Tank container with electronic monitoring device

• US 7,322,227 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CIMC Safeway Technologies Company Limited (China International Marine Containers Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: China International Marine Containers Company Limited, Nantong Cimc-Special Transportation Equipment Manufacturing Company Limited (China International Marine Containers Company Limited), Nantong CIMC Tank Equipment Company Limited (China International Marine Containers Company Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Rong, Chen, Xiaochun, Zhu, Jianbin, Zhou, Chenguang, Yuan, Wenqing, Zhou, Shouqin
• Primary Examiner(s): CYGAN, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/192,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20060021423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 73/492, 73/498, 222/110
• US Class Current: 73/49.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/186 for containers, e.g. radiators

Abstract

A tank container with electronic monitoring device includes a tank barrel and a container frame supporting the same. The tank barrel includes a valve assembly and a valve assembly protection box. The electronic monitoring device is installed inside the valve assembly protection box, or on a sealing surface of the tank barrel, or in a range of the container frame outside the tank barrel. The electronic monitoring device includes a sensor for detecting a leakage condition of the cargoes contained in the tank container and transmitting an information data related to the leakage condition, and a data processing module connected with the sensor for processing the data. The invention can be used for detecting a sealing condition of a sealing surface and an illegal open of a lid of the valve assembly protection box as well as for realizing a global tracking, whereby ensuring a safe transport for containers.

Claims

1. A tank container with an electronic monitoring device, comprising:

a tank barrel and a container frame for supporting said tank barrel, said tank barrel being further provided with a valve assembly and a valve assembly protection box for enclosing and protecting said valve assembly, wherein said electronic monitoring device is installed inside said valve assembly protection box and further includes;

a sensor for detecting a leakage condition of substances contained in said tank container and transmitting an information data related to the leakage condition;

a data processing module connected with said sensor for processing the data related to the leakage condition and including;

a signal acquisition and processing module connected with said sensor for acquiring and processing the data from the sensor related to said leakage; and

a data storage and signal transmission module connected with said signal acquisition and processing module for storing and recording the data on said leakage processed by said signal acquisition and processing module, and transmitting the data on said leakage to a remote data terminal; and

a stroke switch with a probe connected with said signal acquisition and processing module through a cable, wherein said probe can be pressed against or separated by a certain safe distance from a lid of said valve assembly protection box, to place the stroke switch in a normal or non-normal operating status, correspondingly.

2. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein a protection device providing a protecting space is disposed at a position corresponding to said stroke switch probe on the lid of said valve assembly protection box, for receiving said probe in the protection space when said stroke switch is at a second position.

3. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein said electronic monitoring device is installed on an inner wall at an opening side of said valve assembly protection box, said inner wall partially or wholly turning towards an inner part of said valve member protection box and extending a predetermined distance to form a reinforced protection rib.

4. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein said protection device is a protection plate disposed facing the reinforced protection rib.

5. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein said protection device is a protection ring.

6. A tank container with an electronic monitoring device, comprising:

a tank barrel and a container frame for supporting said tank barrel, said tank barrel being further provided with a valve assembly and a valve assembly protection box for enclosing and protecting said valve assembly, wherein said electronic monitoring device is installed inside said valve assembly protection box and further includes;

a sensor for detecting a leakage condition of substances contained in said tank container and transmitting an information data related to the leakage condition;

a data processing module connected with said sensor for processing the data related to the leakage condition and including;

a signal acquisition and processing module connected with said sensor for acquiring and processing the data from the sensor related to said leakage; and

data storage and signal transmission module connected with said signal acquisition and processing module for storing and recording the data on said leakage processed by said signal acquisition and processing module, and transmitting the data on said leakage to a remote data terminal; and

a magnetic-reed switch for detecting an open or closed status of said valve assembly protection box.

7. A tank container with an electronic monitoring device, comprising:

a tank barrel and a container frame for supporting said tank barrel, said tank barrel being further provided with a valve assembly; and

a valve assembly protection box provided on said tank barrel for enclosing and protecting said valve assembly;

said electronic monitoring device including;

a sensor for detecting a leakage condition of substances contained in said tank container and transmitting an information data related to the leakage condition; and

a data processing module connected with said sensor for processing the data related to the leakage condition; and

a box for receiving the sensor and the data processing module, wherein a sensing window is arranged at a position on the box corresponding to a sensing head of said sensor.

8. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein said electronic monitoring device is installed on a position near a sealing surface of a flange and/or the valve assembly of said tank barrel.

9. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein said electronic monitoring device is installed on said container frame.

10. A tank container with an electronic monitoring device, comprising:

a tank barrel and a container frame for supporting said tank barrel, said tank barrel being further provided with a valve assembly; and

a valve assembly protection box provided on said tank barrel for enclosing and protecting said valve assembly;

said electronic monitoring device including;

a gas sensor for detecting a gas concentration escaped from said tank container indicating a leakage condition of substances contained in said tank container and transmitting an information data related to the leakage condition; and

a data processing module connected with said sensor for processing the data related to the leakage condition; and

a box for receiving the gas sensor and the data processing module, wherein said gas sensor is connected with a sucking pump that sucks gas through a mouth disposed on said box for performing a gas detection.

11. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein said electronic monitoring device is fixed by a support.

12. A tank container with electronic monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein said electronic monitoring device has a unique ID code stored in said data storage and signal transmission module, said ID code being able to be transmitted to said remote data terminal.