Device for metering a cryogenic medium

Abstract

For the cooling of products, it is known to meter a cryogenic medium, for example liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen or liquid carbon dioxide, into a container containing the product. The cryogenic medium is introduced by means of a device which has a valve mounted in the wall of the container and connected to a supply line for the cryogenic medium. The valve is equipped with a shut-off member which is received in a valve housing and can be moved in the axial direction, counter to the action of a restoring spring, from a closed position to an open position in which the cryogenic medium can flow into the container at a valve opening. According to the invention, the valve housing is detachably connected to a connecting piece which fixedly projects from the outer wall of the container when the device is in use.

Description

[0001] Device for dosing a cryogenic medium

[0002] The invention relates to a device for metering a cryogenic medium into a container, comprising a valve housing which is constructed from a front section and a rear section detachably connected to the front section, wherein the front section has a valve opening which, in the installed state, opens into the container, and the valve housing is equipped with a line connection for connecting a supply line for the cryogenic medium, and a flow path for the cryogenic medium runs through the valve housing between the line connection and the valve opening, and comprising a shut-off element which is accommodated in the valve housing in such an axially movable manner that it can be brought from a closed position, in which the shut-off element closes the valve opening with a closing section which cooperates with a valve seat of the front section, into an open position,in which the closing portion of the shut-off member is arranged at a distance from the valve seat and thus releases the valve opening, and in which the axial movement of the shut-off member from its closed position to the open position takes place against the action of a restoring spring means.

[0003] In many industrial applications, cryogenic media, particularly cryogenic liquids or gases, are used to cool or freeze liquid, pasty, or solid products. Heat transfer occurs either indirectly, i.e., without physical contact between the product to be cooled and the cryogenic medium via heat exchanger surfaces, or through direct contact between the product and the cryogenic medium. Typically, the product to be cooled is conveyed through a pipe or collected in a container, and the cryogenic medium is introduced into the pipe or container via suitable nozzles, valves, or other metering devices. In the following, the terms "pipe" and "container" are subsumed under the term "container."

[0004] If the product to be cooled is located in a vessel, for example in a mixer, there are various options for introducing the cryogenic medium: When introduced into the headspace of the vessel, the inlet points for the cryogenic medium have little or no contact with the product to be cooled. Since there is a certain distance between the product and the inlet points, the risk of icing at the inlet points is low. Simply constructed valves or nozzles can therefore be used - for example, spray nozzles or capillary nozzles that are always open to the interior of the vessel. The disadvantage of these systems, however, is that only a portion of the cryogenic medium comes into contact with the product and can extract heat from it, while the remaining, often larger portion escapes unused into the atmosphere or is discharged via a drain.Another disadvantage of nozzles that are always open to the interior of the container is that cleaning agents or water can penetrate. In addition to the potential for bacterial growth, there is a risk that the liquid that has penetrated the container will crystallize and clog the dosing device when a cryogenic medium is introduced.

[0005] Alternatively, to better transfer the heat energy to the cryogenic medium, the cryogenic medium is introduced directly into the product. For this purpose, the inlet points for the cryogenic medium are not located in the headspace, but in a lower part of the container, i.e. in the area that is filled with the product to be cooled during treatment. With this procedure, also known in technical jargon as "bottom injection", it is important to ensure that the valve can always be closed to prevent the inlet points from icing up during treatment due to freezing product and thus becoming blocked or impaired in their functionality. Furthermore, it must be prevented that product penetrates into the interior of the nozzle and permanently accumulates there, which would pose the risk of contamination.The problem addressed here also applies analogously to the injection of a coolant into a line through which a liquid, or generally flowable, product flows.

[0006] A valve suitable for use in bottom injection for introducing a cryogenic medium is described in DE 101 52 764 A1. The valve comprises a valve housing integrated into the wall of a container, for example a mixer. A valve opening with a small opening cross-section is arranged in the valve housing, which can be closed by means of a valve needle such that, when the valve is closed, the front surface of the valve needle is essentially flush with the valve housing or the inner surface of the container. This arrangement is disadvantageous in that, in the event of a sudden pressure drop in the coolant supply line, product from the container can penetrate into the interior of the valve.

