WO2018011771A1

WO2018011771A1 - Safety valve with insert for cartridge storing gas

Info

Publication number: WO2018011771A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/054304
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rahmi MULLA
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-07-15
Filing date: 2017-07-17
Publication date: 2018-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 2019-01-15
Also published as: WO2018011772A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert to be fitted to a valve for a cartridge for storing liquefied gas under pressure, such as butane or propane – LPG. These cartridges may be connected to combustion devices / appliances and are used for preparing coffee, boiling various decoctions and roasting food. The valve (10) comprises a jacket (1) with an outer wall (13), a boss (12) and 0 a bottom wall (11) that connects the outer wall (13) and the boss (12). The valve (10) and the insert (81) that is fitted to the valve (10) have complementary means that prevent at least the relative rotation between the jacket (1) and the insert (81). The insert (81) comprises two annular elements (82, 83) joined together to form an annular body received by the boss (12) of 5 the valve (10), the two annular elements (82, 83) being made from different materials.

Description

Safety valve with insert for cartridge storing gas

The invention relates to an insert to be fitted to a valve for a cartridge for storing liquefied gas under pressure, such as butane or propane - LPG. These cartridges may be connected to combustion devices / appliances and are used for preparing coffee, boiling various decoctions and roasting food.

Known cartridges are disposable rather than refillable; they have various dimensions and capacity ranging from 190 gr. to 500 gr. One known type of cartridge is connected to the combustion devices by perforation. Such a pierceable cartridge is presented in Figure 1 of European Standard Fpr 417:201 1. Other known cartridges for storing gas include a storage container for storing the gas and a valve, which connects the cartridge to the combustion device. In operation the cartridges provide through their valve evaporated gas to the combustion devices, which are safely connected therewith. Such known cartridges are provided with a thread in order to screw the cartridges to combustion devices which are provided with complementary thread. A cartridge with a threaded centre boss valve cup is presented in European Standard Fpr 417:201 1 . Alternatively the cartridge receives a combustion device through a clasping action.

US patent US 6,202,982 describes an appliance with a body 8 and a rotating part 9 that carries tabs 19 and is connected to a lever 23. The lever 23 can be rotated by the user between a locked position, to lock the appliance to a cartridge 2, and an unlocked position, to release the appliance from the cartridge 2. A relative rotation of the rotating part 9 with respect to the body 8 to the locked position, forces the tabs 19 provided in the rotating member 9 outwards and engages the tabs 19 in a groove that is below an annular rim 6 of cartridge 2. The reference signs in this paragraph correspond are the references signs that are used in the figures and the description of document US 6,202,982 International patent application WO 2006/042971 describes a further appliance with a body 2 and a ring-shaped rotating part 10 with teeth that are engageable with complementary teeth provided in the cartridge 22. When the teeth of the appliance and the teeth of the cartridge are engaged and the user rotates the body 2 of the appliance, elastic tabs 4 that are provided in the body 2 are forced outwards to engage and lock them in the groove 27 of the valve of the cartridge. Thus the appliance is locked with the cartridge. Rotation in the opposite direction releases the cartridge from the appliance. The reference signs in this paragraph are the references signs that are used in the figures and the description of document WO 2006/042971.

European patent application EP 2511587 suggests fitting to the valve of the cartridge, a ring-shaped adaptor with lugs extending in the axial direction of the adaptor. The lugs are to engage with the teeth of the appliance that is shown in the international application WO 2006/042971 . With such an adaptor, there is no need to provide the valve of the cartridge with teeth, which are complementary to the teeth of the appliance.

The invention aims to a cartridge that may be used with the known appliances having a body and a rotatable member. Further, the invention aims to a cartridge with high safety level with regard to liquefied gas leakage and to the robustness and strength of the valve. Further, the invention aims to a cartridge that provides an alternative manner of locking any cartridge with a rotatable member to known appliances. Further, the invention aims at an insert for a valve of such a cartridge.

An insert according to the invention is defined in independent claim 1 .

The use of an insert according to the invention improves the leakproofness of the connection between the appliance and the cartridge, because the pressure that is exerted to the insert and to the bottom of the jacket of the valve as a result of the force acting between the cartridge and the appliance, seals any escape route from the container to the environment. One reason of defective connections that may cause leakages from the container is the tolerances between the appliance and the cartridge that may lead to an unstable connection between the two parts. Such tolerances may exist also in the case of a cartridge with a threaded centre boss valve cup and an appliance with a complementary thread

A valve for a gas cartridge according to the invention comprises a jacket with an outer wall, a boss and a bottom wall that connects the outer wall and the boss. The valve further comprises an insert fitted to the valve, whereby the insert and the valve have complementary means that prevent at least the relative rotation between the jacket and the insert. According to the invention, the insert comprises two annular elements joined together to form an annular body received by the boss of the valve. These two annular elements are made from different materials, i.e. materials with at least different hardness.

The two annular elements are a base element and a top element and the material of the top element has a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the material of the base element. The annular body may have an annular portion that is fitted in a fold or groove formed in the outer wall of the jacket. The annular portion may be a part of the base element or it may comprise an annular portion of the base element and an annular portion of the top element. The top element may have a free surface with formations at a distance from the outer periphery of the annular body. Such optional formations that may be at a distance from the side wall of the valve, may be additionally at a distance from the outer periphery of the top element of the annular body. In one embodiment of the invention the base element has a cylindrical wall extending upwards with respect to the plane of the annular body and the base element defines a space to house at least partially the top element. The dependent claims define optional features that offer further advantages when combined with the features of the independent claims.

Embodiments of the invention are described below, with reference to Figures 1 to 18:

Figure 1 shows a cartridge and a combustion device / appliance.

Figure 2 shows a safety valve before connecting it to the storage container.

Figure 3 shows the safety valve after in the gas cartridge.

Figure 4 shows the parts of an insert before fitting the insert to the valve.

Figure 5 shows a section of the top of a cartridge with an insert according to the invention.

Figures 6 to 11 show schematically six alternative examples of an insert according to an invention fitted in a valve of a gas cartridge.

Figures 12 and 13 show schematically a further example of an insert according to an invention fitted in a valve of a gas cartridge.

Figure 14 shows schematically a further example of an insert according to an invention fitted in a valve of a gas cartridge.

Figure 15 shows schematically the base element of an embodiment of an insert according to the invention fitted in a valve, when the valve is attached to a cartridge.

Figure 16 shows a further example of an insert according to an invention fitted in a valve, when the valve is attached to a cartridge.

Figures 17 and 18 show schematically two inserts fitted in a valve, when the valve is attached to a cartridge.

Figure 1 shows a cartridge 60 and an appliance 70. The appliance 70 has a body and a rotating part such as the body and the rotating part of the appliances described in US 6,202,982 or WO2006/042971 and in the discussion of the state of the art of the present document. Further, the appliance 70 has locking elements, i.e. the tabs of the appliances described in US 6,202,982 or WO2006/042971 and in the discussion of the state of the art of the present document (page 1 , last paragraph and page 2, first paragraph), which are configured to interact with the cartridge 60 and to lock the appliance 70 with the cartridge 60. The cartridge comprises a storage container 30 made of tinplate and a safety valve 10. The safety valve 10 has a jacket 1 with an almost cylindrical boss 12 and an almost cylindrical outer wall 13. The boss 12 defines in its interior an almost cylindrical space 14. The safety valve 10 includes a cylinder 3, a piston 8 and a spring 2. The cylinder 3, piston 8 and spring 2 are placed within the space 14 defined by the boss 12.

An annular bottom 11 joins the boss 12 and the outer wall 13. The boss 12 that is also almost cylindrical is almost coaxial with the outer wall 13 and at least its largest part is located within the space defined by the outer wall 13. The jacket 1 may be fabricated by one, two or more layers of material. Figures 2 and 3 show only as an example, a jacket with two layers.

