GB2111939A

GB2111939A - Compartmented containers

Info

Publication number: GB2111939A
Application number: GB08136895A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Jeffery Evans
Original assignee: AIRFOIL DEV Co Ltd
Current assignee: AIRFOIL DEV Co Ltd
Priority date: 1981-12-08
Filing date: 1981-12-08
Publication date: 1983-07-13

Abstract

A container is divided into two compartments (20, 22) by a flexible, non-porous, separator element (18) which can be a bag or partitioning membrane. The container may have two or four openings (4, 6). In use, for example in a caravan, one compartment is connected to a water inlet and the other is connected to a waste outlet, the container acting as a reservoir for a shower unit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A container This invention relates to a container for liquids, and particularly, although not exclusively, to a container for use as a water tank in caravans or other dwellings where mains water is not available.

At a caravan site, it is unusual for there to be a separate water point at each plot. Instead, there is usually a common water point serving several plots, and these water points will also serve as a disposal point for waste water. A caravan will usually carry two containers, one for fresh water and one for waste water. Both of these need to be taken to and from the water point so that the fresh water container can be filled and the waste water container emptied.

According to the present invention there is provided a container for liquids, the interior of the container being divided into two compartments by a separator element of flexible, impermeable material, the wall of the container having at least two openings each providing communication between the outside of the container and a respective one of the compartments.

A container in accordance with the present invention can thus be used to contain two different liquids without allowing them to come into contact with each other. A particular use of a container in accordance with the present invention is as a combined storage tank for both fresh water and waste water in a caravan. One compartment can be filled with fresh water which, owing to the flexibility of the separator element, can fill substantially the whole of the container. As water is drawn off for use in, for example, a basin in the caravan, the compartment containing the fresh water decreases in size, so increasing the size of the other compartment, which can be used to receive waste water from the basin.When the fresh water supply is exhausted, the container can be taken to a convenient water point where the waste water, now filling substantially the entire container, can be poured away and the fresh water compartment can be filled with a further supply.

The separator element may be a diaphragm extending across the container, the diaphragm being sufficiently flexible and/or resilient to lie against the wall df the container on both sides of the mean position of the diaphragm.

In an alternative construction, the separator element may comprise a flexible bag, the mouth of which is positioned at one of the openings in the wall of the container.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a container; Figure 2 is an end view of the container of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a top view of the container of Figs. 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines IV-IV in Fig. 3; Figure 5 is an end view of another container; Figure 6 is a side view of the container of Fig. 5; Figure 7 is a top view of the container of Figs. 5 and 6; Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 6 during filling of the container; and Figure 9 corresponds to Fig. 8 but shows the container during use.

Figs. 1 to 4 shows a container having a substantially rigid outer wall 2 comprising a blow moulded thermoplastics material such as polyethylene. There are two openings 4 and 6 in the outer wall 2, each of which is closed by a cap 8 and 10.

The openings 4 and 6 are of different size from each other, so that the caps 8 and 10 will fit only their specific opening. The caps 8 and 10 may be of different colour; for example, the cap 8 may be blue, signifying fresh water, and the cap 10 may be red, signifying waste water. The caps 8 and 10 have unions 1 2 and 14, the union 1 2 having an extension pipe 1 6 which extends to near the bottom of the container. Within the container, there is a bag 1 8 of flexible nonporous material, such as a plastics material reinforced with nylon mesh. The mouth of the bag is sealed, for example by welding, to the outer wall 2 at the opening 4.The bag 1 8 functions as a separator element to divide the interior of the container into two compartments 20 and 22 which do not communicate with each other. The bag 1 8 is able to expand to fill substantially the whole of the container, so reducing the volume of the compartment 22 to almost nothing. Similarly, the bag can collapse to occupy very small volume, so that almost the entire interior of the container is taken up by the compartment 22.

