A quick-opening and closing vent valve structure for oil tankers

The tanker vent valve structure, with its dual-piston assembly and multi-seal design, solves the problems of complex structure, poor sealing, and inconvenient opening and closing of existing vent valves. It achieves simple and efficient pressure balance and safe discharge, and improves sealing reliability and service life.

CN224453817UActive Publication Date: 2026-07-03JIANGSU NEW HANTONG SHIP HEAVY IND

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
JIANGSU NEW HANTONG SHIP HEAVY IND
Filing Date
2025-08-20
Publication Date
2026-07-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing tanker vent valves have bottlenecks in rapid opening and closing performance, complex system structure, poor sealing reliability, inconvenient opening and closing, and safety hazards, especially prone to damage in harsh sea conditions.

Method used

Employing a dual-piston assembly design and a clever gas passage layout, combined with a multi-seal structure and a fire-resistant filter layer, it achieves pressure balance and oil and gas discharge. The limit screw and sealing spring ensure reliable sealing and rapid operation of the valve.

Benefits of technology

It significantly simplifies the system structure, improves sealing reliability and ease of opening and closing, reduces the risk of oil and gas leakage, enhances safety and service life, and ensures stable operation under various working conditions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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    Figure CN224453817U_ABST
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Abstract

This utility model discloses a quick-opening and closing vent valve structure for oil tankers, relating to the field of shipbuilding technology. It includes: a valve body, which is a hollow cylindrical shape with a first gas passage inside; a valve cover at the top of the valve body, with a sliding rod slidably mounted through its center; a sealing assembly at the top of the valve cover; and a first piston assembly and a second piston assembly, adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the first gas passage, slidably mounted on the sliding rod from top to bottom; the valve body also has a second gas passage and a third gas passage respectively connected to the first gas passage. One end of the second gas passage is located below the first piston assembly, and the other end is located above the second piston assembly. One end of the third gas passage is connected to the side of the first gas passage, and the other end is provided with a fireproof filter layer. This utility model utilizes only a third gas passage to complete the core functions of pressure balance and oil and gas discharge.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of shipbuilding technology, and in particular to a quick-opening and closing vent valve structure for oil tankers. Background Technology

[0002] Marine high-speed vent valves are specialized fire safety devices for ships. They are installed on top of each oil tank in oil tankers or chemical tankers to release pressures caused by excessive or insufficient pressure during transport and storage, which could lead to explosions or container damage. Existing tanker vent valves suffer from significant technical bottlenecks in their rapid opening and closing performance, specifically manifested in the following problems:

[0003] 1) Multiple independent venting lines are usually required to achieve pressure balance and safe discharge under different operating conditions, resulting in a complex system structure, large space occupation, and inconvenient maintenance and management; 2) The sealing performance of valves is crucial. The sealing reliability of traditional structures is easily affected, and dust and oil vapors may be sucked into the device or discharged into the air during air intake and exhaust, which may damage the device and pollute the environment. When chemical effects occur, they may cause certain dangers; especially in harsh sea conditions or frequent operation, the inertia is large when the pressure valve is opened, which will cause the piston in the vent valve to be subjected to severe impact force. Over time, this will lead to damage to parts and equipment failure; 3) The opening and closing response speed and ease of operation of valves need to be improved, especially when rapid pressure release or emergency closure is required.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a quick-opening and closing vent valve structure for oil tankers that is simpler in structure, more reliable in sealing, more convenient in operation, and can efficiently achieve pressure balance, in order to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a quick-opening and closing vent valve structure for oil tankers. The utility model provides the following technical solution, including:

[0006] The valve body is a hollow cylindrical shape, forming a first gas channel inside. A valve cover is provided on the top of the valve body, with a sliding rod slidably mounted through its center. A sealing assembly is also provided on the top of the valve cover. A first piston assembly and a second piston assembly, adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the first gas channel, are slidably mounted on the sliding rod from top to bottom. The valve body also has a second gas channel and a third gas channel respectively connected to the first gas channel. One end of the second gas channel is located below the first piston assembly, and the other end is located above the second piston assembly. One end of the third gas channel is connected to the side of the first gas channel, and the other end is provided with a fireproof filter layer.

[0007] Furthermore, the sealing assembly includes: a limiting block fixedly disposed on the upper end of the sliding rod, a top sealing cover disposed on the top of the sliding rod, and a top sealing block disposed on one side of the top of the valve cover. Each of the top sealing cover and the top sealing block has a corresponding through hole on one side, and a limiting screw is inserted into the through hole.

