FLEXIBLE LIQUID TRANSPORT TANK WITH SURGE DAMPENING BAFFLES

• US 20110272413A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEI Industries Ltd. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donmark Holdings Inc.
• Inventors: LUMSDEN, Richard, YAREMENKO, Victor, BARTZ, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/563
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/1606 double-walled or with linings B65D88/1612 takes precedence; linings for container walls in general B65D90/04
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/004 Contents retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/52 Anti-slosh devices vehicle fuel tanks with means modifying or controlling distribution or motion of fuel, e.g. to prevent noise, surge, splash or fuel starvation B60K15/077

Abstract

Flexible tanks for transporting liquids comprising a flexible bladder to contain liquid, several transverse surge dampening baffles inside the bladder, each baffle comprising several flexible panels, each having a base connected to the inside of the bladder and aligned along a plane transverse to the bladder and an unsupported terminal end opposite the base and adapted to converge with the unsupported portions of adjacent panels in a manner that defines a barrier to fluid flow across the transverse baffle when the bladder is filled; and a connector for interconnecting the terminal ends of the panels. There may be provided a flexible outer bladder of an abrasion resistant material that is adapted to removably receive the inner bladder. There may be provided longitudinal baffles situated between adjacent transverse baffles that define longitudinal compartments with restricted fluid flow there between for dampening lateral fluid surges.

Claims

1. A flexible tank for transporting liquids comprising:

a flexible and collapsible bladder adapted to contain liquid therein and having ports for filling and emptying the bladder;

a plurality of planar internal transverse baffles inside the bladder for dampening surges of liquid wherein each internal baffle comprises a plurality of flexible planar transverse panels, each transverse panel having a base portion connected to the inside surface of the bladder and aligned along a line circumscribed by a plane transverse to a length of the bladder, and each transverse panel having an unsupported portion with a terminal end opposite the base portion and being adapted to converge with the unsupported portions of adjacent transverse panels in a manner that defines a barrier to fluid flow across the internal transverse baffle when the bladder is filled with fluid; and

a connector means for interconnecting the terminal ends of the unsupported portions of all transverse panels.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base portions of the plurality of flexible planar transverse panels in aggregate extend around the inside circumference of the bladder.

3. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the connector means comprises a loop portion provided in the terminal end of each transverse panel and a cord that weaves through the loop portions to interconnect the terminal ends of the transverse panels.

4. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each transverse panel is shaped in a manner that enables the internal baffle to cover most of the internal cross sectional area defined by the bladder with liquid therein such that adjacent internal transverse baffles define a substantially compartmentalized space in between said adjacent transverse baffles.

5. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, further including a flexible outer bladder of an abrasion resistant material that is adapted to removably receive said flexible and collapsible bladder adapted to contain liquid therein, wherein the outer bladder includes an access port through which said flexible and collapsible bladder adapted to contain liquid may be placed in and removed from the outer bladder, and a releasable closing means cooperating with the access port to provide a liquid tight seal of the access port.

6. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, further including a longitudinal baffle situated between two adjacent transverse baffles, the longitudinal baffle comprising:

a plurality of flexible planar longitudinal panels, each longitudinal panel having a base portion connected to the inside surface of the bladder along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bladder and spaced from the base portions of adjacent longitudinal panels around the periphery of the inside wall of the bladder, each longitudinal panel having an unsupported portion with a terminal edge opposite the base portion and being adapted to converge with the terminal edges of adjacent longitudinal panels along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bladder in a manner that defines longitudinal compartments between adjacent transverse baffles with restricted fluid flow between said longitudinal compartments when the bladder is filled with fluid; and

a second connector means for interconnecting the terminal edges of the adjacent longitudinal panels.