WO2019094956A1

WO2019094956A1 - Cylinder type auto valve shutter

Info

Publication number: WO2019094956A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/060801
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hyo-jong HWANG; Yong-Tae Kim; Sanggon LEE; Taegun KIM
Original assignee: Versum Materials Us, Llc; Charm Daun Tech Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2017-11-10
Filing date: 2018-11-13
Publication date: 2019-05-16

Abstract

Valve shutters to operate by means of gear engagement, so that a gas valve may be accurately rotated open or closed; wherein a pinion gear, which connects to a handle portion of a gas valve and rotates the handle of the gas valve, is disposed so as to engage with a rack gear, so that a pinion gear rotates in place conjointly with the motion of the rack gear, causing the the gas valve to rotate reliably. Additionally provided is a clutch rotation unit is mounted between the bottom of the pinion gear and a holder member fitted into the gas valve, and the rotational force from the pinion gear is transmitted to the valve handle in clutch fashion, so as to efficiently block overloading of the valve shutter as the valve handle is additionally rotated to an idling angle immediately before attempting to open the gas valve.

Description

TITLE: CYLINDER TYPE AUTO VALVE SHUTTER

[0001] This invention claims priority to KR10-1883493B issued from KR 10-2017-0149078 entitled "Cylinder Type Auto Valve Shutter", filed November 10, 2017, and KR10-1913778B issued from KR 10-2018-0084943 entitled "Valve Shutter with Cylinder-type Clutch", filed July 20, 2018, both of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Generally, when supplying the gas in a gas cylinder to the outside, the gas valve located in the upper portion of the gas cylinder is opened, and when shutting off the supply of gas to the outside, the gas valve is closed.

[0004] Here, in order to open/close the gas valve, the gas valve is opened or closed by rotating the valve handle, which protrudes upward from the gas valve, in the

clockwise/counterclockwise direction.

[0005] In the prior art, the operator may turn the valve handle by hand. Since this is a dangerous piace for operators due to gas ieaks, etc. , and manual errors by operators may occur, recently, valve shutter technologies have been disclosed wherein the handle is automatically rotated ciockwise/counterciockwise even without an operator being present on- site.

[0006] However, when a configuration is adopted wherein rotational force is applied in order to automatically rotate the handle, e.g. by means of a spring, the valve shutter is repeatedly overloaded when the gas valve is opened and closed by means of the handle, because the initial rotational force and the subsequent rotational force applied to the handle may differ.

[0007] As a result, the problem has arisen that the reliability of the opening/closing of the gas valve is poor because the valve shutter configuration cannot perform its ordinary function.

[0008] BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] This invention provides an auto valve shutter that opens a gas valve by means of pressurized air injected from the outside and when an emergency occurs, automatically stops injecting air and releases the pressurized air comprising a cylinder body 1 10 having a hollow interior defined by wails, said body having a lengthwise direction; a pinion gear 120 rotatably disposed piercing through said body perpendicular to the lengthwise direction and having a lower part of said pinion gear; a holder member 130 that is integrally connected to the lower part of said pinion gear outside of said cylinder body and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of said pinion gear; said holder member having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of the holder member shaped to grip the handle of a gas valve to open and close the gas valve when said holder member rotates; a rack gear 140 disposed inside said cylinder body, said rack gear engaged with said pinion gear and rotates said pinion gear in accordance with the movement of said rack gear in the lengthwise direction; and a gear drive unit 150 that drives said rack gear so that said rack gear moves along the lengthwise direction of said body.

[0010] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter wherein said gear drive unit 150 further comprises a piston 151 having an edge of the piston closely adjacent to an inside wall of said cylinder body that moves said rack gear conjointly with the movement of said piston, due to one side of said piston being attached to an end of said rack gear, said piston strokes in the lengthwise direction; tension spring 152 that pushes against said piston with an elastic force provided by said tension spring, said pinion gear being disposed inside said cylinder body, on the opposite side of the piston from the tension spring; and an air-pressure formation unit 153 that rotates said pinion gear by introducing air from the outside into the inside of said cylinder body near where said rack gear is located, so that said piston moves in the compression direction of said tension spring.

[0011] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter, wherein with respect to said piston, an inner diameter of said cylinder body in which said rack gear is located is expanded so that said inner diameter of said cylinder body at the end further from the piston differs from the inner diameter of the nearer portion to said piston, said expanded inner diameter forming an interior portion of the expanded cylinder body, and wherein said gear drive unit 150 further comprises a sub-piston 154 that is disposed closely adjacent to the inside wail of said interior portion of the expanded cylinder body, so that as said sub-piston strokes in the lengthwise direction, said sub-piston contacts said rack gear thereby causing said rack gear to move in the lengthwise direction in said cylinder body; and wherein said air-pressure formation unit 153 comprises 1 st air inlet valve 153a that injects air from outside into said interior portion of the expanded cylinder body so that said sub-piston moves inside said interior portion of the expanded cylinder body; and 2nd air inlet valve 153b that injects outside air into said cylinder body near where said rack gear is located, so that said piston moves in said lengthwise direction inside said cylinder body. [0012] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter further comprising a dutch rotation unit 400 that includes said holder member and said clutch rotation unit 400 further comprises a guide member 420, having a top surface with a cup-shaped having a sunken top surface and a side wall that circumferentially surrounds said sunken top surface, that is held in place by being connected integrally with the top surface of said holder member; a tension member 430 that is connected to the bottom of said pinion gear and the top surface of said guide member, generating an expanding elastic force pushing between said pinion gear and said guide member, and generating an initial twisting elastic force with respect to said pinion gear, relative to said guide member; and a rotation adjusting member 440 that is formed as a hollow-core disc-shaped body, so that it surrounds said tension member and is

correspondingly integrally connected to said tension member between said guide member and said pinion gear, and when said valve handle is mounted onto the bottom surface of said holder member, the sunken top surface of said guide member is lifted a certain height relative to said rotation adjusting member, so that said rotation adjusting member rotates integrally with said guide member in conjunction with the rotation of said pinion gear, when pressurized air is injected into the cylinder body, from the rotation angle at which said rotation adjusting member and said guide member attempted to open said gas valve, after said rotation adjusting member rotated from the stop position of said guide member to said idling angle, in the direction opposite said initial twisting elastic force.

