Cap with a brim protecting the rotary control member of a gas container valve unit

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container (20), such as a gas cylinder, a valve unit fixed to the gas container (20) and a protective cap (1, 2, 3, 4) arranged around the said valve unit, the protective cap (1, 2, 3, 4) comprising an opening (9) in which a rotary control member (5) is housed. The opening (9) is bordered by a protruding brim (7) jutting out from the external surface of the body (2) of the protective cap (1, 2, 3, 4). The protruding brim (7) comprises a cutout (8) forming a reading window so that marks or markings (11) corresponding to gas flow-rate values can be read.

Claims

1. A gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container, a valve unit fixed to the gas container and a protective cap arranged around said valve unit, the protective cap comprising an opening in which a rotary control member is housed, wherein the opening is at least partially bordered by a protruding brim jutting out from an external surface of the body of the protective cap, the protruding brim comprising a cutout forming a reading window and wherein the protruding brim forms a visor jutting out beyond the rotary control member.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the protruding brim extends over at least part of an upper periphery of the opening.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotary control member bears several markings corresponding to gas flow rates, the cutout forming the reading window being formed in the protruding brim so as to be positioned facing at least one of the markings borne by the rotary control member so as to allow a user to see the said at least one marking through said reading window.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the markings comprising the flow rate indications can be read only through the cutout forming the reading window.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotary control member comprises one or more elements in relief and/or housings able and designed to be grasped by the user between his fingers.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the one or more elements in relief and/or housings able and designed to be grasped by the user between his fingers are around a center of the rotary control member.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotary control member comprises one or more elements in relief and/or housings able and designed to be grasped by the user between his fingers and markings corresponding to gas flow rates, the markings being positioned around the one or more elements in relief and/or housings able and designed to be grasped by the user between his fingers.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the one or more elements in relief and/or housings able and designed to be grasped by the user between his fingers are positioned in the opening of the cap.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the rotary control member is designed and arranged in such a way that when the user turns the rotary control member by a manual/finger action on the one or more elements in relief and/or housings able and designed to be grasped by the user between his fingers, markings are made to scroll past the cutout that forms the reading window.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotary control member is a rotary handwheel.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the protruding brim comprises one or more markings indicative of the direction in which the user needs to turn the rotary control member in order to increase or in order to decrease the flow rate of gas delivered by the valve unit.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve unit comprises a gas outlet orifice borne by a gas outlet connection, the rotary control member being able to move in terms of rotation about said gas outlet connection.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotary control member collaborates with a gas flow-rate control system arranged in the valve unit, when operated by the user, in order to control the flow rate of gas leaving the valve unit via a gas outlet orifice.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the protective cap further comprises a carry handle and an attachment device.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the attachment device is a pivoting attachment device.

16. A method of distributing a gas or gaseous mixture chosen from oxygen, air, N.sub.2O/O.sub.2, He/O.sub.2 and NO/nitrogen comprising the step of rotating a rotary control member of a gas distribution assembly, the gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container, a valve unit fixed to the gas container and a protective cap arranged around said valve unit, the protective cap comprising an opening in which the rotary control member is housed, wherein the opening is at least partially bordered by a protruding brim jutting out from an external surface of the body of the protective cap, the protruding brim comprising a cutout forming a reading window and wherein the protruding brim forms a visor jutting out beyond the rotary control member.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the gas container is a gas cylinder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be better understood from the following detailed description given by way of nonlimiting illustration with reference to the attached figures among which:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a front view of one embodiment of a cylinder/valve unit/cap assembly according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of the cap of the assembly of FIG. 1, from the left side,

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of the cap of the assembly of FIG. 1, from above, and

(5) FIG. 4 is a partial view of the front face of the cap of the assembly of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIGS. 1 to 3 depict one embodiment according to the invention of an assembly comprising a rigid protective cap 1, commonly referred to as a bonnet, arranged around a valve unit (not visible), namely a valve unit with or without an in-built regulator, itself fixed to the neck of a gas cylinder 20. The protective cap 1 is provided with a carry handle 10 surmounting the cap body. The protective cap 1 is fixed to the neck of the cylinder or directly to the valve unit.

