Closure assembly for pressure vessel

Receptacles – High-pressure-gas tank

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C220S213000, C220S232000, C220S240000, C220S345600, C220S349000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206227

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a closure assembly for sealing a vessel, in particular a tank which is to be pressurized. More specifically, the closure assembly comprises a retainer or guide track system secured to the external surface of the pressure vessel, a concentric door conforming to the basic curvature of the tank, the concentric door being mounted to the guide track system such that it rotates along the guide track and means for interlocking the door to the pressure vessel when the door is closed in such a manner that the load created when the vessel is pressurized is transferred from the door to the tank.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,627 to Bolton discloses a door construction for a pressure vessel. As shown by Bolton, the vessel has two openings each of which is closed and sealed by means of a door member mounted on tracks which are secured to the interior wall of the pressure vessel. Each opening is surrounded by a seal assembly having a grooved member on the interior surface of the vessel such that when the door is closed, the door member is urged against the grooved member by cam members attached to the tracks. The seal assembly then is urged into contact with the adjacent surfaces of the door member to provide a pressure tight seal between the door member and the vessel wall. There are several drawbacks to the door construction disclosed by Bolton. First and foremost, the design and configuration of the interior mounted tracks significantly restricts the size of the door member which in turn restricts the size of the opening, thereby limiting access to the interior of the vessel and limiting the size of a container which can be placed within the pressure vessel. In addition, Bolton does not provide any means to interlock the door's edges between the track's guide rails, thereby restricting the distance between track's guide rails and preventing a high length to width ratio of the door dimensions. Thus, Bolton's door construction can not be applied to large openings in tall cylindrical pressure vessels. Further, in order to transfer the forces of pressurization to the edge of the door opening of the pressure vessel, Bolton's door construction must be located on the interior surface of the vessel, again limiting the size of the door opening. Bolton's configuration also requires that the addition of special cam members having inclined surfaces to be secured to the tracks in order to seal the opening; these cam members interact with the door member's wheels in order to urge the door member laterally away from the track and into contact with a seal holder. Moreover, the interior mounting of the door construction not only exposes the door member and it's tracking mechanism to any corrosive or deleterious vapors in the pressure vessel, but also obstructs and interferes with the mounting and use of wall attachments located on the interior surface of the pressure vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,211 to Hutterer discloses a washing machine door having a curved shell door slidably mounted on runners on the exterior surface of the washing mean. The door is provided with a flexible sealing member which can be inflated in order to provide a “fluid tight” seal for the washing machine. However, the curved door is not designed to transfer the load from the washing machine to the door and guide track.
Despite the teachings of the prior art, a need still exists for a closure assembly for sealing a pressure vessel which can accommodate various size tanks, including, for example, large tanks capable of housing a 55 gallon drum and should be designed to provide coverage of very large door openings relative to the size of the pressure vessel. Such a closure assembly should be capable of quickly and efficiently creating a pressure tight seal between the vessel and the closure. Moreover, such a closure assembly should be mountable in such a manner that it does not require the use of hinges or latches and does not necessitate door swing. In addition, such a closure assembly should be configured in such a manner that the forces of pressurization are transferred from the door to the pressure vessel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly for a pressure vessel which can accommodate very large openings relative to the size of the pressure vessel.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly for a pressure vessel in which the opening of the pressure vessel is sufficiently large to allow for the placement and removal of a 55 gallon drum.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly for a pressure vessel which quickly and efficiently creates a pressure tight seal between the vessel and the closure.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly for a pressure vessel which transfers the forces of pressurization from the door to the pressure vessel when the closure assembly is closed and sealed and the vessel is pressurized.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly for a pressure vessel in which the leading and trailing edges of the closure are interlocked to the pressure vessel when the closure is in the closed position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly for a pressure vessel which does not require the use of hinges or latches and which eliminates the problem of door swing, thereby reducing the functional foot print requirement of the pressure vessel.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a closure assembly which is mounted to the exterior of the pressure vessel in order to avoid interference with internal mountings within the pressure vessel.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part of the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by practice of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1895169 (1933-01-01), Mosel
patent: 3050211 (1962-08-01), Hutterer
patent: 3623627 (1971-11-01), Bolton
patent: 3827182 (1974-08-01), Van Helleputte
patent: 3861654 (1975-01-01), Singleton
patent: 3948749 (1976-04-01), Sargewnt
patent: 4150509 (1979-04-01), Knap
patent: 4263885 (1981-04-01), Gillis et al.
patent: 4457444 (1984-07-01), Wold

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