PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

A novel pressure control system is provided for maintaining a constant predetermined excess pressure in a fluid dispensing container, comprising a high-pressure plastic vessel having an inner chamber, a closed end and an open end, and a pressure control device with a valve, which pressure control device is mounted on the open end of the high-pressure vessel, whereas a passageway is provided from the inner chamber to the outside, which is controlled by the valve, wherein the high-pressure vessel is essentially spherical.

Claims

1. A pressure control system provided for maintaining a constant predetermined excess pressure in a fluid dispensing container, comprising a high-pressure plastic vessel having an inner chamber, a closed end and an open end, and a pressure control device with a valve, which pressure control device is mounted on the open end of the high-pressure vessel, whereas a passageway is provided from the inner chamber to the outside, which is controlled by the valve, wherein the high-pressure vessel is essentially spherical.

2. The pressure control system according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure vessel comprises an upper hemisphere and a lower hemisphere connected by a ring shaped member.

3. The pressure control system according to claim 1, wherein the vessel is made by injection blow moulding from extruded PET.

4. The pressure control system according to claim 2, wherein the lower hemisphere comprises at least three outstanding lobes.

5. The pressure control system according to claim 4, wherein the lobes have a triangle shaped base.

6. The pressure control system according to claim 2, wherein the ring shaped member comprises a middle protruding ring part having a width substantially larger than the width of the ring shaped member for receiving the upper and lower hemispheres.

7. The pressure control system according to claim 6, wherein the ring shaped member comprises carbon black and is connected to the upper and lower hemispheres by laser-welding.

8. The pressure control system according to claim 6, wherein the ring shaped member is glued to the upper and lower hemispheres.

9. The pressure control system according to claim 8, wherein the ring shaped member is glued by a hot melt glue to the upper and lower hemispheres.

10. The pressure control system according to claim 1, wherein the neck portion of the top opening is reinforced.

11. The pressure control system according to claim 10, wherein the neck portion comprising two parallel reinforcing rings.

12. A fluid dispensing container comprising a pressure control system according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure vessel is mounted on its bottom side on a support and the fluid dispensing container is mounted also on its bottom side to the support, such that the container is surrounding the pressure vessel by releasing a spherical space containing the fluid to be dispensed.

13. The fluid dispensing container according to claim 12, wherein the high-pressure vessel and the dispensing container have an ellipsoid shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0019] In the following, the invention is described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a plastic liquid container with a pressure control system with a spherical high-pressure vessel,

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an elevation of the high-pressure vessel in FIG. 1,

[0022] FIG. 3 shows an elevation of the connection between the upper and lower part of the high-pressure vessel in FIG. 2,

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a perspective and exploded view of the high-pressure vessel with the upper pressure control device and the lower Nicholson plug,

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a perspective and exploded view on the fluid dispensing container and the high-pressure vessel and the cylindrical bottom part,

[0025] FIG. 6 shows the fluid dispensing container in assembled mode,

[0026] FIG. 7 shows a fluid dispensing container and a high-pressure vessel both having an ellipsoid shape, and

[0027] FIG. 8 shows a fluid dispensing container and a high-pressure vessel both having an elongate ellipsoid shape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] In FIGS. 1 and 2 a fluid dispensing container 1 of plastic material e.g. PET is shown which has an upper closure 2 with a valve 3 and a dip tube 4. The upper end 5 of the container 1 is spherical with a neck part 6 having a rim 7. The closure 2 is mounted on rim 7. The lower open end 8 of the container 1 is connected to a high-pressure vessel 10 which has an essentially spherical form. On top of the high-pressure vessel 10 there is a top opening 11 and on the bottom there is a bottom opening 12. The neck portion 13 of the top opening is reinforced, i.e. has a larger thickness as the wall thickness of the vessel 10. In addition two parallel reinforcing rings 15 and 16 are provided on the neck portion 13. A pressure control device 18 is mounted on the neck portion 13 in the same manner as described in WO-A-2005/082744. The pressure control device 18 has essentially the same construction as described therein. The bottom opening 12 is provided with an adapter ring 19 with a larger thickness as the wall thickness of the vessel 10, which is closed by a Nicholson plug 20 of rubber. The adapter ring 19 is preferably moulded with the high-pressure vessel 10.

[0029] The vessel 10 is provided of an upper vessel half or hemisphere 22 and a lower vessel half or hemisphere 23 which have both an essentially half-spherical form. Both hemispheres 22 and 23 are connected by a connecting ring 24, which is made of a thermoplastic elastomer material as e.g. PP, PS PMMA or PC which can be welded with PET. The connecting ring or ring shaped member 24 has a middle protruding ring part 25 such that the lower open end of vessel half 22 is pressed on the connecting ring 24. A cylindrical bottom part or base cup 26 is circumventing the lower vessel half 23 and is also welded or glued to the connecting ring 24. The adapter ring 19 is formed to be connected with the lower neck of the base cup 26.

[0030] Basically the two hemispheres 22 and 23 are produced by injection blow moulding from PET and can be identical and connected mirrored to each other. Extruded PET has the property to absorb very high lateral forces, so that the hemispheres 22 and 23 can withstand high pressures of more than 8 bar.

[0031] In FIG. 3 the connection of the connecting ring 24 to the upper half 22, the lower half 23, the fluid dispensing container 1 and the base cup 26 can be seen in more detail. The upper end 27 of the base cup 26 is overlapping the lower end 28 of the container 1.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows the high-pressure vessel 10 in perspective and exploded view. The lower hemisphere 23 has four outstanding lobes 30 which are evenly distributed over its bottom part 31. In practice the number of outstanding lobes 30 must be at least three. The lobes 30 have a triangle shaped base.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows the combination of the fluid dispensing container or bottle 1 with the high-pressure vessel 10 and the cylindrical bottom part or base cup 26 in exploded view and FIG. 6 the combination in assembled mode.

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a high-pressure vessel 30 which has a stretched ellipsoid shape and an outer fluid dispensing container 32 which has a similar stretched ellipsoid shape of larger diameter such that a spherical space 33 is released between the high-pressure vessel 30 and the container 32. The high-pressure vessel 30 is mounted on its bottom side on a truncated conical support 31. The dispensing container 32 is mounted on the bottom side on the outer rim 34 of the support 31.

[0035] As can be seen in FIG. 8 the high-pressure vessel 40 and the fluid dispensing container 42 have a larger elongated shape as in FIG. 7, so that a larger volume of fluid can be contained in the container 42.

[0036] While the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present.