WO1987006557A1

WO1987006557A1 - Venting valve apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1987006557A1
Application number: PCT/GB1987/000264
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Leonard Buckle
Original assignee: Buoyco (Divers) Limited
Priority date: 1986-04-21
Filing date: 1987-04-21
Publication date: 1987-11-05
Also published as: GB8609684D0

Abstract

A vented gas reservoir such as an inflatable boat comprises a gas reservoir and venting valve apparatus (10), having a main gas inlet (25) inside the reservoir and a main gas outlet (16) outside the reservoir communicating via a main flow path, a valve (26, 30) normally closing said main flow path and actuable to open said main flow path to vent gas from the reservoir, and a subsidiary gas inlet (38) inside the reservoir communicating with said main flow path upstream of the valve means, so constructed and arranged that passage of gas into the subsidiary inlet with the main flow path open produces or enhances gas flow out of the reservoir. A conduit is provided connecting said subsidiary inlet via a non-return valve to the exterior of the reservoir for the supply of gas thereto.

Description

VENTING VALVE APPARATUS The present invention relates to venting valve apparatus for venting gas from a gas reservoir such as an inflatable boat, underwater lift bag, or inflated ⁵ divers suit.

When one wishes to deflate an inflatable boat rapidly, it is not sufficient merely to open one or more plugged air vents of reasonable size and allowing the air to escape and to allow the boat to collapse. 0 In order to deflate the boat more rapidly than by such a method, one could of course connect a motorised air pump to draw air out of the inflatable boat but generally it will not be reasonably convenient to transport a motorised air pump of suitable ^ capabilities for such use.

A similar need for the deflation of a gas reservoir arises in connection with other inflatble apparatus such as divers drysuits and underwater lift bags. 0 The present invention provides venting valve apparatus for venting gas from a gas reservoir comprising a main gas flow path from an inlet to the valve apparatus for vented gas to an outlet from the valve apparatus, a valve normally closing said flow ^~ path, actuating means for opening said valve, and a subsidiary flow path extending from a subsidiary gas inlet to a subsidiary gas outlet opening within the main flow path upstream of the valve, so constructed and arranged that application of gas pressure to said subsidiary inlet will produce or enhance flow of vented gas through said main flow path when said valve is open.

Suitably the production or enhancement of gas flow is due to a venturi effect.

The actuating means for the valve in the main flow path may be a manually operated actuating means.

Preferably however the actuating means is adpated for pneumatic operation.

More preferably, the actuating means is adapted to open said valve upon application of gas pressure to said subsidiary inlet.

A single source of gas pressure may then serve both to open the valve and to produce the flow of gas through the subsidiary flow path to enhance or produce the flow of vented gas through the main flow path. Preferably, the subsidiary flow path communicates with a variable volume chamber, having a movable wall portion to which is mounted a control member connected to open said valve upon movement of said wall portion by pressurisation of said chamber, said subsidiary flow path extending from upstream of said wall portion to downstream of said wall portion.

Preferably, the movable wall portion is a deflectable diaphragm. Alternatively, it may be a piston slideable in a housing defining the chamber.

In such an arrangement, the chamber itself preferably forms part of the subsidiary flow path. There may be a bore through a portion of the control member constituting a portion of the subsidiary flow path and extending from the chamber to downstream of the movable wall portion.

Such a bore may exit from the control member in a region where the control member is surrounded by a shield member for deflecting gas flow from the control member toward the valve.

In such an arrangement, the bore may exit from the control member generally transverse to the control member.

In such an arrangement where the control member enters said man flow path, said bore may exit from the control member in generally the same direction as that in which the main flow path approaches said control member.

The invention includes a vented gas reservoir, such as an inflatable boat, comprising a gas reservoir provided with venting valve apparatus as described above. Preferably, the inlet to the subsidiary flow path is sited inside the reservoir and a conduit is provided communicating between said inlet and the exterior of said reservoir, preferably including a non-return valve.

The vented gas reservoir may be provided with a plurality of said venting valve apparatus units.

Preferably, means is provided for operating each venting valve apparatus unit in synchrony. To this end, the subsidiary flow path inlets may be interconnected so that the application of a single source of gas pressure to the interconnected inlets will actuate all the venting valve apparatus units at once.

Thus, in an inflatable boat, each inflatable section of the boat may be provided with one or more venting valve apparatus units as described above with their respective inlets to subsidiary flow paths interconnected by flexible tubing connecting them to a single operating point at which an operator may apply gas pressure to deflate the whole boat. Preferably, a non-return valve is positioned at said operating point or separate non-return valves are provided in the conduits connecting to the inlets of the subsidiary flow paths so that gas cannot escape from the boat in the event of a disconnection.between a flexible tube and its respective valve apparatus unit.

