Patent Application
20240280225
In general, the present invention relates to a portable cylinder, and in particular to a handle for a portable cylinder.
A variety of pressurized gas cylinders have been used for storage and transportation of pressurized gas products for household and industrial. For example, the cylinders may be used for the storage of gas for cooking appliances such as stoves or grills, for the storage of refrigerant, for the storage of helium, etc. Many of these cylinders have traditionally been fabricated of steel with a steel cylindrical body having a valve at the top for controlling the flow of gas from the cylinder, a footing at the bottom to provide stability for the cylinder upon a supporting surface, and a handle at the top to assist in transporting the cylinder and for protecting the valve.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a handle assembly for a cylinder is provided. The handle assembly includes a handle having a shroud portion configured to couple to a collar of the cylinder, the shroud portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges for abutting an underside of a respective one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs of the collar to prevent upward movement of the shroud portion relative to the collar, and a handle portion extending from the shroud portion and having one or more areas for grasping the handle, and an attachment member configured to be coupled to the shroud portion to prevent rotational movement of the handle relative to the collar, the attachment member having a body, a first projection projecting from a front wall of the body for engaging the shroud portion, and a second projection projecting from a back wall of the body for engaging the shroud portion.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a portable cylinder is provided. The portable cylinder includes a tank having an upper portion having a valve port, a mounting collar coupled to the upper portion of the tank, the mounting collar having an upwardly extending portion surrounding the valve port and a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs extending radially outwardly from the upwardly extending portion, wherein a respective gap is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs, and a handle assembly attached to the mounting collar. The handle assembly includes a handle having a shroud portion coupled to the collar, the shroud portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges that abut an underside of a respective one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs in an attachment position to prevent upward movement of the shroud portion relative to the collar, and a handle portion extending from the shroud portion and having one or more areas for grasping the handle, and an attachment member coupled to the shroud portion in the attachment position to prevent rotational movement of the handle relative to collar, the attachment member having a body, a first projection projecting from a front wall of the body for engaging the shroud portion, and a second projection projecting from a back wall of the body for engaging the shroud portion.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of assembling a portable cylinder is provided. The cylinder a tank having an upper portion, a collar attached to the tank at the upper portion, and a handle. The method includes lowering the handle onto the collar to cause a plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges of the handle to be received in gaps between adjacent ones of a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs on the collar, rotating the handle until each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges are positioned below a respective one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs, and advancing an attachment member downward through an opening in the handle such that projections on the attachment member engage projections projecting from the opening to couple the handle to the tank.
These and other objects of this invention will be evident when viewed in light of the drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:
Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems that relate to a portable cylinder. The cylinder has a tank having an upper portion having a valve port, a mounting collar coupled to the upper portion of the tank, and a handle assembly attached to the mounting collar. The mounting collar has an upwardly extending portion surrounding the valve port and a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs extending radially outwardly from the upwardly extending portion, wherein a respective gap is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs. The handle assembly includes a handle having a shroud portion configured to couple to a collar of the cylinder, the shroud portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges for abutting an underside of a respective one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs of the collar to prevent upward movement of the shroud portion relative to the collar, and a handle portion extending from the shroud portion and having one or more areas for grasping the handle, and an attachment member configured to be coupled to the shroud portion to prevent rotational movement of the handle relative to the collar, the attachment member having a body, a first projection projecting from a front wall of the body for engaging the shroud portion, and a second projection projecting from a back wall of the body for engaging the shroud portion.
With reference to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views. However, the inclusion of like elements in different views does not mean a given embodiment necessarily includes such elements or that all embodiments of the invention include such elements. The examples and figures are illustrative only and not meant to limit the invention, which is measured by the scope and spirit of the claims.
Turning now to
The handle 14 and/or tank 12 can have a color that is chosen to reflect the different materials of the handle 14 and/or tank 12 and/or the different fluids stored in the tank 12. For example, the tank 12 and/or handle 14 may be a first color to indicate that helium is stored in the tank 12, a second color to indicate that a first type of refrigerant is stored in the tank 12, a third color to indicate that a second type of refrigerant is stored in the tank 12, etc. The tank 12 may be made of a suitable material, such as a suitable metal, such as steel, and in an embodiment the tank may be non-refillable and thus disposable.
The tank 12 includes an upper portion 20 having a valve port for receiving a suitable valve 24, and a mounting collar 22 is provided surrounding the valve port. The mounting collar 22 may be secured to the upper portion 20 in any suitable manner, such as by a suitable welding process, such as spot welding, arc welding, etc., or may alternatively be integrally formed with the upper portion 20. In an embodiment, the mounting collar 22 is positioned on the upper portion 20, the valve 24 is positioned in the valve port, and then the mounting collar 22 and the valve 24 are secured to the upper portion 20 at the same time in one welding process. In another embodiment, the mounting collar 22 is positioned on the upper portion 20 and secured thereto in a first welding process, and the valve 24 is positioned in the valve port and secured thereto in a second welding process. The mounting collar 22 may be made of a suitable material, such as metal, such as a steel of a grade to allow for welding, corrosion resistance, and to absorb tension on the cylinder without significant deformation.