[0007] WO 2008 / 007000 A2 describes another device for metering a cryogenic medium. This device comprises a valve with a piston-shaped shut-off element, which is accommodated in a tubular guide channel so that it can move axially against the resistance of a spring and is equipped with a closing plate on its end face. Several feedthroughs for introducing a cryogenic medium are provided laterally to this guide channel. These feedthroughs are fluidly connected to a supply line for the cryogenic medium. The openings of the feedthroughs are arranged such that they can be closed with the closing plate of the shut-off element under the action of the spring. If the pressure in the coolant supply line, and thus in the feedthroughs, exceeds a certain limit value determined by the spring force, the valve opens.When the pressure in the coolant supply line decreases, the piston and closing plate automatically move into the closed position under the action of the spring.

[0008] EP 1 867 902 A2 and EP 2 309 160 A1 also disclose devices for metering a cryogenic medium into a treatment chamber. A shut-off element equipped with a closing plate is arranged in a guide channel and is axially movable to a limited extent against the action of a spring. The guide channel of the shut-off element simultaneously serves as a flow channel for the cryogenic medium, thereby simplifying the valve design and reducing the risk of freezing.

[0009] A problem with the aforementioned objects is that product from the container can penetrate into gaps and openings that are necessarily present in the fastening area and become trapped there, resulting in undesirable germ formation in this area. The object of the present invention is therefore to create a device for dosing a cryogenic medium into a container for the purpose of cooling a product present in the container, which is simple in design and highly reliable, also suitable for injecting the cryogenic cooling medium into a lower region of a container filled with the product to be cooled or through which the product flows, and which meets higher hygiene requirements than devices known from the prior art.

[0010] This object is achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0011] A device of the type and purpose mentioned at the outset is therefore characterized according to the invention in that the valve housing is connected via connecting means in a fixed but detachable manner to a connecting piece which is equipped with a holding section for fixed connection to a wall of the container, wherein the connecting means can be actuated independently of the connection of the front section to the rear section, thus the connection can be established or released independently of the connection of the front and rear sections.

[0012] In particular, the invention makes it possible, during use of the device, to detach the valve housing as a whole from the connecting piece, which is firmly connected to the container during operation of the device, and to replace it if necessary, without having to simultaneously separate the front and rear sections. This connection is particularly preferably made between the connecting piece and the front section of the valve housing, since in this case it is also possible to detach the rear section of the valve housing without having to separate the front section from the connecting piece.

[0013] In the context of the invention, a "container" is understood to mean a container filled with a product to be cooled or a pipeline through which such a product flows. Containers of this type are used, for example, in the food or pharmaceutical industries for the batch production of a product or precursor; to carry out the "bottom injection" mentioned above, the valve is preferably arranged in an area of ​​the container which, during intended use, is wetted by a product contained in the container, so that the cooling medium is introduced directly into the product and thus intimately mixed with it. As a pipeline, the container can be a pressure line through which a liquid to be treated flows.

[0014] The line connection serves to connect to a supply line for the cryogenic medium. Depending on the medium, the supply line can be designed to be pressure- and / or low-temperature-resistant. From the line connection, which can be located in the front or rear section of the valve housing, the cryogenic medium flows to the valve opening through a flow path provided in the valve housing, or through a plurality of flow paths provided in the valve housing, which can be closed or opened by the axial movement of the shut-off element.

[0015] Before use, the connecting piece, which may be cylindrical in shape, is permanently attached to the container in the area of ​​a prepared injection opening in the container wall, for example, by welding or soldering. The (removable) connection between the valve housing and the connecting piece can then be established using the prepared connecting elements.

[0016] There are two preferred options for detachably connecting the valve housing to the connection piece: firstly by means of a clamp flange connection, and secondly by means of a union nut in the style of an Ingold connection piece.

