THERMALLY ACTIVATABLE PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICE

Abstract

A thermally activatable pressure relief device includes a housing having an inlet passage and an outlet passage. A receiving cavity in the housing connects the inlet passage and the outlet passage. A blocking element provided in the receiving cavity. The blocking element is movable between a blocking position and a release position and blocking a fluid flow from the inlet passage to the outlet passage in the blocking position and is released in a release position. The pressure relief valve also includes and a support member, such as a bursting member, which holds the blocking element in the blocking position. The inlet passage opens transversely to the direction of movement of the blocking element in a side wall of the receiving cavity in the region of a mouth section which, in the blocking position, is filled by the blocking element.

Claims

1. A thermally activatable pressure relief device, comprising: a housing having at least one inlet passage and at least one outlet passage; a receiving cavity in the housing, which connects the inlet passage and the outlet passage and in which a blocking element is received, the blocking element being movable between a blocking position and a release position and blocking a fluid flow from the inlet passage to the outlet passage in the blocking position and releasing it in the release position; and a support member that holds the blocking element in the blocking position, wherein the inlet passage opens transversely to a direction of movement of the blocking element in a side wall of the receiving cavity in the region of a mouth section which, in the blocking position, is filled by the blocking element and wherein, in the blocking position of the blocking element, the mouth section is sealed with respect to the end faces of the blocking element in the direction of movement of the blocking element.

2. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving cavity includes a first sealing ring at a first end of the mouth portion and a second sealing ring at a second end of the mouth portion and wherein the sealing rings abut against the outer surface of the blocking element and the inner surface of the receiving cavity, and wherein the blocking element has a different diameter in a region of the first sealing ring than in a region of the second sealing ring.

3. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is a bursting member.

4. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 1 wherein the receiving cavity is a bore and the blocking element is a shut-off piston.

5. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 1 wherein a preloaded compression spring presses the blocking element located in the blocking position in the direction of the release position.

6. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 1 wherein an intermediate element is arranged between the support member and the blocking element.

7. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 5, wherein the pressure spring is supported on the housing and on an intermediate element arranged between the support member and the blocking element.

8. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 1 wherein the outlet passage is oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the blocking element.

9. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 4, wherein the outlet passage is oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the blocking element.

10. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 6, wherein a preloaded compression spring presses the blocking element located in the blocking position in the direction of the release position and wherein the pressure spring is supported on the housing and on the intermediate element.

11. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 3, wherein the receiving cavity is a bore and the blocking element is a shut-off piston.

12. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 11, wherein a preloaded compression spring presses the blocking element located in the blocking position in the direction of the release position.

13. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 12, wherein an intermediate element is arranged between the support member and the blocking element.

14. A thermally activatable pressure relief device according to claim 13, wherein the pressure spring is supported on the housing and on the intermediate element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Further practical embodiments and advantages of the system described herein are described below in connection with the drawings.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a pressure relief device according to the system described herein.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a side view of the pressure relief device of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a front view of the pressure relief device of FIG. 1 looking into the inlet passage.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the pressure relief device from FIGS. 1 - 3 with the bursting member intact and the blocking element in the blocking position.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 with the blocking element in the release position.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0035] The thermally activatable pressure relief device 2 shown in the figures includes a housing 4 having an inlet passage 6 and an outlet passage 8. The housing 4 also has a thread 10 arranged at the inlet passage for connecting the pressure relief device 2 to a fluid-carrying system, for example a compressed gas container (not shown). A thread 11 is also arranged at the outlet passage 8 in the illustrated embodiment, to which a fluid conduit can be connected if the exiting fluid can be directed from the outlet passage to another location. If the exiting fluid can exit directly at the housing 4, the thread 11 can be omitted.

[0036] A receiving cavity 12 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is arranged in the housing between the inlet passage 6 and the outlet passage 8. The housing 4 is an elongated component with an axially extending bore, which has several successive sections. The central section of the bore forms the receiving cavity 12 for a blocking element, namely a shut-off piston 14. The inlet passage 6 opens into the receiving cavity 12 in the radial direction. The outlet passage 8 is axially adjacent to the receiving cavity 12 with the blocking element 14. In addition to the blocking element 14, a bursting member 16, an intermediate element 18 and a compression spring 20 are also arranged in the receiving cavity 12. An axial end of the receiving cavity 12, which is located at the top in the figures, is closed by a closing plug 26. The closing plug 26 has an external thread on a circumferential surface of the closing plug 26, which is screwed into an internal thread of the housing 4.

[0037] The receiving cavity 12 forms an elongated, substantially rotationally symmetrical recess in the housing 4. The outlet passage 8 and the receiving cavity 12 are aligned with each other and thus have a common longitudinal axis.

[0038] The inlet passage 6 and the receiving cavity 12 are oriented transversely to each other. The inlet passage 6 opens into a side wall of the receiving cavity 12 in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the inlet passage 6 and the longitudinal axis of the receiving cavity 12 are orthogonal to each other. The region of the receiving cavity 12 at which the inlet passage 6 opens forms a mouth section 34 for the inlet passage 6 and has a slightly larger diameter than adjacent regions of the receiving cavity 12. A fluid (not shown) is supplied to the receiving cavity 12 from the inlet passage 6 via the mouth section 34. When the pressure relief device 2 is closed, the mouth section 34 is bounded in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the receiving cavity 12 by two seals. In the illustrated embodiment, the seals are two O-rings 22 and 23, which are arranged between the blocking element 14 and the inner surface of the receiving cavity 12 and are axially spaced apart.

[0039] The blocking element 14 is designed as a rotationally symmetrical shut-off piston which is arranged in the receiving cavity 12 such that the blocking element 14 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction. The blocking element 14 has three portions when viewed in the longitudinal direction. A first end portion 28 is oriented toward the bursting member 16, upwardly in the drawings. A second end portion 30 is on the side of the blocking element 14 facing away from the bursting member 16 and forms a downward end in the drawings. A third, middle portion 32 is located between the first and second portions of the blocking element 14.

[0040] The first end portion 28 is provided with an external thread in the upper region and is screwed into an internal thread of the intermediate element 18. As a result, the blocking element 14 is fixed to the intermediate element 18 in the axial direction. Adjacent to the external thread is a threadless region of the first end portion 28, which has a reduced diameter relative to the middle portion 32. An upper sealing ring 22 is supported on the unthreaded portion of the first end portion 28. A first spacer sleeve 21 is located between the upper sealing ring 22 and the intermediate element 18. The second end portion 30 is also provided with an external thread onto which a threaded sleeve 33 is screwed. Here, too, the external thread is adjoined by a threadless region of the second end portion 30 of reduced diameter, on which a lower sealing ring 23 is mounted. A further spacer sleeve 25 is arranged between the lower sealing ring and the threaded sleeve 33.

[0041] For assembly, the two sealing rings 22, 23 and the spacer sleeves 21, 25 are pushed onto the end portions 28, 30 on the shut-off piston 14. Then the threaded sleeve 33 is screwed onto the lower end portion 30 and the intermediate element 18 is screwed onto the upper end portion 28. The unit thus formed can then be inserted into the bore of the housing 4, which forms the receiving cavity. The shut-off piston 14 is fixed to the intermediate element 18 in the axial direction.

[0042] In the embodiment of the accompanying drawings, the cross-sectional area of the first end portion 28 of the blocking element 14 and the cross-sectional area of the second end portion 30 of the blocking element 14 along the longitudinal axis are approximately similar. The third, middle portion 32 has a larger diameter than the first end portion 28 and the second end portion 30 of the blocking element 14. The middle portion 32 is located in the mouth section 34 of the receiving cavity 12 when the blocking element 14 is in the blocking position shown in FIG. 4. The first end portion 28 and the second end portion 30 of the blocking element 14 have a slightly smaller diameter than the receiving cavity 12, so that an O-ring 22 and an O-ring 23, respectively, can be arranged between each of the end portions 28, 30 and the inner wall of the receiving cavity 12. The O-rings 22 seal the mouth portion 34 in a gas-tight manner with respect to the upper and lower regions of the receiving cavity 12, and thus in a gas-tight manner with respect to the upper and lower end faces of the blocking element 14.

[0043] The mouth section 34 has a radial widening between the two O-rings 22, 23 into which the inlet passage 6 opens. In the entire mouth section 34 between the seals, i.e., the O-rings 22, 23, the pressure of the fluid in the inlet passage 6 prevails, which is usually considerably increased compared to the ambient pressure. Thus, a high-pressure region is created in the mouth section 34 and a low-pressure region beyond the O-rings 22, 23.

[0044] The hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the high-pressure area within the mouth section 34 acts on the blocking element 14, which is in the blocking position, and generates forces via the surfaces of the blocking element 14. The force components of the pressure acting on the blocking element 14 in the radial direction cancel each other out due to rotational symmetry of the blocking element 14. The axial force components depend on the cross-sectional area of the blocking element 14 in the region of the seals, namely the O-rings 22 and 23. Although it is not readily apparent from the drawings, the diameter of the blocking element 14 may be slightly larger in the first, upper end portion 28 than in the second, lower end portion 30. Consequently, the upwardly acting fluid pressure forces in the high pressure mouth section 34 are greater than the downwardly acting pressure forces and the pressure forces push the blocking element 14 upwardly. However, the resulting and upwardly acting pressure forces are much smaller than in known embodiments in which the inlet passage leads to the end face of the blocking element and the high pressure is applied to the entire end face.

[0045] In the closed configuration of the pressure relief device 2 shown in FIG. 1, the blocking element 14 is supported against a first end of the intermediate element 18 on a first upper end face disposed on the first end portion 28 of the blocking element 14. The downwardly directed first end of the intermediate element 18 has a recess that engages the upper portion of the first end portion 28 of the blocking element 14. The recess at the first end of the intermediate element 18 has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the first end portion 28 of the blocking element 14, such that the intermediate element 18 is connected to the blocking element 14 by an interference fit in the embodiment shown herein.

[0046] A second, upper end of the intermediate element 18 supports the intermediate element 18 against the bursting member 16. The second end of the intermediate element 18 has a circumferential collar that is received with a small amount of clearance in the receiving cavity 12. The top of the second end of the intermediate element 18 includes a recess that receives the lower end of the bursting member 16.