[0013] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter wherein said rotation adjusting member 440 comprises a plurality of tension projections 441 furnished along the outer circumference of said discshaped body and situated moving elastically in and out of said disc-shaped body from the outside wall of said disc-shaped body; and wherein said guide member 420 further comprises a deviation prevention step 421 formed on said inner side wall of said guide member so as to surround said sunken top surface and said disc-shaped body of said rotation adjusting member; said deviation prevention step 421 comprising one or more projection expansion accommodating parts 422 and one or more tapering projections, one or more 1st projection accommodating parts and one or more 2nd projection accommodating parts; said one or more projection expansion accommodating parts 422 being cut away from the top of said side wall, so that said plurality of said tension projections may rotate due to the initial twisting elastic force in a projected state protruding outward from said disc-shaped body along said one or more projection expansion accommodating parts; located below each of said one or more projection expansion accommodating parts are said one or more tapering projections 423 that are formed protruding inward to a relatively greater extent than said projection expansion accommodating part, each of said tapering projections having a first end and a second end, such that, said hoider member rotates said valve handle to said idling angle as each of the plurality of tension projections rotates from a first end of each of said tapering projections until reaching the second end of said tapering projections, said tension projections gradually retracting into said rotation adjusting member as the tension projections rotate against said tapering projections from said first end to said second end; one or more 1 st projection accommodating parts 424 adjacent to said first end of each of said tapering projections that keep said tension projections pointing outward in a protruding state in each of said 1^st projection expansion accommodating parts due to said initial twisting elastic force; and one or more 2nd projection accommodating parts 425 adjacent to each of said second end of said tapering projection into which said tension projection is inserted in its outward-protruding state, after said tension projection, which in the course of opening said gas valve moved away from said 1 st projection accommodating part in contact with said tapering projection, said tension projection gradually contracted eiasticaiiy toward the interior of said rotation adjusting member until reaching said 2^nd projection accommodating part, with said tension projection part in said 2^nd projection accommodating part said rotation adjusting member and said guide member integrally rotate from the angle at which it was attempted to open said gas valve by keeping said tension projection in its outward protruding state in said 2^nd accommodating part.

[0014] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a main control part; and an exhaust unit connected with one side wall of said cylinder body near where the rack gear is located that fluidiy communicates with the interior of said cylinder body, said exhaust unit exhausts air that has been injected into the interior of said cylinder body where the rack gear is located, under the control of said main control part.

[0015] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a gauge that is engaged with said pinion gear, so as to indicate the degree of rotation of said pinion gear as said gauge rotates integrally with said pinion gear.

[0016] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter wherein said gear drive unit further comprises an air pressure formation unit 230 that comprises a pump and at least one air inlet valve. [0017] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter wherein said gear drive unit further comprises an air exhaust unit that communicates and connects with one side wall of said cylinder body near where the rack gear is located, and exhausts air that has been charged into the interior of said cylinder body where the rack gear is located, under the control of a main control part.

[0018] in another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided an auto valve shutter comprising two or more of said tension projections, two or more of said 1 ^st projection accommodating parts and two or more of said 2^nd projection accommodating parts; or comprising three or more of said tension projections, three or more of said 1^st projection accommodating parts and three or more of said 2^nd projection accommodating parts; or comprising four or more of said tension projections, four or more of said 1^st projection accommodating parts and four or more of said 2^nd projection

accommodating parts.

[0019] In another aspect of the invention, alone and with other aspects of this invention, is provided a method of operating a gas valve using any of the auto valve shutters disclosed herein comprising the steps of removably attaching the handle of the gas valve onto the holder member; and introducing pressurized air into said cylinder body to turn a holder member and open the gas valve. In another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises the step of opening said exhaust unit to release pressurized air from said cylinder body which turns said holder member to close said gas valve.

[0020] This invention, having been devised in view of the aforementioned concerns, has the objective in some of the embodiments of providing a valve shutter with cylinder-type clutch that may additionally rotate the valve handle to the idling angle from just before opening a gas valve, while injecting air in a single step to move the piston in the cylinder body.

[0021] This invention is a technology for causing a valve shutter to operate by means of gear engagement, so that a gas valve is accurately rotated open or closed. This invention is a technology wherein a pinion gear connected to a handle portion of a gas vaive rotates the handle of the gas valve and is disposed so as to engage with the rack gear, so that the pinion gear rotates in place conjointly with the rectilinear motion of the rack gear, causing the handle portion of the gas valve to rotate reliably when engaged with the valve shutter. This invention relates to a technology for transmitting rotational power to a valve handle by controlling, in clutch fashion, the power of the pinion gear portion that rotates the gas valve. More particularly, this invention relates to a technology wherein a clutch rotation unit is mounted between the bottom of the pinion gear and a holder member fitted into the gas valve, and the rotationai force from the pinion gear is transmitted to the valve handle in clutch fashion, so as to efficientiy block overloading of the valve shutter as the valve handle is additionaliy rotated to its idling angle from immediately before it was attempted to open the gas valve.

[0022] This invention exhibits the additional advantage that the rack gear is recti!inearly moved along with the piston by the air pressure supplied to the inside of the cylinder, thereby reliably rotating the pinion gear.

[0023] This invention also exhibits the advantage that, even when the grip part and the handle of the gas valve are set apart from each other, meaning that there is some rotation in the handle before it begins to open the valve (there is an idling angle) the provision of a sub- piston applies a drive force to the rack gear while moving separately from the piston inside the cylinder, the open/closed rotation with respect to the gas valve handle takes place with precision.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment the clutch rotation unit is mounted between the bottom of the pinion gear and a holder member fitted into the gas valve, and the rotational force from the pinion gear is transmitted to the valve handle in clutch fashion, so as to efficiently block overloading of the valve shutter as the valve handle is additionally rotated from its idling angle to immediately before it opens the gas valve. The valve shutters of this invention may be efficiently fabricated and managed.

[0025] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating one embodiment of the exterior of the cylinder type auto valve shutter of this invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing FIG. 1 from another angle;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing the inner configuration of one embodiment the cylinder body of this invention;

[0029] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view showing the inner configuration of the cylinder body of one embodiment of this invention;

[0030] FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing FIG. 4 from another angle;

[0031] FIG. 6 through FIG. 8 are exemplary views that schematically depict the air- pressure formation unit and cross-sectional configuration of the cylinder body of one embodiment of this invention: [0032] FIG. 6 shows the state in which the piston and the sub-piston have been pushed all the way toward the right side of the drawing inside the cylinder body, due to the elastic force of the tension spring of this invention;

[0033] FIG. 7 shows the state in which the sub-piston of this invention has been partially pushed to the left of the drawing as air is injected into the cylinder body where the sub-piston is located;

[0034] FIG. 8 shows the state in which, relative to the piston of this invention, the piston has been pushed all the way toward the left side of the drawing, inside the cylinder body in which the rack gear is located, as air is injected into the cylinder body;

[0035] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the exterior of the clutch-type valve shutter with cylinder-type dutch according to one embodiment of this invention;

[0036] FIG. 10 shows FIG. 9 from another angle;

[0037] FIG. 1 1 shows the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 9 with the cylinder body and module housing removed;

[0038] FIG. 12 shows the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 10 with the cylinder body and module housing removed;

[0039] FIG. 13 shows a detailed expanded view of one embodiment the clutch rotation unit in FIG. 1 1 ;

[0040] FIG. 14 shows FIG. 13 viewed from above;

[0041] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the guide member and the rotation adjusting member of FIG. 14;

[0042] FIG. 16 is an exemplary view that schematically depicts the air-pressure formation unit and cross-sectional configuration of the cylinder body according to another embodiment of this invention.

[0043] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following ciaims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, that is, "one or more than one," unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by the context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" and their respective conjugates are to be construed as open- ended terms {i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,") unless otherwise noted, but also include the partially closed or closed terms of "consisting essentially of and "consisting of. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. , "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. Every use of "one or more" means and can be substituted with "one or more than one" everywhere it appears. Additionally, "one or more" can also be substituted with "two or more than two" or "three or more than three" or "four or more than four" and so on.

[0045] Note directional descriptions, such as, top, bottom, upward, downward, vertical, lengthwise and longitudinal, etc. are relative to the orientation of the embodiments and parts thereof, as shown, in the figures. Such descriptions are not meant to be limiting. The valve shutters of this invention may be used in any orientation to open valves on gas containers in any orientation; therefore, a top and bottom as described may be a left and right side when the valve shutter is turned on its side.

[0046] Note the term "cylinder body" is used herein for simplicity to refer to the housing around the piston and the parts of the valve shutter of this invention because as shown it has a cylinder shape, desirable for the typical shape of the piston moving within; however, it is not a requirement that the housing have a cylinder-shape. For example, it could be elliptical- shaped, rectangular-shaped or a non-uniform shape as long as the housing is sized to enclose and allow for the moving parts described within its interior.

[0047] Hereinafter, this invention is described in detail, with reference to the diagrams.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, this invention is a cylinder type valve shutter 10, particularly an auto valve shutter, that closes an opened gas valve by means of air pressure injected from the outside, and when an emergency occurs, automatically releases the air pressure, thereby locking the opened gas valve; it comprises a cylinder body 1 10, pinion gear 120, grip part (also referred to as, holder member) 130, rack gear 140, and gear drive unit 150.

[0049] The cylinder body 1 10 has a hollow cylinder shape disposed lengthwise in the left- right direction as shown by line L in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and a plurality of configurations comprising a pinion gear 120 and rack gear 140 are mounted in its interna! space. [0050] The pinion gear 120 is disposed so as to pierce downward vertically (perpendicular to the lengthwise direction) from inside the cylinder body 110 as shown in FIG. 2 through FIG. 5. The pinion gear 120 rotates in place conjointly with the rectilinear motion of the rack gear 140 with which it is engaged.

[0051] The grip part 130 is integrally connected to the bottom of the pinion gear 120 from the outside of the cylinder body 1 10, as shown in FiG. 1 and FIG. 3, and when the bottom surface of the grip part grips the handle of the gas valve (when the handle is engaged with the grip part) the grip part opens or closes the gas valve as the grip part rotates conjointly with the rotation of the pinion gear 120.

[0052] The rack gear 140 is disposed inside the cylinder body 1 10 and engaged with the pinion gear 120, and rotates the pinion gear 120 in place as the rack gear 140 moves in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body 110. The longitudinal direction is identified by line L in FIG 3.

[0053] The gear drive unit 150 drives the rack gear 140 so that the rack gear 140 moves along the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body 1 10.

[0054] To this end, the gear drive unit 150 may be furnished with a piston 151 , tension spring 152, and air-pressure formation unit 153.

[0055] The piston 151 , the edge of which is closely adjacent to the interior side (or inside) wall 111 of the cylinder body 0, strokes along the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body 1 10, and moves the rack gear 140 conjointly with its own motion, due to one end of the rack gear 140 being fixed to one side wall thereof.

[0056] The tension spring 152, being disposed on the inner side of the cylinder body 110 opposite the rack gear 140 with respect to the piston 151 , pushes the piston 151 by its own elastic force, rotating the pinion gear 120. When the gear drive unit is not adding sufficient or any pressurized air (or other pressurized gas) to the cylinder body, the tension spring 152 pushes against the piston and causes the pinion gear to rotate in the opposite direction from the direction that the gear drive unit causes the pinion gear to rotate.

[0057] The air-pressure formation unit 153 causes air to flow from the outside into the cylinder body 110 where the rack gear 140 is located, so that the piston 151 moves in the direction in which the tension spring 130 is compressed, and accordingly rotates the pinion gear 120.

[0058] In one embodiment, with respect to the piston, the interior of the cylinder body 1 10 in which the rack gear is located may be expanded so that there is a difference between the inner diameter of the end further from the piston 151 referred to as the expanded inner diameter D1 of the cylinder body 1 10 and the inner diameter D2 of the nearer portion of the cylinder body 110 to the piston, as shown in FIG. 6 through FiG. 8. The area in which expanded inner diameter D1 is located is referred to as an interior portion of the expanded cylinder body 110E.

[0059] In this case, the gear drive unit 150 may further be furnished with a sub-piston 154; this sub-piston 154 is disposed in close contact with the inner wall of the expanded inner diameter D1 of the cylinder body 1 10, so that in an interior portion of the expanded cylinder body 1 10E, as the sub-piston strokes along the Iength direction of the cylinder body, the rack gear 140, one end of which contacts a side wall of the sub-piston 154, moves along the Iength direction L of the cylinder body 110.

[0060] The air-pressure formation unit 153 may comprise a 1st air inlet valve 153a and a 2nd air inlet valve 153b.

[0061] The 1st air inlet valve 153a injects air from the outside into the interior portion of the expanded cylinder body 1 10E, so that the sub-piston 154 moves lengthwise in the interior portion of the expanded cylinder body 110E.

[0062] The 2nd air inlet va!ve 153b injects air from the outside into the cylinder body 1 10 where the rack gear 140 is located, so that the piston 151 moves lengthwise inside the cylinder body 1 10.

[0063] This invention may also comprise an air exhaust unit 160 and gauge 170, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

[0064] The air exhaust unit 160 is connected to one side wall of the cylinder body 1 10 in which the rack gear 140 is located, in the embodiment shown, preferably between the piston 151 and the sub-piston 154, and exhausts air that has been charged into the cylinder body 1 10 in which the rack gear 140 is located, under the control of the main control part 600. Additionally, in the embodiment shown, valves 153b and/or 153a may open to exhaust the air under the control of the main control part 600. The valves 153a and 153b may therefore be referred to as inlet/out!et valves.

[0065] The gauge 170 engages with the pinion gear 120, which adjoins the grip part 130 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, so that it rotates integrally with the pinion gear 120 so as to indicate the degree of rotation of the pinion gear 120 and thereby the degree of rotation of the valve attached thereto when in use. [0066] FIG. 6 through FIG. 8 are exemplary views that schematically depict the air- pressure formation unit and cross-sectional configuration of the cylinder body of this invention. FIG. 6 shows the state in which the piston and the sub-piston are pushed all the way to the right side of the drawing within the cylinder by the elastic force of the tension spring of this invention. FIG. 7 shows the state in which the sub-piston has been pushed to the left of the interior portion of the expanded cylinder body 1 10E and the piston 151 has been partially pushed to the left of the drawing as air is injected into the interior of the cylinder body where the piston 152 is iocated, and FIG. 8 shows the state in which the piston has been completely pushed toward the left side of the drawing, inside the cylinder body, as air is injected into the cylinder body in which the rack gear is iocated thereby compressing the spring 152 against the interior wall of the cylinder body 1 10.

[0067] First, FiG. 6 shows the state in which the sub-piston 154 is pushed all the way to the right side of the drawing, due to the rack gear 140, one end of which is connected to or in contact with one side of the piston 151 , moving to the right as a result of the piston 151 being pushed to the right by the elastic force of the tension spring 152. This state occurs when no pressurized air is being introduced by the gear drive unit 150 into the cylinder body or all of the pressurized air has been released from the cylinder body 1 10.

[0068] When the piston 151 moves according to the elastic force of the tension spring 152, the rack gear 140 also moves linearly and in this process, the pinion gear 120 with which the rack gear 140 is engaged rotates in place.

[0069] The handle portion of the gas valve connected to the grip part 130 rotates together with the grip part 130 as the grip part 130, which is connected to the iower part of the pinion gear 120, rotates integrally with the pinion gear 120.

[0070] Here, as shown in FIG. 6, when air is not injected from outside into the cylinder body 1 10, the piston 151 and sub-piston 154 are pushed to the right by the elastic force of the tension spring 152, and the grip part 130 connected to the bottom part 120B of the pinion gear 120 keeps the gas va!ve in a closed state, if the valve shutter had previously opened the gas valve and the air was exhausted from the cylinder body, the valve shutter would rotate the handle portion of the gas valve clockwise to a closed state.

[0071] in order to open the gas valve when the gas valve is in a closed state, the grip part 130 connected to the bottom 120B of the pinion gear 120 must rotate the pinion gear 120 in such a way as to open the gas valve, in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 to 8 the interior of the cylinder body 1 10 in which the rack gear 140 is Iocated was expanded so that there is a difference between the inner diameter D1 of the end further from the piston 151 and the inner diameter D2 of the nearer portion. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, with the introduction of pressurized air into the interior portion of the expanded cylinder body the sub-piston 154 is moved a specified distance and the rack gear 140 moves toward the left of the drawing, and the pinion gear 120 rotates counterclockwise by the same distance that the rack gear 140 moves to the left, thus rotating the handle portion of the gas valve (when in contact with the grip part) by a specified angle.

[0072] The angle by which the pinion gear 120 rotates counterclockwise in conjunction with the movement of the sub-piston 154 eliminates any gap where the grip part 30 and the handle portion of the gas vaive are connected.

[0073] In other words, as shown in FIG. 7, when the grip part 130 has been rotated by the amount of the gap that occurs at the handle portion of the gas valve and grip part 130, only the angle remains by which the handle portion of the gas valve must be rotated in order to open the gas valve in contact with the grip part 130.

[0074] Likewise, in order to move the sub-piston 154 to the left as shown in FIG. 7, when pressurized air is injected into the interior of the cylinder body 110 corresponding to the right side of the sub-piston 154, the tension spring 152 may be compressed (partially

compressed) by the injected air pressure as shown in FIG. 7, as the sub-piston 154 moves to the ieft.

[0075] In addition, the interior of the cylinder body 110 fluidly communicates with an externa! pumping part 300 that injects air from the outside, so that pressurized air may be injected into the cylinder body 110 corresponding to the right side of the piston 151 via the second air inlet valve 153b, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0076] In this case, the main control part 600 controls the on/off state of the 1 st air inlet valve 153a installed on the piping that communicates with the pumping part 300 and cyiinder body 1 10, thus regulating the injection of air into the cylinder body 1 10 from the pumping part 300.

[0077] Then, as shown in FIG. 8, as a result of air being injected into the corresponding interior of the cylinder body 1 10 between the sub-piston 154 and piston 151 , as the piston 151 is pushed toward the left side of the cylinder body 1 10 as shown in FIG. 8, and the rack gear 140 also moves rectilinearly to the left , the pinion gear 120 rotates counterclockwise accordingly, so that the gas valve or handle portion of the gas valve when connected to the grip part 130 is completely opened. [0078] To accomplish that, the main control part 600 opens the 2nd air inlet valve 153b so that air supplied from the pumping part 300 is also supplied to the corresponding interior of the cylinder body 1 10 between the sub-piston 154 and piston 151.

[0079] Because the pressurized air supplied from the pumping part 300 and passing through the 1 st air inlet valve 153a and 2nd air inlet valve 153b is the same, after the sub- piston 154 has moved a specified distance to the left, the sub-piston 154 is not pushed to the right and instead maintains its current position as air is injected into the corresponding interior of the cylinder body 1 10 between the sub-piston 154 and the piston 151 , as shown in FIG. 7.

