Breakaway safety shut-off valve

A safety shut-off valve, comprising:

• a valve housing including a passage defined by an inner periphery;
• a detachable end portion connected to said valve housing by a region of reduced strength;
• a valve element sized and shaped to be guidably displaced by said inner periphery along said passage between an open position that permits flow through the valve and a closed position that substantially prevents flow through the valve;
• a biasing element engaged with said valve element to urge said valve element toward said closed position;
• a retainer element engaged between said valve element and said detachable end portion to initially maintain said valve element in said open position;
• and
• wherein imposition of a force onto said detachable end portion results in at least partial detachment from said valve housing along said region of reduced strength, said at least partial detachment causing at least a portion of said retainer element to disengage said detachable end portion to permit said biasing element to displace said valve element toward said closed position.

A safety shut-off valve, comprising:

• a valve housing including an axial passage bound by an inner circumferential surface, and an annular valve seat extending inwardly from said inner circumferential surface;
• a detachable end portion connected to said valve housing by a region of reduced strength and including an annular shoulder disposed adjacent said region of reduced strength;
• a ball element sized in close tolerance with said inner circumferential surface and being guidably displaceable along said axial passage between an open position remote from said valve seat and a closed position abutting said valve seat;
• a spring element engaged between said valve housing and said ball element to urge said ball element toward said closed position;
• and
• an retainer element including a plurality of arm segments, said retainer element being disposed between said ball element and said detachable end portion with said plurality of arm segments abutting said annular shoulder to initially maintain said ball element in said open position;
• and
• wherein imposition of a force onto said detachable end portion results in at least partial detachment from said valve housing along said region of reduced strength, said at least partial detachment causing at least one of said plurality of arm segments to disengage said annular shoulder to permit said spring element to displace said ball element toward said closed position.