EP0991584A1

EP0991584A1 - Container for fluids

Info

Publication number: EP0991584A1
Application number: EP98937538A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Norbert Gessner; Reiner Schuster; Jürgen KNOBLAUCH; Rainer Lodes
Original assignee: RAG AG
Current assignee: RAG AG
Priority date: 1997-06-27
Filing date: 1998-06-23
Publication date: 2000-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-23
Also published as: HRP980365A2; US6561222B1; EP0991584B1; DE59812619D1; DE19727294A1; ATE289980T1; ZA985608B; WO1999000321A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a container for fluids having a volume (2a) which can be filled with a fluid, and emptied by pressurizing the fluid by subjecting it to internal gas pressure. The invention is characterized in that the container has a valve device (7a) for filling the volume (2a) with the fluid, while the internal gas pressure is generated by compressing a gas trapped in the container (1a). It is thus not necessary to fill the receptacle with pressure gas separately.

Description

"Container for fluids"

The invention relates to a container for fluids with a container space which can be filled with a fluid and emptied by pressurizing the fluid via an internal gas pressure.

These are containers for fluids that can be conveyed by compressed air, e.g. Lubricants or adhesive components known, which are designed as large-volume pressure vessels. After filling these containers with the fluid, a valve is attached and the container, which is not completely filled while leaving a residual air volume, is pressurized with air. Pressure and residual air volume are dimensioned such that the container can be completely emptied by expanding the enclosed air via a riser pipe connected to an outlet valve.

It is the object of the present invention to create a new container for fluids, which is improved compared to the known fluid containers described, in particular with regard to the effort required for filling.

The container according to the invention that achieves this object is characterized by a valve device for filling the fluid into the container space while generating the internal gas pressure by compressing a gas enclosed in the container.

As a result of this inventive solution, the container can be emptied immediately after filling without further measures due to the internal gas pressure built up in the container during the filling process. A separate filling of compressed gas in the container is not necessary. In one embodiment of the invention, the gas can be compressed in a pressure chamber which can be shut off from the container space. In this case, the gas internal pressure required for emptying the fluid from the container space while the fluid is being stored in the container can advantageously be limited to the pressure chamber, which is substantially smaller than the total container volume. This means that the stored fluid itself is not under pressure and the container does not fall under the legal provisions applicable for the approval of transport containers for pressurized fluids. Since the pressure can be limited to the small volume of the pressure vessel with a correspondingly low pressure-volume product, the strength of the container space is not as high as for the fully pressurized vessels known from the prior art. The container weight can advantageously be reduced due to these lower requirements for strength.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve devices are formed by a double valve unit comprising a filling and / or outlet valve, which is provided for closing the filling and / or outlet valve and shutting off the pressure chamber against the container space, the double valve unit preferably having a closed position in which the pressure chamber has already been closed off from the container space and the filling and / or outlet valve is still open. In the case of a container of this type, the pressure in the container space is automatically released after the pressure chamber is shut off before the container space is also closed. The desired state that the container space is free of pressure is achieved in a single actuation sequence of the double valve unit, in which first the pressure chamber and then the container space are shut off.

