Patent Number: 054913454
Section: description

DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrate a vacuum canister 10 embodying the present invention for picking up and containing a fluid or a particulate material, in which vacuum canister 10 includes a housing 20 having a predetermined vacuum pressure, a valve 40, and a conduit 50. Vacuum canister 10, by depressing valve 40, is effective to displace a fluid or a particulate material through conduit 50 for containment within housing 20. As shown in FIG. 2, a liquid 60 and a particulate material 62 are contained within vacuum canister 10. Referring specifically to FIG. 2, housing 20 includes cylindrical side wall 24 attached at its lower end to a bottom 22 and attached to its upper end to a top 26 to define within housing 20 a vacuum chamber 30. Attached to top 26 is valve 40. Preferably, for containing hazardous material, housing 20 includes a protective layer 28 disposed in substantially covering relationship to vacuum chamber 30. Specifically, protective layer 28 is disposed in covering relationship on an inner surface of bottom 22, cylindrical side wall 24, and top 26. Particularly, for containing radioactive material, protective layer 28 is a predetermined thickness of lead that is effective to shield radiation from radioactive material contained within housing 20. Particularly, for containing a corrosive agent material, protective layer 28 is a predetermined thickness of glass that is effective to contain acids and bases within housing 20. When vacuum canister 10 is used to pick up and contain hazardous material, vacuum canister 10 can be labeled as shown in FIG. 1 with the words "HAZARDOUS MATERIAL" or as shown in FIG. 1 with a symbol for radioactivity. Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, valve 40 includes a first port 41 for fluid communication with vacuum chamber 30 and a second port 42 for receiving a fluid or a particulate material. Valve 40 is operable between a first or sealed position as shown in FIG. 3, and a second or open position as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, valve 40 is operable between a first position to seal vacuum chamber 30 and retain a predetermined vacuum within vacuum chamber 30, and a second position to permit a vacuum fluid flow through valve 40 from second port 42. Referring specifically to FIG. 3, valve 40 is shown in the first or sealed position, in which a shoulder 43 on stem 44 is forced tightly against a seat or gasket 45 by a biasing means such as a spring 46. Specifically, spring 46 applies force on shoulder 43 to counteract the force applied on shoulder 43 due to a vacuum within vacuum chamber 30. A predetermined vacuum pressure can be suitably formed within vacuum chamber 30 by depressing valve 40 to access vacuum chamber 30 while valve 40 is attached to a suitable vacuum pump. Valve 40 is then raised to seal the vacuum within vacuum chamber 30. Referring now to FIG. 4, valve 40 is shown in the second position, in which shoulder 43 is pushed down away from seat 45. In operation of valve 40 in the second position, fluid flows into second port 42, thence through a hollow portion 44a of stem 44 and through first port 41; thus passing through top 26, protective layer 28 and into vacuum chamber 30. When a fluid or a particulate material is located adjacent port 42, the vacuum fluid flow through valve 40 is effective to displace a fluid or a particulate material through valve 40 and into vacuum chamber 30 in housing 20. Preferably, biasing means for biasing valve 40 toward the first position to seal vacuum chamber 30 permits valve 40 to be selectively and repetitively moved to the second position to access vacuum chamber 30 and to permit fluid flow through valve 40. In this embodiment, instead of a single use in which the vacuum pressure is equalized with or toward atmospheric pressure, a single vacuum pressure is incrementally equalized with atmospheric pressure to incrementally displace fluid or particulate materials through valve 40 and into vacuum chamber 30 in housing 20. It will be appreciated that other suitable conventional valves could be equally well employed to seal vacuum chamber 30 in a first position and permit vacuum fluid flow through valve 40 in a second position. Referring again to FIG. 1, conduit 50 is disposed to the exterior of valve 40 and conduit 50 has one end in fluid communication with second port 32 of valve 40. Conduit 50 enables a person to easily place the other or free end of conduit 50 adjacent a fluid or a particulate material to be displaced through valve 40 and into vacuum chamber 30 in housing 20 for containment. Upon depressing valve 40, a fluid vacuum flow is created to displace a fluid or a particulate material through valve 40 and into vacuum chamber 30. Advantageously, conduit 50 contains a small diameter passageway to limit the amount of vacuum fluid flow through conduit 50 when valve 40 is repetitively moved to the second position to access vacuum chamber 30 and to permit fluid flow through valve 40, thereby providing for multiple uses of vacuum canister 10 for picking up and containing a fluid or particulate material. Preferably, vacuum canister 10 is sized and configured to fit within a person's hand along with being operable by depressing valve 40 with a finger. When not in use vacuum canister can be easily rested on a table. It is appreciated that housing 20 for retaining the predetermined vacuum can be configured to have a thicker side wall, concave bottom, etc. to better retain the predetermined vacuum. In another embodiment of the invention for picking up and containing at least one of a fluid and a particulate material, vacuum canister 10, instead of having a predetermined vacuum pressure, further includes a vacuum means for establishing a predetermined vacuum pressure within vacuum chamber 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum means for creating a vacuum within the vacuum chamber includes a preselected substance 29 disposed in communication with vacuum chamber 30 for causing a reaction with a gas within vacuum chamber 30 to establish a predetermined vacuum. Preselected substance 29 may include sulfur, potassium nitrate or other ignitable substance, or a substance that naturally reacts with a gas such as air within vacuum chamber 30 to form a vacuum pressure. Suitable ignitable substances can be contacted with a high resistance wire having an applied electrical current to cause the high resistance wire to heat up and ignite the substance within vacuum chamber 30 and establish a predetermined vacuum. A vacuum pressure can be established in vacuum chamber 30 before using vacuum canister 10. Still another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, vacuum canister 10a includes an alternative embodiment of a vacuum means for establishing a predetermined vacuum pressure within vacuum chamber 30a. Specifically, the vacuum means includes a slidable housing member 70 in which member 70 can be moved to increase the volume of vacuum chamber 30a. Member 70 includes an upper section 72 having a gasket or seal 74 that forms a seal against the inner surface of housing 20a, and a lower section 76 having external threads 78 that mates with an internally threaded bore 79 in the bottom of housing 20a. Downward movement of member 70, in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 5, increases the volume of vacuum chamber 30a. In operation, member 70 can be moved to establish a vacuum in vacuum chamber 30 before operating valve 40 (not shown in FIG. 5) or member 70 can be moved to establish a vacuum in vacuum chamber 30 while operating valve 40 (not shown). The method according to the present invention for picking up and containing a fluid or a particulate material comprises the steps of: providing a housing having therein a sealed vacuum chamber, providing a valve having a first port in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber and a second port for receiving at least one of a fluid and a particulate material, the valve being operable between a first position to seal the vacuum chamber and retain a vacuum within the vacuum chamber, and a second position to permit fluid flow through the valve from the second port to the first port, establishing a predetermined vacuum pressure within the vacuum chamber, locating at least one of a fluid and a particulate material adjacent the second port, and placing the valve in the second position to displace along with fluid flow through the valve at least one of a fluid and a particulate material into the vacuum chamber. The vacuum canister is desirably suitable for picking up and containing hazardous material and most desirably suitable for picking up and containing radioactive material. Preferably, the step of providing a housing includes the step of providing a protective layer having a predetermined thickness that is effective to contain the hazardous material within said housing, said protective layer being disposed in substantially covering relationship to said vacuum chamber. Also preferably, the step of providing a valve includes the step of providing biasing means for biasing the valve toward the first position to seal the vacuum chamber. In this embodiment the valve is operable to be selectively or repetitively moved to the second position to repetitively permit fluid flow through the valve. Thus, while only several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modification may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.