[0080] Meanwhile, regarding the toggle switch 153c disposed between the 1 st air inlet valve 153a and the 2nd air inlet valve 153b, the pipe where the toggle switch 153c is disposed may be manually opened and closed by the operator.

[0081] For example, if by operator manipulation the toggle switch 153c is closed, then even if the main control part 600 causes the 1 st air inlet valve 153a to open, the flow of air supplied from the pumping part 300 into the cylinder body 1 10 is blocked.

[0082] And even when the toggle switch 153c is opened by operator manipulation, if the main control part 200 closes the 1 st air inlet valve 153a, the path by which air supplied from the pumping part 300 moves to the cylinder body 1 10 is blocked.

[0083] In other words, when the toggle switch 153c is in a closed state, the air supplied from the pumping part 300 to the cylinder body 1 10 is completely cut off, even if a malfunction occurs in the main control part 600.

[0084] On the other hand, if an emergency situation occurs when the grip part 130 connected to the bottom of the pinion gear 120 is holding the gas valve open, with the inside of the cylinder configured as shown in FIG. 8, the open gas valve must be closed quickly.

[0085] To this end, the main control part 600 controls the operation of the air exhaust unit 160, so that the air charged into the cylinder body 1 10 is quickly removed.

[0086] Likewise, when the previously charged air is released from the cylinder body 1 10, gear drive unit 150 will return to the state as shown in FIG. 6. The piston 1 51 and sub-piston 154 move due to the elastic force of the tension spring 52, the pinion gear 120 rotates clockwise, and as a result of that clockwise rotation, the grip part 130 closes the gas valve.

[0087] Alternative embodiments of the invention will be described is described in detail, with reference to FIGs 9-16. Although the embodiments are described separately aspects of any of the embodiments may be incorporated in the embodiments described be!ow and vice- versa.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 9 through FiG. 15, this embodiment of the invention relates to a vaive shutter with cyiinder-type clutch wherein a gas vaive is opened by rotating the valve handle of that gas valve by means of air pressure injected into the cylinder body 510, and if an emergency occurs, the release of the air pressure within said cylinder body 510 automatically causes said opened gas valve to close, and preferably comprises a rack gear 100, gear drive unit 200, pinion gear 300, and clutch rotation unit 400.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 1 1 through FIG. 14, the rack gear 100 is disposed inside the cylinder body 510 and engaged with the pinion gear 300 inside the cylinder body 510, and as it moves in the iongitudinai direction of the cylinder body 510, rotates the pinion gear 300 in piace in its current location.

[0090] The gear drive member 200 also shown in FIG. 16 drives the rack gear 100 so that the rack gear 100 moves along the longitudinal direction shown by line L in FIG. 9 and FIG 16 of the cylinder body 510.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 1 1 through FIG. 14, the pinion gear 300 is situated within and passes downward through said cylinder body 510, and is engaged with the gears or teeth of said rack gear 100, rotating clockwise or counterclockwise jointly with the movement of said rack gear 100.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 12, the clutch rotation unit 400 is mounted on the bottom 300B of the pinion gear 300, outside of the cylinder body 510, and opens and closes the gas valve when connected to the vaive handle by rotating jointly with the rotation of the pinion gear 300.

[0093] Here, in the process of closing the gas vaive as the air pressure in the cylinder body 510 is released, the clutch rotation unit 400 rotates the vaive handle to the idling (rotational) angle it held immediately before the valve handle attempted to open the gas valve. As a result, the clutch rotation unit 400 prevents the valve shutter of this invention from being overloaded.

[0094] To this end, the dutch rotation unit 400 may comprise a holder member 410, a guide member 420, a tension member 430, and a rotation adjusting member 440 and optionally a fixing clip 411.

[0095] The holder member 410 is disposed surrounding the valve handle preferably starting from the top of the valve handle. The holder member is preferably formed in such a way that the edge and/or shape of its bottom surface and/or inner wall 41 OB corresponds to the edge and/or shape of the valve handle, so that it may engage with the vaive handle and cause the valve handle to rotate.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the guide member 420 is integrally connected with the holder member 410 on the upper surface 410U of the holder member 410. The guide member 420, has a cup-shape with a side wall surrounding a sunken top (or upper) surface 420U , and is movably connected to the cylinder body 510 at the bottom 510B (shown in FIG. 9) of the cylinder body 510.

[0097] The tension member 430, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, is connected to the bottom 300B of the pinion gear 300 and the upper bottom surface 420U of the guide member 420, and generates an expanding elastic force between the pinion gear 300 and the guide member 420. The tension member generates an initial twisting elastic force on the guide member 420 relative to pinion gear 300.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 13 through FIG. 15, the rotation adjusting member 440 is formed as a hollow-core disc-shaped body so as to surround the tension member 430. The rotation adjusting member 440 connects movably with the corresponding tension member 430 between the guide member 420 and the pinion gear 300.

[0099] The rotation adjusting member 440 is configured to be lowered to a predetermined height relative to the sunken upper surface 420 U of the guide member 420 when the valve handle is mounted on the holder member 410. Stated differently, the holder member 410 and guide member 420 are pushed upward when a gas valve is contacted and engaged with the bottom surface 410B of the holder member 410.

[00100] In this case, the rotation adjusting member 440 is configured so that when the pinion gear 300 rotates due to the air pressure injected into the cylinder body 510, after rotating from the stop position of the guide member 420 to the idling angle in the direction opposite the initial twisting elastic force, the rotation adjusting member rotates integrally with the guide member 420 from the angle at which the gas valve is attempted to be opened. The stop position is the position that the tension member returns the tension projections to after the handle of the gas valve is removed from the holder member 410.

[00101] To this end, the rotation adjusting member 440 may comprise a plurality of tension projections 441 furnished along the outer wall circumference of the disc-shaped body, which are so disposed as to eiasticaily protrude from and retract into the disc-shaped body. [00102] The guide member 420, which operates in conjunction with the rotation adjusting member 440 comprises distinctive structural characteristics so that the rotation adjusting member 440 may operate.