Preferably, the or each venting valve apparatus is arranged such that the subsidiary flow path inlet or inlets are all inside the gas reservoir.

In a further aspect the invention provides a vented gas reservoir comprising a gas reservoir and venting valve apparatus, said venting valve apparatus having a main gas inlet inside the reservoir and a main gas outlet outside the reservoir communicating via a main flow path, valve means normally closing said main flow path and actuable to open said main flow path to vent gas from the reservoir, and a subsidiary gas inlet inside the reservoir communicating with said main flow path upstream of the valve means, so constructed and arranged that passage of gas into the subsidiary inlet with the main flow path open produces or enhances gas flow out of the reservoir, and wherein a conduit is provided connecting said subsidiary inlet to the exterior of the reservoir for the supply of gas thereto.

Preferably, the vented gas reservoir comprises a plurality of units of said venting valve apparatus having their subsidiary gas inlets connected to a common supply point.

Preferably, a non-return valve is provided at the common supply point or for each interconnection between the common supply point and the .respective subsidiary gas inlets.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of venting valve apparatus according to the invention fitted in an inflatable boat.

As shown in Figure 1, venting valve apparatus 10 is mounted over a circular aperture 11 in the hull membrane 12 of an inflatable boat. The apparatus comprises a first body portion 13 generally circlar in shape mounted to the internal side of the hull 12 over the aperture 11 and a mounting disc 14 of size corresponding to the first body portion 13 bolted thereto by bolts 15 located around the periphery of the mounting disc 14. The mounting disc 14 and the first body portion 13 are provided respectively with a ring of through apertures 16 which overlap to provide a gas flow path through the assembly of the mounting disc and first body portion.

The first body portion 13 has on its face remote from the mounting disc 14 an upstanding cylindrical flange 17 which is threaded on its internal cylindrical face. Concentric with flange 17 and spaced therefrom by an annular gap is a second upstanding cylindrical flange 18. Inboard of the circular flange 18, the surface of the first body portion is dished and in a central region there is provided a cup 19 for receiving one end of a compression coil spring 20.

Screwed into the thread in the flange 17 is a generally cylindrical valve body member 21 having outwardly threaded portions on either end. The top and bottom surfaces of the valve body member are inwardly recessed and surrounded by peripheral flanges 22, 23. A central wide bore 24 extends axially through the valve body. A transverse radially extending bore 25 extends generally centrally intermediate the ends of the cylindrical valve body member communicating the exterior cylindrical face with the central bore. The transverse bore is defined laterally by a pair of radii of the cylindrical valve body member extending at a little under 90^* to one another and the bore is divided by a radially running bulk head (not shown) so as not unduly to weaken the valve body.

A pair of frusto conical valve seats are provided in the valve body facing in opposite directions and located in the top and bottom surfaces of the valve body at 26, 27. For each valve seat there is provided a rubber diaphragm 28, 29 having a central cylindrical boss 30, 31 terminating in a frusto conical valve member surface 32, 33 seated -within a respective frusto conical valve seat 26, 27. The two rubber diaphragms 28, 29 are joined by a centrally extending control rod 34 as will be described in more detail hereafter.

The periphery of diaphragm 28 is sandwiched between the recesed top surface of the valve body member 21 and the bottom surface of the inner cylindrical flange 18 of the first body member 13.

Similarly, the diaphragm 29 is, at its periphery, sandwiched between the bottom face of the cylindrical valve body member 21 and the upwardly facing surface of a cylindrical flange 35 provided in a valve cap member 36. Valve cap member 36 has an inwardly facing cylindrical wall portion threaded to mate with the respective end of the cylindrical valve body member 21 and the flange 35 is concentric therewith and spaced therefrom by an annular space. Inboard of the flange 35, the cap member 36 is dished to provide room for movement of the diaphragm 28 thereby defining a chamber 37 between the diaphragm 28 and the top wall of the cap member. A gas inlet passage 38 communicates from the exterior of the cap member to said chamber 37 and is provided with a suitable end fitting for receiving a connection to a conduit for the supply of gas thereto.

The control member 34 is provided with four radially outwardly protruding flanges spaced along its length. There are two end flanges 39, 40 at opposite ends thereof and two intermediate flanges 41, 42 located such that the central boss of each diaphragm 28, 29 is trapped between an end flange and an intermediate flange. ' A cylindrical collar 43 extends upwardly from the flange 42 to approximately half way between flange 42 and flange 41 spaced from the control rod 34 by an annular gap 44. A bore 45 extends through the control member 34 from the chamber 37 running axially of the control member until just within the annular gap 44 between the control member 34 and the cylindrical collar 43. The bore then exits transversely from the control member on the side thereof opposite to the bore 25 of the valve body member 21 and in a direction somewhat toward the outlet from the annular space 44. It can be seen that coil spring 20 serves to bias the diaphragm 28 to close the valve seat 26 with the frusto conical valve member surface 32.

