FR2514331A1 - Sealed container for munitions - has cap and body connected to lockable spigot with joint effected by interengaging flexible ribs in joint interface - Google Patents

Abstract

The sealed container uses a body (1) and a cap (2) connected by a lockable spigot and socket joint, being designed to carry munitions at altitude in non-pressurised aircraft. The inside faces of the socket and/or the outside faces of the spigot are provided with not less than three thin lips (1a,2a) which are inclined under the action of the spigot entering the socket. Locking is effected by lugs (2b) or intermittent threads moving behind ramps (1c) after relative rotation of the body and the cap. The container may be of a one piece moulded plastics construction or may be in metal or cardboard with the lips on moulded liners. Alternatively, it may have an inner tube with lipped sleeves in an annular vol. formed by internal rebating of the mouths to both the body and the cap.

Description

Waterproof packaging or container, especially
for transporting ammunition at high altitude
in an unpressurized aircraft.

 Plastic packaging or containers are known which are perfectly sealed when a pressure difference exists between the outside and the inside of the packaging. This packaging is used in particular for transporting ammunition at high altitude in an unpressurized aircraft.

 In these packages, the seal is generally obtained by welding, or by gluing, or by an adhesive tape, or by means of a seal kept permanently compressed during storage.

However, the packages in which the seal is obtained by welding or by bonding are difficult to open and are no longer sealed when they have to be closed on the ground. Permanently compressed seals and adhesive tapes present the risk of poor storage over time. The tightness obtained from compressed joints requires perfect joint planes. The adhesive tapes have an elongation capacity which allows the evacuation of part of the indoor air under the effect of the external depression which prevails at high altitude. In all cases, the waterproof containers currently used are made of metal or plastic and we never succeeded until! present to make an ammunition container which is made of rolled cardboard and which is perfectly waterproof at high altitude, whatever the closure mode
The subject of the present invention is a packaging or container which remains perfectly sealed over time, which can be opened and closed easily, again being sealed after reclosing, and which can be made of rolled cardboard, if desired.

 The packaging according to the invention, which is particularly suitable for the transport of ammunition at high altitude in an unpressurized aircraft comprises a body and a cover fitted one inside the other, and is characterized in that the external surface of the fitted portion and / or the inner surface of the connecting portion comprise at least three thin lips which have a length greater than the clearance between the surfaces so as to tilt during fitting, and in that it comprises means for locking the two surfaces relative to each other in the opposite direction to that of the fitting.

 The lips can be provided on the inside of the cover. During fitting, they tilt so that their edges are directed towards the bottom of the cover. Given their length, they are in contact with the outer face of the body. During an external depression, the relative internal suppression which results, tends to press these lips on the body and thus to ensure sealing, the internal air being unable to escape to the outside. With four lips, the seal is almost complete.

 The lips can also be provided on the external face of the body. When the cover is fitted, they tilt so that their edges face the side opposite the cover. In this case, an external overpressure tends to press them on the cover and to ensure the seal, humidity, air or other external gas which cannot penetrate inside the packaging.

 I1 can also be provided lips both on the inner face of the cover and on the outer face of the body. The packaging is then sealed as well in the case of an external depression as in that of an external overpressure, a single series of lips being useful in each case.

 The cover being locked on the body, the pressure inside the packaging remains close to the initial atmospheric pressure, its variations being limited to the consequences of temperature variations as well as to those of the locking game.

 The locking means can be constituted, for example, by an interrupted thread or by pins regularly spaced angularly - and can be placed by a rotational movement under ramps in equal numbers and having a stop range. It is possible, for example, to provide three threads each covering a seventh of a turn and spaced apart by 1200 or else three lugs spaced apart by 1200. The locking by lugs and ramps is particularly suitable when the packaging contains an end damper forming a spring; indeed, this damper then crashes slightly to allow the pins to wait for the ramp stop range.

 The packaging can be completely plastic; the lips having come from molding with the body or with the cover, as the case may be.