[00103] Specifically, as shown in FiG. 15, the guide member 420 on its interior side wall (the interior side faces the sunken top surface) comprises a deviation prevention step 421 comprising: one or more projection expansion accommodating parts 422, one or more tapering projections 423, one or more 1 st projection accommodating parts 424, and one or more 2nd projection accommodating parts 425. As shown there are four of each of those around the circumference of the interior wall of the guide member, matching the number of tension projections on the rotating adjusting member, as shown; however, any number of each of the projection expansion accommodating parts, the tapering projections 423, the 1 st projection accommodating parts 424, and the 2nd projection accommodating parts can be used. Note, the description herein may be singular describing the interaction of one of each of the projection expansion accommodating parts, tapering projections 423, 1 st projection accommodating parts 424, and 2nd projection accommodating parts, but it is understood that the deviation prevention step may comprise multiples of each of the projection expansion accommodating parts, tapering projections 423, 1 st projection accommodating parts 424, and 2nd projection accommodating parts, typically matching the number of tensile projections on the rotating adjusting member.

[00104] As shown in FIG. 7, the deviation prevention step 421 is formed on the interior side wall of the guide member 420 (the inner side wail of the cup-shape) so as to surround the disc-shaped body of the rotation adjusting member 440.

[00105] In this way, as the deviation prevention step 421 is movabiy coupled to the lower surface 510B of the cylinder body 510 as described above, a straight vertical movement and rotating horizontal movement are possible through the elastic force of the tension member 430, with the rotation adjusting member 440 contacting the guide member 420 at the inside of the sunken upper surface and/or the deviation prevention step 421 on the interior side wall of the guide member 420

[00106] As shown in FIG. 15, so that the one or more projection expansion accommodating parts 422 may rotate by a certain angle along the edge of the rotation adjusting member 440 while the tension projections 441 continue to protrude outward from the disc-shaped body of the rotation adjusting member 440, the edge of the inner wall of the deviation prevention step 421 , has a certain portion cut away from the top to form the projection expansion accommodating part 422. [00107] As shown in FIG, 15, below the one or more projection expansion accommodating parts 422 in the side wall of the guide member, the deviation prevention step 421 comprises one or more tapering projections 423.

[00108] Each tapering projection 423 gradually protrudes further than the projection expansion accommodating parts 422 inwardly from a first end E1 of the tapering projection 423 to the most inwardly located opposite end E2 of the tapering projection 423. The tapering projection gets increasingly closer to the outside edge of the rotation adjusting member 440 from the first end E1 to opposite end E2, as shown in FIG. 1 5.

[00109] As a result, when the gas valve is opened, the rotation adjusting member 440 and guide member 420 jointly rotate the valve handle to the idling angle it held just before opening the valve is attempted, as the tension projections 441 gradually are forced by the tapering projections to retract eiasticaliy toward the interior of the rotation adjusting member 440 as the rotation adjusting member rotates from a first end E1 of the tapering projection 423 to the opposite end E2 of the tapering projection 423.

[00110] As shown in FIG. 15, at a position corresponding to a thin first end E1 of the tapering projection 423 along the circumference of the deviation prevention step 421 , the 1 st projection accommodating part 424 keeps the tension projection 441 protruding outward at a first end of the tapering projection 423 at the same height as the projection expansion accommodating part 422, by means of the initial twisting elastic force of the tension member 430 before the tension projections 441 eiasticaliy contract into the rotation adjusting member 440 due to the action of the tapering projection 423. The one or more tapering projections 423 act on the tension projections 441 after a gas valve has been inserted into the holder member and the valve shutter is operating to open the gas valve.

[00111] "Initial twisting elastic force" here refers to the force that seeks to return the top and bottom parts of the tension member 430 to their original position, the stop position, after the tension member 430 has been rotated counterclockwise, due to the top of the tension member 430 being fixed in place on the bottom of the pinion gear 300, and the bottom of the tension member 430 being connected to the connecting member 426 formed in the center of the top surface of the guide member 420, as shown in FIG. 15.

[00112] As a result, in the state shown in FIG. 15, the rotation adjusting member 440, which is integrally connected to the tension member 430 having the "initial twisting elastic force," has an elastic force that seeks to move it back clockwise from the guide member 420. [00113] As shown in FIG. 15, the 2nd projection accommodating part 425 is located at a position adjacent to the thick end of the taper projection 423 along the circumference of the deviation prevention step 421. in the process of opening the gas valve, the 2^nd projection accommodating part 425 preserves the protruded state of the outward-protruding tension projections after the tension projections 441 have moved along the tapering projection 423 from the 1 st projection accommodating part 424 gradually eiastically contracting toward the interior of the rotation adjusting member 440, untii the tension projections 441 move past the taper projection 423 to the 2^nd projection expansion accommodating part 425.

[00114] As a result, the 2nd projection accommodating part 425 integrally rotates the rotation adjusting member 440 and the guide member 420 at an angle that is substantially the angle at which opening the gas valve is attempted. In the 2^nd projection expansion accommodating part 425 the taper projections remain protruded for opening (and closing) the gas valve.

[00115] Referring FIG. 13 through FiG. 15, the process of opening the gas valve according to the rotation of the valve handle connected to the holder member 410 (hereinafter "valve opening process") and the process of closing it from an opened state due to an emergency (hereinafter "valve closing process") are as follows.

[00116] First, the valve opening process is as follows.

[00117] Due to the repulsive vertica! force of the tension member 430, the rotation adjusting member 440 is in a floating state on the upper surface of the guide member 420.

[00118] As a result, the tension projections 441 of the rotation adjusting member 440 are positioned in the projection expansion accommodating part 422, and the tension projections 441 are positioned at the 1st projection expansion accommodating part 424, which is a first end of the projection expansion accommodating part 422, by the "initial twisting elastic force." This is the stop position of the rotation adjusting member 440 in the guide member 420.

[00119] The holder member 410 receives a pushing force from the valve handle as the holder member 410 is seated on the valve handle. In other words, the guide member 420, which is integrally and movably connected to the holder member 410, and the cylinder body 510, receive an upward-pushing force when the holder member 410 is seated on the valve handle. [00120] That is, viewed relative to the guide member 420 and cylinder body 510, the rotation adjusting member 440, tension member 430, and pinion gear 300 move downward with respect to the guide member 420.

[00121] Viewing the top surface of the guide member 420, the tension projection 441 formerly located in the 1 st projection accommodating part 424 of the guide member 420 above the height of the taper accommodating part 423 descends in the 1 st projection accommodating part 424 to the height of the taper accommodating part 423 when the holder member 410 is seated on the valve handle.

[00122] In this state, when air is injected into the cylinder body 510 through the gear drive unit 200, the pinion gear 300 is rotated counterclockwise by the movement of the rack gear 100 in FIG. 6, 7, 8 and 16.

