Container produced from a helically bent sheet metal strip

Abstract

A container is produced from a single-layered, helically bent sheet metal strip. In the strip's upper or lower border region a first helically running border portion of the strip is bent out via a helically running outwardly bent edge with a curved region toward the outside of the container as a protruding flange. A second helically running border portion is in the lower/upper border region. The border regions each border one another adjacently height-wise and are connected to one another in a fluid-tight manner via a continuous, helically running welded joint. The second border portion runs rectilinearly in the plane of the strip and the welded joint has a first and a second weld seam. The first and second weld seams are applied from the outside and the inside of the container, respectively, and the two weld seams are fused to each other in the weld route thereof.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a single-layered, helically bent sheet metal strip having an upper border region and a lower border region; a first helically running border portion in the upper border region or the lower border region of the single-layered, helically bent sheet metal strip, wherein the first helically running border portion is bent out via a helically running outwardly bent edge with a curved region toward an outside of the container as a protruding flange; a second helically running border portion in the upper border region or the lower border region of the single-layered, helically bent sheet metal strip, wherein the second helically running border portion runs rectilinearly in a plane of the single-layered, helically bent sheet metal strip; wherein the first helically running border portion and the second helically running border portion each border one another in a manner adjacent in terms of height; a continuous, helically running welded joint connecting the first helically running border portion and the second helically running border portion in a fluid-tight manner, the continuous, helically running welded joint comprising a first weld seam and a second weld seam; wherein the first weld seam is fused from the outside of the container to an outer-side wall of the second helically running border portion and a wall of the curved region; wherein the second weld seam is fused from an inside to an end surface of the second helically running border portion; and wherein a first weld route of the first weld seam and a second weld route of the second weld seam are fused to each other such that a homogeneous fully fused welded joint runs from the outside to the inside.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height level of an upper border of the first helically running border portion and a height level of the end surface of the second helically running border portion are substantially identical with regard to border regions of the sheet metal strip that are arranged adjacent in terms of height.

3. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height level of an upper border of the first helically running border portion and a height level of the end surface of the second helically running border portion have a distance upward in terms of height with respect to border regions of the sheet metal strip that are arranged adjacent in terms of height.

4. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a height level of an upper border of the first helically running border portion and a height level of the end surface of the second helically running border portion have a distance downward in terms of height with respect to border regions of the sheet metal strip that are arranged adjacent in terms of height.

5. The container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance lies within a range of between 50% and 100% of a sheet metal thickness of the sheet metal strip.

6. The container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distance lies within a range of between 50% and 100% of a sheet metal thickness of the sheet metal strip.

7. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the first weld seam lies within a range of between 100% and 200% of a sheet metal thickness of the sheet metal strip.

8. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the second weld seam lies within a range of between 100% and 300% of a sheet metal thickness of the sheet metal strip.

9. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bending radius of the curved region of the outwardly bent edge lies within a range of between 2 mm and 20 mm.

10. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second helically running border portion and a third border portion of the sheet metal strip, which third border portion is adjacent to the curved region, lie in a plane with respect to the sheet metal strip which border one another adjacently in terms of height.

11. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved region of the outwardly bent edge has an increased radius and the curved region forms a convex region protruding toward the inside.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention and advantageous embodiments and developments of same are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the examples illustrated in the drawing. The features which can be gathered from the description and the drawing may be used, according to the invention, individually on their own or more than one together in any combination. In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a container according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of a cross section through the connecting point between border regions, which are adjacent in terms of height, of the sheet metal strip according to detail I from FIG. 1, in a first exemplary embodiment,

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged illustration of a cross section through the connecting point between border regions, which are adjacent in terms of height, of the sheet metal strip according to detail II from FIG. 1, in a second exemplary embodiment,

(5) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged illustration of a cross section through the connecting point between border regions, which are adjacent in terms of height, of the sheet metal strip according to detail III from FIG. 1, in a third exemplary embodiment.

WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a view of at container 10 according to the invention as may be used for storing bulk materials from agricultural and forestry, for example cereals, wood chips or biowaste, or for storing water, wastewater or sewage sludge, or else for storing gas or natural oil. The container 10 is substantially cylindrical, in particular circular-cylindrical, on the outside thereof and the inside thereof, with a vertically oriented longitudinal axis 12.

(7) The production of the container 10 takes place, preferably directly at the erection site of the container 10, using a helically bent sheet metal strip 20. The diameter 14 of the container 10 may be between 4 m and 20 m or more. The height 16 of the container 10 may be between 2 m and 20 m or more. The capacity of the container 10 may be, for example, between 15 m.sup.3 and 8000 m.sup.3. The preferably homogeneous thickness 50 (FIG. 2) of the sheet metal strip 20 is between 2 mm and 12 mm, in the present case may in particular be more than 5 mm, preferably more than 6 mm and less than 12 mm, for example between 8 mm and 10 mm. The width 18 of the sheet metal strip 20 may be between 20 cm and 100 cm, in particular between 30 cm and 80 cm and preferably between 40 cm and 60 cm; in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the width 18 of the sheet metal strip 20 is approximately 50 cm.

