OUTLET MEANS FOR A CONTAINER

Abstract: The safety towards spillage and contamination of the interior of the container in connection with emptying and filling operations is increased by using a spillage-proof coupling as connection between the interior of the container and external connection means. The coupling used comprises a first coupling part (6) mounted on the container (1) and a second part (14) mounted on an external connection means (15) which parts are designed to be engaged in a sealing manner, and valves (12, 19) arranged on the coupling parts. The valves are closed when the coupling parts are separated from each other and open when the coupling parts are engaged, whereby the coupling parts and the valves are designed in such a manner that no volumes from the connecting channel formed by the coupling are exposed between the valves when the coupling parts are separated.

Description: OUTLET MEANS FOR A CONTAINER Technical field The present invention relates to an outlet means for a container. More particularly the invention relates to 5. such means for containers containing pesticides. Background of the invention In fields wherein it, for varying reasons, is import¬ ant to avoid spillage from containers or contamination of containers it is necessary to take special measures to ob- 10. tain emptying and filling processes which are as closed as possible. The handling of containers for pesticides is an example of such a field. Pesticides are generally delivered in drums which, when used, are connected to sprayers and the like by open- 15. ing a cover on the drum, and inserting a suction pipe into the drum. Even if the pipe is sealed to the opening of the drum a considerable spillage cannot be avoided at this type of handling. When the outlet pipe is removed from the drum there will be lots of the pesticidal agent left on the pipe, 20. both on the inside and the outside, and, further, the dis¬ mounting and later mounting of the cover will bring about risks of spillage. Since the pesticidal agent in the drum is in a much more concentrated form than the eventually used diluted liquid also minor spillages can be health-endanger- 25. ing and a drum fouled by pesticides is a problem with res¬ pect to handling and destruction. A further problem in this connection is that the connecting of the drum to the distri¬ butor means, according to what has been said above, gives rise to several occasions when the inside and the contents 30. of the drum can be contaminated with impurities from the environment. It is generally too expensive to carry out cleaning under conditions which are acceptable with respect to occupational hygiene and used drums are thus as a rule collected and destroyed, which, however, also must be done 35. under controlled conditions. There is a special problem when special coupling means are attached to the drums as the concentrated pesticidal agents are comparatively vis¬ cous and can dry and form deposits which might clog open¬ ings or prevent mechanical parts from functioning should . General description of the invention The main object of the present invention is to pro¬ vide a system for emptying containers which system is not 5. impaired by the above described disadvantages. A particu¬ lar object of the invention is to provide a system which re¬ duces the risks of spillage and fouling. A further object is to provide an emptying system which is closed to such an ex¬ tent that re-use of used drums is made possible. A further 10. object of the invention is to provide an emptying system particularly suitable to be used for containers containing pesticides. These objects are achieved in the manner evident from the appended claims. 15. According to the invention a container is provided with a coupling part having a valve which is open only when a pipe is attached to the coupling part in a sealed manner and this gives several advantages. The risk of spillage of the container contents is considerably reduced since there 20. is no opening between the interior of the container and the environment unless the intended connection is in place. There are no longer any requirements for dismounting, remounting and storage of a cover. The risk of impurities entering the container is also reduced and this eliminates the require- 25- ent for cleaning at re-use. The risk of mistakes at connect¬ ing the ' container to the intended distributor means is con¬ siderably reduced. If the connecting part is also provided with a coupling part having a valve, which is open only when the part is attached to the container in the intended manner, 30. the risk of spillage from e.g. a conduit is eliminated and so is the requirement for emptying this when changing the container. The risk of fouling the outside of the container with its content is exceedingly small with this arrangement, which facilitates a safe re-use of the container. By design- 35. ing the coupling parts to be spillage-proof another advant¬ age, besides further reduction of the risk of spillage, is gained, namely that the risk of faulty functioning of the mechanical parts of the coupling, owing to presence of con¬ tainer contents in the coupling, is reduced and also that the risk of impurities entering the drum or the coupling is reduced since spillage-proof couplings hardly can be connect¬ ed when impurities in amounts worth mentioning are present. The system is closed both at emptying and at re-filling. It ^ 5. is particularly advantageous to design the coupling parts as quick-couplings as this considerably facilitates the coup¬ ling both at emptying and filling. The above mentioned ad¬ vantages are particularly important with respect to contain¬ ers containing pesticides. The noxious content means that 10. also minor spillages must be avoided. The reduced risk of contamination makes re-use of the containers possible which it, for economical reasons, has not been previously. The safety of spillage-proof coupling against contamination, according to what has been said above, is a particular ad- 15. vantage here as pesticides can dry and form troublesome de¬ posits. Detailed description of the invention The invention is applicable whenever containers shall be coupled to exterior connections and it is desired that 20. the handling of the contents of the containers is as closed as possible. The invention is particularly applicable for containers containing noxious substances, e.g. different pesticides, and particularly plant protection chemicals. To avoid direct contact between the interior of the 25. container and the environment a coupling is used which con¬ sists of a first coupling part, intended to be attached to an opening in the container in a sealed manner, and a se¬ cond coupling part intended to be attached to the external connector means in a sealed manner. The parts are suitably 30. designed as quick-couplings which easily can be coupled and separated from each other by a simple hand-grip but there is nothing to prevent the coupling parts from being designed in another manner, for example with threads. Each coupling part should be provided with a valve so that the inlets to 35. the container and the attached conduit respectively can be closed when the coupling parts are separated and be opened when the parts are coupled to each other. The valves are suitably positioned as close to the point of separation of the coupling as possible. The valves are preferably auto- ϋ matic so that they will be open only when the coupling parts are coupled and closed when they are not. The used coupling should be spillage-proof to minimise the amount of exposed liquid when the coupling is separated. 5. The requirement for spillage-proof ess means that the parts of the coupling and the valves shall be designed in such a manner that essentially no volumes from the connecting canal through the coupling are exposed between the valves when the parts of the coupling are separated from each other. This 10. means that also the fitting of the different parts of the coupling is satisfactory and impurities hardly can be pre¬ sent between the valves in the coupling without preventing the function when connection is attempted. If the container shall be emptied with the coupling 15. on the container directed upwards, it is suitable to arrange a discharge pipe in the container which extends from the coupling to the bottom of the container and this pipe ought to be permanently fitted in the container. This manner of use is preferred since it minimises the risk of spillage 20. and fouling. To facilitate the entry of air at emptying the con¬ tainer and release of air at filling, respectively, an air opening ' should be arranged. The air opening should be de¬ signed in such a manner that it does not easily release the 25. container contents or allow impurities to enter. The air opening is suitably also provided with a valve and prefer¬ ably with an automatic valve, as above, which is open only when the parts of the coupling are engaged. According to a particularly preferred embodiment two spillage-proof coup- 30. lings, as described, are arranged on the container and one of them can function as an air opening via a suitably arrang¬ ed connecting means to this, while the other coupling func¬ tions as an emptying opening according to what has been de¬ scribed earlier. -This arrangement gives increased possibi- 35- lities of use and permits e.g. pumping of the container con¬ tents. If two couplings are used in this manner suitably on¬ ly one oi " them is provided with an emptying pipe, as above, if both are placed on the same side of the container, since one coupling hereby always can function as outlet and the other as inlet, for either air or liquid, independent of the position of the container. It is preferred to fit the coupling to a cover or some other detachable part of the container. This consider- 5. ably facilitates change and servicing of the coupling at the same time as it makes the invention applicable in a simple manner for standard containers of different kinds. It is further preferred that the coupling part or parts arranged on the container are given a safe position 10. by being arranged recessed relative to surrounding parts. If the coupling is mounted on a cover, according to what has been said above, it can be in a recessed position re¬ lative to the peripherical border of the cover. It is par¬ ticularly suitable to arrange the coupling in a recessed 15. position relative to the upper surface of the container or at least relative to an optional edge surrounding this sur¬ face as the container then can be handled and piled entire¬ ly without risk of damaging the coupling. Accompanying drawings 20. Figure 1 is a section through a container provided with two openings bearing couplings according to the invent¬ ion. Figure 2 shows, partly in section and partly in view, a preferred embodiment of both parts of a spillage-proof 25. coupling suitable for use according to the invention. Description of drawings Figure 1 shows a container 1 provided with two thread¬ ed openings 2 and 3- Covers 4 and 5 are screwed into the open ings and the covers are provided with first coupling parts 6 30. and 7, which connect the interior of the container with the environment. The coupling part 6 is provided with an empty¬ ing pipe 8 which extends from the coupling down to the bot¬ tom of the container. It is evident from the figure that the coupling parts 6 and 7 are recessed both relative to the 35- upper periphery of the cover and relative to the upper edge of the container 9- Figure 2 shows on a larger scale the threaded opening 2 of the container 1, the cover 4 which is screwed in, the coupling part 6 and the emptying pipe 8. Further is shown that the coupling part β comprises a substantially cylind¬ rical part 10 which defines a channel having a more narrow part 11 against which tapered part a valve body 12 normally is pressed on in a sealing manner by means of the spring 13- 5 " . If the valve body 12 is pressed down and away from the ta- pered part 11 of the channel there will be a connection bet¬ ween the interior of the container and the environment. Figure 2 also shows the second coupling part, designated generally by 14, which is intended to be attached to the 10. first coupling part 6 in a sealed manner and to connect the interior of the container and an external connection conduit 15- The second coupling part comprises a sleeve 16, intended to be passed over the essentially cylindrical part 10 of the first coupling part. The second coupling part further compri 15. ses a central part 17 which has an end part 18 the size of which is adjusted with respect to the surface of the valve body 12. The channel space between the central part 17 and the sleeve lβ is normally sealed by a cylindrical valve body 19 which is pressed against the end part 18 by means of the 20. spring 20. If the cylindrical valve body 19 is pressed upwar and away from the end part 18 a connection between the open¬ ing of the second coupling part and the connection conduit 15 will -be exposed. When the first and the second coupling parts are engaged by passing the sleeve Iβ over the cylind- 25- rical part 10, the end part 18 on the central part 17 will press the valve body 12 on the first coupling part downwards to an open position and the upper part of the essentially cylindrical part 10 will at the same time press the cylind¬ rical valve body 19 on the second coupling part upwards to 30. an open position and a continuous channel will be formed through the coupling parts from the interior of the contain¬ er to the external connection conduit. In an engaged posi- tion the coupling parts can be mutually locked by means of a quick-coupling mechanism comprising balls 22 which are 35. pressed into the recess at the tapered part 11 of the cylind rical part 10 by means of a displacement of the jacket 21. The described coupling is spillage-proof since the only volume of the entire connecting channel which is ex¬ posed when the coupling parts are separated from each other is the optional space present between the upper surface of the valve body 12 on the first coupling part and the lower surface on the end part 18 on the second coupling part.

Claims: Claims 1. Use of a spillage-proof couplings (6, 14), compris¬ ing a first coupling part (6) and a second coupling part (14), the parts being designed to be engaged in a sealing 5. manner forming a connecting channel through the coupling parts, and valves (12, 19) arranged on the coupling parts, which valves are closed when the coupling parts are sepa¬ rated from each other and open when the coupling parts are engaged, whereby the coupling parts and the valves are de- 10. signed in such a manner that no volumes from the connecting channel are exposed between the valves when the coupling parts are separated, as connecting means between the inter¬ ior of a container (1) and external connection conduits (15). 15. 2. Use according to claim 1, whereby the first coup¬ ling part (6) is mounted on the container (1) and the se¬ cond coupling part (14) is mounted on the external connect¬ ion conduit (15) . 3. Use according to claim 1, whereby the container (1) 20. is provided with an emptying pipe (8) extending to the bot¬ tom of the container (1). 4. Use according to claim 1, whereby the container (1) is provided with a separate air opening (3). 5. Use according to claim 3 3 wherein the air opening 25- is designed as a spillage-proof coupling (7). 6. Use according to claim 1 or claim 5 . whereby the coupling part or parts (6, 7) mounted on the container (1) are arranged in a recessed position relative to surround¬ ing parts. 30. 7. Use according to claim 2, whereby a first coupling part (6, 7) is mounted on a detachable cover (2, 3) on the container (1). 8. Use according to claim 1, whereby the coupling parts are designed as a quick-coupling. 35- 9- Use according to any of the preceding claims for containers containing pesticides.

Inventors: NORSTEDT GOERAN
Applicants: KENOGARD AB, NORSTEDT GOERAN
Application year: 1982
Main classification: F16L37
IPC codes: B67D1, F16L37