Patent Publication Number: US-10323796-B2

Title: Assembly of a support and gas container such as a medical gas cylinder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) and (b) to French Patent Application No. 1362596, filed Dec. 13, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a container/container support assembly comprising a gas container, particularly a medical gas cylinder, comprising a protective cap, and a container support for accepting and bearing the gas container, said support comprising a fixing system to allow it to be fixed to a bearing structure, such as a partition, a wall, a hospital bed, a stretcher or a wheelchair, etc. 
     Containers, particularly medical gas cylinders, used notably in a hospital environment, in the home, by the emergency services or in emergency response vehicles, need to be able to be fixed to various supports, such as partitions, walls, hospital beds, stretchers, wheelchairs, etc. 
     They therefore need to be provided with their own attachment system borne by the container itself or, if appropriate, using an independent device that allows the container to be attached to a support. 
     Thus, document EP-A-629812 proposes the creation of a downwardly facing notch in the bottom part of the protective cap, also referred to as the “bonnet” with which a gas cylinder is equipped and which serves to protect the valve or the pressure regulator of the cylinder against knocks. This notch allows the cylinder to be hung from various supports, notably from the bars of beds. 
     Document EP-A-2586481 proposes equipping the protective cap of a gas cylinder with a pivoting attachment structure comprising two hooks so that the cylinder can be hung notably from the bars of hospital beds. 
     Moreover, wall-mounted systems intended to be fixed to a vertical support, for example to a wall or a partition, are also known, these taking the form of baskets or the like in which the bodies of the cylinders are inserted, the cylinders being held therein by straps or the like. 
     However, these systems are not entirely satisfactory and have disadvantages, namely notably:
         gas cylinders equipped with protective caps that have notches or hooks for securing purposes are not fixed stably because they are not fixed and may therefore fall, notably if somebody accidentally knocks the cylinder. This constitutes a risk to the user and to the equipment itself. In addition, it means that all cylinders need to be equipped with special-purpose protective caps, and this may represent a significant investment.   Wall-mounted basket type systems are bulky and it is not always easy to manipulate the cylinders. Hence in general the gas cylinder needs to be lifted up so that it can be inserted into a housing of the basket, something which is not practical and may cause the user injury.       

     The problem to be addressed is therefore one of proposing an attachment system for a gas container, particularly for a gas cylinder, particularly for medical gas, that is improved, namely that does not have all or some of the aforementioned disadvantages, so as to minimize any situation of instability and limit the risks of the container, notably a gas cylinder, falling and of injuring the user. 
     SUMMARY 
     The solution of the invention is a container/container support assembly, comprising a gas container comprising a protective cap comprising a peripheral wall, and a container support able and designed to accept and bear said gas container, 
     wherein:
         the protective cap of the gas container comprises a fixing element projecting from the surface of the peripheral wall, and   said container support comprising:   i) an attachment system for fixing said container support to a bearing structure, and   ii) a housing able and designed to accept said fixing element borne by the protective cap of the gas container so as to secure said gas container to said container support when said fixing element is positioned in said housing of the container support.       

