Discharge valve for underwater inflatable equipment

Abstract

An exhaust valve for inflatable diving equipment includes a valve body having an annular peripheral flange providing a sealing stable connection with a band of material along the edge of a passage opening in the delimiting wall of a hollow body, and a cylindrical collar surrounded by the annular flange and provided with coupling members to corresponding coupling members of a cover cap of the valve body. The cylindrical collar internally defines an annular valve seat that surrounds an opening communicating with the hollow body and that cooperates with a shutter provided on the side of the valve seat opposite to the internal space of the hollow body and stably stressed, in the closed position, against the valve seat, by an elastic element interposed between a wall of the cover cap and the facing side of the shutter. Optional displacement organs move the shutter from the stable closed position of the valve to an open position. The cover cap covers the valve seat and the shutter toward the outside and has a passage opening coupled with an interception and/or a deflection screen of particles or other suspended material, leaving free or openable a discharge passage.

Claims

1. An exhaust valve for inflatable diving equipment, comprising: a valve body with an annular peripheral flange providing a sealing stable connection with a band of material along an edge of a passage opening in a delimiting wall of a hollow body; a cylindrical collar surrounded by the annular peripheral flange and provided with coupling members to corresponding coupling members of a cover cap of the valve body, wherein the cylindrical collar internally carries an annular valve seat that surrounds an opening in the valve seat communicating with the hollow body, the valve seat cooperating with a shutter comprising a gasket, the shutter being provided on a side of the valve seat opposite to an internal compartment of the hollow body and being stably stressed with a predetermined force, in a closed position of the exhaust valve against the valve seat, by an elastic element interposed between a wall of the cover cap and a facing side of the shutter, and optionally, moving members of the shutter, against an action of the elastic element, from the closed position of the exhaust valve to an open position of the exhaust valve, in which the shutter is spaced from the valve seat and the cover cap extends outward the valve seat, the shutter being at a distance therefrom and forming a compartment, the cover cap having a passage opening for discharge from the compartment when the shutter is in a position spaced from the valve seat, wherein a screen is associated with the passage opening in the cover cap, the screen providing ab interception and/or deflection of particles or other suspended material, the screen leaving the passage free or openable through the opening.

2. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein the screen is configured as a net or a grid that extends over an entire open section of the opening, and wherein the passage opening is of a predetermined size.

3. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein the passage opening is configured as a stably open or openable opening having an axis that is oriented mainly or exclusively tangentially to the opening in the cap cover, and the screen configured as a wall that overlaps, at a distance, a lumen of the opening in the cover cap, and optionally also the wall of the cap cover at least in an area surrounding the opening.

4. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein the passage opening is configured as a stably open or openable opening having an axis that is mainly or exclusively oriented tangentially to the opening in the cap cover, and the screen is configured as a shutter for closing the opening in the cover cap, the shutter being of a non-return type and closing the opening in the cover cap in a direction of passage from an outside towards an inside of the cover cap, the shutter allowing a passage in a direction from the inside of the cover cap to the outside of the cover cap.

5. The exhaust valve according to claim 4, wherein the shutter is provided as a diaphragm shutter configured to operate in accordance with a non-return valve membrane and to maintain, due to a combination of shape and intrinsic elasticity, a closed condition in which the shutter adheres against a sealing surface that surrounds an edge of the opening in the cover cap, the shutter, when allowing passage of a fluid from the inside of the cover cap toward the outside of the cover cap, having the valve membrane pushed by a pressure of the outgoing fluid, lifting the shutter from the sealing surface, at least in correspondence with a perimeter lip of the valve membrane.

6. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein the cover cap has a plurality of openings distributed along an upper surface thereof in an annular zone around a central axis of symmetry, each of the openings being provided with a dedicated interception screen which extends for an entire lumen of a corresponding opening, or a single interception screen being provided which overlaps the cover cap and all Of the plurality of openings, or a plurality of adjacent interception screens being provided, each overlapping at least a predetermined number of the openings.

7. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein a single diaphragm shutter shaped as a disk or annular element overlaps an upper side of the cover cap and a plurality of openings is provided therein, further comprising at least one annular peripheral band in a connection area of the upper side of the cover cap to a cylindrical or conical side wall of the cover cap, the peripheral band forming a valve seat with which a coincident perimeter band of the shutter sealingly cooperates, the shutter being provided in a central area with fastening members to the cover cap.

8. The exhaust valve according to claim 7, wherein the shutter is configured as a disc and the fastening members for fixing the shutter are shaped as an appendix disposed to engage, by interlocking and/or shape coupling, in a coincident central seat provided in an upper wall of the cover cap.

9. The exhaust valve according to claim 7, wherein the shutter is annular in shape and has a central opening, the fastening members being separate construction parts which have opposing clamping surfaces on the shutter and on the cover cap, the opposite clamping surfaces being axially spaced from each other so as to overlap opposite surfaces of the shutter and of the cover cap, tightening the shutter and the cover cap against each other.

10. The exhaust valve according to claim 7, wherein the fastening members of the shutter are coupled by elastic interlocking in a hole or an interlocking seat in the cap cover.

11. The exhaust valve according to claim 7, wherein the elastic element, in the open condition of the exhaust valve, is displaced by a tie rod fixed to the shutter and passing outside the cover cap through a through hole provided in the fastening members of the shutter.

12. The exhaust valve according to claim 11, wherein the cover cap has a coaxial central hole for interlocking engagement of the fastening members of the shutter, the fastening members being tubular.

13. A kit for modification and integration of pre-existing exhaust valves for inflatable diving equipment, the kit one comprising: an interception screen shaped as a grid; a shield wall or a membrane shutter having a shape corresponding to an upper wall of a cover cap of an exhaust valve and a fixing member of the interception screen to the cover cap, wherein the fixing member is optionally provided in at least one fixing point of the membrane shutter to the cover cap, the at least one fixing point coinciding with pre-existing coupling seats of the cover cap, wherein the membrane shutter and/or the fixing member is provided with a passage opening coinciding with at least one passage opening in a wall of the cover cap intended for passage from outside of the valve to inside of a compartment delimited by the cover cap of actuation members, causing displacement of the membrane shutter and closing the exhaust valve, and wherein the membrane shutter and the fixing member are made according to claim 1.

14. The kit according to claim 13, further comprising a replacement cover cap having an identical shape and size as the cover cap present on the exhaust valve, the replacement cover cap comprising a central through opening, one or more passage openings distributed around the central through opening, and at least one radially outermost perimeter band of the upper wall of the cover cap defining a valve seat and/or peripheral delimitation surfaces of the central through opening and one or more passage openings in the cover cap that provide valve seats cooperating in a sealing manner with the membrane shutter, wherein the replacement cover cap, the membrane shutter and the fixing member are made according to claim 1 and are optionally already assembled together in an operating condition.

15. An exhaust valve for inflatable diving equipment according to claim 1, comprising: an assembly that includes a cover cap and a valve body/seat provided with a threaded collars that provide a mutual connection and anchoring and that have a cylindrical tubular shape, the assembly further including a closing gasket, a rigid closing disk, and a calibrated spring, wherein a set having a cover cap—valve body/seat (1,1b) is further provided with one or more cylindrical tubular collars for radial containment of threaded connection collars.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description of a particular embodiment, made with reference to the attached drawing, given by way of non-limiting example and on which:

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional representation of an exhaust valve for traditional inflatable diving equipment.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a valve according to the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a valve according to the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, in which the valve is made according to an executive example of the present invention.

[0062] FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the exhaust valve for inflatable diving equipment according to FIG. 4, and

[0063] FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of an exhaust valve to which the present invention can be applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0064] An example of a traditional discharge valve (manual and overpressure), for example and not limited to an underwater buoyancy equilibrator is schematically represented in FIG. 1.

