U.S. patent application number 10/904465 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-11 for multi compartment collapsible tank.
Invention is credited to Richard J. Reed.
Application Number | 20060096990 10/904465 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35707764 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060096990 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reed; Richard J. |
May 11, 2006 |
MULTI COMPARTMENT COLLAPSIBLE TANK
Abstract
A collapsible tank comprises a flexible unitary container having
an inner surface and an outer surface and a flexible partial
container having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner
surface of the unitary container defines a first compartment for
storing a first fluid. The partial container is mounted to the
unitary container to divide the unitary container into a first
portion and a second portion and to form a second compartment
between the inner surface of the partial container and the outer
surface of the second portion of the unitary container to store a
second fluid. The second portion of the unitary container is
flexible and movable relative to the first portion of the unitary
container and the partial container to reciprocally change the
relative volumes of the first and the second compartments.
Inventors: |
Reed; Richard J.; (Slidell,
LA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCGARRY BAIR PC
171 MONROE AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 600
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49503
US
|
Family ID: |
35707764 |
Appl. No.: |
10/904465 |
Filed: |
November 11, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/507 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 88/62 20130101;
B65D 88/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/507 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/04 20060101
B65D025/04 |
Claims
1. A collapsible tank comprising: a unitary container formed of a
first contiguous wall having an inner surface and an outer surface,
the inner surface of the first contiguous wall defining a first
compartment for storing a first fluid; and a flexible partial
container formed of a second contiguous wall having an inner
surface, an outer surface and an open end; wherein the open end of
the second contiguous wall is mounted to the first contiguous wall
to divide the first contiguous wall into a first portion and a
second portion and to form a second compartment between the inner
surface of the second contiguous wall and the outer surface of the
second portion of the first contiguous wall for storing a second
fluid.
2. The collapsible tank according to claim 1, wherein the second
contiguous wall is about half of the size of the first contiguous
wall.
3. The collapsible tank according to claim 1, wherein the second
portion of the first contiguous wall is flexible and movable
relative to the first portion of the first contiguous wall and the
second contiguous wall to change the relative volumes of the first
and the second compartments.
4. The collapsible tank according to claim 3, wherein an increase
in the maximum volume of one of the first and the second
compartments corresponds to a decrease in the maximum volume of the
other of the first and the second compartments.
5. The collapsible tank according to claim 4, wherein the maximum
volumetric increase and decrease of the first and the second
compartments are of substantially equal magnitude.
6. The collapsible tank according to claim 1, wherein the first and
the second compartments have comparable maximum capacities.
7. The collapsible tank according to claim 1 and further comprising
a fill/discharge assembly, a vent, and a drain mounted to each of
the first contiguous wall and the second contiguous wall.
8. The collapsible tank according to claim 1, wherein the first
contiguous wall comprises a fluid barrier.
9. The collapsible tank according to claim 8, wherein the fluid
barrier comprises an inner surface fluid barrier on the inner
surface of the first contiguous wall and an outer surface fluid
barrier on the outer surface of the fluid barrier.
10. The collapsible tank according to claim 9, wherein the inner
surface fluid barrier and the outer surface fluid barrier comprise
a polymer coating.
11. The collapsible tank according to claim 10, wherein one of the
inner surface fluid barrier and the outer surface fluid barrier
comprises a polyester coating and the other of the inner surface
fluid barrier and the outer surface fluid barrier comprises a
polyether coating.
12. The collapsible tank according to claim 9, wherein the second
contiguous wall comprises an inner surface fluid barrier on the
inner surface thereof.
13. The collapsible tank according to claim 12, wherein the inner
surface fluid barrier of the second contiguous wall comprises the
same material as the outer surface fluid barrier of the first
contiguous wall.
14. The collapsible tank according to claim 13, wherein the inner
surface fluid barrier of the second contiguous wall and the outer
surface fluid barrier of the first contiguous wall comprises one of
a polyester and a polyether coating.
15. The collapsible tank according to claim 1 and further
comprising a lap joint at a junction between the first contiguous
wall and the second contiguous wall.