The mounting collar 22 has a base 26, which is shown as substantially circular, attached to the upper portion 20 and includes an opening 28 surrounding the valve port, an upwardly extending portion 30 extending around a perimeter of the base 26, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 32 extending radially outwardly from the upwardly extending portion 30. A respective gap 34 is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting collar 22 includes seven circumferentially spaced tabs 32 equally spaced from one another, although it we be appreciated that any suitable number of tabs may be provided at a suitable spacing from one another.
The base 26 may include indicia on its upper surface, such as indicia 36a, 36b, and 36c. The indicia 36a-36c may be suitable indicia used for attaching the handle 14 to the tank 12. For example, the indicia 36a may be in the form of a triangle or other suitable indicia for aligning with a corresponding triangle 38 (see
Referring additionally to
The shroud portion 40 includes an inner body portion 50 with an opening 52 or through passage extending therethrough to surround the valve 24, an outer body portion 54 radially outwardly spaced from the inner body portion 50, and a base 56 extending therebetween. A channel 46 is defined between the inner and outer body portions 50 and 54 and the base 56 for receiving the mounting collar 22 such that a radially outer surface of the inner body portion 50 will abut or be in close proximity to the upwardly extending portion 30 and a radially inner surface of the outer body portion 54 will abut or be in close proximity to an outer edge of the circumferentially spaced tabs 32. The inner and outer body portions 50 and 54 may be circular or substantially circular to correspond to the geometry of the mounting collar 22.
The shroud portion 40 also includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges 58 extending radially inwardly from the outer body portion 54 in the channel 46. In the illustrated embodiment, the shroud portion 40 includes seven ledges 58 equally spaced from one another, one ledge 58 corresponding to each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 32, although it will be appreciated that any suitable number of ledges 58 with suitable spacing may be provided. The ledges 58 are each spaced from the base 56 in a first direction to define areas for receiving a respective one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 32 of the mounting collar 22, and each ledge 58 is spaced from the inner body portion 50 in a respective second direction orthogonal the first direction to define an area for receiving the upwardly extending portion 30 of the mounting collar 22. Each ledge 58 can include a planar portion 60 and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 62 below the planar portion 60 for providing support to the planar portion 60 while minimizing weight and material usage. At least one of the ledges 58, and as shown three of the ledges 58, may also include a blocking portion 66 that projects substantially perpendicular to the planar portion 60 on one side thereof to abut the base 58 to provide a stop for preventing rotation of the handle 14 relative to the mounting collar 22 in one direction when contacting one of the tabs 32. A plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 64 are provided in the base 56 at a location where each opening 64 corresponds to one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced ledges 58. As illustrated, each opening 64 is larger than the respective ledge 58 on at least one side of the ledge.
Turning additionally to
Referring now to the handle portion 42 in detail and
Turning now to
The attachment member 18 also includes a projection 140 projecting downward from a bottom of the body, abutment surfaces 142 and 144 on opposite sides of projection 140, and an abutment surface 146 on the bottom of the projection 140. The projection 140 is configured to be received in one of the gaps 34 between adjacent ones of the plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 32, and in particular the gap 34 below the opening 70 when the handle 14 is positioned. The abutment surfaces 142 and 144 are configured to abut the adjacent tabs 32 that extend into the opening 70 when the handle 14 is positioned and the abutment surface 146 is configured to abut the upwardly extending portion 30.
Turning now to
Referring initially to
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The aforementioned systems, components, (e.g., cylinders, tanks, handles, among others), and the like have been described with respect to interaction between several components and/or elements. It should be appreciated that such devices and elements can include those elements or sub-elements specified therein, some of the specified elements or sub-elements, and/or additional elements. Further yet, one or more elements and/or sub-elements may be combined into a single component to provide aggregate functionality. The elements may also interact with one or more other elements not specifically described herein.
While the embodiments discussed herein have been related to the apparatus, systems and methods discussed above, these embodiments are intended to be exemplary and are not intended to limit the applicability of these embodiments to only those discussions set forth herein.
The above examples are merely illustrative of several possible embodiments of various aspects of the present invention, wherein equivalent alterations and/or modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, systems, circuits, and the like), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component, such as hardware, software, or combinations thereof, which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated implementations of the invention. In addition although a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Also, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in the detailed description and/or in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
In the specification and claims, reference will be made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify a quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term such as “about” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Moreover, unless specifically stated otherwise, a use of the terms “first,” “second,” etc., do not denote an order or importance, but rather the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish one element from another.
As used herein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility of an occurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specified property, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb by expressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibility associated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “may be” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable, or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while taking into account that in some circumstances the modified term may sometimes not be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in some circumstances an event or capacity can be expected, while in other circumstances the event or capacity cannot occur—this distinction is captured by the terms “may” and “may be.”
The best mode for carrying out the invention has been described for purposes of illustrating the best mode known to the applicant at the time and enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using devices or systems and performing incorporated methods. The examples are illustrative only and not meant to limit the invention, as measured by the scope and merit of the claims. The invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of the specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differentiate from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
