Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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NORMALLY-CLOSED OPENABLE CLOSURE DEVICE
Technical Field
The present invention relates to the reversible closure of an orifice opened
in
containers such as tanks and vessels, and in particular to a method for
implementing normally-closed support-mounted opening closure systems and
devices for closing such orifices.
Definitions
A fluid is a gas or a liquid, including powder or granular material able to be
1 o poured through a container's orifice.
A container is a recipient, vessel, or any kind of reservoir containing a
fluid.
Background Art
Vessels such as fluid containers often include an orifice to which a cover is
usually detachably attached by means of threads, bayonets, frictional forces
and
the like. Many such covers are provided with a mouth to which anti-spillage
means of various sorts, a tap or similar means are attached, for filling the
containers and for pouring their contents therethrough. It is also common
practice
to detachably connect such taps or similar means to the orifice of the
container by
means of screw threads or other known means. Taps or faucets of common design
usually protrude to the outside of the envelope of the container and are
therefore
prone to damage, especially during storage or transportation. It is therefore
desirable to find a way to prevent spillage of the container's contents while
avoiding damage to the tap or to other closing means. One solution used to
prevent
such damage is by removing the tap from the orifice during transportation or
storage, replacing it with a plug and or other suitable means, and installing
the tap
back on the container when needed. Unfortunately, this procedure is cumbersome
and permits spillage. Many patents address this issue, but two patents
relevant to
the proposed solution are referred to hereinbelow.
US Patent 6,805,266 to Doron, Av et al. recites a normally-open closure,
which is an internally attached and pivot-mounted flap made to cover the
interior
surface of a container's orifice when so urged by pressure of a liquid when
the
container is tilted. The flap is openable by depressing a spring loaded pin
protruding to the exterior of the container.
US Patent 2,305,196 to Schlabauch, Lewis et al. shows an internally mounted,
spring loaded, normally closed semi-ball type valve supported by an
appropriate
structure, the valve being openable by depressing the semi-ball with a draft
rod.
Both US Patents 2,305,196 and 6,805,266 offer rather complex devices
having many parts and are therefore expensive to assemble.
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It would therefore be desirable to provide a normally closed orifice closure
for
a container, that is simple and reliable and low-cost to implement and
assemble,
cheap to buy, and easy to use.
It would also be beneficial to provide a simple and inexpensive container
closure for the openable closing of an orifice of a container, the closure not
being
prone to incur damage during handling and use of the container. The container
closure should preferably be configured for use alone or in association with
other
.closure means such as taps, faucets, or plugs.
Disclosure of Invention
When opening a container of fluid, such as for example an industrial container
holding nocive or dangerous material, the problem is that accidental or
unintentional spilling of substance thereout may occur. After opening, an
implement is usually connected to the container to allow controlled retrieval
of
matter.
The solution is provided by coupling a normally closed openable closure
device to the container, to prevent accidental spilling. As a practical
solution, the
closure device has a unitary one-piece member including a closure lid, which
is
forced onto the opening. The closure device may be coupled to a support
attached
to the container. For use, a fluid flow control means, say a faucet, is
coupled to the
closure device to allow opening of the lid, for safe and monitored retrieval
of fluid.
It is the introduction of the faucet that urges the normally closed closure
device to
open and permit safe retrieval of substance out of the container.
Summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive
method for implementing an assembly or a system which have a normally-closed
opening closure device for the openable closing of an orifice entered in a
container
of fluid, wherein the opening closure is not prone to damage incurred during
handling and use of the container. The opening closure device is configured
for
use alone or in combination with other fluid flow control means such as
faucets,
taps, or plugs.
It is yet an object of the present invention to provide method steps for
implementing a normally closed openable closure device operative in
association
with a container having an exterior and an interior. The container has
container
walls for retaining fluid therein and at least one container orifice, which is
entered
into a container wall. A support is coupled in sealed connection to the
orifice of
the container, the support including an opening allowing fluid communication
from the exterior to the interior of the container and vice versa. The method
comprises the steps of configuring the support to include a support attachment
in
fixed coupling thereto and a member formed as a piece of material accommodated
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for coupling to the support attachment in a configuration allowing at least
one
degree of freedom of motion. The member comprises:
a lid, disposed at a free end portion of the member, and configured for
closing
the opening in normally-closed and sealed disposition,
a lid attachment for coupling to the support attachment,
a flexible and resilient force applicator configured for urging the lid
normally-
close against and for sealing the opening, and
a lid guide configured for controllably orienting and guiding motion of the
member and of the lid for closing onto the opening.
It is still an object of the present invention to provide a method for
coupling,
the support to the orifice in either one of both releasable and fixed
connection,
however the support may also be integral to the container.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method for
enhancing sealing by providing a seal coupled to either one of both the lid
and the
support which seal is appropriately disposed to enhance sealing of the
opening.