16. The collapsible tank according to claim 15, wherein the lap
joint is thermowelded.
17. The collapsible tank according to claim 1, wherein the first
fluid and the second fluid are different fluids.
18. The collapsible tank according to claim 17, wherein the first
fluid is one of a fuel and water, and the second fluid is the other
of the fuel and the water.
19. A collapsible tank comprising: a flexible container having an
interior surface defining a maximum volumetric capacity; and a
flexible partition mounted to the interior surface of the container
to divide the container into a first compartment with a first
volume for storing a first fluid and a second compartment with a
second volume for storing a second fluid; wherein the partition has
sufficient size and pliability so that it is movable within the
container to reciprocally change the first and second volumes.
20. The collapsible tank according to claim 19, wherein the
partition is sized so that first and second compartments each have
a maximum capacity comparable to the maximum volumetric capacity of
the container.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a collapsible tank for storing
fluid. In one aspect, the invention relates to a collapsible
multi-compartment tank for storing diverse fluids. In another
aspect, the invention relates to a collapsible tank having
expandable and collapsible compartments for storing different or
the same fluids.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0002] When fuel-powered machinery and equipment operate in remote
locations or locations that are distant from a fuel source,
supplying fuel to the machinery and equipment can be problematical.
Either the machinery and equipment must be transported to the
source of fuel, or the fuel has to be delivered to the remote
location. In the latter case, fuel can be stored at the remote
location in a collapsible tank that can be easily compacted and
stowed for transportation to another location, if desired.
[0003] A similar problem arises with respect to the supply of water
and other fluids in remote locations. As with fuel, the water can
be stored in a collapsible tank, but the tanks for fuel, water, and
other fluids are typically single purpose tanks because the
material used in the tank construction must be compatible with the
specific fluid stored therein. The base material for these tanks is
commonly made from a woven nylon that is coated with a flexible
thermoplastic polymer to render the material impermeable to the
specific fluid. For example, the tank comprises a woven nylon
material coated with a polyether polymer when the tanks are to be
used to store water and with a polyester polymer when the tanks are
used for fuel storage. As a result, a tank inventory must include
multiple types of tanks corresponding to the different fluids
compatible with each tank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to the invention, a collapsible multi-compartment
tank comprises a unitary container formed of a first contiguous
wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner
surface of the first contiguous wall defining a first compartment
for storing a first fluid and a flexible partial container formed
of a second contiguous wall having an inner surface, an outer
surface and an open end. The open end of the second contiguous wall
is mounted to the first contiguous wall to divide the first
contiguous wall into a first portion and a second portion and to
form a second compartment between the inner surface of the second
contiguous wall and the outer surface of the second portion of the
first contiguous wall for storing a second fluid.
[0005] The relative sizes of the first contiguous wall and second
contiguous wall can vary over a wide range depending on the
intended uses of the tank. In an illustrative embodiment of the
invention, the second contiguous wall is about half of the size of
the first contiguous wall and the first and the second compartments
have comparable maximum capacities.
[0006] The second portion of the first contiguous wall is flexible
and is movable relative to the first portion of the first
contiguous wall and relative to the second contiguous wall to
change the relative potential volumes of the first and the second
compartments. Thus, an increase in the maximum volume of one of the
first and the second compartments corresponds to a decrease in the
maximum volume of the other of the first and the second
compartments. In a preferred illustrative embodiment of the
invention, the maximum volumetric increase and decrease of the
first and the second compartments are of substantially equal
magnitude.
[0007] Typically, a fill/discharge assembly, a vent, and a drain
are mounted to each of the first contiguous wall and the second
contiguous wall for filling and dispensing the liquid in each of
the compartments.
[0008] The first contiguous wall preferably comprises a fluid
barrier to prevent fluid in one of the compartments from leaching
into another compartment. In one illustrative embodiment, the fluid
barrier comprises an inner surface fluid barrier on the inner and
outer surfaces of the first contiguous wall. In one illustrative
embodiment, the inner surface fluid barrier and the outer surface
fluid barrier comprise a polymer coating. In another illustrative
embodiment, one of the inner surface fluid barrier and the outer
surface fluid barrier comprises a polyester coating and the other
of the inner surface fluid barrier and the outer surface fluid
barrier comprises a polyether coating. Further, the second
contiguous wall comprises an inner surface fluid barrier on the
inner surface thereof. Preferably, the inner surface fluid barrier
of the second contiguous wall comprises the same material as the
outer surface fluid barrier of the first contiguous wall. In one
embodiment, the inner surface fluid barrier of the second
contiguous wall and the outer surface fluid barrier of the first
contiguous wall comprises one of a polyester and a polyether
coating.
[0009] The first and second contiguous walls are joined together in
a secure joint, preferably with a lap joint at a junction between
the first contiguous wall and the second contiguous wall. In one
illustrative embodiment, the lap joint is thermowelded.
[0010] The two or more compartments that are formed by the tank
according to the invention can be filled with a wide variety of
fluids. Typically, the compartments may be filled different fluids,
conceivable remarkably different fluids such as aqueous fluids,
such as water, and organic fluids, such as fuel oil. The coatings
on the inside surfaces of the compartments will be selected to
provide a barrier to the fluids for which the tanks are
adapted.
[0011] Further according to the invention, a collapsible tank
comprises a flexible container having an interior surface that
defines a maximum volumetric capacity and a flexible partition
secured at its edges at the interior surface of the container to
divide the interior of the tank into a first compartment with a
first volume for storing a first fluid and a second compartment
with a second volume for storing a second fluid. The partition is
of a size and pliability that it is movable within the container to
reciprocally change the first and second volumes within the
tank.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the partition is
sized so that first and second compartments each have a maximum
capacity comparable to the maximum volumetric capacity of the
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side view of a collapsible tank according to the
invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the container of FIG.
1.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1
showing a first compartment filled to its maximum capacity.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 with a second
compartment filled to its maximum capacity.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 with each of
the first and the second compartments partially filled.
[0018] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the region labeled VI in FIG.
3.
[0019] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the region labeled VII in FIG.
4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Referring now to the figures and particularly to FIGS. 1-5,
a multi-compartment collapsible tank 10 according to the invention
can be used to store a single fluid, such as fuel or water, or two
dissimilar fluids, such as water and fuel. The tank 10 comprises a
unitary container 12 having an inner surface 14 and an outer
surface 16 and defining a first compartment 18 with a corresponding
first volume. The container 12 is formed from one or more pliable
fabric panels that are thermowelded at the seams thereof to form a
water tight compartment 18. The tank 10 further comprises a partial
container 22 formed from flexible panels that are thermowelded
together at their seams to form inner and outer surfaces 24, 26 and
an open end. The open end of the partial container 22 is attached
to the unitary container 12 at a central region of the container 12
through a continuous lap seam 50 to thereby form a second
compartment 28 with a second volume with the outside surface 16 of
that section of the unitary container 12 within the lap seam 50.
The wall of the partial container 22 is about half the size of the
wall of the unitary container 12. That part of the wall of the
container 12 that forms the second compartment 28 with partial
container 22 is designated portion 12B whereas the other part of
the wall of container 12 is designated portion 12A.
[0021] The unitary container 12 and the partial container 22 are
made of a flexible material so that they can collapse onto
themselves to form a compact configuration. For example, the
unitary container 12 and the partial container 22 can be formed of
woven nylon panels coated with a fluid barrier, such as a polymer,
to render the nylon impervious to a first fluid stored in the first
compartment 18 and to a second fluid stored in the second
compartment 28. The particular type of fluid barrier is selected
based upon the types of fluids stored in the first and the second
compartments 18, 28. For example, when the first fluid is water,
the inner surface 14 of the unitary container 12 is preferably
coated with a polyether polymer, and when the second fluid is fuel,
the outer surface 16 of the unitary container 12 and the inner
surface 24 of the partial container 22 are coated with a polyester
polymer. When either of the compartments 18, 28 are filled with a
food-grade substance, the corresponding surfaces of the unitary
container 12 and the partial container 22 are preferably coated to
comply with requirements set by the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). The fluid barrier prevents leakage of the
first and the second fluids from the tank 10 and also prevents
cross contamination between the first and the second fluids.
