1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pressure vessel, more particularly to a pressure vessel having a structure for preventing deformation of a lining container therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydro-pneumatic pressure vessels are widely used in industrial and residential piping systems. For example, hydro-pneumatic pressure vessels are used for stabilizing water pressure and absorbing water hammers in hydraulic piping systems, absorbing thermal expansion in closed hot water systems and storing water in reverse osmosis systems.
As shown in
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a pressure vessel having a structure for preventing deformation of a lining container therein.
Accordingly, a pressure vessel of the present invention comprises:
an outer container unit having a surrounding wall that surrounds an axis, and first and second end walls that are spaced apart from each other along the axis and that cooperate with the surrounding wall to define an inner space, the surrounding wall having a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion, the first supporting portion being disposed between the second supporting portion and the first end wall;
a lining container disposed inside the first outer container and disposed to contact the first end wall and a portion of the surrounding wall, and having an end portion that corresponds in position to the first supporting portion;
an elastic diaphragm disposed in the inner space, and dividing the inner space into an air chamber and a water chamber that corresponds to the lining container, the diaphragm having a retaining sector that corresponds in position to the end portion of the lining container, and an extending sector that is connected to the retaining sector and that corresponds in position to the second supporting portion of the surrounding wall; and
a pressing member surrounding the axis, disposed in the air chamber, and having a first pressing segment that presses tightly the retaining sector of the diaphragm and the end portion of the lining container against the first supporting portion of the surrounding wall, and a second pressing segment that presses tightly the extending sector of the diaphragm against the second supporting portion of the surrounding wall.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
As shown in
The outer container unit 10 has a surrounding wall 14 that surrounds an axis (L), and first and second end walls 111, 121 that are spaced apart from each other along the axis (L), that are connected to opposite ends of the surrounding wall 14, and that cooperate with the surrounding wall 14 to define an inner space 13. The outer container unit 10 includes a first container body 11 and a second container body 12 that is welded to the first container body 11. The abovementioned first and second end walls 111, 121 are formed respectively in the first and second container bodies 11, 12, while the surrounding wall 14 is formed in the first and second container bodies 11, 12. The surrounding wall 14 has an annular first supporting portion 141 and an annular second supporting portion 142 located in the first container body 11. The first supporting portion 141 is disposed between the second supporting portion 142 and the first end wall 111.
Preferably, the surrounding wall 14 of the outer container unit 10 further has an annular third supporting portion 143 that is formed at one side of the second supporting portion 142 opposite to the first supporting portion 141 along the axis (L). Both of the first and third supporting portions 141, 143 are inwardly-curved.
The lining container 20 is disposed inside the outer container 10 and disposed to entirely contact the first end wall 111 and a portion of the surrounding wall 14, and has an annular end portion 21 that is inwardly-curved with respect to the axis (L) and that corresponds in position to the first supporting portion 141 of the surrounding wall 14.
The diaphragm 30 is made of rubber, and is disposed in the inner space 13 and divides the inner space 13 into an air chamber 16 and a water chamber 15 that corresponds to the lining container 20. The diaphragm 30 has a retaining sector 31 that corresponds in position to the end portion 21 of the lining container 20, and an extending sector 32 that is connected to the retaining sector 31 and that corresponds in position to the second supporting portion 142 of the surrounding wall 14. The retaining sector 31 has a retaining surface 311 that is in contact with the end portion 21 of the lining container 20, the extending sector 32 has a thickness larger than that of the retaining sector 31 and has a contact surface 321 that is in contact with the second supporting portion 142 of the surrounding wall 14, and the diaphragm 30 further has a shoulder portion formed between the retaining and extending sectors 31, 32 and having a shoulder surface 322 that confronts a distal end of the end portion 21 of the lining container 20.
Preferably, the diaphragm 30 further has a stop sector 33 connected to the extending sector 32 and corresponding in position to the third supporting portion 143 of the surrounding wall 14.
The pressing member 40 is disposed in the air chamber 16, surrounds the axis (L), and has an annular first pressing segment 41 and an annular second pressing segment 42.