[0008] Furthermore, a sealing spring is also sleeved on the outer side of the upper end of the sliding rod. One end of the sealing spring is connected to the bottom of the top cover, and the other end is connected to the top of the valve cover.

[0009] Furthermore, both the first piston assembly and the second piston assembly include: a first sliding sleeve slidably sleeved on the outside of the sliding rod, the outer side of the first sliding sleeve slidably sleeved in the inner cavity of the second sliding sleeve, and a sliding piston fixedly sleeved on the outer side of the second sliding sleeve.

[0010] Furthermore, a plurality of rolling beads are rotatably provided in the middle of the first sliding sleeve, the rolling beads being tangent to the outer surface of the sliding rod, and compression springs are symmetrically provided at the upper and lower ends of the first sliding sleeve, the two ends of the compression springs being respectively connected to one end of the inner cavity of the second sliding sleeve and the middle of the first sliding sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, the radius of the sliding piston in the first piston assembly is larger than that of the sliding piston in the second piston assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, the valve cover is provided with a sealing ring on top that matches the limiting block.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by this utility model are:

[0014] This utility model, through its innovative dual-piston assembly design and ingenious layout of the first and second gas channels, successfully achieves the core functions of pressure balancing and oil and gas discharge using only a third gas channel. This significantly simplifies the system structure, reduces external pipeline connections, and facilitates the installation, management, and maintenance of the vent valve.

[0015] This invention utilizes a multi-layered sealing design: a top sealing assembly provides a reliable mechanical locking seal; a sealing ring on the top of the valve cover prevents top leakage; a dynamic seal between the sliding piston and the inner wall of the valve body; and, importantly, the invention employs a vent pipe for pressure balancing, facilitating valve management and improving its sealing performance; a sealing spring ensures timely and tight closure. These measures significantly enhance the valve's sealing reliability under various operating conditions and effectively reduce the risk of oil and gas leakage.

[0016] The design of the sealing spring and limit screw makes the locking and unlocking operation of the valve simple and intuitive under special circumstances; the rolling balls inside the piston assembly greatly reduce frictional resistance, and the compression spring provides buffering and centering reset, together ensuring smooth, easy and rapid valve opening and closing; through the friction reduction of the rolling balls inside the piston assembly and the buffering design of the compression spring, the wear of moving parts is effectively reduced, improving the service life and long-term operational stability of the entire valve; the fireproof filter layer at the end of the third gas channel ensures the fire safety of the exhaust gas and achieves filtration of the inlet and outlet gases. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the sealing component of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the first piston assembly in this utility model.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Valve body; 2. First gas passage; 3. Valve cover; 4. Sliding rod; 5. Sealing assembly; 51. Limiting block; 52. Top cover; 53. Top sealing block; 54. Limiting screw; 55. Sealing spring; 6. First piston assembly; 7. Second piston assembly; 8. Second gas passage; 9. Third gas passage; 10. Fireproof filter layer; 11. First sliding sleeve; 111. Rolling ball; 112. Compression spring; 12. Second sliding sleeve; 13. Sliding piston. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0024] Please see Figures 1 to 4 The technical solution provided by this utility model is: a quick-opening and closing vent valve structure for oil tankers, comprising:

[0025] The valve body 1 is a hollow cylindrical shape, forming a first gas channel 2 inside. A valve cover 3 is provided on the top of the valve body 1. A sliding rod 4 is slidably mounted through the center of the valve cover 3. A sealing assembly 5 is also provided on the top of the valve cover 3. A first piston assembly 6 and a second piston assembly 7, which are adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the first gas channel 2, are slidably mounted on the sliding rod 4 from top to bottom. The valve body 1 is also provided with a second gas channel 8 and a third gas channel 9, which are respectively connected to the first gas channel 2. One end of the second gas channel 8 is located below the first piston assembly 6, and the other end is located above the second piston assembly 7. One end of the third gas channel 9 is connected to the side of the first gas channel 2, and the other end is provided with a fireproof filter layer 10.

[0026] In this embodiment, the hollow valve body 1 forms the main airflow channel (first gas channel 2), and the top valve cover 3 supports the sliding rod 4 and the sealing assembly 5. The first piston assembly 6 and the second piston assembly 7 are connected in series on the sliding rod 4 and can slide within the main channel; their position determines the airflow path. The second gas channel 8 connects to the area between the two pistons on the main channel and is used to balance the internal pressure of the vent valve when the cabin pressure is too low. The third gas channel 9 serves as the main external exhaust port and air inlet, and a fireproof filter layer 10 is provided at its end. (The fireproof filter layer 10 can adopt a multi-layer metal corrugated fire-retardant structure, which is existing technology and will not be described in detail.) The fireproof filter layer 10 is used to ensure safe filtration and discharge of gas.