[0022] Referring particularly to FIGS. 3-5, the second portion 12B
essentially functions as a flexible partition between the first
portion 12A of the unitary container 12 and the partial container
22. In other words, the second portion 12B can be viewed as a
flexible partition within a collapsible tank formed by the first
portion 12A of the unitary container 12 and the partial container
22. When the tank if filled to capacity, the volumes of the first
and second compartments 18, 28 are reciprocal and vary depending on
the position of the second portion 12B relative to the first
portion 12A and to the partial container 22. Because the partial
container 22 and the second portion 12B are of substantially equal
size, the maximum volume of the first and the second compartments
18, 28 is equal, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The maximum volume of
the first compartment 18 is achieved when the first compartment 18
is filled and the second compartment is empty so that the second
portion 12B of the container 12 abuts or nearly abuts the inner
surface 24 of the unitary container 22, as viewed in FIG. 3, and
this condition corresponds to a minimum volume of the second
compartment 28. Likewise, the maximum volume of the second
compartment 18 is achieved when the second compartment 28 is filled
and the first compartment 18 is empty so that the second portion
12B of the unitary container 12 abuts or nearly abuts the inner
surface 14 of the first portion 12A, as viewed in FIG. 4, and this
condition corresponds to a minimum volume of the first compartment
18. As the second portion 12B of the container 12 moves between
these two extreme positions, as shown in FIG. 5, an increase in the
volume of one of the first and the second compartments 18, 28
corresponds to a decreased of the same magnitude in the maximum
volume of the other of the first and the second compartments 18,
28. The maximum volumes of the first and the second compartments
18, 28 are reciprocal or compensatory such that the sum of the
maximum volume of the first and the second compartments 18, 28 is
substantially equal to the maximum volume of one of the individual
compartments 18, 28.
[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the tank 10 further comprises a pair
of fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32, a pair of vents 34, 36, and a
pair of drains 38, 40, wherein one member of each pair corresponds
to one of the first and the second compartments 18, 28. In
particular, the fill/discharge assembly 30, the vent 34, and the
drain 38 are attached to the first portion 12A of the unitary
container 12 and correspond to the first compartment 18. Similarly,
the fill/discharge assembly 32, the vent 36, and the drain 40 are
attached to the partial container 22 and correspond to the second
compartment 28. Preferably, the fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32
are color coded or otherwise labeled or marked so that a user can
distinguish between the first and the second compartment 18, 28 and
thereby correctly match the first fluid with the first compartment
18 and the second fluid with the second compartment 28. Further,
the fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32, the vents 34, 36, and the
drains 38, 40 are industry standard components so that the tank 10
can be utilized with other fluid storage systems.
[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the partial container 22 is
joined to the unitary container 12 at the lap joint 50, and the
unitary container 12 is formed of multiple panels connected at lap
joint seams (not shown). All of the lap joints are formed during a
suitable joining process, such as thermowelding. The lap joint 50
joining the partial container 22 to the unitary container 12 is
constructed such that forces generated as a result of filling the
second compartment 28 are directed in a shear vector as opposed to
a peel vector. This construction produces a joint that has a
breaking strength equal to that of the lap joint seams of the
unitary container 12. When the first compartment 18 is filled, the
tank 10 is under normal stresses associated with a conventional
single compartment tank.
[0025] The tank 10 can be constructed to have any desired capacity,
and, preferably, the capacity of the tank 10 ranges from 100 to
50,000 gallons. In such a construction, the lap joints are
preferably about two inches wide so that the tank 10 is suitably
strong to support such a large volume of fluid. Additionally, all
of the lap joint seams are barrier-coated over the inner and outer
surfaces to prevent fluid from wicking through the nylon.
[0026] An exemplary description of the operation of the tank 10
follows. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill that the
operation can carried out in any logical order and is not limited
to the sequence presented below. The following description is for
illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the
invention in any manner.
