Heat activated vent

Abstract

The heat activated vent for releasing an excess internal pressure in a container which pressure accompanied by an abnormal rise in an internal temperature of the container uses a spring to store sufficient energy to propel a barb or spike to pierce a thin diaphragm. A pierceable thin diaphragm is positioned adjacent to the sharp end of the barb and is arranged to provide a fluid tight seal across an open end of a hollow vent housing. The spring is in the form of a leaf spring having a diaphragm piercing upright barb at one end thereof while the other end of the leaf spring is supported in a fixed position within the housing. The end of the spring carrying the barb is normally retained in a position wherein the barb is spaced from the diaphragm by a preshaped end of a cantilevered beam of a material having a memory capability. A temperature rise of the container is communicated to the vent housing which, in turn, is effective to produce a temperature rise of the memory material to allow the memory material to return to its original shape. The original shape of the memory material is effective to release the barb carrying end of the leaf spring to allow the spring to propel the diaphragm piercing barb into the diaphragm to produce a hole in the diaphragm for releasing the internal pressure in the container into a fluid escape channel from the vent housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.