CN1164273A - closure device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure device such as a cone valve (1) for obturating a filling or discharge opening (2) of a container (3) for flowable material, such as powder, comprising at least two initially separate parts (4 and 5) secured together by an interference fit. The closure device (1) has a seating means for mounting a flexible C-shaped external seal means (10), which engages a lip of a hopper outlet for the flowable material. There is also disclosed a plastic substantially flat retaining member 100 (Figure 7) which engages in the cone valve and holds the valve in position in the opening against unwanted movement, particularly during transport.

Description

closure device

The present invention relates to a closure device, and more particularly to a device such as that used to cover a container or discharge opening for a container of flowing material.

Containers such as intermediate containers usually have a discharge opening that is capped with a cone valve. The valve must be manufactured to a high degree of precision, usually from 5mm solid stainless steel or mild steel, with a fully welded and ground annular steel gasket. So this valve is very expensive, the single cone part will cost about £83 due to the larger size and its manufacturing cost, plus the cost of welding the sealing gasket, this welding usually produces a weld seam of about 3 meters, Since medium-sized containers are mostly used to store or transport food or pharmaceutical ingredients, in order to meet hygienic requirements, such welds need to be ground and polished to achieve high precision. Even then, welding is difficult to achieve 100%, because in tight spaces, it is impossible to weld the gasket without creating any extremely fine cracks or cracks, which may trap material in use.

However, under certain circumstances, the cone valve may be disadvantageously drawn into the container, thereby opening an undesirable passage for the flowing material. This is especially noticeable during transportation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to seek to alleviate these disadvantages.

The present invention provides a closure for the filling or discharging opening of a container for a flowable material comprising at least two originally separate parts which are held together by an interference fit.

Suitably, there may be two parts, one may comprise a substantially conical outer part and the second may comprise an inner part depending from said outer part, forming a substantially cylindrical skirt department. This provides an efficient structure, in particular it provides seat means for the sealing means in the closure means.

The seat means may include two spaced apart recesses for receiving mounting portions of the sealing means. This provides a relatively simple structure.

One groove may be formed by an outer part of the closure and the other groove may be formed by an inner part of the closure. This in turn provides a relatively simple and effective structure for the fixed mounting of the seal.

The closing device is preferably annular in plan view, and its parts can be made of metal, and the groove is also preferably annular to accommodate an annular sealing device.

Its components may be rolled or made by other suitable forming procedures.

It will be appreciated that the present invention relates to a closure as defined above in combination with a closure and to a container having an opening which can be closed by the combination of closure and closure as defined above.

It is also possible to provide a clamp for use in combination with closures for the filling or discharge openings of the flowable material container, the clamp comprising components adapted to be detachably engaged with the closure to hold it in place. Latches in place.

The latch means may comprise a plurality of spaced apart protrusions. This is a relatively simple and effective construction, in particular that the holding member may comprise an annular cover adapted to engage the closure means when the projections protrude beyond the cover.

More suitably, there are three protrusions arranged at equal angles of 120°. This construction provides a reliable, uniform installation of the capped clamp.

The cover preferably has a substantially flat surface inclined at 20° relative to the vertical, and the protrusion is mounted on the portion of the inclined surface. This again provides a relatively simple and effective construction, in particular each protrusion can be formed from a substantially rectangular plate. The clips and protrusions can be made of a plastic body, and these protrusions can be welded to the cover, in particular by welding a part of each protrusion to a specific part of the inclined surface portion.

The holding member may also include detent means to enable the holding member to releasably engage the lifting means of the container. This allows it to be used in standard stainless steel or mild steel containers such as medium-sized containers having two transverse fork-shaped gutters, provided with medium-sized container lifting gear (and transport gear).

The bayonet means may include a transversely extending portion having a cross-sectional shape adapted to cooperate with the lifting means when the holding member is rotated. This is a relatively simple structure.

The cross-sectional shape may include an inverted V with an upturned lip extending therefrom. This ensures a reliable fit.

