US3289827A

US3289827A - Container for use in space ships

Info

Publication number: US3289827A
Application number: US403870A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry E Frankenberg
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1962-11-06
Filing date: 1964-10-14
Publication date: 1966-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-06

Description

Dec. 6, 1966 H. E. FRANKENBERG 7 3 CONTAINER FOR USE IN SPACE SHIP Original Filed Nov. 6, 1962 INVENTOR HENRY EfFx-zmmenaam ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,289,827 CONTAINER FOR USE IN SPACE SHIPS Henry E. Frankenberg, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application Nov. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 235,687, now Patent No. 3,227,308, dated Jan. 4, 1966. Divided and this application Oct. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,870 10 Claims. (Cl. 206-47 This application constitutes a division of my copending commonly assigned application for US. Letters Patent, Serial No. 235,687, filed November 6, 1962, and now Patent No. 3,227,308.

This invention relates to a container for use in manned space ships, space-capsules, and other spacecraft Whether in sub-orbital, orbital or interplanetary flight.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel combined container, tube, and protector sleeve which are united in a compact manner and are readily disassembled and reassembled to form a device particularly adapted for dispensing preferably an edible product from the interior of the container through a nipple of the tube.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel container and a protective element adapted to overlie a separate edge remaining upon the removal of a closure of the container, the protective element being shaped to conform to and carried by a seam securing the closure to a body of the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel kit formed of a container, a folded tube, and an annular protector sleeve, the latter three elements being united in a compact manner and readily disassembled for reassembly into a dispensing device.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a container, a protector sleeve, and a folded extensible tube, and illustrates the protector sleeves secured to an end of the container.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1, and illustrated a piece of tape securing the protector sleeve to a double seam of the container.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the container illustrated in FIGURE 1 and shows an opening formed by the removal of an upperend of the container, and the tube unfolded and surrounding the exterior of a body of the container.

FIGURE 4 is an inverted vertical sectional view of the container and tube illustrated in FIGURE 3 and illustrates two removed portions of the container closure seated upon contents within the container and protector sleeve overlapping a severed edge formed by the removal of one of the closure portions.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view with a portion broken away and shown in side elevation, and illustrates a portion of the tube sealed at an end thereof.

With the advent of manned flights into space, devices which have heretofore been designed for use under atmospheric conditions have proved to be ineflicient under simulated and actual space flight conditions. The absence.

of gravity, with its inherent effect of weightlessness, and the present limitations in the size of spacecraft requires that such devices be specifically designed for use in space.

Among such devices are containers which must be of a relatively compact size, contamination-proof, capable of being easily manipulated, and sufficiently inexpensive to be discarded after a single use.

Patented Dec. 6, 1966 A device constructed with the above-mentioned objects and limitations in mind is best illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2 of the drawings, and is generally referred to by the reference numeral 9.

The device 9 comprises a container 10, a folded extensible tube or bag 11, a protector sleeve 20 and a piece of tape 23 assembled in a compact manner. The container 10 includes a cylindrical tubular body 12, a first closure 13 and an identical second closure 14. The

closures

13 and 14 of the container 10 are secured to the body 12 by double seams 15, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Each of the

closures

13 and 14 includes a recessed end wall 16 integrally joined by an annular radius 17 to a chuck wall 18 of the double seam 15. The body 12 and the

closures

13 and 14 are preferably constructed from tinplate, but may also be formed from aluminum or similar lightweight sheet metal.

The removable protector sleeve 20 is nested in the lower recess closure 14 of the body 12, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2. The protector sleeve 20 includes a peripheral wall 21 and a radially outwardly directed integral curl 22. The protector sleeve 20 is preferably constructed of plastic material, but may be made of metal and is dimensioned to snap-fit upon the seam 15 within the lower recessed closure 14 in the manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The tape 23, which is preferably pressure-sensitive scotch tape, overlaps the curl 22 of the protector sleeve 20 and the seam 15 of the body 12 to adhesively secure the protector sleeve 20 within the lower recessed closure 14. The piece of tape 23 and the protector sleeve 20 are adapted for disassembly with respect to the container 10 and subsequent reassembly for purposes to be de scribed more fully hereafter.