[0047] In the embodiment shown herein, the bursting member 16 is an elongated rotationally symmetrical, thin-walled, closed glass bulb extending in the longitudinal direction of the receiving cavity 12. At the upper end of the bursting member 16 facing away from the intermediate element 18, the bursting member 16 has a nipple 24 which projects into a recess of a screw plug 26 which is screwed into an internal thread arranged at the upper end of the receiving cavity 12 and closes the housing 4. The bursting member 16 is held securely in position via the nipple 24 located in the recess.

[0048] The bursting member 16, which is axially supported on the screw plug 26, fixes the blocking element 14 in a blocking position via the intermediate element 18, as is shown in FIG. 4.

[0049] The bursting member 16 contains a fluid, usually a liquid, which expands with an increase in temperature so that the pressure on the inner surface of the bursting member 16 increases. Radially around the bursting member, the receiving cavity 12 has a widening so that the lateral wall of the bursting member 16 is not in contact with the inner surface of the housing 4. Thus, the lateral wall of the bursting member 16 is not supported by the housing 4, and the pressure exerted on the lateral wall of the bursting member 16 by the fluid contained in the bursting member 16 causes the bursting member 16 to burst at a predetermined threshold temperature. Consequently, the bursting member 16 forms a support member for the blocking element 14 and prevents the blocking element 14 from being displaced in the axial direction. When bursting occurs due to reaching the threshold temperature, the bursting member releases the movement of the blocking element 14 in the axial direction and allows the fluid to flow from the inlet passage 6 to the outlet passage 8.

[0050] When the cross-sectional areas of the first end portion 28 and the second end portion 30 of the blocking element 14 are equal in size, no axial force acting longitudinally on the blocking element 14 is generated by the high pressure fluid flowing through the inlet passage 6. The pressure relief device includes a compression spring 20 which exerts an axial force on the intermediate element 18 in the direction of the bursting member 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the compression spring 20 is a helical spring that surrounds the intermediate element 18. The compression spring 20 is preloaded and rests with a lower end on an annular shoulder surface in the receiving cavity 12 of the housing and with the other, upper end against the collar of the intermediate element 18. The preload of the compression spring 20 exerts an upward force on the bursting member via the intermediate element 18.

[0051] In the first configuration of the thermally activatable pressure relief device 2 shown in FIG. 4, in which the bursting member 16 is intact, the blocking element 14 is in blocking position. The pressure relief device is in a standby state in which a flow of fluid from the inlet passage 6 to the outlet passage 8 is blocked. When the threshold temperature is exceeded, the bursting member 16 bursts, causing the intermediate element 18 and the blocking element 14 to no longer be supported against the bursting member 16. The preloaded compression spring 20 expands, moving the intermediate element 18 and the blocking element 14, held thereon by the aforementioned interference fit, to the release position. A second configuration of the pressure relief device 2 is shown in FIG. 5. It can be seen that the intermediate element 18 and the upper end portion 28 of the blocking element 14 are displaced upwards into the area where the intact bursting member 16 was previously located (see FIG. 4). By displacing the blocking element 14 with the sealing rings 22, 23 located thereon upwards, the outlet passage 8 is connected to the inlet passage 6 via the receiving cavity 12 so that a compressed gas supplied to the pressure relief device 2 via the inlet passage 6 can escape unhindered from the outlet passage 8.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the downwardly extending outlet passage 8 is oriented opposite to the upwardly extending direction of movement of the blocking element 14 adjacent the receiving cavity 12. As a result, the gas flowing in through the inlet passage 6 can flow unhindered to the outlet passage 8 and escape without having to flow around the blocking element 14.

[0053] As mentioned above, the cross-sectional area of the first end portion 28 of the blocking element 14 is slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the second end portion 30. The result is an upward driving force generated by the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid flowing through the inlet passage 6, pushing the blocking element 14 upward toward the bursting member 16. In this case, the magnitude of the driving force depends on the ratio of the size of the first cross-sectional area at the location where the first O-ring 22 is disposed at the first end portion 28 of the blocking element 14 to the size of the second cross-sectional area at the location where the second O-ring 23 is disposed at the second end portion 30 of the blocking element 14. Only the cross-sectional areas at the two end portions 28, 30 of the blocking element 14 and the pressure difference between the high-pressure region and the low-pressure region are relevant to the magnitude of the driving force. The magnitude of the driving force is significantly smaller than in the known devices in which the high pressure from the inlet passage is applied to the entire end face of the blocking element. The magnitude of the driving force can be selected so that the driving force promotes rapid opening of the pressure relief device but is not so great as to endanger the bursting member.

[0054] As noted, instead of the bursting member 16, other support members can be provided for the blocking element which change shape when a threshold temperature is exceeded, thereby releasing the movement of the blocking element 14.

[0055] The features of the invention disclosed in the present description, in the drawings as well as in the claims may be essential, both individually and in any combination, for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. It may be varied within the scope of the claims and with due regard to the knowledge of the person skilled in the art.