EP2348915B1

EP2348915B1 - A container for a liquid

Info

Publication number: EP2348915B1
Application number: EP09745119A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rainer Gramss
Original assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH
Current assignee: ITW Automotive Products GmbH
Priority date: 2008-10-18
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2012-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2029-10-14
Also published as: WO2010044068A1; DE102008052278A1; EP2348915A1

Abstract

A receptacle for a liquid such as drinking water, of which the top side may be sealed by a cover comprising an open/closed filling aperture (70) that may be closed by means of a filling flap (50) which is pivotable about an axis and, in its closed position, rests in sealing manner against the underside of the cover zone enclosing the filling aperture, said filling flap being biased by a spring (54) into the closed position, a disengageable lock (58) being associated with said flap (50) and locking, in its locked position, said filling flap (50), and a disengaging element resting in the cover, which, when selectively actuated, drives the lock into a disengaged position.

Description

The present invention relates to a container for liquids, hereafter "liquid receptacle", as defined in claim 1.
Frequently there arises a need to supply drinking water to people at a location lacking water supply lines. The drinking water is transported in individual receptacles to the delivery site. There the people using appropriate dispensers may remove drinking water from the receptacles. Such requirements arise for instance at pilgrimage sites where large crowds assemble.
Most of the time a large number of water receptacles must be transported to the delivery site and it is desirable they be initially filled quickly and in simple manner. Moreover there is a need for appropriate hygiene. Such water may not be contaminated during said transport.
From US 2126087 a dispensing closure means arranged on a container is known with a body portion and an outlet arranged thereon. A spring actuated closure element is operatively secured to the body portion and a motivating element is supported on the closure element. Further, means are arranged on the closure element for locking the motivating element adjacent to and against the closure.
Accordingly it is the objective of the present invention to create a receptacle allowing simple filling under sanitary conditions. Moreover the receptacle shall be sufficiently sealed and preclude being contaminated.
This objective is attained by a receptacle defined in claim 1.
The receptacle of the present invention includes a filling aperture which can be closed by a filling flap that is pivotable about an axis and that, in its closed position, rests in sealing manner against a filling aperture rim. The filling flap is biased by a spring toward the closed position. Moreover this filling flap is fitted with a disengageable lock locking it when it is in its closed position. Lastly an unlocking element is situated in the cover and upon being selectively actuated moves the lock into its disengaged position.
When in its unlocked position, the filling flap may be opened by a filling nozzle, which in turn feeds liquid into the receptacle. After the receptacle has been filled, the lock is actuated to drive the hinged lid into its closed position and shall keep it unaffected by external pressure. Accordingly the filling flap is closed and no contamination may enter the receptacle during transportation and/or the delivery of liquid. The filling flap moreover cannot be opened wantonly in an attempt to contaminate the receptacle contents.
In one embodiment mode of the present invention, a cylindrical housing may be inserted into the cover's filling aperture to support the filling flap. The housing may be inserted by means of a simple bayonet connection into the cover's aperture. In this manner the housing also may be disassembled very simply.
In this respect another embodiment mode of the present invention provides that said housing comprises a round stub fitted with a radial flange resting against the cover's outside when the housing is linked to the cover. This embodiment mode moreover comprises an annulus which is connected in frictionally or in geometrically interlocking manner from the underneath to the housing. Preferably the filling flap is fitted with at least one hinge pin rotatably supported in geometrically interlocking manner between a support protrusion of the annulus and the cover segment of the housing. Accordingly the filling flap is installed during the assembly of housing and annulus.
As regards the lock, one embodiment mode of the present invention provides a pivotable locking arm integral with the annulus and fitted with one locking zone operating in concert with another locking zone of the filling flap. An unlocking pin rests in axially displaceable manner in the annulus and in the housing and, in a first axial position keeps the locking arm in a locked position and in a second axial position allows pivoting the locking arm into an unlocked position. Preferably the locking zones of the locking arm and of the filling flap cooperate by means of bevels.
In another embodiment mode of the present invention, the unlocking pin comprises two segments of different outside diameters, pivoting the locking arm being precluded when the larger-diameter segment is situated near the locking arm.
Preferably the unlocking pin is spring-biased toward the unlocked position. In another design of the present invention, the unlocking pin is fitted with a lateral protrusion which -- for the locked state and due to rotating the unlocking pin through a predetermined angle -- shall engage from below a stop and affix the unlocking pin in its locked position.
In another embodiment mode of the present invention, a push-push lock may be used instead of rotationally locking the said unlocking pin, as a result of which the unlocking pin is selectively affixable in either of the two axial positions.
An illustrative embodiment mode of the present invention is elucidated below in relation to the appended drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective of a liquid receptacle cover before filling takes place,
Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but shown during filling,
Fig. 3 is a perspective and exploded view of the filling system of the cover of Figs. 1 and 2,
Fig. 4 shows the cover of the receptacle of Figs. 1 and 2 devoid of the filling system,
Fig. 5 is a partly sectional view of the system of Fig. 3 after its installation into the cover of Fig. 4,
Fig. 6 is a perspective of the filling flap of the system of Fig. 3 in various pivoted positions and of the associated locking/unlocking means,
Fig. 7 is a topview of an unlocking pin of Fig. 6,
Fig. 8 is the view of Fig. 6 with the filling flap locked, and
Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but with the unlocking pin locked.
Figs. 1 and 2 show a cover 10 which can be deposited from above on an omitted receptacle. The receptacle is used to receive liquids, in particular drinking water. The cover 10 comprises a grip 12, and excentrically from it, a filling system elucidated further below. Figs. 1 and 2 show a filling hose 16 fitted with a valve 18 and a valve lever 20. Said hose is fitted at its lower end with a filler spout 22. Fig. 2 indicates that the filler spout may dip into the filling system 14.
Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the filling system 14. Said system comprises a housing 24 fitted at its top with a lid 26 having a radial flange 28. The lid comprises a central circular aperture 30 and, excentrically situated to it, a smaller circular opening 32. The cylindrical wall of the housing 24 is fitted near the underside of the flange 28 with outer, diametrically situated projections 34. Said wall also is fitted with clearances 36.
Fig. 3 also shows an annulus 38 comprising a central funnel 40 concentric with the aperture 30. A tubular element 42 is integral with the annulus 38 while being excentric to it and running parallel to its axis. Two axially parallel support arms 44, each approximately diametrically opposite the tubular element 42 are joined to the annulus. They comprise bearing recesses 46 for pins 48 of a filling flap 50. The hinge pins 48 are integral with parallel bearings arms of the filling flap 50, a wire pin 52 receiving an angled, torsion spring 54 between the bearing arms.
Fig. 3 also shows a helical spring 56, further a locking/unlocking pin 58. The locking/unlocking pin 58 is hollow and comprises a first segment 60 and a second segment 62, the diameter of the latter segment being larger than that of the former. An external projection 64 is integral with segment 62 at its lower end.
A screening basket 66 is shown underneath the annulus 38.
All shown parts except for the springs 54, 56 and the wire pin 52 are made of plastic.
Fig. 4 shows the cover 10 devoid of the filling system 14. Said cover comprises an excentric aperture 70 which is circular except for two diametrically opposite recesses 72 in its rim. When the housing 24 is inserted, the projections 34 are aligned with the recesses 72. The housing is axially inserted together with the remaining parts of the filling system into the aperture 70 and thereupon is rotated by a given angle in order that the projections 34 shall engage from below the rim of the aperture 70. In the process the flange 28 comes to rest in sealing manner against the circumferential rim 74 of the aperture 70. In the course of this procedure, the annulus 38 is assembled to the housing 24, these two parts being locked onto each other in a manner not elucidated herein. The hinge pins 48 of the filling flap 50 are received in the recesses 46 and are held in place by the top side of the cover 26, as a result of which the filling flap 50 is restrained to pivot solely about the axis of the hinge pins 48. In the process, one leg of the angled torsion spring 54 comes to rest against a lateral strip 76 inside the housing 24 while the other leg rests against a lower projection 78 of the hinged lid 50, so that the filling flap 50 is spring-loaded toward the closed position shown in Fig. 5.
In the described installation of the filling system 14, the locking/unlocking pin 58 is inserted into the aperture 32 and the element 60 receives the upper zone of the spring 56 while the lower zone of said spring is received in the tubular part 52 of the annulus 38. A partition 80 constitutes a support for the spring 56.
The wall of the housing 24 also comprises a locking arm 82 joined at its lower end to said wall and fitted at its upper end with a locking zone 84. Said zone 84 operates in concert with a mating locking zone 86 configured diametrically opposite the arms (unnumbered, best seen in FIG. 3) for hinge pins 48 at the filling flap 50.
Operating the filling system 14 is elucidated further in relation to Figs. 6 through 9. The housing 24 is omitted from Figs. 6 and 8. Only the locking element 82 integral with housing 24 is shown. In Fig. 6 the locking/unlocking pin 58 assumes an upper axial position. The locking arm 82 respectively the locking/unlocking pin 58 respectively the locking zone 84 is able to pivot radially outward to allow moving the locking zone 86 past the locking zone 84. The locking zones 84, 86 are fitted with bevels enabling easily pivoting the locking arm 82. Accordingly, using the filling system 22 of Fig. 1, the filling flap 50 can be moved into the position shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 7, the locking/unlocking pin 58 is in its unlocked position. If on the other hand the locking/unlocking pin 58 is axially moved down by a given distance against the force of the spring 56, the locking zone 84 by its section 62 of larger diameter of the unlocking/locking pin 58 will come to rest. As a result the filling flap 50 is locked into its closed position and cannot be pivoted downward by applying a downward pressure. In order to keep the locking/unlocking pin 58 in the locked position of Fig. 8, the radial projection 64 of Fig. 3 engages from below a shoulder shown in Fig. 5 at 86. For that purpose the locking/unlocking pin 58 must be rotated by 180° as indicated in Fig. 9. When the locking/unlocking pin 58 of Fig. 9 is rotated into the position of Fig. 7, the spring 56 forces the locking/unlocking pin 58 back into the position shown in Fig. 6, so that renewed filling may take place.
It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the unlocking/locking pin 58 in its locking position disappears completely (Figs. 8 and 9), i.e., the upper end of pin 58 is flush with or located below the upper surface of cover 26. Therefore, it is not possible, or at least difficult, for a user to bring the locking/unlocking pin 58 into its unlocked position (according to Figs. 6 and 7) without having a tool. Only with a tool the locking/unlocking pin 58 can be rotated. This rotation is about an angle of approximately 180° as indicated in Figs. 7 and 9. It can be seen that the upper end of unlocking/locking pin 58 has a recess non-circular in cross section so that with a tool having a corresponding cross section the unlocking/locking pin 58 can be rotated from the position in Fig. 9 into the position of Fig. 7 so that spring 56 automatically moves in 58 into its unlocked position shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
To bring pin 58 to its locking position it is only necessary to push pin 58 axially inwardly and to rotate into the final locking position as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The rotation can be carried out by manual operation or by also using a tool.
It is conceivable that instead of the shown locking and unlocking means, a push-push system (not shown) is used in some embodiments. Pin 58 cooperates with such a push-push system. When pin 58 is pressed axially inwardly it remains in the lower axial position as shown in Fig. 8 or 9. If pin 58 is pushed again further inwardly, the push-push system releases pin 58 so that a suitable spring may press pin 58 axially upwardly into its unlocking position according to Figs. 6 and 7. The push-push system is not shown in the drawing. However, push-push systems are used in a variety on different fields.

Claims

A liquids receptacle comprising a cover at its open side, said cover being fitted with a sealable filling aperture, wherein the filling aperture may be sealed by a filling flap (50) which is pivotable about an axis and which in its sealing position rests in sealing manner against the underside of the cover's zone enclosing the filling aperture, the filling flap (50) being biased by a spring (54) toward the sealing position, a locking/unlocking element, associated with the flap (50), locking it in its closed position, and in that the cover supports an unlocking element which, when actuated, selectively drives the locking element into an unlocked position, wherein the locking/ unlocking element is defined by a locking/unlocking pin (58) which is axially supported by a cover (26) of the housing (24) between an unlocking and a locking position, the pin has a locking portion in which the pin (58) is locking the flap (50) in its sealing position and an unlocking portion in which the pin (58) allows a pivoting of the flap (50), and that locking means are provided to retain the locking/ unlocking pin (58) in the respective positions, and wherein the locking/ unlocking pin (58) is biased by a spring (56) into its unlocking position, in the locking position the upper end of the locking/unlocking pin (58) is flush with or below an upper surface of the cover, and the upper end of the pin (58) has at least one tool engagement surface to allow movement of the pin (58) from the locking position to the unlocking position by a tool, characterized in that the locking means are defined by at least one radial projection (64) on the locking/ unlocking pin (58) and the pin (58) is retained in the locking position in that the pin (58) is rotated about an angle, preferably about 180°, after being moved into the locking position.
Receptacle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a cylindrical housing supporting the filling flap (50) is insertable into the filling aperture (70).
Receptacle as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the housing (24) is fitted with a radial flange (28) coming to rest against the outside of the cover (10) when the housing is being geometrically interconnected with the cover (10), further an annulus (38) linked in frictional or geometrically interlocking manner from below to the housing (24) and supporting the unlocking element.
Receptacle as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a hinge pin (48) of the filling flap (50) rests in rotatable manner between a lower bearing protrusion of the annulus (38) and a cover segment (26) of the housing (24).
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 1 through 4, characterized in that the upper end of the locking/unlocking pin (58) has a recess non-circular in cross section to allow rotation of the pin (58) by a means of a tool matched to the cross section of the recess.
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 1 through 5, characterized by a locking arm (82) which is integral with the housing and includes a locking zone (84) that works in concert with a locking zone (86) of the filling flap (50), wherein the locking/unlocking pin (58) rests in axially displaceable manner in the annulus (38) and in a first axial position keeps the locking arm (82) in its locked position and in a second axial position allows pivoting the locking arm into its unlocked position.
Receptacle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the locking zones (84, 86) operate in concert by means of bevels.
Receptacle as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the locking/ unlocking pin (58) comprises two segments (60, 62) of different outside diameters, the locking arm (82) being prevented from swinging outwardly when the larger-diameter segment (62) is situated near said locking arm.
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 1 through 8, characterized in that the locking/ unlocking pin (58) is fitted with a lateral protrusion (64) which - in the locked position of the locking/unlocking pin (58) and by means of a rotation of the locking/unlocking pin through a predetermined angle - engages from below a stop or a shoulder (86) and affixes the locking/ unlocking pin (58) in its locked position.
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 1 through 9, characterized in that the housing (24) is affixed in the filling aperture (70) by means of a bayonet connection.
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 1 through 10, characterized in that the spring (56) is partly received in a tubular segment (62) of the annulus (38) and partly by the hollow locking/unlocking pin (58).
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 3 through 11, characterized in that the annulus (38) comprises a funnel (40).
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 3 through 12, characterized in that a screening basket (66) is affixable to the underside of the annulus(38).
Receptacle as claimed in one of claims 6 through 13, characterized in that the locking/unlocking pin (58) is selectively moveable into either of the two axial positions using a push-push system.