(7) The protective cap 1 affords the valve unit protection against knocks, in the event of falling or of cylinders that bang together.

(8) The gas cylinder 20 typically has a cylindrical body and a size of between 10 and 150 cm, and a capacity of 0.5 to 20 liters (in water equivalent). The cylinder may be made of steel or of aluminium alloy, or of a composite or of a combination of these.

(9) Attachment around the valve unit to the neck of the gas cylinder 20 is by screwing, via mutually engaging screw threads borne by the internal surface of the neck of the cylinder 20, on the one hand, and by the external surface of an expansion of substantially cylindrical or conical shape situated at the base of the valve body and bearing a gas inlet orifice, on the other hand.

(10) More specifically, the protective cap 1 comprises a cap body that forms a protective shell 2 around an internal volume dimensioned to accommodate the valve unit, and a carry handle 10 designed to be taken in hand by a user.

(11) The body of the cap 1 is typically made of a material of the polymer and/or metal type, preferably of a plastic material such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU, PA, etc.

(12) The carry handle 10 is itself made of a rigid material such as a polymer or a metal or metal alloy, and is borne by one or more support uprights 12 that mechanically connect the cap body 2 to the carry handle 10. The carry handle 10 is generally arranged horizontally, i.e. at right angles or near right angles to the vertical axis of the cylinder 20 and of the cap 1. The carry handle 10 has a longilinear shape, whether straight or curved, typically a length less than 20 cm, typically from 6 to 15 cm. It may carry a bar code or the like for identification, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

(13) One or more support uprights 12 are fixed to the carry handle 10 to allow a user easily to transport the assembly comprising the bonnet 1, the valve and the cylinder 20 using the said carry handle 10. The support uprights 12 may be made of a plastic material, like the body of the cap 1, but may also be made of aluminium alloy or of any other metallic material. They may be fixed to the handle 10 by screwing or welding for example.

(14) The protective cap 1 also has openings 9, 18, 14 providing access to the valve unit situated in the internal volume of the cap body. In particular, a first opening 9 is formed on the front face 3 of the protective cap 1, and in this opening is housed a rotary control member 5, namely a rotary handwheel, which the user can operate in order to control or adjust the flow rate of gas delivered by the valve.

(15) In order to allow the handwheel 5 to be turned, means of holding are provided that allow the user to grasp the rotary control member 5 between his fingers and turn it, as detailed hereinbelow.

(16) In other words, the rotary handwheel 5 collaborates with a gas flow-rate control system, when operated by the user, so as to control the passage of gas, namely allow it to leave or prevent it leaving the valve unit.

(17) By action on this rotary handwheel 5, the user can choose or regulate the flow rate of gas delivered by the valve unit, or on the other hand can shut it off completely. The rotary control member 5 according to the present invention is detailed hereinafter.

(18) The protective cap 1 also comprises a second opening 18 in which a pressure gauge 16, either of the dial and pointer or of the electronic type, is housed. More specifically, the protective cap 1 comprises a planar surface 17 situated at the top of the cap 1 and on the same side as the front face 3 thereof, in which surface the second opening 18 is formed. The planar surface 17 in fact constitutes a face that is oblique with respect to the vertical axis of the cylinder 20. Arranging the pressure gauge 16 in this way at the top on the valve unit and the cap 1, and on the facade 3 of the said cap 1 makes it considerably easier to read the pressure delivered by the pressure gauge 16 and therefore avoid reading errors.

(19) Moreover, the protective cap 1 comprises other openings providing access to connections for filling 14, for letting out gas under pressure (not shown), etc., which are situated laterally or on the rear face 4 of the cap body 1, as visible in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(20) In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotary handwheel 5 is arranged around the gas outlet connection 15 bearing the gas outlet orifice 6 used for withdrawing the gas stored in the cylinder 20, i.e. in a coaxial manner.