For use, both caps 8 and 10 are removed and the container is filled with fresh water through the opening 4. The fresh water will fill the bag 18, driving air out of the compartment 22 through the opening 6 until the container is full of fresh water. The bag 1 8 can then be considered as a lining covering the inside surface of the outer wall 2. When the container is full, the caps 8 and 10 are replaced. The union 1 2 is connected to a water supply line in a caravan, while the union 1 4 is connected to a waste line. By way of example, the supply line may feed a shower head, while the waste line may run from a waste outlet in the shower tray.Since there is usually insufficient head room in a caravan to provide a shower of acceptable force, there will normally be a small electric pump fitted in the supply line, and the container can then be positioned underneath the floor of the caravan. As water is drawn by the pump from the compartment 20, the bag 1 8 will decrease in volume, and there will be a corresponding increase in the volume of the compartment 22. Waste water coming from the waste outlet in the shower tray will drain into the compartment 22. At the end of the shower, much of the fresh water taken from the compartment 20 will have been returned to the compartment 22 through the waste outlet in the shower tray.When the compartment 20 is empty, or nearly empty, the container can be detached from the supply and waste lines and carried to a water point for disposal of the waste water through the opening 6 and for refilling with fresh water through the opening 4.

Figs. 5 to 9 show a container for use in the same manner as the container of Figs. 1 to 4, although it differs in several respects. The container of Figs. 5 to 9 is constructed in two halves 24 and 26. Each half is moulded from, for example, thermoplastics material or glass reinforced plastics material, and the two halves may be of different colour. Each half has a large opening 28 or 30 respectively and a smaller opening provided with a union 32 and 34 respectively. As before, the openings 28 and 30 are of different size. All of the openings have caps. Within the container, there is a separator element constituted in this embodiment by a flexible diaphragm 36 which, again, may be made from plastics material reinforced with nylon mesh. The diaphragm 36 is trapped between the two halves 24 and 26 of the container to provide a leakproof joint.The size of the diaphragm 36 is such that it can lie against either one of the two halves 24 and 26. The diaphragm 36 divides the interior of the container into two compartments 38 and 40.

As with the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4, one of the compartments (the compartment 38 as shown in Fig. 8) is filled with fresh water, so reducing the volume of the compartment 40 to practically zero. For use, the filled container is laid on one side, as shown in Fig.

9, with the union 32 for the fresh water near the bottom of the container. As before, waste water is reintroduced to the container through the opening 34.

The container of the present invention avoids the need to have two separate containers in a caravan, one for fresh water and one for waste water. This releases a significant amount of space for storage of other equipment. If the capacity of the container is such that it would be too heavy to carry when full, it may be provided with wheels or adapted to be mounted on a trolley.

Although the container has been described with reference to use in a caravan for providing fresh water and receiving waste water, it can be used in other circumstances where two liquids need to be stored without coming into contact with each other.

The container can also be used for purposes where contact between a stored liquid and air is to be avoided. For example, home brewed beer or home made wine could be kept in the compartments 20 or 38. As the beer or wine is drawn off, a corresponding quantity of air or other gas (possibly under pressure) would be admitted to the compartments 22 and 40, without directly contacting the remaining beer or wine.

Claims

1. A container for liquids, the interior of the container being divided into two compartments by a separator element of flexible, impermeable material, the wall of the container having at least two openings each providing communication between the outside of the container and a respective one of the compartments.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the separator element comprises a diaphragm which extends across the interior of the container.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, in which the diaphragm is sufficiently flexible and/or resilient to lie against the wall of the container on both sides of the mean position of the diaphragm.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the separator element comprises a flexible bag, the mouth of which is positioned at one of the openings in the wall of the container.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, in which the mouth of the bag is sealed to the wall of the container at the said one of the openings.

6. A container as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which the bag is able to expand to fill substantially the whole of the interior of the container.

7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the separator element is made from plastics material reinforced by nylon mesh.

8. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which only two openings are provided, which are closable by caps.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8, in which each cap is provided with a means for receiving a fluid line.

1 0. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, in which two pairs of openings are provided, of which one pair provides communication between one compartment and the exterior and the other pair provides communication between the other compartment and the exterior, one opening of each pair being closable by a cap.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10, in which the other opening of each pair is provided with means for receiving a fluid line.

1 2. A container as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, in which the closable openings, and their caps, are of different size from each other.

1 3. A container as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, in which the caps are of different colour from each other.

14. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is portable.

1 5. A container as claimed in claim 14, which is provided with wheels.

1 6. A container for liquids substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Figs. 1 to 4 or Figs. 5 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

17. For use in a caravan having a water inlet and a water outlet, a container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the container being releasably connectible to the water inlet and outlet whereby one compartment communicates with the water inlet and the other compartment communicates with the water outlet.