US3767079A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pressure vessel sealing arrangement
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
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Filing: 1972-05-10
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Granted: 1973-10-23
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Expires: 1992-05-10
Abstract
Abstract A pressure vessel includes an end wall structure having a combined filling and outlet port in the form of a truncated conical bore therethrough which tapers outwardly toward the vessel interior. A hollow conical seal of frangible material fits within the bore and seats against the bore wall. The seal is displaced from the bore wall to provide a check valve permitting filling of the vessel with pressure fluid through the port and sealingly engages the bore wall under the pressure of the fluid in the vessel after the vessel is filled. An explosive primer or detonator mounted in the apex of the seal breaks the seal when detonated to open the port. The wall of the conical bore guides the fragments of the seal through the port ahead of the outrushing pressure fluid. One or more pressure relief ports extend radially of the bore and communicate with the seal adjacent the basal end thereof. The seal is weakened at this area by an internal groove and ruptures when a predetermined pressure is reached in the vessel to permit the escape of the pressure fluid through the relief ports. The seal may be made of materials which weaken at elevated temperatures to provide for its rupture and release of the pressure fluid through the ports when such temperatures are reached. The seal may also be made of electrically conductive materials to provide a means of sensing maintenance of the sealing arrangement.
Inventors
- 👤 T Jones
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 14:00
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K17/00; F16K17/36; F16K17/38; F16K13/00; F16K13/04; F16K13/06; F16K17/02; F16K17/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/1624; Y10T137/1632; Y10T137/1789
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A seal structure for a pressure vessel having an end wall with a first port and a pressure relief port, and comprising a frangible seal located within the pressure vessel and having a first portion engageable with the end wall to seal the first port and a second portion of less pressure sustaining capacity than the first portion engageable with the end wall to seal the pressure relief port, pressure fluid communicated to the first port from outside the pressure vessel urging the frangible seal inwardly and out of engagement with the end wall to permit filling of the pressure vessel through the first port, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the frangible seal outwardly so that the first and second portions of the frangible seal are urged into pressure sealing engagement with the pressure vessel end wall to respectively seal the first port and pressure relief port, the seal being rupturable at its second portion by predetermined pressure within the pressure vessel to exhaust pressure fluid from the pressure vessel through the pressure relief port.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A seal structure for a pressure vessel having an end wall with a first port and a pressure relief port, and comprising a frangible seal located within the pressure vessel and having a first portion engageable with the end wall to seal the first port and a second portion of less pressure sustaining capacity than the first portion engageable with the end wall to seal the pressure relief port, pressure fluid communicated to the first port from outside the pressure vessel urging the frangible seal inwardly and out of engagement with the end wall to permit filling of the pressure vessel through the first port, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the frangible seal outwardly so that the first and second portions of the frangible seal are urged into pressure sealing engagement with the pressure vessel end wall to respectively seal the first port and pressure relief port, the seal being rupturable at its second portion by predetermined pressure within the pressure vessel to exhaust pressure fluid from the pressure vessel through the pressure relief port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
154 words
A seal structure for a pressure vessel having an outlet port and a pressure relief port, and comprising a frangible seal located within the pressure vessel and having a first portion adapted to seal the outlet port and a second portion of less pressure sustaining capacity than the first portion adapted to seal the pressure relief port, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the first and second portions of the frangible seal outwardly of the vessel into pressure sealing engagement with the pressure vessel to respectively seal the outlet and pressure relief ports, means for ruptUring the frangible seal at its first portion to exhaust pressure fluid from the pressure vessel through the outlet port, the frangible seal being constructed of a material which weakens at elevated temperatures whereby the frangible seal ruptures at its second portion in response to a predetermined elevated temperature to exhaust pressure fluid through the pressure relief port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
154 words
A seal structure for a pressure vessel having an outlet port and a pressure relief port, and comprising a frangible seal located within the pressure vessel and having a first portion adapted to seal the outlet port and a second portion of less pressure sustaining capacity than the first portion adapted to seal the pressure relief port, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the first and second portions of the frangible seal outwardly of the vessel into pressure sealing engagement with the pressure vessel to respectively seal the outlet and pressure relief ports, means for ruptUring the frangible seal at its first portion to exhaust pressure fluid from the pressure vessel through the outlet port, the frangible seal being constructed of a material which weakens at elevated temperatures whereby the frangible seal ruptures at its second portion in response to a predetermined elevated temperature to exhaust pressure fluid through the pressure relief port.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
175 words
In combination with a pressure vessel having a wall, a combined fill, outlet, and pressure relief valve comprising, a conical bore in the wall of the pressure vessel, a port in the wall of the pressure vessel truncating the apex of the conical bore, a plurality of relief ports extending radially of the bore axis and being equally circumferentially spaced with respect thereto, the relief ports communicating with the conical bore adjacent the basal end thereof, a hollow conical seal of frangible material located within the bore and having an apical portion urged by pressure fluid in the vessel into sealing engagement with the wall of the conical bore to seal the port and seal the relief ports, the basal portion of the hollow conical seal being of lesser thickness than the apical portion thereof to provide a weakened section rupturable by a predetermined pressure within the vessel to exhaust pressure fluid through the relief ports, and means for fracturing the hollow conical seal to release the pressure fluid from the vessel through the port.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