[0017] To create a clamp flange connection, the connecting piece has a connecting flange at its end facing away from the container when installed. This flange is pressed onto a corresponding connecting flange on the front or rear section of the valve housing by means of a clamp ring or a similar non-positive, yet detachable connection. In the case of a connection using a union nut, the connecting piece has an external thread. The union nut, which can be screwed onto the external thread, is preferably designed to engage behind a profile protruding from the front or rear section or the rear section as a whole, thus pressing the valve housing against the connecting piece when screwed on.

[0018] To increase stability, the valve housing can be accommodated within the connecting piece, at least with part of its front section, when installed. If the outer circumference of the front section is positively adapted to the inner cross-section of the connecting piece, this alone largely prevents the penetration of product from the container into the annular gap between the connecting piece and the valve housing. Complete sealing can be achieved in particular by an optional sealing element, such as a sealing ring, arranged between the inner surface of the connecting piece and an outer wall of the valve housing accommodated in the connecting piece. The sealing ring can run in a groove milled into the inner wall of the connecting piece and / or the outer wall of the valve housing in order to hold it securely in place if the valve housing is removed from the connecting piece.

[0019] In any case, the connection between the connecting piece and the valve housing is in addition to the connection between the front section and the rear section of the valve housing, which in preferred embodiments are connected, for example, by means of a screw connection or a bayonet connection.

[0020] It is not necessary within the scope of the invention, although not excluded, that the supply line for the cryogenic medium or the line connection is simultaneously closed or opened when the valve is actuated. Preferably, even when the shut-off element is in the closed position, the valve housing is filled with cryogenic medium that is under a certain excess pressure compared to the pressure in the container. For example, the differential pressure compared to the pressure in the container with liquid nitrogen or liquid oxygen as the cryogenic medium is between 0.1 bar and 6 bar, preferably between 1.5 and 4 bar; with carbon dioxide, the pressure in the supply line for the cryogenic medium corresponds to at least the pressure of the triple point (5.18 bar), preferably 8 to 20 bar, in order to keep the carbon dioxide in the liquid state. The container itself is often operated without pressure, i.e.The pressure inside is ambient, but it can also be operated at a pressure that is only slightly lower, for example between 0.01 and 0.1 bar, than the pressure of the cryogenic medium in the valve housing itself.

[0021] The spring means is made of a cold-resistant material, such as stainless steel, which retains a certain degree of elasticity even at cryogenic temperatures prevailing in the valve housing in order to maintain the restoring force during use of the valve. A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the spring means comprises a spiral spring which is arranged in the valve housing and extends between a spring seat of the valve housing (for example in the front section) and a support element of the shut-off element. Preferably, it is already prestressed in the closed position, which only allows movement of the shut-off element into the open position above a predetermined minimum pressure in the supplied cryogenic medium. The spring element is expediently detachably accommodated in the valve housing in order to be easily replaced in the event of damage or if a different restoring force is required.

[0022] To prevent product from accumulating on the valve housing, a suitable embodiment of the invention provides for the shut-off element to be arranged in the valve housing such that the closing section is displaced toward the interior of the container when the shut-off element is moved from its closed position to the open position. Preferably, the axial mobility of the shut-off element is limited such that an end face of the closing section facing the interior of the container, in the maximum open position, is essentially flush with an inner surface of the container or protrudes only slightly, for example, between 1 mm and 3 mm, from this surface into the interior of the container.

[0023] A similarly advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the wall section of the valve housing containing the valve opening, referred to here as the "valve seat," is conically shaped, widening toward the container. At the same time, the closing section of the shut-off element is correspondingly conically shaped on its rear side, i.e., facing away from the container, so that a conical annular gap opens when the shut-off element transitions from the closed position to the open position. By changing the distance between the closing section and the valve seat, the flow rate of the cryogenic medium supplied to the container can be adjusted.

