Device for the stabilisation of drain and/or fill valves for a flexible container intended for the transportation of liquids or pulverulent materials

Abstract

The device for stabilizing drain and/or fill valves for a flexible container for conveying liquids or pulverulent materials is characterized by use of a non-strictly cylindrical valve comprising at least one of the following three members: a lug in a low position formed by an extension of a through valve key, a polygonal proximal flange or a partially polygonal protuberance, and in that a stabilizing plate has both a recess corresponding to and following the shape of the said chosen member, and two pads of loops and hooks stuck to the proximal surface and intended to co-operate with pads of loops and hooks sewn and/or stuck to the outer surface of the flexible container opposite the said first pads, the resulting device, when assembled, preventing the valve from rotating on itself when a drain pipe and/or fill pipe is screwed to or unscrewed from the valve.

Claims

1. A device for stabilizing a valve of a flexible container, the device comprising: a valve body including a substantially cylindrically shaped portion and a polygonal protuberance protruding from a bottom of the cylindrical portion of the valve body; a stabilizing plate including a first recess corresponding to and following the substantially cylindrically shaped portion of the valve body to receive the substantially cylindrically shaped portion of the valve body and a second recess corresponding to and following the shape of the polygonal protuberance of the valve body to receive the polygonal protuberance of the valve body; and two pads of loops and hooks affixed to a proximal surface of the stabilizing plate, wherein the two pads of loops and hooks co-operate with corresponding pads of loops and hooks affixed to an outer surface of the flexible container to detachably connect the stabilizing plate to the flexible container and prevent the valve body from rotating on itself when a drain pipe or fill pipe is screwed to or unscrewed from the valve body.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the polygonal protuberance is a flange.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal protuberance is at least partly trapezoidal.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizing plate is made of cellular polypropylene.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the flange is square.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal protuberance is a lug in a low position formed by an extension of a through valve key.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the two pads of loops and hooks allow the valve body to make small movements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) After this general presentation, we will now describe the features of the device according to the invention by illustrating a few variants and referring to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first valve in the device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second valve in the device according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third valve in the device according to the invention;

(5) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 each give a perspective view of the stabilizing plate according to the invention, each respective plate being adapted to co-operate with the specific valve shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in that order.

(6) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the various components making up the device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) FIG. 1 shows a valve body, through which a key 2 extends from one side to the other. The drawing also shows screw-threading 3 for screwing an outer pipe for emptying or filling the container. There are also various flanges 4, 5, 6, the two latter being used to fix the valve to the envelope for holding the liquid.

(8) Note that opposite a control lever 7 for the valve key, the bottom part of the key 2′ is in the form of a lug, firmly secured in rotation to the valve body.

(9) FIG. 2 shows the same components as on FIG. 1, and will not be described again. Attention is drawn to the fact that this time, the first flange 4′ is thicker than before, more particularly square.

(10) FIG. 3 shows the same components as in FIG. 1 but the bottom part of the valve body 1 has an additional protuberance 8, shown here in cross-section but representing the surface of a substantially trapezoidal base.

(11) FIG. 4 shows a stabilizing plate 9, which has a recess, the main part 10 of which is adapted to follow the shape of the cylindrical valve body whereas an additional recess 11 likewise follows the shape of a lug 2′ in the form of an extension at the bottom of the valve key as shown in FIG. 1.

(12) The plate is preferably made of cellular polypropylene (honeycomb) because of the rigidity, solidity and lightness of this material.

(13) In FIG. 5, the recess in the stabilizing plate 9 is substantially square and follows the square shape of the first flange 4′ shown in FIG. 2.

(14) In FIG. 6, as already in FIG. 4, the stabilizing plate 9 has a recess in two parts, the first part 13 being substantially circular and following the shape of the cylindrical valve body whereas the second part 14 is in the shape of a trapezium and co-operates with the trapezoidal protuberance 8 shown in cross-section in FIG. 3.

(15) With regard to the terminology, we prefer “stabilizing plate” to “fixing plate”, thus showing that the main aim is to prevent the valve rotating on its axis when screwing or unscrewing the fill pipe or drain pipe. However it is not the aim to prevent the valve from making any other small movements, which should be tolerated and permitted by the device. It should also be remembered that the outer envelope forming the flexible container is of woven cloth, e.g. polypropylene, thus inevitably reducing the rigidity of the assembly.

(16) FIG. 7 is a partial view of the inner envelope or liner 20 for holding the liquid.

(17) There is also a partial view of the flexible container 19 along one of its bottom edges, where a seam 21 connects a vertical wall to the base of a large bag constituting the flexible container. The vertical surface of the flexible container has a recess or flap revealing the valve.

(18) FIG. 7 shows a valve as in FIG. 2, comprising a cylindrical body, a screwthread 3, a valve key 2 and a proximal square flange 4′.

(19) As can be seen, the vertical surface of the flexible container has two strips of pads of loops and hooks 15 and 16, sewn and/or stuck to the outer surface of the flexible cloth container 19.

(20) These two strips of loops and hooks 15, 16 are disposed opposite two pads of loops and hooks 18 and 19, shown in broken lines in the drawing, stuck to the proximal surface (relative to the valve) of the stabilizing plate 9.

(21) Finally the stabilizing plate 9 corresponds to that illustrated in FIG. 5, i.e. has a square recess 12.

(22) At this stage of the description, it will easily be seen that the recess 12 in the plate encloses the square flange 4′, and once the strips of loops and hooks are co-operating in pairs, the ducts can be screwed or unscrewed from the valve as required, without rotating the valve on its axis. This is precisely the result intended.