FR3018577A1 - BLOCK TAP FOR GAS CONTAINER WITH POLYGONATED SHAPE GRIP - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve block for a gas container (2) comprising a valve body (11) traversed by at least one gas passage (12) and a rotary wheel (4) provided with a gripping member (3). ) operable by a user, said rotatable flywheel (4) cooperating with flow control means (13, 14) arranged on said gas passage (12) for controlling the flow of gas within said gas passage (12), when a user actuates in rotation (R) said gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4). The gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4) has a polygonal section. The invention also relates to a gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container (2) and such a valve block fixed to the gas container (2), and optionally a protective cover (1) forming a protective shell around the block tap.

Description

The present invention relates to a valve block for a gas container, in particular an integrated pressure-reducing valve for a medical gas cylinder, provided with a rotary control wheel for controlling the flow of gas, comprising a central gripping member of polygonal section, in particular a pentagonal section. or hexagonal, manipulable by the user, and a gas container equipped with such a valve block, preferably protected by a protective cover.

Industrial and medical gases are commonly packaged in gas containers, typically gas cylinders, equipped with a valve block, with or without built-in expansion valve, namely a single tap open / closed type or an integrated valve regulator, also called RDI, to control flow and pressure of the delivered gas.

In order to protect this valve block, it is common to arrange at the level of the neck of the gas bottle and around said valve block, a protective cover forming a protective shell around said valve block. Such a cowling is commonly called "hat". Moreover, to allow the bottle / cap / tap assembly to be hooked to a support, such as a hospital bed bar, a stretcher, a rod or support for attaching an emergency vehicle, for example a SAMU unit or the like, it is customary to arrange on the cap, a fixed attachment system or mobile, including pivoting. In order to facilitate the transport and the handling of the bottle / valve block / cowling assembly, it is customary to provide the cowling with a carrying handle which, in general, overcomes it and allows it to be carried manually by users. .

Cowlings of this type are described in particular by the documents EP-A-629812, DE-A-10057469, US-A-2004/020793 and EP-A-2586481. Usually, the control of the passage of gas within the valve block, that is to say the release or stopping of the gas, is done by means of a rotary wheel manipulable by the user.

A rotary handwheel usually comprises a gripping member that the user can grip with his fingers and then rotate, that is to say, rotate, to release the gas or, to reverse, to cut the distribution of the gas.

Conventionally, a gripping member has a more or less cylindrical shape, that is to say a circular section, and sometimes includes a ribbing or a superficial streaking. However, in practice, this type of gripping member has drawbacks.

Thus, a gripping member of circular section and smooth peripheral surface, is not easily manipulated because often the fingers of the user, including health care personnel within hospitals, slide on the smooth surface of the gripping member , especially when the wearer wears a protective glove. This difficulty of handling is further increased when access to this gripping member is complicated by the presence of a protective cover. Providing the peripheral surface of the gripping member with a ribbing or streaking improves handling but causes hygiene problems. Indeed, dust, microorganisms and other dirt accumulate and the presence of streaks or ribs complicate its cleaning.

In view of this, the problem that arises is to improve or facilitate the manipulation by the user of the gripping member of the rotating wheel of a valve block of gas container, without causing any hygiene problem and so without complicating the cleaning. The solution of the invention is a valve block for a gas container comprising: - a valve body traversed by at least one gas passage and - a rotary wheel provided with a gripping member manipulable by a user, - said rotary wheel cooperating with flow control means arranged on said gas passage to control the flow of gas within said gas passage, when a user actuates in rotation said gripping member of the rotary wheel, characterized in that the gripping the rotating flywheel has a polygonal section. Depending on the case, the valve block according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following technical characteristics: the gripping member of the rotating flywheel has a polygonal section comprising at least 4 sides. - The gripping member of the rotating wheel has a polygonal section comprising from 4 to 20 sides. the gripping member of the rotating flywheel has a polygonal section comprising less than 15 sides, preferably less than 10 sides. - The gripping member of the rotating wheel has a pentagonal or hexagonal section. - The gripping member comprises a projecting structure located in the center of the rotating wheel. - The rotating wheel and the gripping member are formed of a polymer material. - The rotating wheel and the gripping member are formed of a plastic material, such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU, PA .... It should be noted that the Plastic material may be loaded or reinforced, i.e., fiber added, for example. - The rotating wheel and the gripping member are molded in one piece. at least a part of the external surface of the gripping member is covered or formed of a flexible material, that is to say soft to the touch, having a Shore hardness between 0 and 95. the flexible material is an elastomer, silicone or the like, for example rubber. - The gas flow control system comprises a movable element carrying calibrated orifices, preferably said calibrated orifices have increasing dimensions (diameters) corresponding to increasing gas flow values. The flow control means comprise a rotating disk comprising calibrated orifices having increasing calibres. In other words, the movable element of the flow control system is a rotating disk pierced with calibrated orifices. the rotating flywheel cooperates in rotation with the mobile element of the flow control system to control the flow of gas delivered by the valve block. - The rotating wheel has a red mark materializing the closed position. The red mark is preferably extended to the polygonal section grip - it is an integrated regulator valve (RDI). 30 - it is a tap without integrated regulator. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container and a valve block fixed to said container, characterized in that the valve block is a valve block according to the invention.