Furthermore, a seal may be appropriately disposed on the support to enhance
sealed connection between the support and the container.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein
the lid attachment, the lid guide and the support attachment are configured
for
operation in mutual association for controlling, orienting, and guiding the
lid onto
and for normally close and seal the opening. Moreover, at least one portion of
the
member is configured to be flexible and resilient, and furthermore, the member
is
configured to be flexible and resilient and have a free end and an attached
end, and
the attached end is configured as the lid attachment and as a force
applicator,
which may be pre-stressed. Additionally, the attached end of the member. is
configured as the lid guide.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide a method wherein
the lid is either one of both an integral portion of the member or a separate
portion
fixedly coupled thereto, and the lid has a rigidity enhancing bent lid rim
lip.
It is moreover another object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein the support is coupled to either one of both the interior and the
exterior of
the container, with the lid being normally closed but. openable when urged. to
deflect by application of a predetermined force directed from the exterior to
the
interior of the container.
It is moreover a further object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein the member has a surface finish treatment or coating which is disposed
at
least on a portion of the device, and the surface finish treatment or coating
is
disposed at least on the lid, to operate as a seal.
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It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method wherein
the member has at least one protrusion configured to enhance orientation
control
and guidance of the lid to close on the opening, the least one protrusion
being
configured to enhance coupling to the support
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein the closure device is configured to include at least one magnet
operative
in mutual association with either one of both a ferromagnetic material and a
magnetic material for applying additional positive attraction force for urging
the
lid close onto the opening, and the at least one magnet is disposed on either
one of
both the support and the lid. Likewise, the lid may have a concave portion
oriented
toward the opening to enhance both self-alignment of the lid on the opening
and
sealed closure of the opening.
It is yet an object of the present invention to provide a method wherein the
closure device is configured for coupling to a removable fluid flow control
means
and is also configured for receiving therein a removable cap or sealing plug,
which
is configured for reversible removal while remaining coupled to the support.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein
the lid and the flexible member are configured as two separate portions
coupled
together to form one unitary member, and the attachment support is disposed in
the interior of the container and coupled to the container by a flange
disposed on
the exterior thereof.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein
the lid attachment of the member is coupled directly to the container, which
is
operative as a support.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a method
wherein deflection of the member induces elastic resilient forces in the force
applicator thereby urging the lid to close onto the opening. The member is
configured to be flexible and resilient and have a free end and a attached
end, the
force applicator being configured as a wound-coil formed at the attached end
of
the member, and pre-stress of the force applicator urges the lid to close onto
the
opening. Furthermore, the member is urged to align onto and close the opening
in
a motion selected alone and in combination from the group consisting of
translation, pitch, yaw, and roll deflection.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method wherein a wall
of the container operates as the support and the orifice of the container
operates as
the opening. Alternatively, the support is coupled to a wall of the container
and the
orifice of the container operates as the opening.
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Finally, it is further an additional object of the present invention to
provide an
assembly or a device for keeping an opening normally closed according to any
one
of the method steps described hereinabove.
Brief Description of Drawings
5 Non-limiting embodiments of the invention will be described with reference
to the following description of exemplary embodiments, in conjunction with the
figures. The figures are generally not shown to scale and any measurements are
only meant to be exemplary and not necessarily limiting. In the figures,
identical
structures, elements, or parts that appear in more than one figure are
preferably
labeled with a same or similar number in all the figures in which they appear,
in
which:
Fig. 1 is a conceptual block diagram of a closure device,
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a first embodiment of the closure device,
Figs. 4 and 5, and 5a depict a second embodiment of the closure device,
Figs. 6 and 7 show a third embodiment of the closure device,
Figs. 8 and 8.1 show a lid with a depression,
Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the closure device,
Figs. I Oa to l Oc depict a fifth embodiment of the closure device,
Fig. 11 is an illustration of another embodiment, and
Fig. 12 depicts a more elaborate block diagram of a closure device .
Modes for Carrying out the Invention
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container 10 having an orifice 11 to which
a
closure device 20 is coupled in sealed retention. A bushing-like support 40,
shown
as an inverted capital letter U and having an opening 12 is engaged in sealed
coupling to the orifice 11.
The closure device 20 has a member 30, which normally closes the opening
12 in sealed disposition. The member 30, which is actually coupled in
cantilever-
like fashion to the support 40, is able to deflect and extends longitudinally
to
terminate in a lid 32, which forcefully closes the opening 12.
The support 40 has a support attachment 42 that is coupled to a lid attachment
34 forming the cantilever-like coupling of the member 30 carrying the lid 32.
When the lid attachment 34 is coupled to the support attachment 42, in
cantilevered-like fashion, the member 30 may elastically and resiliently
deflect
thereabout.
A force applicator 36, also coupled to the support 40, is provided for urging
the lid 32, disposed at the free end of the member 30, onto the opening 12.
The lid
32 is thus urged by the force applicator 36 as a normally closed lid onto the
opening 12, for closing and sealing the opening 12.