A thread 15 may be formed on the exterior surface of the boss 12. The thread 15 is formed on the end of the exterior surface of the boss 12, which is spaced from the annular bottom 11. Below the thread 15 there are means, such as an annular groove, which holds the cylinder 3 within the cylindrical space 14. When the user wants to connect an appliance with a thread to a cartridge 60, similarly to the threaded connection described in European Standard FrpEN 417:2011 , the user screws the appliance to the thread 15. With the appliance is screwed to the cartridge, the valve 10 allows the gas to flow to the appliance. When the user unscrews the appliance from the cartridge 60, the valve 10, through the action of the spring 2 and the piston 8, does not allow the gas to escape from the cartridge 60, even when the cartridge is full and under pressure.

The outer wall 13 is limited on its one end by the annular bottom 11. In its other end, i.e. the end opposite to the end that is limited by the annular bottom 11 , there is a fold or rim 29. The rim 29 fits to the edge of the container 30, as shown in Figure 3 and in Figure 5. At a short distance from the rim 29, the wall has a groove 31, which is formed during the production of the cartridge 60, when the valve 10 is fitted to the container 30. The groove 31 secures connection between the storage container 30 and the valve 10 and achieves waterproof attachment between the two items. When an appliance is locked with the cartridge, locking elements provided in the appliance are forced within the groove 31. The locking elements of the appliances may be provided to the body of the appliance, as it is shown in Figure 1 of WO 2006/042971 , or to the rotating element of the appliance as it is shown in Figure 4 of US 6,202,982.

The jacket 1 of the valve of the embodiment that is shown in Figure 2 is dual and consists of two metal layers 17 and 18 that abut on each other almost throughout their surface. The production of the jacket is effected by inserting one layer 18, i.e. the inner layer, into the other layer 17, i.e. the outer layer.

The insert 81 comprises two annular parts 82, 83, i.e. a base element 82 and a top element 83 that may be rigidly attached to each other. The two annular parts form an annular body. The base element 82 and the top element 83 are joined together in parallel disposition, to form the annular insert 81 , which has as an outer diameter equal to the maximum of the outer diameters of the base element 82 and the top element 83 and an inner diameter equal to the minimum of the inner diameters of the base element 82 and the top element 83. Figure 4 shows the base element 82 and the top element 83 before they are attached to each other and before the insert is fitted to the valve 10.

The base element 82 and the top element 83 of the insert 81 are made of materials that have different compressibility and memory after compression. The base element 82 is harder and it is made of a material which is relatively less compressible, for example of ethylene vinyl acetate with hardness 32 Sh A, than the material of the top element 83. In one example the top element 83 is made of material with a hardness of 12-16 Sh A, for example Afrosol, and the base element 82 of a material with hardness 32 Sh A. The measuring of the hardness of these elements is according to ASTM D2240. In other examples the hardness of the top element 83 of the insert 81 is between 12 Sh a AND 36 Sh A and the hardness of the base element 82 is between 50 Sh A AND 70 Sh A. Any material may be used for both elements, for example natural rubber, silicon, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, Afrosol. Sh A denotes Shore hardness, type A. The insert 81 is fitted to the jacket of the valve 10 in a way that does not allow relative rotation between the insert 81 and the valve 10. Various means known per se may be employed to prohibit relative rotation, for example frictional means, adhesive, mechanical means. One example to prevent relative rotation is to configure the centre opening of the annular body on one hand and the root of the boss 12 of the valve 10 on the other. One example of such a configuration that may be incorporated to all inserts according to the invention is presented in the embodiment of Figure 12. When the insert 81 is fitted to the jacket, the base element 82 abuts with one of its face the annular bottom 11 of the jacket.

When the user fits an appliance 70 to the cartridge 60, (s)he forces the appliance 70 towards the cartridge 60. When the appliance 70 is forced towards the cartridge 60, the rotating part of the cartridge is forced towards and compresses the top element 83. Such an interaction between the top element 83 of the insert 81 and the rotating element of the appliance 70 prevents the rotating element to rotate when the user rotates the body of the appliance 70. Consequently the locking elements of the appliance, which may be either in the rotating part or in the body of the appliance, are forced within the groove 31 to lock the appliance 70 with the cartridge 60. Thus, any known appliance with a body and a rotating part such as appliances described in US 6,202,982 and WO 2006/042971 may be used with a cartridge incorporating an insert 81 in accordance with the invention. Further, appliances with a thread complementary to the thread 15 of the boss 12 may be connected to the cartridge 60.

