US5217507A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Container system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1991-06-19
•
Granted: 1993-06-08
•
Expires: 2011-06-19
Abstract
Abstract A container system comprising at least two containers, wherein said at least two containers are each dimensioned to have a low external surface area to volume ratio, said system comprising connecting means between adjacent ones of the containers each comprising a tube adapted to fit within respective apertures in the containers to be connected and a sealing means surrounding said tube and adapted to be maintained in sealing engagement about the tube and apertures by compression between the containers joined by the connecting means.
Inventors
- 👤 Ernest Spirig
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:29
CPC Classifications
C; C25; C25B; C25B15/00; C25B15/08; C25B15/083; F; F17; F17C; F17C1/00; F17C13/00; F17C13/12; F17C13/123; F17C2201/00; F17C2201/01; F17C2201/0104; F17C2201/05; F17C2201/054; F17C2201/056; F17C2203/00; F17C2203/06; F17C2203/0602; F17C2203/0612; F17C2203/0614; F17C2203/0617; F17C2205/00; F17C2205/01; F17C2205/0103; F17C2205/0123; F17C2205/013; F17C2205/0134; F17C2205/0138; F17C2205/0142; F17C2205/0153; F17C2205/0169; F17C2205/03; F17C2205/0302; F17C2205/0352; F17C2205/0364; F17C2209/00; F17C2209/22; F17C2209/221; F17C2221/00; F17C2221/03; F17C2223/00; F17C2223/01; F17C2223/0107; F17C2223/0123; F17C2223/0146; F17C2223/0153; F17C2223/03; F17C2223/033; F17C2260/00; F17C2260/01; F17C2260/011; F17C2260/04; F17C2260/042; F17C2270/00; F17C2270/05; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S206/00; Y10S206/821
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
In a container system comprising at least two adjacent containers, each dimensioned to have a low external surface area to volume ratio, said containers having respective opposed walls facing each other, one wall having an aperture therein aligned with an aperture in the other wall, means for connecting said containers comprising a tube having first and second sections correspondingly dimensioned with the respective aligned apertures in said container walls and which can be pushed respectively into said aligned apertures, and sealing means surrounding said tube between said opposed walls, compression of said sealing means between said walls maintaining said sealing means in sealing engagement with said walls about said tube and said apertures.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a container system comprising at least two adjacent containers, each dimensioned to have a low external surface area to volume ratio, said containers having respective opposed walls facing each other, one wall having an aperture therein aligned with an aperture in the other wall, means for connecting said containers comprising a tube having first and second sections correspondingly dimensioned with the respective aligned apertures in said container walls and which can be pushed respectively into said aligned apertures, and sealing means surrounding said tube between said opposed walls, compression of said sealing means between said walls maintaining said sealing means in sealing engagement with said walls about said tube and said apertures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
In a container system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first section of said tube has an outer diameter of a size enabling said section to be fitted by pushing into a correspondingly dimensioned aperture of one of said containers, and said second section has an outer diameter greater than said first outer diameter for being fitted by pushing into a correspondingly dimensioned aperture of the other of said containers, the internal diameter of said tube being substantially constant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
In a container system of claim 9 wherein said tube is a unitary component and both sections thereof have substantially the same internal and external diameters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
In a container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flange is provided about a median section of said tube, said sealing means comprising two sealing rings, one disposed between a respective wall of each container and said flange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
In a container system of claim 4, wherein said flange is connected to said tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
In the container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a rigid outer jacket adapted to surround the sealing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A container system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rigid outer jacket has a dimension parallel to the axis of said tube which is slightly less than the corresponding dimension of said sealing means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
In the container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of containers are disposed one above another to form a stack.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A container system as claimed in claim 8, wherein two or more said stacks are disposed one alongside another with lateral connections between at least some of the containers of each stack.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
A container system as claimed in claim 8, in which the input to said system comprises a mixture of a gas and a liquid, the input connection to the system is at an intermediate container, with gas passing therefrom to an upper container and liquid passing from the intermediate container to a lower one, the system preferably having separate outputs, one for gas and another for liquid.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE656650C
Cited
US3308609A
Cited
FR1542467A
Cited
DE2159246A1
Cited
FR2236028A1
Cited
DE2349286A1
Cited
US3990962A
Cited
DE2659253A1
Cited
US4124463A
Cited
DE2913908A1
Cited
US4478916A
Cited
US4332219A
Cited
US4450060A
Cited
FR2497834A1
Cited
US4598832A
Cited
US4657827A
Cited
DE3639442A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-06-07 | 1996-12-07 | 1997-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-06-07 | 2000-12-07 | 2001-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-06-07 | 2004-12-07 | 2005-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |