Safety valve

Abstract

The normally closed valve includes a seat having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a diaphragm, an external handle, and an internal safety mechanism operably connected to the external handle and the diaphragm. The valve allows for the handle to be urged in a first direction, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism through at least a first stage and then a second stage. During the first stage, the diaphragm is forced onto the seat, blocking the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism and venting air trapped within the valve, thereby closing or maintaining the valve in a closed state. During the second stage, the flow of pressurized air is permitted through the internal safety mechanism, whereupon the pressurized air acts against the urging of the diaphragm onto the seat and the venting of air is reduced, thereby opening or maintaining the valve in an open state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety valve.

Background Art

[0002] When control is required in the flow of gas and liquid through pipes, there is reliance on control devices such as valves. These valves and gas / liquid (generally referred to as process fluid) find a wide range of applications in processes including large-scale chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, as well as the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. Generally, although on a smaller scale, similar valves are also used in research, and furthermore, for example, in domestic piping and heating systems within automotive engines.

[0003] An air-operated valve is a device that uses compressed air to control or regulate the flow of a medium such as a process fluid through a pipe.

[0004] The medium flowing through the valve port can often be a gas that can be harmful and toxic.

[0005] Often, especially when flammable, highly toxic or other dangerous substances are used, the air-operated valve must have a fail-safe, and also, for example, to ensure that the flow cannot be accidentally restarted due to mechanical vibrations or due to accidental or unauthorized human intervention, it is very important to ensure that the air-operated valve can be locked in a fully closed position. This can be achieved by using a lockable valve. When the valve is air-to-open (ATO), the valve becomes fail closed (FC), also known as normally closed (NC), while when the valve is designed to be air-to-close (ATC), the valve becomes fail open (FO).

[0006] Some valves include a padlock or the like for locking the valve handle in either a fully open position or a fully closed position. Locking in this way can prevent unauthorized and improper operation of the valve. However, if the valve requires repair or another manual operation, the valve is unlocked, and accidental switching from the open state to the closed state or from the closed state to the open state is likely to occur. In addition, if a malfunction occurs during closing / opening itself, for example, if venting the air trapped inside the valve fails, or if completely stopping the flow of pressurized air into the valve fails, in each of these cases, the valve may open even when it is intended to be closed, or the valve may remain in the open state, rendering the lock ineffective.

[0007] Therefore, by providing a mechanism that allows the NC valve to be manually and mechanically closed simultaneously while blocking or venting the pressurized air used to keep the valve open, accidental changes in the valve state can be prevented. Furthermore, an internal safety function that ensures the valve is in the desired state and that the valve maintains the desired state is still required. The present invention described below addresses this problem in a safe and highly reliable manner.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The present invention provides a mechanism and a valve that can prevent a closed valve from accidentally opening.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The valve and the mechanism may further be capable of preventing the valve from accidentally closing when the valve is intended to be in the open state.

[0010] Such an ability can further include being configured to enable all of the following for the valve, namely, locking the valve internally using mechanical means, shutting off the air supply used for pneumatic operation of the valve, and venting the valve (all of which are closing the valve), for example, all of which are by a single manual operation of the valve in a first direction.

[0011] "Locking the valve using mechanical means" means transmitting force through a series of components that physically contact each other for purposes such as locking the valve.

[0012] In addition, such an ability can further include being configured to enable all of the following for the valve, namely, unlocking the valve mechanically internally, connecting the air supply used for pneumatic operation of the valve, and reducing or eliminating the venting of the valve (all of which are opening the valve), for example, all of which are by a single manual operation of the valve in a second direction that can be opposite to the first direction.

[0013] The valve can be further configured to prevent inadvertently opening a closed valve by enabling the valve to remain closed over a limited range of motion during operation of the valve in the second direction.

[0014] The valve can be further configured to prevent inadvertently closing an open valve by enabling the valve to remain open over a limited range of motion during operation of the valve in the first direction.

[0015] The valve may further be configured to enable manually locking the valve, for example, by locking an external valve handle using a locking device, and locking includes preventing the above-described operations of the valve.

[0016] According to another aspect, a method and a valve are provided, where one rotation of an external handle performs the functions described above. In a preferred embodiment, the described mechanism can optionally be applied (retrofitted) to pneumatically operated valves of many different designs currently on the market through minor design adjustments and scaling of both the mechanism and the valve.

[0017] According to another aspect, the mechanism comprises a control shaft having a lower control shaft duct and being rotatable about an internal axis by operating an external handle, and a threaded fixed stopper having a stopper duct and a stop mechanism disposed therein. It is provided with.