[0024] In order to prevent product from penetrating into the interior of the valve housing when the shut-off element is in the closed position, a sealing element, for example a sealing ring made of a low-temperature-resistant material such as Teflon, is preferably provided between the closing section and the valve seat, which sealing element is received in a circumferential groove or is fastened in another way in the closing section or the valve seat and which is pressed between the closing section and the valve seat when the valve is closed.

[0025] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the device is equipped with means for regulating the flow rate of cryogenic medium supplied to the container, which interacts with the positioning of the shut-off element. For example, the axial position of the shut-off element—and thus an open flow cross-section, such as the aforementioned conical annular gap between the valve seat and the closing section—is varied, and the supply of cryogenic medium is regulated by a control unit according to a predetermined program depending on a measured parameter, such as a temperature in the container, in order to achieve a desired flow rate into the container.

[0026] The preferred cryogenic medium is a liquefied or cryogenic gas, such as liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen or nitrogen, nitrous oxide (NO2), or gaseous argon. An equally advantageous cryogenic medium is carbon dioxide, which is supplied in liquid form under pressure and expands upon entering the container, producing carbon dioxide snow and carbon dioxide gas. The device according to the invention can be used, for example, to meter a cryogenic medium into a gaseous, liquid, pasty, or powdery product located in a pipe or container, for example in environmental technology for the treatment of wastewater or for refreshing or disinfecting liquid foodstuffs such as wine, juices, or milk.

[0027] Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. They show schematic views, each in longitudinal section:

[0028] Fig. 1 : A device according to the invention in a first and

[0029] Fig. 2: A device according to the invention in a second embodiment.

[0030] The device 1 for dosing a cryogenic medium comprises a valve that is mounted on a container 2, such as a vessel intended for holding a product to be cooled or a fluid-carrying pipeline. The valve has a valve housing 3 that is constructed from two housing parts, a front section 4 and a rear section 5, which are detachably connected to one another. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, a screw connection 6 is used to connect the two sections 4, 5. For this purpose, the front section 4 protrudes on the inside with an annular shoulder 7, in which a thread is cut radially on the outside, into a bore in the rear section 5. The rear section 5, in turn, is equipped with an internal thread that interacts with the thread of the front section 4 to produce the screw connection 6.

[0031] At its end opposite the front section 4, the rear section 5 of the valve housing 3 has a line connection 10 for connecting to a supply line (not shown here) for a cryogenic medium. The line connection 10 is adapted to the type of supply line for the cryogenic medium and, in some cases, is designed to be pressure- and / or low-temperature-resistant; for example, it is a threaded connection or a flange. A liquefied gas such as liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, or liquid carbon dioxide, or even a cold gas such as cryogenic gaseous nitrogen, nitrous oxide, or argon, is used as the cryogenic medium. A flow path 11 through which the cryogenic medium can flow leads from the line connection 10 to a valve opening 12 in the front section 4 of the valve housing 3, which opens into the container 2.

[0032] A shut-off element 13 is accommodated inside the valve housing 3, by means of which the supply of cryogenic medium via the flow path 11 into the container 2 can be controlled. The shut-off element 13 comprises a substantially cylindrical guide pin 14, to the end face of which, facing the container 2, is connected a plate-shaped closing section 15 in the embodiment shown here. The guide pin 14 is received with its front section in a guide channel 16 of the front section 4 in a radially fixed but axially movable manner. In the embodiment shown here, the guide channel 16 simultaneously forms a section of the flow path 11. For this purpose, the guide pin 14 and / or the guide channel 16 is / are equipped with longitudinal grooves or the like (not shown here), which allow the cryogenic medium to flow past the guide pin 14 without thereby significantly increasing the radial play of the guide pin 14.Furthermore, it is also conceivable within the scope of the invention that the flow path 11 to the valve opening 12 runs via one or more line channels bypassing the guide channel 16, which, however, is not shown here.

