Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
4
. 1
DESCRITION
GAS CONTAINER
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a gas container including a pressure-prooi'
container filled with liquefied gas.
BACKGROUND ART
In the related art, it has bee;n a common practice for gas containers of this
type to be designed for use in fixed orientations such as, for instance, an
upstanding or lateral state.
One example of such gas eontainers of the related art includes one that
accommodates therein an absorbent soaked with liquefied gas. With tbe gas
is container of such a structure, polyurethane foam (absorbent), foamed and
resinified inside the container, is filled in the container up to a level in
the
close proximity to a shoulder portion of the container and a cap, having a
valve support cylinder protruding from a bottom surface and fixedly attached,
is fixed to the container by caulking while the valve support cylinder of the
cap protrudes into a space formed between polyurethane foatn and the cap (see
first related art: Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No.
4-136397).
P'urther, a gas container of another type includes a gas torch liquefied
container for supplying gas via a nozzle to a gas torch body. With such a gas
zg container, the gas torch body incorporates therein a hollow float that is
connected to the nozzle via a tube (see second related art: Japanese Patent
Application Publication No. 4-321900).
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
However, with the gas container disclosed in the first related art described
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
~
~
above, since the container is filled with polyurethane foam (absorbent), an
issue arises in that under a circumstance where the gas container is used for
long time in an upstanding state, liquefied gas is completely ejected with the
resultant difficulty in spraying only evaporated gas. In addition, another
issue
arises in that there is a need for an ambitious equipment to fill the
container
with polyurethane foam (absorbent).
k'urther, with the gas container disclosed in the second related art described
above, since a space is ensured for activating the incorporated hollow float,
it
has been hard to form a container in, a reduced size. In addition, another
issue
also has arisen with the occurrence in which when the remnant of liquefied
gas becomes less in volunae, the float does not adequately operate to cause
Iiquefied gas to be ejected.
The present invention has been completed with a view to addressing the
above issues and has an object to provide a gas container that can eject
evaporated gas without causing ejection of liquefied gas even when used in
any oxientation and provide a gas container in which no clogging takes place.
To achieve the above objects, a gas container comprising a pressure-proof
container, a foam body, accommodated in the pressure-proof container and
absorbing liquid fuel, which is provided with a continuous hole defining a
space for evaporating the liquid fuel, a tube provided with a bore extending
from one end of the tube to the other end thereof for guiding the evaporated
fuel, and a valve mounted on the pressure-proof container at an upper portion
thereof and formed with a guide bore connected to the bore of the tube for
guiding the evaporated fual to an ejecting portion for ejection from the
pressure-proof container, wherein the tube has a distal end protruding from
the
valve to a position that reaches a position substantially half a volume filled
up
in the pressure-proof container and the distal end of the tube is located at a
position distanced from a bottom surface and an inner wall of the continuous
hole.
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
= 3
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fiont cross-sectional view of a gas container of a first
embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a valve, a
connecting pipe and a tube shown in FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectxonal views showing other embodiments of
the valve, the connecting pipe and the tube for use in the gas container
according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of a gas eontainer of a second
io embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the gas container, taken on line VA-VA
shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the gas container taken on line VB-VB
shown in FIG. 4.
BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Now, various embodiments according to the present invention are described
in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
Referring to FIG. 1, a gas container lA, includes an aerosol pressure-proof
container 3 such as, for instance, a cylindrically shaped pressure-proof
container. The aerosol pressure-proof container 3 has an upper portion formed
with a spout portion 5 that accommodates therein an ejection valve 7 for
vaporizing liquefied gas, filled in the aerosol pressure-proof container 3, as
evaporated gas for jetting. Fox liquefied gas, use is made of liquefied gas
with
a pressure higher than 0.2 MPa at normal temperatures. More particularly,
liquefied gas may include liquefied petroleum gas containing major
components such as propane and butane, dimethyl ether and propane gas or the
like. However, gas available to be applied to the present invention is not
limited to theso gases.