[0018] The stop mechanism includes a stop mechanism duct extending from the stopper duct to the outside of the stopper.

[0019] The control shaft and the threaded stopper can be integrally biased by elastic means.

[0020] The valve opens when the lower duct and the stop mechanism duct are aligned. Compressed air can pass from the stop mechanism duct to the lower duct. The compressed air passing through the lower duct can, for example, apply a force to a spring so as not to press a dowel or a flam on a sheet having a process fluid inlet and a process fluid outlet, thereby enabling the process fluid to pass through the valve.

[0021] By operating the handle to rotate the control shaft, a plurality of things can be caused simultaneously and synergistically. 1. The lower duct is misaligned with the stop mechanism duct, and compressed air cannot pass from the stop mechanism duct to the lower duct. 2. Due to the structure of the stopper, by operating the handle, the control shaft and the stopper may be forcibly separated, thereby forming a gap therebetween, and thus the air trapped in the lower duct can vent through the gap. While rotating by the operation of the handle, the control shaft further moves downward (parallel to the axis of rotation), and as a result, mechanically closes the valve (for example, presses the diaphragm downward). These movements act integrally to close the valve.

[0022] In one embodiment, the pressurized air supplied moves through the handle positioner, continuously passes through the upper duct of the control shaft, enters the stopper duct of the threaded stopper, and then enters a pneumatic stop mechanism having a stop mechanism duct through which it passes. Thereafter, the pressurized air returns to the lower duct of the control shaft that extends to the outside of the control shaft when the lower duct and the stop mechanism duct are aligned, and may reach everywhere in the main body of the valve. When the lower duct and the stop mechanism are not aligned, the pressurized air is blocked.

[0023] The spring below the control shaft holds the bearing balls seated in the predetermined groove of the control shaft and the inclined channels of the threaded stopper by integrally maintaining the control shaft and the threaded stopper. The bearing balls and the angled grooves are configured to form an internal locking mechanism of the system, thereby preventing unwanted rotation of the control shaft. The angled groove is divided into three sections. The first and last sections are perpendicular to the axis of rotation, while the middle section is inclined, and the angles of these three sections vary in different ways. This custom design creates a certain degree of safety in the vertical region of the groove, where rotation of the control shaft in either the open or closed direction does not cause the system to deviate from its operating or stop position.

[0024] The above summary merely explains the main principles of the novel valve structure and operation as well as the method of operation and use. This summary should not be regarded as limiting the claimed invention, and the scope of the present invention should be determined solely by the scope of the claims.

[0025] In the following description, the following terms are used to describe the embodiments.

[0026] Substantially airtight means a situation where only a negligible amount of internal air escapes to the environment.

[0027] The state of the system means the state of the valve being open or closed. The open state means that the process fluid can flow through the valve, and the closed state means that the flow of the process fluid is substantially blocked.

[0028] Pneumatic means refers to equipment and systems that provide pressurized air to the disclosed valves.

[0029] According to one aspect, a normally closed valve is provided, and this normally closed valve has a seat with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a diaphragm, an external handle, and an internal safety mechanism operably connected to the external handle and the diaphragm, and is provided with The valve is configured to allow the handle to be pushed in a first direction, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism through at least a first stage and a subsequent second stage. During the first stage, the diaphragm is pressed onto the seat, the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism is blocked, the air trapped within the valve is released, thereby closing the valve or maintaining it in a closed state. During the second stage, the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism becomes possible, and the pressurized air after passing through it acts against pressing the diaphragm onto the seat, reducing the release of air. Thereby, the valve is opened or maintained in an open state.

[0030] In some embodiments, the valve is further configured to allow the handle to be advanced in a second direction opposite the first direction, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism through at least the second stage and then the first stage.

[0031] In some embodiments, the valve is further configured to allow the internal safety mechanism to be moved through an intermediate stage.

[0032] In one preferred embodiment, the valve is in a closed state during the intermediate stage.

[0033] Some embodiments further include a piston that mechanically couples the internal safety mechanism to the diaphragm, where during the first stage, the internal safety mechanism contacts the diaphragm to push the piston.

[0034] In some embodiments, the internal safety mechanism comprises a pneumatic shutdown mechanism, a control shaft, and a series of ducts extending through the shutdown mechanism and the control shaft, and moving the internal safety mechanism comprises moving the control shaft relative to the shutdown mechanism, and during the second stage, the series of ducts are aligned.

