cap, bearing a handling knob 15.
The peripheral side wall 4 of the intermediate part 20 has a certain number of cutouts or apertures 3 , 9 to allow access to the connection 21, to the knob 20, to the pressure gauges 14a and 14b, and to the lever 8 which controls the supply of gas contained in the cylinder 2.
More specifically, the aperture 3', which is essentially in the shape of a longitudinal slot, allows the lever 8 to move freely between positions (P0) in which the gas supply is open and (PF) in which it is closed.
This is more clearly visible in Figure 2, which depicts a longitudinal section through a protective half-cover 1 according to Figure 1, and where the path A of the lever 8 between a closed position (PF) and an open position (PO) is diagrammatically depicted.
In the closed position (PF), the lever 8 is normally housed inside the protective cover 1.
By contrast, in the open position (PO) the proximal end 8a of the lever 8 protrudes from the protective cover 1 (lever in the raised position).
In general, the cover 1 is made of a strong plastic or of a metal, particularly a light alloy or malleable cast iron.
While the protective cap or cover 1 makes it possible to avoid or minimize damage to the valve/pressure-gauge/pressure-reducer assembly and, in particular to the delicate parts of this assembly, such as the pressure gauges 14a and 14b, it is not by itself capable of protecting the proximal end 8a of the lever 8 which controls the supply of gas from droppage or knocks.
In order to solve the problem and consequences caused by the breakage of the lever 8 if knocked, the present invention proposes that a deformable and/or pre-breakage zone 3 be formed on the said lever 8.
According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the proposed solution consists in forming a pre-breakage zone, that is to say a preferred and encouraged breakage point, in the lever 8, so as to obtain controlled and perfectly located breakage of the said lever should it be knocked.
Specifically, in this embodiment, the lever 8 is configured, for example one or more notches are made in the said lever 8, so as to create a preferential breakage point where the lever will break if it is knocked hard, but at the same time preserving the pivot pin of the said lever and leaving a long enough length of lever that the user can easily manipulate it.
In the closed position (PF), the lever 8 is normally housed inside the protective cover 1.
By contrast, in the open position (PO) the proximal end 8a of the lever 8 protrudes from the protective cover 1 (lever in the raised position).
In general, the cover 1 is made of a strong plastic or of a metal, particularly a light alloy or malleable cast iron.
While the protective cap or cover 1 makes it possible to avoid or minimize damage to the valve/pressure-gauge/pressure-reducer assembly and, in particular to the delicate parts of this assembly, such as the pressure gauges 14a and 14b, it is not by itself capable of protecting the proximal end 8a of the lever 8 which controls the supply of gas from droppage or knocks.
In order to solve the problem and consequences caused by the breakage of the lever 8 if knocked, the present invention proposes that a deformable and/or pre-breakage zone 3 be formed on the said lever 8.
According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the proposed solution consists in forming a pre-breakage zone, that is to say a preferred and encouraged breakage point, in the lever 8, so as to obtain controlled and perfectly located breakage of the said lever should it be knocked.
Specifically, in this embodiment, the lever 8 is configured, for example one or more notches are made in the said lever 8, so as to create a preferential breakage point where the lever will break if it is knocked hard, but at the same time preserving the pivot pin of the said lever and leaving a long enough length of lever that the user can easily manipulate it.
The position of the pre-breakage zone, that is to say of the notch 3 made in the said lever 8, is chosen such that, should the lever break, the user will be able to slip a finger or a tool inside the protective cap and then relatively easily be able to control the supply of gas.
According to a preferred alternative form, the pre-breakage zone is sheathed in a material which has resilience, elasticity and/or resistance to tearing, for example a polymer, so that this sheath can resist a violent knock which causes the lever 8 to break at the pre-breakage zone, without completely tearing or breaking itself.
Thus, even after breakage, the proximal part 8a of the lever 8 remains fixed to the distal part which controls the passage of gas, because of the presence of this resistant sheath.
The material used for the sheath should be -hosen to have a glass transition temperature lower than the temperatures to which the valve/pressure reducer 7 and the lever 8 will be subjected during use.
Furthermore, the fact that a sheath is provided around the lever 8 in the region of the pre-breakage zone 3 makes it possible, should the said lever 8 break, to protect the operator's hand from cuts or injury from the sharp and cutting edges that there are likely to be on the broken parts of the lever 8.