[0027] In this preferred embodiment, the sealing assembly 5 includes: a limiting block 51 fixedly disposed on the upper end of the sliding rod 4, a top sealing cover 52 disposed on the top of the sliding rod 4, and a top sealing block 53 disposed on one side of the top of the valve cover 3. The top of the valve cover 3 is provided with a sealing ring that matches the limiting block 51. Each side of the top sealing cover 52 and the top sealing block 53 is provided with a corresponding through hole, and a limiting screw 54 is inserted into the through hole. A sealing spring 55 is also sleeved on the outer side of the upper end of the sliding rod 4. One end of the sealing spring 55 is connected to the bottom of the top sealing cover 52, and the other end is connected to the top of the valve cover 3.

[0028] In this embodiment, under normal circumstances, the sealing assembly 5 is used for top sealing when the valve is closed. The limiting block 51 is fixed to the top of the sliding rod 4, and the top sealing cover 52 moves with the sliding rod 4. The top sealing block 53 is fixed to the valve cover 3. The sealing spring 55 is installed on the upper part of the sliding rod 4. The downward pressure of the sealing spring 55 firmly presses the limiting block 51 and the sealing ring to seal, effectively preventing gas leakage from the gap between the sliding rod 4 and the valve cover 3. By inserting the limiting screw 54 into the aligned through hole of the top sealing cover 52 and the top sealing block 53, the valve can be mechanically locked in a closed state to prevent accidental opening or leakage, significantly improving sealing reliability and safety.

[0029] In special circumstances, the sealing assembly 5 is used to quickly release the lock. After the limit screw 54 is pulled out, the sealing spring 55 provides an automatic rebound force, and the auxiliary sliding rod 4, together with the first piston assembly 6 and the second piston assembly 7, quickly resets upward to open the valve, manually balances the air pressure in the chamber, enhances the timeliness of opening and the tightness of sealing, and is conducive to emergency operation of the vent valve when it fails, thereby improving the safety performance of the vent valve.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, both the first piston assembly 6 and the second piston assembly 7 include: a first sliding sleeve 11 slidably sleeved on the outer side of the sliding rod 4; the outer side of the first sliding sleeve 11 slidably sleeved on the inner cavity of the second sliding sleeve 12; and a sliding piston 13 fixedly sleeved on the outer side of the second sliding sleeve 12. A plurality of rolling beads 111 are rotatably disposed in the middle of the first sliding sleeve 11, the rolling beads 111 being tangent to the outer surface of the sliding rod 4. Compression springs 112 are symmetrically disposed at the upper and lower ends of the first sliding sleeve 11, the two ends of the compression springs 112 being respectively connected to one end of the inner cavity of the second sliding sleeve 12 and the middle of the first sliding sleeve 11. The radius of the sliding piston 13 in the first piston assembly 6 is larger than that in the sliding piston 13 in the second piston assembly 7.

[0031] In this embodiment, the piston assembly adopts a sleeve design. The first sliding sleeve 11 is directly fitted onto the sliding rod 4 and can slide relative to it. The second sliding sleeve 12 is fitted onto the first sliding sleeve 11 and can slide relative to it. The outermost sliding piston 13 is fixed on the second sliding sleeve 12 and makes sealing contact with the inner wall of the valve body 1. This nested structure allows the piston assembly to move as a whole under the drive of the sliding rod 4, while there are relative micro-movements between the internal components to adapt to different pressures or compensate for deformation, ensuring good sealing surface fit. At the same time, the rolling ball 111 is set between the first sliding sleeve 11 and the sliding rod 4, converting sliding friction into rolling friction, significantly reducing the resistance when the piston assembly moves along the sliding rod 4, making the valve opening and closing easier and faster. The symmetrically arranged compression springs 112 play an internal buffering and reset role, helping to maintain the relatively central position of the first sliding sleeve 11 within the second sliding sleeve 12, absorbing impact, and ensuring the smoothness of the piston assembly movement and the durability of the seal.

[0032] Working principle:

[0033] When the cabin pressure is too high: High-pressure gas passes under the second piston assembly 7, and its pressure-bearing area is directly exposed to the high-pressure gas. The high-pressure gas pushes the second piston assembly 7 to slide upward against resistance, connecting the first gas channel 2 and the third gas channel 9, and safely releasing the gas into the atmosphere through the fireproof filter layer 10 at the end of the third gas channel 9, thus achieving pressure relief. During this process, the rolling ball 111 inside the second piston assembly 7 reduces sliding friction, and the compression spring 112 provides buffering and reset guidance, making the opening action quick and smooth.

[0034] When the pressure inside the tank is too low (forming a vacuum): After being protected by the fireproof filter layer 10, external air pushes the first piston assembly 6 upward through the third gas channel 9, overcoming resistance and sliding upward, connecting with the second gas channel 8. This allows air to flow into the oil tank, causing the pressure inside to rise until it balances with the external atmospheric pressure or reaches a safe range. At this point, the pressure difference disappears, and the first piston assembly 6 returns to its original position under its own weight and the restoring tendency of the compression spring 112, resealing the channel. The rolling ball 111 also ensures smooth downward movement of the piston.

[0035] When the vent valve malfunctions (requiring emergency manual operation): When the automatic pressure regulation function fails and rapid manual balancing of the pressure inside and outside the chamber or maintenance is required, the operator can operate the top sealing assembly 5: First, pull the limiting screw 54 out of the through hole of the top cover 52 and the top cover block 53 to release the restriction on the position of the sliding rod 4. With the limiting screw 54 pulled out, the sealing spring 55, which was originally in a compressed state, immediately releases its elastic potential energy. The elastic force of the sealing spring 55 pushes the top cover 52 upward, thereby causing the sliding rod 4 to move upward rapidly. The rapid upward movement of the sliding rod 4 forces the first piston assembly 6 and the second piston assembly 7 on it to slide upward synchronously. At this time, the gas inside the chamber can be connected to the first gas channel 2, the second gas channel 8, and the third gas channel 9 to balance the pressure inside the chamber. Parts not covered in this utility model are the same as or can be implemented using existing technology.

[0036] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A quick open and close breather valve structure for oil tank comprising a valve body (1) characterized in that: The valve body (1) is a hollow cylinder with a first gas channel (2) inside. The valve body (1) is provided with a valve cover (3) at the top. A sliding rod (4) is slidably provided through the center of the valve cover (3). A sealing assembly (5) is also provided at the top of the valve cover (3). A first piston assembly (6) and a second piston assembly (7) adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the first gas channel (2) are slidably provided on the sliding rod (4) from top to bottom. The valve body (1) is also provided with a second gas channel (8) and a third gas channel (9) that are respectively connected to the first gas channel (2). One end of the second gas channel (8) is located below the first piston assembly (6), and the other end is located above the second piston assembly (7). One end of the third gas channel (9) is connected to the side of the first gas channel (2), and the other end is provided with a fireproof filter layer (10).

2. A quick open and shut breather valve structure for a tanker as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The sealing assembly (5) includes: a limiting block (51) fixedly disposed on the upper end of the sliding rod (4), a top sealing cover (52) disposed on the top of the sliding rod (4), and a top sealing block (53) disposed on one side of the top of the valve cover (3). The top sealing cover (52) and the top sealing block (53) are each provided with a corresponding through hole on one side, and a limiting screw (54) is inserted into the through hole.

3. A quick open and shut breather valve structure for a tanker as claimed in claim 2, wherein: A sealing spring (55) is also fitted on the outer side of the upper end of the sliding rod (4). One end of the sealing spring (55) is connected to the bottom of the top cover (52), and the other end is connected to the top of the valve cover (3).

4. The quick open and shut breather valve structure for oil tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first piston assembly (6) and the second piston assembly (7) both include: a first sliding sleeve (11) slidably sleeved on the outside of the sliding rod (4), the outside of the first sliding sleeve (11) slidably sleeved in the inner cavity of the second sliding sleeve (12), and a sliding piston (13) fixedly sleeved on the outside of the second sliding sleeve.

5. A quick open and shut breather valve structure for a tanker as claimed in claim 4, wherein: The first sliding sleeve (11) has a plurality of rolling balls (111) rotatably disposed in the middle part. The rolling balls (111) are tangent to the outer surface of the sliding rod (4). The first sliding sleeve (11) has compression springs (112) symmetrically disposed at the upper and lower ends. The two ends of the compression springs (112) are respectively connected to one end of the inner cavity of the second sliding sleeve (12) and the middle part of the first sliding sleeve (11).

6. A quick open and shut breather valve structure for a tanker as claimed in claim 5, wherein: The radius of the sliding piston (13) in the first piston assembly (6) is larger than that of the sliding piston (13) in the second piston assembly (7).

7. The quick open and shut breather valve structure for oil tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The valve cover (3) is provided with a sealing ring on the top that matches the limiting block (51).