Gas control device and method of supplying gas

A gas control device for use with a cylinder of compressed gas comprising a body adapted to be directly mounted onto said cylinder, said body having therein:

• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas delivery inlet and a low pressure gas delivery outlet;
• a high pressure gas filling path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas filling inlet and a high pressure gas filling outlet and being discrete from the said main gas flow path,
• input connecting means for mounting and supporting the body on a cylinder of compressed gas and connecting the cylinder to the said body with both the high pressure gas delivery inlet and the high pressure gas filling outlet separately communicating with the gas cylinder to allow flow of gas from the cylinder into the said high pressure gas delivery inlet or flow of gas from the high pressure gas filling outlet into the cylinder;
• pressure reducing means in the main gas flow for providing at the said low pressure gas delivery outlet gas at a selected pressure substantially lower than that in the cylinder;
• output connecting means communicating with the said low pressure gas delivery outlet;
• a high pressure main gas flow path shutoff valve in the main gas flow path upstream of the pressure reducing means to selectively open and sealingly close said flow path;
• a high pressure gas filling flow path shut-off valve in the high pressure gas filling flow path to selectively open and sealingly close said flow path;
• a purge gas flow path having a purge gas inlet and communicating with the main gas flow path between the high pressure main gas flow path shut-off valve and the pressure reducing means for admitting purge-gas to the main gas flow path;
• and
• a purge-gas shut-off valve to sclectively open and scalingly close solid purge-gas flow path.

A modular gas control device for use with a cylinder of compressed gas comprising a discrete primary module adapted to be directly mounted onto said cylinder, said primary module comprising a body having therein:

• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas delivery inlet and a low pressure gas delivery outlet;
• a high pressure gas filling path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas filling inlet and a high pressure gas filling outlet;
• input connccting means for mounting and supporting the body on a cylinder of compressed gas and connecting the cylinder to the said body with both the high pressure gas delivery inlet and the high pressure gas filling outlet communicating with the gas cylinder to allow flow of gas from the cylinder into the said high pressure gas delivery inlet or flow of gas from the high pressure gas filling outlet into the cylinder;
• pressure reducing means in the main gas flow path for providing at the said low pressure gas delivery outlct gas at a selected pressure substantially lower than that in the cylinder;
• a high pressure main gas flow path shut-off valve in the main gas flow path upstream of the pressure reducing means to selectively opcn and sealingly close said flow path, and
• a high pressure gas filling flow path valve in the high pressure gas filling flow path to open and close said flow path, and
• output connecting means communicating with the said low pressure gas delivery outlet and adapted to dircctly mount on the primary module a discrete secondary module having a gas flow path inlct with the primary module low pressure gas delivery outlct in communication with said secondary module gas flow path inlet.

A modular gas control device for use with a cylinder of compressed gas comprising a discrete primary module adapted to be directly mounted onto said cylinder;

• and a discrete secondary module directly mounted on the primary module;
• the primary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas delivery inlet and a low pressure gas delivery outlet,
• a high pressure gas filling path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas filling inlet and a high pressure gas filling outlet,
• input connecting means for mounting and supporting the body on a cylinder of compressed gas and connecting the cylinder to the said body with both the high pressure gas delivery inlet and the high pressure gas filling outlet communicating with the gas cylinder to allow flow of gas from the cylinder into the said high pressure gas dclivery inlet or flow of gas from the high pressure gas filling outlet into the cylinder,
• pressure reducing means in the main gas flow path for providing at the said low pressure gas delivery outlet gas at a selected pressure substantially lower than that in the cylinder,
• output connecting means communicating with the said low pressure gas delivcry outlet,
• a high pressure main gas flow path shut-off valve in the main gas flow path upstream of the pressurc reducing means to selectively open and sealingly close said flow path,
• a high pressure gas filling flow path valve in the high pressure gas filling flow path to open and close said flow path,
• a purge-gas flow path having a purge gas inlet and communicating with the main gas flow path between the high prcssure main gas flow path shut-off valve and the pressure rcducing means for admitting purge-gas to the main gas flow path and
• a purge-gas valve to open and close said purge-gas flow path;
• and
• said secondary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a gas delivery inlet and a gas delivery outlet,
• input connecting means co-operating with the primary module output connecting means to directly mount the secondary module body on thc primary module with the secondary module gas delivery inlet communicating with the primary module low pressure delivery outlet to allow flow of low pressure gas from the primary to the secondary module,
• output connecting means communicating with the said secondary module gas dclivery outlet, and
• a combination of at lest two functional components for carrying out functions relating to gas flow through the secondary module.