(21) Furthermore, in order to allow the cylinder/valve unit/cap assembly to be attached or secured to a support, such as a hospital bed bar or the bar of a stretcher, the protective cap 1 comprises, on the same side as the rear face 4 thereof, a pivoting attachment device 13, able to pivot between a fully folded rest position (depicted schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2), namely the position adopted by the attachment device 13 when stored and in contact or near-contact with the body 2 of the cap 1, and a fully unfolded attachment position (not shown), namely the position adopted by the attachment device 13 when it is completely deployed and can be hooked onto a support, such as a bed bar or the like. To do that, the pivoting attachment device 13 is provided with two attachment hooks or arms 13a, as visible in FIGS. 1 and 3.

(22) Advantageously, the valve unit is of the regulator valve type, namely comprises a gas pressure regulating system arranged between the gas passage control system and the gas outlet orifice 6 so as to reduce the pressure of the high-pressure gas coming from the cylinder 20 down to a lower pressure value delivered by the outlet orifice 6, for example to reduce pressure from a high pressure in excess of 100 bar to a low pressure lower than 20 bar abs. To this end, in the conventional way, a regulator system notably comprising a high-pressure chamber, a regulating valve and a valve seat, is provided. The final pressure may have an adjustable or fixed value.

(23) As already explained, the rotary handwheel 5 collaborates with the gas flow-rate control system arranged on an internal gas passage of the valve unit in order to control or adjust the passage or flow rate of gas through the internal gas passage, namely in order to allow or, conversely, prevent any circulation of gas through the said passage in the direction from the gas inlet orifice positioned at the neck of the cylinder 20 to the gas outlet orifice 6 borne by the outlet connector 15.

(24) Typically, the flow rate control system comprises an element pierced with calibrated orifices, the handwheel, as appropriate, either causing a calibrated orifice corresponding to the desired flow rate to collaborate with a fixed passage orifice or causing a mobile passage orifice to collaborate with the calibrated orifice corresponding to the desired flow rate. Such an arrangement is conventional and known to those skilled in the art.

(25) For preference, the element pierced with calibrated orifices is a metal disc capable of rotation and through which calibrated orifices pass. The orifices are of different, i.e. increasing, calibres, each calibre corresponding to a given flow rate value. This disc is capable of rotational movement and is driven by the handwheel 5.

(26) The rotary handwheel 5 which constitutes the control member that collaborates with the gas flow-rate control system is capable of rotational movement about an axis of rotation AA.

(27) Schematically, when the user turns the handwheel 5, the latter acts directly or indirectly on the metal disc capable of rotating and through which calibrated orifices pass so as to allow a greater or lesser flow rate of gas to pass into the gas passage of the valve unit headed toward the outlet orifice 6, the said flow rate corresponding to the opening defined by the calibrated orifice through which the stream of gas passes.

(28) As visible in FIG. 1, the opening 9 in which the rotary handwheel 5 is housed is, according to the invention, partially bordered by a protruding brim 7 jutting out from the external surface of the front face 3 of the body 2 of the protective cap 1, namely in the manner of a cap visor.

(29) Advantageously, the protruding brim 7 extends over at least part of the upper periphery of the opening 9. As may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protruding brim 7 extends over the upper half of the circular periphery of the circular opening 9 in which the rotary handwheel 5, which also has a circular periphery, is housed.

(30) This protruding brim 7 is preferably rigid. It also comprises a cutout 8 forming a reading window that becomes positioned facing at least one of the markings 11 borne by the rotary control member 5, as explained hereinafter, so as to allow a user to see this flow rate marking 11 through the reading window 8. The markings 11 are therefore legible and visible only through the cutout 8 that forms the reading window.

(31) The cutout 8 that forms the reading window is U-shaped in this instance; however, it could have some other shape, for example a V-shape, an open or closed O-shape, a square shape, a rectangle shape, or any other shape that allows the marking 11 situated underneath to be read.

