Valve, pressurized fluid container, and filling and withdrawal methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149906-B2
Application number	US-202016816633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Valve including a body delimiting an internal fluid withdrawal and possibly fluid filling circuit, the said internal circuit extending between an upstream end configured to be placed in communication with the storage volume of a tank and a downstream end configured to be connected to a user member withdrawing or distributing the pressurized fluid via the internal circuit, the valve (having, placed in series from upstream to downstream in the internal circuit between the upstream end and the downstream end: an upstream valve shutter, an isolation valve shutter and a dust valve shutter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve comprising a body delimiting an internal fluid withdrawal, an internal circuit extending between an upstream end configured to be placed in communication with the storage volume of a tank and a downstream end configured to be connected to a user member withdrawing or distributing pressurized fluid via the internal circuit, the valve comprising, placed in series from upstream to downstream in the internal circuit between the upstream end and the downstream end: an upstream valve shutter, an isolation valve shutter and a dust valve shutter, the dust valve shutter configured to move relative to the body between a position in which the upstream end of the circuit is closed and at least two distinct open positions, when the dust valve shutter is in the closed position, the isolation valve shutter and the upstream valve shutter being in respective positions in which the circuit is closed, in the at least two respective distinct open positions of the dust valve shutter, either only the isolation valve shutter being in a position in which the circuit is open or, respectively, the isolation valve shutter and the upstream valve shutter being in positions in which the circuit is open, wherein the valve comprises a calibrated orifice defining a determined opening allowing gas to pass between upstream and downstream of the upstream valve shutter when the latter is in the position in which the circuit is closed, said determined opening of the calibrated orifice being smaller than an opening produced when the upstream valve shutter is in the position in which the circuit is open,
wherein the calibrated orifice comprises a shutter bearing non-sealingly on the seat.

2. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the calibrated orifice delimits an opening having a first determined cross section whereas the opening produced when the upstream valve shutter is in the position in which the circuit is open has a second determined cross section and in that the ratio between the first cross section and the second cross section is between 1/100 and 1/20.

3. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation valve shutter moves relative to a seat between a downstream position in which the circuit is closed and at least one upstream position in which the circuit is open, the isolation valve shutter being urged towards the downstream position by a return member, the dust valve shutter comprising an upstream end and configured to move relative to the body between a downstream position in which the upstream end of the circuit is closed and at least one upstream position in which the downstream end of the circuit is open, the said dust valve shutter being urged towards the downstream position by a return member, the upstream valve shutter configured to move relative to a seat between a downstream position in which the circuit is closed and at least one upstream position in which the circuit is open, the upstream valve shutter being urged towards the downstream closed position by a return member.

4. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein the dust valve shutter moves from the downstream closed position towards: a first determined upstream position referred to as the “contactless” position opening the downstream end of the circuit, in which position the downstream end of the dust valve shutter does not push against the isolation valve shutter, or a second determined upstream position referred to as the “contacting” position opening the downstream end of the circuit, in which position the upstream end of the dust valve shutter pushes on a downstream end of a mobile isolation valve shutter in order, through contact, to move the isolation valve shutter off the seat towards a first upstream position in which the circuit is open in which position the isolation valve shutter does not push on the upstream valve shutter, or a third determined upstream position opening the downstream end of the circuit, in which position the upstream end of the dust valve shutter pushes on a downstream end of the mobile isolation valve shutter to move the isolation valve shutter off the seat towards a second upstream position in which the circuit is open, in which position the isolation valve shutter pushes the upstream valve shutter into the position in which the upstream end of the circuit is open.

5. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the calibrated orifice is delimited at least in part by the upstream valve shutter or an element thereof.

6. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the calibrated orifice is housed in the upstream valve shutter.

7. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the dust valve shutter is a residual pressure valve shutter maintaining a minimum pressure in the circuit when it is in the closed position and allowing gas to be discharged from the circuit in the event of an overpressure above a determined pressure threshold.

8. The valve according to claim 7 , further comprising a deformable seal situated on the dust valve shutter and/or on the body and able and configured for excess pressure in the circuit above a determined threshold to be discharged to the outside, but remaining in a closed and sealed position when the pressure in the circuit is below this threshold.

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Frenal Antoine
• Muller Denis
• Paoli Herve

Classifications

• F17C13/04 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of valves (valves per se F16K {; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00}) · CPC title

• F17C5/00

  Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures (adding propellants to aerosol containers B65B31/00) · CPC title

• F17C2205/0329

  manually actuated · CPC title

• F17C2227/048

  by maintaining residual pressure · CPC title

• F17C2205/0385

  in blocks or units · CPC title