US3746059A

US3746059A - Gas injection for gas lighters

Info

Publication number: US3746059A
Application number: US00014492A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Mizuguchi
Original assignee: Mitani Valve Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitani Valve Co Ltd
Priority date: 1969-07-29
Filing date: 1970-02-26
Publication date: 1973-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-17

Abstract

An injection valve for injecting a gas into a gas lighter or the like comprising a valve stem operable in a valve cylinder. The valve stem carries a resilient element which seals an opening in an injection passage in the valve stem. The resilient element is of a smaller diameter than the portion of the valve cylinder in which it operates to permit gas to pass between the resilient element and the cylindrical wall when the valve stem is being displaced from a closed to an injection position. However, when the valve stem reaches the injection position, the resilient element is deflected to expose the injection passage in the valve stem to permit liquified gas to pass therethrough.

Description

United States Patent 1 Mizuguchi [30] Foreign Application Priority Data July29, 1969 Japan ..44/59824 [52] US. Cl 141/295, 137/322, 137/588,

141/305 [51] Int. Cl. B65l) 3/04, F23q 2/52 [58] FieldofSearch ..l41/291296,302,305, 141/329, 330, 348, 349; 137/322, 588

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,265,102 8/1966 Yoshinaga 141/330 X 3,133,565 5/1964 Ikeda 141/295 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,329,993 5/1963 France 141/293 1,167,080 4/1964 Germany 141/294 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1,167,080 German Printed Application 4-1964 Maltner Primary ExaminerH0uston S. Bell, Jr. Att0rneyArn0ld Robinson [57] ABSTRACT An injection valve for injecting a gas into a gas lighter or the like comprising a valve stem operable in a valve cylinder. The valve stem carries a resilient element which seals an opening in an injection passage in the valve stem. The resilient element is of a smaller diameter than the portion of the valve cylinder in which it 0perates to permit gas to pass between the resilient element and the cylindrical wall when the valve stem is being displaced from a closed to an injection position. However, when the valve stem reaches the injection position, the resilient element is deflected to expose the injection passage in the valve stem to permit liquifled gas to pass therethrough.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GAS INJECTION FOR GAS LIGHTERS This invention is an improvement of an injection valve for injecting a gas into a gas storage tank in a gas lighter.

There is already known an injection valve wherein, in injecting a gas, the interior of a storage tank and the atmosphere are in communication with each other so that the pressure of pressurizing gases such as the expanded gas and expanded air may be reduced and the pressure difference between the pressurizing gases and the injected liquified gas may be increased. In an injection valve for connecting the storage tank with the atmosphere, an arrangement is usually employed where a gas is injected simultaneously with the discharge of the pressurizing gases in the storage tank by connecting the storage tank with the atmosphere through the injection valve. Further, in this aforesaid arrangement, the passage connected with the atmosphere for discharging and the gas injecting passage are either separate or they are the same passage. When the passages for the discharge and injection are separate, the structure'becomes complicated, more susceptible to malfunctioning and is more expensive to manufacture. On the other hand, when the discharging and injecting passages are the same, the structure is simpler and the cost is lower than in the separate passages, but there are problems in that the pressurizing gases cannot be discharged as easily and the injection cannot always be achieved effectively.

Further, an arrangement is known in which the respective separate passages for the discharge and injection are improved so that the pressuring gases in the storage tank may be first discharged through the discharge passage and then the injection may be made through the injecting passage. Such known arrangements, however, are not structurally or operationally satisfactory.

The present invention is an improvement over injection valves of the type wherein the gas is first discharged and then the injection is made through a separate passage.

In the present invention, a passage is formed by first providing a fixed clearance between the outer periphery of an elastic plate, and opening and closing a discharge passage between the a valve stem and the inner peripheral wall of a valve cylinder, by lowering the valve stem a fixed distance. In injecting a gas, the valve stem is lowered a fixed distance while the injection passage of the valve stem is still closed by the elastic plate. The lowering of the valve stem is utilized to open the discharge passage to first discharge the pressurizing gases in the storage tank.

In discharging the pressurizing gases in the storage tank, as the valve stem is further lowered, the clearance of the discharging passage is narrowed so that the pressurizing gases in the storage tank are compressed by the piston like of the valve stem and are discharged into the atmosphere quickly.

When the pressurizing gases in the storage tank have been thus completely discharged, the valve stem is further pushed down so that the elastic plate first contacts a stepped portion of the valve cylinder and is deflected to open the injecting passage of the valve stem, allowing a liquified gas to be injected through this passage.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating embodiments of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views taken on lines II-II and III Ill respectively in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view elevation of another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 but showing the position of the parts during injection.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 a valve cylinder consisting of an upper valve cylinder 2 and a lower valve cylinder 3. The upper valve cylinder 2 is provided with a groove 4 on its upper surface. The groove 4 is adapted to receive a screw driver or the like to screw or remove another threaded portion 8 into or out of a threaded portion 7 of fitting 6 formed on a storage tank 5. The numeral O-ring 9 is held between fitting 6 of the storage tank 5 and a recessed portion 10 of the upper valve cylinder 2 to prevent leakage of gas in the storage tank 5. 11 is provided as a fitting for the upper end of the lower valve cylinder 3, and is formed at the lower end of the upper valve cylinder 2 and provided with a groove 12 on the outer periphery to compress and fit the opening at the upper end of the lower valve cylinder 3. A packing (not shown) is interposed therebetween at 14 to prevent gas leakage.