The double valve unit is preferably to be actuated via a connection piece which can be connected to the filling and / or outlet valve, an actuating mandrel protruding into the opening of the filling and / or outlet valve in particular from the connection piece for actuating the double valve unit. The above-mentioned sequential shooting process occurs automatically when e.g. connecting piece connected to a line hose is decoupled from the filling and / or outlet valve.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the double valve unit comprises a pipe section which extends through the pressure chamber and is in fluid communication with the container space at one end, at the other end of which the filling and / or outlet valve is arranged and the pipe wall of which is at least one of the pressure chamber opening valve opening, which is actuated by a supply of the filling and / or exhaust valve movable part can be shut off. Preferably, the at least one valve opening opens into a conical annular groove of the tube piece, in which an elastic sealing ring that closes the valve opening against the pressure chamber in the manner of a ball valve is arranged and through an actuating part protruding from the valve opening against the displaceable part and the sealing ring to release the Valve opening is stretchable. The displaceable part is preferably designed as an inner tube coaxial with the tube piece with a tube section that can be placed against the actuating part to release the valve opening and a tube section with an outer diameter that is reduced compared to the tube section. The actuating part is preferably formed by a pressure ball, and a plurality of valve openings receiving such pressure balls are provided distributed around the circumference of the tube piece, the pressure balls being held in the valve openings between the sealing ring and the inner tube. In such an embodiment, the valve openings are free as long as the tubular section of the inner tube bearing against the actuating part ensures that the sealing ring cannot be pressed into its closed position in the annular groove by the internal pressure of the pressure container. When the container is closed via the filling and / or outlet valve, the inner tube is displaced so that the section of the inner tube with a reduced diameter is opposite the check valve opening and the actuating part can protrude into the interior of the tube piece with the valve openings closed.

In a preferred embodiment, in which the pressure vessel and the double valve unit are arranged on the upper side of the vessel, a delivery or riser tube protruding into the vessel space is connected to the inner tube.

In a further embodiment, which is advantageous both in terms of production and handling, the container space, the pressure chamber and the double valve unit are arranged coaxially to a longitudinal axis of the container.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the container space is blocked off from the enclosed gas by a partition which can be moved to compress the gas and pressurize the fluid. While an internal pressure that can be used to expel the fluid from the container can also be built up directly above the fluid level and the fluid can be expelled from the container via a riser pipe, such a partition advantageously prevents any contact between the fluid and the gas, so that it does not the gas can adversely affect the fluid. In addition, no compressed gas can escape when the container is emptied. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the partition is formed by a balloon which is expandable within the container for compressing the gas or for pressurizing the fluid. The valve device preferably comprises a filling valve opening towards the interior of the balloon, the balloon being in particular designed such that it can be compressed to almost zero by the internal gas pressure while reducing the interior volume of the balloon to almost zero. In this case, especially when the pressure of the enclosed gas in the emptied state of the container space is above the air pressure acting on the container, a fluid contained in the balloon can be completely expelled from the container while avoiding residues.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the filling valve and the balloon are designed as an assembly which can be mounted together on the container, the balloon being connected to the filling valve in such a way that it is connected to the container by, e.g. with a threaded valve opening can be inserted into the container, wherein the externally threaded filling valve is then screwed into the thread of the opening.

The invention will now be explained and described in more detail using an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings relating to this exemplary embodiment. Show it:

1 shows a fluid container according to the invention in a vertical section,

2 shows a double valve used in the container of FIG. 1 in a closed position,

Fig. 3, the double valve of Fig. 2 in an open position, and

Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of a fluid container according to the invention in a vertical section.

The reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 denotes an essentially round-cylindrical container with rounded end faces, which is divided into a container space 2 and a pressure chamber 3. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the volume of the container space is 25 I and the volume of the pressure chamber 5 I. At both ends of the container 1, the cylinder wall protrudes beyond the end faces of the container, a steel ring 4 and 5 being attached to the end edges. Below the ring 5, the protruding cylinder wall has recesses, not shown, through which grip options for handling the container are provided by gripping the steel ring 5.

The reference numeral 13 denotes a double valve unit in FIG. 1, which has a pipe section 6 passed through the pressure chamber 3. In the pipe section 6 opening towards the container space 2, a filling / outlet valve 7 is arranged at the end facing away from the container space 2. The pipe section 6 also has in its pipe wall valve openings 8 and 9 opening into the pressure chamber 3, which are described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. An inner tube 11 connected to the valve 7 via a pin 10 is arranged within the tube piece 6 and is displaceable against the tube piece 6. The sections with different sizes of inner tube 11 is connected to a riser tube 12 which projects into the container space 2.

