US20130008898A1

US20130008898A1 - Stainless-steel drum container

Info

Publication number: US20130008898A1
Application number: US13/636,389
Authority: US
Inventors: Annett Schneider; Lothar Grunert; Kemal Eray
Original assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
Current assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
Priority date: 2010-03-22
Filing date: 2011-03-22
Publication date: 2013-01-10
Also published as: ES2482604T3; WO2011116932A1; EP2550205A1; EP2550205B1

Abstract

In a stainless-steel drum container (1) for the transport, storage and keeping-ready of liquids, in particular of liquid chemicals, having a cylindrical container body (2), which has a lid (3), a base (4) and a container opening (6), a gas supply opening (8) and a liquid removal opening (9) are arranged on the container body (2) at a distance from the container opening (6) and at a distance from one another. The gas supply opening (8) and the liquid removal opening (9) are each arranged in the lid (3). The gas supply opening (8) has a filling valve (10) and the liquid removal opening (9) has a removal valve (11). The filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11) are essentially of the same design. The filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) has a coupling device (13, 14), which opens the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) when the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) respectively is connected to an associated connection line. The drum container (1) has an annular lid frame (18) which projects beyond the filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11). The container opening (6) of the drum container (1) can be sealed by means of a lead seal.

Description

The invention relates to a stainless-steel drum container for the transport, storage and keeping-ready of liquids, in particular of chemicals, having a cylindrical container body, which has a lid and a base, and having a container opening arranged centrally in the lid, where the drum container has an annular lid frame which projects beyond the container opening.
Stainless-steel drums are used, for example, in the area of catering for the filling and germ-free storage of drinks. The re-usable drum containers, which are also called kegs, have a cylindrical container body, in the lid of which a sealable container opening is located. The container body can be filled with a drink, for example with beer, via the container opening. The container opening is subsequently sealed, and the drum container is transported to the location at which the drink is to be stored or kept ready for removal thereof from the drum container.
For the removal of the drink, the container opening is re-opened, and a tapping valve is placed on the container opening. A suitable propellant gas, such as, for example, carbon dioxide or nitrogen, can be forced into the container via the tapping valve. If the tapping valve of the pressurised container body is opened, the drink is forced out of the container body via the tapping valve.
Stainless-steel drum containers of this type are used not only in the area of catering for the storage and transport of drinks, but also in the area of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry for the transport, storage and keeping-ready of chemicals and liquid substances. The manufacturer or supplier of the liquid chemicals fills the drum container via the container opening, which is subsequently sealed. The filled drum container is transported by the manufacturer or supplier to the consumer and stored there. In order to be able to remove the liquid chemical from the drum container, the consumer opens the container opening and places a likewise re-usable multifunction adapter on the opened container opening, by means of which simultaneously propellant gas can be supplied and the pressurised chemical can be removed from the container body. The valves necessary for this purpose are integrated in the multifunction adapter, as is a dip tube and optionally further components.
Drum containers of this type have developed into a wide-spread standard and are offered by various companies and used by numerous predominantly commercial consumers. In most cases, devices for the storage of the drum containers and the removal of the contents which are matched specifically to the drum containers are kept ready on the consumer side and provided for use.
Drum containers of this type for chemicals which are known from practice can be re-filled a number of times and re-used. Cleaning of drum containers of this type is possible inexpensively and reliably. The shape of the container body can be matched to different volumes and pressure conditions during the removal of the liquid stored therein. The container opening arranged centrally in the lid of the container body is normally designed to be sufficiently large to facilitate simple and rapid filling. The container opening can be reliably and tightly sealed using simple means in order reliably to avoid contamination of the chemicals and, where appropriate, undesired contact of environmentally hazardous chemicals with the environment. Very sensitive nutrient solutions and highly pure liquids can also be transported from a manufacturer to a consumer using drum containers of this type and kept ready there for removal. It must be possible to exclude contamination of the contents here, even under difficult transport and storage conditions.
However, it is regarded as a disadvantage that the container opening has to be opened and provided with a multifunction adapter before possible removal of the liquid located in the container body. In contrast to the container body, the multifunction adapter normally has a complex shape, meaning that the multifunction adapter can only be cleaned of chemical residues or other contaminants with difficulty. In addition, it cannot be excluded that contamination of the liquid located in the container body by the environment or unintentionally by the consumer occurs after opening of the container opening and before attachment and sealing of the multifunction adapter. Contamination is feared, in particular, in connection with water-sensitive substances and solvents, which cannot be excluded even on exclusive contact with humid ambient air.