A stepped portion 15 is formed in cylinder 3 by inwardly compressing the outer periphery of the lower valve cylinder 3 substantially in the middle. This stepped portion 15 defines a required distance 16 in the design from the lower end of the upper valve cylinder 2. This distance 16 determines the time for discharging the pressurized gases in the storage tank by connecting the interior of the storage tank with the atmosphere when the valve stem is pushed down. The numeral 17 designates a small diameter cylindrical portions which forms the stepped portion 15. The portion 17 is provided with holes 19 at regular intervals on the outer periphery near the bottom 18 so as to define passages for the gas in the storage tank.

The valve stem 20 includes a cylindrical stem 21 having a cylindrical body 22 of a larger diameter formed integrally at the lower end. A small passage 25 is formed adjacent a groove 24 on the outer periphery in the portion connecting the shoulder part 23 of the cylindrical body 22 and the cylindrical stem 21, and is connected with the lower portion of the center hole 26, made in the center of the cylindrical stem 21. Together they form an injecting passage for a liquified gas. The numeral 27 designates a resilient element or circular elastic plate made of a natural or artificial rubber material or synthetic resin fitted in the groove 24 and forming a clearance 28 between its outer periphery 27 and the inner periphery of the lower valve cylinder 3.

When the cylindrical stem 21 is pushed down,, the configuration of the elastic plate 27 does not vary until this elastic plate 27 contacts the stepped portion 15, and the

passages

25 and 26 are kept closed. When the plate 27 contacts the stepped portion 15 after the cylindrical stem 21 is further pushed down, the elastic plate 27 is deflated upwardly and the passage 25 opens. A spiral spring 29 is fitted between the interior of the cylindrical body 22 and the-bottom 18 of the lower valve cylinder 3 to keep the valve stem 20 pushed up and to press the upper surface of the elastic plate 27 against the projecting peripheral edge 30 of the lower end of the upper valve cylinder2 to prevent the leakage of gas in the storage tank 5. A needle valve 31 is fitted to the upper end of the cylindrical stem 21 of the injecting valve 20. The valve 31 is removable and is made of rubber in the part to be inserted into a parent bottle. An O-ring 32 serves as a packing for preventing leakage in case an ordinary injecting tube is used in the injecting bottle. Thus when the valve stem 20 is pushed down for injection, the O-ring 32 contacts and seals the inclined stepped lower portion of the valve cylinder 2 to prevent the leakage of injected gas.

The operation of the valve when injecting a. liquified gas is as follows: The cylindrical stem 21 of the valve stem 20 is pushed down in contact with the injecting portion of the bottle. When it is pushed down, the entire valve stem is pushed down and the clearance 28 between the elastic plate 27 and the inner peripheral wall of the lower valve cylinder 3 is maintained such that the elastic plate 27 is lowered without being obstructed by the inner peripheral wall. If it lowers even slightly, the upper surface of the elastic plate 27 and the annular projection 30 at the lower end of the upper valve cylinder 2 separate from each other and the clearance 28 becomes a passage connected with the atmosphere so that pressurizing gases such as the gasified expanded gas and expanded air in the storing tank 5 may be discharged. This continues until the lower surface of the elastic plate 27 contacts the stepped portion of the lower valve cylinder 3.

When the lower surface of the elastic plate 27 contacts the stepped portion 15, the passage is closed and the discharge stops. If the valve stem 26 is further pushed down, the elastic plate 27 opens in the portion of the groove 24 in the cylindrical stem 21 to open the passage 25 so that the liquified gas may be injected through the center passage 26.

Therefore, the gas can be injected quickly and completely when the pressurizing gases in the storage tank have been completely discharged and the pressure in the bottle has become higher than the pressure in the storage tank. When the O-ring 32 at the upper end of the valve stem 21 is in contact with the inclined stepped portion 2' of the valve cylinder 2, the injected gas is prevented from leaking and therefore can be completely injected into the fuel tank to be filled.

