Container having fluid-weight control device

• US 5,829,465 A
• Filed: 11/22/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John A. Garretson
• Original Assignee: Owen L. Garretson
• Inventors: Garretson, Owen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US08/755,292
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 137/1, 137/2, 137/38, 137/43, 137/44, 137/403, 137/413, 137/414, 137/430, 137/416, 137/425, 141/1, 141/4, 141/5, 141/198, 141/220, 141/221, 141/95, 141/212, 141/216, 222/55, 222/57, 222/64, 222/67
• US Class Current: 137/2
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/165 with means sensing the weight of said fluid quantity
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/18 closed when a rising liquid reaches a predetermined level float-actuated valves F16K31/18
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/023 having the mass as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/04 Arrangement or mounting of valves valves per se F16K ; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/032 with substantially vertical main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/035 with substantially horizontal main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/054 medium (>1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/058 portable (<30 l)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0308 Protective caps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0326 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0329 manually actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0382 Constructional details of valves, regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/035 Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/047 with a dip tube
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/032 using computers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0408 : Level of content in the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0421 : Mass or weight of the content of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0434 : Pressure difference
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0615 : Mass or weight of the content of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0626 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0636 : Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/075 : when full
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/02 : for filling with liquefied gases
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/06 : for filling with compressed gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 : With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0753 : Control by change of position or inertia of system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7339 : By weight of accumulated fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7371 : Fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7374 : Flexible diaphragm valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7426 : Float co-axial with valve or port

Abstract

A device, and a container having such a device, is provided for permitting filling the container with a predetermined weight of the fluid. The device and container include a main channel to introduce the fluid into the container at a fill pressure; a detector mechanism to detect a "filled" condition based on fluid weight; and an fluid-weight control mechanism to automatically prevent introducing fluid into the container in excess of the "filled" condition. A compression spring offsets part of the weight of a displacer such that the displacer becomes buoyant as the container becomes "filled". The displacer has a seat mechanism that sealingly engages an orifice mechanism creating a differential pressure, substantially less than the fill pressure, across a control device causing closure of the main channel. The fluid-weight control device, which is substantially independent of the composition and temperature of the fluid and of inertial effects induced in an attempt to thwart the fluid-weight control safeguard, also prevents introduction of fluid into the container as the container is non-upright. Modified embodiments utilize a pilot valve arrangement instead of the differential pressure feature. A method of practicing the invention is also provided.

Claims

1. A device for introducing fluid into a container, comprising:

(a) a body configured to mount to the container;

(b) a detector mechanism connected to said body, said detector mechanism having a displacer and being configured such that buoyancy forces of said displacer slightly exceed gravitational forces thereof as fluid contained in the container reaches a desired weight and is further configured to be substantially independent of the specific gravity and composition of the fluid contained in the container; and

(c) a shut off mechanism solely responsive to said detector mechanism configured to automatically prevent introduction of additional fluid into the container as said detector mechanism determines that said fluid contained in the container has reached said desired weight.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said displacer extends substantially the entire depth of the container as the container assumes a normal operating orientation.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said detector mechanism includes:

a resilient member configured to partially offset the weight of said displacer as the container assumes a normal operating orientation.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said shut off mechanism is further configured to prevent introduction of fluid into the container when the container is not oriented in a normal operating orientation even though the fluid contained in the container may comprise less than said desired weight.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said detector mechanism is configured to be substantially independent of the temperature of the fluid contained in the container.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said detector mechanism is configured to be substantially independent of inertial effects induced in said device and fluid in an attempt to introduce additional fluid into the container.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