[0035] In some embodiments, the internal safety mechanism further comprises elastic means for biasing the shutdown mechanism towards the control shaft, and

[0036] In some embodiments, the internal safety mechanism further comprises sealing means for sealing between the shutdown mechanism and the control shaft. and

[0037] Some embodiments further include a threaded stopper, comprising a stopper duct and a housing chamber, the stopper duct extending through the wall of the housing chamber and being an element of the series of ducts. The operation stop mechanism is located within the housing chamber, The operation stop mechanism comprises an operation stop shaft having an operation stop duct, an operation stop spring for biasing the operation stop shaft toward the control shaft, and at least one O-ring for sealing between the operation stop duct and the control shaft duct when they are aligned. It is provided with.

[0038] In one embodiment, the threaded stopper further comprises at least one groove each having a first region and a second region, and the internal safety mechanism comprises at least one bearing ball, each of which is held on the control shaft and located within one of the at least one groove, by turning the external handle, at least one bearing ball moves along at least one groove, when at least one bearing ball is in the first region, the internal safety mechanism moves through the first stage, and when at least one bearing ball is in the second region, the internal safety mechanism moves through the second stage.

[0039] In one embodiment, the at least one groove further comprises an intermediate region, when at least one bearing ball is in the intermediate region, the internal safety mechanism moves through the intermediate stage.

[0040] For a better understanding of the present invention and to show the manner in which the present invention can be carried out, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which an embodiment of the present invention is shown and by which the manner in which the present invention can be actually embodied will be made clear to those skilled in the art and those not skilled in the art. It is emphasized that the details shown are examples and are for illustrative considerations only, and are presented to provide the most useful and readily understood explanation of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this connection, no attempt is made to show structural details in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0041]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4a

Figure 4b

Figure 5a

Figure 5b

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8a

Figure 8b

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional composite valve, where the valve body includes a “valve body” 24 that is a diaphragm. When the diaphragm 24 is in the closed state, the valve is in the “closed” state.

[0043] According to the state of the diaphragm 24, the upstream flow path 22 and the downstream flow path 21 are connected or disconnected.

[0044] The sliding body 28 is biased toward the diaphragm 24, thereby pushing the diaphragm 24 downward toward the valve seat 23.

[0045] Within the valve body 11, a spring 39 having a snap force for snap-moving the piston 27 in a direction to close the diaphragm 24 is attached between the intermediate casing 17 and the piston 27, and normally elastically biases the piston 27 to maintain the diaphragm 24 in the closed state.

[0046] The piston 27 is supplied into the first air chamber 36 within the valve body 11 through the through-hole 30a of the stem 30 and reacts to the supply operating air that is discharged from the first air chamber 36 of the valve body 11, and slides in a direction away from the diaphragm 24 to enable valve opening and closing.

[0047] The valve has a manual mechanism portion 13 including a manual operation handle 33, a stem 30, and a pair of O-rings 30b attached to the outer peripheral portion of the stem 30. The pressing operation of the manual operation handle 33 enables purging of the operating air within the valve body 11.

[0048] The combined valve supplies operating air to one side of a piston 27 provided within the valve body 11 so as to enable the piston 27 to move upward, thereby separating a diaphragm 24 from a valve seat 23, and utilizes the pressing operation of the manual mechanism portion 13 to close an air switch valve and purge the operating air within the valve body 11.

[0049] The casing 15 includes an upper casing 16, an intermediate casing 17, and a lower casing 18. An annular protruding portion 16a of the upper casing 16 is fastened and firmly fixed to an annular concave portion 17a of the intermediate casing 17 using a lock screw 60, where the annular protruding portion 16a is in a state of being fitted into the annular concave portion 17a. On the other hand, the intermediate casing 17 and the lower casing 18 are firmly fixed to each other by screw engagement between a female screw 17b formed within the intermediate casing 17 and a male screw 18a formed on the lower casing 18. Further, the base 20 is firmly fixed by screw engagement between a female screw portion 20c of the base 20 and a male screw portion 18b formed on the lower portion of the lower casing 18.

[0050] A screw structure of the outer peripheral portion including the pressing member 35 and the male screw 18a is formed. This structure enables the pressing member 35 to be moved upward and downward with respect to the intermediate casing 17 when the pressing member 35 is rotated. The pressing member 35 is moved axially within the valve body 11 so as to press the piston 27 toward the lower end portion 35c of the pressing member 35.

[0051] The operation handle 33 shown in FIG. 1 is in an open state where supply and discharge of operating air are possible, and is in a state where the opening and closing operation of the diaphragm 24 can be executed using the air switch valve portion 14. When the manual operation handle 33 is in the closed state, the air switch valve portion 14 provided in the valve body 11 stops the supply of operating air to the valve body 11 via the manual mechanism portion 13.