[0065] These exhaust valves generally consist of a main body 21 provided with a valve seat 23 against which a flat seal 24 of a shutter acts. The gasket 23 is kept in the closed position by a hard disk 25 stressed by a calibrated cylindrical helical spring 26. The hard disk 25 is provided with a raised seat 29 to allow the connection of a coupling terminal 28 of a traction member, such as for example a control cable 27 and the whole is enclosed by a cover cap 212, which is fixed to the body 21, preferably in a removable way. According to the type of construction, normal or lowered, the covering cap 212 covers the main body 21 towards the outside at a certain distance from the valve seat and from the shutter, forming a space in which said valve seat, the shutter, the elastic element 26 are housed.

[0066] When provided as in the example illustrated, the other elements 25, 27 and 28 are also provided inside the compartment.

[0067] The valve shown has features which are not to be considered limiting of the present invention but constitute a non-limiting example.

[0068] In a non-limiting but preferential way, the covering cap 212 has a cylindrical wall section provided with an internal thread with which it is screwed onto an external thread of a collar 210 of the main body 21 which is carried radially inside the peripheral flange 321 for fastening the body 21, for example, to a peripheral boundary band of an opening in a wall of an inflatable hollow body indicated with 22.

[0069] The cover cap 212 keeps the spring 26 compressed in its calibrated loaded position against the side of the hard disk 25 which carries the seal 24 of the shutter. The spring 26 stably pushes the shutter against the valve seat 23, holding it stably and with a predetermined force in the closing position of the valve.

[0070] The valve is opened manually, by lifting the hard disk 25 and the flat gasket 24 associated with it by means of manual traction and/or by means of a motorized actuator of the control cable 27, 28, or the opening of the valve also occurs automatically, when the pressure inside the inflatable hollow body to which the valve is applied is such as to overcome the thrust of the calibrated spring 26 against the hard disk 25 and the flat gasket 24.

[0071] The valve body 21 is generally welded at high frequency on the flexible material (thermoplastic elastomer) used for the inflatable hollow body 22. This requires the valve body 21 to be made with the same thermoplastic elastomer used for the bladder, generally polyurethane, for ensuring a strong and optimal connection with the bag/hollow body itself.

[0072] The actuation member of the shutter 24, 25, i.e. in this case, the cable 27 is passed inside the valve, i.e. in the compartment delimited by the cover cap 212 through a hole 222 provided in the upper wall of the cover cap 212.

[0073] Furthermore, a plurality of openings 242 through which the discharged fluid passes when the shutter 24, 25 is moved into the valve opening position, i.e. removed from the valve seat 23.

[0074] The perimeter edge of the upper wall of the cover 212 which, in this case, is convex on the side towards the outside and concave on the side towards the inside of the valve, is connected to a cylindrical end portion 232 of the cover cap 212 which has the internal thread of engagement with the external thread of the collar 210, said cylindrical portion 232 and said collar therefore having internal and external diameters respectively dimensionally matched to each other.

[0075] It is worth remembering here that the example illustrated is not limiting and that the technical teaching of the present invention is applied without requiring substantial changes to other configurations of the drain valve, such as the drain valve made according to document IT102016000038632.

[0076] FIGS. 2 to 5 show an example of a valve according to the present invention, in which the exhaust valve is made substantially as described with reference to FIG. 1. In the remaining description, reference will therefore be made to the preceding description using the same reference numbers for identical parts or parts having identical functions, while the features envisaged by the present invention will be described with greater precision. These will be configured in accordance with the specific construction of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, without this constituting any limitation of the claimed technical concept, but only an example of application.

[0077] With particular reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the illustrated cover 212 shows a plurality of through openings 242 provided on the upper wall of the same, i.e. on the wall opposite the shutter 24, 25. The openings 242 are distributed on an annular wall band, in particular coaxial, and are separated by radial material bridges 252 which connect a central part 262 to a perimeter band 272 which is provided in correspondence with a connection area of said upper wall to the terminal cylindrical portion 232.

[0078] The upper surface and, in particular, the perimeter band are shaped so as to form a sealing surface with which a membrane shutter 30 cooperates.

[0079] According to an embodiment, said diaphragm shutter 30 has at least one perimeter sealing lip 130 which co-operates in a tight manner against the perimeter strip 272 of the upper wall of the cover 212 being at least said perimeter lip 130 and said perimeter strip 272 correspondingly shaped.

[0080] According to a further feature present in this example, the membrane shutter is shaped with its face adhering against the upper side of the cover cap 212 in a manner corresponding to the whole of said upper side, extending the sealing adhesion areas for substantially all the areas of contact with said upper wall.

[0081] According to a further feature, an annular rib 230 protrudes along an annular circumference radially intermediate between the center and the perimeter edge of the diaphragm shutter 30 from the face of the same facing the cover cap, which is intended to engage with shape coupling in a coinciding groove obtained in the thickness of the upper wall of the cover cap 212.

[0082] The diaphragm shutter 30 is made of an elastomeric material such as rubber or the like and, as in the known diaphragm valves, it is configured in such a way that its intrinsic elasticity keeps it stably in the position of contact with the upper wall of the cover cap, i.e. with the perimeter band 272 and the other contact areas, while its flexibility is such as to allow an elastic deformation of removal or lifting of said diaphragm shutter 30 under the action of a force exerted by the pressure of a fluid passing through the valve seat when the valve is in the open condition, returning to the initial condition of contact with the areas provided on the wall of the cover cap when this action ceases due to the closure of the valve or the reduction in pressure of the outflowing fluid below a certain value.

[0083] In the closed condition of the valve, therefore, the openings of the cover remain effectively closed against infiltration of particles of any kind into the valve compartment delimited by the cover cap 212 and therefore the mechanism of the exhaust valve remains protected against soiling of the valve seat, of the shutter or of the zone of movement thereof by said particles and against malfunctions or impairments of functionality caused by said particles. In the discharging condition, the diaphragm shutter allows the outflow of the discharged fluid to escape easily and without generating an impediment, so the functionality of the discharge valve is not compromised in relation to its efficiency.

[0084] Depending on the construction of the discharge valve, different solutions can be provided for the configuration of the diaphragm shutter 30 and the means of fixing it to the cover cap 212.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, a solution is shown by way of example, in which the membrane shutter is made annular and has a free circular area 330 in its central area.

[0086] The means for fixing the shutter 30 to the covering cap 212 consist, in this case, of a central button 31. The central button 31 has a circular outer head 331 which overlaps an annular band 430 of the membrane shutter 30 along the edge that delimits the central opening of the same. Furthermore, the central button has a tubular axial appendix 131 with a conical interlocking head 231 which tapers towards the free end of the appendix 131, forming a leading surface for an interlocking by means of elastic forcing in a central hole 222 of the upper wall of the cover cap 212. This hole is of dimensions commensurate with the diameter of the intermediate tubular section of the appendix 131, which diameter is smaller in a predetermined extent than the maximum diameter of the conical head 231. The conical head has a maximum diameter which is greater of the diameter of the intermediate portion of the appendix 131 and which thus forms an annular step at the height of the connection area to the intermediate part of the appendix 131, while the axial length of the appendix 131 is such, that in coupled condition in the hole 222 of the cover cap 212, the membrane 30 remains firmly clamped between the external head 331 and the annular step formed by the conical head 231 at the end of the interlocking appendix 131.

[0087] Furthermore, to improve the locking in position of the annular membrane shutter 30, the lower rib 230 is provided to coincide with the band 430 of said membrane shutter 30 to which the external head 331 of the fastening button 31 overlaps.

[0088] The button 31 is entirely crossed from side to side by a coaxial passage hole for the actuation member, that is the cable 27, of the valve shutter 24, 25 which is connected similarly to what was previously described to the hard disk 25 of the shutter.

[0089] Briefly and generally speaking, the annular shutter 30 according to this embodiment is fixed by tightening by means of a pin which has opposite annular surfaces of radial widening which overlap, one of them to an internal perimeter band of the membrane shutter 30 and the other to an abutment surface of the cover cap opposite to that of the diaphragm shutter, the pin being completely axially crossed by a through hole which constitutes the passage for the actuating member of the shutter 24, 25 of the discharge valve.

[0090] Other variants are possible, in which, for example, the diaphragm shutter is made up of a complete disc, i.e. not annular, and has a central hole that extends through a central appendix for engagement by snap-fit or by forcing into a hole 222 of the cover cap. In this case, the appendix can be made of one piece with the shutter material and the shutter hole can extend axially even inside the shutter up to the end of the appendix.

[0091] As it appears evident from the foregoing, the features of the present invention can also be provided in the form of a modification kit for existing valves.

[0092] In the illustrated embodiment, this kit must include a replacement cover 212 which has the internal features of the cover to be replaced and to which the membrane shutter 30 and the fixing button 31 are coupled or can be coupled.

[0093] Depending on the configuration of the existing cover cap, it is also possible to provide a modification kit which only has a diaphragm shutter 30 in combination with fixing means made in one piece as described above or consisting of separate construction parts 31, the shutter being a membrane and said fastening means to the pre-existing cover cap shaped correspondingly to the configuration of said cover cap.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 6, the invention can also be applied to other configurations of exhaust valves. FIG. 6 shows a drain valve according to the patent IT 102016000038632. In this example, the body of the discharge valve 1 is fixed to the inflatable bag 2, and provided, as usual, with a valve seat 3 against which a flat elastomer gasket 4 rests. The gasket 4 is kept in position closure by a hard disk 5 pushed by a calibrated conical helical spring 6. A control cable 7 is attached to the hard disk 5 whose coupling device 8 is contained in a closed seat 9 obtained in the flat gasket 4 instead of in the hard disk 5, to reduce the overall thickness of the valve object of the present invention. The valve body 1 is also provided with a threaded collar 10, with a relatively fine pitch thread, onto which a threaded connection and anchoring collar 11 formed in the cover cap 12 is screwed.

[0095] The manual and automatic opening operation of the drain valve is equivalent to what was previously described in the examples of FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0096] In this advantageous embodiment, the valve body 1 is further provided with a cylindrical tubular collar 13 which contains and radially fixes the threaded connection and anchoring collar 11 of the cover cap 12 which in turn is provided with a cylindrical tubular collar 14 which further contains and radially fixes the collars 10, 11 and 13 of the body/seat assembly 2—cover cap 10.

[0097] Also in this case, the cover cap 10 has one or more openings for the discharge of the fluid exhausted upon opening the discharge valve and which are not visible from the illustrated section. What appears evident from FIG. 6 is however that the concepts and technical teachings of the present invention illustrated with reference to a valve of the type according to FIG. 1 are applicable without the need for substantial modifications of the technical teaching but only thanks to simple adaptations of shape to the configuration of the valve shown in FIG. 6.

[0098] Thanks to this, the advantages of protection against foreign bodies that can infiltrate the exhaust valve, compromising its functioning or in any case causing malfunctions, even partial, extend even to compact valves such as the one in FIG. 6. It is clear that precisely in the case of this type of valves, the reduced internal space of the valve, i.e., the compartment delimited by the cover cap and the valve seat, is more sensitive to functional interference with foreign particles that have penetrated into the valve itself and therefore the combination with the protective limb shutter with function as a non-return valve offers a synergistic advantage that goes beyond the mere aggregation of construction parts.

[0099] Even in the case of the valve of FIG. 6, it is evident that the invention can be implemented in the form of a modification kit for existing valves configured according to one or more of the variants previously described.

[0100] According to still a possible variant embodiment, not illustrated in detail, alternatively or in combination with the discharge opening or openings 242 of the previous examples, the opening or openings in the cover 212 can be provided in the wall of the substantially cylindrical section, i.e. in the side walls of the cover 212 being provided for each of said openings in the side wall of the cover 212 alternatively or in combination at least one screen in the form of a net or grid and/or at least one valve seat with an associated shutter which has a stably closed position in relation to the direction of flow from the outside towards the inside of the cover 212 thanks to the pressure of the flow on the shutter and can be opened in the direction of flow from the inside towards the outside thanks to the pressure of the outgoing flow analogously to the embodiment described above with reference to the shutter 30 in each of the variants provided for the same.