US3776427A

US3776427A - Container with valve filled with a fluid under pressure

Info

Publication number: US3776427A
Application number: US00215306A
Authority: US
Inventors: P Remane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-12-18
Filing date: 1972-01-04
Publication date: 1973-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-04

Abstract

A container filled with a pressurized fluid and closed by a valve, said valve being formed mainly by two pieces, one rigid piece being in the form of a cup embedded inside an aperture of the container above the other piece formed of elastomer material, which, on the one hand, forms a fluid-tight assembly joint by a peripheral portion pressed between rigid cup and the edge of said aperture, and, on the other hand, forms with a central portion a valve flap applied against an annular portion of the rigid piece; said other piece of elastomer material being between the two said portions traversed by at least one porthole for fluid passage; said pieces resting upon the outer wall of container by peripheral superposed flanges, and wherein the flange of the elastomer piece overlaps the outer wall of the container beyond the periphery of the flange of the rigid piece to form around it an annular fluid-tight joint, suitably centered with respect to a tubular filling mouthpiece adapted to be pressed axially against the container.

Description

United States Patent 1 Remane Dec.4,1973

[76] Inventor: Peter Remane, 12 Avenue Joubert,

Sainte-Colombe-Les-Vienne, Rhone, France 22 Filed: Jan. 4, 1972 21 App1.No.: 215,306

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 886,242, Dec. 18,

[52] U.S. Cl. 222/394, 222/402.1 [51] Int. Cl B65d 83/00 [58] Field of Search 222/394, 402.1402.25, 222/545, 567

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,447 12/1883 Rich...-. 222/394 2,681,752 6/1954 Jarrett et al. 222/402. 13

2,735,566 2/ 1956 Bramming 222/545 X 2,772,819 12/1956 Poarch et a1... ZZZ/402.11 3,100,487 8/1963 Bathish 222/567 X 3,108,590 10/1965 Gorman..... 222/394 X 3,214,063 10/1965 Wallis 222/394 X 3,333,744 8/1967 Nilsen et 31.... 222/40213 3,549,050 12/ 1970 Bruce et a1. 222/402.22 X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 798,684 7/1958 Great Britain 222/402.l6

899,170 6/1962 Great Britain 222/402.l3

Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Attorney-Alexander & Dowell [57 ABSTRACT A container filled with a pressurized fluid and closed by a valve, said valve being formed mainly by two pieces, one'rigid piece being in the form of a cup embedded inside an aperture of the container above the other piece formed of elastomer material, which, on the one hand, forms a fluid-tight assembly joint by a peripheral portion pressed between rigid cup and the edge of said aperture, and, on the other hand, forms with a central portion a valve flap applied against an annular portion of the rigid piece; said other piece of elastomer material being between the two said portions traversed by at least one porthole for fluid pas sage; said pieces resting upon the outer wall of container by peripheral superposed flanges, and wherein the flange of the elastomer piece overlaps the outer wall of the container beyond the periphery of the flange of the rigid piece to form around it an annular fluid-tight joint, suitably centered with respect to a tubular filling mouthpiece adapted to be pressed axially against the container.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures CONTAINER WITH VALVE FILLED WITI-I FLUID UNDER PRESSURE The present patent application which is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 886,242 filed on Dec. 18, 1969, is concerned with a method of manufacturing containers filled with a fluid under pressure and provided with a valve for fluid discharge, with containers obtained this way and machines for manufacturing them.

The method according to the invention has as its object themanufacture, at particularly low production cost, not of an empty container, but of a container already filled with a fluid under pressure and conse' quently ready for sale, especially in the form of an exchangeable low cost disposable cartridge.

Up to the present time, when one wished to produce a container filled with a fluid under pressure and provided with a discharge valve, it was necessary first to assemble the valve and fix it to the container wall or to a part of it prior to the filling operation. That meant that the assembly of valve elements themselves and then to a container wall on the one hand, and the filling of the latter, on the other hand, constituted two'separate operations performed on separate machines, and, in principle, by different people.

The object of the invention is to combine the two operations into one, performed on one and the same machine, thus eliminating one of the machines, the people necessary for its operation and maintenance, and saving a great deal of time necessary for package manufacturing and the filling operation.

According to another object of the invention, without additional cost for every new filling, a new connecting joint is used, which is at normal room temperature, and'thus always having all the desirable qualities with regard to its shape, elasticity and flexiblity between the filling socket and container, and which, in addition, entirely avoids tying up the filling machine for the purpose of replacing the filling joints.