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
4
A foam body 9 is accommodated 'znside the aerosol pressure-prooà container
3 and soaked with liquefied gas at all times, The foam body 9 is divided into
three parts and form elements 9A, 9B, 9C, formed in dimensions substantially
equal to each other in structures from respective bottom walls, are stacked
and
received in the pressure-prooà container 3. The form elements 9A, 9B, 9C
share more than 90% space of an offective inner volume of the aerosol
pressure-proof container 3. Further, the foam body 9 may generally include
urethane foam or melamine foam, However, the foam body may be made of
another material provided such material absorbs liquefied gas well.
As shown in FIG. 1, the form elements 9B, 9C have substantially axially
center portions formed with a continuous hole 11 that vertically extends
through the form elements 9B, 9C. In addition, the continuous hole 11 has an
upper area held in communication with the spout portion 5 of the aerosol
pressure-proof container 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, the valve 7 includes a mountain cup 13. The mountain
cup 13 has an outer periphery folded to form a cylindrical axial portion 17,
formed with a connecting screw portion 15, and a protrusion 19 concentric
with the axial portion 17, with a gasket 21 being attached to a downwardly
oriented ring-shaped recess of the protrusion 19. The axial portion 17 of the
mountain cup 13 receives therein a mount tube 23, The mount tube 23 includes
an upper main body 23A and a lower main body 23B integrally formed with
the upper main body 23A on a lower end thereof so as to protrudo from the
mountain cup 13. The upper main body 23A internally has an open space 25,
and the lower main body 23B is formed with a bore portion 27. In addition,
the bore portion 27 and the open space 25 communicate each other.
The open space 25 of the upper main body 23A incorporates therein a stem
31 via a spring 29, and the upper main body 23A has an upper surface on
which a gasket 33 is provided, The gasket 33 is fitted to a,part of the stem
31.
The stem 31 is formed with a vertically extending gas outlet port 35. The gas
outlet port 35 is formed with an orifice 37.
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
~
The lower main body 23B has an upper portion whose outer periphery is
foxmed with an external thread 39. A connecting pipe 41, extending in a
vertical direction, has an upper portion whose inner periphery formed with an
internal, thread 43 in screw engagoment with the external thread 39. The
s connecting pipe 39 has a sectional area, formed at a substantially central
area
in a vertical direction, which is formed with an insertion hole 45. The
insertion hole 45 has a lower area formed with an aperture 47 in
communication with the insertion hole 45, The connecting pipe 41 is formed
with an insertion bore 49 with a diameter greater than that of the aperture 47
in communication with the aperture 47.
A filter 511s inserted to the insertion hole 45 formed in the connecting pipe
41. The filter 51 is made of porous material with a function to remove foreign
bodies. Moreover, a tube 53, having the substantially same diameter as that of
the insertion bore 49 formed in the connecting pipe 41, is strongly fitted to
the
insertion bore 49. In addition, the insertion bore 49 and the tube 53 may be
fixed to each other by means of screws.
As shown in FIG. 1, the tube 53 has a length that is set so as to allow a
distal end portion (lower end portion) 53A of the tube 53 in the continuous
hole 11 to reach a position L at which liquefied gas is filled by an amount
equivalent to a half volume of the pressure-proof container 3. In addition,
the
length of the tube 53 is set not to reach an open space portion 11A formed in
the continuous hole 11. In other words, the length of the tube 53 is set such
that the distal end 53A is located at a position spaced from the lowermost
portion 11B and an inner wall 11C of the continuous hole 11.
In addition, as shown in FIG, 2, the tube 53 has a bore 53B with a diameter
substantially equal to a diameter of the aperture 47 and the bore 53B
communicates with the aperture 47. Moreover, the tube 53 has an outer
diameter r that is approximately 1/2 of an inner diameter R of the continuous
hole 11.