A modular gas control device for use with a cylinder of compressed gas having a main cylinder axis, said device comprising a discrete primary module adapted to be directly mountcd onto said cylinder, and a discrete secondary module directly mounted on the primary module;

• the primary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas delivery inlet and a low pressure gas delivery outlet,
• a high pressure gas filling path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas filling inlet and a high pressure gas filling outlet,
• input connecting means for mounting and supporting the body on a cylinder of compressed gas and connecting the cylinder to the said body with both the high pressure gas delivery inlet and the high pressure gas filling outlet communicating with the gas cylinder to allow flow of gas from the cylinder into the said high pressure gas delivery inlet or flow of gas from the high pressure gas filling outlet into the cylinder,
• pressurc reducing means in the main gas flow path for providing at the said low pressure gas delivery outlet gas at a selected pressure substantially lower than that in the cylinder,
• output connecting means communicating with the said low pressure gas delivery outlet,
• a high pressure main gas flow path shut-off valve in the main gas flow path upstream of the pressure reducing means to selectively open and sealingly close said flow path, and
• a high pressure gas filling flow path valve in the high pressure gas filling flow path to open and close said flow path;
• and
• said secondary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a gas delivery inlet and a gas delivery outlet,
• input connecting means co-operating with the primary module output connecting means to directly mount the secondary module body on the primary module with the secondary module gas delivery inlet communicating with the primary module low pressure delivery outlet to allow flow of low pressure gas from the primary to the secondary module,
• output connccting mcans communicating with the said secondary module gas delivery outlet and
• a combination of two or more functional components for carrying out functions relating to gas flow through the secondary module;
• each module having a principal axis passing through its input connecting mcans and its output connecting mcans, the main gas flow path of each module being aligned along its principal axis for at least part of the length thereof, and the principal axis of the modules when asscmbled being substantially coaxial with the main cylinder axis.

A set of discrete modules for providing a modular gas control device for use with a cylinder of compressed gas, the set of modules comprising a primary module adapted to be dircctly mounted onto said cylinder and a plurality of secondary modules, one of said secondary modules directly mounting on said primary module, and each additional secondary modulc directly mounting on another secondary module;

• the primary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas delivery inlet and a low pressure gas delivery outlet,
• a high pressure gas filling path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas filling inlet and a high pressure gas filling outlet,
• input connecting means for mounting and supporting the body on a cylinder of compressed gas and connecting the cylinder to the said body with both the high pressure gas delivery inlet and the high pressure gas filling outlet communicating with the gas cylinder to allow flow of gas from the cylinder into the said high pressure gas delivery inlet or flow of gas from the high pressure gas filling outlet into the cylinder,
• pressure reducing means in the main gas flow path for providing at the said low pressure gas delivery outlet gas at a selected pressure substantially lower than that in the cylinder,
• output connecting means communicating with the said low pressure gas delivery outlet, and
• a high pressure gas filing flow path valve in the high pressure gas filling flow path to open and close said flow path;
• and
• each secondary module comprising a respective module body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a gas delivery inlet and a gas delivery outlet,
• output connecting means communicating with said secondary module gas delivery outlet,
• input connecting means cooperating with the output connecting means of a primary or secondary module to directly mount the respective secondary module body on the primary module or on another secondary module with the gas delivcry inlet of the respective secondary module communicating with the gas dclivery outlet of the primary module or the preceding secondary module, and
• a combination of two or more functional components for carrying out functions relating to gas flow through the secondary module.

A module gas control device for use with a cylinder of compressed gas comprising a discrete primary module adapted to be directly mounted onto said cylinder, and a discrete secondary module directly mounted on the primary module;

• the primary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas delivery inlet and a low pressure gas delivery outlet,
• a high pressure gas filing path through the body, said path having a high pressure gas filling inlet and a high pressure gas filling outlet,
• input connecting means for mounting and supporting the body on a cylinder of compressed gas and connecting the cylinder to the said body with both the high pressure gas delivery inlct and thc high pressure gas filling outlet communicating with the gas cylinder to allow flow of gas from the cylinder into the said high pressure gas delivery inlet or flow of gas from the high pressure gas filling outlet to into the cylinder,
• pressure reducing means in the main gas flow path for providing at the said low pressure gas delivery outlet gas at a selected pressure substantially lower than that in the cylinder,
• output connecting means communicating with the said low pressure gas delivery outlet,
• a high pressure main gas flow path shut-off valvc in the main gas flow path upstream of the pressure reducing means to selectively open and sealingly close said flow path,
• a high pressure gas filling flow path valve in the high pressure gas filling flow path to open and close said flow path,
• upstream of the pressure reducing means, a high-pressure safety relief device, or a high-pressure safety-relief region adapted to provide structure for mounting of a safety relief device,
• a purge-gas flow path having a purge gas inlet and communicating with the main gas flow path between the high pressure main gas flow path shut-off valve,
• a purge-gas valvc to open and closc said purge-gas flow path and
• downstream of the pressure reducing means, a low pressure indicator, or a low-pressure indicator region adapted to provide structure for a pressure indicator for indicating the pressure in the main gas flow path downstrcam of the pressure reducing mcans;
• and
• said secondary module comprising a body having therein:
• a main gas flow path through the body said path having a gas delivery inlet and a gas delivery outlet,
• input connecting means cooperating with the primary module output connecting means to directly mount the secondary module body on the primary module with the secondary module gas delivery inlct communicating with the primary module low pressure dclivcry outlet to allow flow of low pressure gas from the primary to the secondary module,
• output connecting means communicating with the said secondary module low pressure gas delivery outlet, and
• a combination of at least two functional components for carrying out functions relating to gas flow through the secondary module.