The container manufacturer should, in addition, for obvious safety reasons and also for establishing the lowest profitable sale price, try to prevent in advance a further re-filling of a once emptied container by a third party.

An important object of the invention consists of foiling any attempt, for example by a third party, of further reasonable re-filling under high pressure through the valve discharge conduit, by a particular arrangement of valve elements.

Another object of the invention consists of designing the valve elements in such a way that they can be manufactured without the high cost of precision machining, adjustment, or fitting, so that after mounting the valve its output is limited to a small amount, just sufiicient for discharge purposes, but quite insufficient for allowing an economic re-filling of a once emptied container by performing this re-filling from the outside through the valve.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the description hereinafter contained, which taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings discloses a preferred form of a pressurized container comprising a valve device constructed to operate in accordance with the invention, a filling machine constructed to operate in accordance with the invention, a filling machine constructed to operate in accordance with the filling method according to the invention; the disclosure, however, should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention in its broader aspects.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows, in axial section view through its discharge valve, a portion of a container constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is partially a vertical and partially a crosssection view of an element forming the valve portion shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a portion of the element shown in FIG. 2 cut along III-III (FIG. 4);

FIG. 4 is a section view along IV-IV (FIG. 1);

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an axial section view in two successive operation phases, of the characteristic elements according to the invention, of a machine arranged particularly to operate in accordance with the method according to the invention for the purpose of manufacturing and filling containers, such as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows an axial section view of a container portion shown in FIG. 1, assumed to contain the pressurized liquefied gas butane and used as a spare container on a lighting, heating or cooking apparatus, particularly for camping, with only portion of its fitting shown.

The co-pending patent application 886,242, filed on Dec. 18, 1969, describes a container 1 with a valve consisting specifically of two pieces 2 and 3, having approximately the shape of cups imbedded in the container aperture 1c.

Cup 2 is made of an elastomer material while cup 3 is of rigid material, in particular of metal. Both cups rest against the outside surface of the container through superposed peripheral flanges 2a and 3a, respectively. Both cups are secured to the container by an expansion at 3d of cup 3 which is expanded at its periphery under the edge of aperture 10 of the container. Thus, cup 2 constitutes, on the one hand, a sealing joint of the valve in the container, and on the other hand, a mobile flap of a valve by a central portion 2c applied against an annular portion 3f forming the seat at the entry of a central boss 3f of the rigid cup 3. Cup 2, between its central portion 2c and its peripheral portion, compressed between the rigid cup 3 and the edge of aperture 1c, is crossed by at least one porthole 2j through which the pressurized fluid in container 1 can flow from it into boss 30 when flap 2c is pushed into container.

The container 1, filled for example with a pressurized combustible liquified gas such as butane gas, can serve as a spare container on an appliance such as, for example, the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,126, filed on July 13, 1956. After putting the spare container on such apparatus, its discharge fitting rests on the valve periphery through an annular joint 5 (FIG. 7) in order to ensure a tight connection, and punctures sealing lid 3c by an axial flat sharp-pointed needle 7, and at the end of a stroke, drives flap 2c slightly into container 1 to establish a connection with its interior.

The invention aims first at a method for manufacturing a container and providing it with a valve, 2 and 3, for sampling and for filling it with a fluid under pressure, which may be a gas propulsion aerosol or a gas which can be used directly because of its appropriate properties (butane, propane, etc.).

This method seeks to substantially reduce production costs by combining the operations of container filling, of assembly of valve elements, and closing, by the latter, of the container filling aperture.

For this purpose it is advisable, first, to arrange cup 2 in a suitable manner by making the peripheral flange 2a extend beyond the periphery of that of 3a, pertaining to the rigid cup 3, and continuing to provide it with a support on the containers external surface, so that it can form around rigid piece 3 an annular sealing suitably centered for a tubular filling fitting.

As far as the method is concerned, it consists of filling each container with a pressurized fluid through cup 2 made of elastomer material in which portholes 2j are disposed for this purpose, said cup 2 mounted beforehand in aperture It: serves, by its peripheral flange 2a, as a connecting fluid-tight joint with a tubular filling mouthpiece 20 (FIG. 5), in which the rigid piece 3 remains until the end of the filling operation, then, during tightening of said mouthpiece against said flange 2a (FIG. 6), is pushed away from the mouthpiece, then driven into piece 2 of elastomer material, and expanded radially outward under the container wall 1b in order to ensure, by one and the same operation, a tight junction of two valve pieces and a wall of said container 1.

As far as the machine is concerned which serves, at the same time, for assembling the valve elements on the container and for filling the same with a pressurized fluid, it is provided, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, with a tubular mouthpiece 20, able to slide coaxially and tightly inside an outer axially displaceable sleeve 26. A tubular punch 22 containing a closed crown formed by prongs 23 coming out by their tips 25 at the base of punch 22, and which can be drawn apart by a central cone 24, can slide coaxially inside mouthpiece 20. A conduit 26a is disposed in sleeve 26, which, in FIG. 5,

coincides with a hole 20a drilled radially in tubular mouthpiece 20. Moreover, for example on the diametrically opposite side, another conduit 26b is disposed in the tubular mouthpiece 26, which coincides with hole 20b, when sleeve 26 is raised on mouthpiece 20 upward from a position shown in FIG. 5 up to that shown in FIG. 6.

This machine is used as follows: First, cup 2 of elastomer material is set in aperture 1c of container 1, so that peripheral flange 2a comes to rest on the outer face of this aperture edge. Moreover, rigid cup 3 is introduced into filling mouthpiece 20 by forcing it on the prong tips until its peripheral flange 3a sets against the frontal edge of the tubular punch 22. Thus, the prong tips 25 maintain cup 3 in this position by elastically pressing against the inner face of the cylindrical portion of this cup.

Then, the container 1 is set under filling mouthpiece 20 so that its cup 2 is aligned on its sleeve axis and the mouthpiece is let down to apply its frontal edge 20a against cup flange 2a, by tightening it against the outer face of container 1. Thus one obtains a fluid-tight connection between the mouthpiece 20 and container interiors, through portholes 2j of the elastomer cup, as shown in FIG. 5. Then, one lets the sleeve 26 go down coaxially on mouthpiece 20 to let it play its role of fluid control distributor and to let its conduit 26a pass in front of a hole 20a to establish a connection between conduit 26a and mouthpiece 20, and consequently with container 1 inside, as shown in FIG. 5.

Then the air is sucked from container 1 through the conduit 26a, dropping the container pressure to low values. Then one lowers distributor sleeve 26 into its position shown in FIG. 6, resulting in an interruption of the connection between conduit 26a and mouthpiece 20 by displacement of this conduit inlet in relation to hole 200, and establishing a connection, on the opposite side, between conduit 26b and mouthpiece 20, through radial hole 20b in the latter. The pressurized fluid, for example a liquefied pressurized butane gas, is allowed to come through conduit 26b, which penetrates mouthpiece 20 through hole 20b, and from there penetrates into container 1 through portholes 2] of cup 2, forming a connecting joint. When container 1 is filled up, punch 22 is lowered axially into mouthpiece 20 in order to let it push rigid cup 3 down to the bottom into cup 2 made of elastomer material, and cone 24 is allowed to advance slightly beyond this position, inside the crown of prongs 23, which expand radially outward inside cup 3 producing in it a peripheral shoulder 3 d, which can, together with flange 3a, press cup 3 tightly to the edge of aperture 10 in container 1 by means of the upper portion of elastomer cup 2. Then first cone 24 is raised to disengage the tips 25 of prongs 23, which are retrieved through their common ascent with punch 22 out of rigid cup 3 to their position shown in FIG. 5. Then distributor sleeve 26 is raised from its position shown in FIG. 6 up to that shown in FIG. 5 in order to remove by suction the pressurized fluid, accumulated during the filling operation, above rigid cup 3 and inside filling mouthpiece 20 through conduit 26a and hole 20a. Then sleeve 26 is raised onto mouthpiece 20 to close conduit 26a, and disengages, by common ascent of mouthpiece 20 and sleeve 26, container 1 from under the filling machine, which is then ready to fill up another container in the manner described above.

One will note, that for a machine constructed in accordance with the invention, it is essential that the inner diameter of the tubular mouthpiece 20 be smaller than the outer diameter of peripheral flange 2a of elastomer cup 2 but larger than the overall diameter of rigid cup 30, i.e. larger than the outer diameter of flange 3a of said cup.