As set forth above, liquefied gas is charged to the aerosol pressure-proof
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
6
container 3 to the position L equivalent to a substantially half volume of a
full
charge volume thereof and soaked to the foam body 9. As the stem 31 is
depressed downward from one status, shown in FIG. 2 in left half area thereof,
to another status, showrl in FIG. 2 in right half area thereof, against a
biasing
force of the spring 29, the gasket 33 is pressed downward and dislocated from
the stem 31, causing the orifice 37 to be brought into communication with the
open space portion, 25.
As a result, liquefied gas is evaporated in the open space portion 11A
formed in the continuous hole 11. Evaporated gas flows from the distal end
portion (lower end portion) 53A and passes through the bore 53B and the
aperture 47 into the bore portion 27, the open space portion 25 and the
orifice
37, from which evaporated gas is ejected to the outside via the gas outlet
port
35.
The distal end 53A of the tube 53 is set to be aligned with the position L
that is substantially half of a fully charged level of the aerosol pressure-
proof
container 3 to enable evaporated gas, generated from liquefied gas soaked into
the foam body 9, to pass through the open space 11A formed in the continuous
hole 11 to eject only evaporated gas from the distal end 53A of the tube 53.
In
addition, even if the aerosol pressure-proof container 3 is used under an
inverted state or under a lay-down state, that is, even if operated under any
orientation, evaporated gas, generated from liquefied gas, is caused to surely
pass through the open space 11A formed in the continuous hole 11 to enable
only evaporated gas to be ejected from the distal end 53A of the tube 53. That
is, no liquefied gas ejects from the gas outlet port 35 as experienced in the
related art and only evaporated gas can be ejected.
Further, since the bore portion 27 of the valve 7 and the bore 53B of the
tube 53 are connected to each other by means of the connecting pipe 41
located inside the filter 51, impurities such as dusts or the like can be
removod,
thereby preventing clogging of an area through which evaporated gas is
guided,
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
7
Since the tube 53 is formed to have the outer diameter r that is nearly half
of the inner diameter R of the continuous hole 11, liquefied gas surely passes
through the open space IlA formed in the continuous hole 11 to allow oaly
evaporated gas to eject ~xom the distal end 53A of the tube 53.
Since the foam body 9 is divided into a plurality of, for instance, form units
9A, 9B, 9C, the form body 9 can be easily inserted to the aerosol
pressure-proof container 3 in a simple fashion.
Sacond Embodiment
While the first embodiment has been shown with reference to a case where
io the foam body 9 comprises the form units 9A, 9B, 9C, the number of foam
units is not particularly limited to three. In general, the greater the number
of
form units, the larger will be the amount of liquefied gas to be contained.
But,
it becomes hard to insert respective foam units into the aerosol pressure-
proof
container 3 and allow centers of the respective foam units to be aligned with
i5 respect to each other for inserting the tube into a given position.
In the following second embodiznent, description is made of a gas container
1B that can be available to insert znore number of foam units into the aerosol
pressure-proof container 3 while having the advantages of the first
embodiment mentioned above. Also, the compQnent parts bearing the same
20 reference numerals as those of FIG$, 3A to 5 refer to the same component
parts that have been described above with reference to the first embodiment
and, hence, redundant description of the same is herein omitted.
FIGS. 3A and 3B show valves 70A, 70B for use in a pressure=proof
container 30 (see FIGS, 5A and 5B) incorporating, for instance, more than
25 four foam bodies 90 (90A, 90B, 90C, 90D) (see FIG, 5) described below.
Also,
in FIGS. 3A (3B), an area on a left side of a central axis indicates a status
with
no ejection of gas and right side area indicates another status in which gas
is
ejected.
With the present embodime;ot, in line with aa increase in the number of
30 foam bodies, a length of a tube 530A (530B), formed with a through-bore
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
8
560A for guiding evaporated gas to the stem 31, is longer than that of the
tube
53 of the first embodiment. Further, with a valve 70B of a modified form
shown in FIG. 3H, a tube 530B has a distal end to which an adapter 540 is
mounted. The adapter 540 is internally formed with a through-bore 542 with
substantially the same diameter as that of a through-bore 560B for guiding
gas.
When mounting the adapter 540 onto the tube 530B, the through-bores 560B
and 542 have centers aligned with each other in position. Furthermore, the
adapter 540 has an insertion end face chamfered to be easily insorted to a
continuous hole 110 formed in absorbents 90H, 90C, 90D. Also, even under a
situation where no adapter 540 is used, the distal end 531 of the tube 530A
may be chamfered.
As shown in Fig. 4, further, like the first embodiment, even with the present
embodiment, the tube 530B (530A) has a length determined such that an
adapter distal end 541 of the tube 530B (or a distal end 531 of the tube 530A)
reaches a position L2, prevailing when liquefied gas is charged to the
pressure-proof container 30, which corresponds to a volume equivalent to a
half the volume of the pressure-proof container 30. In addition, the length of
the tube 530B (530A) is set not to reach an open space I,IOA formed in the
continuous tube 41. In other words, the length of the tube 530B (530A) is set
to assume a position distanced from the lowermost portion 110B of the
continuous hole 110 and an inner wall 110C of the continuous hole 110.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are crossWsectional views showing the absorbent 9 to be
used in the first embodiment and the absorbent 90 for use in the second
embodiment for comparison. As will be understood from FICrS. 4A and 4B, the
absorbent 90 has a diameter R10 that is set to be smaller than a diameter R1
of
the absorbent 9. Moreover, the absorbent 90 has an inner diameter R20 that is
set to be Iarger than an inner diameter R2 of the absorbent 9. That is, the
relational expxessions are satisfied as R1 > P10 and R2 e R20.
Upon forming the absorbent 90 to satisfy the above relational expressions,
work can be done to easily insert the absorbent 90 to the pressure-proof
CA 02566953 2006-11-16
~
container 30 aad even in a case where use is made of the tube 530A (530B)
longer than that of the related art shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the tube 530A
(530B) can easily penetrate through the continuous hole 110, As set forth
above, further, in a case where the adapter 540 is provided, the continuous
s hole 110 of the absorbent 90 can be further easily inserted,
In addition, even the present embodiment has the same advantageous effects
as those of the first embodiment except for matters set forth above,
Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the
present invention and can be implemented in other modes by making suitable
alterations. Accordingly, by appropriately altering a lengtb of the tube, more
than five absorbents (form elements) may be employed.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
As will be understood from the various embodiments set forth above, the
distal end of the tube is set to reach the position equivalent to the volume
nearly half the volume filled up to a capacity of the pressure-proof container
to allow evaporated gas, resulting from liquefied gas soaked through the form
elements at all times, to pass through the open space formed in the continuous
hole such that only evaporated gas can inject from the distal end of the tube.
Even under a circumstance where the pressure-proof container takes an
inverted state or is caused to lay down, that is, even when the pressure-proof
container is manipulated in any orientation, evaporated gas resulting from
liquefied gas can reliably pass through the open space formed in the
continuous hole upon which only evaporated gas can be ejected from the distal
end of the tube. That is, only evaporated gas can be ejected without causing
liquefied gas to eject from the outlet port as experiencod in the related art.
Further, since the cotznecting pipe having an inside incorporating the filter
is coupled between the valve and the tube, an action of the filter allows
impurities such as dusts to be removed thereby avoiding the occurrence of
clogging at all times.
CA 02566953 2006-11-16 NQ,3454 P. 14/23
2006~11~158 16~~08'~ MIYOSHI & MIYOSH[
Furthermore, since the outer diameter of the tube is formed in, a dimension
to be nearly half of the inner diameter of the continuous hole, liquefied gas
is
ensured to pass through the open space formed in the continuous hole at all
times to enable only evaporated gas to be injected from the distal end of the
5 tube.
Moreover, since the foam body is divided into a plurality of foam elements,
the foam body can be filled into the pressure-proof container in an easy and
simple fashion.
In addition, providing the chamfered adapter to the distal end of the tube
10 enables the valve to be more easily mounted to the valve.
