Valve assembly for a gas-heatable appliance for personal use

Abstract

A gas-heatable appliance for personal use receives an inflammable gas reservoir and comprises a combustion chamber and a valve assembly mounted between the inflammable gas reservoir and the combustion chamber. The valve assembly comprises a valve housing defining a gas passageway, a sealing member mounted in the gas passageway and movable between a first position allowing flow of the inflammable gas and a second position blocking the gas passageway, a movable member mounted in the gas passageway in a position other than the sealing member, and a temperature-responsive member disposed in the valve housing. The movable member is movable by the temperature-responsive member in response to a temperature of the combustion chamber to thereby vary an area of cross section permitting gas flow.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A gas-heatable appliance for personal use adapted to receive an inflammable gas reservoir and comprising a combustion chamber and a valve assembly mounted between the inflammable gas reservoir and the combustion chamber for regulating a flow of inflammable gas supplied in response to the temperature of the combustion chamber, the valve assembly comprising: 
 a valve housing defining a gas passageway;    a sealing member mounted in the gas passageway and movable between a first position allowing flow of the inflammable gas and a second position blocking the gas passageway;    a movable member mounted in the gas passageway in a position other than the sealing member; and    a temperature-responsive member disposed in the valve housing, the movable member being movable by the temperature-responsive member in response to a temperature of the combustion chamber to thereby vary an area of cross section permitting gas flow.    
     
     
         2 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a switch movable between an on position and an off position for controlling ignition of the inflammable gas.  
     
     
         3 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is in the first position when the switch is in the on position.  
     
     
         4 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is in the second position when the switch is in the off position.  
     
     
         5 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the valve housing comprises an upper seat and a lower seat, the sealing member being sandwiched between the upper seat and the lower seat.  
     
     
         6 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the upper seat comprises a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, the upper seat comprising a first hole extending from the first face of the upper face through the second face of the upper seat, a second hole extending from the first face of the upper face through the second face of the upper seat and receiving the temperature-responsive member, and a third hole extending from the first face of the upper face through the sit second face of the upper seat and communicating with the combustion chamber, the upper seat further comprising a first passageway communicated with the second hole; 
 the lower seat comprising a first face and a second face opposite to the first face of the lower seat, the lower seat comprising a fourth hole extending from the first face of the lower seat through the second face of the lower seat, communicating with the inflammable gas reservoir, and aligning with the second hole of the upper seat, the movable member being mounted in the fourth hole of the lower seat, a second passageway being defined in the first face of the lower seat and communicating with the third hole of the upper seat, a third passageway being defined in the first face of the lower seat, an engaging slot being defined in the first face of the lower seat for intercommunicating the second passageway and the third passageway, the engaging slot aligning with the first hole;    the sealing member being resilient and comprising a fifth hole for intercommunicating the third hole of the upper seat with the second passageway of the lower seat, a sixth hole for intercommunicating the first passageway of the upper seat with the third passageway of the lower seat, and a seventh hole for intercommunicating the second hole of the upper seat with the fourth hole of the lower seat, the sealing member being deformed into and thus blocking the engaging slot when the switch is in the off position, the sealing member restoring its shape and thus disengaging from the engaging slot when the switch is in the on position.    
     
     
         7 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the third hole of the upper seat is a screw hole having a threaded section, further comprising an outlet tube having a threaded end engaged with the threaded section of the screw hole, the outlet tube comprising a longitudinal hole communicated with the combustion chamber and the fifth hole of the sealing member.  
     
     
         8 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 an engaging member received in the first hole and comprising a first end and a second end extending beyond the first hole, the first end of the engaging member being operable to deform the sealing member;    an elastic member for biasing the first end of the engaging member to deform the sealing member; and    a control member securely attached to the second end of the engaging member, the control member being actuatable by the switch to overcome the elastic member, thereby allowing the sealing member to restore its original shape when the switch is in the on position.    
     
     
         9 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first hole of the upper seat is a stepped hole having a flange, the elastic member being mounted around the engaging member and having two ends attached to the first end of the engaging member and the flange of the first hole.  
     
     
         10 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the fourth hole of the lower seat comprises a conic hole for receiving the movable member, the fourth hole of the lower seat further comprising a port for intercommunicating the inflammable gas reservoir with the conic hole.  
     
     
         11 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the movable member is a ball.  
     
     
         12 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising an elastic member for biasing the ball away from the port.  
     
     
         13 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the movable member comprises a conic portion.  
     
     
         14 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising an a elastic member for biasing the ball away from the port.  
     
     
         15 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising a regulating member mounted in the fourth hole of the lower seat, the regulating member comprising a conic hole for receiving the movable member, the regulating member further comprising a port for intercommunicating the inflammable gas reservoir with the conic hole.  
     
     
         16 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the movable member is a ball.  
     
     
         17 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising an elastic member for biasing the ball away from the port.  
     
     
         18 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the movable member comprises a conic portion.  
     
     
         19 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 18 , further comprising an elastic member for biasing the ball away from the port.  
     
     
         20 . The gas-heatable appliance as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 an engaging member received in the first hole and comprising a first end and a second end extending beyond the first hole, the first end of the engaging member being operable to deform the sealing member;    an elastic member for biasing the first end of the engaging member to deform the sealing member; and    a control member securely attached to the second end of the engaging member, the control member being actuatable by the switch to overcome the elastic member, thereby allowing the sealing member to restore its original shape when the switch is in the on position.