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A valve for an electric storage battery, including a cap housing for being positioned in an access port in the battery, the cap housing having interior side walls defining a gas-flow orifice therethrough. A valve member is positioned in the gas-flow orifice of the cap housing, and comprises a valve

A valve for an electric storage battery, including a cap housing for being positioned in an access port in the battery, the cap housing having interior side walls defining a gas-flow orifice therethrough. A valve member is positioned in the gas-flow orifice of the cap housing, and comprises a valve body, including at least one vent defining a gas-flow passage from an upstream to a downstream side of the valve body, a resilient, radially-outwardly extending annular skirt positioned on the downstream side of the valve body in gas-flow communication with the vent, the skirt extending radially outwardly from the valve body in the downstream direction. The skirt has an outermost free end normally sealingly engaging the side walls of the cap housing defining the gas-flow orifice. The annular skirt and adjacent side walls of the cap housing define therebetween an annular recess in gas-flow communication with the vent. The recess progressively narrows in the downstream direction to a terminus at the outermost free end of the skirt. The skirt is adapted to be resiliently responsive to internal gas pressure in the recess acting on the skirt to disengage the side walls of the cap housing by radial, inward movement at a predetermined gas pressure in the battery to provide a gap between the free end of the skirt and the side walls of the cap housing for passing gas past the valve member and into the atmosphere.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A valve for an electric storage battery, comprising:(a) a cap housing for being positioned in an access port in said battery;(b) said cap housing having interior side walls defining a gas-flow orifice therethrough;(c) a valve member positioned in the gas-flow orifice of the cap hous

[ I claim:] [1.] A valve for an electric storage battery, comprising:(a) a cap housing for being positioned in an access port in said battery;(b) said cap housing having interior side walls defining a gas-flow orifice therethrough;(c) a valve member positioned in the gas-flow orifice of the cap housing, said valve member comprising:(1) a valve body, including at least one vent defining a gas-flow passage from an upstream to a downstream side of said valve body;(2) a resilient, radially-outwardly extending annular skirt positioned on the downstream side of said valve body in gas-flow communication with said vent, said skirt extending outwardly from said valve body in the downstream direction, said skirt having an outermost free end normally sealingly engaging the side walls of the cap housing defining the gas-flow orifice;(3) said annular skirt and adjacent side walls of said cap housing defining therebetween an annular recess in gas-flow communication with said vent, said recess progressively narrowing in the downstream direction to a terminus at the outermost free end of said skirt;(4) said skirt adapted to be resiliently responsive to internal gas pressure in said recess acting on said skirt to:(a) disengage the side walls of said cap housing by radial, inward movement at a maximum gas pressure in said battery to provide a gap between the free end of the skirt and the side walls of the cap housing for passing gas past said valve member and into the atmosphere;(b) retain liquids in said battery by trapping any liquid in the gas stream against the outwardly extending skirt and return the liquid in the upstream direction to the battery through the vent in the valve body; and(c) return rapidly to sealing engagement with the side walls of the cap housing upon reduction of said gas pressure to a value below the maximum gas pressure.