(8) FIG. 2 illustrates the detail I from FIG. 1 in the connecting region. The outside of the container 10 is identified by the reference sign A and the inside by the reference sign I. The upper border region of a lower sheet metal strip 20.1 and of an upper sheet metal strip 20.2, which is adjacent vertically on the upper side, is illustrated in each case. The two sheet metal strips 20.1, 20.2 are arranged running helically in a plane E, wherein the plane E is the center plane of the container 10. The lower sheet metal strip 20.1 has a first border portion 22 which is bent out toward the outside via an outwardly bent edge 24 and forms a protruding flange. In the region of the outwardly bent edge 24, there is a curved region B with a bending radius R which is adjoined by a third border portion 28 of the lower sheet metal strip 20.1, which lies in the plane E. The size of the radius R may be within the range of between 2 mm and 10 mm or more.

(9) The first border portion 22 is present substantially at a right angle to the third border portion 28. The first border portion 22 likewise runs helically. The respective height level of the first border portion 22 is identified in FIG. 2 by the arrow tip H1.

(10) A second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2, which border portion runs rectilinearly in the plane E, is present adjacent upward in the vertical direction. The lower-side end surface 30 of the second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 is arranged in a height level H2, wherein the height level H2 runs in the vertical direction at a distance D1 below the height level H1. The right edge of the end surface 30 bears on the upper side against the curved region B. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the distance D1 between the height level H1 and the height level H2 substantially corresponds to the sheet metal thickness 50.

(11) The connection of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 to the lower sheet metal strip 20.2 takes place via a helically running welded joint 40.

(12) The welded joint 40 here comprises a first weld seam 42 which is applied first of all from the outside A and by means of which the outside of the second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 is fused to the upper side of the curved region B of the lower sheet metal strip 20.1. Furthermore, there is a second weld seam 44 which is applied from the inside I after the first weld seam 42 has been applied and which is fused to the end surface 30 of the second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 and the upper side of the curved region B of the lower sheet metal strip 20.1. During the welding, the weld routes of the first and second weld seam 42, 44 are also fused to each other, and therefore a welded joint 40 which is continuously homogeneous from the outside inward and has a high load-bearing capacity is present. At the same time, absolute seal tightness is ensured.

(13) It is also possible to apply the second weld seam 44 first of all from the inside I and then to apply the first weld seam from the outside A.

(14) In an alternative manner of production, the first and second weld seam 42, 44 are applied simultaneously.

(15) FIG. 3 illustrates a second exemplary embodiment of the connecting structure of a lower border region of an upper sheet metal strip 20.2 to the upper border region of a lower sheet metal strip 20.1, wherein the sheet metal strips 20.1, 20.2 have the same geometry as the sheet metal strips 20.1, 20.2 illustrated in FIG. 2. Identical components bear the same reference signs and are not explained once again.

(16) The difference over FIG. 2 consists in that the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 or the lower end surface 30 thereof is arranged at a height level H2 which runs at a distance D2 above the height level H1 of the upper side of the first border portion 22 of the lower sheet metal strip 20.1. In the exemplary embodiment, the distance D2 substantially corresponds to the sheet metal thickness 50. By means of the geometrical arrangement, it is possible to apply a welded joint to the first weld seam 42 and the second weld seam 44 that has an increased weld seam thickness, which permits a particularly high load-bearing capacity of the welded joint construction while simultaneously ensuring absolute seal tightness.

(17) In the exemplary embodiments according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, it is also possible for the second weld seam 44 to be applied in such a manner that it is fused not only to the end surface 30 of the second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2, but is also fused to the lower border region of the inner wall of the second border portion 26.

(18) FIG. 4 illustrates a third exemplary embodiment according to detail III from FIG. 1 in the connecting region between an upper and a lower sheet metal strip 20.1, 20.2, in which the basic arrangement of the lower sheet metal strip and of the upper sheet metal strip corresponds to the arrangement according to the exemplary embodiments of FIG. 3, but with the difference that, in the region of the outwardly bent edge 24, the radius R1 of the curved region B1 is substantially increased, and the curved region B1 has a convex region 48 which protrudes toward the inside I and on the lower end region of which the third border portion 28.1 is integrally formed and in the upper end region of which the second border portion 22 (protruding flange) is integrally formed. The height level H2 of the end surface 30 of the second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 is arranged offset upward by the distance size D2 in relation to the height level H1 of the upper side of the first border portion 22 of the lower sheet metal strip 20.1. The connection of the two border regions of the sheet metal strips 20.1, 20.2 also takes place via a welded joint 40 with a first weld seam 42 which is applied from the outside A and with a second weld seam 44 which is applied from the inside.

(19) Here too, the first weld seam 42 is fused to the lower border region of the second border portion 26 of the upper sheet metal strip 20.2 and on the upper side to the end region of the curved region B1, the second weld seam 44 is fused in the lower border region to the inside I of the second border portion 26 and in regions to the upper side of the curved region B1, and at the same time the weld routes of the two weld seams 42, 44 are fused to each other and at the same time the end surface 30 and the upper-side region of the curved region B1, which upper-side region is opposite the end surface 30, are fused.

(20) The rigidity in the region of the connecting structure is increased by the inwardly protruding convex region 48 of the curved region B1. Also in this embodiment, there is a welded joint 40 which is fully fused from the outside A to the inside I and which ensures high load-bearing capacity with simultaneously absolute tightness.