[0052] In FIG. 1, when the manual operation handle 33 is pressed downward, the stem 30 connected to the manual operation handle 33 slides with respect to the annular member 31 fitted in the upper casing 16. At this point, the air supply port 14a is sealed by the O-ring 30b attached to the stem 30, whereby it becomes possible to forcibly stop the supply of operating air to the manual mechanism portion 13. Further, at this point, since the purge hole 31b sealed by the O-ring 30b before operating the manual operation handle 33 communicates with the ambient air, the operating air stored in the valve body 11, such as in the through hole 30a of the stem 30, is discharged through the purge hole 31b. Further, when the rotational operation of the manual operation handle 33 is executed in the pressed state, since the stem 30 and the pressing member 35 are connected by the connecting portion 62, the pressing member 35 rotates.

[0053] To emphasize safety issues that have not been clearly recognized so far, some embodiments of the present invention that provide solutions will be described. The embodiments of the present invention share some common features with the prior art devices described above, but have additional unique design features such as solving the problem of accidental opening and closing of the valve.

[0054] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the assembly of Embodiment 1000 of a normally closed pneumatic actuated valve having a position locking ability.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled Embodiment 1000 in the operation stop position.

[0056] Valve 1000 includes a diaphragm 1017. Similar to the valves of the prior art described above, when the diaphragm 1017 is pressed downward, the valve is mechanically closed, and when the diaphragm 1017 is not pressed downward, the valve is mechanically opened.

[0057] Valve 1000 further includes an external handle 1002, an external latch 1003, a threaded stopper 1006, a pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007, a control shaft 1009, a series of ducts 1043, an upper guide 1012, an actuator 1013, and a body 1014. These components are assembled and held in place using locking bolts 1011, as well as a first spring 1010, a second spring 1025, and a third spring 1015, or other elastic members. The relationships and interactions between these components and other components will be described below in this specification.

[0058] According to one aspect, a normally closed valve 1000 is provided that can be opened by pneumatic means (see "Air" in FIGS. 4a and 4b, which provides pressurized air).

[0059] Valve 1000 includes a seat 1016 having a fluid inlet 1018 and a fluid outlet 1019, a diaphragm 1017, an external handle 1002, and an internal safety mechanism 1044 operably connected to the external handle 1002 and the diaphragm 1017, including.

[0060] The internal safety mechanism 1004 is shown at a first stage in FIG. 4a and at a second stage in FIG. 4b.

[0061] The valve is configured to allow the handle 1002 to be pushed in a first direction (arrow T), thereby moving the internal safety mechanism 1044 through at least a first stage and a subsequent second stage. During the first stage, the flow of pressurized air to the diaphragm 1017 is stopped, and the pressurized air within the valve 1000 is released to the surroundings, thereby closing or maintaining the diaphragm 1017 and the valve 1000 in a closed state. During the second stage, the diaphragm 1017 and the valve 1000 are in an open state, and pressurized air flows through the internal safety mechanism 1044 via pneumatic means, thereby causing the diaphragm 1017 to move to the open state.

[0062] When the valve is in the "closed state", it means that the process fluid is stopped from passing through the valve. When the diaphragm is in the "closed state", it means that the diaphragm is pressed sufficiently downward to prevent the process fluid from passing through the valve. When the valve is in the "open state", it means that the process fluid can substantially pass through the valve (body). When the diaphragm is in the "open state", it means that the diaphragm is not pressed downward sufficiently to prevent the passage of the process fluid.

[0063] The first stage and the second stage are not discrete points. That is, the handle is rotated along a substantially constant range at each stage, for example, within a range of 20°, without changing the state of the valve at all.

[0064] In one embodiment, the valve 1000 is further configured to enable forcing the handle 1002 in a second direction opposite to the first direction T, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism 1007 through at least the second stage and then the first stage.

[0065] The valve 1000 includes a hollow control shaft 1009 rotatably attached to a piston 1034 (FIG. 4a) as shown in FIG. 3. The piston 1034 mechanically connects the internal safety mechanism to the diaphragm. Here, during the first stage, the internal safety mechanism pushes the piston 1034 toward the diaphragm.

[0066] The hollow control shaft 1009 is engaged with the hollow handle positioner 1044. The pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007 and the control shaft 1009 cooperate to enable: a) manually rotating the control shaft 1009 around the axis A to stop the supply of pressurized air to the control shaft 1009 and discharge air from the continuous duct 1043 to the environment; and b) supplying pressurized air to the control shaft 1009, thereby pushing upward the third spring 1015 that biases the diaphragm 1017 downward, where no air is discharged from the continuous duct 1043 to the environment. If such discharge does not occur, the diaphragm 1017 may be undesirably opened, thereby releasing harmful substances.

[0067] In certain embodiments, the valve is further configured such that the internal safety mechanism 1044 can pass through a third stage that is intermediate between the first stage and the second stage. The valve 1000 may be further configured to enable forcing the handle 1002 in a second direction opposite to the first direction T, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism 1044 through the second stage and subsequent intermediate stage and subsequent first stage, and similarly the handle 1002 can be pushed forward in the first direction, where the internal safety mechanism 1044 passes through the first stage, intermediate stage, and further the second stage.

[0068] During the intermediate stage, the control shaft 1009 is rotated. In a preferred embodiment, the diaphragm 1017 and the valve 1000 are in a closed state, and no pressurized air flows through the internal safety mechanism 1044 via the pneumatic means, thereby maintaining the diaphragm 1017 in a closed state.

[0069] In certain embodiments, the internal safety mechanism 1044 comprises a pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007, a control shaft 1009, and a series of ducts 1043 including the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b. Moving the internal safety mechanism 1044 includes moving the control shaft 1009 relative to the operation stop mechanism 1007. The operation stop mechanism 1007 and the control shaft 1009 are arranged to align the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b during the first stage, thereby aligning the series of ducts 1043.

[0070] In some embodiments, the internal safety mechanism 1044 further includes a first spring 1010 and a second spring 1025 for biasing the pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007 and the control shaft 10009 relative to each other, so that the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b are aligned, and if there is a leakage of compressed air between the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b, it does not prevent the diaphragm 1017 from being opened.

[0071] In some embodiments, the internal safety mechanism 1044 further includes sealing means such as an O-ring 1024 for sealing between the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b (for reducing / eliminating leakage of pressurized air therefrom) when the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b are aligned.

[0072] In some embodiments, the valve further includes a threaded stopper 1006, the threaded stopper 1006 includes a stopper duct 1029 (FIG. 8b) and a housing chamber 1023 (FIGS. 8a, 8b), the stopper duct 1029 extends through the wall 1030 of the housing chamber 1023 and is an element of the continuous duct 1043 (FIG. 3), (It is desired to add 1030 to the appropriate figure) The pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007 is disposed within the housing chamber 1023, The operation stop mechanism 1007 includes an operation stop shaft 1050 (FIG. 5b) having an operation stop mechanism duct 1045, First spring / elastic means 1010 and second spring / elastic means 1025 for integrally biasing the operation stop shaft 1050 and the control shaft 1009, When the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b are aligned, at least one sealing means 1024 for sealing between the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control shaft duct 1028b, Comprising.

[0073] In one embodiment, the threaded stopper 1006 further comprises at least one groove 1022 each having a first region 1062 and a second region 1066, The internal safety mechanism 1044 comprises at least one bearing ball 1008 each held on the control shaft 1009 and located within at least one groove 1022, By turning the external handle 1002, at least one bearing ball 1008 slides along at least one groove 1022, When at least one bearing ball 1008 is in the first region 1062, the internal safety mechanism 1044 moves through the first stage, and when at least one bearing ball 1008 is in the second region 1066, the internal safety mechanism 1044 moves through the second stage, The first stage is related to turning the external handle 1002 around the axis A by an angle θ of a magnitude proportional to the length 1063 of the first region 1062, and the second stage is related to turning the external handle 1002 by an angle β of a magnitude proportional to the length 1067 of the second region 1066.

[0074] In one embodiment, at least one groove 1022 further comprises an intermediate region 1064, When at least one bearing ball 1088 is in the intermediate region 1064, the internal safety mechanism 1044 moves through the intermediate stage, The intermediate stage is related to turning the external handle 1002 by an angle α of a magnitude proportional to the length 1065 of the intermediate region 1064.

[0075] The first region 1062 and the second region 1066 are substantially on the same plane and are perpendicular to the rotation axis A. As a result, the movement of the bearing balls 1008 along the regions 1062, 1066 does not change the position of the control shaft 1009 in the axial direction A. This feature will be further described below.

[0076] The handle positioner 1004 is housed inside the handle 1002, is directly connected to the air supply port 1001 at the first end 1035, and is directly connected to the control shaft 1009 at the second end 1036. The control shaft 1009 is held at a predetermined position in the vertical direction and is biased upward by the first compression spring 1010, thereby enabling the rotation of the shaft 1009 around the central axis A. The control shaft 1009 has the ability to perform a short linear movement along the direction of the central axis A, which is not directly due to the movement of the handle 1002 that can only move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis A, but is caused by the movement of the shaft 1009 relative to the threaded stopper 1006 as will be described later.

[0077] The control shaft 1009 can be rotated around the axis A by two bearing balls 1008 located below the threaded stopper 1006 along two inclined grooves 1002 (FIG. 8a), thereby ensuring a smooth and directional movement that functions as a bearing.

[0078] When the misalignment of the continuous ducts 1043 prevents the flow of pressurized air to the closed diaphragm 1017, by turning the handle 1002 around the axis A through the first stage and the intermediate stage, the diaphragm 1017 maintains its closed state. The third stage of turning the handle 1002 around the axis A aligns a series of ducts 1043, thereby enabling the flow of pressurized air to open the diaphragm 1017.

[0079] FIGS. 4a and 4b further illustrate the method of maintaining the pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007 at a predetermined position within the hybrid valve 1000 in this embodiment.

[0080] Figures 5a and 5b provide a detailed internal schematic view of the threaded stopper 1006, the control shaft 1009, and the pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007.

[0081] The control shaft 1009 is maintained in a predetermined position by the first spring 1010 thereunder. The first spring 1010, together with the second spring 1025, provides sufficient force to bias the control shaft 1009 towards the threaded stopper 1006 to maintain the valve 1000 in either its operation stop state / closed state (Figure 4a) or its operation state / open state (Figure 4b) determined by the user.

[0082] Through Figures 4a and 4b, the air flow through the pneumatically actuated valve 100 and the function of the mechanism described can be further understood.

[0083] Air from the pneumatic means can flow into the control shaft 1009 of the valve, where it passes through the air inlet 1001, through the internal duct of the handle positioner 1004, through the upper control shaft duct 1028a of the control shaft 1009, bypasses through the threaded stopper duct 1029, enters the lower pneumatic operation stop mechanism housing chamber 1023, passes through the operation stop mechanism duct 1045 (Figure 5b) of the operation stop mechanism shaft 1050, and returns to the control shaft 1009 through the lower control shaft duct 1028b (Figure 4b).

[0084] Figures 5a and 5b show the valve 1000 in its closed state, and these figures are incomplete cross-sections of the valve 1000 in the closed state.

[0085] The control shaft 1009 and the threaded stopper 1006 are separated, and the pressurized air does not reach the bottom of the valve 1000.

[0086] When the valve 1000 is in the closed state, air escapes through the gap between the control shaft 1009 and the threaded stopper 1006.

[0087] As further shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the housing chamber 1023 is located between the threaded stopper 1006 and the control shaft 1009 (see FIGS. 5a and 5b), and is sealed by two O-rings 1024 located within the chamber 1023 (FIGS. 8a and 8b), and the O-rings 1024 engage the operating stop mechanism shaft 1050 snugly with the housing chamber 1023.

[0088] When the valve 1000 is in the open state, the control shaft 1009 and the threaded stopper 1006 are integrally pressed by the first spring 1010 and the second spring 1025, and the first spring 1010 and the second spring 1025 press the pneumatic operating stop mechanism shaft 1050 toward the surface 1037 (FIG. 6) of the control shaft 1009. As a result, the O-ring 1024 is firmly held toward the surface 1037, and the operating stop duct 1045 is substantially sealed using the control shaft lower duct 1028b.

[0089] When the valve 1000 is in the open state, the escaping air is reduced, and the threaded stopper 1006 and the control shaft 1009 are aligned.

[0090] When the handle 1002 is rotated slightly (less than θ°) due to an accidental impact or the like, the operating stop mechanism duct 1045 and the lower control duct 1028b can maintain a partially aligned state, thereby allowing pressurized air to pass therethrough. When the handle 1002 is rotated initially, the operating stop mechanism shaft 1050 and its O-ring 1024 can slide along the surface 1037 (FIG. 6) of the control shaft 1009.

[0091] To stop the operation of valve 1000, by further rotating the handle 1002 (beyond θ°), the control shaft 1009 is further rotated. As a result, the two bearing balls 1008 move further along the inclined groove 1002 (Figure 8a), and thus a gap 1070 is formed between the surface 1037 and the threaded stopper 1006 (compare Figures 4a and 4b). The gap 1070 communicates with the surrounding environment of the valve 1000. The lower duct 1028b in the control shaft 1009 is not aligned with the pneumatic operation stop mechanism duct 1045, but communicates with the gap 1070, whereby the air in the lower duct 1028b and in the actuator 1013 escapes to the surrounding environment.

[0092] In addition, since the threaded stopper 1006 is immovable within the valve 1000, the movement of the control shaft 1009 relative to the stopper 1006 is converted into a downward movement of the shaft, thereby pushing the piston 1034 downward and pressing the diaphragm 1017 to mechanically close the valve 1000.

[0093] When the control shaft 1009 is rotated in the reverse direction about the axis A to enable the operation of the valve 1000, the control shaft 1009 rises to stop pressing on the diaphragm 1017. At the same time, as shown in Figure 4b, the pressurized air flowing through the pneumatic operation stop mechanism 1007 can flow into the aligned shaft 1009 and actuator 1013, thereby raising the diaphragm 1017 as the control shaft rises and enabling the valve 1000 to open.

[0094] The four ducts 1045, 1028a, 1028b, and 1029 are part of a series of ducts 1043. The valve 1000 is configured to allow a continuous flow of pressurized air to the diaphragm 1017 even when the handle 1002 is rotated about the axis A and the control shaft 1009 is rotated respectively during the second stage. The alignment of the ducts 1028a, 1028b, 1029, and 1045 is substantially maintained, and leakage from the series of ducts 1043 is prevented by the action of the second spring 1025 on the O-ring 1024.

[0095] The nozzle 1046 of the control shaft 1009 is fitted into the intermediate hole 1032 of the threaded stopper 1006, and the two bearing balls 1008 are fitted into the inclined groove 1022. The threaded stopper 1006 is held in place by the male thread 1011, thereby ensuring that it is not subject to vertical movement and rotational movement. The control shaft 1009 is held in place by the first compression spring 1010, thereby ensuring that the threaded stopper 1006 and the control shaft 1009 are engaged with the first compression spring 1010. The control shaft 1009 can rotate around the axis A by an amount determined by the change in the angle from one end of the inclined groove 1022 to the other end (Figure 7). The state of the valve changes from the operation stop state / closed state (Figure 4a) to the operation state / open state (Figure 4b), and vice versa. The system does not change the state, and during this time, as shown in Figure 7, the bearing balls 1008 are still within the first region 1062 or the third region 1066, thereby providing additional safety for the user and preventing the valve 1000 from changing from the closed state (Figure 4a) to the open state (Figure 4b) and vice versa due to accidental / unintended small movements of the handle 1002.

[0096] Figures 6, 7, and 8a, 8b provide additional views of the control shaft 1009 and the threaded stopper 1006, showing the internal duct 1029 of the threaded stopper 1006 and the hole 1032 through which a portion of the control shaft 1009 extends, and also providing a better idea of the mechanical design of the operation stop mechanism 1004.

[0097] Note that all parts of the valve below the control shaft are standard. Therefore, the new parts can be retrofitted to various valve bodies.

[0098] Currently, these embodiments are considered to operate best, but other embodiments are also satisfactory.

[0099] As shown in FIGS. 2 - 8, the external latch 1003 is included in many embodiments of the pneumatic actuator 1000. The external latch 1003 is used to lock the valve in a closed state in situations where additional safety is required, for example, during maintenance of the valve 1000 and / or equipment in the vicinity of the valve 1000.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 8a, the mounting hole 1072 extending through the threaded stopper 1006 can be used to assist in the construction of the valve 1000 or to properly retrofit a new mechanism to a commercially available valve. A screw or bolt (not shown) may be inserted to assist in fixing the control shaft 1009 so that the control shaft 1009 does not rotate to an incorrect position during assembly.

[0101] Other embodiments may deviate significantly from the structures shown, and it is recognized that similar operations can be performed to obtain the same effects in accordance with the claims, provided that all of these other embodiments are not in the best form of our current knowledge and that all of these other embodiments are not commercially available.

Claims

1. A normally closed valve, comprising: a seat having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a diaphragm, an external handle, and an internal safety mechanism operably connected to the external handle and the diaphragm; wherein the valve is configured to allow the handle to be pushed in a first direction, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism through at least a first stage and a subsequent second stage; During the first stage, the diaphragm is pressed onto the seat, the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism is blocked, the air trapped within the valve is released, thereby closing the valve or maintaining it in a closed state; During the second stage, the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism is enabled, and the pressurized air after passing therethrough acts against pressing the diaphragm onto the seat, and the air release is reduced, thereby opening the valve or maintaining it in an open state; The valve is further configured to allow the internal safety mechanism to be moved through an intermediate stage, the normally closed valve.

2. The valve according to claim 1, further configured to allow the handle to be pushed in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism through at least the second stage and a subsequent first stage.

3. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve is in a closed state during the intermediate stage.

4. The valve according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a piston mechanically connecting the internal safety mechanism to the diaphragm, and during the first stage, the internal safety mechanism pushes the piston towards the diaphragm.

