Method and apparatus for gas cylinder sealing

摘要

A cap and gasket for a compressed gas cylinder arranged to operate with a gas cylinder having a neck with a top surface around a gas outlet and a side surface extending downwardly from the top surface. The cap may define an inner space to house the gasket and may be attached to the gas cylinder neck. The cap may restrain gasket movement, and define a volume in which the gasket can deform, when making a seal as a piercing element enters the inner space to contact the gas outlet.

主权项

1. A gas cylinder sealing arrangement for a gas cylinder having a neck with a side surface and a top surface including a gas outlet, the sealing arrangement comprising:
a cap having a lower portion arranged to engage with a neck of a gas cylinder to retain the cap on the gas cylinder, and an upper portion arranged to extend above a top surface of the gas cylinder and define an inner space, the upper portion having an upper opening to receive a piercing element into the upper opening; and a gasket sized to fit in the inner space defined by the upper portion of the cap, the gasket having an upper surface, a region of the upper surface being exposed at the upper opening of the cap and arranged to contact a piercing element received in the upper opening of the cap to pierce a gas outlet of the cylinder, and a lower surface arranged to form a seal with the top surface of the cylinder; wherein the upper portion of the cap is arranged to radially contain the gasket such that radial expansion of the gasket in response to forming a seal with the piercing element moved into the upper opening and toward the gasket is restrained and causes deformation of the gasket, and wherein the cap and gasket are unattached to any piercing element arranged to pierce the gas outlet of a gas cylinder.