[00123] At this time, the one or more tension projections 441 , which has descended to the height of the taper accommodating part 423 in the 1st projection accommodating part 424, comes into contact with the inner wall of the tapering projection 423 and moves

counterclockwise; accordingly, although it elastically contracts toward the interior of the rotation adjusting member 440, the one or more tension projections simultaneously generates a force that rotates the guide member 420 counterclockwise.

[00124] As a result, the holder member 410 rotates the valve handle counterclockwise by the amount of the counterclockwise force {hereinafter the "idling force"), with the one or more tension projections 441 being in contact with the inner wall of the tapering projection 423. The valve handle is rotated by the idling angle of the valve handle which is the rotational angle of the valve up to the angle of the valve immediately before opening the gas valve, because the idling force is not enough to open the gas valve.

[00125] Subsequently, when the tension projection 441 moving counterclockwise along the inner wall of the tapering projection 423 reaches the 2nd projection accommodating part 425, the tension projection 441 protrudes from the rotation adjusting member 440 as it passes and is aligned with the 2nd projection accommodating part 425.

[00126] With the tension projection 441 protruded into the 2^nd projection accommodating part, the rotation adjusting member 440 then rotates counterclockwise integrally with the guide member 420 and opens the gas valve.

[00127] In this way, upon going through the "valve opening process," the gas valve remains opened, and must be automatically closed if an emergency occurs.

[00128] The "valve closing process" is as follows. [00129] in a state in which the tension projection 441 is located in the 2nd projection accommodating part 425 corresponding to the height of the tapering projection portion 423, when the air in the cylinder body 510 is released through the air exhaust unit 240 (shown in FIG. 16), the rotation adjusting member 440 closes the gas valve by rotating clockwise integrally with the guide member 420.

[00130] in addition, because in the "valve opening process" above, pressurized air was injected into the cylinder body 510 corresponding to the force for rotating the valve handle by the idling angle and the force for substantially opening the gas valve, the gas valve may be closed without overload, in accordance with the law of conservation of energy, when the pressurized air is released from the cylinder body 510. When the pressurized air is released from the cylinder body, the pinion gear will rotate clockwise and return to its starting position in the cylinder body 510 where it was when the valve opening process started and the valve is thereby closed.

[00131] Similar to those shown in FIGs. 6, 7 and 8, FIG. 16 is an exemplary view that schematically depicts the air-pressure formation unit and cross-sectional configuration of the cylinder body according to this invention.

[00132] Referring to FIG. 16, the gear drive unit 200 may comprise a piston 210, tension spring, which may comprise one or more tension springs 220, air pressure formation unit 230, and air exhaust unit 240.

[00133] The piston 210, the edge of which is closely adjacent to the inside of the side wall of the cylinder body 510, strokes along the length direction (shown by line L) of the cylinder body 510 and moves the rack gear 100 conjointly with its own motion, due to one end of the rack gear 100 being fixed to a side wall of the piston.

[00134] The tension spring 220, being disposed on the inner side of the cylinder body 510 opposite the rack gear 00 with respect to the piston 210, pushes the piston 210 and thereby the rack gear 100 by the tension spring's own elastic force, and by the movement of the rack gear 100 interacting with the pinion gear 300 rotates the pinion gear 300.

[00135] The air-pressure formation unit 230 causes air to flow into the cylinder body 510 where the rack gear 100 is located, so that the piston 210 moves in the direction in which the tension spring 220 is compressed, and accordingly rotates the pinion gear 300. The rotation of the pinion gear 300 caused by flowing air into the cylinder body opens the gas valve via the interaction of the pinion gear 300 with the clutch rotation unit 400. [00136] Here, the air-pressure formation unit 230 may comprise a pumping part 231 and one or more vaives, shown in FiG. 16 as a single air inlet valve 232.

[00137] The pumping part 231 is connected via a pipe with the inside of the cylinder body 510 where the rack gear 100 is located with respect to the piston 210 and engages in pumping under the control of the main control part 600, injecting air into the cylinder body 510.

[00138] The air inlet valve 232 opens or closes a pipe that communicates between the pumping part 231 and the cylinder body 510 under the control of the main control part 600. Alternatively, although not shown a house supply of pressurized air could be connected to the air inlet valve 232 instead of or in addition to the pumping part 231 .

[00139] The air exhaust unit 240 is connected to one side wail of the cylinder body 510 near where the rack gear 100 is located (on the rack gear side of the piston), and exhausts air that has been charged into the cylinder body 510 in which the rack gear 100 is located, under the control of the main control part 600.

[00140] When an emergency occurs and an open gas valve must be automatically and quickly closed, the air pressure in the cylinder body 510 that held the gas valve open is quickly released from the cylinder body 510 by opening the exhaust unit 240. As the pressurized air exits the cylinder body 510, the rack gear 100 and pinion gear 300 quickly return to their originai positions inside the cylinder body 510 and the gas valve that v/as in an open state is thereby quickly and automatically closed. The originai positions of the rack gear 100 and pinion gear 300 were before the gas valve was opened, that is, when the gas valve was closed.

[00141] This invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments;

however, this invention inciudes all of the modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by law. The combination of the above- described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. An auto valve shutter that opens a gas vaive by means of pressurized air injected from the outside and when an emergency occurs, automatically stops injecting air and releases the pressurized air comprising:

a cylinder body having a ho!iow interior defined by walis, said body having a lengthwise direction;

a pinion gear rotatably disposed piercing through said body perpendicular to the lengthwise direction and having a lower part of said pinion gear;

a holder member that is integrally connected to the lower part of said pinion gear outside of said cylinder body and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of said pinion gear; said holder member having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of the holder member shaped to grip the handle of a gas valve to open and close the gas valve when said holder member rotates;

a rack gear disposed inside said cylinder body, said rack gear engaged with said pinion gear and rotates said pinion gear in accordance with the movement of said rack gear in the lengthwise direction; and

a gear drive unit that drives said rack gear so that said rack gear moves along the lengthwise direction of said body.