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In addition, a lid guide 38 coupled to the attachment 40 controls the
orientation of the deflection motion and possible translation of the
cantilevered-
like retained member 30 and lid 32. Control or orientation control of the
motion of
the lid 32, as well as of the member 30, means control of the orientation of
the lid
in pitch, yaw and roll relative to the length of the member 30, and possibly
in
translation, to achieve appropriate self-alignment for effectively closing and
sealing the opening 12.
Fig. 1 thus represents a closure device 20 having a support 40 and a member
30 for sealing close an opening 12. The member 30 is possibly manufactured as
a
1 o unitary, single piece of material that is coupled to the support 40, which
is engaged
in the orifice of the container 10. The unitary member 30 may be implemented
as
one piece of material configured to perform as a lid attachment 34, as a force
applicator 36, and as a lid guide 38, as well as a lid 32 for sealing the
opening 12.
In Fig. 1 the closure device 20 and the member 30 are divided into functional
or
logical portions, which do not correspond to physical portions of
implementation.
Fig. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment 1000 of the concept described
according to Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 relates to a container 10, not shown, having walls, for example a
standard oil drum having a container bottom from the periphery from which
container sidewalls rise forming container lateral walls that are closed by a
container top wherein the container orifice 11 is entered. For the sake of
clarity,
the container top and the container orifice 11 are the only portions of the
container
10 shown in Fig. 2.
In Fig. 2 the container 10 is shown to have a container exterior EX separated
by a container top 14 from a container interior IN. Evidently, the container
walls
and the container bottom, not shown, also separate the exterior EX from the
interior IN of the container 10. A bushing 100 that implements the support 40,
is
inserted, say from the exterior EX toward the interior IN, into an orifice 102
opened in the container top 14. The bushing 100 may be disposed in sealed
3o engagement and retained in the container top 14 for example by a male screw
thread 104 disposed on the bushing and configured to engage a matching female
screw thread 16 disposed on the interior of the orifice 12. The bushing 100
may be
coupled in sealed engagement to the container top 14, or to any other portion
of
the walls of the container 10 by other means known to the art, such as swaging
and
welding for example.
The bushing 100 has a hollow passage 106 allowing fluid communication
from the interior IN to the exterior EX of the container 10 and vice versa.
The
hollow passage 106 is not necessarily concentric, and is terminated by the
opening
12 disposed in the interior IN of the container 10, and by an aperture 108
opening
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to the exterior EX of the container. The bushing 100 also has a bushing bottom
110 on which the lid 32 of the closure device 20 abuts, in the interior IN.
The member 30 is shown as a leaf spring having a rectangular attached end
302 that may be fixedly retained or anchored in a groove 112 disposed in the
bushing bottom 110. The attached end 302 forms the lid attachment 34 while the
groove 112 implements the support attachment 42. The attached end 302 may be
firmly attached in the groove 112 by friction achieved for example by
providing a
plastic deformation to the attached end 302 before insertion into the groove,
or by
any other means known in the art. The attached end 302 may also be anchored
to.
or floatingly retained within the support attachment 42, 112, by plastic
deformation of the latter, or by other means retention means known to those
skilled in theart.
Furthermore, the member 30 may have a curved portion 304 forming the force
applicator 36, implemented as a flexible and resilient curved leaf spring that
is
configured for urging the lid 32 onto the opening 12. The attached end 302 and
the
curved portion 304 shown in Fig. 2 may be implemented out of a rectangular
piece
of thin material, such as an appropriate leaf or sheet of metal, which is
treated and
curved to become a force applicator 36 that may be pre-stressed to forcefully
seal
the opening 12.
The free end extremity of the member 30 forms the lid 32 having a shape
appropriate to fully cover and seal the opening 12. For example, when the
passage
106 of the bushing 100 ends in an opening 12 that is circular, then the lid 32
may
also be circular. Other mutually matching shapes for the lid 32 and for the
opening
12 are also possible. In the present example, the member 30 may be initially
configured, thus prior to bending, as a flat elongated rectangular strip of
material,
forming the lid attachment 34 and the force applicator 36, and terminated by a
generally circular lid 32. Only circular lids 32 are described hereinbelow,
for the
sake of ease of description.
If desired, a flat elongated rectangular strip and the lid 32 may be
implemented as more than one single piece of material. The flat elongated
rectangular strip may be made out of more than a single strip, and even be
replaced by one or more thin wires or slender rods.
Fig. 2 depicts that if desired, the closure device 20 may include a sealing
plug
50, or cap 50 shown schematically only, that is received in the closure device
20
for the releasable capping and sealing-off of the aperture 108 of the bushing
100,
to prevent unintentional opening of the normally closed lid 32 during handling
or
transportation for example. The cap 50 may have a male cap screw thread 52
configured to engage a matching female screw thread 113 disposed in
continuation
of a bushing entrance 114 opening to the exterior EX at a bushing top 116.