[0027] The tank 10 is pliable so that it can be collapsed and
folded into a compact mass for shipment and storage. To fill the
tank 10, the user unfolds or unrolls the collapsed tank 10 onto a
surface with the fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32 facing away from
the surface. If the user desires to fill the tank with only the
first fluid, then the user closes the drain 38, opens the vent 34,
and attaches a hose to the fill/discharge assembly 30 and fills the
first compartment 18 with a desired volume of the first fluid.
Optionally, the user can fill the unitary container 12 to its
maximum capacity, as illustrated in FIG. 3. On the other hand, if
the user desires to fill the tank with only the second fluid, then
the user closes the drain 40, opens the vent 36, and attaches a
hose to the fill/discharge assembly 32 and fills the second
compartment 28 with a desired volume of the second fluid. FIG. 4
illustrates the tank 10 when the partial container 22 is filled to
its maximum capacity. If the user desires to fill the tank 10 with
both the first and the second fluids, then the user conducts both
of the steps described previously in this paragraph, in any order
or simultaneously, such that both the unitary container 12 and the
partial container 22 are partially filled, as shown, for example,
in FIG. 5. When the filled tank 10 is not in use, the
fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32, the vents 34, 36, and the drains
38, 40 are all in a closed condition.
[0028] To discharge fluid from the tank 10, the user can apply
pressure to the tank 10 so that the tank 10 collapses and thereby
forces the fluid to flow out of the first and the second
compartments 18, 28, or, alternatively, the user can fill one of
the first and the second compartments 18, 28 to displace the second
portion 12B and thereby force the fluid to flow out of the other of
the first and the second compartments 18, 28. For example, if the
tank 10 solely contains the first fluid, then the user can open the
fill/discharge assembly 30, attach a hose to the fill/discharge
assembly 30, and apply pressure to the tank 10 to force the first
fluid from the first compartment 18 and through the hose.
Alternatively, the user can open both the fill/discharge assemblies
30, 32, attach hoses to both the fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32,
and fill the second compartment 28 with the second fluid. As the
second compartment 28 fills, the second portion 12B of the unitary
container 12 moves towards the first portion 12A of the unitary
container 12 to thereby reduce the volume of the first chamber 18
and force the first fluid through the hose attached to the
fill/discharge assembly 30. Thus, while the second compartment 28
is in a fill mode, the first compartment 18 is in a discharge mode.
The situation is reversed for discharging the second fluid from the
second container 28. If the tank 10 contains both the first and the
second fluids, then the user can optionally discharge both fluids
at the same time through the fill/discharge assemblies 30, 32.
[0029] The tank 10 can also be used to circulate fluids from one of
the first and the second compartments 18, 28 to the other of the
first and the second compartments 18, 28. For example, fresh water
can be stored in one of the compartments, discharged from the
compartment, used, and then stored in the other compartment as
waste water. Similarly, fresh petroleum product can be stored in
one of the compartments, discharged from the compartment, used, and
then stored in the other compartment as waste petroleum
product.
[0030] The tank 10 according to the invention is a
dual-compartment, multi-purpose, portable collapsible container for
static storage of fluids. The unique design of the tank 10 enables
multiple means of circulation and/or storage of dissimilar and
flowable petroleum, water, water-based fluid products, and other
fluid products. The tank 10 can be deployed multiple times in
various locations to store the petroleum, water, water-based fluid
products, or other fluid products. Further, because one tank 10 can
be used to store more than one type of fluid and effectively
replaces two types of tanks with one, the cost of inventorying
collapsible containers is decreased.
[0031] While the invention has been specifically described in
connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be
understood that this is by way of illustration and not of
limitation. For example, the relative sizes of the unitary tank 12
and the partial tank 22 can vary over a wide range to accommodate
prospective uses of the multi-compartment tank. Further, whereas
the invention has been described with respect to tank with two
compartments, the invention contemplates three or more compartments
by the addition of one of more additional partial containers 22 to
the unitary tank 12 and/or to the partial container 22 or other
added partial tanks. Reasonable variation and combination are
possible with the scope of the foregoing disclosure without
departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *