Claims
- 1. A filling unit to prevent overfilling of a container having an upstanding generally tubular inlet which container inlet is normally closed by attaching a closure thereto, which filling unit comprises
- (a) means for engaging said tubular container inlet to seal therewith,
- (b) funnel means for receiving liquid and leading to an always open depending passageway through which free flow of liquid substantially unhindered by surface tension can occur into said container and through which air in said container can escape upward, said funnel means having a filling position extending above said tubular inlet when said closure is removed,
- (c) displacer means linked to said engaging means and said funnel means which has a hollow interior region and extends through said tubular inlet when installed and is disposed within said container, said displacer means itself displacing a predetermined amount of liquid in the container when said funnel means is in said filling position, said predetermined amount being such that, when said container is filled with liquid so that liquid extends upward to a predetermined level in said funnel means when in said filling position, said displaced predetermined amount is sufficient so that the entire volume of liquid occupying said funnel means up to said predetermined level when in said filling position can be accommodated in said container, and
- (d) valve means preventing said hollow interior region of said displacer means from filling when said funnel means is in said filling position and the remainder of the interior of said container is filling with liquid but, upon manipulation without breaking said seal between said engaging means and said container inlet, allowing flow of liquid into said hollow interior region and additional flow of liquid from said funnel means into said container,
- whereby filling may be carried out so that the liquid level extends above the upper end of said container inlet to a visible location within said funnel means, and
- whereby manipulation of said preventing means permits all the liquid previously remaining in said funnel means up to said predetermined level in said filling position to be accommodated in said container.
- 2. A filling unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said displacer means include a single hollow interior chamber which is capable of holding at least the volume of liquid in said funnel means up to said predetermined level.
- 3. A filling unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said displacer means is located immediately adjacent to said container inlet in an upper region of the interior of said container, and wherein opening means is provided so that, as liquid is withdrawn from said container, the liquid previously accommodated in said hollow chamber drains therefrom into the remainder of the interior of said container.
- 4. A filling unit in accordance with claim 3 wherein flexible drain valve means in said opening means prevents liquid flow therethrough into said hollow chamber when it is empty of liquid.
- 5. A filling unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said engaging means includes tubular holder means proportioned to seal to the interior surface of said inlet, wherein said displacer means includes a body proportioned to fit through said holder means except for an upper lip portion which is designed to rest atop said tubular inlet, and wherein said funnel means depends from said lip portion and constitutes a portion of said body, said body being constructed so as to interengage with said holder means and guide vertical movement of said body relative to said holder means and said tank opening, said holder means-body combination providing said hollow interior chamber which is disposed below said funnel means when said body is located in a vertically raised orientation for filling, said holder means and said body being designed so that vertical movement of said body downward relative to said holder means allows liquid in said container to enter said hollow interior chamber.
- 6. A filling unit in accordance with claim 5 wherein vent passageway means is provided in said body to permit air to escape from within said tank during filling.
- 7. A filling unit in accordance with claim 5 wherein said displacer means includes a bottom wall that extends radially outward from a tubular structure, which structure depends from the bottom of said funnel means and defines said always open passageway, to an upstanding annular flange which has an upper edge that seals against a lower edge of said tubular holder means when said body is in said vertically raised filling position whereby vertical manipulation of said body permits liquid in said container to overflow said upper edge of said annular flange and enter said hollow interior chamber.
- 8. A filling unit in accordance with claim 5 wherein said displacer means has a bottom wall that is joined to the lower edge of said tubular holder means and extends inward to boss means having an aperture located on the longitudinal axis of said tubular holder means,
- and wherein said body includes a hollow stem section which depends from said funnel means and provides said always open passageway below said funnel means, the exterior surface of said stem section being guided for movement within said central aperture means in said boss means.
- 9. A filling unit in accordance with claim 8 wherein said boss means includes interior thread means and wherein said stem exterior surface includes mating exterior thread means.
- 10. A filling unit in accordance with claim 9 wherein said isolating means includes opening means in said bottom wall and a peripherally extending element at the bottom end of said stem portion which seals against the undersurface of said bottom wall and blocks liquid flow through said opening means when said body is in said vertically raised filling position.
- 11. A filling unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said preventing means includes valve means which when closed prevents air from exiting from the top of said hollow interior chamber.
- 12. A filling unit in accordance with claim 11 wherein said hollow interior chamber is always open to the interior of said container.
- 13. A filling unit in accordance with claim 12 wherein said hollow interior chamber has no bottom wall.
- 14. A filling unit in accordance with claim 11 wherein said funnel means is collapsible radially inward from a liquid-receiving outwardly extended orientation to an orientation in which it is received within said tubular inlet, being biased to said outwardly extended orientation.
- 15. A filling unit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said engaging means includes holder means for permanent affixation to said tubular inlet, said funnel means being received and being vertically movable within said holder means so that downward vertical movement of said funnel means causes said funnel means to be cammed against said holder means and thereby to radially inwardly collapse.
- 16. A filling unit in accordance with claim 15 wherein said holder means and said funnel means have interengaging means constructed so that rotary movement of said funnel means relative to said holder means causes relative vertical movement of said funnel means.
- 17. A filling unit in accordance with claim 16 wherein a separate handle is engaged with said funnel means and wherein said relative rotary movement of said funnel means when in either said filling position or said storage position is effected by turning said separate handle which respectively either opens or closes said valve means before said relative vertical movement of said funnel means begins.
- 18. A filling unit in accordance with claim 17 wherein said funnel means is made of flexible material and collapses to a pleated configuration.
- 19. A filling unit in accordance with claim 18 wherein sealing means is provided which creates a fluidtight seal between said holder means and said funnel means when said funnel means is in said filling position.
- 20. A filling unit to prevent overfilling of a container having an upstanding generally tubular inlet which container inlet is normally closed by attaching a closure thereto, which filling unit is designed for permanent installation in said container and comprises
- (a) means for permanent engagement with an interior surface of said tubular container inlet and for sealing therewith,
- (b) funnel means for receiving liquid and leading to an always open depending passageway through which free flow of liquid substantially unhindered by surface tension can occur into said container and through which air in said container can escape upward, said funnel means being vertically movable between a filling position wherein it extends above said tubular inlet with said closure removed and a storage position wherein it is received within said container inlet so said closure can be attached thereto,
- (c) displacer means linked to said engaging means and said funnel means which provides a hollow interior region, said displacer means extending through said tubular inlet when installed so as to be disposed within said container, said displacer means displacing a predetermined amount of liquid in the container when said funnel means is in said filling position, said predetermined amount being such that, when said container is filled with liquid so that liquid extends upward to a predetermined level in said funnel means when in said filling position, said displaced predetermined amount is sufficient so that the entire volume of liquid occupying said funnel means up to said predetermined level when in said filling position can be accommodated in said hollow interior region, and
- (d) means preventing said hollow interior region of said displacer means from filling with liquid when said funnel means is in said filling position and the remainder of the interior of said container is filling with liquid but, upon manipulation, allowing flow of liquid into said hollow interior region and thereby additional flow of liquid from said funnel means into container.
- 21. A filling unit in accordance with claim 20 wherein said preventing means is so constructed that manipulation of said funnel means to move it from the filling position toward the storage position allows said flow of liquid into said hollow interior region of said displacer means.
- 22. A filling unit to prevent overfilling of a container having an upstanding generally tubular inlet which container inlet is normally closed by attaching a closure thereto, which filling unit comprises
- (a) means for engaging said tubular container inlet to seal therewith,
- (b) funnel means for receiving liquid and leading to means defining an always open depending passageway means through which free flow of liquid substantially unhindered by surface tension can occur into said container and through which air in said container can escape upward, said funnel means extending above said tubular inlet when installed in the filling position and air in said container being permitted to escape from the upper portion of the interior of said container to the atmosphere with said funnel means in the filling position,
- (c) displacer means extending into said container via said tubular inlet when installed and partially defining said passageway means, said displacer means itself displacing an amount of liquid in the container and in said funnel means equal to the volume of said displacer means which lies below a predetermined vertical level in said funnel means, said displaced amount being such that, when said container is filled with liquid so that liquid extends upward to said predetermined vertical level in said funnel means, said displaced amount is sufficient so that the entire volume of liquid occupying said funnel means up to said predetermined vertical level can be accommodated in said container, and
- (d) said displacer means being manipulatable without disengaging said seal to said tubular container inlet so that said displacer means no longer displaces liquid within said container,
- whereby filling may be carried out rapidly through said always open passageway so that the liquid level extends above the upper end of said container inlet to a visible location within said funnel means, and
- whereby manipulation of said displacer means thereafter permits all the liquid previously remaining in said funnel means up to said predetermined vertical level to be accommodated in said container.
- 23. A filling unit in accordance with claim 22 wherein said displacer means is constructed so as to be slidably received within said always-open passageway means of said funnel means and divides said open passageway into a plurality of vertical passageways which each extend into said container and to a location which is vertically above said predetermined level and open to the atmosphere.
- 24. A filling unit in accordance with claim 23 wherein said funnel means includes a frustoconical section which lies above a generally cylindrical section and in which said displacer means is slidably received and wherein said displacer means includes an upper portion having at least two surfaces which lie in abutting contact with the interior surface of said frustoconical section of said funnel means to create upper extension regions of said plurality of pathways, whereby manipulation of said displacer means is by upward sliding movement thereof in said cylindrical section of said funnel means.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/995,774, filed Dec. 23, 1992, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 813,125 filed Dec. 23, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,567, which is a continuation in-part of application Ser. No. 514,295, filed Apr. 25, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,343.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
766616 |
Hagenbach |
Jun 1904 |
|
3032080 |
Bures et al. |
May 1962 |
|
4256154 |
Black |
Mar 1981 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0210177 |
Sep 1940 |
CHX |
0012015 |
Jan 1907 |
GBX |
0230659 |
Mar 1925 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
995774 |
Dec 1992 |
|
Parent |
813125 |
Dec 1991 |
|
Parent |
514295 |
Apr 1990 |
|