A drum container as described, for example, in DE 20 2006 012 195 U1 does not meet the standards established in practice and is also not suitable as transport container for transport between a filling company and a consuming company. Furthermore, this drum container has a multifunction adapter, meaning that the feared disadvantages in connection with the use of a multifunction adapter cannot be avoided.
In addition, it has been found in practice that the sealing elements used to seal the container opening become leaky with increasing use duration. Sporadically occurring deformations of the sealing elements mean that contamination of the liquids located in the container body and, where appropriate, escape of possibly environmentally harmful vapours can no longer be reliably prevented.
In a drum container of the generic type mentioned at the outset, as described in DE 20 2006 005 890 U1, is neither intended nor suitable for the transport and storage of a liquid. Projecting frames consist of rubber, meaning that a liquid-filled drum container of this type is virtually impossible to stack and transport safely owing to the weight. Substantial or complete removal of the liquid introduced into the drum container during operation as water treatment agent is not possible owing to the removal tube running immediately below the lid. The drum container has no connections which are suitable for closed removal of products and prevent contamination of a liquid located in the container during connection to supply and discharge lines. Re-use is not possible without the replacement of components, in particular without a new seal for the central container opening.
It is therefore regarded as an object of the present invention to design a drum container of the generic type mentioned at the outset which is able to retain the advantages outlined above on use of a drum container of this type and can at the same time reliably prevent contamination of the contents of the drum container. It should be ensured here that the essential dimensions of the drum container are retained and the connection devices necessary for handling are modified as little as possible and in such a way that the drum container continues to meet the already established standards and can be used by the end consumer without major modifications of his storage and connection devices, thus simplifying re-use.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that a gas supply opening and a liquid removal opening are each arranged in the lid on the container body at a distance from the container opening and at a distance from one another, in that the gas supply opening has a filling valve and the liquid removal opening has a removal valve, and in that the annular lid frame projects beyond the filling valve and the removal valve.
The filling of the container body can be carried out as before via the container opening. However, this can subsequently be tightly sealed and no longer has to be opened before the liquid can be removed from the container body again. Separate openings are provided for the supply of the propellant gas and the removal of the liquid located in the container body. These openings can have a considerably smaller diameter than the container opening, which advantageously has large dimensions for filling purposes. Since a separate opening is provided for the gas supply and for the liquid removal, the use of a multifunction adapter is no longer necessary. Simple valves which can be cleaned easily and reliably can be used.
In order to simplify handling of the drum container for the consumer and to position the gas supply opening and the liquid removal opening in a readily accessible manner, it is provided that the gas supply opening and the liquid removal opening are each arranged in the lid of the container body.
The gas supply opening has a filling valve and the liquid removal opening has a removal valve. The filling valve may be designed in such a way that escape of liquid located in the container body is prevented by an automatic sealing mechanism, and the filling valve allows exclusively filling of the container body from the outside. The liquid removal opening can be sealed by means of a removal valve, which, on actuation of the removal valve, enables exclusively removal of the liquid located in the container body and prevents ingress of contaminants from the outside into the container body.
The arrangement of the filling valve and removal valve in the lid not only simplifies handling of them, but also enables a smaller space requirement. In contrast to the multifunction adapters or valves known from practice, which are placed on the central filling opening and require space above this filling opening for arrangement and actuation thereof and for the associated connection lines, the filling valve and removal valve can be designed to be small and space-saving and can be connected to the associated connection lines.
In order to be able to design the drum container to be stackable and at the same time to be able to protect the filling valves and removal valves arranged in the region of the lid against damage, it is provided that the drum container has an annular lid frame which projects beyond the filling valve and beyond the removal valve. Handle holes may be arranged in the lid frame in order to simplify transport and handling of the drum container. The base of the drum container may be fitted with a base frame matched to the lid frame, which enables positive engagement into the lid frame and thus simple and reliable stacking of a number of drum containers one above the other. The lid frame and, if present, a base frame consist of stainless steel, like the drum container.
The connection of the associated connection lines is significantly simpler than the arrangement and sealing of a known multifunction adapter. In contrast to the use of a multifunction adapter, the operations necessary for removal of the liquid from the container body do not require direct access to the container body or the region of the filling and removal opening, given a suitable design of the filling and removal valves.
In order to simplify the connection of a drum container to the associated connection lines for the filling of the container body with propellant gas and for the removal of the liquid from the container body, it is provided that the filling valve or the removal valve in each case has a quick-fit coupling device, which opens the filling valve or the removal valve when the filling valve or the removal valve respectively is connected to an associated connection line. Coupling devices of this type for valves are known from practice. As soon as the associated connection line is connected to the filling valve or the removal valve using a quick-fit coupling device of this type, the valve is opened, and the supplied propellant gas or the liquid forced out of the container body is able to flow through the valve. Additional manual actuation of the respective valve is not necessary.
In order to be able to avoid contamination of the contents of the drum container during connection of connection lines to the filling valve and in particular to the removal valve, it is provided that a filter device is arranged in the filling valve and/or in the removal valve. The filter device enables contamination of the contents of the drum container via contaminated connection lines to be prevented. It is also possible to preventingress of contaminants or moisture into the interior of the drum container during first connection of the drum container to the connection lines provided at a consumer's premises or in the case of later changeover via the gas supply opening or the liquid removal opening.
In view of the lowest possible production costs, it may be provided that the filling valve and the removal valve are essentially of the same design. Suitable valves which are equally suitable for liquid and gaseous fluids or can be adapted to different fluids through the use of suitable seals are known and commercially available. Valves of this type may also be designed in such a way that the fluid can only flow through them in one direction in an opened state, while a fluid flowing in the opposite direction automatically seals the valve and flow through the valve is thus prevented.
The filling valve and the removal valve may also have a different design in order to be matched as well as possible to the respective function. In addition, it may be advantageous for the connection devices of the filling valve and the removal valve to have different designs in order to be able reliably to prevent unintentional interchange of the respectively associated connection lines.
It is preferably provided that the liquid removal opening is connected to one end of a dip tube, the other end of which opens into a region of the container body which is opposite the liquid removal opening. With the aid of the dip tube, it can be ensured that the liquid forced out of the container body is always, irrespective of the particular fill level, removed from the region within the container body into which the dip tube opens or in which the dip tube ends and discharged through the dip tube.
The liquid removal opening is advantageously arranged in the region of the lid of the container body, so that the end of the dip tube that is opposite the liquid removal opening opens out in the region of the base of the container body, and liquid is removed from this region.
In order to achieve the most complete removal possible of the liquid from the container body, it is provided that the dip tube opens into a centrally arranged recess in the base of the container body. During the removal of the liquid, a small residual amount, into which the dip tube projects, collects in the recess, whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of the drum container, so that liquid can continue to be removed until the fill level in the recess also drops so far that it drops below the opening of the dip tube.
Only when a liquid level in the container body drops as far as the base region or into the recess of the container body and virtually no liquid is present in the container body could propellant gas enter the dip tube through the then exposed opening of the dip tube and thereby interrupt continuous liquid removal from the container body.
According to an embodiment of the inventive idea, it is provided that the container opening of the drum container can be sealed by means of a lead seal. Immediately after the filling operation of the drum container by the manufacturer, the filling opening can be tightly sealed and provided with a lead seal. If the lead seal were damaged, manipulation of the contents of the drum container or contamination thereof could no longer be excluded. By contrast, an undamaged lead seal is recognised and documentable evidence that the filling opening has not been opened in the meantime and possibly re-sealed. For particularly safety-relevant applications, it may additionally be provided that the gas supply opening and the liquid removal opening or the filling valve and the removal valve are also sealed by means of lead seals or by means of an originality closure, so that access to the liquid located in the container body via these openings is also impossible until the lead seals or the closures are opened.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention which is depicted in the drawing is explained in greater detail below, where:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a stainless-steel drum container,

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the stainless-steel drum container depicted in FIG. 1 and

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the drum container depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 along line III-III in FIG. 1.

A drum container 1 depicted by way of example in the figures has a cylindrical container body 2. The cylindrical container body 2 has a lid 3 and a base 4, which are produced in one piece together with a container wall 5 connecting the lid 3 to the base 4 and form the container body 2.
A container opening 6 is arranged in the container body 2 centrally in the lid 3. The diameter of the container opening 6 corresponds approximately to ⅙ of the diameter of the cylindrical container body 2. The container body 2 can be filled simply and quickly through the container opening 6 with a liquid or liquid chemical, which is not depicted in the drawing. The container opening 6 is sealed in a filled state of the container body 2 by means of a seal 7 in order to be able to avoid contamination of the liquid located in the container body 2.
A gas supply opening 8 and a liquid removal opening 9 are arranged opposite one another in the lid 3 laterally beside the container opening 6. The diameter of the gas supply opening 8 and the liquid removal opening 9 is in each case considerably smaller than the diameter of the container opening 6. The gas supply opening 8 is sealed by means of a filling valve 10, while the liquid removal opening 9 is sealed by means of a removal valve 11. The filling valve 10 and the removal valve 11 each have a coupling device 12, 13, with the aid of which the filling valve 10 or the removal valve 11 can be connected in a simple manner to an end piece, matched thereto, of an associated connection line.
When the filling valve 10 and the removal valve 11 are connected to the associated connection lines, a propellant gas, such as, for example, carbon dioxide or nitrogen, can be forced into the container body 2 via the gas supply opening 8 in order to allow liquid to exit from the container body 2 on actuation or opening of the removal valve 11.
A dip tube 14 is connected at one end 15 to the liquid removal opening 9. Another end 16 of the dip tube 14 which is opposite the first end 15 opens into the region of the base 4 of the container body 2. The pressurised liquid is able to enter the dip tube 14 via an entry opening 17, which is located immediately above the base 4, and exit through the liquid removal opening 9 or the removal valve 11. If the drum container 1 is stored vertically, it is ensured, via the dip tube 14, that uninterrupted or undisturbed removal of liquid from the container body 2 is possible until a liquid level in the container body 2 has dropped so far that the entry opening 17 is no longer covered by the liquid, and propellant gas is able to escape. The container body 2 has then been very substantially emptied and can subsequently be cleaned and re-filled.
In order to simplify handling of the drum container 1 and to protect the filling valve 10 and the removal valve 11 against damage, the drum container 1 has an annular lid frame 18, which projects in the extension of the container wall 5, and a base frame 19, which is matched to the lid frame. The base frame 19 has an annular rim 20 projecting downwards, which is offset to the inside. This rim 20 serves on the one hand to give the drum container 1 a reliable and tilt-proof standing surface. On the other hand, the shape of the rim 20 or the base frame 19 is matched to the shape of the lid frame 18, so that the base frame 19 engages with a lid frame 18 of a drum container 1 arranged beneath and simplifies reliable stacking of a number of drum containers 1 one above the other. In order also to simplify handling, the lid frame has an oval handle hole 21 in each of two opposite regions.
The drum container 1 is essentially made completely of stainless steel. Stainless steel is resistant to many liquid chemicals and can be cleaned easily and without leaving a residue. A drum container 1 made of stainless steel can be designed to be sufficiently mechanically stable to be able to withstand the mechanical loads occurring in accordance with experience during transport and during storage thereof without damage and can be designed to be sufficiently pressure-resistant to be able to withstand pressurisation during the removal of the liquid located in the container body 2.
The dimensions of the drum container 1 or of the container body 2 can be matched to the liquid volumes provided in each case which are intended to be possible to introduce into the container body 2. Thus, for example, drum containers 1 having a capacity of 5 l or of 10 l, but also of 20 l, 50 l or 185 l, are conceivable. If it appears advantageous, smaller or considerably larger volumes may in each case also be provided.

Claims

1. Stainless-steel drum container for the transport, storage and keeping-ready of liquids, in particular of liquid chemicals, having a cylindrical container body, which has a lid and a base, and having a container opening arranged centrally in the lid, where the drum container has an annular lid frame which projects beyond the container opening, characterised in that a gas supply opening (8) and a liquid removal opening (9) are each arranged in the lid (3) on the container body (2) at a distance from the container opening (6) and at a distance from one another, in that the gas supply opening (8) has a filling valve (10) and the liquid removal opening (9) has a removal valve (11), and in that the annular lid frame (18) projects beyond the filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11).

2. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that the filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11) each have a quick-fit coupling device, which opens the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) when the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) respectively is connected to an associated connection line.

3. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that a filter device is arranged in the filling valve (10) and/or in the removal valve (11).

4. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that the filling valve (10) and the removal valve (11) are essentially of the same design.

5. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) has a coupling device (13, 14), which opens the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) when the filling valve (10) or the removal valve (11) respectively is connected to an associated connection line.

6. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that the liquid removal opening (9) is connected to a first end (15) of a dip tube (14), the other end (16) of which opens into a region of the container body (2) which is opposite the liquid removal opening (9).

7. Drum container according to claim 6, characterised in that the dip tube (14) opens into a centrally arranged recess (17) in the base (4) of the container body (2).

8. Drum container according to claim 1, characterised in that the container opening (6) of the drum container (1) can be sealed by means of a lead seal.