There may also be provided a clamping member as defined above in combination with a closure device for a container of flowing material.

It is also possible to provide a kit of parts comprising a clamping member as defined above and a closure for the filling or discharge opening of a flowable material container, the closure having a releasable fit for receiving said latch parts of the device.

Closing means, sealing means, holders and containers embodying the invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the closure device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part "X" in Figure 1;

Fig. 3 shows that the closing device shown in Fig. 1 cooperates with a sealing device in the outlet or discharge opening of containers such as medium-sized containers;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the closure and sealing means on different containers;

Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are respectively enlarged views of detail parts Y and Z in Fig. 4;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the clip of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the components shown in Figure 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the detailed part X in Fig. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of detail Y in FIG. 8 .

With reference to these drawings (identical parts are represented by the same reference numerals), Fig. 1-6 shows a kind of closing device that is used to cover the filling or discharge opening 2 of flowing material such as powder container 3, and it comprises at least Two originally separate parts 4 and 5 held together with an interference fit.

A part 4 of the closure device 1 is substantially conical in this embodiment, which in use is the outer part. The second part 5 of the closure device 1 is, in use, the inner part, which has a substantially cylindrical skirt 6 . The two parts 4 and 5 are rolled or otherwise formed of metal to the shape shown. In order for the originally separate parts 4 and 5 to form the closure 1, the second part 5 is pressed into the first part 4, the protrusion 7 of the second part 5 sliding over the protrusion 8 of the first part 4 and springing into the position of the first part 4. The position within the complementary recess 9 above the protrusion 8, the inherent elasticity of the metal enables this action to take place. The interference fit between the two parts 4 and 5 is called heavy interference and is about 5mm, so that this interference fit firmly holds the two parts 4 and 5 together. In this way, the parts 4 and 5 are fixed together without using additional fixing methods such as welding, which allows the use of relatively thin metal, thus saving the construction cost and not requiring too much material in use. Large force is used to lift and put down this closing device 1 of the present invention which is lighter in weight compared with the existing cone valve. And, since there are no welds, there are no cracks or cracks. Furthermore, due to the method of construction, the rolled metal should be strong enough anyway not to deform under load.

The closure device 1 is used with a sealing device 10 mounted in two spaced apart grooves 11, 12 comprising sealing seat means. The first or upper (in use) groove 11 is substantially V-shaped with a lower wall inclined at 10° and an upper part partially closed by a lip or protrusion 13 which is a continuation of the protrusion 8 of the outer portion 4 of the closure device 1 .

Another or lower groove 12 is located at the lower edge of the annular skirt 6 and is formed by a D-shaped section 14 forming the aforementioned closure reinforcement and having an upper (in use) wall inclined at 10° .

The sealing means 10 itself is a substantially U- or C-shaped moulding, suitably made of rubber. The sealing means is substantially annular and has an upper annular flare or bulb 15 of substantially complementary shape to the groove 11 . Likewise, the sealing device 10 also has a lower annular flare or bulb 16 , the shape of which is generally complementary to the lower groove 12 of the annular skirt 6 . The lower annular portion 16 also has an annular toe or lip 17 having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the discharge opening or outlet 2 of the container 3 so that it covers when the closure 1 is pulled firmly in use. When the outlet is 2, the lip 17 itself cooperates with the lower part of the container outlet to realize a complete seal.

To fit the sealing device 10 together with the closure device 1, the upper annular portion 15 is fitted in the groove 11 before the inner and outer parts 4, 5 of the closure device 1 are pressed together with an interference fit. When the inner part 5 with the seal 10 installed in place is inserted upwards into the upper part and pressed together therewith, the flat surface of the upper annular portion 15 of the seal 10 is pressed tightly against the lip 13 and forms a V-shaped groove 11, thus locking the upper annular portion 15 in place and pressing it tightly so that no foreign matter such as dust or powder or product can enter the sealing device 10 and the sealing device 10 in use. between the skirts 6 to enhance hygiene. The lower annular portion 16 fits within the D-shaped groove 14 by expanding and pressing it, the thickness of which is greater than the thickness of the D-shaped groove so that the annular portion 16 is accommodated in the groove in a snug fit. middle. However, the lower annular portion 16 is relatively easy to remove manually or automatically, such as with a vacuum suction cup connected to a pneumatic piston or cylinder, to allow the body 18 of the sealing device 10 to be removed from the skirt 6, while the upper portion 15 remains firmly fixed to the skirt 6. The V-groove 11 allows access to the annular space between the inner (in use) surface of the body of the seal and the outer surface of the vertical portion of the skirt. After cleaning, the bulb 16 can be pressed back into the D-shaped groove 14 to form a tight, secure fit.

Fig. 6 shows that the annular lip or toe 17 is clamped under the outlet edge 19 of the container 3, while Fig. 5 shows that the closing device is separated and raised so that the sealing device itself provides the valve seal by means of its toe or lip 17 (left in Figure 4). This prevents contamination by powder or product, since the closure 1 can be pushed up when first opened, and then not pulled down to re-engage with the outer edge of the bottom of the container until the operating cycle is complete or the container 3 is emptied. In this way, the bottom fitting ring 17 of the sealing means acts as a valve. For a complete seal with the "valve", the closure device 1 is pulled off completely (right side in FIG. 4 ), for example by means of a vacuum plug using a flared clamp.

In this way, the hygiene problem is solved in that the seal 10 described here eliminates the accumulation of powders, products and similar foreign substances between the seal and the skirt.

Referring now to Figures 7-10, there is shown a holder 100, which can also be used as a transport cover and/or a dust cover, which holder is used for contacting the closure device 1, such as powder, granules, granules, etc. A cone valve for the filling or discharging port of the mobile material container 3, for use together, which includes a latch 101 adapted to releasably engage part 14 of the closure 1 for locking it Stay in place (in opening 2).

The holder 100 is plastic, preferably formed by vacuum forming, and has an annular cover or top 102 that fits snugly around the inner periphery of the cone valve 1, (Fig. 4). Inside the cone valve 1.

The clip 100 includes an annular side edge or wing 103 having a detent in the form of a V-shaped or U-shaped section 104 and an upturned lip 105 . The cover 102 and the V-shaped or U-shaped section 104 are closed by a plate 106 (FIG. 8) which is fastened to the frame of the holder 100, for example by welding.

The cover 102 has an annular flat portion 107, which is inclined at about 20° relative to the vertical, on which a plurality of protruding latches 101 are fixed, for example by welding, in this embodiment three 120° equiangular arrangements. device.

Each protrusion 101 consists of a flat rectangular plastic plate or sheet, one end of which is fixed to the flat portion 107 by the above-mentioned welding method. The protrusions 101 are relatively stiff, but have some inherent flexibility.

The part 14 of the closure device 1 is an inner part, the free edge of which is in the form of an annular shoulder or flange which, in use, is approximately at the level of the border of the opening 2 of the container 3 . On the outside of the closure 1 at the same level as this shoulder or flange, is the seat of the sealing ring 10 (Fig. 6), which in use clamps under the outlet 2, itself deformable and elastic. In this way, it may be pressed upwards (as seen in the figure), which will lift the cone valve 1 and provide an undesired passage for the material. To avoid this, the clip 100 is inserted upwards into the container 3 with the cone valve 1 in position (right side in FIG. 4 ), so that the cap 102 goes under the cone valve 1 . As the clip 100 is pushed upwards (as seen in the drawings, FIG. 4 ), the latch or projection 101 rides up the inner periphery of the shoulder 14 and engages in the space at the top of the shoulder 14 ( FIG. 4 ). The closure device 1 is thus held securely in place against upward movement, since the plate 106 extends laterally beyond the confines of the opening 2, as shown. Accordingly, a cylinder holder 100 is provided which can be used as a transport cover and as a dust cover, since the plate 100 prevents dust from entering and leaving the seal 10 .