In use, to vent gas from the interior of the boat, air pressure is applied to conduit 38 from a suitable supply of pressurised air at, for instance about 830 kPa (120 psi).

The effect of this is two fold. First, the chamber 7 is sufficiently pressurised to- deflect diaphragm 29 and hence diaphragm 28 upwardly to lift the valve member surface 32 off the valve seat 67 and open the valve provided by those members. This allows gas flow from the boat through the bore 25 and the valve means 26, 32 through the apertures 16, to atmosphere. In addition, air flows from the chamber 37 through the bore 45 to join the main flow path of gas entering through bore 25. It has been found that a venturi effect is produced which greatly assists evacuation of the boat.

The extent of the venturi effect obtained depends to a substantial extend in practice upon the exact construction of the air bleed provided by the bore 45. It has been found very advantageous that the exit from the bore 45 is directed away from the bore 25 and that the exit is situated close to the intermediate flange 41. It has also been found advantageous that the cylindrical collar 43 does not extend substantially more than half way between the two intermediate flanges 41 and 42.

However, it is envisaged that many alternative contructions of the valve interior would produce the same effect. It may well be desirable to arrange that the flow of gas through the bore 45 can exit into the main flow path substantially directly upwardly toward the valve 26, 32 rather than through the side of the control rod 34 as illustrated". This might for instance be achieved by supporting the intermediate flange 41 by a spider connecting it to a shorter control rod 34 with the bore 45 extending axially throughout the control rod 34 to the end thereof at said spider.

In use in an inflatable boat, the conduit 38 is preferably connected via flexible tubing to an operating point provided on the boat hull membrane surface provided with a suitable connecting means for connecting the operating point to a source of gas pressure. Preferably a non-return valve is included either in the flexible conduit or at the operating point. A common operating point may be used to serve a multitude of venting valves of the kind illustrated so that a single person may operate all of the venting valve together to provide rapid deflation of the boat.

Similar principles may be employed in providing venting for other inflatable structures such as lift bags and drysuits or for non-inflatable gas containing reservoirs.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to the particular characteristics of the illustrated embodiment, many variations and modifications thereof are possible within the scope fo the invention.

Claims

1. Venting valve apparatus for venting gas from a gas reservoir, comprising a main gas flow path which extends from an inlet (25) to the valve apparatus for vented gas to an outlet (16) from the valve apparatus, a valve (26,30) normally closing said flow path, and actuating means for opening said valve characterised in that there is a subsidiary flow path extending from a subsidiary gas inlet (38) to a subsidiary gas outlet opening within the main flow path upstream of the valve, so constructed and arranged that application of gas pressure to said subsidiary inlet will produce or enhance flow of vented gas through said main flow path when said valve is open.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the arrangement is such that the production or enhancement of gas flow is due to a venturi effect.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the actuating means is adapted for pneumatic operation.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the actuating means is adapted to open said valve upon application of gas pressure to said subsidiary inlet.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the subsidiary flow path communicates with a variable volume chamber (37), having a movable wall portion to which is mounted a control member connected to open said valve upon movement of said wall portion by pressurisation of said chamber, said subsidiary flow path extending from upstream of said wall portion to downstream of said wall portion.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein there is a bore (45) through a portion of the control member constituting a portion of the subsidiary flow path and extending from the chamber to downstream of the movable wall portion.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the said bore exits from the control member in a region where the control member is surrounded by a shield member (43) for deflecting gas flow from the control member toward the valve.

8. A vented gas reservoir comprising a gas reservoir provided with venting valve apparatus as claimed in Claim 1.

9. A vented gas reservoir as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the reservoir is an inflatable boat.

10. A vented gas reservoir comprising a gas reservoir and venting valve apparatus, said venting valve apparatus having a main gas inlet (25) inside the reservoir and a main gas outlet (16) outside the reservoir communicating via ^"a main flow path, and valve means (26,30) normally closing said main flow path and actuable to open said main flow path to vent gas from the reservoir, characterised in that there is a subsidiary gas inlet (38) inside the reservoir communicating with said main flow path upstream of the valve means, so constructed and arranged that passage of gas into the subsidiary inlet with the main flow path open produces or enhances gas flow out of the reservoir, and a conduit is provided connecting said subsidiary inlet to the exterior of the reservoir for the supply of gas thereto.