Sealed container

Details Sealed container Sealed container

2000-07-13

2002-05-21

Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)

Receptacles

Closures

With condition responsive vent or valve

C220S203280, C220S303000, C220SDIG003, C165S104320

Reexamination Certificate

active

06390318

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present invention is related to Japanese patent application No. Hei. 11-200894, filed Jul. 14, 1999; the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a residual pressure elimination structure of a sealed container, and more particularly, to a residual pressure elimination structure of a sealed container which allows the inside to be completely closed from the outside and returns only cooling water to an engine cooling water system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, as shown in
FIG. 12
, a sealed reserve tank
100
for returning only cooling water to an engine cooling water system, separates air inside the engine cooling water system from the cooling water. The tank is connected, in a fluid-tight manner, to a radiator through a connection pipe (not shown). In addition, the sealed reserve tank
100
is also connected in a fluid-tight manner between a water pump
97
of a water-cooling-type engine
96
and a thermostat
98
by a connection pipe
99
.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, there is a first conventional sealed reserve tank
100
which comprises a resin tank main body
101
shaped as a container and having a resin screw cap
102
screwed over an injection port
103
of the resin tank main body
101
. The resin tank main body
101
has an inner cylindrical wall
104
surrounding the injection port
103
and an outer circumferential screw portion
105
formed on the outer circumference of the inner cylindrical wall
104
. The inner cylindrical wall
104
is also referred to as a neck filler or a seal portion.
On the other hand, the resin screw cap
102
has a valve case
106
, a handle
107
having a cylindrical shape, an inner circumferential screw portion
108
and a disc-like gasket
110
. In the valve case
106
, a pressure control valve and a negative pressure valve are disposed. The cylindrical handle
107
is provided on the outer side of the valve case
106
. The inner-circumferential screw portion
108
is formed on the inner side of the cylindrical handle
107
and screwed up or down using the outer-circumferential screw portion
105
. The gasket
110
is attached to a lower-end surface of a flanged portion
109
of the valve case
106
.
Another typical sealed tank, illustrated in
FIG. 14
, includes a second conventional sealed tank
200
which comprises a resin tank main body
201
shaped as a container and having a resin screw cap
202
screwed over an injection port
203
of the resin tank main body
201
. The resin tank main body
201
has an inner cylindrical wall
204
surrounding the injection port
203
, an outer cylindrical wall
206
separated from the inner cylindrical wall
204
(seal portion) in a radial direction by cylindrical gap
205
, an inner circumferential screw portion
207
formed on the inner circumference of the outer cylindrical wall
206
and an overflow path
208
for discharging cooling water from the lower end of the wall
206
to the outside.
Resin screw cap
202
has a valve case
209
, an outer wall portion
210
, an outer circumferential screw portion
211
and a disc-like gasket
213
. In the valve case
209
, a pressure control valve and a negative pressure valve are disposed. The outer wall portion
210
is provided on the outer side of the valve case
209
. The outer circumferential screw portion
211
is formed on the outer side of the outer wall portion
210
and screwed with the inner circumferential screw portion
207
. The disc-like gasket
213
is attached to an annular mounting groove
212
formed on the outer circumference of the valve case
209
.
In the first conventional sealed reserve tank
100
, shown in
FIG. 12
, when the resin screw cap
102
is loosened to replace cooling water, the cooling water leaks through a seal portion between the inner cylindrical wall
104
of the resin tank main body
101
and the gasket
110
as shown in FIG.
13
. This leakage occurs from the engine cooling water system wherein the cooling water is at a high temperature and at a high pressure. The leaking cooling water then flows to a shoulder portion
111
of the resin tank main body
101
through a gap between the outer-circumferential screw portion
105
and the inner-circumferential screw portion
108
.
Thus, when the resin screw cap
102
is removed from the resin tank main body
101
, the cooling water is dispersed over portions surrounding the resin screw cap
102
or over the upper surface of the shoulder portion
111
of the resin tank main body
101
. It is therefore possible that the high-temperature cooling water splashes on the service person, jeprodizing safety. In addition, since the cooling water is randomly dispersed around resin screw cap
102
, the surface of the resin tank main body
101
becomes dirty, thereby reducing appearance. Therefore, the user, who sees the dirt on the surface of the resin tank main body
101
, assumes that cooling water has leaked from the sealed reserve tank
100
due to some damage, leading the user to believe the reliability of cooling-water replacement or product is poor.
In the reserve tank
200
, when the resin screw cap
202
is loosened to replace cooling water, the cooling water leaks through a seal portion between the inner cylindrical wall
204
of the resin tank main body
201
and the gasket
213
as shown in FIG.
14
. Again, this leakage is from the engine cooling water system wherein the cooling water is at a high temperature and high pressure. Since leaking cooling water then flows out through an overflow path
208
in a specific direction, the appearance of the second conventional sealed reserve tank
200
is good in comparison with the first conventional sealed reserve tank
100
.
However, the position at which the gasket
213
is removed from the inner cylindrical wall
204
is higher than the lower-end position of the outer circumferential screw portion
211
of the resin screw cap
202
. As shown in the figure, the removal position of the gasket
213
from the inner cylindrical wall
204
is higher than the lower-end position of the outer circumferential screw portion
211
of the resin screw cap
202
. Thus, when a large amount of high-temperature and high-pressure cooling water overflows from the engine cooling water system, the cooling water flows through a gap between the outer circumferential screw portion
211
and the inner circumferential screw portion
207
of the resin tank main body
201
, leaking from the portions surrounding the resin screw cap
202
to the upper surface of the resin tank main body
201
. The present invention was developed in light of these and other drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the aforementioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a seal portion mounted on an inner wall of a cap. When the cap is removed from the main body of the container, the seal is positioned below a position where a first screw thread is screwed to a second screw thread. The first screw thread is formed on inside or outside of an outer cylindrical wall of the main body of the container. Whereas, the second screw portion is formed on the outer circumference or the inner circumference of the outer wall portion of the cap.
In this configuration, when the cap is removed from the main body of the container during high fluid temperature and pressures, fluid leaking out from the gap between the seal portion and the inner cylindrical wall or the inner wall does not leak out from a gap between the first screw portion of the main body of the container and the second screw portion of the cap. Instead, it is discharged in a specific direction toward the outside of the main body of the container from a position lower than the first screw portion through an overflow path. Since dirt on the surface of the main body of the container can be avoided without putting the safety of the service person at stake due to dispersing high-temperature fluid over portions surrounding the cap, the safety of the service person, the appearance of the container a

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