The present invention relates to a protective cap for a valve of a cylinder of pressurized fluid, and also to a cylinder of fluid comprising such a cap.
The invention relates more particularly to a protective cap for a valve of a cylinder of pressurized fluid, comprising a rigid structure delimiting a protective volume for a valve, said structure comprising a lower end that is intended to be fixed to the upper end of a cylinder of pressurized fluid.
In order to avoid accidents, the valves of cylinders of pressurized fluid are generally protected by protective caps. These caps generally form a rigid cage for protecting the valve. The protective caps should be sufficiently protective while allowing manual and/or visual access to certain functions of the valve. Moreover, the caps should preferably have good ergonomics for handling the cylinder.
An aim of the present invention is to propose a protective cap that improves all or some of the above functionalities.
To this end, the cap according to the invention, which is otherwise in accordance with the generic definition thereof given in the above preamble, is essentially characterized in that the cap has a first wall forming a central tubular portion, said tubular portion extending between the lower end and an open upper end delimiting an access orifice for accessing an internal volume intended to shelter a valve, the cap also comprising a second wall that is disposed concentrically in a spaced-apart manner around the first wall and delimits a protective zone around the first wall.
Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features:
The invention also relates to a cylinder of pressurized fluid, comprising an orifice in which a valve is mounted, the cylinder comprising a protective cap that is connected to the cylinder and forms a protective enclosure around the valve, the cap being in accordance with any one of the features above or below, the valve being housed in the tubular portion delimited by the first wall.
According to further possible particular features:
The invention may also relate to any alternative device or method comprising any combination of the features above or below.
For a further understanding of the nature and objects for the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:
The protective cap 1 illustrated schematically in
According to one advantageous particular feature, the cap 1 has a first wall 2 that forms a central tubular portion. In the use position on a vertical cylinder, this tubular portion extends vertically around an axis A.
This tubular portion extends between the lower end 4 of the cap and an upper end 12. The upper end of the central tubular portion is open, i.e. delimits an access orifice 5 for accessing the internal volume of the tube. This orifice 5 may, if necessary, be closed by a removable cover.
This internal volume of the tubular portion is intended to shelter a valve (cf.
For example, at least a part of the tubular portion formed by the first wall 2 is cylindrical.
The first wall 2 has for example a cylindrical upper portion (solid or perforated) and a lower portion which flares toward the lower end 4 of the cap and is intended to be fixed to the upper end of a cylinder.
The cap 1 also comprises a second wall 3 that is disposed concentrically in a spaced-apart manner around the first wall 2. This second wall 3 delimits a protective zone for the first wall 2.
The second wall 3 is for example spaced apart transversely from the first wall 1 by a distance of preferably between 20 and 100 mm, for example between 20 and 50 mm, notably to allow the fingers or hands of a user to pass through.
The first wall 2 and second wall 3, which are made for example of metal and/or plastics material, are in one piece or fixed rigidly together (by molding, welding, assembling or by any other appropriate method).
As illustrated in the figures, the second wall 3 preferably comprises an annular portion 13 that is disposed concentrically around (and spaced apart from) the first wall 2 and is connected to the first wall via a plurality of connecting arms 23. For example, three or four connecting arms 23 are distributed angularly around the vertical axis A.
The connecting arms 23 each have for example an end connected to the annular portion 13 and an end connected to the lower part of the first portion 2, notably at the lower end 4 of the cap 1.
Between two adjacent arms 23, the second wall may be perforated. This means that openings allow access to the first wall 2.
This annular portion 13 thus forms additional mechanical protection around the valve. In addition, this annular portion likewise constitutes a manual handwheel that allows the cylinder to be handled, rolled or inclined.
Preferably in the direction of the vertical axis A of the cap, the upper end 12 of the first wall 2 protrudes above (beyond) the second wall 3.
For example, the upper end 12 of the first wall 2 protrudes above the second wall 3 by a distance of between 10 and 60 mm.
It is thus clear that, while having a simple and inexpensive structure, the cap 1 according to the invention has a solid mechanical structure allowing good protection for a valve while allowing easy handling.
In particular, notably when the first central wall 2 protrudes above the second wall 3, the tubular end of the first wall 2 (possibly provided with a circular rib) can also be handled in order to guide, roll or incline the cylinder 6.
According to one possible particular feature, at least a part of the peripheral surface of the first wall 2 can have a display member 8, 9 for displaying information indicating the quantity of fluid contained in the cylinder on which the cap is mounted.
The display member 8, 9 comprising at least two different display states that correspond to two different quantities of fluid, respectively (empty/full or two filling levels above and below a threshold: 5% or 10% or 20% or any other appropriate value).
As illustrated in the example in
Preferably, the display member 8 opens at least partially onto the first wall above the second wall 3. In this way, the information indicating the quantity of fluid stored in the cylinder 6 is visible even from a distance.
As can be seen in
In the variant illustrated in
The display of the pressure or of the content may be explicit or may be symbolized by color codes, contrasts, alphanumeric symbols (cf.
As shown schematically in
As before, the information displayed may be that measured in the cylinder by a pressure measuring member or the like which is or is not remote and sends this information wirelessly or via a wire to the member 9 displays it fixedly or dynamically.
As shown schematically in
Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples described above. In particular, and as shown schematically in
In the embodiment in
In the variant embodiment in
In other words, one of the walls 2, 3 (or both if necessary) is fixed (screwed) to the cylinder and holds the other wall.
Without implying any limitation, the second wall 3 is for example molded, while the first wall 2 can be produced by conventional turning. The first wall 2 and second wall 3 may if necessary be formed of different respective materials (metal/plastic, etc.). Repeat machining operations can thus be concentrated on the part that has already been manufactured by turning.
In an advantageous variant, a part of the cap 1 may be able to rotate about the central axis A. In other words, a part of the cap 1 may form a turning knob making it easier to handle manually.
For example, in the embodiment in
In the embodiment in
In a variant or in combination, the upper end of the first wall 2 may comprise an annular part that is mounted so as to be free to rotate about the axis A with respect to the rest of the cap 1. For example, as can be seen in
Similarly, it is conceivable for only the annular portion 13 of the second wall 3 to be rotatable on itself about the first wall 2.
The structure according to the invention also allows resistance to impacts (absorption of impact energy in the event of dropping).
Thus, for example, in the event of vertical dropping on the cap (axis of the cylinder vertical or substantially vertical), the first wall 2 deforms preferably by widening and/or shortening (
In the event of a lateral impact on the cap, the deformation and thus the absorption of the impact is ensured preferably by the second wall 3 (for example by lengthening and/or flattening of the second wall (see
In the event of an impact on the cap at an angle (between axial vertical dropping and lateral impact), the forces and deformations are distributed within the two walls 2, 3 as per the embodiments above.
It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments in the examples given above.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1559790 | Oct 2015 | FR | national |
This application is a 371 of International Application PCT/FR2016/052484 filed Sep. 29, 2016, which claims priority to French Patent Application No. 1559799 filed Oct. 15, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/FR2016/052484 | 9/29/2016 | WO | 00 |