Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Valve protector
Patent
1996-07-29
1999-08-03
Castellano, Stephen
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Valve protector
137382, 220213, 220562, B65D 802, B65D 2538
Patent
active
059313358
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND ART
The reason why cylindrical tanks for LPG (liquid propane gas) fuel systems for vehicles are so widespread is that, for many years now they have been the only type of fuel tank of this kind available. These cylindrical tanks feature the valve group ring located right in the middle of the tank or on the side of the cylindrical ferrule. The tank is generally located in the trunk against the rear seat back or in the space between the two rear wheels. The fact that the valve group and, even worse, the airtight chamber, are placed right in the middle creates an additional impediment, besides the tank itself, with the obvious reduction of the trunk's loading capacity and seeing that the airtight chamber often has projecting parts of its own this also entails the risk of damaging any luggage or packages one puts inside the trunk. Furthermore, in order to access the valve group, in case of need, it is necessary to empty the trunk of all its contents, given the position of the valve group right in the middle of the tank.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a cylindrical liquid propane gas tank with a cavity located on either one of the two ends capable of housing the valve group ring, or the rings for the single valves, in the case of the embodiment designed for the foreign market, which is shaped so as to fit perfectly inside the cavity. In this manner, the front of the cylindrical tank described herein will be totally free of any protruding parts, thus enabling a better exploitation of the trunk space. Furthermore, the recessed position of the valve grouping or valve rings and of the airtight chamber also allows the easy and safe passage of the pipes to the outside, exiting through a hole in the section above the wing. The recessed cavity housing the valve group is closed by an airtight cap that may be opened if the need arises to inspect the valve group or valves.
As described above, the cavity for housing the valve group or valves may be applied to one of the two ends of the tank in such a manner that the valve group, or valves in the case of tanks designed for the foreign market, are perfectly recessed. Obviously, such a cavity may also be located on the bottom of the front of the tank, at different angles, in which case the valve group or valves shall still be recessed and there will be no projecting parts. One of the alternative embodiments shall be provided with a transparent polycarbonate cover with holes provided with adequate seals through which pass the knobs for opening and closing the valve group, which knobs may be easily used to open or close the gas flow without opening the cover.
A specified embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 shows a section plan of a preferred embodiment;
FIG. 2 shows a front section of the valve group ring;
FIG. 3 shows a section plan of the side of an alternative embodiment of the tank with the valve group housing and valve group;
FIG. 4 shows a front view of the valve group housing and of the ring with the installed valve group;
FIG. 5 shows a front view of an embodiment of the tank with the valve rings suitable for the foreign market;
FIG. 6 shows a section plan of the valve rings on the embodiment suitable for the foreign market;
FIG. 7 shows a side view of the valve rings on the embodiment suitable for the foreign market;
FIG. 8 shows a projection of the valve group ring;
FIG. 9 shows a section plan of an alternative embodiment;
FIG. 10 shows a side section of the alternative embodiment
FIG. 11 shows a front view of the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;
FIG. 12 shows a cross-section of a further embodiment of the tank and the valve group housing;
FIG. 13 shows a lateral section of the embodiment under FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 shows a front view of the embodiment under FIG. 12;
FIG. 15 shows a front view of the valve group and of the polycarbonate cover of the embodiment under FIG. 12;
FIG. 16 shows a cross-section of t
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Brown Laurence R.
Castellano Stephen
Eloshway Niki M.
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