Tank structure

• US 20060243751A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CKD Corporation
• Original Assignee: CKD Corporation
• Inventors: Funahashi, Minoru, Shibata, Kana, Takeda, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,556,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/394
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0272 specially adapted for transferring liquids of high purity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86332 Vent and inlet or outlet in unitary mounting

Abstract

A tank structure comprises a tank body for storing liquid and control devices for supplying or discharging the liquid to or from the tank body. The tank structure further includes an upper exterior member having a lower flat surface and a lower exterior member having an upper flat surface. The tank body includes an upper and a lower flat surfaces facing the lower flat surface of the upper exterior member and the upper flat surface of the lower exterior member. The tank body is held in sandwiched between the upper and lower exterior members.

Claims

1. A tank structure that has a tank body for storing liquid and a control device for supplying or discharging the liquid to or from the tank body, the tank structure comprising:

an upper member having a lower flat surface; and

a lower member having an upper flat surface;

wherein the tank body has an upper flat surface and a lower flat surface which face the lower flat surface of the upper member and the upper flat surface of the lower member respectively, and

the tank body is held in sandwiched relation between the upper and lower members so that the upper and lower flat surfaces of the tank body are in contact with the lower flat surface of the upper member and the upper flat surface of the lower member respectively.

2. The tank structure according to claim 1, wherein

the lower member is a base member to be located on the ground when the tank body is installed.

3. The tank structure according to claim 1, wherein

the upper and lower members are made of materials having higher strength than a material of the tank body.

4. The tank structure according to claim 1 further comprising:

a fastening member which has a head and fastens the upper and lower members to each other; and

a resilient member placed between the head of the fastening member and the upper member.

5. The tank structure according to claim 1, wherein

the control device is mounted on an upper surface of the upper member.

6. The tank structure according to claim 1, wherein

the control device is mounted on an upper surface of the upper member within a predetermined area.

7. The tank structure according to claim 1 further comprising a valve and coupling integrated unit, wherein

the valve and coupling integrated unit includes:

a liquid supply coupling for allowing the liquid to flow in the tank body;

a liquid discharge coupling for allowing the liquid to flow out of the tank body;

a gas supply coupling for supplying gas to the tank body to discharge the liquid from the tank body;

a gas exhaust coupling for exhausting the gas from the tank body;

a liquid supply valve for controlling a flow rate of the liquid,

a gas supply valve for controlling a flow rate of the gas to be supplied;

a gas exhaust valve for controlling a flow rate of the gas to be exhausted;

a liquid supply passage for providing communication between the liquid supply coupling and the tank body via the liquid supply valve; and

a gas passage for providing communication between the gas supply coupling and the tank body via the gas supply valve and providing communication between the gas exhaust coupling and the tank body via the gas exhaust valve.

8. The tank structure according to claim 7, wherein

a part of the valve and coupling integrated unit is mounted in an opening of the tank body.

9. The tank structure according to claim 7, wherein

a lower end of the gas passage in an axial direction of the tank body is in a higher position than a lower end of the liquid supply passage.

10. The tank structure according to claim 7, wherein

the lower end of the gas passage in the axial direction of the tank body has a larger diameter than the lower end of the liquid supply passage.

11. The tank structure according to claim 7, wherein

the valve and coupling integrated unit is provided with a liquid discharge passage.

12. A tank structure comprising a tank body for storing liquid, a liquid supply coupling for allowing the liquid to flow in the tank body;

a liquid discharge coupling for allowing the liquid to flow out of the tank body;

a gas supply coupling for supplying gas to the tank body to allow the liquid to flow out of the tank body;

a gas exhaust coupling for exhausting the gas from the tank body;

wherein the tank structure further comprises a valve and coupling integrated unit including;

a liquid supply valve for controlling a flow rate of the liquid,

a gas supply valve for controlling a flow rate of the gas to be supplied;

a gas exhaust valve for controlling a flow rate of the gas to be exhausted;

a liquid supply passage for providing communication between the liquid supply coupling and the tank body through the liquid supply valve; and

a gas passage for providing communication between the gas supply coupling and the tank body via the gas supply valve while providing communication between the gas exhaust coupling and the tank body via the gas exhaust valve.

13. The tank structure according to claim 12, wherein

a part of the valve and coupling integrated unit is mounted in an opening of the tank body.

14. The tank structure according to claim 12, wherein the tank body has an opening formed with a threaded portion and the valve and coupling integrated unit has an insert portion formed with a threaded portion so that the threaded portions are threadedly engaged to integrally mount the valve and coupling integrated unit in the opening of the tank body.

15. The tank structure according to claim 12, wherein

a lower end of the gas passage in an axial direction of the tank body is in a higher position than a lower end of the liquid supply passage.

16. The tank structure according to claim 12, wherein

the lower end of the gas passage in the axial direction of the tank body has a larger diameter than the lower end of the liquid supply passage.

17. The tank structure according to claim 12, wherein

the valve and coupling integrated unit is provided with a liquid discharge passage.