Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means – Receiver with plural compartments or openings
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-10
2003-10-21
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means
Receiver with plural compartments or openings
C141S044000, C141S059000, C141S285000, C141S325000, C137S588000, C220S303000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634396
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container which stores liquids such as highly purified chemicals for semiconductors and ordinary chemical agents, and a plug for such a container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor high pure chemical and an ordinary chemical agent are stored in containers which are resistable to such agents.
Formally, as shown in
FIG. 16
, two openings
1
a
are formed in this container
1
, plugs
2
each of which has a plug section (not shown in the drawing) are positioned in these openings
1
a
. These plugs
2
function as lids which close the openings
1
a
, one is a plug
2
a
for connection to the liquid path, and the other one is a plug
2
b
for connection to the gas path, and a pipe
3
which extends to the vicinity of the bottom of the container
1
is connected to the liquid path plug
2
a
for connection to the liquid path.
Also, a cap is put on the plug sections of each plug
2
positioned in the openings
1
a
in this type of container
1
, the through hole which is formed in the plug section is closed by this cap, and the liquid in this container is carried or stored in this state.
Consequently, when taking out the liquids stored in this container
1
, firstly, after the caps which had been put on the plug sections of the plugs
2
which were positioned in the openings
1
a
are removed, sockets
5
connected with hoses
4
are connected to the plug sections of these plugs
2
, and the liquid inside the container
1
is drawn out into the hose
4
by way of the pipe by a pump P.
Additionally, at this time, inert gas is fed into the container
1
from the hose
4
which is connected to the plug section of the plug
2
b
on the other side in such a way that the pressure inside of the container
1
is not negative. Also, it can be determined by the flow of gas on the gas drawing-side whether all the liquid inside the container
1
was fed out and whether the container
1
has become empty. Consequently, when a gas flow is detected, it is determined that the inside of the container
1
is empty, and this empty container
1
can be replaced by a new container
1
in which liquid is stored.
There are the cases in which the liquid inside the container
1
vaporizes as time goes by, so there is concern that the internal pressure increases during use. This occurs particularly when the liquid inside the container
1
is volatile.
Therefore, if the cap of the plug section of plug
2
a
for connection with the liquid path is detached when the internal pressure is high in this way, there is concern that the liquid will leak travel along the way of the pipe
3
and leak from the through hole of the plug section because of the internal pressure of the container
1
.
For this reason, a sign is placed on the plug
2
a
on which the pipe
3
is provided indicating that the plug
2
a
is to be used for connection with the liquid path, and a sign is placed on the other plug
2
b
on which pipe
3
is not provided, indicating that the plug
2
b
is to be used for connection with the gas path. An operator detaches the cap put on the plug section of plug
2
a
for connection with liquid path, after identifying the signs on these plugs
2
a
and
2
b
and taking out the cap which was put on the plug section of plug
2
a
for connection with the gas path from the plug in order to lower the internal pressure of the container
1
.
However, with the above container
1
, the removal of the caps in turn has to be performed only according to the signs on the plugs
2
a
and
2
b
; therefore an improvement in safety is desired.
The present invention was made in light of the above situation, and an object of the present invention is to a provide a container and plugs for the container with greater safety such that liquid does not leak due to the internal pressure during use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, the container (
1
) according to a first aspect of present invention has a container body (
10
), at least one liquid path plug (
11
) and at least one gas path plug (
12
) which are attached to openings (
10
a
) formed in the container body (
10
). The liquid path plug (
11
) has a lid section (
14
) attached to the opening (
10
a
) in a watertight manner. A liquid path plug section (
16
b
) having a through hole (
16
a
) which communicates with an inner space of the container body and a pipe (
17
) which is connected to the liquid path plug section (
16
b
). A liquid path plug section (
16
b
) is provided in the container body, and a liquid path cap (
22
) is detachably attached to the liquid path plug section (
16
b
) to block the through hole (
16
a
). The gas path plug (
12
) has a lid section (
14
) attached to the opening (
10
a
) in a watertight manner, and a gas path plug section (
16
c
) having a through hole (
16
a
) communicating with the inner space of the container body, and a gas path cap (
22
) which is detachably attached to the gas path plug section (
16
c
) to block the through hole (
16
a
). The gas path cap (
22
) has a disengaging section (
35
) which can be used to detach the liquid path cap (
22
) from the liquid path plug section.
In the container according to the first aspect, when drawing out the liquid inside the container by detaching the liquid path cap and the gas path cap which respectively close the through holes of the plug sections of the liquid path plug and the gas path plug fitted in the openings, because the liquid path cap is made detachable by means of the gas path cap which is detached from the plug section of the gas path plug. When detaching each cap in order to draw out the liquid inside the container, the detaching of the liquid path cap is always done after detaching the gas path cap. As a result, even if the internal pressure increases due to the vaporization of the liquid inside the container, when detaching the liquid path cap, the difference in the pressure between the inside and the outside of the container is nullified because the gas path cap of the gas path plug has already been detached. Therefore, problems such that the liquid inside the container passes along the pipe and leaks from the through hole of the plug can be securely eliminated.
More specifically, by performing above detaching steps, it is possible to quite easily detach the gas path cap and the liquid path cap from the gas path plug and the liquid path plug, connect the socket to which the hose is connected, and draw out the liquid inside the container.
In the container according to a second aspect of present invention, the gas path cap can be detached using the detaching fixture.
More specifically, when detaching the gas path cap which is put on the gas path plug section, because the detaching fixture is used, the step of opening the liquid path cap and the gas path cap is securely carried out; therefore safety can be further improved.
In the container according to a third aspect of present invention, the plug section is formed as a cylinder in which the through hole is formed in the center, the liquid path cap and the gas path cap are positioned covering the plug sections and the liquid path cap and the gas path cap are formed as cylinders having a bottom section such that the through hole of the plug section is closed.
More specifically, by putting respectively the liquid path cap which is formed as a cylinder which has a bottom section and the gas path cap on the plug section which is formed as a cylinder, it is possible to securely and easily seal the through holes of the plug sections of the container when carrying and storing.
With the container according to a third aspect, by respectively covering the plug section formed as a cylinder with the liquid path cap and the gas path cap which are cylinders with bottom sections, and by positioning the liquid path cap and the gas path cap on the plug sections, it is possible to securely and easily seal the through hole of the plug section of the container when carrying and storing.
In the contai
Kolisch & Hartwell, P.C.
Maust Timothy L.
Surpass Industry Co. Ltd.
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