175 words
In combination with a pressure vessel having a wall, a combined fill, outlet, and pressure relief valve comprising, a conical bore in the wall of the pressure vessel, a port in the wall of the pressure vessel truncating the apex of the conical bore, a plurality of relief ports extending radially of the bore axis and being equally circumferentially spaced with respect thereto, the relief ports communicating with the conical bore adjacent the basal end thereof, a hollow conical seal of frangible material located within the bore and having an apical portion urged by pressure fluid in the vessel into sealing engagement with the wall of the conical bore to seal the port and seal the relief ports, the basal portion of the hollow conical seal being of lesser thickness than the apical portion thereof to provide a weakened section rupturable by a predetermined pressure within the vessel to exhaust pressure fluid through the relief ports, and means for fracturing the hollow conical seal to release the pressure fluid from the vessel through the port.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
222 words
In combination with a pressure vessel having a wall, a combined fill, outlet, and pressure relief valve comprising, a conical bore in the wall of the pressure vessel, a port in the wall of the pressure vessel truncating the apex of the conical bore, a plurality of relief ports extending radially of the bore axis, the relief ports communicating with the conical bore adjacent the basal end thereof, a hollow conical seal of frangible material located within the bore and having apical and basal portions, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the apical and basal portions of the conical seal into pressure sealing engagement of the wall of the conical bore to respectively seal the port and plurality of relief ports, pressure fluid communicated to the port from outside the vessel urging the conical seal out of sealing engagement with the wall of the conical bore to permit filling of the pressure vessel with pressure fluid communicated to the port, an annular groove in the basal portion of the frangible seal providing a weakened wall section in the conical seal, the weakened wall section being rupturable by predetermined pressure within the pressure vessel to exhaust pressure from the vessel through the pressure relief port, and means for rupturing the frangible seal to release pressure fluid from the vessel through the port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
222 words
In combination with a pressure vessel having a wall, a combined fill, outlet, and pressure relief valve comprising, a conical bore in the wall of the pressure vessel, a port in the wall of the pressure vessel truncating the apex of the conical bore, a plurality of relief ports extending radially of the bore axis, the relief ports communicating with the conical bore adjacent the basal end thereof, a hollow conical seal of frangible material located within the bore and having apical and basal portions, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the apical and basal portions of the conical seal into pressure sealing engagement of the wall of the conical bore to respectively seal the port and plurality of relief ports, pressure fluid communicated to the port from outside the vessel urging the conical seal out of sealing engagement with the wall of the conical bore to permit filling of the pressure vessel with pressure fluid communicated to the port, an annular groove in the basal portion of the frangible seal providing a weakened wall section in the conical seal, the weakened wall section being rupturable by predetermined pressure within the pressure vessel to exhaust pressure from the vessel through the pressure relief port, and means for rupturing the frangible seal to release pressure fluid from the vessel through the port.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
210 words
The combination comprising, a pressure vessel containing pressure fluid and having a wall provided with a conical bore, the apex of the conical bore pointing outwardly of the vessel, an outlet port in the wall truncating the apex of the conical bore, a pressure relief port in the wall communicating with the basal portion of the conical bore, a hollow conical seal of frangible material located within the bore and having a first portion adapted to seal the outlet port and a second portion of less pressure sustaining capacity than the first portion adapted to seal the pressure relief port, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the first and second portions of the frangible seal outwardly of the vessel into pressure sealing engagement with the wall of the pressure vessel to respectively seal the outlet and pressure relief ports, the seal being rupturable at its first portion to exhaust pressure from the pressure vessel through the outlet port, the conical bore being effective to guide the fragments of the ruptured seal through the outlet port ahead of the out rushing pressure fluid, and the seal being rupturable at its second portion by predetermined pressure within the pressure vessel to exhaust pressure from the vEssel through the pressure relief port.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
210 words
The combination comprising, a pressure vessel containing pressure fluid and having a wall provided with a conical bore, the apex of the conical bore pointing outwardly of the vessel, an outlet port in the wall truncating the apex of the conical bore, a pressure relief port in the wall communicating with the basal portion of the conical bore, a hollow conical seal of frangible material located within the bore and having a first portion adapted to seal the outlet port and a second portion of less pressure sustaining capacity than the first portion adapted to seal the pressure relief port, pressure fluid within the pressure vessel urging the first and second portions of the frangible seal outwardly of the vessel into pressure sealing engagement with the wall of the pressure vessel to respectively seal the outlet and pressure relief ports, the seal being rupturable at its first portion to exhaust pressure from the pressure vessel through the outlet port, the conical bore being effective to guide the fragments of the ruptured seal through the outlet port ahead of the out rushing pressure fluid, and the seal being rupturable at its second portion by predetermined pressure within the pressure vessel to exhaust pressure from the vEssel through the pressure relief port.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-22 | 1977-04-23 | 1977-10-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-22 | 1981-04-23 | 1981-10-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-22 | 1985-04-23 | 1985-10-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |