The present invention relates to a gas outlet for supplying a gas to a room. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved gas outlet front body which facilitates maintenance or servicing of the gas outlet.
It is known to provide a pressurized gas supply to gas outlets in a room. In medical treatment facilitates, gases such as oxygen, nitrous oxide, air, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen are supplied to the room through a wall panel or ceiling outlet. It is known to provide detachable adapters which mate with gas outlets to provide gas specific connectors. Such known gas outlet systems typically include a front body having a valve or barrel configured to be coupled to a back body assembly which is coupled to a gas supply line extending from a wall, headwall, or ceiling.
The valve or barrel of the front body must be removed and serviced to replace worn parts from time to time. In particular, O-ring seals within the barrel must be replaced in order to maintain acceptable sealing against gas flow. It is known to provide removable barrels from front bodies in order to permit servicing. However, removal of the conventional barrels is difficult and requires removal of several parts. These loose parts may be dropped, lost or misplaced.
The gas outlet of the present invention provides an improved latching or retention mechanism for coupling the barrel to the front body. The apparatus of the present invention permits quick detachment of the barrel from the front body for servicing, without removing fasteners or other parts from the front body which can then be lost or misplaced.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.