WO2007025378A1

WO2007025378A1 - Valved fluid transport container

Info

Publication number: WO2007025378A1
Application number: PCT/CA2006/001424
Authority: WO
Inventors: Colin Martin; Conrad Wilkins
Original assignee: Excon Development Inc.
Priority date: 2005-08-30
Filing date: 2006-08-30
Publication date: 2007-03-08

Abstract

A flow control valve operable through a twisting motion of a lifting handle, providing one-handed control over fluid flow while lifting a container to dispense the fluid. The valve is biased to return to a closed state when the handle is released, sealing the container and preventing accidental fluid leakage. The pour spout folds down next to the container body, preventing possible damage. The container body may be shaped to allow stacking of identical containers, to allow securing of the containers during transport, and to allow a user to dispense liquids from the container with one hand while using the other hand to stabilize the container.

Description

VALVED FLUID TRANSPORT CONTAINER

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to portable storage containers for liquids with flow control valves to meter or limit the amount of fluid flow from the container during pouring, and for sealing the container during storage or transport. More specifically the present invention provides the ability to control the flow of fluid from the fluid transport container by simply twisting the handle used to lift the container, and have the container reseal when the handle is released limiting the chance of spillage or evaporation.

Background of the Invention

It is known, when using a container for applications such as storing and transporting gasoline, that pouring the contents from the container can result in spillage due to lack of adequate flow control of the fluid leaving the container. A solution to this problem is to incorporate a flow control valve into the container to enable the user to limit the flow of fluid being poured from the container.

Applicant is aware of patents regarding such implementations of flow control valves into fluid transport containers such as:

US Patent #3,794,235 issued to Flider on February 26, 1974 titled " Plastic Safety Container for Inflammables", teaches of a safety container with a trigger controlled, safety cap linkage attached to the can to simultaneously open the can vent and the pour spout cap. US Patent #4,063,667 issued to Flider on December 20th, 1977 titled "Non-Metallic Safety Filling Container", teaches about a safety filling container with a trigger activated pair of valves that simultaneously vents the container and enables fluid to flow from the container through the pour spout. The trigger is drawn by index finger away from the pouring spout towards the vent parallel to the carrying handle by which the container is supported during pouring.

US Patents #4,746,036 and #4,834,270 issued to Messner on May 24, 1988 and May 30, 1989 respectively titled " Gasoline Container", teaches about a container for gasoline or other liquids with a manually thumb actuated valve mechanism which opens and closes a plug in the pouring spout, and can be locked in the open state.

US Patent #5,056,691 issued to Tolbert on October 15th, 1991 titled "Valved Fuel Dispensing Container", teaches of a valve member disposed in between the inlet and outlet of the fuel nozzle through which the contents of the container are dispensed giving the user control over when the fuel is allowed to flow, with the valve being actuated by pressing of the lever using the thumb of one hand also used to support the container while pouring.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention serves to store, transport, and enable the controlled dispensing of the contained liquid by incorporating a flow control valve within the flow path from the container through the pour spout. The flow control valve is integrated with the lifting handle on the container, which can be rotated to gradually open the flow control valve. This enables a user to pour fluid from the container in a controlled manner while maintaining a firm grip on the handle without ergonomic strain as can be experienced with trigger activated valves taught in the prior art. In one aspect, the invention comprises a container for storing and dispensing fluids, comprising a hollow body comprising a spout and a handle; and a valve operable between an open position and a sealed position upon rotation of the handle. The valve may further comprise means to bias it to the sealed position, which means may comprise torsion spring means.

In a further aspect, the invention comprises a valve comprising an outer valve body having a first aperture and an inner valve body having a second aperture; the inner valve body nesting in axial alignment within the outer valve body. Rotation of the handle may then cause the first and second apertures to align, putting the valve in the open position. In yet a further aspect, the container may comprise means to limit rotation of the handle.

In another aspect, the invention may comprise means to retract the spout to a recessed position proximate the hollow body, to prevent damage to the pout during transport. The spout may be retractable through a ball valve.

In another aspect, the body of the container may be shaped to include at least one indented handgrip in a lower portion of the hollow body. The body may include at least one indentation in a side wall of the hollow body, to assist in securing the body during transport. The body may include a lower wall which is profiled to nest on an upper wall of an identical container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a side section view of a preferred embodiment of the valved fluid transport container of the present invention in a capped and valve-closed state. Figure 2 is a side section view of the container of Figure 1 with the fill cap open, but otherwise with all valves in the closed state.

Figure 3 is a side section view of the valved fluid transport container with the spout in its extended and ready to pour position and the flow control valve fully open for pouring.

Figure 4 is a side view of the fluid transport container of the present invention without spout, valve, handle or cap attached (nude).

Figure 5 is a front view of the nude fluid transport container.

Figure 6 is a back view of the nude fluid transport container of the present invention

Figure 7 is a detailed side view of the centrally sectioned container of the present invention illustrating the spout; spout valve, fluid flow control valve, and the top most portion of the fluid container.

Figure 8 shows front, side, rear, and sectioned views of the spout.

Figure 9 shows the exploded side sectioned view of the spout and valve assembly mounting to the container.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

A preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figures 1 through 3 is a valved fluid transport container which has a folding spout 2 and a ¹A turn rotatable handle 3, which controls the flow of fluid from the container 1.

The container is supported and carried by the handle 3, which is integral to the valve assembly that is part of the container 1 and restricts flow of fluid out of the container by path B shown in Figure 3. The fluid flow control valve 8 and 9 attaches the handle 3 to the main body of the container 1. When the handle 3 is rotated away from its resting closed position, the fluid control valve orifice formed by the outer valve body aperture 20 and inner valve body aperture 21 gradually opens allowing a gradually increasing flow of fluid to pass along path B when the container is also tipped so as to pour the fluid from the container 1.

Typically the fluid control valve would be open to the fullest extent when the handle 3 is turned 90 degrees or ¹A of a full rotation clockwise or counter-clockwise about its axis from its resting closed position. Indicator means such as handle stop 24 may be used to prevent further rotation of handle 3 once the fluid control valve is fully open.

The handle 3 working in concert with the fluid flow control valve 8 and 9 is spring 7 loaded such that when released the handle 3 will rotate back to the spring neutral flat orientation, closing the fluid control valve aperture 20 and 21, and maintaining the valve in a fully closed position. The handle operated valve design of the present invention allows for left or right-handed operation by operating the valve in either clockwise or counter-clockwise directions. The force exerted by the closing spring is typically greater than a force that could be imparted by a glancing blow to the handle thereby limiting the possibility of unintentional opening of the fluid control valve during handling and transportation.

The spring 7 is a unique flat leaf design that is radially torqued, shown in Figure 3, along its axis, with one end secured to the tank 1 and the other end is attached to the end of the inner valve 8, with the two halves of the handle 3 clamped around it. Turning the handle 3 increases the torque on the spring 7, while releasing the handle allows the spring to return to its normal flat resting position of the least torque.

The fluid flow control valve 8 and 9 is designed and situated within the container so that substantially all of the fluid may be poured from the container, leaving minimal residual fluid when the container is completely evacuated by pouring action through the fluid control valve along path B shown in Figure 3. The fluid control valve consists of an outer valve body 9 and an inner valve body 8. Each valve body has two apertures 20 and 21 respectively, through which fluid may flow when the apertures align. The inner valve body 8 nests in axial alignment with the outer valve body 9 and is secured between the outer valve body 9 and the spout ball valve seat 10, which is held in compression by the spout valve ball 1 1 and the spout cover plate 22 as shown in Figures 7 and 9. The inner valve body 8 may include a baffle placed so as to reduce the likelihood of vortices from forming in the fluid while flowing through the inner valve body along path B. Vortices can create strong suction forces that cause air to be drawn up the spout 2, thus taking up the space for the fluid to flow.

The spout cover plate 22 fastens to the valve mounting flange 19 by using fasteners to sandwich the valve mounting flange 19 between the split clamp ring 23 and the spout cover plate 22. The outer valve body 9 is similarly fastened to the container 1 by sandwiching the container wall between the outer valve body 9 and securing plate 25.

The folding pour spout 2 includes a ball valve 10 and 11 in the end proximal to the container. When the spout 2 is rotated towards the container body as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ball valve closes thereby limiting accidental spillage of fluid from the container during handling and transport. When the spout 2 is rotated away from the container body to its pouring position shown in Figure 3, the ball valve opens allowing fluid to move along path B from the container to the spout via the fluid flow control valve 8 and 9. Figure 8 shows the pour spout in front, side, back and sectioned views showing the spout 2, the spout valve ball 1 1, and the central spout baffle 12 which limits the formation of vortices in the fluid while pouring and therefore enhances the flow rate of the fluid through the spout 2. When the spout 2 is stowed in its closed position shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is nested within the recess 13 formed in the front of the container, thereby limiting its exposure to potential damage in the event that the container is dropped or a foreign object strikes the container 1 and or spout 2.

The container 1 of the present invention has, but is not limited to, a separate fill orifice formed by flange 5, and includes a removable filter 15 for cleaning and screening the fluid contents as they are poured into the container, and cap 4 to seal the container and its contents. The fill cap 4 includes a breather valve 16 that opens by ¹A turn to allow free venting of air to replace the volume of fluid dispensed through valve 10 body along path B when the valve is open. Gaskets prevent leaks from vent breather valve 16 when the breather valve is in the closed position.

The container 1 of the present invention shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 may also include detents 18 in each comer of the rectangular body, a fixed distance up from the base so as to engage with a quick release anchoring system to secure the container to another body such as a vehicle, a recreational vehicle or other object which potentially moves and for which it is desirable for the container to move with the object when movement occurs. The container 1 of the present invention may also include a profiled base such that the base of one such container mates with the top of another for the purpose of stacking said containers. The container 1 of the present invention may also include one or more handgrips 14 on the bottom surface of the container to provide a better holding surface of the container while pouring the contents from the container. The first handgrip 14 would be proximal to the back bottom corner of the container most distant from the pouring spout 2 in its open and pouring position. The second hand grip would be just past center from the first, the use of which allows the forearm of the user to also exert a support and tipping force through the bottom surface of the container while pouring its contents from the spout. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A container for storing and dispensing fluids, comprising:

a hollow body comprising a spout and a handle; and

a valve operable between an open position and a sealed position upon rotation of said handle.

2. The container of claim 1 further comprising means to bias said valve to said sealed position.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein said means to bias said valve comprises torsion spring means.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein said valve comprises:

an outer valve body having a first aperture; and

an inner valve body having a second aperture;

said inner valve body nesting in axial alignment within said outer valve body.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein said rotation causes said first and second apertures to align in said open position.

6. The container of claim 1 further comprising means to limit rotation of said handle.

7. The container of claim 1 further comprising means to retract said spout to a recessed position proximate said hollow body.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein said means to retract said spout comprises a ball valve.

9. The container of claim 1 further comprising at least one indented handgrip in a lower portion of said hollow body.

10. The container of claim 1 further comprising at least one indentation in a side wall of said hollow body.

11. The container of claim 1 further comprising a lower wall which is profiled to nest on an upper wall of an identical container.