Patent Application
20060151354
This invention relates to the field of storage containers, and in particular, to storage containers for protecting of items that can adversely affected by atmospheric conditions or in environments with adverse conditions.
The environment can be destructive to certain metals and sensitive valuables. By way of example, the air in coastal regions typically has a very high moisture and salt content which is capable of corroding most metals. When dissimilar metals are present, the moisture and salt can even result in electrolysis of the metals. Alternatively, a desert region is known to have very high dust particle content wherein fine particles can result in premature wear of coatings and rotating items such as bearings. Obviously numerous conditions therebetween can lead to similar premature wear of the valuable. It should be noted that such conditions can be compounded by the inclusion of high temperatures and man made pollutants. These conditions may not be limited to a particular region and may be replicated around lakes, mountains, cities and so forth.
Delicate items, such as cameras, binoculars, electronic equipment including but not limited to computers, firearms, electrical appliances, medical equipment, instruments and clothing, may be protected by enclosures but the atmospheric conditions of the region will pervade the space over time. The resulting corrosion and growth of mildew or mold can degrade, if not destroy such items. Also, certain activities, such as camping, boating, RV travel and other sustained outdoors activities, subject such delicate items to varying environmental conditions deleterious to them, if unprotected.
The prior art is replete with examples of hermetically sealed containers, for example carbonated beverages and certain canned foods, which may be pressurized or vacuum packed. Such containers are rigid and require a complete seal between the interior and the exterior. Usually, these containers have a frangible seal that cannot be resealed once it is breached. Even if the container can be resealed there is no provision for restoring the pressure differential in the container.
Another example of pressurized containers is the cannister used for housing tennis balls. Tennis balls are placed in a pressurized container during the manufacturing step but once the container is opened, the tennis ball cover is porous and the optimum pressure within the ball slowly dissipates after the balls are removed from the cannister package. In view of this condition, storage containers are available for use with the tennis balls wherein a a hand pump is used to keep the balls in a pressurized state to increase their useful life.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,491 to Roeder teaches another type of container for storing tennis balls. The container is pressurized by coupling to a high pressure reservoir. The reservoir is connected to a control housing including gauges, an air compressor, and valves to maintain the storage container at a pre-determined pressure. The storage container has an access door for loading and unloading tennis balls.
Thus what is needed is a versatile storage container that can maintain a positive or negative internal pressure to protect sensitive equipment and instruments from adverse atmospheric conditions.
A container for storing items from adverse environments having a rigid exterior forming a continuous box with an open mouth. A gasketed door is hinged to the box and is provided with catches cooperating with clasps on the box to compress the gasket and close the open mouth forming a hermetic seal. A one-way valve is mounted on the container to subject the sealed interior to a pressure differential from the atmospheric condition. A pressure gauge is mounted on the container to indicate the pressure differential existing in the container. Preferably the container will maintain a pressure of 0.5 psi to 30 psi, or a vacuum of −0.5 to −30. The pressure introduced is by an inert gas or air.
Therefore, it is an objective of this invention to provide a container, sufficiently rigid and impervious, to prevent physical damage to stored items and to withstand a negative or positive internal pressure without deformation.
It is another objective of this invention to provide a container with a one-way valve for pressurizing the container.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a container with a one-way valve for evacuating the container.
It is yet another objective of this invention to provide a gauge in the container for showing the amount of negative pressure or positive pressure within the interior of the container.
It is a still further objective of this invention to provide an opening in the container with a removable door for gaining access to the interior. The door including a seal for forming a hermetic closure when in place.
Another objective is to provide a versatile storage container that can maintain a positive or negative internal pressure to protect sensitive equipment and instruments from adverse atmospheric conditions.
Still another objective is to provide a storage container capable of overcoming the certain environmental deleterious effects by use of a pressure differential.
The storage container 10, shown in
As shown in
The outer front wall 11 and inner front wall 27 are connected to outer end walls 13 and 14 with inner walls 28, 29, respectively, are connected to outer back wall 15 and inner back wall 30 forming a four sided structure. The front wall, back wall and end walls are connected to the outer bottom wall 19 and inner back wall 26 forming an open topped container. In effect, this constitutes a box within a box with the margins sealed together. The outer walls are of sufficient strength and rigidity to prevent puncture and breaking from normal usage.
The door 12 has an outer wall and an inner wall made of the same construction as the box. The door 12 is pivotably connected to the box by hinges 20 and 21 mounted to form a pressure seal between the box and the door. The periphery of the door has a sealing gasket 31, shown in
As shown, over-center clasps 22 and 23 are mounted on the front outer wall of the container 10 with bails that extend to engage posts 24 and 25 on the door. As the over-center clasps are pivoted downwardly the bails place compression on the sealing gasket of the door. The opening and closing of the door along with the fastening of the clasps permit convenient entry and exit of the container for temporary storage of items. Other suitable fasteners may be used, such as threaded clasps and wing nuts, circumferential straps, etc.
The inner walls, gasket and clasps of the box and door form a pressure vessel capable of withstanding positive and negative pressures in the range of 0.5 psi (pounds per square inch) to +30 psi without deformation. The pressure differential between the interior of the container and the outside atmosphere effectively separates the two environments from each other.
Once the items, such as camera 100, have been stored in the container and the door closed and fastened, a source of positive or negative pressure may be connected to the one-way valves 17 or 40, shown in FIG. s 4 and 5. Of course, the container may be provided with only one valve for either a positive pressure or a negative pressure storage.
A pressure gauge 16 is mounted on the end wall of the container. The gauge may read both negative pressure and positive pressure of the condition of the interior of the container. Obviously, when only one one-way valve is used, the gauge would read only the pressure differential produced in the container. The gauge may have an additional aural device to signal low pressure differential. The aural device may be operated by air or battery powered. The gauge serves as a visual indicator of the condition of the interior of the container.
A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiment but only by the scope of the appended claims.
