Granted Patent B2

US 12,480,589 · App. 18/786,377 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Inventors: John Head (Fountain Hills, AZ); James French (Chandler, AZ); Don Christensen (Fountain Hills, AZ)

Assignee: PREVCO Subsea LLC

F16K17/044F16K15/066F16K17/06F16K17/10Y10T137/0486Y10T137/0491Y10T137/7743Y10T137/7838Y10T137/7846

Abstract

Claims (36)

1 . A pressure relief valve (PRV) assembly comprising:

a housing having an opening therein, an interior cavity, a passageway extending between the opening and the interior cavity, and a flange extending within the passageway adjacent the opening;

a first stage valve carried within the interior cavity;

a second stage valve fluidly coupled in series with the first stage valve and comprising an enlarged head carried within the opening and a shaft extending from the enlarged head through the passageway to the interior cavity, the shaft having a proximal end coupled to the enlarged head and an opposing enlarged distal end adjacent the interior cavity; and

a biasing member between the enlarged distal end of the shaft and the flange and configured to bias the first and second stage valves to a closed position.

2 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 further comprising a coupling member coupling the first stage valve to the shaft.

3 . The PRV assembly of claim 2 wherein the coupling member comprises a locking pin.

4 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 wherein the biasing member comprises a coil spring.

5 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 further comprising a second biasing member between the first biasing member and the first stage valve.

6 . The PRV assembly of claim 5 wherein the second biasing member is around the enlarged distal end of the shaft.

7 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing has an orifice therein from the interior cavity to an exterior of the housing; and wherein the first stage valve comprises a first stage valve body and a seal carried by the first stage valve body and configured to sealably engage adjacent portions of the housing within the interior cavity.

8 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 wherein the first stage valve comprises a first stage valve body having a first opening therein receiving the shaft therein.

9 . The PRV assembly of claim 8 further comprising a coupling member; and wherein the shaft has a shaft opening therein adjacent the enlarged distal end thereof; and wherein the first stage valve body has a second opening therein transverse to the first opening and aligned with the shaft opening for receiving the coupling member therethrough.

10 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 wherein the second stage valve comprises a seal carried by the enlarged head and configured to sealably engage adjacent portions of the housing within the opening.

11 . The PRV assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises first and second nested housings.

12 . The PRV assembly of claim 11 further comprising a housing seal between the first and second nested housings.

13 . A pressure relief valve (PRV) assembly comprising:

a housing having an opening therein, an interior cavity, a passageway extending between the opening and the interior cavity, and a flange extending within the passageway adjacent the opening;

a first stage valve carried within the interior cavity;

a second stage valve fluidly coupled in series with the first stage valve and comprising an enlarged head carried within the opening and a shaft extending from the enlarged head through the passageway to the interior cavity, the shaft having a proximal end coupled to the enlarged head and an opposing enlarged distal end adjacent the interior cavity;

a coupling member coupling the first stage valve to the second stage valve;

a first biasing member between the enlarged distal end of the shaft and the flange for biasing the first and second stage valves in a closed position; and

a second biasing member between the first biasing member and the first stage valve.

14 . The PRV assembly of claim 13 wherein the coupling member comprises a locking pin.

15 . The PRV assembly of claim 13 wherein the first biasing member comprises a coil spring.

16 . The PRV assembly of claim 13 wherein the second biasing member is around the enlarged distal end of the shaft.

17 . The PRV assembly of claim 13 wherein the housing has an orifice therein from the interior cavity to an exterior of the housing; and wherein the first stage valve comprises a first stage valve body and a seal carried by the first stage valve body and configured to sealably engage adjacent portions of the housing within the interior cavity.

18 . The PRV assembly of claim 13 wherein the first stage valve comprises a first stage valve body having a first opening therein receiving the shaft therein.

19 . A method of making a pressure relief valve (PRV) assembly comprising:

positioning a first stage valve within an interior cavity of a housing having an opening therein, a passageway extending between the opening and the interior cavity, and a flange extending within the passageway adjacent the opening;

positioning a second stage valve fluidly in series with the first stage valve, the second stage valve comprising an enlarged head carried within the opening and a shaft extending from the enlarged head through the passageway to the interior cavity, the shaft having a proximal end coupled to the enlarged head and an opposing enlarged distal end adjacent the interior cavity; and

positioning a biasing member between the enlarged distal end of the shaft and the flange for biasing the first and second stage valves in a closed position.

20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising positioning a coupling member to couple the first stage valve to the shaft.

21 . The method of claim 20 wherein positioning the coupling member comprises coupling a locking pin.

22 . The method of claim 19 wherein positioning the biasing member comprises positioning a coil spring.

23 . The method of claim 19 further comprising positioning a second biasing member between the first biasing member and the first stage valve.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (89)