(32) In other words, the rotary control member 5, typically a rotary handwheel, is therefore designed and arranged in such a way that a turning of the rotary control member 5, by a manual/finger action on the part of the user on the means of holding causes markings 11 to scroll past the cutout 8 that forms a reading window.

(33) The protruding brim 7 also allows the handwheel 5 to be protected well in the event of the cylinder 20 falling onto its front face 3. This protruding brim 7 is preferably formed of one piece with all or part of the body 2 of the cap 1, notably the front face 3 thereof.

(34) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the protruding brim 7 forms a visor jutting out beyond the rotary control member 5 so as to be able to absorb an impact, in the event of the cylinder 20 falling onto the ground or in the event of two cylinders banging together when stored side by side, because it is this brim 7 that will be the first to come into contact with the ground, making it possible to spare the connection any damage. For preference, the maximum width L of the brim is less than 5 cm, typically of the order of 3 cm or less.

(35) Moreover, the protruding brim 7 comprises one or more marks 21, for example arrows and/or + and/or symbols indicative of the direction in which the user needs to turn the rotary control member 5 in order to increase and/or in order to decrease the flow rate of gas delivered by the valve unit, namely in the clockwise or anticlockwise directions.

(36) More specifically, as illustrated in the figures, the rotary handwheel 5 comprises a central region with the axis of rotation AA and a peripheral region situated at the periphery of the central region. The central region comprises means of holding allowing the user to grasp the rotary control member 5 between his fingers and turn it about the axis of rotation AA thus causing the markings 11 to scroll past the reading window formed by the cutout 8.

(37) The means of holding borne by the central region of the rotary control member comprise one or more elements in relief and/or housings, i.e. recesses or cavities, able and designed, which means to say dimensioned, to be grasped by the user between his fingers. These elements in relief and/or housings are, for example, formed of small walls obtained by moulding of the component that forms the handwheel 5.

(38) Advantageously they are formed on the exterior surface of the central region of the rotary control member 5, which is typically a rotary handwheel.

(39) As illustrated in the figures, the rotary handwheel 5 has an overall shape of revolution, for example an overall shape of a disc or the like.

(40) Moreover, the central region of the control member 5 further comprises a central orifice through which the outlet connection 15 bearing the outlet orifice 6 passes. The control member 5 is therefore free to rotate about the said outlet connection 15.

(41) Moreover, the peripheral region 10 for its part comprises markings 11 which are mutually angularly offset with respect to the axis AA, the said markings 11 each corresponding to a given gas flow rate. In this instance, the markings 11 are arranged in a ring situated over the entire periphery of the central region and indicate increasing values of flow rate.

(42) Thus, one of the markings 11 corresponds to a position of the handwheel 5 in which the gas is shut off, namely in which the valve 1 does not deliver gas (i.e. flow rate is =0 l/min), namely the marking OFF. The other markings 11 correspond to positions of the handwheel 5 in which the gas is delivered at different flow rates, namely the flow rates of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 25 l/m in of gas.

(43) The markings 11 may be engraved, printed, bonded or applied by any other suitable technique. Likewise the markings 11 may comprise numerals, letters or any other type of marks.

(44) In general, the rotary handwheel 5 is preferably made of plastics material, such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU, PA, etc., but may also be made of an aluminium alloy or of any other metallic material, or even of a combination of several materials, for example of plastics and metals.

(45) For preference, at least part of the rotary handwheel 5 is made of a rigid material covered with a soft material that has a Shore hardness of between 0 and 95, for example a coating formed of a paint which gives what is referred to as a soft touch effect (i.e. an effect that is soft and silky to the touch) so as to increase user comfort for the user, or alternatively with a coating formed of an overmoulded layer of an elastomeric, silicon or similar material.

(46) An assembly according to the invention is particularly well suited to use in a medical environment, namely in the healthcare domain, and in particular is suited to the storage of any medical gas or gaseous mixture, particularly of the oxygen, air, N.sub.2O/O.sub.2, He/O.sub.2, NO/nitrogen or other type.

(47) It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments in the examples given above.