Gas valve

A fluid valve, comprising a fluid-tightenclosure having an inlet and an outlet;

• a valve element supported for movement to respective positions to open and to close said outlet;
• actuator means for moving said valve element from one of said positions to the other of said positions, said actuator means including thermally responsive means for producing a mechanical displacement output, and over-center mechanical energy storage means for moving said valve element from one to the other of said positions in response to such mechanical displacement output within a predetermined normal range;
• electric heater means for heating said thermally responsive means to effect such mechanical displacement output to open said outlet in response to an electric power input to said electric heater means within a normal operating power range;
• and means for effecting closure of said outlet during application of a greater electric power input to said electric heater means in excess of such normal operating power range.

A fluid valve, comprising a fluid-tight enclosure having an inlet and an outlet;

• a valve element supported for movement to respective positions to open and to close said outlet;
• actuator means for moving said valve element from one of said positions to the other of said positions;
• said actuator means including a thermally responsive means for producing a mechanical displacement output, and over-center mechanical energy storage means for moving said valve element from one to the other of said positions in response to such mechanical displacement output of said thermally responsive means;
• means for compensating valve operation with respect to ambient temperature;
• and supportive carrier means for supporting said valve element, said energy storage means comprising a resilient member having respective support points mounted between said thermally responsive means and said supportive carrier means, and said means for compensating comprising temperature sensitive means for varying the normal spacing of said support points when said outlet is closed by said valve element.

A fluid valve, comprising a fluid-tight enclosure having an inlet and an outlet;

• a valve element supported for movement to respective positions to open and to close said outlet;
• actuator means for moving said valve element from one of said positions to the other of said positions, said actuator means including a thermally responsive means for producing a mechanical displacement output, and over-center mechanical energy storage means for moving said valve element from one to the other of said positions in response to such mechanical displacement output within a predetermined normal range;
• supportive carrier means for supporting said valve element, said energy storage means comprising a resilient member supported between said thermally responsive means and said supportive carrier means, said thermally responsive means including an arm movable relative to said supportive carrier means in response to a change in temperature of said thermally responsive means, said resilient member having first and second support points movable respectively with said arm and with said supportive carrier means and thus having two different stable positions depending on the relative locations of said support points, and said resilient member tending in each of said stable positions to urge said support points and thus said arm and said supportive carrier means away from each other, whereby in one of said stable positions said resilient member urges said supportive carrier means and thus said valve element to a position to close said outlet and in the other one of said stable positions said resilient member urges said supportive carrier means and thus said valve element to a position to open said outlet;
• and holder means for coupling said resilient member to one of said arm and said supportive carrier means, said resilient member comprising a wire spring including first and second arm means for support thereof, said supportive carrier means comprising first means for holding said first arm means for relative constrained pivotal movement and said holder means comprising second means for holding said second arm means for relative constrained pivotal movement.

A fluid valve, comprising a fluid-tight enclosure having an inlet and an outlet;

• a valve element supported for movement to respective positions to open and to close said outlet;
• actuator means for moving said valve element from one of said positions to the other of said positions, said actuator means including a thermally responsive means for producing a mechanical displacement output, and over-center mechanical energy storage means for moving said valve element from one to the other of said positions in response to such mechanical displacement output within a predetermined normal range;
• supportive carrier means for supporting said valve element, said energy storage means comprising a resilient member supported between said thermally responsive means and said supportive carrier means, said thermally responsive means including an arm movable relative to said supportive carrier means in response to a change in temperature of said thermally responsive means, said resilient member having first and second support points movable respectively with said arm and with said supportive carrier means and thus having two different stable positions depending on the relative locations of said support points, and said resilient member tending in each of said stable positions to urge said support points and thus said arm and said supportive carrier means away from each other, whereby in one of said stable positions said resilient member urges said supportive carrier means and thus said valve element to a position to close said outlet and in the other one of said stable positions said resilient member urges said supportive carrier means and thus said valve element to a position to open said outlet;
• and holder means for coupling said resilient member to one of said arm and said supportive carrier means, said holder means being pivotably mounted on the respective one of said arm and said supportive carrier means to which it couples said resilient member to induce over-center travel of one of said first and second support points with respect to the other as said arm moves said first support point to a center position with respect to said second support point.