a) said body includes a tail portion; and

b) said displacer is configured to slide axially within said tail portion.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said shut off mechanism includes a differential pressure control device configured to activate said shut off mechanism even though fluid pressure at said detector mechanism is substantially less than the pressure at which fluid is being introduced into the container.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said differential pressure across said differential pressure control device is configured to be activated by a predetermined magnitude of differential pressure thereacross.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined magnitude of said differential pressure is in a range between approximately one-tenth and ten pounds per square inch.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined magnitude of differential pressure across said differential pressure control device is approximately one pound per square inch.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein said shut off mechanism includes a pilot valve arrangement configured to cause said shut off mechanism to operably assume a closed configuration, wherein said pilot valve arrangement is activated by a fluid pressure that is substantially less than the pressure at which fluid is being introduced into the container.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said shut off mechanism includes a differential pressure control device configured to reduce fluid pressure at said detector mechanism substantially below the pressure at which fluid is being introduced into the container.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a container having a cavity; and

(b) a fluid-weight control mechanism configured to introduce a weight of fluid into said cavity wherein said weight may be up to, but is automatically prevented from exceeding, a predetermined weight of the fluid, wherein said fluid weight control mechanism is substantially independent of the composition of fluid contained in said cavity, and wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism includes a detection mechanism with a displacer that is configured such that buoyancy forces of said displacer slightly exceed gravitational forces thereof as the fluid in the container reaches said predetermined weight of fluid.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said detection mechanism is configured to detect whether said cavity substantially contains said predetermined weight of the fluid.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said displacer extends substantially the entire depth of the fluid in said cavity as said container assumes an upright orientation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said detection mechanism includes:

a resilient member configured to operably partially offset the weight of said displacer as said container assumes a normal operating orientation.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said resilient member is adapted to a particular composition of fluid to be introduced into said container.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism includes:

(a) an orifice arrangement; and

(b) said displacer being configured, in conjunction with said orifice arrangement, to operably activate said fluid-weight control mechanism as the fluid contained in said container comprises said predetermined weight.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism is further configured to prevent introduction of fluid into said cavity as said container assumes a non-upright orientation even though the fluid contained in said cavity may comprise less than said predetermined weight of the fluid.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism is configured such that said apparatus is substantially independent of the temperature of the fluid contained in said cavity.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism is configured to be substantially independent of inertial effects induced in said apparatus and fluid in an attempt to introduce additional fluid into said container as said cavity substantially contains said predetermined weight of the fluid.

23. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism includes:

(a) a tail portion;

(b) an orifice arrangement; and

(c) said displacer being configured to slide axially within said tail portion, said displacer configured, in conjunction with said orifice arrangement, to operably activate said fluid-weight control mechanism as the weight of fluid contained in said container approaches or exceeds said predetermined weight.

24. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism includes a differential pressure control device configured to activate said fluid-weight control mechanism even though pressure at said detection mechanism may be substantially less than the pressure at which fluid is being introduced into said container.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said differential pressure across said differential pressure control device is configured to be activated by a predetermined magnitude of differential pressure thereacross.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said predetermined magnitude of said differential pressure is in a range between approximately one-tenth and ten pounds per square inch.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said differential pressure across said differential pressure control device is approximately one pound per square inch.

28. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism includes a pilot valve arrangement configured to cause said shut off mechanism to operably assume a closed configuration, wherein said pilot valve arrangement is activated by a fluid pressure that is substantially less than the pressure at which fluid is being introduced into the container.

29. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fluid-weight control mechanism includes a differential pressure control device configured to reduce fluid pressure at said detection mechanism substantially below the pressure at which fluid is being introduced into the container.

30. A method of preventing overfilling of a container with fluid, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing the fluid into the container through a device installed through a wall of the container, wherein said device includes a displacer that is configured such that buoyancy forces of said displacer slightly exceed gravitational forces thereof as the fluid contained in the container reaches a predetermined weight of the fluid;

(b) using said device to stop filling of the container when the container substantially contains said predetermined weight of the fluid substantially irrespective of the specific gravity of the fluid; and

(c) further using said device to automatically prevent introduction of additional fluid into the container upon determining that the container substantially contains said predetermined weight of the fluid.