5. The valve according to claim 1, further comprising a piston mechanically connecting the internal safety mechanism to the diaphragm, and during the first stage, the internal safety mechanism pushes the piston towards the diaphragm.

6. A normally closed valve, comprising: a seat having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a diaphragm, an external handle, and an internal safety mechanism operably connected to the external handle and the diaphragm; wherein the internal safety mechanism comprises: a pneumatic operation stop mechanism, a control shaft, and a series of ducts extending through the operation stop mechanism and the control shaft; Moving the internal safety mechanism comprises moving the control shaft relative to the operation stop mechanism, and during the second stage, the series of ducts are aligned. ​ ​ ​ The valve is configured to allow the handle to be pushed forward in a first direction, thereby moving the internal safety mechanism through at least a first stage and a subsequent second stage. During the first stage, the diaphragm is pressed onto the seat, the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism is blocked, the air trapped within the valve is released, thereby closing the valve or maintaining it in a closed state. During said second stage, the flow of pressurized air through the internal safety mechanism is enabled, and the pressurized air after passing through it acts to oppose pressing the diaphragm onto the seat, reducing the release of air. thereby opening the valve or maintaining it in an open state. The valve is further a normally closed valve configured to allow the internal safety mechanism to be moved through an intermediate stage. **Claim 7** The internal safety mechanism comprises a pneumatic shutdown mechanism, a control shaft, and a series of ducts extending through the shutdown mechanism and the control shaft. and moving the internal safety mechanism includes moving the control shaft relative to the shutdown mechanism. The valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein during the second stage, the series of ducts are aligned. **Claim 8** The internal safety mechanism comprises a pneumatic shutdown mechanism, a control shaft, and a series of ducts extending through the shutdown mechanism and the control shaft. and moving the internal safety mechanism includes moving the control shaft relative to the shutdown mechanism. The valve according to claim 3, wherein during the second stage, the series of ducts are aligned. **Claim 9** The internal safety mechanism comprises a pneumatic shutdown mechanism, a control shaft, and a series of ducts extending through the shutdown mechanism and the control shaft. and moving the internal safety mechanism includes moving the control shaft relative to the shutdown mechanism. The valve according to claim 4, wherein during the second stage, the series of ducts are aligned. **Claim 10** The internal safety mechanism comprises a pneumatic shutdown mechanism, a control shaft, and a series of ducts extending through the shutdown mechanism and the control shaft. and moving the internal safety mechanism includes moving the control shaft relative to the shutdown mechanism. The valve according to claim 5, wherein during the second stage, the series of ducts are aligned. **Claim 11** The valve according to claim 6, wherein the internal safety mechanism further comprises elastic means for biasing the stop mechanism towards the control shaft.

12. The valve according to claim 6, wherein the internal safety mechanism further comprises sealing means for sealing between the stop mechanism and the control shaft.

13. The valve according to claim 11, wherein the internal safety mechanism further comprises sealing means for sealing between the stop mechanism and the control shaft.

14. A threaded stopper, further comprising a threaded stopper comprising a stopper duct and a housing chamber, the stopper duct extending through the wall of the housing chamber and being an element of a series of ducts, The stop mechanism is located within the housing chamber, The stop mechanism is, A stop shaft comprising a stop mechanism duct, A stop spring for biasing the stop shaft towards the control shaft, At least one O-ring for sealing between the stop mechanism duct and the control shaft duct when the stop mechanism duct and the control shaft duct are aligned, The valve according to claim 6, comprising.

15. A threaded stopper, further comprising a threaded stopper comprising a stopper duct and a housing chamber, the stopper duct extending through the wall of the housing chamber and being an element of a series of ducts, The stop mechanism is located within the housing chamber, The stop mechanism is, A stop shaft comprising a stop mechanism duct, A stop spring for biasing the stop shaft towards the control shaft, At least one O-ring for sealing between the stop mechanism duct and the control shaft duct when the stop mechanism duct and the control shaft duct are aligned, The valve according to claim 11, comprising.

16. The threaded stopper is, At least one groove each comprising a first region and a second region, An internal safety mechanism comprising at least one bearing ball, each of the bearing balls being held on the control shaft and located within one of the at least one groove, Further comprising, By turning the external handle, at least one bearing ball moves along at least one groove, When at least one bearing ball is in the first region, the internal safety mechanism moves through the first stage, and when at least one bearing ball is in the second region, the internal safety mechanism moves through the second stage, the valve according to claim 14.

17. At least one groove further comprises an intermediate region, When at least one bearing ball is in the intermediate region, the internal safety mechanism moves through the intermediate stage, the valve according to claim 16.

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