[0033] The closing section 15 of the shut-off element 13, which is conically shaped on its side facing away from the container 2, is designed such that, in the closed position of the shut-off element - as shown in Fig. 1 - it sits sealingly on a correspondingly conically shaped valve seat 17 of the front housing part 4. To further improve the tightness, a sealing element made of a flexible and cold-resistant material, for example Teflon, is arranged between the valve seat 17 and the closing section 15. For example, a sealing ring 19 is arranged in a corresponding groove running all the way around the valve seat 17 and / or the closing section 15, or a sealing element fastened in some other way to the closing section 15 or the valve seat 17.

[0034] On the side of the guide pin 14 facing away from the closing section 15, a disc-shaped support element 20 is detachably mounted, for example screwed, on a fastening section 21 of the guide pin 14. The outer radius of the support element 20 is larger than the inner diameter of the annular shoulder 7. When the valve is opened, the annular shoulder 7 thus limits the axial displacement of the shut-off element 13 toward the interior of the container 2. In the maximum opening position of the shut-off element 13, the support element 20 sits on the annular shoulder 7. In the closed position of the shut-off element 13, however, the support element 20 is arranged at a distance from the annular shoulder 7.

[0035] In order to keep the flow path 11 open, even when the support element 20 rests on the annular shoulder 7, the guide pin 14 is provided with a central bore 22 which opens into a radial bore 23 which in turn opens radially outwardly on the guide pin 14 and thus enables the cryogenic medium to flow through the guide channel 16.

[0036] The guide channel 16 widens at its end facing away from the container 2 to form a spring receptacle 25, forming an annular shoulder that also functions as a spring seat 26. A spiral-shaped closing spring 27 winding around the guide pin 14 is clamped between this spring seat 26 and the support element 20 in such a way that, in the closed position of the device 1, it is subject to a certain preload acting in the direction away from the container 2. This causes the closing section 15 to be pressed against the valve seat 17 and to release from it only when a certain differential pressure between the pressure in the spring receptacle 25 and the pressure in the interior of the container 2 is exceeded.If the differential pressure is exceeded, the shut-off element 13 is displaced axially towards the interior of the container 2 against the action of the closing spring 27 due to the overpressure acting on the plate-shaped closing section 15 of the shut-off element 13 inside the valve housing 3, thus opening a conical annular gap between the valve seat 17 and the closing section 15, whereupon the cryogenic medium can flow into the interior of the container 2. If the differential pressure is subsequently undershot again, the shut-off element 13 moves into its closed position under the action of the closing spring 27, in which the closing section 15 rests on the valve seat 17. The level of the differential pressure is therefore largely determined by the restoring force of the closing spring 27 and can be preset accordingly by selecting a suitable closing spring 27.For example, the differential pressure when using liquid nitrogen as a cryogenic medium is 0.5 bar, and when using liquid carbon dioxide it is 5-8 bar.

[0037] In the embodiment shown here, the conical shape of the closing section 15 of the shut-off element 13 results in the cryogenic medium being deflected in a radial direction as it flows into the container 2, thus spreading it widely within the container 2. However, other configurations of the valve opening 12 and the shut-off element 13 are also conceivable, in which there is no widening of the medium flow, but rather the cryogenic medium is introduced into the container 2 in the form of a straight jet.

[0038] For fastening the device 1, a connecting piece 28 is provided which, when the device 1 is in use, is firmly mounted in the region of a bore 30 on the wall 31 of the container 2, for example by welding or soldering. For this purpose (not shown here), the holding section 29 can be pre-formed; for example, it can have an annular shoulder which is adapted to the diameter of the bore 30 and along which a circumferential weld seam ensures a firm connection between the wall 31 and the connecting piece 28 which is impermeable to a product located in the container 3. At its end facing away from the container 2, the connecting piece 28 is equipped with a connecting means which, in the embodiment according to Fig.