Particularly, in the discharge of the pressurizing gases in the storage tank, the discharge rate of the pressurizing gases in the storage tank 5 is high in the passage defined by the clearance 33 between the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 22 and the inner periphery of the small diameter cylindrical portion 17. When this cylindrical portion 22 is pushed down, it acts as a piston to compress the pressurizing gases in the storage tank and to further accelerate the discharge. Further, the

opening 19 is gradually narrowed by the lowering of the cylindrical body 22. Therefore, there is an acceleration of the discharge of the pressurizing gases in the same operation as the compression of the pressurizing gases. Thus, during the time the lower surface of the elastic plate 27 is being lowered, until it contacts the stepped portion 15, the pressurizing gases can be completely discharged. This time can be determined by selection of the length of the distance 16, the capacity of the storage tank and the type of the liquified gas to be used.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment wherein the lower valve cylinder section 103 is conical with its diameter tapering toward the lower end, otherwise there is no difference from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the clearance 127 between the elastic plate 127 and the inner periphery of the lower conical valve cylinder section 103, along with the distance the outer peripheral surface of the elastic plate 127 travels before contacting the inner periphery of the lower conical valve cylinder section 103, can also be predetermined in the design. In the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 1, the pressurizing gases in the storage tank 105 can be discharged. This lower conical valve cylinder section 103 has an advantage in that it can be formed more easily than the lower valve cylinder section 3 in FIG. 1. Further when pushed down, the lower end of the cylindrical part 122 contacts the bottom 118 acting to deflect the elastic plate 127.

With the injection valve formed as above, the passage for injection remains closed for a fixed time after the valve stem is pushed down. After the pressurizing gases in the storage tank have been completely discharged, the injecting passage opens. More particularly, the pas sage narrows as the valve stem is pushed down and the cylindrical body compresses the pressurizing gases in the storage tank and acts as a piston to accelerate the discharge of the pressurizing gases. Therefore, the pressurizing gases can be discharged completely and quickly and the liquified gas can be positively injected. Further, according to the present invention there is provided an injection valve which has a simple overall structure, has few component parts, is easy to assemble, provides trouble-free operation, and may be mass produced inexpensively.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An injection valve for injecting liquified gas into a gas lighter of the type which is adapted to being mounted on a storage tank, which comprises: a valve cylinder having an upper section and a lower section having a plurality of different diameters; a passage communicating with said sections; separate passage communicating with the atmosphere; a valve stem having an injection passage therethrough and mounted in said valve cylinder so that a discharge passage is formed in an annular space between said valve stem and said passage communicating with said sections, said valve stem further comprising a lower portion positioned in said lower valve cylinder section which is in the shape of a hollow piston open at its lower end, said valve stem being operable in said valve cylinder between a closed position, an intermediate discharge position and an'injection position, said lower piston portion of said valve stem being adapted to compress gases in a first portion of said lower valve cylinder section having a smaller diameter than a second portion, when said valve stem is in said intermediate position; means for blocking and opening said discharge passage comprising an annular resilient sealing ring located at the upper end of said valve stem and an inclined stepped portion in said upper cylinder, said ring being adapted to engage said inclined stepped portion to contact and seal said discharge passage to prevent the escape of injected gas when said valve stem is in said injection position, and a resilient annular plate located on said valve stem between said sealing ring and said piston portion, said resilient annular plate being adapted to block said discharge passage when said valve stem is in said closed position; and means for opening and blocking said injection passage comprising said resilient annular plate and said first portion of said lower cylinder, said resilient annular plate being adapted to engage said first portion and flex to thereby open said injection passage when said valve stem is in said injection position.

2. The injection valve of claim 1, wherein said lower with openings for the passage of gas therethrough.

Claims

1. An injection valve for injecting liquified gas into a gas lighter of the type which is adapted to being mounted on a storage tank, which comprises: a valve cylinder having an upper section and a lower section having a plurality of different diameters; a passage communicating with said sections; separate passage communicating with the atmosphere; a valve stem having an injection passage therethrough and mounted in said valve cylinder so that a discharge passage is formed in an annular space between said valve stem and said passage communicating with said sections, said valve stem further comprising a lower portion positioned in said lower valve cylinder section which is in the shape of a hollow piston open at its lower end, said valve stem being operable in said valve cylinder between a closed position, an intermediate discharge position and an injection position, said lower piston portion of said valve stem being adapted to compress gases in a first portion of said lower valve cylinder section having a smaller diameter than a second portion, when said valve stem is in said intermediate position; means for blocking and opening said discharge passage comprising an annular resilient sealing ring located at the upper end of said valve stem and an inclined stepped portion in said upper cylinder, said ring being adapted to engage said inclined stepped portion to contact and seal said discharge passage to prevent the escape of injected gas when said valve stem is in said injection position, and a resilient annular plate located on said valve stem between said sealing ring and said piston portion, said resilient annular plate being adapted to block said discharge passage when said valve stem is in said closed position; and means for opening and blocking said injection passage comprising said resilient annular plate and said first portion of said lower cylinder, said resilient annular plate being adapted to engage said first portion and flex to thereby open said injection passage when said valve stem is in said injection position.

2. The injection valve of claim 1, wherein said lower valve cylinder section is compressively fitted to said upper valve cylinder section.

3. An Injection lower valve according to claim 1 wherein said first and second sections of said valve cylinder are defined by a wall member having a substantially continuous conical configuration.

4. An injection valve according to claim 1 wherein said first section of said lower valve cylinder is provided with openings for the passage of gas therethrough.