2 and 3, where the double valve unit 13 is described in more detail. Corresponding parts are designated in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the same reference number as in FIG. 1.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the filling / outlet valve 7 has a sleeve part 14 which is received in a seat 15 formed in the tube piece 6 by an inner diameter widening and is sealed against the tube piece 6 by means of an annular seal 16. Valve parts 19 and 20 are arranged in the sleeve part 14 coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve against helical springs 17 and 18 in the direction of the longitudinal axis. In the closed state shown in FIG. 2, the valve part 20 bears against the sleeve 14 with an annular lug 21 and is sealed against the sleeve 14 via an annular seal 22. In this state, the valve part 19 having through openings bears with a sealing ring surface 23 against the sleeve part 14.

As can also be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the coil springs 17 and 18 bear with their end facing away from the valve part 19 or 20 against a support plate 24 arranged in the sleeve 14. The support plate 24 has a central guide opening for the pin 10, which is connected to the valve part 20 and the inner tube 11.

The reference numeral 26 denotes a flexible sealing ring in FIG. 3, which is seated in a conical annular groove 25 surrounding the pipe section 6 and closes the valve openings 8 and 9 opening towards the annular groove 25 in the manner of a ball valve. The valve openings 8 and 9 are representative of a large number of around the circumference of the pipe section 6 distributed around such valve openings shown. Pressure balls 27, which bear against the sealing ring 26 and protrude the inner tube 11, are arranged in the valve openings, the pressure balls being held in the valve opening by the sealing ring 26 and the pipe piece 11.

As can be clearly seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner tube 11 has sections 29 and 30 with different diameters, the section 29 with the larger diameter in the pipe section 6 and between the sections being a transition section 28 which runs obliquely to the pipe longitudinal axis is formed. The diameter of section 30 is reduced compared to section 29 to such an extent that the rotating balls 27 can protrude so far into the interior of the tube piece 6 that the sealing ring 26 lies circumferentially in the conical annular groove 25 and closes the valve openings.

The reference numerals 31 to 33 in FIGS. 2 and 3 denote sealing rings with which the double valve unit 13 is sealed against sleeve parts 34, 35 connected to the wall of the pressure chamber 3.

The inner tube 11 is provided with a two-part sealing ring 36, the outer part of which has a band cross section and consists of a plastic-bronze mixture with good sliding properties.

The mode of operation of the fluid container described in FIGS. 1 to 3 is described below.

To fill the container, a connector, for example connected to a hose line, not shown in the figures, is attached to the sleeve part 14, which with a projecting mandrel the valve part 20 against the pressure of the helical spring 18 into the sleeve part 14 into that shown in FIG. 3 Position presses. During this displacement, the annular lug 21 comes into contact with the valve part 19, which is thereby also displaced against the force of the coil spring 17, the sealing ring surface 23 being removed from the wall of the sleeve part 14 with the release of an opening gap. With the displacement of the valve part 20, the inner tube 11 is also moved via the pin 10 to the position shown in FIG. 3, in which the inner tube 11 is initially with the transition section 28 and then with the widened section 29 for abutment against the pressure balls 27 comes and the sealing ring 26 expands, so that a closing of the valve openings is prevented by the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 3 acting on the sealing ring 26. In this open position of the double valve unit 13 shown in FIG. 3, the container is first set under low gas pressure (for example 0.7 bar) via the connector (not shown) and then a fluid, for example a lubricant or a component of an adhesive, is connected to this connector. filled into the container, the fluid reaching the container 2 via the sleeve part 14, the pipe section 6, the inner pipe 11 and the riser pipe 12 connected thereto.

As the liquid level rises, the gas enclosed in the container, e.g. can be suitably selected according to the type of fluid, compresses and reaches the pressure chamber 3 via the space formed between the section 30 of the inner pipe 11 and the pipe section 6 and the valve openings (8 and 9), the internal pressure increasing with increasing liquid level.