Moreover, it is advantageous to arrange cups 2 and 3, making up the valve, so that one can make maximum use of the filling method in accordance with the invention.

For this purpose it is advisable first to dispose on cup 2, on the outer, nearly cylindrical face directly below its retaining flange 2a, a peripheral groove 2e (FIG. 2), which is suitable for receiving edge 10 (FIG. 1) of the container aperture, so that by forcing cup 2 into it prior to filling the container, this cup elastically interlocks in it like a press button. Thus, a perfect setting of flange 2a conveniently centered on the outer wall of the container is provided to serve as a filling joint.

Moreover, it is advisable to shape flange 2a of the elastomer cup so that its lower face, resting on a flat portion of container 1, extends into a plane normal to the cup axis, while its upper free face converges conically toward the axis and the bottom of cup 2. In addition, the frontal face of filling mouthpiece 20 is provided with a complementary profile, such as that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, allowing it to cap the outer upper edge of flange 2a on two fairly orthagonal faces, and thus to ensure, by compressing the flange in the axial direction which drives this flange radially outward, a

stoppage in this direction, which completes the tightness of the junction and makes it more efficient, thus sparing flange 2a.

It is advisable, moreover, to arrange cups 2 and 3 so that they do not allow a new filling of the container, emptied previously, in accordance with a classic method, which consists of achieving it, through a retaining valve from outside, by letting the pressurized fluid flow into the container following an inverse path with respect to that used for emptying the container. For this purpose, cup 2 is provided with at least one filling aperture 2j of large section at the place where it is concealed and blocked by cup 3 when it is set in place inside cup 2 and occupies the position shown in FIG. 6, and also with a passage which stays continuously clear and whose smaller cross section is limited by requirements for pressurized fluid delivery. This latter passage may consist of a hole disposed in portion 2p of the cup bounded by its cylindrical wall 2b.

However, according to the mode of operation particularly advantageous both for manufacturing without additional cost as well as for accuracy without adjustment of this passage, it is advisable to provide said passage with at least one projection to separate slightly the cylindrical wall of cup 26 from the corresponding cylindrical wall of cup 3, between its bottom 3f and portholes 2j of cup 2. This projection may, of course, be disposed either on cup 2, as shown in the figure, or on cup 3.

In the mode of advantageous operation shown in the figure, the projection is in the form of two ribs 2n, obtained by molding on the inner face of the cylindrical portion of cup 2, which extends between the lower side of porthole 2j and bottom 2p of cup 2. Since the cup is perfectly withdrawable with ribs 2n, one can obtain the latter with great accuracy and consequently determine with accuracy the passage section reserved for the by-pass between one filling porthole of large section 2j and the cylindrical peripheral walls of cups 2 and 3, as can be seen on the left side of FIG. 7. This by-pass passage permits the discharge of the contents of container 1 with controlled output, which would be too low to allow an economic refilling of container 1 in the opposite direction through its valve.

In order to improve protection against refilling of a container by a non-authorized third party, a plurality of large-section filling holes 2j, distributed over the periphery of cylindrical wall 2b of elastomer cup 2, are advantageously provided, leaving only weak bridges and straps 2k between these holes, which may break at the first attempt at refilling with a flow rate exceeding significantly that provided for normal delivery. Thus, one discourages refilling by a third party of previously emptied disposable spare containers, by preventing this filling from being carried out at a flow rate sufficient to be profitable.

I claim:

1. A container filled with a pressurized fluid and closed by a valve, said valve being formed mainly by two pieces, one rigid piece being in the form of a cup embedded inside an aperture of the container above the other piece formed of elastomer material, which, on the one hand, forms a fluid-tight assembly joint by a peripheral portion pressed between rigid cup and the edge of said aperture, and, on the other hand, forms a seat with a central portion applied against an annular portion of the rigid piece; a valve flap between the two said portions which is traversed by at least one porthole for fluid passage; said pieces resting upon the outer wall of container by peripheral superposed flanges, and wherein the flange of the elastomer piece overlaps the outer wall of the container beyond the periphery of the flange of the rigid piece to form around it an annular fluid-tight joint, suitably centered with respect to a tubular filling mouthpiece adapted to be pressed axially against the container.

2. In a container as set forth in claim l, the rigid piece forming the cup being retained by its nearlycylindrical lateral wall under the edge of the opening of the container by an annular shoulder.

