U.S. patent application number 10/694551 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-29 for pressure container.
Invention is credited to Granacher, Thomas, Klima, Andreas.
Application Number | 20050284883 10/694551 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32103311 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050284883 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Granacher, Thomas ; et
al. |
December 29, 2005 |
Pressure container
Abstract
A pressure container has inner and outer containers (10; 20)
having, respectively, first and second chambers (11; 21) for
receiving, respectively, first and second media (21, 22) and sealed
with respect to each other, a cover (25) for closing both the inner
container (10) and the outer container (20), a valve (40) provided
in the cover (25) for delivering one of the first and second media
from a respective one of the first and second chambers, and a
protective jacket (30) for enclosing the outer container (20) and
having a bottom (36) building toward a bottom (26) of the outer
container (20) provided at an end of the outer container (20)
remote from the valve (40), with the protective jacket (30) further
having, at its end remote from its bottom, a crimp rim (34)
engageable with a crimp (34) of the cover (25) for supporting the
cover (25).
Inventors: |
Granacher, Thomas; (Schaan,
LI) ; Klima, Andreas; (Bludesch, AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVID TOREN, ESQ.
ABELMAN FRAYNE & SCHWAB
666 THIRD AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10017-5621
US
|
Family ID: |
32103311 |
Appl. No.: |
10/694551 |
Filed: |
October 27, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/95 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/38 20130101;
B65D 83/60 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/095 |
International
Class: |
B65D 035/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 4, 2002 |
DE |
102 51 306.6 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pressure container, comprising an inner container (10) having
a first chamber (11) for receiving a first medium (12); an outer
container (20) having a second chamber (21) for receiving a second
medium (22) and sealed with respect to the first chamber (11) of
the inner container (20); a cover (25) for closing both the inner
container (10) and the outer container (20); a valve (40) provided
in the cover (25) for delivering one of the first medium and the
second medium from a respective one of the first chamber and the
second chamber outwardly; and a protective jacket (30) for
enclosing the outer container (20) and having a bottom (36) bulging
toward a bottom (26) of the outer container (20) provided at an end
of the outer container (20) remote from the valve (40), the
protective jacket (30) further having, at an end thereof remote
from the bottom thereof, a crimp rim (34) engageable with a crimp
(24) of the cover (25) for supporting the cover (25).
2. A pressure container according to claim 1, wherein the second
chamber (21) of the outer container (20) is formed as a propellant
chamber, with the second medium (22) being propellant.
3. A pressure container according to claim 1, wherein an inlet
opening (27) is formed in the bottom (26) of the outer container
(20) for filling the outer container (20), and wherein the pressure
container further includes means (29) for closing the inlet opening
(27).
4. A pressure container according to claim 3, wherein the bottom
(36) of the protective jacket (30) supports the closing means (29)
at a lower end of the closing means.
5. A pressure container according to claim 4, wherein the bottom
(36) of the protective jacket (30) has an opening (37) that insures
access to the closing means (29) from outside.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a pressure container having
an inner container with a first chamber for receiving a first
medium, an outer container having a second chamber for receiving a
second medium and sealed with respect to the first chamber of the
inner container, a cover for closing both the inner container and
the outer container, and a valve provided in the cover for
delivering one of the first and second media from one of the first
chamber and the second chamber outwardly.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Pressure containers of the type described above are used,
e.g., in gas-driven setting tools for storing fuel for driving the
tools.
[0005] European Publication EP 0 017 147 discloses a conventional
pressure container having inner and outer containers which are
covered with a cover in which an outlet valve is provided, and
which are connected with each other at their regions adjacent to
the cover by a crimp. The bottom of the outer container has an
opening through which the outer container is filled with filling
medium and which is closed with a plug.
[0006] In such a container, a liquefied hydrocarbon fuel for
driving a setting tool is stored. In all of the known gas-driven
power tools, at a high frequency of setting processes, the
temperature of pressure capsules increases above 50.degree. C. When
the pressure in the pressure capsule increases due to heating, the
amount of a metered amount can alter at a certain high temperature.
With such heating of the pressure capsule, as a rule, the closing
plug fails and is pressed out of the filling opening, which leads
to an uncontrollable flow of the medium out of the outer
container.
[0007] With pressure capsules without closing plugs, at a
noticeable increase of the temperature, the crimp intersection
between the cover and the inner container/outer container fails,
resulting in a sudden, uncontrolled exit of gases.
[0008] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is a
pressure container and a method of manufacturing and/or filling the
pressure container capable to withstand substantially higher
temperatures than conventional pressure containers and in which the
drawbacks of the prior art, conventional containers are
eliminated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This and other objects of the present invention, which will
become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing, in the
pressure container of the type discussed above a protective jacket
for enclosing the outer container and having a bottom bulging
toward a bottom of the outer container provided at an end of the
outer container remote from the valve that is provided in the
cover, with the protective jacket further having, at its end remote
from its bottom, a crimp rim engageable with the crimp of the cover
for supporting the cover.
[0010] With the crimp rim engaging the connecting crimp of the
inner and outer containers and the cover by rolling over the crimp,
the protective jacket formlockingly closes, at its open end, the
cover. Thereby, the crimp rim of the protective jacket supports the
connection point between the cover and the outlet edge of the
pressure container, preventing pop-off of the cover at a high
pressure.
[0011] In the pressure containers having a closing plug in the
bottom, the bulging bottom prevents a premature failure of the
closing plug at a high temperature. Therefore, a pressure container
according to the present invention is particularly suitable for
gas-operated setting tools.
[0012] Advantageously, the chamber in the outer container is formed
as a propellant chamber for receiving a propellant, and the chamber
in the inner container serves for receiving another filling medium.
The two chambers are tightly sealed relative to each other,
air-tight and liquid-tight.
[0013] The outer container can advantageously be filled, e.g., with
a hollow needle extendable through a closing plug that closes an
opening formed in the bottom of the container. The chamber of the
inlet container can be filled through an inlet/outlet valve located
in the cover.
[0014] Advantageously, an opening or a hole is formed in the bottom
of the protective jacket and which insures that a filling medium
can be delivered to the outer container with the hollow needle,
which extends through that opening or hole.
[0015] However, it is possible to mount the protective jacket over
the outer container and form the crimp rim for closing the
connection crimp after the inner and outer containers are filled
with appropriate media, respectively.
[0016] The novel features of the present invention, which are
considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in
the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its
construction and its mode of operation, together with additional
advantages and objects thereof, will be best understood from the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when
read with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Single FIGURE of the drawings shows a cross-sectional view
of a pressure container according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] A pressure container according to the present invention and
which is shown in the drawing includes an inner container 10 and an
outer container 20. The outer container 20 is formed of a
relatively thick metal such as, e.g., aluminum. The inner container
10 is formed by a relatively thin compound or sandwich foil. The
sandwich foil is formed of, e.g., three layers, an inner plastic
layer such as, e.g., a PE-welding layer, a metal layer or a foil,
and a plastic outer layer, again a PE-welding layer. The metal
layer, which is formed of aluminum, serves as a barrier layer for a
liquid or gaseous medium such as, e.g., fuel gas. A medium-proof
cover 25, which separates the media from the outer atmosphere,
closes both openings of both containers 10 and 20. The two
containers 10 and 20 are connected with each other and sealed from
each other by a crimp 24. The inner container 10 encloses a chamber
11 for a filling medium 12, e.g., a combustible liquefied gas. The
filling medium 12 or the liquefied gas is held under pressure
applied by a propellant 22 located in the propellant chamber 21 of
the outer container 20. In the propellant chamber 21, the
propellant 22 is contained in both liquid phase and gaseous phase.
A valve 40 is located in an opening 41 formed in the cover 25. The
valve 40 is sealed against the cover 25. The valve 40 includes an
inlet/outlet component through which the filling medium or the
liquefied gas can flow in the chamber of the outer container 20 or
to another device connected with inlet/outlet component, e.g., a
metering member, metering device, and the like.
[0019] An inlet opening 27 of the pressure container is closed with
closing means 29, e.g., of rubber. For filling the outer container
20 with the propellant 22, e.g., a hollow needle can be inserted
through the closing means 29. The propellant 22 is fed in the
propellant chamber 21 through the needle from a reservoir of
propellant.
[0020] The outer container 20 is located in an outer protective
jacket 30 formed of metal, e.g., aluminum, and having a thickness
greater than that of the outer container 20. In the region of
cylindrical wall portions 23, 33 of the outer container 20 and the
protective jacket 30, respectively, the outer container 20 is
fitted within the protective jacket 30 practically clearance-free,
within manufacturing tolerances. The bottom 36 of the protective
jacket 30 is provided, in the direction of the bottom 26 of the
outer container 20, with a depression forming a bulge that supports
the bottom 26 and, in particular, the closing means 29. This
permits to maintain a high inner pressure in the outer container
20, without failure of the pressure container. The hollow needle
for filling the outer container 20 can be inserted in the closing
means 29 through an opening 27 in the bottom 36 of the protective
jacket 30.
[0021] The protective jacket 30 is rolled over the cover 25 in the
region of the cover 25, forming a crimp rim 34. The crimp rim 34
reinforces the crimp 24 between the outer container 20, the inner
container 10, and the cover 25. In addition, the crimp rim 34
fixedly secures the protective jacket 30 on the pressure
container.
[0022] It should be pointed out that the protective jacket can also
be formed of several layers, with a first jacket layer forming the
crimp rim, e.g., and the second jacket layer forming the bulging
bottom. Both layers or parts can be spaced from one another.
Generally, it is not necessary for the protective jacket wall not
to have any holes or openings. Rather, the protective jacket can
have a grid structure.
[0023] Though the present invention was shown and described with
references to the preferred embodiment, such is merely illustrative
of the present invention and is not to be construed as a limitation
thereof and various modifications of the present invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore not intended
that the present invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment
or details thereof, and the present invention includes all
variations and/or alternative embodiments within the spirit and
scope of the present invention as defined by the appended
claims.
* * * * *