MOISTURE-ABSORBING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a moisture-absorb¬ ing device in the form of a tube, which in its longitu¬ dinal direction is divided into an upper chamber contain¬ ing a moisture-absorbing agent and a lower chamber con- taining a liquid-collecting means and communicating with the upper chamber via a liquid-permeable means.
A first moisture-absorbing device of this type as disclosed in WO 93/14996 is adapted to absorb moisture in a container, whose walls have stiffening folds form- ing vertical grooves on the inside of the walls, and, to this end, is arranged in such a groove. In this known device, the tube is made of a fine-meshed steel wire net¬ ting. The upper chamber contains a moisture-absorbing agent in the form of flakes of calcium chloride, and the lower chamber contains a liquid-collecting means in the form of liquid-absorbing particles of an agent that is marketed under the tradename of Ska ol. The liquid-perme¬ able means between the upper and the lower chamber here consists of a partition in the form of a steel wire net- ting. The calcium chloride flakes and the Skamol par¬ ticles are larger than the meshes of the steel wire net¬ ting forming the tube and are therefore retained in the tube, while air may enter. These flakes and particles are also larger than the meshes of the steel wire netting forming the partition and are therefore retained in the respective chambers, while liquid may pass through the partition.
The known device as described above suffers from certain drawbacks. In careless handling of the device, for instance during transport, the steel wire netting forming the tube can easily be damaged, thus allowing flakes and particles to escape from the tube. When the liquid-absorbing agent is saturated with liquid, liquid
may escape from the device and cause damage to the goods kept in the container.
In a second moisture-absorbing device according to WO 95/26914, which is of the type mentioned by way of introduction and, in the same manner as the prior-art first device described above, is adapted to be arranged in a vertical groove in a container, the tube is made of corrugated fibreboard coated with plastic and has at least one opening on a level with the upper chamber. A netting element, which has at least one fine-meshed net¬ ting portion, is also attached to the inside of the tube in such a manner that the netting portion is positioned in front of said opening. The liquid-permeable means between the upper and the lower chamber comprises a non- return valve, which is liquid permeable only in the direction from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. The liquid-collecting means consists of a plastic bag, which is connected to the liquid-permeable means.
In the prior-art second device, which besides is very inexpensive to manufacture, the above-described drawbacks of the known first device have been obviated. The known second device, however, is somewhat complicated to manufacture since a plurality of gluing operations are required, as well as a plurality of steps for mounting the plastic bag.
An object of the present invention is to provide a moisture-absorbing device, in which also the last-men¬ tioned drawbacks are obviated.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a moisture-absorbing device in the form of a tube, which in its longitudinal direction is divided into an upper chamber containing a moisture- absorbing agent and a lower chamber containing a liquid- collecting means and communicating with the upper chamber via a liquid-permeable means, the tube having at least one opening on a level with the upper chamber, a netting element having at least one fine-meshed netting portion
being attached to the tube in such a manner that the net¬ ting portion is positioned in front of said opening, said device being characterised in that the tube is an extrud¬ ed plastic tube which is closed at its lower end, thereby forming the liquid-collecting means in the lower chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the liquid-permeable means is a grating element, which is arranged between the upper and the lower chamber and which preferably is an injection-moulded plastic element. The grating element is suitably supported by the netting element and is preferably connected to the net¬ ting element by means of a snap connection.
In a preferred embodiment, the netting element is made of plastic. The netting element is advantageously glued to the outside of the tube.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view and shows a plastic tube for making a device according to the invention, a grating element arranged in the tube, and a cover arranged at each end of the tube,
Fig. 2 is a top plan view and shows a netting ele¬ ment,
Fig. 3 shows a corner portion of a container, in which a device according to the invention is arranged, and
Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section along line IV-IV in Fig. 3.
Fig. 1 illustrates a plastic tube 1 of rectangular cross-section, extruded of polyethylene, of which a mois¬ ture-absorbing device 2 (Fig. 3) according to the inven¬ tion is to be made.