When the container space 2 is filled, i.e. the liquid level reaches the pressure chamber 3, the filling / outlet valve 7 is automatically closed with the removal of the connector, not shown, by the valve parts 19 and 20 being moved by the springs 1 7 and 18 into the position shown in FIG. 2. About the pin 10 thus also a displacement of the inner tube 1 1, the portion 30 having the smaller diameter makes it possible for the pressure balls 27 to protrude as far into the interior of the tube piece 6 that under the influence of the internal pressure in the pressure chamber 3 the valve openings (8 and 9) are closed via the sealing ring 26.

Immediately after the valve openings 8 and 9 are closed, before the closing position shown in FIG. 2 is reached, the filling / outlet valve 7 is not yet closed, so that pressure gas remaining in the container space 2 passes through the filling / outlet valve can escape outside. When the filling / outlet valve 7 is then completely closed, the container space 2 is no longer under pressure. Only the significantly smaller pressure vessel 3 is pressurized.

The container can now e.g. be loaded for transport, with the steel ring 4 ensuring a secure stand on a loading floor.

To empty the container at a desired location, a connecting piece of a hose line is connected to the filling / outlet valve 7 in the same way as when filling, whereby, as described above, in addition to the valve 7, the valve openings (8 and 9) are also opened are so that the gas pressure present in the pressure chamber 3 via the valve openings 8 and 9 and the space between the inner tube 1 1 and the pipe section 6 bears against the liquid level of the liquid stored in the container and presses the liquid through the riser pipe 12, the inner pipe 11, the pipe section 6 and the valve 7 to the outside.

The gas pre-pressure generated in the container before the container is filled is dimensioned such that the discharge of all of the liquid stored in the container space 2 from the container is ensured.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, where a further exemplary embodiment for a container according to the invention is shown. Parts which are the same or have the same effect are designated by the same reference number, however, provided with the letter a, as in the exemplary embodiment shown above. The relevant parts are therefore not described in detail.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 differs from the previous embodiment in that instead of the double valve unit 13, only a fill / outlet valve 7a is provided, which can be screwed into a threaded attachment 40 at a valve opening of a container 1a.

The fill / outlet valve 7a is connected to a rubber balloon 41 arranged coaxially therewith, by means of which the container interior is divided into the container space section 2a and a container space section 42 which can be used for filling a fluid. Due to the extensibility of the rubber balloon 41, the volume ratio between the container space sections 2a and 42 can be changed.

4 in FIG. 4 denotes a valve via which a compressed gas can be filled into the container space 42.

To prepare for operation of the container shown in Fig. 4, a compressed gas, e.g. Air, filled, wherein in the embodiment shown, a pressure> 0.7 bar is generated in the container. The balloon 41 is compressed so that its interior volume is almost zero.

A liquid can now be filled into the container provided with a pre-pressure via the filling / outlet valve 7a, the balloon 41 expanding and the compressed gas compressing in the container space section 42. Which is made of an elastic rubber material In the exemplary embodiment shown, the container expands until the liquid filling pressure is equal to the gas pressure generated in the reduced container space section 42. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this liquid filling pressure is approximately 7 bar. Accordingly, the volume of the container space section 42 has been reduced to approximately one tenth of the volume when the balloon 41 is completely compressed, and accordingly the majority of the container volume is now filled with liquid.

The tightness of the container 1a is sufficiently large that the liquid e.g. can remain in the container for a longer period of time without loss of pressure for transport or storage purposes.

For emptying the container, a connection piece which opens with the connection of this opening piece is attached to the filling / outlet valve 7a. Due to the internal gas pressure, the balloon 41 is now compressed while emptying the container 1 a, the suitably selected admission pressure ensuring that the container volume 2 a is brought to approximately zero while the fluid is almost completely expelled from the container.

The liquid stored in the container does not come into contact with the surrounding atmosphere during the filling or emptying process, so that there can be no impairment of liquids stored and transported in the container.

The balloon 41 connected to the valve 7a can be removed from the container together with the valve 7a, i.e. be pulled out if e.g. after a certain period of operation or when changing the liquid to be stored in the container, an exchange or cleaning of the balloon 41 is necessary.

Claims

Claims:

1 . Container for fluids, with a container space (2,2a) which can be filled with a fluid and emptied by pressurizing the fluid via an internal gas pressure, characterized by a valve device (13, 13a; 7a) for filling the fluid into the container space (2, 2a) generating the internal gas pressure by compressing a gas enclosed in the container (1, 1 a).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas can be compressed in a pressure chamber (3) which can be shut off against the container space (2).

3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the valve means by a filling and / or exhaust valve (7) comprising, for closing the filling and / or exhaust valve with the isolation of the pressure chamber (3) provided double valve unit (13) is formed .

4. A container according to claim 3, characterized in that the double valve unit (13) has a closed position in which the pressure chamber (3) is already shut off against the container space (2) and the filling and / or outlet valve (7) is still open.

5. A container according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the double valve unit (13) can be actuated via a connecting piece which can be connected to the filling and / or outlet valve (7).

6. A container according to claim 5, characterized in that the double valve unit (13) can be actuated via a mandrel projecting from the connecting piece and into the opening of the filling and / or outlet valve (7).

7. Container according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the double valve unit (13) comprises a through the pressure chamber (3) extending, at one end with the container space (2) in fluid communication pipe section (6), at the at the other end, the filling and / or outlet valve (7) is arranged and the tube wall of which has at least one valve opening (8, 9) opening to the pressure chamber (3), said valve opening being actuated in the tube piece (6) by actuating the filling and / or or exhaust valve (7) displaceable part (1 1) can be shut off.

8. A container according to claim 7, characterized in that the valve opening (8,9) in a conical annular groove (25) of the pipe section (6) opens, in which a valve opening (8,9) against the pressure chamber in the manner of Elastic sealing ring (26) which closes the ball valve and is expandable by an actuating part (27) projecting out of the valve opening against the displaceable part (11) and the sealing ring (26) to release the valve opening (8,9).

9. A container according to claim 8, characterized in that the actuating part is designed as a pressure ball (27) and a plurality of valve openings distributed around the circumference of the pipe section (6) is provided.

10. A container according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the displaceable part as to the pipe section (6) coaxial inner tube (1 1) with a for releasing the valve openings against the actuating part (27) can be placed pipe section (29) and a pipe section ( 30) is formed with an outer diameter that is smaller than that of the pipe section (29).

1 1. A container according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that between the pipe sections (29,30) an intermediate section (28) inclined to the pipe longitudinal axis is provided.

12. A container according to claim 1 1, characterized in that connected to the inner tube (1 1) in the container space (2) projecting conveyor tube (12).

13. Container according to one of claims 3 to 12, characterized in that the container space (2), the pressure chamber (3) and the double valve unit (13) are arranged coaxially to a longitudinal axis of the container.

14. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container space (2a) is separated from the enclosed gas by a partition (41) which can be moved to compress the gas and to pressurize the fluid.

15. A container according to claim 14, characterized in that the partition is formed by a stretchable balloon for compressing the gas (41) or for pressurizing the fluid.

16. A container according to claim 15, characterized in that the valve device comprises a filling / outlet valve (7a) opening towards the interior of the balloon (41).

17. A container according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the balloon is compressible by the internal gas pressure while reducing the interior volume of the balloon to almost zero.

18. A container according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the filling / outlet valve (7a) and the balloon (41) form an assembly which can be mounted together on the container (la).

19. Container according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the pressure of the enclosed gas in the emptied state of the container space (2,2a) is above the ambient air pressure acting on the container.

20. A method for filling and emptying a container holding a fluid, characterized in that when the fluid is filled into the container, a gas enclosed in the container is compressed to produce an internal pressure which can be used for later emptying of the fluid from the container.