The first pressing segment 41 is disposed to press tightly the retaining sector 31 of the diaphragm 30 and the end portion 21 of the lining container 20 against the first supporting portion 141 of the surrounding wall 14.
The annular second pressing segment 42 is disposed to press tightly the extending sector 32 of the diaphragm 30 against the second supporting portion 142 of the surrounding wall 14. Both the first pressing segment 41 and the retaining sector 31 of the diaphragm 30 are inwardly-curved with respect to the axis (L).
Preferably, the pressing member 40 further has an annular third pressing segment 43 connected to the second pressing segment 42, corresponding in position to the stop sector 33 of the diaphragm 30, and pressing the stop sector 33 against the third supporting portion 143 of the surrounding wall 14. The third pressing segment 43 and the stop sector 33 are both inwardly-curved with respect to the axis (L).
The water fitting 50 is disposed on the first container body 11 and communicates fluidly with the water chamber 15.
The air valve 60 is disposed on the second container body 12 and communicates fluidly with the air chamber 16.
Since the contact surface 321 of the extending sector 32 of the diaphragm 30 is in contact with the second supporting portion 142 of the surrounding wall 14 of the outer container unit 10, and the extending sector 32 is pressed tightly against the second supporting portion 142 by the second pressing segment 42 of the pressing member 40, the lining container 20 and the outer container unit 10 are coupled air-tightly to each other, and the configuration of the third pressing member 43, the stop sector 33, and the third supporting portion 143 further reinforces the coupling between the lining container 20 and the outer container unit 10. Hence, high-pressure air in the air chamber 16 would not escape into a space between the lining container 20 and the outer container unit 10. That is, when a pressure in the water chamber 15 drops suddenly, the lining container 20 is prevented from deforming toward the water chamber 5, such that performance of the pressure vessel is maintained.
During manufacturing of the pressure vessel, the outer container unit 10, the lining container 20, the elastic diaphragm 30, and the pressing member 40 are assembled before the inwardly-curved structures (the first pressing segment 41, the retaining sector 31, the end portion 21, the first supporting portion 141, the third pressing segment 43, the stop sector 33, and the third supporting portion 143) are formed by rolling. At that time, the shoulder portion of the diaphragm 30 would abut against the end portion 21 of the lining container 20 for positioning adequately the diaphragm 30 relative to the lining container 20 and the outer container unit 10.
It should be noted that the air valve 60 may be omitted in a modification in which inflation of the air chamber 16 is achieved through sublimation of solid carbon dioxide in the air chamber 16. Moreover, the third supporting portion 143 of the surrounding wall 14 of the outer container unit 10, the stop sector 33 of the diaphragm 30, and the third pressing segment 43 of the pressing member 40 may also be omitted without significantly compromising the capability of the preferred embodiment to achieve the desired effect of relatively improved airtightness between the lining container 20 and the outer container unit 10.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3174658 | Wittenberg et al. | Mar 1965 | A |
3236411 | Lander et al. | Feb 1966 | A |
3425593 | Zirps et al. | Feb 1969 | A |
3931834 | Caillet | Jan 1976 | A |
4214611 | Takacs et al. | Jul 1980 | A |
4252151 | Haug et al. | Feb 1981 | A |
4351363 | Haug et al. | Sep 1982 | A |
4595037 | LeBreton et al. | Jun 1986 | A |
4667841 | Belle | May 1987 | A |
5117873 | Miyakawa et al. | Jun 1992 | A |
5176178 | Schurter et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
5368073 | Murphy | Nov 1994 | A |
5386925 | Lane | Feb 1995 | A |
5778679 | Celorier et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
6041820 | Boehme | Mar 2000 | A |
6199717 | Tsai | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6401966 | Tsai | Jun 2002 | B2 |
6915922 | Wang | Jul 2005 | B2 |
6994228 | Yoshihara et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7216673 | Gremour et al. | May 2007 | B2 |
8033416 | Wang | Oct 2011 | B2 |
8079126 | Bampton et al. | Dec 2011 | B2 |
20040173624 | Carter | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20050017016 | Lombari | Jan 2005 | A1 |
20110309084 | Wang | Dec 2011 | A1 |