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EP0177847A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Improved safety vent for containers

Assignee: Southern Can Co
•
Filing: 1985-09-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-09-26
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Abstract

Abstract C7 A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container is disclosed. The safety vent is provided in a wall of the container which is subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of the container exceeds a predetermined level. The wall has a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed therein which is adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from the container in response to the stresses therein during the outward deformation of the wall. The wall further includes an elongated rib formed therein with at least one end of the line proximate the weakened line of reduced material thickness. The rib locally weakens the resistance of the wall to outward deformation so that outward deformation of the wall is initiated adjacent the location of the rib. The direction in which deformation progresses and the pressure level at which deformation begins are also controlled by the direction and dimensions of the rib whereby the pressure range for release is less dependent on the residual thickness of the material at the weakened line.

Inventors

  • 👤 Josef N. Ruegg

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 23:58
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D83/00; B65D83/14; B65D83/70; B65D83/38; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S137/00; Y10S137/91; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/1624; Y10T137/1632; Y10T137/1692; Y10T137/1714; Y10T137/1729; Y10T137/1737; Y10T137/1744; Y10T137/1752

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 93 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container comprising a wall of said container which is subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of said container exceeds a predetermined level, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said wall and adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from said container in response to the stresses thereon during said outward deformation of said wall, and means for controlling the location in said wall at which said deformation starts when the internal pressure of said container exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 93 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container comprising a wall of said container which is subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of said container exceeds a predetermined level, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said wall and adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from said container in response to the stresses thereon during said outward deformation of said wall, and means for controlling the location in said wall at which said deformation starts when the internal pressure of said container exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 64 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 1, wherein said means for controlling the location in said wall at which said deformation starts includes means for locally weakening the resistance of said wall to outward deformation at a location in said wall where deformation is to be started when the internal pressure of said container exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 53 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 1, wherein said means for controlling the location in said wall at which said deformation starts also controls the direction in which said outward deformation progresses so that said deformation progresses in a direction toward said weakened line of reduced material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 1, wherein said container wall is an end wall which is joined to one end of a tubular side wall of said container.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 55 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 4, wherein said weakened line of reduced material thickness is located in a central portion of said end wall and said means for controlling the location in the end wall at which said deformation starts is located radially outwardly from said weakened line.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 5, wherein said means for controlling the location in said end wall at which said deformation starts includes an elongated rib which extends in a radial direction in said end wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 5, wherein said weakened line of reduced material thickness is in the form of an arc of a circle about the center of said end wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 41 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 7, wherein said end wall is dome-shaped inwardly concave and wherein said weakened line of reduced material thickness is farmed in an annular recess provided in said end wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 50 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized L luid container according to claim 5, wherein said end wall includes a pair of weakened lines of reduced material thickness in the form of arcs located in spaced relationship on opposite sides of a circle about the center of said end wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 65 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 9, wherein said means for controlling the location in said end wall at which said deformation starts includes a pair of elongated ribs which are formed in said end wall radially outwardly from central portions of respective ones of said weakened lines, said elongated ribs extending in radial directions in said end wall.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 48 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 10, wherein said ribs have a predetermined length to locally weaken the resistance of said end wall to outward deformation so that said end wall is outwardly deformed when the internal pressure exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 93 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container comprising a wall of said container which is subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of said container exceeds a predetermined level, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said wall and adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from said container in response to the stresses thereon during said outward deformation of said wall, and an elongated rib formed in said wall with at least a portion of said rib extending proximate said weakened line of reduced material thickness.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 93 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container comprising a wall of said container which is subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of said container exceeds a predetermined level, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said wall and adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from said container in response to the stresses thereon during said outward deformation of said wall, and an elongated rib formed in said wall with at least a portion of said rib extending proximate said weakened line of reduced material thickness.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 38 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 12, wherein said container wall is a dome-shaped inwardly concave end wall which is joined to one end of a tubular side wall of said container.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 43 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 13, wherein said weakened line of reduced material thickness is located in a central portion of said end wall and said elongated rib is located radially outwardly from said weakened line.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 14, wherein said elongated rib extends in a radial direction in said end wall.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 38 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 15, wherein said weakened line of reduced material thickness is in the form of an arc of a circle about the center of an end wall.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 32 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 16, wherein said weakened line of reduced material thickness is formed in an annular recess provided in said end wall.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 49 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 14, wherein said end wall includes a pair of weakened lines of reduced material thickness in the form of arcs located in spaced relationship on opposite sides of a circle about the center of said end wall.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 48 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 18, wherein a pair of elongated ribs are formed in said end wall radially outwardly from central portions of respective ones of said weakened lines, said elongated ribs extending in radial directions in said end wall.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 52 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 19, wherein said ribs have a predetermined length to locally weaken the resistance of said concave end wall to outward deformation so that said end wall is outwardly deformed when the internal pressure of said container exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 106 words
A container for a pressurized fluid comprising a tubular side wall and upper and lower end walls, at least one of said walls being subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of sais container exceeds a predetermined level, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said at least one wall and adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from said container in response to the stresses thereon during said outward deformatin of said wall, and means for controlling the location in said at least one wall at which said deformation starts when the internal pressure of said container exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 106 words
A container for a pressurized fluid comprising a tubular side wall and upper and lower end walls, at least one of said walls being subject to outward deformation when the internal pressure of sais container exceeds a predetermined level, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said at least one wall and adapted to fracture to vent the pressurized fluid from said container in response to the stresses thereon during said outward deformatin of said wall, and means for controlling the location in said at least one wall at which said deformation starts when the internal pressure of said container exceeds said predetermined level.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 41 words
A container according to claim 21, wherein said means for controlling the location includes an elongated rib formed in said at least one wall with at least one end of said rib being proximate said weakened line of reduced material thickness.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 29 words
A container according to claim 22, wherein said rib is an elongate line of relatively harder material in said wall formed by locally heat treating and/or working said material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 66 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container comprising a wall of said container, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said wall, and means for causing localized deformation of said wall in the vicinity of said weakened line to fracture said weakened line and vent the pressurized fluid from said container when the internal pressure of said container exceeds a predetermined level.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 66 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container comprising a wall of said container, a weakened line of reduced material thickness formed in said wall, and means for causing localized deformation of said wall in the vicinity of said weakened line to fracture said weakened line and vent the pressurized fluid from said container when the internal pressure of said container exceeds a predetermined level.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 38 words
A safety vent for an internally pressurized fluid container according to claim 24, wherein said means for causing localized deformation includes an elongated rib formed in said wall and extending proximate said weakened line of reduced material thickness.

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