3. In a container as set forth in claim 1, the piece of elastomer material being in the form of a cup and containing in its lateral nearly cylindrical wall a groove for receiving the edge of the container opening, whereby by forcing it into the latter, said piece will interlock elastically in the opening in the manner of a press button.

4. In a container as set forth in claim 1, the rigid piece containing, limited by its annular bottom, a boss oriented upwardly and capping the valve of the elastomer piece with a lid perforable during the first opening operation of the valve, said boss and bottom forming the valve seat.

5. In a container as set forth in claim 1, the cylindrical wall of elastomer piece having the form of a cup and containing at least one large section aperture for filling purposes, which may be concealed and blocked by setting the rigid piece in place, and having,moreover, a passage which remains clear continuously provided between the container and the contact zone of the flap and seat, the smaller section of said passage being limited to a maximum flow rate sufficient for normal pressurized fluid delivery requirements.

6. In a container as set forth in claim 5, weak bridges or straps being provided as separations between a plurality of filling holes distributed over the periphery of the elastomer piece throughout its cylindrical wall, which may break at the first attempt at refilling a container with a flow rate exceeding that assigned as the limit for discharge.

7. In a container as set forth in claim 5, said passage remaining continuously clear and being formed as a bypass between the edge of a filling aperture and the bottom of elastomer cup by at least one projection provided on the inner face of said cup by molding.

8. In a container as set forth in claim 5, said passage remaining continuously clear, and being formed as a by-pass between the edge of a filling aperture and the bottom of the elastomer cup by at least one projection disposed on the outer cylindrical face of rigid cup.

9. In a container as set forth in claim I, wherein at least one portion of the elastomer cup flange extends peripherally beyond the corresponding flange of the rigid cup, on the outer face of container, and thickens progressively from the axis of the piece toward the periphery.

10. A container for pressurized fluid having an aperture closed by a valve device mounted thereon and comprising a first substantially cup-shaped member made of a rigid material and a second member made of a resilient elastomeric material which has at least one aperture for fluid passage between a central valve flap and a peripheral sealing portion, said first and second memeber having corresponding flanges, so as to be inbottom of said first member and having a perforatable top sealing lid connected with said bottom by a substantially tubular wall joined with said bottom by an intermediate annular surface serving as a seat for the valve device said perforatable top sealing lid in this manner being maintained by said tubular i.e., rigid wall in spaced relation to top of the valve flap and to said annular seat surface.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF COECTEON December 4, 1973 Patent No 427 Dated I Inventor-(s) ROGER REMANE It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading of the patent (first column) line 3, change the name of the inventor from "Peter Remane" to read "Roger Remane" Signed and sealed this 16th day of April 19713..

(SEAL) Atte st:

EDT/MED M.FLETGlER,Jl-l. C, MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 h u.s GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I959 0-366-334 FORM PO-1050 (10-69)

Claims

2. In a container as set forth in claim 1, the rigid piece forming the cup being retained by its nearly cylindrical laterAl wall under the edge of the opening of the container by an annular shoulder.

7. In a container as set forth in claim 5, said passage remaining continuously clear and being formed as a by-pass between the edge of a filling aperture and the bottom of elastomer cup by at least one projection provided on the inner face of said cup by molding.

9. In a container as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one portion of the elastomer cup flange extends peripherally beyond the corresponding flange of the rigid cup, on the outer face of container, and thickens progressively from the axis of the piece toward the periphery.

10. A container for pressurized fluid having an aperture closed by a valve device mounted thereon and comprising a first substantially cup-shaped member made of a rigid material and a second member made of a resilient elastomeric material which has at least one aperture for fluid passage between a central valve flap and a peripheral sealing portion, said first and second memeber having corresponding flanges, so as to be inserted in the aperture of the container over each other with their peripheral flanges, in superposed relation, the second member having its peripheral portion clamped by said first member around the edge of the aperture of said container to form a packing ring for fluid-tight closure of the container, the valve flap of said second member being resiliently urged against an annular central seat portion on the bottom of said first member, wherein the improvement comprises an upwardly directed boss formed in the central part of the bottom of said first member and having a perforatable top sealing lid connected with said bottom by a substantially tubular wall joined with said bottom by an intermediate annular surface serving as a seat for the valve device said perforatable top sealing lid in this manner being maintained by said tubular i.e., rigid wall in spaced relation to top of the valve flap and to said annular seat surface.