Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONTAINER WITH CLOSURE
The invention is directed to a container with a connection sleeve designed to receive
a safety valve lock, such containers conventionally not being outfitted without additional
connections. The connection sleeve is generally arranged in the center of the upper
container wall forming the so-called connection cover.
Containers of this type are used in the beverage industry as well as in the chemicals
industry and mineral oil industry for transporting liquids, pastes, and granulates.
To prevent any confusion between containers used for different purposes when thelatter are connected to filling and emptying fittings, the external structural component parts
of the safety valve lock are constructed with di~erent geometrical dimensions. The safety
valve itself is designed in such a way that in the connected open state it releases a flow path
for the medium and for the conveying compressed gas or for aerating or ventilating the
contents of the container during pump out operation. Further, such safety valve locks are
also constructed for reasons of safety in such a way that they can only be disassembled
from the connection sleeve by authorized persons using special tools.
Previous known solutions for mechanically connecting the safety valve lock witllthe connection sleeve either work with a threaded connection and an additional securing
ring which can only be removed by a special tool or are outfitted with a bayonet connecting
link guide and an additional securing ring which can only be removed by a special tool.
The containers of the generic design for receiving a safety valve lock are intended,
as so-called reusable container systems, to replace the formerly used disposable container
systems which are provided with simple locks. For example, screw-type locks of metal or
plastic which cooperate with a barrel sleeve are used as locks in such disposable container
systems, or disposable plastic locks which can be clipped on to the barrel sleeve are used.
At the inception of the conversion of disposable containeir systems to reusable
container systems, existing filling installations are - understandably - only desi~ned for
filling containers having the simple locks, i.e. they cannot be converted quickly and
universally -for filling via safety valve locks, although there exists the objective of replacing
the former disposable containers with reusable containers as rapidly as possible. Thus, it is
necessary to convert a large number of different containers and consequently also a great
number of filling installations required fior their use. However, a conversion of this kind
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cannot be carried out universally, i.e. it cannot be carried out everywhere at the very same
time. It is therefore reasonable and provided in introducing reusable container systems to
enable their lock systems to be converted at any time and in a continuous manner.
Based on this idea, there arises the objective to outfit reusable containers with a
container connection which is generally provided for the use of sa~ety valve locks, but
which offers the possibility that the former simple lock systems can also still be used, so
that the latter can still be filled without difficulty on conventional existing filling
installations for containers with simple locks during the phase of container conversion, i.e.
while both disposable and reusable containers are still being filled.
This object is met, according to the invention, by means of an adapter bush which
can be inserted at least partially into the connection sleeve for a safety valve lock and is
provided on the one hand with the holding, sealing, and securing members of a safety va!ve
lock and on the other hand has receiving elements a~ the outcl edge of its openin~, for a
determined simple lock.
By using such an adapter bush, it is already possible to employ reusable containers
with a connection system for sal`ety valve locks, while nevertheless continuing to use the
former simple container locks which are tailored to the existing filling installation. When all
disposable containers have been replaced by reusable containers and the filling installation
can then be converted in general for filling reusable containers via safety valve locks, the
adapter bushes can be removed from the reusable containers by using the special tools
needed for this purpose and the safety valve locks can be installed.
In a particularly advantageous manner, according to the invention, the holding,
sealing, and securing members corresponding to a safety valve lock are associated with the
lower end portion of the adapter bush, while the receiving elements for the simple lock are
located at the upper end portion of same.
As an additional design possibility, the invention provides that the holding, sealing,
and securing members corresponding to a safety valve lock are located at the outer
circumference of the adapter bush, while the r eceiving elements for the simple lock are
provided at least in part at the inner circumference of same.
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It is possible to construct the receiving elements for the shllple lock at $he adapter
bush opening as a screw thread. l-Iowever, these receiving elements of the adapter bush
opening can also be designed as a snap-on sealing connection.
An embodiment example of the invention is explained in more detail in the
following with reference to a drawing.
Figure 1 shows an upright container with a connection in the upper cover,
Figure 2 shows a partial section through a container connection with inserted adapter bush
and mounted simple lock in an enlarged view;
Figure 3 shows an enlarged view in partial sectiol1 of a modified construction form of the
container connection and inserted adapter bush and n~o~ln~e(l simple lock;
Figure 4 shows another construction of the container connection with inserted adapter bush
and mounted simple lock in enlarged partial section;
Figure 5 shows the container connection in the construction according to Figure 2, but with
inserted safety valve lock.
In its upper end wall, which is provided as a lid or cover 2, the upright container 1
shown in Figure I has a container connection 3 whose details are shown more clearly in
Figure 2. It substantially inclucles a connection sleeve 5 which is fastened in the cover 2 via
a weld 4. An adaptel bush 6 is installed in the connection sleeve 5. This adapter bush 6
has at its outer contour all of the holding, sealing, and secl.Jring members necessary for the
installation of a safety valve lock 18 (Figure 5) in the connection sleeve 5. However, no
built in valve ~unction elements are located in the adapter bush 6. On the contrary, it
normally has an open inner cross section.
The holding, sealing and securing members can have the shape of a bayonet lock or
connecting link lock, shown in Figure 2, which is outfitted with the bayonet connecting link
f~uide 7 and the retaining ring 17. However, it may also be designed for another type of
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fastening for the safety valve lock 18. For example, it mav h~ve ~n in~ern?~ rf~ ?
connection sleeve S according to Figure 3 or an
5 according to Figure 4.
The adapter bushes 6, 11 and 12 according to Fi"ures 2, 3 and 4 are adapted to the
holding, sealing and securing members 7, 17 and 13 or l 4. A seal 8 which has the same
arrangement and position as the seal 8 which is re~uired for the installation of the safety
valve lock 18 according to Figure 5 is provided between the connection sleeve 5 and the
adapter bush 6, 11 or 12.
The edge area 9 of the outer opening 15 has r eceivh~g and hokling members 16 for
a sealing and secure fastening of simple container locks 10 at each of the adapter bushes 6,
11, 12 For example, screw threads or snap-on seal connections as shown in Figures 2~ 3
and 4 may be used as receiving and holding members for the simple container lock.
If the containers I are to be convertcd from the simplc locks 10 to safety valvelocks 18, the adapter bushes 6, l I or 12 are built on with lhe use of s-litable assembly tools '
and the appropriate safety valve locks 18, one of which is shown in Figure 5, are installed
in the connection sleeves 5.
The safety valve lock 18 according to Figure 5 includes the valve housing 19, the
immersion pipe 20, the valve body 21, the valve spring 22, and the lock flange 23. The
valve housing 19 has the same holding? sealing, and sesuling members as the adapter bush
6 according to Figure 2. Thus~ the groove 7, the seal 8 and the retaining ring 17 make up a
part of a bayonet lock whicl1 cooperates with the cam 24 in the connection sleeve 5.
To open the safety valve lock 18 by means of a spigot or tap member 25 which is
attached from the outsicle, the valve body 21 located in the valve housing 19 is displaced
axially against the pretensioning of the spring 22. The valve body 21 accordingly releases
an outer flow duct 26 and also openings 27 below a cover 28 on the immersion pipe 20.
While the fiow duct 26 releases a flow path for a conveying compressed gas or for aerating
the interior during pump out operation, the openings 27 allow the medium located in the
container 1 to exit.
