Pressure sensor for sealed containers

Details Pressure sensor for sealed containers Pressure sensor for sealed containers

1999-07-15

2001-02-06

Fuller, Benjamin R. (Department: 2855)

Measuring and testing

Fluid pressure gauge

Diaphragm

C073S729100, C073S866500, C073S728000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06182514

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of invention is pressure sensors, more particularly pressure sensors for determining pressure changes in a sealed container.
Many incidents of fire, explosion, and ground contamination have occurred at various facilities over the years due to container rupture because of over pressurization. Containers, such as drums, frequently contain hazardous liquid wastes, with the result that the rupture causes the waste material to contaminate the surrounding environment. Drums are often classified into two types, open head and tight head. An open head drum has an open top which is sealed with a lid. A tight head drum has a closed top with bung holes for draining and venting. When sealed, the tight head bung holes are sealed with bung plugs.
Over pressurization may occur as a result of climatic changes causing the drum to be over pressurized, such as may occur should the drum be exposed to strong sunlight. Volatile wastes stored in an area subject to high temperatures may result in pressure build up sometimes being sufficient to cause the drum to burst or rupture. More often, the over pressurized drum ruptures during handling by personnel unaware of the elevated drum pressure.
The increase of gases and vapors in a drum may sometimes be identified due to bulging or deformation prior to the build up reaching a level sufficient to rupture the drum or cause a violent release of material. In many cases, the drums are over packed so that visual signs of over pressurization are not evident. Invasive techniques of determining the internal pressure of a sealed drum is time consuming, may result in the release of toxic material into the atmosphere, and is therefore, often limited to drums exhibiting some bulging.
In many incidents, however, drums become pressurized to the extent that visible deformation has not occurred but personnel transporting and storing drums are unaware of pressurization. Those skilled in the art will recognize a need for a non-intrusive apparatus that will provide an indication of a pressure change inside a sealed container.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a pressure sensor suitable for detecting a pressure change inside a sealed container. The sensor includes a sealed deformable vessel disposed inside a sealed container, and a detector disposed outside of the sealed container. A change in pressure inside of the container deforms the vessel, and the detector detects said vessel deformation.
In one aspect of the invention the sensor includes a sealed deformable vessel having a first end attachable to an interior surface of the sealed container, and a second end. A magnet mounted to the vessel second end defining a distance away from the container surface provides an externally detectable magnetic field. A pressure change inside the sealed container causes deformation of the vessel changing the distance of the magnet away from the container surface, and thus the detectable intensity of the magnetic field. A location indicator on an exterior surface of the sealed container corresponds to the location of the vessel inside the container.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a non-intrusive pressure sensor for sensing a pressure change inside a sealed container. This objective is accomplished by providing a pressure sensor with a deformable vessel which is mounted inside the sealed container which deforms in response to a pressure change inside the container.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3545267 (1970-12-01), Reid et al.
patent: 3841158 (1974-10-01), Hunter
patent: 3946175 (1976-03-01), Sitabkhan
patent: 4206761 (1980-06-01), Cosman
patent: 4665747 (1987-05-01), Muscatell

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