[0039] 1 is a flange 32. The flange 32 corresponds to a flange 33, which is fastened to the front section 4 of the valve housing 3, for example welded or soldered, or is made integrally therewith, as shown here. In the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 1, the flanges 32, 33 are detachably connected to one another by means of a clamping ring 34 and positioned such that the front section 4 extends at least partially through the connecting piece 28 and is flush with the inner surface 35 of the wall 31 and, if applicable, the container-side end face of the connecting piece 28. Furthermore, instead of the flange connection shown here engaging the front section 4, a flange connection of the (then longer) connecting piece 28 to the rear section 5 of the valve housing 3 can alternatively be provided.It is essential, however, that the connection between the connecting piece 28 and the valve housing 3 can be established or released independently of the connection of the front section 4 to the rear section 5 of the valve housing 3; this allows, in particular, the valve housing 3 as a whole to be detached from the connecting piece 28 and the container 2 and removed, for example, for maintenance or cleaning purposes.

[0040] To ensure that no product from the interior of the container 2 penetrates into the annular space between the connecting piece 28 and the front section 4, a sealing ring 36 is provided. The sealing ring 36, made of Teflon, for example, is arranged as close as possible to the container-side end of the connecting piece 28 and is preferably received in a circumferential groove in the connecting piece 28 and / or the front section 4.

[0041] By adjusting the axial position of the support element 20 on the fastening section 21, the maximum propulsion of the shut-off element 13 can be varied. It is preferably selected such that an end face 37 of the closing section 15 facing the interior of the container 2 does not protrude, or protrudes only slightly, for example 1 mm to 2 mm, from an inner surface 35 of the wall 31 into the interior of the container 2, in order to ensure, in particular, that the operation of any agitator or slide element (not shown here) arranged inside the container 2, which extends almost to the inner surface 35, is not impeded by the closing section 15 when the shut-off element 13 is in the open position.

[0042] The sections 4, 5 of the valve housing 3, the shut-off element 13, the spring 27 and the connecting piece 28 are made of a material that takes into account the low temperatures and / or the high pressures of the cryogenic medium used, for example of a suitable, low-temperature-resistant stainless steel.

[0043] The device 100 shown in Fig. 2 differs from the device 1 only by a different type of connection between the valve housing 101 and the connecting piece 102. Otherwise, identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

[0044] The connection between valve housing 101 and connecting piece 102 in device 100 is made in the manner of an Ingold connector. For this purpose, connecting piece 102 of device 100 is provided with an external thread 103 on its end facing away from container 3. At the same time, valve housing 101, which is otherwise constructed in the same way as valve housing 3, has a front section 104 with a circumferential annular shoulder 105, which is, for example, formed integrally with the remaining front section 104. For connection to the connecting piece 102, a union nut 106 is provided which engages behind the annular shoulder 105 and is screwed onto the external thread 103 of the connecting piece 102, whereby a firm but detachable connection is established between the valve housing 101 and the connecting piece 102, which exists independently of the connection between the front section 104 and the rear section 5 and can also be released without opening it.Furthermore, within the scope of the invention, it is also conceivable, for example, that a union nut is used which interacts with the external thread 103 of the connecting piece 102, which engages behind the rear section 3 and in this way presses the valve housing 3 against the connecting piece 102; in this case, an annular shoulder 105 in the front section 104 is of course unnecessary.

[0045] The devices 1, 100 particularly meet the high hygienic requirements for the treatment of foodstuffs such as dough, flour, mash, or meat mass for sausage production, or for the production of pharmaceutical products, precursors, or ingredients. In particular, the device 1 is also suitable for installation in a lower section of a mixer ("bottom injection"). Another area of ​​application concerns the dosing of a cryogenic medium into a line through which a gas or liquid flows, for example, in wastewater treatment or the treatment of wine, juices, or milk.

[0046] 1 . Device 24.

