Quick disconnect coupling with a heat-sensitive cutoff feature

Claim 1

A quick-disconnect coupling with a heat-sensitive cutoff feature for use in connecting a fuel source, such as a tank of pressurized gas, with a gas appliance, such as an outdoor gas grill, comprising interengageable plug and socket components, the latter component having a passage therethrough with inlet and outlet ends, the outlet end forming a chamber for receiving said plug component, a valve seat in the passage, a valve member in the passage comprising a valve stem and sealing means on the valve stem engageable with said valve seat, said valve member being movable in the passage between a closed position in which said sealing means is in sealing engagement with said valve seat to block flow therepast, and an open position in which said sealing means is spaced away from the valve seat to permit flow through the passage, spring means engageable with said sealing means for biasing said valve member toward its closed position, said plug component being adapted, on insertion into said socket chamber, to engage said valve stem for moving the valve member against the bias of said spring means from its closed to its open position for flow of gas past the valve seat, and means for detachably connecting the plug and socket components with the plug component received in said socket chamber and holding the valve member in its open position, said sealing means being secured in fixed position with respect to said valve stem by means having a relatively low melting point whereby when said plug and socket components are connected and said melting point is exceeded, said spring means is adapted to move said sealing means with respect to said valve stem into sealing engagement with said valve seat to cut off flow of gas therepast.