GB2231863A

GB2231863A - A container

Info

Publication number: GB2231863A
Application number: GB8908357A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Hoare
Original assignee: DIXON SCIENT Ltd
Current assignee: DIXON SCIENT Ltd
Priority date: 1989-04-13
Filing date: 1989-04-13
Publication date: 1990-11-28
Also published as: GB8908357D0

Abstract

A container comprises a container body having an opening therein, a closure 12; and seal member 34 of substantially U-shaped cross-section which is disposed between the container body and the closure. Preferably the seal member is ring-shaped and the outer surfaces of the first and second arms of the U bear against a surface of the lid and of the container body respectively, the opening of the U facing towards the centre of the ring, such that pressure within the container body urges the arms apart, and into engagement with the container body and closure respectively. The closure may be secured by complementary lugs on the closure and on a locking ring 38 and by ratchet teeth (44 Fig. 6) on deformable locking tabs (40, 42 Fig. 6) on the closure and ring respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

A CONTAINER The invention relates to a container comprising a container body having an opening therein and a closure which is adapted to close said opening, wherein a seal member is provided to form a seal therebetween.

The invention relates in particular, to a container used to contain geological core samples. Such samples are generally stored by wrapping in a multilateral coating of plastic film, foil and wax before being placed in storage.

Alternatively, samples can be stored in a sealed fluid-filled container.

A known container for containing core samples comprises a vessel for receiving the core sample, and a closure for the vessel, locking means being provided for securing the closure on the vessel. An O-ring of resilient material is disposed around the closure to provide a seal between the closure and the vessel.

The known container suffers from the disadvantage that the O-ring cannot provide an effective seal between the closure and the vessel. In particular, when the container is tipped on its side, fluid can leak out of the container.

It is often desirable to preserve core samples under pressure in order to simulate conditions at the depth in the ground where the core sample was obtained, thereby to avoid break up of the sample. Typical pressures required are of the order of 8psi to 15psi.

A known container of the type described above employing a simple O-ring as a sealing member, has the disadvantage that it is unable to contain pressures of these values.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a container having a seal which is reliable and which can withstand pressures of these values.

According to the present invention there is provided a container comprising a container body having an opening therein, a closure which is adapted to close said opening, and an elongate seal member of substantially U-shaped cross-section which is disposed between the container body and the closure.

The closure may comprise a lid having a circular groove on an underside thereof.

The seal member may comprise a resilient ring which, in use, is located in the groove.

Preferably, the ring has in cross-section, first and second arms of the U-shape which are connected together by a base of the U-shape, the outer shoulders of the first and second arms bearing against a surface of the lid and a surface of the container body respectively, and the opening of the U facing towards the centre of the ring.

A locking ring may be provided on the container body by means of which the lid can be secured onto the container body.

A ratchet means may be provided on a part of the lid, and on the locking ring, for preventing rotation in one direction of the lid relative to the locking ring.

Preferably, the sealed container is fluid-tight when pressurised up to 8psi, more preferably up to 15psi.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a closure which is adapted to close the opening of a container body, having an elongate ring-shaped seal member of substantially U-shaped cross-section, said seal member comprising, in cross-section, first and second arms of the U-shape which are connected together by a base of the U-shape, the outer surfaces of the first and second arms bearing against a surface of the lid and a surface of the container body respectively, the opening of the U facing towards the centre of the ring, such that pressure within the container body urges the first and second arms of the seal member apart, and into engagement with the container body and closure respectively.

Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of the container; FIGURE 2 is a perspective side view of the container with the lid removed; FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the lid of the container; FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line I-I of Figure 3; FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line II-II of Figure 3; FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the locking means; and, FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the seal member.

A container for use in the storage of core samples is shown in Figure 1. The container has an elongate cylindrical container body 2 for receiving a core sample, the container body having a rim 4 and an opening 6 at an upper end of the container body 2.

The container body 2 is preferably made of a glass, such as, for example, a semi-borosilicate glass.

The container body 2 is additionally provided with an outer protective sheath 3 of plastics, such as, for example, of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

A closure in the form of a lid 8 is provided to close the opening 6 of the container, a locking ring 10 being provided below the rim 4 of the container body 2, by means of which the lid 8 can be held securely onto the container body 2.

The lid 8, as can be seen from Figure 3, is substantially circular in plan view and as can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, has a top surface 12 and an underside 14. A flange 15 depends downwardly from the lid 8. A circular groove 16 of rectangular cross-section is formed in the underside 14 of the lid 8 for receiving therein a sealing member 18. A circular ridge 20 runs around the top surface of the lid, providing the necessary thickness of material above the groove 16. Strengthening means in the form of radial ribs 22 and circular ribs 24 are moulded into the top surface 12 of the lid 8.

Both the lid 8 and locking ring 10 are moulded from an oil resistant plastics material, for example acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS).

The lid 8 is further provided with a central aperture having a pressure release valve 26, and additional apertures having valves 28 and 30. A tube 29 is connected to valve 28. Fluid may be introduced through valve 28 and tube 29 for pressurising the container.

Fluid may be released from the container through valve 30. Typically, nitrogen is used for pressurising the container.

A pressure gauge 31 is also provided in the lid.

The pressure release valve 26 may be preset to relieve pressure at a predetermined value, for example lOpsi, to prevent excessively high pressures being applied to the container.

Sealing member 18 comprises a circular ring of resilient material. Figures 4 and 5 show the sealing member 18 to be of a U-shaped cross-section, the opening of the U facing towards the centre of the ring. With the lid 8 and the seal member 18 in place on the container body 2, an outer shoulder of a first arm 32 of the ring 18 contacts the top surface 35 of the groove 16, whilst an outer shoulder of a second arm 34 of the ring 18 contacts the upper surface of the rim 4 of the container body 2, thus forming a seal between the lid 8 and the rim 4 of the container.

The seal arrangement described allows the container to remain fluid-tight at pressures of up to approximately 15psi. Pressure within the container acts on the ring 18 so as to urge the arms 32, 34 of the ring 18 apart, and into engagement with the top surface 35 of the groove 16 of the closure 8 and the rim 4 of the container body 2, respectively. Furthermore, the base 37 of the U-shape of the ring 18 is urged against the outer circumferential surface 39 of the groove 16, thereby enhancing the sealing effect.

The sealing effect of the ring 18 is further enhanced by virtue of the tapered cross-sectional shape of the ring 18. As can be seen in Figure 7, the ring 18 has a greater depth at its end adjacent the arms of the U-shape, than at the base 37 of the U-shape. Typically, the cross-section of the ring 18 has a depth of 5mm at the base 37, and a depth of 6.5mm at the end adjacent the arms, when located in a groove 16 of depth 5mm. When the lid 8 is secured on the container body 2, even in the absence of pressure within the container, the arms 32 and 34 are urged into engagement with the top surface 35 of groove 16 of the closure 8 and the rim 4 of the container body 2, respectively, thus forming a tight seal.

The seal 18 is moulded from a resilient material, for example a fluorocarbon such as Viton (Registered Trade Mark).

Securing means are provided in the form of wedge shaped lugs 36 which extend inwardly from the flange 15 of the lid. Complementary outwardly facing wedge shaped lugs 38 are provided on the locking ring 10.

Radially extending tabs 40 and 42 are arranged on the lid 8 and locking ring 10 respectively. These tabs provide handles for facilitating the grasping of and rotation of the lid 8 relative to the locking ring 10. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, the tabs have a ratchet means in the form of a number of overlapping wedged ratchet teeth 44 arranged on the tabs. The ratchet means acts as a locking device preventing accidental rotation of the lid 8 relative to the locking ring 10 with loosening of the lid 8, as can occur in response to internal pressure within the container.

In order to secure the lid 8 onto the container body 2 the lid 8 is placed onto the top of the container body 2 and rotated in a clockwise direction, the wedge-shaped lugs 36 engaging beneath the lugs 38, and forcing the lid 8 towards the rim 4 of the container body 2 until the two are in firm engagement. As the lid 8 is rotated and the tabs 40, 42 moved in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 6, the wedged ratched teeth 44 slide over each other, until they reach the position in Figure 6. Accidental loosening or opening of the lid 8 is thereby prevented.

Deliberate removal of the lid 8 is effected by bending the tab 42, which by virtue of the plastics material used is elastically deformable, downwards, whence the lid can be twisted in an anti-clockwise direction.

Once the lugs 36 and 38 are disengaged the lid 8 can be lifted off the container body 2.

In use, a core sample is supported in the container on a wire cradle (not shown). The cradle supports the core sample at a distance from the bottom and away from the sides of the container body 2. The cradle is formed of a single length or two lengths of corrosive resistant stainless steel wire, bent to form the cradle.

The feet of the cradle, at least where they contact the bottom of the container body 2, are covered in a plastics tubing, for example Viton tubing, to prevent abrasion of the cradle on the glass of the container body 2.

Although the preferred embodiment discloses a cylindrical container for core samples, a container may be provided with a variety of shapes and uses without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A container comprising a container body having an opening therein, a closure which is adapted to close said opening, and an elongate seal member of substantially U-shaped cross-section which is disposed between the container body and the closure.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises a lid having a circular groove on an underside thereof.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the seal member comprises a resilient ring which, in use, is located in the groove.

4. A container according to claim 3 wherein the ring has in cross-section, first and second arms of the U-shape which are connected together by a base of the U-shape, the outer shoulders of the first and second arms bearing against a surface of the lid and a surface of the container body respectively, and the opening of the U facing towards the centre of the ring.

5. A container according to any foreging claim wherein a locking ring is provided on the container body by means of which the lid can be secured onto the container body.

6. A container according to claim 5 wherein a ratchet means is provided on a part of the lid, and on the locking ring, for preventing rotation in one direction of the lid relative to the locking ring.

7. A container according to any foregoing claim wherein the sealed container is fluid-tight when pressurised up to 8psi, more preferably up to 15psi.

8. A closure which is adapted to close the opening of a container body, having an elongate ring-shaped seal member of substantially U-shaped cross-section, said seal member comprising, in cross-section, first and second arms of the U-shape which are connected together by a base of the U-shape, the outer surfaces of the first and second arms bearing against a surface of the lid and a surface of the container body respectively, the opening of the U facing towards the centre of the ring, such that pressure within the container body urges the first and second arms of the seal member apart, and into engagement with the container body and closure respectively.

9. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A closure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.