[0047] 2. Container 25. Spring holder

[0048] 3. Valve housing 26. Spring seat

[0049] 4. Front section 27. Recoil spring

[0050] 5. Rear section 28. Connection piece

[0051] 6. Screw connection 29. Holding section

[0052] 7. Ring shoulder 30. Bore

[0053] 8. Front section 31 . Wall (of the container)

[0054] 9. 32. Flange

[0055] 10. Connection 33. Flange

[0056] 11 . Flow path 34. Clamping ring

[0057] 12. Valve opening 35. Inner surface

[0058] 13. Shut-off element 36. Sealing ring

[0059] 14. Guide pin 37. Front face

[0060] 15. Closing section

[0061] 16. Guide channel 100. Device

[0062] 17. Valve seat 101. Valve body

[0063] 18. 102. Connection piece

[0064] 19. Sealing ring 103. External thread

[0065] 20. Support element 104. Front section

[0066] 21 . Fastening section 105. Ring shoulder

[0067] 22. Hole 106. Union nut

[0068] 23. Borehole

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Device for dosing a cryogenic medium into a container (2), with a valve housing (3, 101) which is constructed from a front section (4, 104) and a rear section (5) which is detachably connected to the front section (4, 104), wherein the front section (4, 104) has a valve opening (12) which opens into the container (2) in the installed state and the valve housing (3, 101) is equipped with a line connection (10) for connecting a supply line for the cryogenic medium and a flow path (11) for the cryogenic medium runs through the valve housing (3, 101) between the line connection (10) and the valve opening (12), and with a shut-off element (13) which is accommodated in the valve housing (3, 101) in such an axially movable manner that it can be moved from a closed position, in which the shut-off element (13) is provided with a a closing section (15) cooperating with a valve seat (17) of the front section (4, 104) closes the valve opening (12),can be brought into an open position, in which the closing section (15) of the shut-off member (13) is arranged at a distance from the valve seat (17) and thus releases the valve opening (12), and in which the axial movement of the shut-off member (13) from its closed position to the open position takes place against the action of a restoring spring means (27), characterized in that the valve housing (3, 101) is connected via connecting means firmly but detachably to a connecting piece (28, 102) which is equipped with a holding section (29) for fixed connection to a wall (30) of the container (2), wherein the connecting means can be actuated independently of the connection of the front section (4, 104) to the rear section (5) of the valve housing (3, 101).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that as connecting means between the connecting piece (28, 102) and the valve housing (3, 101) a flange (32) on the connecting piece (28, 102) and a Flange (33) on the valve housing (3, 102) and a clamping means (34) cooperating with the flanges (33, 34) are provided.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an external thread (103) arranged on the connecting piece (28, 102) and a union nut (106) engaging behind a holding section of the valve housing (3, 101) and adapted to the thread (103) of the connecting piece (28, 102) are provided as connecting means between the connecting piece (28, 102) and the valve housing (3, 101).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sealing element (36) is provided between an inner wall of the connecting piece (28, 102) and an outer wall of the valve housing (3, 101).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear section (5) of the valve housing (3, 101) is connected to the front section (4, 104) of the valve housing (3, 101) by a screw connection or a bayonet connection.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring means (27) comprises a spiral spring which extends in the valve housing (3, 101), between a spring seat (26) of the front section (4, 104) and a support element (20) of the shut-off member (13).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shut-off member (13) is arranged in the valve housing (3, 101) in such a way that the closing section (15) is displaced when the shut-off member (13) is moved from its closed position into the open position in the direction of the interior of the container (2).

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shut-off element (13) is arranged in the valve housing (3, 101) is arranged such that the closing section (15) with an end face (37) facing the interior of the container (2) in the installed state runs flush with an inner surface (35) of the container (2) in the opening position of the shut-off member (13) or protrudes only slightly from the inner surface (35) into the interior of the container (2).

9. Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the valve seat (17) of the valve housing (3, 101) is conically shaped, widening towards the valve opening (12), and cooperates with a corresponding conical shaping of the closing section (15) of the shut-off element (13) to open or close the valve opening (12) in such a way that a conical annular gap opens between the valve seat (17) and the closing section (15) when the shut-off element moves into the open position.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a circumferential sealing element, for example a sealing ring (19) received in a circumferential groove, is provided between the valve seat (17) of the valve housing (3, 101) and the closing section (15) of the shut-off member (13). 11 . Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by means cooperating with the axial position of the shut-off element (13) for regulating the mass flow of cryogenic medium guided through the flow path (11).

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