Pulling down moves the clip 100, and then, by applying a suitably large force, the protrusion 101 flexes, deforms, and slides down.

The cone valve is then removed as required.

The clamp 100, which can be used with medium-sized containers, is made of stainless or mild steel and has a pair of shipping (fork) channels 107. In this case, the holding member 100 can be inserted upwards and pushed horizontally as described above so that the U-shaped or V-shaped section is parallel to the fork-shaped channel plates and located between them. The clamping member 100 is then rotated 90° to clamp the laterally upturned edge on the bottom surface of the channel plate 107, thereby holding the clamping member 100 in place. This operation can be carried out manually, or by means of a loading and unloading station to automatically clamp the lid of the holder with eg suction cups or expansion collars, and then lower the container onto it to rotate and engage the clamps 105 .

Claims (22)

CLAIMS 1. A closure device for the filling or discharging opening of a container for a flowing material, characterized in that at least two originally separate parts (4, 5) are fixed together with an interference fit. 2. Closure device according to claim 1, characterized in that there are two parts (4), (5), the part (4) comprising a substantially conical outer part, the second part (5) comprising a pendent On said outer part, a substantially cylindrical skirt (6) inner part is formed. 3. Closure device according to claim 2, characterized by seat means (11) of the sealing device. 4. Closure device as claimed in claim 3, it is characterized in that, seat device (11,12) is separated by two, is used to place the groove of each mounting part (15,16) of sealing device (10) constitute. 5. Closing device according to claim 4, characterized in that one groove (11) is formed by the parts (4, 5) of the device (1) and the other groove (12) is formed by the parts (4, 5) of the device (1) The inner part (5) is formed. 6. Closure device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the cross-section of the further recess (12) is substantially D-shaped. 7. Closure device according to claim 6, characterized in that the grooves (11, 12) are both annular. 8. Closure device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the parts (4, 5) consist of metal. 9. Closure device according to claim 8, characterized in that said parts (4, 5) are rolled. 10. Closure device according to any one of claims 3-9, characterized by sealing means (10) mounted in seat means (11, 12). 11. A flow material container with a discharge opening, the discharge opening of which can be closed by the closing device according to any one of claims 1-9 or by the combination of claim 10. 12. A clamping part used in combination with the closing device of the filling or discharging port of the flowing material container, characterized in that the clamping part (100) comprises a part (14) suitable for the closing device (4) A latch (101) that takes place to hold it in place with a detachable fit. 13. Clamping member according to claim 12, characterized in that the latch means (101) comprises a plurality of spaced apart protrusions (102). 14. Clamping member according to claim 13, characterized by an annular cover (102) adapted to be inserted into said closure means, the protrusions (101) protruding beyond the cover (102). 15. The clip according to claim 14, characterized in that it has three protrusions (101) arranged at equal angles of 120°. 16. Holder as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the cover (102) has a substantially flat surface portion (107) inclined at 20° relative to the vertical, and the protrusion (101) is mounted on the on inclined surfaces. 17. Clamping element according to claim 16, characterized in that each protrusion (101) consists of a substantially rectangular plate. 18. Holder according to any one of claims 12-17, characterized in that it is made of a plastic body. 19. The clamping member according to any one of claims 12-18, characterized by bayonet means (105) that enable the clamping member (100) to detachably engage with the lifting device of the container. 20. The clamping member according to claim 19, characterized in that the bayonet means (105) comprises a transversely extending portion whose cross-sectional shape is suitable for cooperating with the lifting device when the clamping member rotates, said cross-sectional shape It includes an inverted V shape and an upturned lip extending therefrom. 21. A holder as claimed in any one of claims 1-20 in combination with closure means for a container of flowing material. 22. A set of parts, characterized in that a clamping member (100) as claimed in any one of claims 12-21 and a closing device of a filling or discharge port of a flowable material container, the closing device There is a portion for receiving said latch means in a detachable fit.

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