As the case may be, the gas distribution assembly of the invention may comprise one or more of the following technical characteristics: it comprises a protective covering forming a protective shell around the valve block, said valve block being included in the volume internal protective cover. - the gas container is a gas cylinder. the valve block comprises a gas outlet connection, a pressure indicating device, such as a pressure gauge, or a device indicating gas autonomy, and a filling connection. - The gas cylinder has a size between 10 and 150 cm. - the gas cylinder contains from 0.5 to 20 liters (capacity in water equivalent). - The gas cylinder has a hollow cylindrical body. - The gas cylinder comprises a neck carrying a gas outlet port at which the valve block is fixed. the gas cylinder contains a gas or gas mixture chosen from oxygen, air, an N 2 O 2/2 mixture, an He / O 2 mixture, a NO / nitrogen mixture or any other gas or gaseous mixture. the bottle is made of steel, an aluminum alloy, a composite material or a combination thereof. the bottle contains a gas at a pressure of up to about 350 bar. The invention will now be better understood thanks to the following detailed description, given by way of illustration but without limitation, with reference to the appended figures among which: FIG. 1 represents an embodiment of a rotary flywheel with a gripping member according to the invention integrated in the front face of a gas cylinder protection cowling; and FIG. 2 schematizes the principle of action of the rotary handwheel with gripping member according to the invention. Figure 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a rigid protective cover 1, commonly called "cap", arranged around a valve block (not visible), namely a valve with or without built-in regulator, itself fixed on the neck of a gas cylinder 2. The gas cylinder 2 typically has a size between 10 and 150 cm, and a capacity of 0.5 to 20 liters (in water equivalent). The fixing of the valve block on the neck of the gas cylinder 2 is done by screwing.

The protective casing 1 makes it possible to protect the faucet block against shocks, whether said valve block is of the type with integrated expansion valve or RDI, or of the type without integrated expansion valve. More specifically, the protective casing 1 comprises a casing body forming a protective shell around an internal volume sized to receive the valve block, and a carrying handle 6 designed to be handled by an operator. The carrying handle 6 is formed of a rigid material, such as a polymer or a metal or metal alloy, and is carried by one or more support posts 5 mechanically connecting the casing body 1 to the carrying handle 6. The handle 6 is generally arranged horizontally, that is to say perpendicularly or almost perpendicular to the vertical axis of the bottle 2 and the cowling 1.The carrying handle 6 has an elongated shape, whether it be rectilinear or curved, typically a length less than 20 cm, typically 6 to 15 cm. The one or both support posts 5 are attached to one or both ends of the carrying handle 6 so as to allow a user to easily transport the hat / tap / bottle assembly by means of said carrying handle 6. The casing body 1 is typically made of a polymer and / or metal type material, preferably made of plastic material, such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU or PA.

Similarly, the support posts 5 may be formed of a plastic material, such as the body of the cowling 1, but also of aluminum alloy or any other metallic material. They can be attached to the handle 6 by screwing or welding, for example. The protective casing 1 furthermore has openings giving access to the valve block located in the internal volume of the casing body 1, in particular to the gas outlet fittings 7, 9, to a rotary handwheel 4 provided with a valve member. 3 and a manometer 8 and a filling valve (not visible in Fig. 1) located on the side of the rear face of the cowling 1. In order to allow the hooking or securing of the bottle assembly / valve block / cowling on a support, such as a bed of hospital bed or stretcher, the protective casing 1 comprises, on the side of its rear face, a pivoting attachment device 10, between a position completely folded, called "rest" (shown schematically in Figure 1), that is to say the position adopted by the attachment device 10 when stored and in contact or near-contact body casing 1, and a completely unfolded position called "hooking", that is to say the position adopted by r the attachment device 10 when it is fully extended and can be hooked to a support, such as a bed rail or the like. More specifically, the valve block, typically a RDI-type valve, comprises, as shown in Figure 1, a rotary wheel 4, located on the front face, manipulated by a user to control the gas flow. To do this, the user grips with his fingers, the gripping member 3 of the rotary wheel 4 and gives it a rotational movement to release the gas, for example by turning it counterclockwise or , the opposite, to stop the delivery of gas, for example by turning it clockwise.

As can be seen, the gripping member 3 forms a protruding structure located in the center of the rotary flywheel 4. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the gas outlet fitting 7 is arranged in the center of the steering wheel 4. According to FIG. the present invention, the gripping member 3 of the rotary wheel 4 has a polygonal section, typically pentagonal or hexagonal. Indeed, such a shape allows a good grip of the member 3 by the user, even when it is provided with protective gloves, for example polymer gloves. Preferably, the rotary wheel 4 and the gripping member 3 are formed of a polymer material, such as silicone or elastomer. They can be molded in one piece.

For example, the rotary wheel 4 and the gripping member 3 may be of plastic material, such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU ... Advantageously, at least part of the outer surface of the gripping member 3 is covered or formed of a flexible material having a Shore hardness between 0 and 95, for example a material deposited by overmolding or a coating applied in the form of paint or the like, for example a paint to effect called "soft touch" (soft and silky effect). Preferably, the outer surface of the gripping member 3 is smooth, that is to say without streaking, roughness, grooves or the like. FIG. 2 illustrates the principle of cooperation of the rotary flywheel 4 provided with the gripping member 3 according to the invention with the flow control means 13, 14. The gas flow control system 13, 14 here comprises an element rotary 13 pierced with calibrated orifices 14 cooperating with the rotary wheel 4 to adjust the gas flow to the desired value.

To do this, the flywheel 4 is, depending on the case, either to cooperate a calibrated orifice corresponding to the desired flow rate with a fixed passage orifice, or to cooperate a movable passage opening with a calibrated orifice corresponding to the desired flow rate. Such an arrangement is conventional and known to those skilled in the art.

In other words, the pierced element of calibrated orifices is a movable metal disc 13 traversed by orifices 14 calibrated. The orifices have different sizes, i.e. increasing, each caliber corresponding to a given flow rate value. This disc 13 is rotatable and driven by the steering wheel 4 when it is itself rotated by the user. The movable metal disc 13 is arranged on the gas passage 12. The body 11 of the valve block is preferably made of metal, for example brass or steel, especially stainless steel. More generally, thanks to its particular shape, that is to say its polygonal section, typically pentagonal or hexagonal, the gripping member 3 of the rotary wheel 4 provides a very good grip to the user without complicating the cleaning all because the dirt, dust, microorganisms etc ... can not accumulate. A bottle assembly and valve block according to the invention, with or without cowling, is particularly well suited for use in the medical field, including hospital or the like. In general, the invention also relates to a use of a gas distribution assembly according to the invention for storing or dispensing a gas or gas mixture selected from oxygen, air, a mixture N 2 O 2, a He / 02 mixture or a NO / nitrogen mixture or any other gas or gas mixture that can be used in the medical field or in human or animal health.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Faucet block for a gas container (2) comprising: - a valve body (11) through which at least one gas passage (12) passes; and - a rotary handwheel (4) provided with a handle (3) that can be manipulated by a user, - said rotatable flywheel (4) cooperating with flow control means (13, 14) arranged on said gas passage (12) for controlling the flow of gas within said gas passage (12), when a user activates in rotation (R) said gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4), characterized in that the gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4) has a polygonal section. 2. Block according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4) has a polygonal section comprising at least 4 sides. 3. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4) has a polygonal section comprising from 4 to 20 sides. 4. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping member (3) of the rotary wheel (4) has a pentagonal or hexagonal section. 5. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping member (3) comprises a projecting structure located in the center of the rotary wheel (4). 6. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary wheel (4) and the gripping member (3) are formed of a polymer material, preferably they are molded in one piece. 7. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a portion of the outer surface of the gripping member (3) is covered or formed of a flexible material having a Shore hardness between 0 and 95 . 8. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flow control means (13, 14) comprise a member (13) carrying calibrated orifices (14). 9. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flow control means (13, 14) comprise a disk (13) movable in rotation comprising calibrated orifices (14) having increasing sizes. 10. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is an integrated pressure regulator valve (RDI). 11. Gas distribution assembly comprising a gas container (2) and a valve block attached to the gas container (2), characterized in that the valve block is a valve block according to one of the preceding claims. 12. Gas distribution assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a protective cover (1) forming a protective shell around the valve block, said valve block being included in the internal volume of the protective cover 13. Gas distribution assembly according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the gas container (2) is a gas cylinder. 14. Use of a gas distribution assembly according to one of claims 11 to 13 for storing or dispensing a gas or gas mixture selected from oxygen, air, a mixture N20 / 02, a mixture He / 02 or a NO / nitrogen mixture.