     Depending on the circumstance, the container/container support assembly of the invention may comprise one or more of the following technical features:
         The gas container is a gas cylinder equipped with a gas valve or gas pressure regulator around which the protective cap is arranged.   The fixing element projects on the rear surface of the protective cap.   The fixing element comprises a body secured to the wall of the protective cap comprising, at its free end, an enlarged head.   The body of the fixing element is cylindrical and the enlarged head has the shape of a disk.   The fixing element is formed as one piece with the protective cap, preferably by molding.   The container support comprises a housing in the form of a notch.   The container support comprises a housing in the form of a notch open at the top when the container support is fixed to a bearing structure.   The notch-forming housing is formed in a U-shaped or V-shaped component.   The container support comprises an attachment system allowing said container support to be fixed to a bearing structure selected from a rail, a bar or a wall.   The housing of the container support comprises at least one retaining element arranged in such a way as to retain the fixing element in said housing of the container support, preferably two retaining elements.   The housing of the container support comprises a back wall, said at least one retaining element being arranged spaced away from said back wall so as to sandwich the enlarged head of the fixing element between said at least one retaining element and said back wall when the fixing element is positioned in the housing of the container support.   Said at least one retaining element comprises a leaf spring.   The gas container is a gas cylinder, particularly a medical gas cylinder.   The gas container is a cylinder of a medical gas selected from oxygen, air, oxygen-enriched air, a mixture of N 2 O and oxygen, of helium and oxygen, or some other mixture.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the attached Figures among which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of a support/container assembly according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  schematically depicts the fixing element of the support/container assembly of  FIG. 1 , and 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  schematically illustrate the insertion of the fixing element of  FIG. 2  into the housing of the container support of the support/container assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of a support/container assembly, particularly for a medical gas cylinder, according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     More specifically, the assembly formed of the gas container  11  and of its support  20  which is schematically illustrated in  FIG. 1  comprises, on the one hand, a gas container  11 , namely in this instance a medical gas cylinder, and, on the other hand, a container support  20  able and designed to accept said gas container  11  and support it. 
     The gas cylinder  11  is formed of a hollow body  1  of cylindrical shape inside which is stored a medical gas, in gaseous or liquefied form, for example oxygen, medical-grade air, a mixture of helium and oxygen, xenon, argon, CO, a mixture of NO and nitrogen, or any other gas. 
     The body  1  of the cylinder comprises, at its top end, a narrowing forming a neck  2  to which a valve or a valve with an in-built pressure regulator used for controlling the delivery of gas from the cylinder, particularly the flow rate and possibly pressure thereof is fixed, in the conventional way, for example by screwing in. 
     The valve or valve with in-built pressure regulator is equipped with one or more control members, such as a pivoting lever or a rotary knob and/or with one or more indicator members, such as a pressure gauge or a flow meter. 
     Moreover, the valve or valve with inbuilt pressure regulator is protected from knocks and dirt, notably from dust, by a protective cap  3 , commonly referred to as a “bonnet”, comprising a peripheral wall  3  forming a protective enclosure around said valve or pressure regulating valve. The protective cap  3  is generally fixed to the neck  2  of the body  1  of the cylinder  11 . In the conventional way, a protective cap  3  is made of a metallic material or from a rigid plastic. 
     The cap  3  further comprises a top opening  4  giving access to the valve or the pressure regulating valve and other control members situated inside the enclosure of the cap  3 . Part of the wall of the cap moreover forms a carry handle  5  to allow a user to carry and transport the cylinder  11 . 
     Such a design of cylinder with a protective cap is notably described in document EP-A-629812 or EP-A-2586481. 
     According to the present invention, the protective cap  3  of the gas container  11  comprises a fixing element  10  projecting from the surface of the peripheral wall  3 , namely the fixing element  10  protrudes outwards away from the external surface of the peripheral wall  6  of the cap  3 , preferably the rear surface  7  of the cap  3 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the fixing element  10  here comprises a body  12  of elongate shape, secured to the wall  7  of the protective cap  3  and comprising, at its free end, an enlarged head  13 . 
     In other words, the body  12  of the fixing element  10  connects to the wall  6  of the cap  3  via one of its ends and at its opposite end, i.e. at its free end, has the enlarged head  13  which has a first dimension, particularly a first diameter D 1 , that is greater than the second dimension, particularly a second diameter D 2 , of the body  12  (i.e. D1&gt;D2). 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the body  12  of the fixing element  10  is of cylindrical shape of second diameter D 2  and the enlarged head  12  has the shape of a disk of first diameter D 1 . For preference, the enlarged head  13  and the body  12  of the fixing element  10  are coaxial. 
     Advantageously, the fixing element  10  is formed as a single piece with the rear surface  7  of the wall  6  of the protective cap  3 , preferably by molding or the like. 
     In particular, the fixing element  10  and the protective cap  3  are made of a plastics material such as PVC, PE, PET, PP, PMMA, PU, etc. 
     Moreover, the assembly according to the present invention also comprises a container support  20 , illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 3 and 4  and which comprises, on the one hand, an attachment system  24  allowing the container support  20  to be fixed to a bearing structure  30  such as a wall or a partition, or to a rail or a bar of a hospital bed, a stretcher, a wheelchair or the like and, on the other hand, a housing  22  intended to accept the fixing element  10  in such a way as to keep the cylinder  11  secured, i.e. attached, to said support  20 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , the container support  20  is fixed to a bearing structure  30  of the bed bar type, i.e. of tubular shape with a diameter typically of the order of a few centimeters. 
     The attachment system  24  of the container support  20  is of any known type, for example a system using a screw, a clamp, etc. 
     Moreover, the container support  20  comprises a housing  22  able and designed to accept the fixing element  10  borne by the protective cap  3  of the gas container  11  so as to secure the container  11  to the container support  20  when the fixing element  10  is brought into position, i.e. inserted, by the user into the housing  22  of the container support  20 . The positioning and the attachment of the gas cylinder  11  to the container support  20  is illustrated by the arrow  40  in  FIG. 1 . 
     For preference, the housing  22  is in the form of a U-shaped, V-shaped notch open at the top, as indicated schematically in  FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 . Specifically, such a shape makes it easier to secure the cylinder  11  to the support  20  and suspend it therefrom via a collaboration between the fixing element  10  and the housing  22 , the fixing element  10  becoming lodged in the housing  22 . 
     Moreover, the housing  22  of the container support  20  comprises one or more retaining elements  23 , for example two retaining elements  23 , arranged in such a way as to retain the fixing element  10  in said housing  22  of the container support  20 , preferably two retaining elements  23  made of a resilient or flexible material. Thus, each retaining element  23  may be formed, in full or in part, of a flexible metal leaf, for example made of steel, able to deform slightly as the fixing element  10  is inserted into the housing  22 , as indicated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , i.e. in the direction of the arrow  43 . 
     More specifically, when the fixing element  10  enters the housing  22  ( FIG. 3 ) it pushes back the flexible leaves  20  in the direction of the arrows  41  so as to move them apart and, at the same time, allow the cylindrical body  12  of the fixing element  10  to pass between said leaves  23 . 
     The fixing element  10  can therefore be lodged in the bottom of the V-shaped or U-shaped housing, and the leaves then return toward one another on account of their resilience, in the direction of the arrows  42  of  FIG. 4 . 
     The fixing element  10  is disengaged and extracted from the housing  22  by a movement in the opposite direction. 
     In fact, the housing  22  of the container support  20  comprises a back wall  25 , preferably a flat wall, and the retaining elements  23  are arranged externally with respect to this back wall  25  and such that they are spaced away from said back wall  25  so as to “sandwich” the enlarged head  13  of the fixing element  10  between the retaining elements  23  and said back wall  25  when the fixing element  10  is inserted (arrow  43 ) into the housing  22  of the container support  20 , as visible in  FIG. 4 . 
     Whatever the embodiment considered, the container/container support assembly of the invention allows medical gas cylinders of different diameters to be fixed easily, stably and safely so as to minimize the falls of cylinders and therefore limit the risk of injury to the user and damage to the equipment. 
     In any event, the present invention is not restricted to the medical field and can be used in other fields where gases stored in gas containers, such as cylinders, are used, notably in the food, electronics, welding/cutting, etc. fields.