Transport container flame arrestor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145013-B2
Application number	US-201715475684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A volatile liquid storage container has combustion resistance properties from a flexible sock or tube constructed of fire resistant fibers coupled to a neck of the storage container to prevent flame flash-back into the storage container. The storage container defines an enclosed volume having an orifice in the container material leading to a neck for pouring and filling the enclosed volume for exchanging the contents therein. The tube is elongated and surrounds a circumference of the orifice for engaging any ignition source entering through the orifice. The flexible nature of the tube or sock allows it to extend to an opposed interior surface of the enclosed volume, and ensures that the tube or sock is immersed in the fluid for encircling any ignition path to the volatile liquid without interfering with an ability to pour or refill the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enclosed fluidic storage vessel, comprising:
an interior volume defined by an enclosure adapted to contain a stored fluid;
an orifice through the enclosure for communication with the stored fluid;
a continuous, elongated permeable medium formed of homogeneous nonmetal construction of a flexible mesh having apertures defined by interconnected flexible strands of a nonmetal material having a quenching ability based on thermal absorption of the interconnected flexible strands, the permeable medium defining a frameless elongated tubular shape having a length for unimpeded flow, a proximate end and a distal end and extending from the orifice at the proximate end, the interconnected flexible strands having a rigidity for preventing folding deformation of the elongated tubular shape upon inverting the enclosure for dispensing liquid therein, the elongated tubular shape closed at the distal end of the permeable medium and extending from the orifice to an opposed interior surface of the enclosure,
the permeable medium attached around the orifice of the enclosure for non-removal for forming a sealing engagement to the orifice for directing fluids passing through the orifice to the permeable medium for passage therethrough;
the permeable medium having a network of apertures for quenching a flame for preventing passage through the permeable medium and sufficient to allow unimpeded fluidic ingress and egress based on a total unimpeded area defined by the apertures around the circumference and along the length of the permeable medium; and
the elongated tubular shape forming an elongated structure of the permeable medium that defines a rigidity for maintaining the fluidic ingress and egress flow, the permeable medium maintaining an area for the fluidic ingress and egress flow defined by a total area of the network of apertures between the interconnected flexible strands of the permeable medium such that flow of fluid through the total area defined by the network of apertures remains unimpeded by a rigid structural member to permit fluid flow when the enclosure is inverted.

2. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the apertures are defined by perforations ranging in size from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm and having flame quenching properties.

3. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the strands of the permeable medium further comprise a plurality of fibers having polygonal voids between the fibers, the voids defined by the apertures such that a longest dimension of the polygonal voids are less than 0.7 mm.

4. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the permeable medium is configured to retain the elongated tubular shape such that each of the apertures define a respective opening facing radially from a tube axis passing through a center of the elongated tubular shape.

5. The storage vessel of claim 4 wherein each of the apertures is a perforation defining the opening, the opening on a surface defined by the permeable medium such that a radial extension from the tube axis passing through the opening extends perpendicularly from the surface of the permeable medium, the permeable medium defining the elongated tubular shape centered on the tube axis.

6. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the orifice engaging the permeable medium and the closed distal end are configured for directing all fluid passing through the orifice through the permeable medium such that fluid egress from the enclosure is only permitted through the orifice and permeable medium.

7. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the apertures have a size based on a consistent stranded structure of the flexible mesh and are based on a flame quenching ability.

8. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the elongated tubular shape has a graduated diameter increasing in size toward the orifice.

9. The storage vessel of claim 1 further comprising a closure at the closed distal end defined by fusing of the flexible strands.

10. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the elongated tubular shape defines a length of a polymer material fused to define the closed distal end.

11. The storage vessel of claim 9 wherein the elongated tubular shape of the permeable medium forms a continuous surface with the enclosure.

12. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein the length of the permeable medium is based on a size for accommodating filling.

13. The storage vessel of claim 1 , further comprising a unitary elongated shaft member internal to the elongated tubular shape and extending at least half the distance to a bottom surface of the enclosure.

14. The storage vessel of claim 1 wherein said fluidic storage vessel further comprises interior walls, a top and bottom surface, and said distal end of the permeable medium is capable of tethered communication with an opposing interior wall of said vessel bottom surface.

Assignees

• Worcester Polytech Inst

Inventors

• Elias Brian E
• Zalosh Robert G
• Rangwala Ali S
• Boroojeny Samim Safaei
• Genovesi Larry

Classifications

• A62C4/00

  Flame traps allowing passage of gas but not of flame or explosion wave · CPC title

• A62C3/065 Primary

  for containers filled with inflammable liquids · CPC title