2. The auto valve shutter according to Claim 1 ,

wherein said gear drive unit further comprises:

a piston having an edge of the piston closely adjacent to an inside wall of said cylinder body that moves said rack gear conjointly with the movement of said piston, due to one side of said piston being attached to an end of said rack gear, said piston strokes in the lengthwise direction;

tension spring that pushes against said piston with an elastic force provided by said tension spring, said pinion gear being disposed inside said cylinder body, on the opposite side of the piston from the tension spring; and

an air-pressure formation unit that rotates said pinion gear by introducing air from the outside into the inside of said cylinder body near where said rack gear is located, so that said piston moves in the compression direction of said tension spring.

3. The auto valve shutter according to Claim 2,

wherein with respect to said piston, an inner diameter of said cylinder body in which said rack gear is located is expanded so that said inner diameter of said cylinder body at the end further from the piston differs from the inner diameter of the nearer portion to said piston, said expanded inner diameter forming an interior portion of the expanded cylinder body, and wherein said gear drive unit further comprises:

a sub-piston that is disposed closely adjacent to the inside wall of said interior portion of the expanded cylinder body, so that as said sub-piston strokes in the lengthwise direction, said sub-piston contacts said rack gear thereby causing said rack gear to move in the lengthwise direction in said cylinder body;

and wherein said air-pressure formation unit

comprises:

a 1 st air inlet valve that injects air from outside into said interior portion of the expanded cylinder body so that said sub-piston moves inside said interior portion of the expanded cylinder body; and

a 2nd air inlet valve that injects outside air into said cylinder body near where said rack gear is located, so that said piston moves in said lengthwise direction inside said cylinder body.

4. The auto valve shutter of claim 2 or 3 further comprising

a clutch rotation unit that includes said holder member and said dutch rotation unit further comprises:

a guide member having a top surface with a cup-shaped having a sunken top surface and a side wall that surrounds said sunken top surface, that is held in place by being connected integrally with the top surface of said holder member;

a tension member that is connected to the bottom of said pinion gear and the top surface of said guide member, generating an expanding elastic force pushing between said pinion gear and said guide member, and generating an initial twisting elastic force with respect to said pinion gear, relative to said guide member; and

a rotation adjusting member that is formed as a hollow-core disc-shaped body, so that it surrounds said tension member and is correspondingly integrally connected to said tension member between said guide member and said pinion gear, and when said valve handle is mounted onto the bottom of said holder member, the sunken top surface of said guide member is lifted a certain height relative to said rotation adjusting member, so that said rotation adjusting member rotates integrally with said guide member in conjunction with the rotation of said pinion gear, when pressurized air is injected into the cylinder body, from the rotation angle at which said rotation adjusting member and said guide member attempted to open said gas valve, after said rotation adjusting member rotated from the stop position of said guide member to said idling angle, in the direction opposite said initial twisting elastic force.

5. The auto valve shutter according to Claim 4,

wherein said rotation adjusting member comprises:

a plurality of tension projections furnished along the outer circumference of said discshaped body and situated moving e!asticaily in and out of said disc-shaped body from the outside wall of said disc-shaped body;

and wherein said guide member further comprises:

a deviation prevention step formed on said side wall of said guide member so as to surround said sunken top surface and said disc-shaped body of said rotation adjusting member;

said deviation prevention step comprising one or more projection expansion accommodating parts and one or more tapering projections, one or more 1 st projection accommodating parts and one or more 2nd projection accommodating parts;

said one or more projection expansion accommodating parts being cut away from the top of said side wall, so that said plurality of said tension projections may rotate due to the initial twisting elastic force in a projected state protruding outward from said disc-shaped body along said one or more projection expansion accommodating parts;

located below each of said one or more projection expansion accommodating parts are said one or more tapering projections that are formed protruding inward to a relatively greater extent than said projection expansion accommodating part, , each of said tapering projections having a first end and a second end, such that, said holder member rotates said valve handle to said idling angle as each of the plurality of tension projections rotates from a first end of each of said tapering projections until reaching the second end of said tapering projections, said tension projections gradually retracting into said rotation adjusting member as the tension projections rotate against said tapering projections from said first end to said second end one or more 1 st projection accommodating parts adjacent to said first end of each of said tapering projections that keep said tension projections pointing outward in a protruding state in each of said 1 ^st projection expansion accommodating parts due to said initial twisting elastic force; and

one or more 2nd projection accommodating parts adjacent to each of said second end of said tapering projection into which said tension projection is inserted in its outward- protruding state, after said tension projection, which in the course of opening said gas valve moved away from said 1 st projection accommodating part in contact with said tapering projection, said tension projection gradually contracted elastically toward the interior of said rotation adjusting member until reaching said 2^nd projection accommodating part;

with said tension projection part in said 2^nd projection accommodating part, said rotation adjusting member and said guide member integrally rotate from the angle at which it was attempted to open said gas valve by keeping said tension projection in its outward protruding state in said 2^nd accommodating part.

6. An auto valve shutter according to any of the preceding claims,

further comprising:

a main control part; and

an exhaust unit connected with one side wall of said cylinder body near where the rack gear is located that fluidly communicates with the interior of said cylinder body, said exhaust unit exhausts air that has been injected into the interior of said cylinder body where the rack gear is located, under the control of said main control part.

7. An auto valve shutter according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: a gauge that is engaged with said pinion gear, so as to indicate the degree of rotation of said pinion gear as said gauge rotates integrally with said pinion gear.

8. An auto valve shutter according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein said gear drive unit further comprises:

an air pressure formation unit that comprises a pump and at least one air inlet valve.

9. An auto valve shutter according to any of the preceding claims wherein said gear drive unit further comprises: an air exhaust unit that communicates and connects with one side wall of said cylinder body near where the rack gear is located, and exhausts air that has been charged into the interior of said cylinder body where the rack gear is located, under the control of a main control part.

10. An auto valve shutter of any of claims 5-9 comprising two or more of said tension projections, two or more of said 1^st projection accommodating parts and two or more of said 2^nd projection accommodating parts.

1 1. A valve shutter of claim 10 comprising three or more of said tension projections, three or more of said 1^st projection accommodating parts and three or more of said 2^nd projection accommodating parts.

12. A valve shutter of ciaims 10 comprising four or more of said tension projections, four or more of said 1 ^st projection accommodating parts and four or more of said 2^nd projection accommodating parts.

13. A method of operating a gas valve using any of the auto valve shutters of any of the preceding claims comprising the steps of:

removably attaching the handle of the gas valve onto the holder member; and introducing pressurized air into said cylinder body to turns said holder member and open the gas valve.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

Opening said exhaust unit to release pressurized air from said cylinder body which turns said holder member to close said gas valve.