Combined Fill and Safety Vent Plug for Pressure Tanks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional small gas tanks for propane and butane require separate ports for fill and vent valves, increasing cost, complexity, and safety concerns, especially during refilling, as the vent valve can direct a blast of gas at the user and necessitate additional components like dip tubes for overfill prevention.
Innovation Solution
A combined fill and safety vent plug with a single port integrates a vent valve, fill valve, and dip tube, featuring a valve housing with a vent valve socket, fill valve socket, and overflow channel, allowing safe, simple, and compact refilling without special equipment, with the dip tube indicating full capacity and preventing overfilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate ports are used for fill and vent valves, then each valve can function independently and reliably, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the fill valve and vent valve into a single integrated valve assembly that fits within one port. The valve body includes both a fill valve and a vent valve mounted on the same valve housing, allowing both functions to be performed through a single port penetration in the tank wall, thereby reducing the number of ports required while maintaining independent valve functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The single port serves multiple functions by housing both the fill valve and vent valve within the same port opening. The valve assembly is designed so that one port performs the roles of what would traditionally require two separate ports, achieving multi-functionality without compromising the independent operation of each valve
2Ease of manufacture
If the vent valve is positioned to vent directly out of the port axially, then the venting function is simple and direct, but it exposes the user to a direct facially-aimed blast of gas
Solution Approach 1:
The vent valve is designed with asymmetric orientation where the vent opening is angled relative to the port axis rather than being directly axial. This asymmetric configuration directs the vented gas away from the user's face while the user fills the tank, maintaining simple venting functionality while eliminating the harmful direct blast exposure
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the vent valve discharge gas in the conventional axial direction toward the user, the vent opening is inverted or redirected to discharge in a different direction (laterally or at an angle), thereby inverting the harmful effect and protecting the user from direct exposure while maintaining effective pressure relief
3Reliability
If a dip tube is added to prevent overfilling, then overfill protection is provided, but the device complexity and number of ports increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dip tube is integrated into the same port assembly as the fill and vent valves, combining multiple safety and filling functions within a single port. The dip tube extends into the tank to provide overfill protection by allowing liquid to escape through a separate pathway while sharing the same port mounting location, thereby avoiding the need for an additional dedicated overflow port
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a safe, reliable, and cost-effective means for refilling small gas tanks by integrating fill and vent functions in one port, reducing safety risks and complexity while ensuring accurate filling and overfill protection.
Implementation Method 1
The fill valve is often a conventional spring biased pin valve of the type that is often described as a Schrader valve
Implementation Method 2
Conventional vent valves include a seal that is spring biased into the closed configuration
Implementation Method 3
Pressure on the tank side of the valve will overcome the spring bias and open the vent valve when the pressure in the interior of the tank exceeds the predetermined safe pressure limit
Data Source
AI summary
A combined fill and safety vent plug adapted to being mounted in a port in a pressure tank. A valve housing member is adapted to being mounted in a port in a pressure vessel. A fill valve is located in a fill valve socket in the valve housing member. A vent valve and an overflow system are also provided in the valve housing member. All of the functions of filling, venting, dispensing, and overflow protection are provided by elements contained in one single plug in one single port in a pressure vessel. For safety purposes, the vent valve dumps excess fluid generally laterally of the valve housing member.