Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C13/00—Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels
  • F17C13/06—Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
  • F17C2201/03—Orientation
  • F17C2201/032—Orientation with substantially vertical main axis
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
  • F17C2201/05—Size
  • F17C2201/056—Small (<1 m3)
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
  • F17C2201/05—Size
  • F17C2201/058—Size portable (<30 l)
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2205/00—Vessel construction, in particular mounting arrangements, attachments or identifications means
  • F17C2205/03—Fluid connections, filters, valves, closure means or other attachments
  • F17C2205/0302—Fittings, valves, filters, or components in connection with the gas storage device
  • F17C2205/0308—Protective caps
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2205/00—Vessel construction, in particular mounting arrangements, attachments or identifications means
  • F17C2205/05—Vessel or content identifications, e.g. labels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
  • F17C2205/00—Vessel construction, in particular mounting arrangements, attachments or identifications means
  • F17C2205/05—Vessel or content identifications, e.g. labels
  • F17C2205/058—Vessel or content identifications, e.g. labels by Radio Frequency Identification

Definitions

• the invention relates to a protective cap, a reservoir comprising such a cap and its mounting method.
• 1 / invention relates more particularly to a protective cap for fluid reservoir valve (s) under pressure comprising two half-shells assembled to each other, the two half-shells defining a lower base to be mounted at the level an orifice of a reservoir, in particular around a reservoir neck, the two half-shells being assembled in a plane perpendicular to the base and defining an internal protective volume for a valve, the two half-shells being assembled by fastening pin systems cooperating with housings formed in the half-shells, the two half-shells defining in assembled position at least one opening for access to the inner protective volume, the cap further comprising, at the level of an upper end of the cap, a connecting piece comprising two ends hooked respectively on the two half-shells snap.
• a pressurized fluid cylinder valve protection cap must meet several technical constraints.
• the protective cap must provide effective mechanical protection of the valve while having a reduced mass, good ergonomics of access to the tap as well as ease of handling and easy assembly.
• EP2715209A1 discloses a cap whose two parts are assembled by a connecting beam forming a gripping handle. The mounting of such a cap is however difficult for an operator who must assemble the various parts and mount the assembly on a tank already equipped with a tap. In addition the structure of such a cap requires a large number of parts and may be incompatible with some forms of faucet.
• An object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the disadvantages of the prior art noted above.
• the cap according to the invention is essentially characterized in that the connecting piece has a circular shape and comprises two diametrically opposite portions hooked by snap respectively at the upper ends of the two half-shells.
• embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features:
• the connecting piece comprises two bosses received in housings formed respectively on the two half-shells,
• the cap comprises at least one and preferably two locking systems between the connecting piece and each half-shell,
• the connecting piece has the general shape of a ring whose central portion forms an access opening to the inner protective volume
• the cap comprises fastening pin systems cooperating with housings formed in the half-shells at the upper levels and at the lower level of the cap, that is to say that the two half-shells are secured together by means of fixing axle systems located at the upper and lower part of the half-shells,
• the two half-shells are identical and the connecting piece has a symmetrical shape in a plane perpendicular to the base,
• the lower ends of the two half-shells are curved and enclose a ring or thread located on the neck of a tank,
• the invention also relates to a pressurized fluid reservoir, especially a bottle, comprising a valve and a valve protection cap, the cap being in accordance with any of the above characteristics or below.
• the invention also relates to a method of mounting a protective cap in accordance with any of the above or below features to a fluid reservoir under pressure, comprising:
• a step of securing by snapping of the second half-shell with the connecting piece a step of fixing the two half-shells together via fastening pin systems cooperating with housings formed in the half-shells, the fixing step ensuring a clamping of the two half-shells between them and around the lower end of the cap.
• the securing step by snap-fitting of the second half-shell with the connecting piece is carried out after or before the step of mounting the lower end of the cap around a neck of a tank,
• the step of mounting the lower end of the cap around the neck of a reservoir is preceded by at least one of: a step of mounting a valve in a hole in the neck of the reservoir, a step of mounting a snap ring around the neck of the tank.
• the invention may also relate to any alternative device or method comprising any combination of the above or below features within the scope of the claims.
• FIG. 1 represents a schematic and partial perspective view illustrating an exploded configuration of an example of a fluid reservoir under pressure
• FIG. 2 represents a schematic and partial perspective view illustrating a portion of the cap of the Figure 1 in exploded position
• FIG. 3 represents a schematic and partial perspective view illustrating a portion of the hat of FIG. 2 in the assembled position
