Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
  • G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
  • G01F23/02—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D25/54—Inspection openings or windows
  • B65D25/56—Inspection openings or windows with means for indicating level of contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
  • B65D77/04—Articles or materials enclosed in two or more containers disposed one within another
  • B65D77/06—Liquids or semi-liquids or other materials or articles enclosed in flexible containers disposed within rigid containers
  • B65D77/061—Liquids or semi-liquids or other materials or articles enclosed in flexible containers disposed within rigid containers the containers being mounted on a pallet

Definitions

• This invention relates to means for monitoring the liquid level in a container.
• a common form of container for the storage and transport of liquid is one in which there is a pallet type base on which there is mounted four interlocked side panels.
• the side panels are typically metal frames covered with an opaque plastic sheet material which incorporates a UV inhibitor.
• the side panels can be demountable from the base or can be hinged thereto so that the side panels can fold down over each other and over the base.
• the side panels when erected on the base provide an open topped enclosure for a clear plastic film liner bag.
• a lid is provided for the open top of the container.
• Discharge is by gravity through as nozzle of the liner big which projects through an opening in one side panel of the container at an elevation slightly above the bag supporting upper face of the base of the container.
• the nozzle is adapted for the connection of a valve and a discharge pipe.
• the invention can be said to provide an inspection side panel for a container to house a clear plastic liner bag adapted to hold a liquid, said side panel including a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel.
• the invention can be said to provide an inspection side panel for a container, where said side panel includes a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel, in combination with other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, where all the side panels are of substantially the same height and are adapted with the base to allow the side panels to be mounted on and demounted from the base releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels mounted on the base.
• the invention provides an inspection side panel for a container, where said side panel includes a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel, in combination with three other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, wherein the base is a rectangle with two plinths of the same height upstanding from a support surface of the base along two opposed side edges of the base, said side panels being arranged in pairs with one pair shorter than the other by the amount that top edges of the plinths stand above the base support surface, the shorter side panels are respectively coupled to said plinths so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and the taller side panels one of which includes said inspection segment are respectively coupled each to both plinths at the other side edges of said base so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels when upright relative to the base.
• Fig.1 is a schematic illustration of a first form of container with which the inspection container side of this invention is associated
• Fig.2 is a schematic illustration of a second form of container with which the inspection container side of this invention is associated
• Fig.3 is a schematic illustration of a third form of container with which the inspection container side of this invention is associated
• Fig.4 is a perspective view of a container side of the form illustrated in Figs.l and 2.
• Fig.5 is a sectional view on the section line 5-5 of Fig.4.
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In Fig.1 there is shown a container indicated 1 with four side panels 2,3,4,5 and a base 6 of pallet type typically allowing access of fork lift truck tines from all four sides of the base.
• the side panels 2 to 5 are demountably secured to the base in any one of a number of ways, examples are disclosed in Australian patents numbered 665635 and 684859 by the present applicant.
• the side panels 2 to 5 are all of the same general construction comprising a frame of angle iron with a top rail 7, a bottom rail 8 and side posts 9 and 10 connecting the top and bottom rails.
• the container side 5 is a inspection side panel in accordance with the present invention and it differs from the other side panels in that is does not have all of the inner face of the panel forming frame covered with an opaque covering sheet 11 , as is the case with the side panels 2,3 and 4.
• the opening 15 lies in a zone of the covering sheet 13 defined by bars 16,17, an intermediate rail 18 and the bottom rail 8 of the inspection panel. This zone may include a nozzle retainer and is usually covered by a door to provide protection for the nozzle. All of the features just described can be seen in detail in Fig.4.
• the covering sheet 13 and the inspection segment 14 are substantially coplanar thereby providing a smooth and continuous surface against which the liner bag in the container will press when filled with liquid. It follows that an observation can be readily made of the height of the liquid in the liner bag in the container can through the transparent inspection segment 14 and the clear plastic of the liner bag in the container.
• the covering 13 and the inspection segment 14 can be fixed to the frame members of the side panels by any suitable manner, for example by fasteners, by clamping or by adhesive.
• the container of Fig.1 would conventionally have a lid 19.
• the manner in which the four side panels are interconnected can vary but one arrangement is shown in Australian patent number 684859 by the present applicant.
• Fig.2 there is shown a second form of container using an inspection panel of the invention.
• the base 6 has two plinths 20 upstanding from the top face of the base and the side panels 3 and 5 are taller than the side panels 2 and 4. All four side panels are hingedly connected to the base allowing the taller sides to fold down one over the other and both over the base, followed by the shorter side panels which are likewise able to fold down and be erected to form sides for the container.
• the hinge connection between the four panel sides and the base can be of any suitable type but one arrangement is as shown in Australian patent number 676087 by the present applicant.
• Fig.3 shows a variation of the arrangement shown in Fig.2.
• the inspection panel is one of the short panels pivotally connected to the plinth 20, but it does not have a nozzle opening.
• a nozzle opening but it is located in the plinth 20 and is indicated 21.
• the inspection segment 14 has been representatively illustrated as being at one side of the inspection panel 5, and that the inspection segment 14 can be mounted in a position other than that illustrated. It is also to be understood that it is desirable, but not essential, for the inspection panel 5 to have or be disposed adjacent to an aperture allowing access to a liner bag nozzle from outside the container.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3802566

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1997
  • 1997-07-29 AU AUPO8276A patent/AUPO827697A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 1998
  • 1998-07-07 EP EP98931825A patent/EP1027258A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-07-07 WO PCT/AU1998/000522 patent/WO1999006292A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events