 The packaging can also be made of metal or cardboard. In this case, the lips are molded with a sleeve placed in or on the corresponding surface.

 When the packaging is made of cardboard, it must have a groove, independent of the body; in this case, to ensure a seal between the body of the packaging and the groove fitted into the body, it is advantageous for the outer face of a sleeve threaded over the groove and / or the inner face of a sleeve threaded to the interior of the body also has at least three thin lips in contact with the adjacent surface.

 To allow the accommodation of the lips, the body of the package and its cover are preferably formed each of two tubes fitted one inside the other and glued to one another, one of the two tubes being more shorter than the other.

 The groove can also be formed from two tubes fitted one inside the other and glued together, the outer tube being cut in half and glued to the inner tube, leaving a space in which a nipple is housed or reinforcement ensuring the positioning of the sleeve threaded on the groove.

Two embodiments have been described below, by way of nonlimiting examples, of an improved ammunition container according to the present invention with reference to the appended drawing in which:
Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of part of a first embodiment;
Figure 2 shows in elevation a detail of the ib-allage;
Figure 3 is an axial sectional view of part of a second embodiment.

 As shown in Figure 1, the container is made of plastic injected, compressed or formed by blowing and comprises a cylindrical body 1 which, at one of its ends, has a portion la of reduced thickness on which can be fitted a cover 2. The part of this cover located zen opposite the end of the portion la is provided with four thin pleura 2a.

For its part, the portion la of the body is provided at its base with thin lips 1b. Pounds 1b and 2a are a few tenths of a millimeter longer than the fitting clearance plus the sum of the manufacturing tolerances on the outside diameter of the body 1 and on the inside diameter of the cover 2, so that it place obliquely when the cover is fitted on. the body.

 In its middle part, the portion la comprises locking ramps lc provided with a stop portion ld and the regularly spaced, for example three in number. Under these low wind ramps, engage pins 2b provided on the internal face of the side wall of the cover 2.

 An elastic disc 3, for example made of polyethylene foam, is placed in the bottom of the cover 2.

 The reference 4 designates the object which must be housed in the packaging and which is, for example, ammunition, the axial movements of which are damped by the disc 3.

 The cover 2 is put in place, by passing the pins 2b between the ramps lc. By pressing on the cover so as to compress the disc 3 and by rotating it, the pins are engaged under the ramps until they come into the stop portions ld as shown in Figure 2. The cover is thus locked on the body.

 In the case of an external depression the lips 2a are applied to the portion la of the body by the internal overpressure and ensure the maintenance of this overpressure. Likewise, in the case of an external overpressure, the lips 1b are applied to the cover 2 by this overpressure and prevent the penetration of this latter interior of the package. Each enclosure limited by two successive yeasts has a lower pressure than that of one of the neighboring enclosures and greater than that of the other neighboring enclosure. Experience shows that the presence of four lips ensures a practically total seal.

Thus, for example, during transport at high altitude in an unpressurized aircraft, the pressure inside the container remains permanently equal to the initial atmospheric pressure, with slight variations due to slight modifications. container volume.

 Figure 3 shows a similar container but made of spiral cardboard. The container body is formed by two tubes 5 and 6 fitted one inside the other and glued to each other, the inner tube 6 being shorter than the tube 5. In this body is glued a groove also formed of two tubes 7 and 8 fitted one into the other and glued to each other.

 The tube 5 of the body is coated with an outer layer of sealant 9. On the part of its internal face which is external to the tube 6 is disposed a plastic sleeve 10 which also covers the edge of the tube and is fixed by a ferrule 11 crimped on the end of this tube.

 On the groove 7-8 is disposed a plastic sleeve 12 whose inner face has in its middle part a reinforcement 12a; This ensures the positioning of the sleeve relative to the groove and is, for this purpose, housed in an annular opening 13 provided in the outer tube 7 of the groove. The reinforcement 12a is located approximately opposite the end of the tube 5.

 The sleeve 10 is provided, near its inner end with four thin lips 10a which are applied to the sleeve 12 and inclined towards the inside of the container as a result of the fitting of the groove in the body. For its part, the sleeve 12 is provided, between the reinforcements 12a and its part on which the lips 10a are located, with four thin lips 12b which are applied to the sleeve 10 and inclined substantially parallel to the lips 10a so they are directed towards the outside the body.

 The sleeve 12 has, at its end located inside the tube 5, regularly ramped locking ramps 12c, for example three in number, and provided with stop portions.

Under these ramps are engaged lob lugs provided on the internal face of the sleeve 10, at the end of this sleeve.

 The container can be closed by a cover constituted, like the body, that is to say formed by two tubes 14 and 15 fitted one inside the other and glued to one another, the inner tube 15 being shorter than the tube 14. This tube 14 is coated with an external sealing layer 16. On the part of its internal face which is external to the tube 15 is disposed a plastic sleeve 17 which also covers the edge of the tube 'and is fixed by a ferrule 18 crimped on the end of this tube. When the cover is in place, the ferrule 18 is practically in contact with the ferrule 11.

 The sleeve 17 is provided in the vicinity of its end located inside the cover, with four thin lips 17a which are applied to the sleeve 12 and tilt towards the bottom of the cover, during installation of it. For its part, the sleeve 12 is provided, between the reinforcement 12a and the part on which the lips 17a are located, with four thin books 12d which are applied to the sleeve 17 and extend substantially parallel to the lips 17a, thus having their edges directed towards the outside of the cover.

 Finally, the sleeve 12 comprises, at its end intended to be inside the tube 14, locking ramps 12e under which can engage lugs 17b provided on the internal face of the sleeve 17, at the end of this sleeve.

 The lips 10a and 12d seal between the body 5-6 and the groove 7-8 both from the inside to the outside and from the outside to the inside.

 The introduction of the cover is done by fitting it over the groove and then making it pivot so as to engage the lugs 17b under the ramps 12e. The lips 17a and 12d then provide 11 sealing between the cover and the body. Ultimately, the container is completely sealed.

 It goes without saying that the present invention should not be considered as limited to the embodiments described and shown, but on the contrary covers all variants thereof.

Claims (7)

 1. - Waterproof packaging or container, in particular for transporting ammunition at high altitude in an unpressurized aircraft, comprising a body and a cover fitted one into the air, characterized in that the external surface of the fitted part chée and / or the inner surface of the connecting part comprises at least three thin lips which have a length greater than the clearance between the surfaces so as to tilt during fitting, and in that it comprises means for locking the two surfaces relative to each other in the opposite direction to that of the fitting.  2. - Packaging according to claim I, characterized in that the locking means are constituted by a broken internal thread or by lugs 2b, 10b or 17b regularly spaced angularly and can be placed by a pivoting movement under ramps lc , 12c or 12e in equal number and comprising a stop plate.  3. - Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is completely plastic, the books having come from molding with the body or with the cover, depending on the ca  4. Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is made of metal or cardboard and in that the lips have come from molding on a sleeve disposed in or on the corresponding surface.  5. - Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, which is ca ton and has a groove independent of the body, characterized in that the outer face of a sleeve 12 threaded on the throat and / or the inner face of a sleeve 10 threaded inside the body also comprises at least three thin lips 12b or 10a in contact with the adjacent surface.  6. - Packaging according to claim 5, characterized in that its body and its cover are each formed by two tubes 5-6 or 14-15 fitted one inside the other and glued to each other, l one of the two tubes being shorter than the other.  7. - Packaging according to claim 5 or 6, characterized e that its groove is formed of two tubes 7 and 8 fitted one inside the other and glued to one another, the outer tube being cut in half pieces glued to the inner tube while providing a space 1 in which is housed a stud or reinforcement 12a ensuring the positioning of the sleeve 12 threaded on the throat.