The moisture-absorbing device 2 according to the in¬ vention is advantageously used in a container 3 (Fig. 3), which has vertical pockets or grooves 4, which are formed by stiffening folds of the container 3 on the inside of the container walls. The device 2 is suitably attached
to the container wall by means of double-adhesive tape 5. The cross-section of the tube 1 is adapted to the cross- section of the groove 4 and can thus have a shape other than rectangular, for instance, parallel-trapezoidal shape.
In the upper part of one of the wide side walls of the extruded plastic tube 1, there is formed a rectan¬ gular opening 6 taking up most of the surface area of the upper half of the wall. Instead of one large opening 6, the tube can be formed with a plurality of small open¬ ings, which are distributed over essentially the same surface area of the upper half of the wall.
Fig. 2 shows a sheetlike netting element 7, which is injection-moulded of polyethylene and has a rectangular, fine-meshed netting portion 8 surrounded by a rectangular frame 9. The netting portion 8 is also surrounded by a collar 10 projecting from one side of the netting element 7. The collar 10 has an outer circumferential shape corresponding to the opening 6 and projects from the net- ting element 7 a distance corresponding to the wall thickness of the tube 1, so as to extend into the opening 6 and hold the netting element 7 in place therein ( see Fig. 4). If, instead of one large opening 6, the tube 1 has a plurality of small openings, the number of collars is suitably equal to the number of openings, and the col¬ lars have a circumferential shape corresponding to these openings so as to serve the same purpose as the collar 10. The netting element 7 has in its lower portion two horizontal, cross-sectionally substantially hook-shaped strips 11 (see also Fig. 4), which are elastically yield- able in the vertical direction so as to provide a snap connection as described in more detail below.
A grating element 12, which is injection-moulded of polyethylene and which is shown in cross-section in Fig. 4 and part of which is also visible through the opening 6 in Fig. 1, has a rectangular grating plate 13 enclosed by a rectangular frame 14, whose outer dimen-
sions are identical with the inner dimensions of the tube 1. The grating element 12 is, through the opening 6, arranged in the tube 1 in order to divide this into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, which are intercon- nected by means of the grating plate 13.
When, during the manufacture of the device 2, the grating element 12 has been arranged in the tube 1, the tube 1 is provided with a glue line 15 extending around the opening 6. Subsequently, the netting element 7 is arranged across the opening 6, and the collar 10 form¬ ed around the netting portion 8 is introduced into the opening 6 and the two strips 11 are moved into snapping engagement with the upper and the lower edge of one lon¬ gitudinal side of the grating element frame 14 (see Fig. 4). The netting element 7 is pressed against the outside of the tube 1, such that its frame 9 is engaged with the glue line 15. When the glue in the glue line 15 has hardened, the netting element 7 is fixed to the tube 1 and holds, in turn, the grating element 12 in place in the tube.
The upper chamber is filled with a moisture-absorb¬ ing agent, e.g. in the form of flakes of calcium chlo¬ ride, which are larger than the "meshes" of the netting portion 8 and the grating plate 13. Then a cover 16 is applied to the upper end of the tube 1, and a cover 17 is applied to the lower end thereof. Each of the covers 16, 17 has, as shown in Fig. 4 for the lower cover 17, a double-walled skirt portion for receiving the upper and the lower end portion of the tube 1, respectively. The covers 16 and 17 are attached with glue to the upper and the lower end portion, respectively, whereby a liquid- tight closure of each tube end is obtained. The lower chamber thus forms a liquid-tight container for collect¬ ing liquid. Finally, a protective film (not shown) is arranged across the opening 6 to cover this. This prevents bits of the moisture-absorbing agent from falling out in case of
careless handling and during transport of the device. The protective film is, of course, removed when the device is to be used.
When the device is in operation, air enters the upper chamber through the netting portion 8 and the open¬ ing 6, and moisture contained in the air is absorbed by the moisture-absorbing agent. The resulting liquid flows through the grating plate 13 down into the lower chamber, where it is collected.