Valve structure for propane tank and method thereof

A propane tank valve configured to couple to a tank and control gas through a passageway defined in a flow limiting device, the propane tank valve comprising:

• a valve assembly coupled to the tank and configured to be coupled to the flow limiting device, the valve assembly including
• a valve body coupled to the tank, the valve body including a valve passageway with a valve seat at one end of the valve passageway, the valve passageway defined with an internal passage surface, the internal passage surface extending to the valve seat with a radial surface adjacent the valve seat at the one end of the valve passageway such that the radial surface defines a widest portion of the valve passageway;
• a plug with a flat surface and a tapered portion, the flat surface positionable against the valve seat, the tapered portion of the plug extending from the flat surface so as to be extendable into the valve passageway adjacent the valve seat;
• and
• a handle operatively coupled to the plug such that the handle is moveable to move the plug between a closed plug position and an open plug position;
• wherein, upon the plug being in the closed plug position, the flat surface of the plug is directly engaged with the valve seat with the tapered portion of the plug extending into the valve passageway and adjacently over the radial surface of the valve passageway that a gap is defined between the tapered portion and the internal passage surface;
• and
• wherein, upon the plug being initially moved from the closed plug position to the open plug position, the tapered portion of the plug is sized and configured to initially minimize the gas flow from the valve passageway and through the flow limiting device such that movement of the tapered portion from the closed plug position expands the gap between the tapered portion and the internal passage surface of the valve passageway.

A propane tank for controlling delivery of propane gas therefrom, comprising:

• a tank sized and configured to hold the propane gas therein;
• a valve body coupled to the tank, the valve body including a valve passageway with a valve seat at one end of the valve passageway, the valve passageway defined with an internal passage surface, the internal passage surface extending to the valve seat with a radial surface extending adjacent the valve seat at the one end of the valve passageway such that the radial surface defines a widest portion of the valve passageway;
• a plug with a flat surface and a tapered portion, the flat surface positionable against the valve seat, the tapered portion of the plug extending from the flat surface so as to be extendable into the valve passageway adjacent the valve seat;
• a handle operatively coupled to the plug such that the handle is moveable to move the plug between a closed plug position and an open plug position;
• a flow limiting device coupled to the valve body, the flow limiting device including a flow limiting device passageway defined therein, the flow limiting device passageway configured to communicate with the valve passageway upon the plug being in the open plug position, the flow limiting device sized and configured to control gas flow from the tank with a blocking component that is moveable to a blocking position upon the gas flow moving through the flow limiting device passageway above a predetermined flow rate;
• wherein, upon the plug being in the closed plug position, the tapered portion of the plug is sized and configured to extend into the valve passageway and adjacently over the radial surface of the valve passageway such that a gap is maintained between the tapered portion and the internal passage surface of the valve passageway;
• and
• wherein, upon the plug being initially moved from the closed plug position to the open plug position, the tapered portion of the plug is sized and configured to initially maintain the gas flow below the predetermined flow rate so as to substantially prevent the blocking component from being moved to the blocking position.