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Furthermore, the cap 50 may remain permanently coupled to the bushing 100
by means of a link 54, say a chain or a cable, that is fixedly coupled to the
cap 50
and to the bushing 100 by means not shown in the Figs., but well known in the
art.
The link 54 is provided to avoid loss or misplacement of the cap 50. It is
noted that
the link 54 and the coupling thereof to the cap 50 and to the bushing 100 are
shown only schematically, without illustrating implementation details.
To draw fluid out of a container 10 fitted with a normally closed closure
device 20, a fluid flow control means, for example, a faucet 60 or a similar
device
may be used, as shown in Fig. 3.
In Fig. 3 a fluid flow control means 60 such as a faucet 60 having a faucet
end
portion 61 with a matching faucet male screw thread 62 is shown engaged within
the passage female screw thread 118 disposed in the interior of the hollow
passage
106. Thereby, the faucet threaded-extremity 64 may be engaged to protrude out
of
the bushing bottom 110 and into the interior IN of the container 10. While
being
introduced into the passage female screw thread 118, the faucet threaded-
extremity
64 first abuts against and then displaces the lid 32 against the force
applicator. 36,
by deflection of the member 30. Once the lid 32 is displaced out of sealing
closure
of the opening 12, and the valve 66 of the faucet 60 is opened, fluid
communication is established between the exterior EX and the interior IN of
the
container 10, and vice versa. When the faucet 60 is retrieved out of the
bushing
100, the flexible and resilient force applicator 36 will return the lid 32,
under
control of the lid guide 38, in position to close the opening 12 in sealed
closure.
It is noted that the force needed for opening the lid 32 is controllable and
predetermined as desired and the necessary precautions are taken to prevent
self
locking of the faucet end portion 61 with the lid 32 when retrieving the
faucet 60
out of engagement from the closure device 20. Furthermore, the closure device
20
is configured to retrieve the maximum possible amount of fluid out of the
container 10, leaving therein but a minimum of residuum.
Evidently, the closure device 20 may be implemented as an integral portion of
the container 10, and the container may be made for example, out of plastic
material, metal, any suitable material or a combination thereof.
Fig. 4 presents a second embodiment 2000 of the container closure 20.
In Fig. 4 the member 30 is shown as being generally planar but for a lid
attachment 34 that is rolled-up and firmly coupled or anchored into a recess
120
entered in the bushing bottom 110 of the bushing 100. The rolled-up lid
attachment 34 is formed as a wound coil coupled end 306 of the member 30,.
which is configured substantially as a wound coil leaf spring. The rolled-up
lid
attachment 34 may be wound or coiled in clock-wise or anti-clockwise as
desired.
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The wound coil coupled end 306 integrates the functions of both the lid
attachment 34 anchored into the recess 120, and of the force applicator 36,
where
the force is provided by the wound coil.
Furthermore, the wound coil coupled end 306 is also configured as the lid
guide 38 that controls the orientation of the member 30 as further described
hereinbelow.
Fig. 5 is a partial bottom elevation of the bushing bottom 110 of the bushing
100, showing an exemplary parallelepiped recess 120 The parallelepiped shape
of
the recess 120 is configured for snugly receiving and anchoring therein, and
for
1o controlling the orientation of the wound coil coupled end 306, or wound
coil 306
for short, whereby the orientation of the member 30 is also controlled.
Fig. 5a is a view of the embodiment 2000 of the closure device 20 showing
the open lid 32. In this example the lid 32 is coupled to the member 30, even
though the lid 32 is preferably implemented as an integral portion of the
member.
The wound coil 306 is shown and so are slits 124 and magnets 80, which enhance
the closure forces of the lid 32 onto the opening 12.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate an exemplary embodiment 3000 aimed at improving
the lid guidance function of the lid guide 38. Reference is made to a set of
right-
hand Cartesian coordinates, with the x-axis being taken along the length of
the
member 30. Pitch, yaw and roll of the member 30 are relative to pivoting about
the, respectively, y-axis, z-axis, and x-axis.
Fig. 6 shows that the lid attachment 34 at the attached end 302 extremity of
the
member 30 may be configured to have two protrusions 308 that protrude
laterally
out of the wound.coil 306. The two protrusions 308 are configured for coupling
the member 30 to the support 40, and for guidance and orientation of the lid.
32
onto the opening 12. Both the support 40 and the opening 12 are not shown in
Fig.
6.
In Fig. 7, the length of the parallelepiped recess 120 of Fig. 5 is shown to
be
extended on both opposite sides by a slit 124 to now form an protrusion-recess
122
for receiving the wound coil 306 and the two protrusions 308 therein. The
protrusion-recess 122 is thus an implementation of the support attachment 42.
The
slits 124 are provided for receiving therein each one of the two protrusions
308, or
protrusions 308. The protrusion-recess 122 is configured for receiving and for
retaining therein the wound coil 306, and for controlling motion and
orientation of
the member 30 for application of the lid 32 onto the opening 12. The lateral
protrusions 308 enhance control of yaw and roll orientation of the member 30
to
ensure a sealing closure fit of the lid 32 on the opening 12.
Reference is made to Figs. 6 and 7. When the lateral protrusions 308 are
fixedly coupled into the slits 124, such as by tight-fit, the member 30, and
the lid
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32, are restricted to motion in only one degree of freedom, which is
deflection in
pitch. Tight-fit refers also to pressure-fit or force-fit, to retention of the
protrusions
308 into the slits 124 by plastic deformation of the latter, or retention by
other
means known in the art. If desired, the wound coil 306 may also be fixedly
5 retained within the parallelepiped portion 120 of the protrusion-recess 122
to allow
only deflection in pitch of the member 30. Thereby, the displacement of the
member 30 is limited to only one degree of freedom, namely to pitch, which is
the
deflection about the y-axis.
In contrast, when the slits 124 are configured to receive the lateral
protrusions
10 308 in sliding-fit or slidingly retention, the lateral protrusions 308 may
slide in
translation within and along the slits 124. Sliding-fit refers to a narrow
clearance
just allowing for translation in sliding, but practically without any other
motion of
the protrusions 308. Thereby, the member 30 is not fixedly cantilevered for
pivoting about a single location but the lateral protrusions 308 may "float"
along
the height, or the depth of the slits 124. This travel or translation along
the height
of the protrusions -recesses 122, or "floating", allows the displacement of
the
member 30 in two degrees of freedom, namely in pitch and translation in
height.
Height refers here to the displacement of the lateral protrusions 308 in
translation,
and thus also of the member 30 and of the lid 32 along the height, or the
depth of
the slits 124 of the protrusion-recess 122, thus along the z-axis.
However, with appropriately dimensioned slits 124, slidingly retention of the
lateral protrusions 308 may also allow translation thereof without the
protrusions
remaining at the same height, or level, but also with both lateral protrusions
308
being disposed at different heights, or in oblique relative, for example, to
the
bushing bottom 110. Thereby the elongated member 30 may roll about its
longitudinal x-axis. The slidingly retention, or translational "floating"
displacement of the member 30, and thus of the lid 32 now allows displacement
in
three degrees of freedom, namely in pitch, in roll, and translation in height.
Furthermore, when the slits 124 are configured to receive the lateral
3o protrusions 308 in loose-fit, thus with larger clearance than in sliding-
fit, an
additional degree of freedom is created, allowing the displacement of the
member
30, and thus of the lid 32 in four degrees of freedom, namely in pitch, in
roll, in
yaw, and in translation along the height. Yaw is pivoting about the z-axis.
The retention of the member 30 to the support 40 in "floating" attachment
with many degrees of freedom permits self-alignment of the lid 32 onto the
opening 12 and enhances closure thereof. Thereby, when in production, at the
stage of assembly of the closure device 20, it is not necessary to very
accurately
align the member 30 in the protrusion-recess 122 to ensure proper closure of
the
opening 12 by the lid 32.
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The lateral protrusions 308 may be prevented from exiting out of the slits 124
by terminating the opening of these slits with a narrower portion. For
example, a
plastic deformation may restrict the width of the slits 124 on the bushing
bottom
110 after insertion of the lateral protrusions 308 therein.
The wound coil 306 may be pre-stressed before installation of the two
protrusions 308 into the protrusion-recess 122, to provide the member 30 and
thus
also the lid 32 with additional pre-loaded closure force onto the opening 12.
The member 30 of the embodiment 3000 still combines the lid 32, the lid
attachment 34, the force applicator 36, and the lid guide 38 but it is the
wound coil
306 that now integrates all the three functions of the lid attachment 34, the
force
applicator 36, and the lid guide 38. The mid-section 301, which is preferably
kept
short and even practically non-existent, is the section that couples between
the lid
32 and the lid attachment 34.
Figs. 4 and 8 depict examples of the embodiment 3000, showing how the
hermetical sealing of the lid 32 against the opening 12 may be enhanced.
In Fig. 4 it is shown that a lid seal 70 may be added to the bushing bottom
110
around the opening 12. The lid seal 70 is possibly configured as an O-Ring,
which
is a Trademark, seated in a matching lid seal groove 126. Other seals known to
the
art may also be selected for the same purpose. Alternatively, a lid seal may
be
coupled to the lid 32 to seal against the bushing bottom 110, but preferably
the lid
is kept a lightweight as possible.
Fig. 8 illustrates an alternative self-alignment sealing enhancement method,
wherein the lid 32 has a concave depression 322 configured to match and to
partially protrude into the opening 12. The concave depression 322 stiffens
and
adds to the rigidity of the lid 32, and so does a peripheral pan-like bend,
such as a
swaged bent lid rim lip, shown in Fig 10c.
Fig. 8.1 depicts another embodiment where the force applicator 36 has a wound
coil coupled end 306 that is coiled in the opposite direction relative to Fig.
8.
Fig. 4, which is now referred to again, illustrates an example of how the
3o hermetical sealing of the bushing 100 against the container 10 may be
enhanced.
Fig 4 shows that a support seal 72 or bushing seal 72 may be added to the
bushing head 128. The bushing seal 72 is possibly configured as an O-Ring,
which
is a Trademark, seated in a matching bushing seal groove 130 disposed in the
bushing head 128 on the bushing head face 132 abutting the container 10. Other
seals known to the art may also be selected for the same purpose.
Even though the force applicator 36 provides ample closing force strongly
urging the lid 32 against the opening 12, magnetic force is applicable to even
further increase the closing force.
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In Fig. 4, a magnet 80 may be embedded and fixedly retained in a matching
magnet receptacle 134 disposed on the bushing head face 132 and opposite to
the
lid 32, preferably opposite the lid free extremity 324. For the purpose of
force
enhancement, more magnets 80 may be embedded in the bushing head face 132 if
desired. One or more magnets 80 disposed preferably on the support 40, or on
the
bushing head face 132 in Fig. 4, may apply positive attraction forces on the
lid 32
when made out of ferromagnetic material, and enhance the closure of the lid on
the
opening 12.
Should the lid 32 not be made out of a ferromagnetic material, then such a
lo material may be attached to the lid. Alternatively, one or more magnets may
be
affixed to the lid 32. Likewise, should the bushing 100 not be made out of a.
ferromagnetic material, then such a material may be attached to the bushing
head
face 132, possibly in the same manner as the magnet 80, or even as one or more
magnets.
It is noted that the lid 32 and the non-attached portion of the member 30,
thus
without the weight of the lid attachment 34, the force applicator 36, and lid
guide
38, are best kept as lightweight as possible. This is to minimize acceleration
forces
from developing on the member 30 when the container 10 is dropped for example,
or as a result of shocks and vibrations, say during transportation. The
closure
forces exerted by the force applicator 36 are kept as large as possible
relative to
the weight of the non-retained portion of the member 30.
For example with a closure device 20 configured to normally close an oil
drum, the arm 30 may weigh about 15 grams and the force applicator 36 may
apply onto the opening 12 a force, measured at the center of the lid 32, of
some
450 grams. When enhanced by magnet(s) 80, the opening force may typically
reach some 2 kg. The opening force required to open the closure device 20 is
controllable, and a predetermined opening force is selected as desired for the
application at hand. The lid 32 is thus normally closed but is openable when
urged
to deflect by application of a predetermined force, selected a priori. The
opening
force in this example is directed from the exterior EX to the interior IN of
the
container 10, but the opposite is also possible.
Repetitive drop tests from a height of 3m onto a concrete floor proved the
sealing efficiency of the device 20.
The embodiment 2000 may operate in association with a fluid flow control
means, such as a faucet 60, and may have a cap 50 in the same manner as
described hereinabove with respect to the embodiment 1000.
Fig. 9 illustrates a fourth embodiment 4000 having an inverted bushing 101
which engages the orifice 102 from the interior IN of the container 10.
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13
In Fig. 9 the inverted bushing 101 is shown to be introduced into the orifice
102 and protruding thereout to the exterior EX, to be retained by a flange 90
to the
container top 14. The inverted bushing 101 has a male screw thread 104
configured to engage a matching female screw thread 92 disposed on the flange
90, and also has an interior passage 106 providing fluid communication between
the exterior EX and the interior IN. If desired, the bushing 101 may be
fastened to
the container top 14 by means known to those skilled in the art, without the
need
for a flange 90.
In Fig. 10, which is an upside-down detail, two bushing posts 140, each
lo having a cut 142 therein, operate as support attachment 42, which is
fixedly retain
the member 30 in anchored position. The bushing bottom 110 thus supports the
two bushing posts 140 that anchor the protrusions 308 into the cuts 142, in
appropriate distanced apart separation.
A lid seal 70 and/or a bushing seal 72 may also be implemented similarly to
the embodiment 2000. Furthermore, a cap 50, not shown in Figs. 8 and 9, may be
provided to engage either the male screw thread 104 disposed on the exterior
of
the inverted bushing 101, or an internal female screw thread 118 disposed on
the
interior of the hollow passage 106.
Assembly of the normally closed opening closure device is straightforward:
the member 30 is simply coupled to the support 40. With the first embodiment
1000 this means that the cantilevered end 302 of the member 30 is introduced
into
the groove 112 in firm secured retention therein. This may be achieved by
friction
due to prior to assembly plastic deformation of the cantilevered end 302
and/or by
plastic deformation of the groove 112 after insertion therein of the
cantilevered
end 302 to prevent exit thereof out of the groove 112. A similar assembly
procedure is valid for the second embodiment 2000.
The assembly of the third and fourth embodiment, respectively 3000 and
4000, requires the insertion of the laterally extending protrusions 308 into
the,
respectively, slit 124 and cut 142. Preferably, the member 30 is pre-stressed
prior
to assembly into the support attachment 42. To pre-stress the wound coil 306
of
the force applicator 36, the lid 32 is held in place while a first laterally
extending
protrusion 308 is gripped and rotated to wind-up the coil 306. Then, the
second
protrusion 308 is inserted into the, respectively, slit 124 and cut 142, which
is
followed by release of the grip and insertion of the previously gripped first
protrusion 308. If desired, plastic deformation of the, respectively, slit 124
and cut
142 may follow.
Figs. 10a, 10b, and 10c show an embodiment 5000, where the device 20 is
coupled from the interior IN to the exterior EX of a vessel 10 having a
container.
top 14 with an orifice 11 therein. As shown in Figs. 1Oa and lOb, the device
20
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14
may be swaged, or otherwise fixedly attached to and become an integral portion
of
the vessel 10. The support attachment 42 is implemented as a bracket 141
having a
flat elongated back portion 143 coupled to the support 40 and two
substantially
perpendicular side legs 144 presenting cuts 142 for receiving the protrusions
308
therein. Plastic deformation of the side legs 144 may be used to retain the
member
30 fixedly retained to the bracket 141.
Fig. 10c shows the lid 32 with a swaged or bent stiffening lid rim lip 145 for
enhancing rigidity and for preventing self-locking when a fluid flow control
means
is retrieved out of the device 20.
The closure device 20 is not limited to oil drums but adaptable for use with
various types of containers, reservoirs and tanks, such as for example
Intermediate
Bulk Containers, or IBCs, and gas tanks for motor vehicles, all well known in
the
art.
Fig. 11 is a schematic partial cross-section illustrating an example of the
use
of a closure device 20 with a standard Intermediate Bulk Container 150, or IBC
150 for short. Seals are omitted for the sake. of clarity. The IBC 150 has an
IBC
orifice 152 terminated by a protruding IBC male extension 154 with an IBC
external screw thread 156 to which a first upstream end of a hollow connector
bushing 158 having a mating female internal connector screw thread 160 may be
coupled. The IBC 150 has an interior IN and an exterior EX.
The closure device 20 may be introduced into the connector bushing 158 until
abutment with the protruding extremity 162 of the protruding male extension
154.
Next, a retention ring 164 having an external male screw thread 156 mating
with
the internal connector female screw thread 160 may be introduced into the
connector bushing 158 until the closure device 20 is firmly pushed against the
protruding extremity 162 of the protruding male extension 154. The retention
ring
164 may have fastening slots 168 for facilitating assembly.
If desired, the connector bushing 158 may be supplied readily integrating the
closure device 20 therein, thereby possibly making the retention ring 164
3o redundant. Alternatively, the IBC 150 may be supplied with an integrally
built-in
closure device 20, whereby the connector bushing 158 is superfluous.
At this stage the lid 32 of the closure device 20 is still normally closed on
the
orifice 12, as shown by the dashed line 166, thereby denying any exit of fluid
out
of the orifice 152 of the IBC 150.
A fluid flow control means 170, such as a faucet device 170 having a faucet
external male screw thread 172 mating the internal connector female screw
thread
160 may be coupled until abutment to a second downstream end 169 of the
connector bushing 158. The faucet device 170 has a faucet hollow male
protrusion
174 with a faucet downstream extremity 176, which when introduced into the
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closure device 20, is configured to push open the lid 32, whereby fluid
communication between the IBC 150 and the faucet 170 is established.
To retrieve fluid out of the IBC 150 once the faucet 170 is properly
installed,
it suffices to open the faucet. When necessary, such as for transportation for
5 example, the faucet 170 may be retrieved out of connector bushing 158 and
the
IBC 150 will remain closed by the closure device 20, which prevents spilling
of
the fluid thereout. An IBC 150 equipped with a closure device 20 may be
emptied
with a minimum of residuum remaining therein.
With motor vehicles, the fuel or gas tank may easily be equipped with a
lo closure device 20. In a passenger car, the gas tank cap may be configured
to
accommodate or integrate therein the closure device 20. Thereby, when
refueling,
the gas tank door of the vehicle may be opened, and insertion of the gasoline
pump
nozzle or fuel delivery spout into the closure device 20 will open the lid 32,
avoiding the need to unscrew the gas tank cap. Conventional closure of the gas
15 tank door of the vehicle may isolate the interior of the gas tank from the
exterior
by help of the closure device 20.
Fig. 12 shows a more elaborate block diagram of a closure device 20, which
better depict the abilities thereof. In contrast with the block diagram of
Fig. 1, the
support now features seals, such as a lid seal 70 and a support or bushing
seal 72,
2o and force enhancement means, such as provided by one or more magnets 80.
In addition, a pressure relief device 180, or pressure relief valve 180 may be
integrated within the support 40 to prevent excessive pressure to build-up in
the
interior of a container 10. A relief valve is a type of valve used to control
or limit
the pressure in a system or a container, which can build up by a process
upset,
instrument or equipment failure, or fire. The build-up of excessive pressure
ambient in the interior of the container 10 is relieved when the pressurized
fluid is
allowed to flow thereout via the pressure relief device 180. The relief valve
180 is
designed or set to open at a predetermined pressure to protect pressure
vessels and
other equipment from being subjected to pressures that exceed their design
limits.
When the pressure setting is exceeded, the relief valve becomes the "path of
least
resistance" as the valve is forced open and a portion of the fluid is diverted
out of
the container 10. The diverted fluid, such as liquid, gas liquid-gas mixture,
powder, granules or the like, is usually routed to the atmosphere. As the
fluid is
diverted, the pressure inside the container 10 will drop. Once it reaches the
re-
seating pressure of the relief device 180, the valve will close again.
Alternatively, the relief device 180 may be configured as a rupture disk or
diaphragm or membrane, or as a pop-out member such as a sealed rubber
grommet, all well known in the art.
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The various features of the closure device 20 described hereinabove may be
implemented in combination in any of the the illustrated implemetations. For
example, a wall of the container 10 may operate as the support 40 and the
orifice
11 of the container may operate as the opening 12. Alternatively, the support
40
may be coupled to a wall of the container 10 and the orifice 11 of the
container
may be operated as the opening 12.
The description hereinabove relates to a method for the implemention of a
closure device 20, and to a closure device 20.
In use, a user may buy the opening closure 20 off-the-shelf as an independent
stand-alone unit, or as integrated within a replacement unit or assembly, or
as a
portion of a container for integration into the container, or as readily
integrated
within the structure of the container. For example, in the case of an oil
drum, the.
originally supplied closure may be removed and replaced by an opening closure
20, ensuring a normally closure of the drum while facilitating frequent or
intermittent retrieval of the fluid contained in the oil drum while.
Alternatively, the
top portion 14 of oil drums may be readily manufactured to inherently include
a
closure device 20, for supply of such enhanced top portions to manufacturers
of oil
drums. The oil drum may also be fabricated by the manufacturer of oil drums to
include a structurally incorporated closure device 20.
Industrial Applicability
The embodiments described hereinabove ae applicable in industry, for
example with drums and barrels.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, that the present
invention is
not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. For
example, the closure device is also a system or a device for use in
association with
a fluid, such as contained in a piping system or a supply of fluid in general.
The
closure device may be applied to containers associated with vehicles such as
transported containers or inherent to the vehicle, such as tanks of combustion
fuel,
to various vessels used in laboratories, in industry and in households.
Evidently,
the closure device 20 may be implemented as an aggregation of various portions
coupled together by means known to those skilled in the art, instead of a
minimal
number of components. Furthermore, the closure device 20 may be coupled to the
walls or to the bottom of the container. In addition, at least one portion of
the
device may closure device 20 may be heat treated and/or protected by a surface
finish treatment such as coating, cladding or painting. Rather, the scope of
the
present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both
combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove
as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons
skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.
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List of items
container
11 opening
12 opening
5 14 container top
16 female screw thread on the interior of the orifice 102
closure device
member
32 lid
10 322 concave depression of lid 32
324 lid free extremity
34 lid attachment
36 force applicator
38 lid guide
15 301 mid-section
302 attached end of the member 30
304 curved portion of the member 30
306 wound coil coupled end
308 laterally extending protrusions
20 40 support
42 support attachment
50 cap
52 male cap screw thread
54 link
25 60 faucet
61 faucet end portion 61
62 faucet male screw thread
64 faucet threaded extremity
66 valve
30 70 lid seal
72 bushing seal
80 magnet
90 flange
100 bushing
101 inverted bushing
102 orifice
104 male screw thread on the bushing 100
106 hollow passage in the bushing 100
108 aperture
110 bushing bottom
112 groove
114 bushing entrance
116 bushing top
118 passage female screw thread
120 parallelepiped recess
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122 protrusion -recess
124 slit
126 lid seal groove
128 bushing head
130 bushing seal groove
132 bushing head face
134 magnet receptacle
140 bushing post
141 bracket
142 cut
143 back portion
144 side leg
145 lid rim lip
150 Intermediate Bulk Container, or IBC
152 IBC orifice 152
154 IBC male extension 154
156 IBC external screw thread
158 hollow connector bushing
160 female internal connector screw thread
162 protruding extremity
164 retention ring
166 dashed line
168 fastening slots
169 second downstream end
170 faucet device
172 faucet male external screw thread
174 faucet hollow male protrusion
176 faucet downstream extremity
180 pressure relief device
IN container
EX container exterior interior
