# US 11,079,037 B2 · Rapid opening gas valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,037 B2 - Document ID: US11079037B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/391,579 - Filed: 2019-04-23 - Published: 2019-08-15 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-21 - Assignees: Gaither Tool Company, Inc. - Applicants: Gaither Tool Company, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Kunau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079037B2 ## CPC - F16K 31/143: the fluid acting on a piston - B60C 25/145: {for locating provisionally the beads of tubeless tyres against the sealing surfaces of the rims, e.g. air filling bell} - B60C 29/068: {Pressure relief devices, i.e. safety devices for overpressure} - F16K 1/126: {actuated by fluid} - F16K 1/302: {with valve member and actuator on the same side of the seat} - F16K 31/383: the fluid acting on a piston - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES ## Abstract A pneumatically operated gas valve mounted on a vessel containing pressurized gas. The gas valve includes a piston positioned in a cylinder with one closed end so that the piston seats against a gas outlet to close the gas valve. A control reservoir is formed in the cylinder between the piston and the closed end of the cylinder. Upon filling vessel, some of the pressurized gas enters the control reservoir to provide a control pressure behind the piston. Actuating the control mechanism vents the control reservoir, resulting in the gas valve opening rapidly to release the pressurized gas in the vessel through an exhaust port of the gas valve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas valve in pneumatic communication with a source of pressurized gas, the gas valve comprising: a cylinder affixed to the source of pressurized gas in an airtight manner; an endcap of the gas valve attached to a proximal end of the cylinder, the proximal end of the cylinder being in contact with the pressurized gas; a piston configured to slide back and forth within the cylinder, wherein a distal end of the piston is configured to move in a distal direction until coming to rest with the valve being in a closed position; a control chamber formed within the cylinder between the endcap of the gas valve and a proximal end of the piston; and a control valve comprising a control valve inlet pneumatically connected to the control chamber and a control valve outlet pneumatically connected to atmosphere outside the gas valve; wherein the piston is configured to allow some of the pressurized gas to leak past the piston into the control chamber; wherein in response to opening the control valve, the piston reaches an open valve position in 50 ms or less, the 50 ms or less being measured from a time that the distal end of the piston pulls away from being at rest in the closed position, the open valve position being reached upon the piston reaching at least 75% of a total distance the piston is capable of traveling in a proximal direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas valve of claim 1, further comprising: a valve control mechanism configured as part of the control valve; and a conduit pneumatically connecting the control chamber to the control valve inlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The gas valve of claim 2, wherein, in response to the valve control mechanism being actuated, the piston moves in a proximal direction to an open position causing the gas valve to release the pressurized gas from the source of pressurized gas through one or more holes in the cylinder to an outlet of the gas valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The gas valve of claim 2, wherein the control chamber becomes pneumatically connected to the atmosphere via the conduit in response to the valve control mechanism being actuated by a human user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the piston is configured to contact a sealing gasket to form an airtight seal in response to the piston being moved to the closed position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gas valve of claim 5, wherein the sealing gasket is an O-ring, the distal end of the piston being configured to receive the O-ring around it, and the O-ring moves back and forth with the piston in said cylinder. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The gas valve of claim 2, further comprising: a compression spring positioned within the cylinder between the endcap and the proximal end of the piston; and a cushion positioned within the cylinder between the endcap and the proximal end of the piston. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The gas valve of claim 6, wherein the O-ring is a first O-ring and a cushion positioned within the cylinder is a second O-ring; and wherein the gas valve has an opening time of no greater than 150 ms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas upon leaking past the piston into the control chamber becomes control gas; wherein; and wherein, in response to the valve control mechanism being actuated, the control gas is vented into the atmosphere via a conduit pneumatically connecting the control chamber to the control valve inlet. ### Claim 10 A method of quickly pneumatically connecting a source of pressurized gas through a gas valve, the method comprising: providing a cylinder affixed to the source of pressurized gas in an airtight manner; attaching an endcap of the gas valve to a proximal end of the cylinder, the proximal end of the cylinder being in contact with the pressurized gas; configuring a piston to slide back and forth within the cylinder, wherein a distal end of the piston is configured to move in a distal direction until coming to rest with the valve being in a closed position; forming a control chamber within the cylinder between the endcap of the gas valve and a proximal end of the piston; and providing a control valve comprising a control valve inlet pneumatically connected to the control chamber and a control valve outlet pneumatically connected to atmosphere outside the gas valve; and opening the control valve and causing the piston to reach an open valve position in 50 ms or less, the 50 ms or less being measured from a time that the distal end of the piston pulls away from being at rest in the closed position, the open valve position being reached upon the piston reaching at least 75% of a total distance the piston is capable of traveling in a proximal direction; wherein the piston is configured to allow some of the pressurized gas to leak past the piston into the control chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: providing a valve control mechanism configured as part of the control valve; and pneumatically connecting the control chamber to the control valve inlet with a conduit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: actuating the valve control mechanism resulting in the piston moving in a proximal direction to an open position causing the gas valve to release the pressurized gas from the source of pressurized gas through one or more holes in the cylinder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the control chamber becomes pneumatically connected to the atmosphere via the conduit in response to the valve control mechanism being actuated by a human user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the distal end of the piston is configured to contact a sealing gasket to form an airtight seal in response to the piston being moved to the closed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the sealing gasket is an O-ring, the method further comprising: positioning the O-ring around the distal end of the piston; and moving the O-ring back and forth with the piston in said cylinder. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: positioning a compression spring within the cylinder between the endcap and the proximal end of the piston; and providing a cushion within the cylinder between the endcap and the proximal end of the piston. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the O-ring is a first O-ring and a cushion positioned within the cylinder is a second O-ring.