• FIG. 4 represents an enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 3,
• FIGS. 5 and 6 represent perspective, schematic and partial views illustrating two steps assembly and possible mounting of the cap on a tank.
• the hat illustrated in Figure 1 comprises two half-shells 2, 3 which are assembled to one another in a vertical plane (when the cap is in the vertical position).
• the two half-shells each have at their lower end a shape that hooks onto a fastener ring and / or a cavity formed on the neck of the bottle 11.
• the lower ends of the two half-shells 2, 3 can be curved to grip a ring 10 or a thread located on the neck of a tank 11.
• the two half-shells 2, 3 are assembled in a plane perpendicular to the base 4 and define an interior protective volume for a valve.
• the two half-shells 2, 3 are rigidly assembled by means of fastening axes 5 cooperating with housings 6 formed in the half-shells 2, 3 (for example the pins 5 may comprise screws, dowels or other cooperating with stops and / or threads and / or nuts and / or washers in the orifices 6).
• two axes 5 solidarize the two half-shells in the upper part (in particular transversely to the joint plane of the two half-shells 2, 3). Similarly, two axes 5 join the two half-shells in the lower part (in particular transversely to the joint plane of the two half-shells 2, 3).
• the two half-shells 2, 3 defining in the assembled position at least one opening 7, 8 for access to the volume protective interior (for example an upper opening 7 and at least one lateral opening 8).
• the cap further comprising, at an upper end of the cap, a connecting piece 9 comprising two ends hooked respectively on the two half-shells 2, 3 by snapping.
• snapping is meant in particular elastic deformation of at least one piece relative to the other.
• the latching can be definitive (not removable without breaking one of the parts) or not definitive (that is to say, removable and can be reassembled if necessary).
• the connecting piece 9 has a circular shape and in particular forms a ring and comprises two diametrically opposite portions hooked respectively by latching at the upper ends of the two half-shells 2, 3.
• Each latching system may comprise a claw or elastic piece on the connecting piece 9 cooperating with a housing or a stop on the adjacent piece.
• the connecting piece 9 may comprise two bosses 19 or protuberances received in conjugate housings 29 formed respectively on the two half-shells 2, 3. This ensures positioning of the parts and a recovery of effort for the cap.
• the half-shells 2, 3 may have, in cross section, a non-planar and enveloping shape of the periphery of the connecting piece 5 that it accommodates.
• a part of the latching system may be located at each boss end 19 (according to the circumference of piece 1) ⁇
• the upper ends of the two half-shells 2, 3 connected to the connecting piece 9 are preferably curved and enclose said connecting piece 9 in the assembled position.
• the connecting piece 9 has the general shape of an inner ring of protection of the hat 1.
• the connecting piece 9 may advantageously integrate an electronic communication element, for example an antenna or a communication device of the NFC or RFID type, for example.
• This simple structure ensures a pre-assembly of the two half-shells 2, 3 as detailed below.
• this structure ensures an effective and solid cohesion of the cap and in particular a good distribution and absorption of the forces in case of shock.
• this architecture makes it possible to use two identical half-shells 2, 3 and a connecting piece 9 having a symmetrical shape along a median plane perpendicular to the base. This optimizes manufacturing costs (plastic or metal molding for example).
• the shells and the connecting piece can be provided for the shells and the connecting piece: for example metal shells to give a high mechanical strength to the cap, and a plastic connecting piece.
• passive or non-passive electronic communication devices may be located in the plastic part for optimal operation (no disturbance of the metal parts.
• the cap can be assembled or mounted for example as follows.
• an operator or a machine can snap-fasten a first half-shell 3 with the connecting piece 5 (see Figures 2, 3 and 4).
• the half-shell 3 secured to the connecting piece 9 can be mounted around the neck of the tap ( Figure 5).
• the tank 11 may already be provided with a valve 12 (for example screwed into a threaded orifice).
• the neck of the tank 11 is provided with a hooking portion for the cap 1, in particular an insert ring 10 which can be split (any other attachment system, such as a thread may be envisaged).
• the second half-shell 2 can, in turn, be snapped onto the other end of the connecting piece 9 while being mounted around the neck of the tank 11.
• This structure gives a great ergonomics to the assembly.
• the two half-shells 2, 3 can be preassembled to the connecting piece 9.
• the assembly can then be mounted on the tank 1.
• the spacing of the two half-shells can allow mounting on the neck (for example via a slight relative movement).
• the invention provides a high reliability and strength to the hat obtained.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Transmission Of Braking Force In Braking Systems (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=61913416

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2018
  • 2018-02-08 FR FR1851065A patent/FR3077616B1/fr active Active
• 2019
  • 2019-02-05 DK DK19742811.3T patent/DK3749890T3/da active
  • 2019-02-05 ES ES19742811T patent/ES2984531T3/es active Active
  • 2019-02-05 CA CA3089487A patent/CA3089487A1/fr active Pending
  • 2019-02-05 PL PL19742811.3T patent/PL3749890T3/pl unknown
  • 2019-02-05 EP EP19742811.3A patent/EP3749890B1/de active Active
  • 2019-02-05 WO PCT/FR2019/050251 patent/WO2019155153A2/fr not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

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