This embodiment is depicted in Figure 2 where it can be seen that the pre-breakage zone is obtained by forming one or more V-shaped notches 5 in the lever 8 so that, in the event of breakage, the lever 8 breaks at the said notches 5 separating the proximal part 8a from the distal part 8b of the lever 8.
As a preference, the material chosen for making the lever 8, is a material sensitive to the notching effect, for example a steel of the stainless ferritic type (13% chrome) pre-treated to increase its grain size by heating to about 1000 C, although in this respect austenitic steels and light alloys will be eliminated.
Furthermore, the sheath 10 may be made of a polymer, such as a vinyl plastic, which may be deposited or coated over all or part of the proximal end of the lever 8.
Rupture tests on the lever when knocked in two perpendicular directions, in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the lever, have demonstrated that if the lever 8 breaks, a plastic sheath 6 of this kind is able to resist the said breaking of the lever and thus provides a connection between the two, proximal 8a and distal 8b, parts of the broken lever 8.
Advantageously, a brightly coloured plastic, such as a red or orange plastic is chosen, these being the colours usually associated with safety in the industrial or craftsman environment.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, which is depicted in Figures 3 to 5, the valve is fitted with a lever 8 which has a deformable zone 3 separating the proximal part 8a and distal part 8b of the lever 8.
In other words, the solution proposed in this second embodiment consists in making the lever 8 in two parts.
One of these parts is a rigid part comprising the distal part 8b of the lever 8 which constantly remains inside the protective cover 1 and is connected to the valve via an operating cam.
The other part, namely the proximal part 8a of the lever 8 protruding from the protective cap in the open position (PO) is deformable enough that it is not broken by a knock or by shear if the cylinder on which the valve is mounted is dropped or rolled while the lever 8 is in the open position (PO) and which is rigid enough to allow the supply of gas to be opened and closed using the lever 8.
According to this embodiment, the proximal part 8a and distal part 8b are dissociated from one another but at the same time connected to one another via an overmoulded flexible part 6, preferably an elastically deformable part, for example a part made of polymer or elastomer.
Thus, if the cylinder should be dropped, the proximal end 8a of the lever 8 will not break, but will be driven inside the slot 3' or a housing, such as a cavity 13 formed in the cover 1, as depicted in Figures 4 and 5, by elastic deformation of the overmoulded flexible part 6 made of elastomer which joins the two parts 8a and 8b together.
What happens, in this embodiment, if the cylinder is dropped or its lever is knocked is that the lever does not break but experiences elastic deformation without experiencing shear, by entering the aperture 3 in which the lever 8 moves and/or the depression 13 formed in the cover 1, as depicted in Figures 5 and 4 respectively.
According to a preferred alternative form, the pre-breakage zone is sheathed in a material which has resilience, elasticity and/or resistance to tearing, for example a polymer, so that this sheath can resist a violent knock which causes the lever 8 to break at the pre-breakage zone, without completely tearing or breaking itself.
Thus, even after breakage, the proximal part 8a of the lever 8 remains fixed to the distal part which controls the passage of gas, because of the presence of this resistant sheath.
The material used for the sheath should be -hosen to have a glass transition temperature lower than the temperatures to which the valve/pressure reducer 7 and the lever 8 will be subjected during use.
Furthermore, the fact that a sheath is provided around the lever 8 in the region of the pre-breakage zone 3 makes it possible, should the said lever 8 break, to protect the operator's hand from cuts or injury from the sharp and cutting edges that there are likely to be on the broken parts of the lever 8.
This embodiment is depicted in Figure 2 where it can be seen that the pre-breakage zone is obtained by forming one or more V-shaped notches 5 in the lever 8 so that, in the event of breakage, the lever 8 breaks at the said notches 5 separating the proximal part 8a from the distal part 8b of the lever 8.
As a preference, the material chosen for making the lever 8, is a material sensitive to the notching effect, for example a steel of the stainless ferritic type (13% chrome) pre-treated to increase its grain size by heating to about 1000 C, although in this respect austenitic steels and light alloys will be eliminated.
Furthermore, the sheath 10 may be made of a polymer, such as a vinyl plastic, which may be deposited or coated over all or part of the proximal end of the lever 8.
Rupture tests on the lever when knocked in two perpendicular directions, in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the lever, have demonstrated that if the lever 8 breaks, a plastic sheath 6 of this kind is able to resist the said breaking of the lever and thus provides a connection between the two, proximal 8a and distal 8b, parts of the broken lever 8.
Advantageously, a brightly coloured plastic, such as a red or orange plastic is chosen, these being the colours usually associated with safety in the industrial or craftsman environment.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, which is depicted in Figures 3 to 5, the valve is fitted with a lever 8 which has a deformable zone 3 separating the proximal part 8a and distal part 8b of the lever 8.
In other words, the solution proposed in this second embodiment consists in making the lever 8 in two parts.
One of these parts is a rigid part comprising the distal part 8b of the lever 8 which constantly remains inside the protective cover 1 and is connected to the valve via an operating cam.
The other part, namely the proximal part 8a of the lever 8 protruding from the protective cap in the open position (PO) is deformable enough that it is not broken by a knock or by shear if the cylinder on which the valve is mounted is dropped or rolled while the lever 8 is in the open position (PO) and which is rigid enough to allow the supply of gas to be opened and closed using the lever 8.
According to this embodiment, the proximal part 8a and distal part 8b are dissociated from one another but at the same time connected to one another via an overmoulded flexible part 6, preferably an elastically deformable part, for example a part made of polymer or elastomer.
Thus, if the cylinder should be dropped, the proximal end 8a of the lever 8 will not break, but will be driven inside the slot 3' or a housing, such as a cavity 13 formed in the cover 1, as depicted in Figures 4 and 5, by elastic deformation of the overmoulded flexible part 6 made of elastomer which joins the two parts 8a and 8b together.
What happens, in this embodiment, if the cylinder is dropped or its lever is knocked is that the lever does not break but experiences elastic deformation without experiencing shear, by entering the aperture 3 in which the lever 8 moves and/or the depression 13 formed in the cover 1, as depicted in Figures 5 and 4 respectively.
Claims (18)
1. A shut-off valve, the valve comprising at least one actuating lever which can be moved between at least one position in which the valve is open and at least one position in which it is closed, characterized in that the lever comprises at least one elastically deformable zone.
2. The valve according to Claim 1, wherein the lever comprises a distal part and a proximal part, the distal part and the proximal part being separated by the deformable zone.
3. A shut-off valve, the valve comprising at least one actuating lever which can be moved between at least one position in which the valve is open and at least one position in which it is closed, characterized in that the lever comprises at least one pre-breakage zone.
4. The valve according to Claim 3, wherein the lever comprises a distal part and a proximal part, the distal part and the proximal part being separated by the pre-breakage zone.
5. The valve according to Claims 3 or 4, wherein in the pre-breakage zone, the lever comprises at least one pre-breakage notch.
6. The valve according to Claim 5, wherein the lever comprises, at least in the region of the pre-breakage notch, a covering.
7. The valve according to Claim 6, wherein the covering includes a sheath made of an elastically deformable and tear-resistant material.
8. The valve according to Claim 7, wherein the material includes at least one among a polymer and an elastomer material.
9. The valve according to Claim 7, wherein the material includes at least one among a vinyl polymer and a rubber-type material.
10. The valve according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein the material is brightly coloured.
11. The valve according to Claim 10, wherein the material colour is a shade of red.
12. The valve according to Claim 10, wherein the material colour is a shade of orange.
13. An assembly for reducing pressure of a pressurized fluid, equipped with the valve according to any one of Claims 1 to 12.
14. A container for pressurized fluid, characterized in that it is equipped with the valve according to any one of Claims 1 to 12.
15. A container for pressurized fluid, characterized in that it is equipped with the assembly according to claim 13.
16. The container according to Claim 14 or 15, wherein the container is a cylinder of pressurized gas.
17. The container according to any one of Claims 14 to 16, further comprising a protective cover in which is formed at least one aperture in which the lever can move between the at least one closed position and the at least one open position, the proximal end of the lever emerging from the cover via the aperture.
18. Use of the container containing a welding gas mixture or gas according to any one of Claims 14 to 17, in a welding, cutting or thermal spraying operation.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR9812081 | 1998-09-28 | ||
| FR9812081A FR2783894B1 (en) | 1998-09-28 | 1998-09-28 | PRESSURE FLUID CONTAINER TAP WITH FLUID PASSAGE CONTROL LEVER |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2282129A1 CA2282129A1 (en) | 2000-03-28 |
| CA2282129C true CA2282129C (en) | 2007-07-24 |
Family
ID=9530907
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002282129A Expired - Lifetime CA2282129C (en) | 1998-09-28 | 1999-09-14 | Valve for a container of pressurized fluid fitted with a lever for controlling the passage of the fluid |
Country Status (10)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0990825B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP2000110997A (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE289028T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU4873899A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR9904312A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2282129C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69923640T2 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2238095T3 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2783894B1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA996086B (en) |
Families Citing this family (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2828922B1 (en) | 2001-08-23 | 2004-06-11 | Air Liquide | VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF A FLUID HAVING A LEVER IN MULTIPLE STABLE POSITIONS |
| FR2898176A1 (en) * | 2006-03-03 | 2007-09-07 | Air Liquide | Pressurized gas controlling valve for use in e.g. gas cylinder, has lever and body designed such that manual displacement of lever towards its active position restrains operator to lever gripping manipulation in rest position |
| US20080230033A1 (en) * | 2007-03-21 | 2008-09-25 | Reed Mark D | Throttle lever breakaway mechanism |
| FR2930317B1 (en) | 2008-04-22 | 2010-08-20 | Air Liquide | ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FAUCET AND A PROTECTIVE HAT, BOTTLE COMPRISING SUCH AN ASSEMBLY |
| RU2506490C2 (en) | 2009-03-11 | 2014-02-10 | Виктор Эквипмент Компани | Gas pressure reducer (versions) |
| GB201309046D0 (en) * | 2013-05-20 | 2013-07-03 | Linde Ag | A pressurised fluid container |
| GB2514351A (en) | 2013-05-20 | 2014-11-26 | Linde Ag | A pressurised fluid cylinder |
| GB201309043D0 (en) * | 2013-05-20 | 2013-07-03 | Linde Ag | A pressurised fluid cylinder |
| GB2528920A (en) * | 2014-08-05 | 2016-02-10 | Linde Ag | A pressurised fluid container |
| FR3048478B1 (en) * | 2016-03-03 | 2018-03-02 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | PRESSURE FLUID VALVE |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR1216623A (en) * | 1958-12-18 | 1960-04-26 | Bottle stopper, especially for containers containing highly compressed gases | |
| DE1903500A1 (en) * | 1969-01-24 | 1970-08-20 | Schmoele Metall R & G | Valve for gaseous and liquid media |
| US5295831A (en) * | 1992-09-17 | 1994-03-22 | Impla-Med, Inc. | Disposable torque wrench for dental components |
| FR2735209B1 (en) * | 1995-06-08 | 1997-07-25 | Air Liquide | TAP / REGULATOR ASSEMBLY FOR GAS BOTTLE AND GAS BOTTLE PROVIDED WITH SUCH A SET |
-
1998
- 1998-09-28 FR FR9812081A patent/FR2783894B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1999
- 1999-09-14 CA CA002282129A patent/CA2282129C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-09-15 AU AU48738/99A patent/AU4873899A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1999-09-22 AT AT99402313T patent/ATE289028T1/en active
- 1999-09-22 ES ES99402313T patent/ES2238095T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-09-22 EP EP99402313A patent/EP0990825B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-09-22 DE DE69923640T patent/DE69923640T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-09-22 ZA ZA9906086A patent/ZA996086B/en unknown
- 1999-09-24 BR BR9904312-2A patent/BR9904312A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1999-09-24 JP JP11270108A patent/JP2000110997A/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JP2000110997A (en) | 2000-04-18 |
| EP0990825A1 (en) | 2000-04-05 |
| FR2783894B1 (en) | 2000-12-01 |
| DE69923640T2 (en) | 2006-03-23 |
| CA2282129A1 (en) | 2000-03-28 |
| BR9904312A (en) | 2000-09-19 |
| ATE289028T1 (en) | 2005-02-15 |
| FR2783894A1 (en) | 2000-03-31 |
| EP0990825B1 (en) | 2005-02-09 |
| ES2238095T3 (en) | 2005-08-16 |
| AU4873899A (en) | 2000-03-30 |
| DE69923640D1 (en) | 2005-03-17 |
| ZA996086B (en) | 2000-03-28 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request |