The extensible expelling tube 11 includes a cylindrical tubular body 24, an open bottom end 25 and an upper annular shoulder portion 26. A tapered end portion 27 is integrally joined to the annular shoulder portion 26 and terminates in open, pliable, dispensing spout or nipple 28. The extensible expelling tube 11 is preferably constructed of a thin flexible plastic material and is stored in its folded form of FIGURE 1 by being suitably secured within the recessed end closure 13 or the end closure 14 of the container 10. Suitable means such as the pressure sensitive tape 23 or other conventional securing devices may be employed to secure the folded tube 11 in either of the

recess closures

13 or 14. The folded tube 11 can also be stored in a chamber of the spacecraft, but it is readily apparent that the storage of the tube 11 as a part of the device 9 is more efficient from the standpoint of reducing the limited storage space of spacecraft.

The device 9 is disassembled and reassembled for dispensing contents C from within the container 10- in the manner sequentially illustrated in FIGURES 3 through 5 of the drawings.

Referring first to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the piece of tape 23 and the protector sleeve 20 are first removed from the end closure 14 of the container 10. The folded tube 11 is removed either from the recessed closure 13 or the closure 14, depending on where the folded tube 11 was originally stored.

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, a major portion of the end wall 16 of the closure 13 is severed by suitable means, such as a conventional can opener, and removed from within the confines of the container 10. The expelling tube 11 is unfolded and the open bottom end 25 thereof is telescoped downwardly along the exterior of the container body 12. The annular shoulder portion 26 of the expelling tube 11 seats upon the double seam 15 of the body 12 and accurately aligns the pliable dispensing spout 28 axially of the body 12.

3 The piece of tape 23 which was removed from the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 2 is applied to the expelling tube 11 adjacent the seam 15 to secure the expelling tube 11 to the body 12 of the container 10.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the container is inverted and a major portion of the end wall or panel 16 of the closure 14 is severed therefrom. Since the container is opened in space, the absence ofgravity precludes the contents C from falling down through the nipple 28 in the position illustrated in FIGURE 4, and the severed portion of the end wall 16 must be manually placed upon the contents C. The heretofore removed end wall 16 of the recessed closure 13 is then placed upon and in abutment with the removed portion of the end wall 16 of the closure 14. The resilient protector sleeve 20 is then snapped upon the seam of the lower recessed closure 14 and overlies a severed peripheral edge 30 of the closure 14 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

While the container 10 is still in the inverted position illustrated in FIGURE 4, the extensible expelling tube 11 is drawn upwardly and the body 24 thereof conforms generally to the configuration of the body 12 of the container 10, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 5. The open bottom end 25 of the extensible tube 11 is then heat-sealed by a suitable sealing mechanism (not shown) to form the sealed edge 31.

The container 10 is then again inverted to the original upright position shown in FIGURE 3 and inserted into an ejector mechanism (not shown) forming no part of this invention, which dispenses the contents C from the body 12 through the nipple 28. The ejector mechanism includes a plunger (also not shown) which advances into the interior of the body 12 from the direction of the heat sealed edge 31 of the tube 11 drawing this bottom portion of the tube 11 into the body 12. The protector sleeve overlying the severed edge 30 prevents the tube 11 from being torn or ruptured by the edge 30 during the drawing of the tube into the container body and the dispensing of the contents C through the nipple 28.

While an example of a novel device which is readily disassembled and reassembled for use as a dispenser is disclosed herein, it is to be understood that changes in the disclosed structures and elements, as well as their use, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of an assembled container, an extensible tube and a protector sleeve adapted for disassembly and re-assembly to form a dispensing device; said container including a pair of axially opposite completely closed ends, means securing said protector sleeve to the exterior of said container, means securing said extensible tube to the exterior of said container, one of said closed ends of said container including a removable end wall whereby said container end wall is adapted to be removed and said one-closed container end opened, said protector sleeve being of a size to overlie a portion of the opened end of the container to preclude rupture of the extensible tube upon its insertion through the open container end, and the means securing the protector sleeve to the closed end of the container being removable and reusable to secure the extensible tube to the exterior of the container adjacent one of said ends.

2. The combination of an assembled container, a folded extensible tube, and a protector sleeve adapted for disassembly and reassembly to form a dispensing device; said container being defined by a body of a predetermined diameter and having two closed ends, said protector sleeve being disposed entirely exteriorly of and secured to the exterior of one of said closed ends, said folded extensible tube being also disposed entirely exteriorly and secured to the exterior of one of said closed ends, and said extensible tube being of a size sufiicient to interiorly receive said body whereby upon the removal of said two closed ends, the protector sleeve overlies a portion of the container to preclude rupture of the extensible tube upon its insertion through an open end of the container.

3. The combined container, extensible tube and protector sleeve as defined in claim 2 wherein said closed ends are recessed, and said folded extensible tube is housed by one of said recessed ends.

4. The combination of an assembled container, a folded extensible tube, and a protector sleeve adapted for disassembly and reassembly to form a dispensing device; said container having two closed ends, said protector sleeve being secured to one of said closed ends, said folded extensible tube being also secured to one of said closed ends, said protector sleeve being of an annular configuration and being snap-fit upon said container.

5. The combined container, extensible tube and protector sleeve as defined in claim 4, including removable and reusable means for augmenting the snap-fit securement of the protector sleeve to the container.

6. An assembly particularly adapted for use in manned spacecraft comprising a container body and an annular protector sleeve, said container body having opposite closed ends, at least one of said ends being recessed to define a peripheral axially projecting portion of said body, said annular protector sleeve being contoured to the configuration of the projecting portion and attached thereto whereby upon the removal of said at least one end the protector sleeve can be positioned to protectively overlav a remaining severed edge of the container body, and said protector sleeve being attached to said projecting portion by a removable and reuseable adhesive strip.

7. The combination of a container, a folded extensible tube, and a protector sleeve, said container including a container body having opposite recessed ends, one of said ends forming a portion of a closure joined to a body of said container by a connecting portion, said protector sleeve at least partially overlying said connecting portion, and means securing said folded extensible tube to the end of said container opposite said one closed end.

8. An assembled package adapted for disassembly and reassembly to form a dispensing device comprising a container, said container including a container body having closures at opposite ends thereof, a seam securing each of said closures to said container body, each of said closures being recessed and including an end wall, an annular protector sleeve secured to one of said seams and a folded extensible tube secured to one of said ends.

9. An assembled package adapted for disassembly and reassembly to form a dispensing device comprising a container, said container including a container body having closures at opposite ends thereof, a peripheral seam securing at least one of said closures to said container body, said at least one closure being recessed and including an end wall, an annular protector sleeve seated upon said seam, means securing said annular protector sleeve upon said seam, and a foldable extensible tube housed in said recessed closure and secured thereto.

10. The combination of a container, an extensible folded tube, and an annular protector sleeve adapted for disassembly and reassembly to form a dispensing device, said container including a container body and at least one recessed closed end wall united to said container body at a seam, means securing said annular protector sleeve to said seam of said container, said folded extensible tube being housed in said recessed closed end wall, means securing said extensible folded tube in the housed position thereof, saidcontainer including another end wall, and one of said end walls including a removable portion whereby said container is adapted to be opened and said protector sleeve is positionable to overlie a portion of the opened end of the container to preclude rupture of the extensible tube upon its insertion through the open container 6nd during a dispensing operation.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited by the Examiner 3,050,216 8/1962 Norris 222-530 X UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,1 7,031 10/ 1963 Adams 222-1 1/1934 Bennett 2 6- 5 227,068 3/ 1960 Australia. 8/ 1942 Taylor 206-47 8/ 1948 Hirschhorn 53-14 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

12/1949 Irrnscher 53--14 10/1952 carpenter 220*906 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., MARTHA L. RCE,

7/1959 Simkins 222-530 X 5/1962 Thomas 222 1 10 I. N. ERLICH, Asszszant Exammer.

Claims

2. THE COMBINATION OF AN ASSEMBLED CONTAINER, A FOLDED EXTENSIBLE TUBE, AND A PROTECTOR SLEEVE ADAPTED FOR DISASSEMBLY AND REASSEMBLY TO FORM A DISPENSING DEVICE; SAID CONTAINER BEING DEFINED BY A BODY OF A PREDETERMINED DIAMETER AND HAVING TWO CLOSED ENDS, SAID PROTECTOR SLEEVE BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY EXTERIORLY OF AND SECURED TO THE EXTERIOR OF ONE OF SAID CLOSED ENDS, SAID FOLDED EXTENSIBLE TUBE BEING ALSO DISPOSED ENTIRELY EXTERIORLY AND SECURED TO THE EXTERIOR OF ONE OF SAID CLOSED ENDS, AND SAID EXTENSIBLE TUBE BEING OF A SIZE SUFFICIENT TO INTERIORLY RECEIVE SAID BODY WHEREBY UPON THE REMOVAL OF SAID TWO CLOSED ENDS, THE PROTECTOR SLEEVE OVERLIES A PORTION OF THE CONTAINER TO PRECLUDE RUPTURE OF THE EXTENSIBLE TUBE UPON ITS INSERTION THROUGH AN OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER.