Patent Publication Number: US-6213529-B1

Title: Propane tank and accessory carrier

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is related to a carrier for storing and carrying cylindrically shaped canisters, sometimes known as tanks, for containing compressed oxygen, MAPP gas, propane, acetylene or other portable soldering and heating torch fuels. 
     To our knowledge, carriers for a pair of propane bottles or canisters, commonly used as torches and normally having a diameter of about 2.875 inches and a height of about 10.25 inches, are not commercially available. Typically, the user will attach a nozzle on top of one canister and use it for heating or other purposes. When the canister is empty, he connects the nozzle on the back-up canister. The problem is that there is no convenient means for carrying the canisters. They will typically roll around in a vehicle, and are difficult to maintain in a stable position when one canister is being used and the other is in a stand-by condition. 
     When the canisters are carried loosely in a basket, the torch head or canister may be damaged. 
     The prior art does show some propane tank carriers, see for example: U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 367,960 issued Mar. 19, 1996 for “Safety Propane Tank Carrier”; and No. 402,466 issued Dec. 15, 1998 both to George Werbesky, Jr.; U.S. Design Pat. No. 280,258 issued Aug. 27, 1985, for “Carrier for Gas Torch and Fuel Tank” to Benson L. Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,954 issued Aug. 9, 1994 for “Propane Bottle Carrier” to Timothy M. Holub, et al. None of these is designed to support a pair of small gas canisters in both a self-supporting upright position, and to be carried by hand. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier for a pair of cylindrical gas canisters having a diameter of about 2.875 inches. In one embodiment of the invention, the carrier is formed from an injection molding process, and in another embodiment, the carrier is formed from a blow-molding process. 
     Typically, when a canister is being used, a torch head, which may include a self-igniter, is threaded onto the top of the canister and remains in place until the canister is empty. The torch head is then reattached to a full canister. 
     Our novel design incorporates features permitting sufficient room to carry or secure the canister with or without the torch head. The preferred embodiment includes a pair of pockets for carrying accessories such as spare torch heads, igniter components, solder, flux and related items. The design includes a dual purpose molded in, ergonomically-designed carrying handle which may be used to suspend the carrier for storage, attachment points for securing the carrier to either vertical or horizontal surfaces, and a flat bottom surface for stable upright seating on a horizontal surface. 
     The one-piece injection molded design uses an extensive grid configuration on the backside to assure carrier strength. The ribs may be formed with either low pressure or high-pressure molding or a gas-assisted molding process. Gas assisted, low pressure molding technology may offer advantages in assuring strength and stiffness, and will also minimize the appearance of knit lines and ribbed read-through on the front surface. The front wall folds, by means of a living hinge design, toward the back wall. In its open position, the carrier can be transported in bulk. When it is to be used, the two halves are folded and snapped together. 
     A one-piece blow molded embodiment of the invention utilizes a dual wall, single part construction to retain the high rigidity and strength required for use. A dual wall on the lower half of the front of the design becomes the outer wall, which secures the tanks in a position within the carrier. The same wall also forms two pockets, one on each side of the carrier for containing accessories. Blow molding stiffening features known as tack-offs, add strength to the back wall, around the carrying handle and the hanger opening for mounting the carrier. The carrying handle is molded with additional tack-offs incorporated at the top area for rigidity. The handle opening and accessory pockets are achieved through trimming the material in the center section. The carrier base is molded as a flat section to assure stability when the carrier is resting on or attached to a horizontal surface. 
     Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canister carrier illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the carrier of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the preferred embodiment, showing the location of a canister; 
     FIG. 6 is a front view of another embodiment of the invention made by an injection-molded process; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 in its open condition before being assembled for use. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate a preferred carrier  10  for carrying a pair of gas canisters  12 , only one shown. The canisters are conventional and generally designed with a cylindrical housing up to 2.875 inches in diameter and from 10.25 inches in height, without a torch head. The carrier is also illustrated for carrying other various torch accessories, such as an igniter, not shown. 
     Carrier  10  includes a hollow body  16  formed of a suitable plastic. Referring to FIG. 3, body  16  has a generally planar back wall  18 , and a bottom wall  20  connected to the lower edge of the back wall. The back wall is intended to be disposed against a vertical surface when the carrier is to be hung in position, while bottom wall  20  is intended to be disposed in a horizontal position when the canister is to be supported in a stable upright position. 
     Still referring to FIG. 3, the body includes a lower front wall  22  having recessed stiffening ribs  24 . The lower front wall extends about one third of the height of the carrier and is connected to a pair of sidewalls  26  and  28 . Front wall  22  is parallel to back wall  18 , and perpendicular to sidewalls  26  and  28 . 
     The body has a neck  30  and a pair of recessed sidewalls  32  and  34  with a pair of open top accessory pockets  36  and  38 . 
     The body has an upper horizontal wall  40  which is parallel to bottom wall  20  and a pair of access openings  42   a  and  42   b  for receiving a pair of gas canisters in a side-by-side, spaced relationship. The bottoms of the canisters are seated on bottom wall  20 . Neck  30  has internal structure with a pair of cylindrical opening  43 , each with a diameter of up to about 2.875 inches slidably engaging the sidewalls of the canisters. 
     Opening  43  is aligned directly below the edges of access openings  42   a  and  42   b . Openings  43  and  43   b  retain the canisters in either an upright position when the bottom back wall of the body is disposed on a horizontal surface, or in a horizontal position when the back wall is disposed on a horizontal surface. The edges of openings  42   a  and  42   b  cooperate with openings  43   a  and  43   b  to retain the canisters in a controlled position so that they are not loose when the user is moving them from one location to another. 
     The bottom wall has a series of recessed parallel channels  50  that provide a ribbed reinforcement, as can best be seen in FIG.  5 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, back wall  18  has an upper edge  52  that is about one third of the distance above upper wall  40  through which the canisters are inserted. The back wall has an opening  54  providing a handgrip for the user to carry the carrier. 
     The back wall also has fastener-receiving openings  56 ,  58  and  60  for fastening the carrier to a vertical wall. 
     Thus, we have described a carrier for carrying either one or two gas canisters in the body, and related torch accessories in side pockets  36  and  38 . 
     FIGS. 6-8 illustrate an injection-molded version  100  of our invention, which in general has a configuration similar to the embodiment of FIG.  1 . However, in this case, body  102  is formed in two halves  104  and  106  joined along a living hinge  108  attached to the lower edge of rear wall  110 . Rear wall  110  is generally planar so that the carrier can be mounted against a vertical wall. The rear wall also has an opening  112  defining a handle  114  for carrying the carrier. 
     Body  102  has a lower front wall  115  that merges with upper front wall  116  having side accessory openings  118  and  120 . 
     A pair of canisters, not shown, is inserted through top access opening  122  for receiving the canisters into the body. The canisters are then seated on bottom wall  124  in a side-by-side parallel relationship. 
     The back wall has an internal structure  126  with a pair of semi-cylindrical surfaces  128  and  130 , that abut the backside of the canisters. The front wall has a pair of semi-cylindrical retaining surfaces  132  and  134 , that abut the front side of the retaining canisters and are opposed to surfaces  128  and  130 . A top wall  136  has a pair of canister receiving openings  142  and  144  formed when the two body halves are face-to-face, having internal cylindrical surfaces for retaining the canisters in position. 
     The back wall also has three fastener-receiving openings  146 ,  148 , and  150  for mounting the back wall of the carrier on a vertical wall. 
     In the position illustrated in FIG. 8, the two halves  104  and  106  of the body are open and adapted to be disposed in a relatively flat position for shipping purposes. The front wall has a series of snap fingers  151  along one edge of the side wall, and a plurality of snap fingers  152  along the opposite side edge which are received into snap finger opening means  154  and  156  along opposite sides of the rear wall to firmly assemble the front wall to the rear wall. In the body&#39;s open position, the accessory pockets are open; however, when the two halves of the body are closed, the pockets are completed to form the accessory pockets.