Figure 6 shows an insert 81 with a base element 82 and a top element 83 having approximately equal outer diameters and approximately equal inner diameters.

The insert 81 may be secured to the annular bottom 11 of the jacket 1 by fitting an outer annular portion of the insert 81 in an annular fold 88 provided in the outer wall 13. Such an arrangement that is shown as an example in Figures 7, 8 and 9, provides further means to prohibit the relative rotation of the insert 81 and the valve 10. The fold 88 is at the bottom of the valve 10 adjacent to the annular bottom 11 of the jacket 1. The fold 88 may be manufactured during production of the cartridge, after the valve 10 is placed in the container 30.

Figure 17 shows an embodiment of the insert 81 with a base element 82 with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the top element 83. Thus, the base element 82 has an annular part projecting radially outwards below the top element 83. This annular part is fitted and locked to the fold 88 to secure the insert 81 within the valve 10. In the embodiments of Figures 8 and 9 and 18 both the base element 82 and the top element 83 have an annulus each, which form the annular portion that is locked within the fold 88. In the embodiment of Figure 17, which shows the valve 10 after attachment of to the cartridge 60, the top element 83 has an almost cylindrical portion that is above the level of the fold 88. Figure 18 shows an example of an insert with a further inner annular portion that is received in a groove or fold formed adjacent the the root of the boss 12. Such an optional connection of the insert and the boss 12 is also shown in the embodiments of Figures 7, 8 The free face of the top element 83, i.e. the face on the other side of the insert 81 , which is in contact with the base element 82, may have formations, not shown in the figures, to facilitate the prevention of motion between the insert 81 and consequently the valve 10 on one hand and the rotating part of the appliance 70 on the other. Such formations are at a distance from the outer circumference of the insert 81. In a further embodiment, the free face of the top element 83, i.e. the face on the other side of the insert 81 , which is in contact with the base element 82, may be coated with removable adhesive, to facilitate the engagement of the appliance 70 with the cartridge 60. The insert 81 may have a cylindrical wall, which extends laterally from the insert

81 and houses the top element 83. The cylindrical wall and the base element

82 are made of the same material as one single piece. An insert with cylindrical wall may have or may not have an annular portion to be fitted into a fold. In the particular embodiment of Figure 10 the insert has both a cylindrical wall and the annular portion fitted into the fold 88. The valve of Figure 11 does not have an annular fold 88 and the insert does not have an annular portion to be received in such a fold, but the insert has an inner annular portion that is inserted in an annular groove that is provided at the root of the boss 12.

In the embodiment presented in Figure 12 and 13 the annular base 82 has axial projections that cooperate with complementary means provided in the ring shaped body 83 or penetrate the ring shaped body 83. Any form of projections are anticipated. The hardness of the top element 82 of the inserts 81 is between 50 Sh a and 70 Sh A. The hardness of the base element 82 is higher that than of the top element 83. Any material may be used for both elements, for example natural rubber, silicon, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, Afrosol. Figure 14 presents a further embodiment of the invention. The insert shown in Figure 14 has a ring-shaped body 83 rigidly fitted to an annular base 82. The annular base 82 has an annular side wall and a toroid or doughnut- shaped rim along one edge of the wall. The annular base 82 forms a house for the ring-shaped element 83, which is made of a less hard material rather than the base element. Figures 15 and 16 show the annular base 82 with an annular portion that is received in fold 88. The ring shaped element 83 may be rigidly attached with the annular base 83 either before or after insertion of the annular base in the fold 88.

An insert 81 according to the invention comprises two annular elements 82, 83 and includes means to fit the insert 81 around a boss of a valve 10 of a cartridge 60 containing gas. The insert 81 is fitted around a boss 12 of the valve 60 and is compressed upon connecting the cartridge 60 with a gas appliance 70 of the valve 10.

The use of an insert 81 according to the invention improves the leakproofness of the connection between the appliance and the cartridge, because the pressure that is exerted to the insert 81 and to the bottom of the jacket of the valve as a result of the compression of the top element, seals any escape route from the container to the environment. One reason of defective connections that may cause leakages from the container is the tolerances between the appliance and the cartridge that may lead to an unstable connection between the two parts. Such tolerances may exist also in the case of a cartridge with a threaded centre boss valve cup and an appliance with a complementary thread. The embodiments and examples of materials and/or hardness presented in the description are only given as alternatives and do not limit the scope of the invention, as it is defined in the independent claims.

Claims

1 . Insert (81 ) to fit to a valve (10) of a cartridge (60) containing gas, characterized in that the insert (81) comprises two annular elements (82, 83) joined together to form an annular body that in use is to be received by a boss (12) of the valve (10), the two annular elements (82, 83) being from materials that have different hardness.

2. Insert (81 ) according to claim 1 , whereby the two annular elements (82, 83) are a base element (82) and a top element (83), whereby the material of the top element (83) has a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the material of the base element (82).

3. Insert (81 ) according to claim 2, whereby base element (82) has means to attach the insert (81 ) to the valve (10), so as to prevent rotation of the insert (81 ) with respect to the valve (10).

4. Insert (81 ) according to claim 2 or to claim 3, whereby the annular body has an outer periphery and the top element (83) has a free surface with formations at a distance from the said outer periphery.

5. Insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, whereby the annular body has an annular portion that is configured to be fitted in a fold (88) provided at the valve (10).

6. Insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, whereby the base element (82) has an almost cylindrical wall extending upwards with respect to the plane of the annular body and the base element (82) defines a space to house at least partially the top element (83).

7. Insert (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, whereby the base element (82) has a side wall and a toroid or doughnut-shaped rim along one edge of the side wall and whereby the base element (82) forms a house for the ring-shaped element (83).

8. Insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, whereby the top element (82) and the base element (83) have complementary means to rigidly attach the one with respect to the other.

9. Insert (81 ) according to claim 8, whereby the top element (82) has projections that cooperate with complementary means provided at the base element (83) or penetrate the base element (83).

10. Insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 2 to 9, whereby the top element (82) and/or the base element (83) are/is made of one of the following materials a) silicon, b) natural rubber, c) ethylene vinyl acetate, d) nylon.

1 1 . Insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 2 to 10, whereby the base element (82) is made of silicon, preferably with hardness around 70 Sh A.

12. Insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 2 to 10, whereby the hardness of the material of the top element (82) is between 12 Sh A and 16 Sh A and the hardness of the material of the base element (83) is between 50 Sh A ad 70 Sh A.

13. Insert (81 ) according claim 10, whereby the hardness of the material of the top element (82) and the hardness of the material of the base element (83) are between 50 Sh A ad 70 Sh A.

14. Valve (10) for a gas cartridge (70), the valve comprising a jacket (1 ) with an outer wall (13), a boss (12) and a bottom wall (11 ) connecting the outer wall (13) and the boss (12), the valve (10) further comprising an insert (81 ) according to any one of the claims 1 to 13 fitted to the valve (10), whereby the insert (81 ) and the valve (10) have complementary means that prevent at least the relative rotation between the jacket (1 ) and the insert (81 ).

15. Valve (10) according to claim 14, whereby the two annular elements (82, 83) are a base element (82) having means to attach the insert to the valve (10), and a top element (83), whereby the base element (82). has an annular portion that is fitted in a fold (88) formed in the outer wall (13) of the jacket (1 ).

16. Valve (10) according to claim 15, whereby the annular portion is at least part of the base element (82).

17. Valve (10) according to claim 16, whereby the annular portion comprises an annular portion of the base element (82) and an annular portion of the top element (83).

18. Valve (10) according to any one of claims 14 to 17, whereby the jacket (1 ) is multi-layer, preferably with two layers.

19. Valve (10) according to any one of claims 14 to 18, whereby the top element (83) has a free surface with formations at a distance from the outer wall (13) of the valve (10).

20. A gas cartridge (70) with a valve (10) according to any one of claims 14 to 19.

21 . A gas cartridge (70) with an insert (81 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.