Conditioning device for a pressurized fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025172251-A1
Application number	US-202418956846-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2024
Priority date	Nov 29, 2023
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a conditioning device configured to cooperate with a fluid filling or tapping connector of a pressurized fluid container, the conditioning device having a structure extending along a longitudinal axis A, a valve pusher, the valve pusher having a body and at least one protective element arranged on the body, the at least one protective element being intended to come into contact at least in part with a valve of the filling or tapping connector when the valve is opened, the body of the valve pusher being made of a first material and the at least one protective element being made at least in part of a second material, the second material having a hardness lower than the hardness of the first material.

First claim

1 . Conditioning device configured to cooperate with a fluid filling or tapping connector ( 1 ) of a pressurized fluid container, said conditioning device comprising a structure ( 40 ) extending along a longitudinal axis A, the conditioning device comprising a valve pusher ( 11 ) that is movable along the longitudinal axis A in a fluid transfer line ( 7 ) of said structure ( 40 ) to open at least one valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ) of an internal circuit ( 20 , 30 ) of the fluid filling or tapping connector ( 1 ) when the structure ( 40 ) is brought into contact with the connector ( 1 ) to bring the fluid transfer line ( 7 ) into fluidic communication with the internal circuit ( 20 , 30 ) of the fluid filling or tapping connector ( 1 ), characterized in that the valve pusher ( 11 ) comprises a body ( 11 a ) and at least one protective element ( 11 b ) arranged on said body ( 11 a ), said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) being intended to come into contact at least in part with said valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ) when said valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ) is opened, said body ( 11 a ) of the valve pusher ( 11 ) being made of a first material and said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) being made at least in part of a second material, said second material having a hardness lower than the hardness of said first material.

2 . Conditioning device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said body ( 11 a ) comprises at least one downstream surface extending generally orthogonally to the longitudinal axis A, said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) being arranged on said downstream surface.

3 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said body ( 11 a ) comprises at least one lateral surface extending along the longitudinal axis A, said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) being arranged on said lateral surface.

4 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said body ( 11 a ) comprises a protuberance extending along the longitudinal axis A, at least a portion of said protuberance projecting into an internal recess of said valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ) when said valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ) is opened, said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) being arranged on a surface of said protuberance.

5 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) is arranged in at least one groove formed on an outer surface of the body.

6 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) is a surface coating deposited on at least a portion of an outer surface of the body.

7 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) forms a sleeve about said body ( 11 a ), at least partially covering an outer surface of the body ( 11 a ).

8 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) is composed of a discontinuous set of elements arranged on said body ( 11 a ), for example the elements are crimped onto said body ( 11 a ).

9 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the second material has a hardness of between 25 Hv and 90 Hv on the Shore A scale or between 30 Hv and 70 Hv on the Shore D scale.

10 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the second material is selected from: a polytetrafluoroethylene, a polyoxymethylene, a rubber or a polyurethane.

11 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) is made in part of a third material, said third material having a hardness lower than the hardness of said first material.

12 . Conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , characterized in that said at least one protective element ( 11 b ) comprises at least one O-ring, which is for example overmoulded or vulcanized.

13 . Conditioning system for a pressurized fluid container, characterized in that it comprises:
a conditioning device according to any one of the preceding claims , a fluid filling or tapping connector ( 1 ) of a pressurized fluid container, said connector comprising: a first end ( 122 ) configured to be connected to the conditioning device and comprising a valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ), the valve being opened by the displacement of the valve pusher ( 11 ) on the valve ( 19 , 19 a , 19 b ), a second end configured to be connected to a pressurized fluid container ( 18 ), a fluid circuit arranged between said first end and said second end.

14 . Use of the conditioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or of the system according to claim 13 for tapping and/or filling a pressurized fluid container, notably a pressurized gas cylinder.

Assignees

• Lair Liquide Sa Pour Letude Et L’Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude

Inventors

• Fischer Benjamin
• Muller Denis
• Jubert Cesar

Classifications

• F17C2223/0123

  gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC · CPC title

• F17C2205/0329

  manually actuated · CPC title

• F17C2223/0153

  Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL · CPC title

• F17C2223/036

  Very high pressure (>80 bar) · CPC title

• F17C2223/033

  Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas · CPC title