Patent Application
20220194290
The technical field generally relates to tank trailers, and more particularly to tank trailers operable from a rear of the tank trailer and proximate to ground level.
Tankers built for sanitary applications are subject to strict quality codes. In order to comply to these codes, all the components of the tanker which comes in contact with lading must be cleaned thoroughly by a cleaning system integrated to the tanker itself. These tankers include a ventilation system which can be tedious to clean because filling the ventilation conduits with washing fluid can impede ventilation of the tanker, which can lead to structural issues.
To fill and unload the tanker, it is beneficial to evacuate the air initially trapped in the tanker, or to let the air in to replace the fluid being unloaded. Known ventilation systems exist to provide this need, however, fluid from within the tanker often spill into the vent lines of these ventilation systems. The vent lines would need to be washed similar to any other part of the tanker that comes in contact with the fluid within the tanker. The fluid from within the tanker can be prevented from spilling into the vent lines using a valve, although such valves would then need to be disassemble and washed.
In light of the above, there is a need for an improved tank trailer adapted for various operations, such as sanitary applications.
According to a first aspect, a tank trailer is provided. The tank trailer includes a tank having an interior volume adapted to contain fluid. The tank includes a rear portion and a manhole extending through the tank and positioned proximate the rear portion and proximate to ground level. The tank trailer also includes a ventilation system having a ventilation interface communicating with the interior volume of the tank, a ventilation access port having a ventilation outlet positioned proximate the rear portion and proximate to ground level, and a ventilation pipe adapted to establish fluid communication between the ventilation outlet and ventilation interface. The tank trailer further includes a collection system including a collection pipe coupled between the ventilation interface and the ventilation pipe, the collection pipe defining an internal volume shaped and adapted to collect fluid spilling from the interior volume of the tank through the ventilation interface and at least partially prevent fluid flow into the ventilation pipe.
According to a possible implementation, the tank trailer further includes a lockable housing provided proximate the rear portion of the tank, and wherein the manhole and the ventilation access port are positioned within the lockable housing.
According to a possible implementation, the ventilation access port comprises a ventilation outlet adapted to be in fluid communication with a surrounding environment of the tank trailer.
According to a possible implementation, the internal volume of the collection pipe comprises a collection area defined in a bottom portion thereof for collecting the fluid, and wherein the ventilation pipe comprises an inlet communicating with the internal volume, the inlet being positioned vertically higher than the collection area.
According to a possible implementation, the tank trailer further including a drain system having a drain pipe connected to the collection pipe and adapted to drain the fluid from the collection area.
According to a possible implementation, the drain system comprises a drain system access port positioned within the lockable housing and provided with a drain pipe valve configured to prevent drained fluid from spilling inside the lockable housing.
According to a possible implementation, the ventilation interface comprises an interface pipe having a first end communicating with the interior volume of the tank, and a second end communicating with the internal volume of the collection pipe, and wherein the interface pipe comprises a ventilation elbow having an elbow apex positioned vertically higher than the collection pipe.
According to a possible implementation, the ventilation pipe comprises a secondary ventilation elbow having a secondary elbow apex positioned vertically higher than the collection pipe.
According to a possible implementation, the tank trailer further including a cleaning system comprising a washing fluid source and cleaning pipe adapted to supply washing fluid from the washing fluid source to at least one of the interior volume of the tank, the internal volume of the collection pipe and the ventilation interface.
According to a possible implementation, the cleaning system comprises a cleaning system access port positioned within the lockable housing and provided with a control valve configured to control the flowrate of washing fluid through the cleaning pipe.
Other features of advantages of the present invention will be better understood upon reading example implementations thereof, with reference to the appended drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with example implementations it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to such implementations. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as defined in the present application.
As will be explained below in relation to various implementations, the present disclosure describes a tank trailer, and more specifically a tank trailer adapted for sanitary applications, and its associated systems. Broadly described, the present disclosure describes a tank trailer having various improvements to facilitate with sanitary applications, such as the transportation of milk, for example. The tank trailer includes multiple systems and components positioned proximate to ground level to improve safety parameters when interacting with the systems and/or components. The systems and components of the tank trailer are adapted to be positioned proximate the rear of the tank trailer, and at least partially within a common compartment to facilitate access thereto.
As will be described further below, in some implementations the tank trailer includes a cleaning system, a ventilation system and a collection system adapted to cooperate with one another. The collection system is adapted to prevent fluid spilling from the interior of the tank trailer and coming into contact with the other systems, such as the ventilation system, for example. The tank trailer further includes a sealable manhole communicating with an interior of the tank trailer and provided proximate to ground level at the rear of the tank trailer. Each system of the tank trailer can include one or more access ports provided proximate the manhole at the rear of the tank trailer, whereby the access ports and the manhole are housed within a compartment/housing. The compartment can thus be adapted to gather the access ports of the various systems, along with the manhole, in a common area, thereby facilitating access to the manhole and the access ports.
It is noted that tank trailers include a tank outlet valve for unloading purposes which is traditionally positioned at the rear of the tank. Therefore, by positioning the access ports and the manhole proximate the rear of the tank trailer, and thus proximate the tank outlet valve, the operator of the tank trailer avoids having to move between various locations around the tank trailer to access these components. Furthermore, loading bays used for loading/unloading tank trailers can be designed to be narrower since the components to which access is required/desired would be located in a common area, such as at the rear of the tank.
It is noted that the tank trailer of the present disclosure is described in relation with sanitary applications (e.g., the transport of milk). However, it should also be noted that the systems of the tank trailer can be adapted to be installed on tank trailers used for other applications, such as chemical applications, or any other application requiring transportation of fluids in a tank.
In some implementations, the various components (e.g., the different systems) of the tank trailer can be connected to one another in a manner such that fluid communication between at least some of these components is established. For example, the ventilation system can include pipes and/or conduits in fluid communication with the tank of the tank trailer to enable venting of the tank, and the collection system can be fluidly connected to a portion of the ventilation system such that spills from within the tank are collected by the collection system and redirected elsewhere instead of flowing into the ventilation system.
With reference to
The tank trailer 10 also includes a manhole 14 positioned proximate to ground level and which can be opened and closed to provide access to the interior 13 (seen in
Now referring to
As seen in
As will be described further below, the ventilation system 30, the collection system 50 and the cleaning system 70 can have respective access ports accessible from ground level. In some implementations, the access ports can be positioned within the lockable housing 80 (e.g., along with the manhole 14) such that operation of the tank trailer 10 via the access ports can be accomplished at a centralized location (e.g., within the lockable housing 80). In the accompanying Figures, the lockable housing 80 is shown in an open configuration, and access to the components therein is granted. However, it is noted that the lockable housing 80 can include a door (not shown), or a sealing and/or locking mechanism (not shown), adapted to close the lockable housing 80, thereby preventing access to the components within. It is appreciated that any suitable sealing and/or locking mechanism can be used to lock the lockable housing 80 in the closed configuration and seal the access ports and manhole within.
Referring more specifically to
In addition, the ventilation system 30 includes one or more ventilation pipes 36 extending along a length of the tank 12 between the ventilation interface 32 and ventilation access port 34 for establishing fluid communication therebetween (e.g., between the interface pipe 33 and the ventilation outlet 35). It should thus be understood that the ventilation system 30 establishes fluid communication between the interior 13 of the tank 12 (e.g., via the ventilation interface 32) and the surrounding environment (e.g., via the ventilation outlet 35). The ventilation pipe(s) 36 can extend along the top portion 18, along the lateral portions 19, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the interface pipe 33 can include a ventilation elbow 38 shaped and size to prevent, or reduce the amount of fluid spilling into the interface pipe 33 from flowing into subsequent parts of the ventilation system 30. In this implementation, the ventilation elbow 38 extends vertically higher than the pipe(s) to which it is connected to create an obstacle for fluid flow, whereby gravity assists in preventing fluid from flowing further into the ventilation system 30 (and other components). More specifically, the ventilation elbow 38 can be shaped to include an elbow apex 39 positioned vertically higher than the inlet and outlet of the ventilation elbow 38.
As seen in
Now referring to
With reference to
Moreover, the internal volume 54 can include a collection area 56 in which fluid is received and can accumulate (i.e., an area in which fluid can at least partially pool). It should be understood that the collection area 56 corresponds to a bottom portion (e.g., bottom half) of the collection pipe 52, whereby fluid flowing into the collection pipe 52 is collected at the bottom of the collection pipe 52 (i.e., within the collection area 56). In some implementations, the collection pipe 52 can be coupled to the tank 12 via braces, fasteners and/or any other suitable means. However, it is appreciated that the collection pipe 52 can simply be coupled between two or more pipes.
In this implementation, the ventilation system 30 can include a secondary ventilation elbow 46 extending between the ventilation pipe 36 and the collection pipe 52. Similar to the ventilation elbow 38, the secondary ventilation elbow 46 is shaped in a manner to have a portion thereof be vertically higher than the collection pipe 52, thereby impeding fluid within the collection pipe 52 from flowing into the ventilation pipe 36. In this implementation, the ventilation elbow 38 and the secondary ventilation elbow 46 connect to a top portion of the collection pipe 52. More specifically, the inlet 47 of the secondary ventilation elbow 46 is positioned vertically higher than the collection area 56 of the collection pipe 52. Therefore, fluid being received by the collection pipe 52 can pool in the collection area 56 without entering the ventilation pipe 36 (e.g., due in part to gravity) through the inlet 47 of the secondary ventilation elbow 46. In some implementations, fluid can pool within the internal volume 54 of the collection pipe 52 to an extent where a portion thereof spills into the inlet 47 of the secondary ventilation elbow 46 (e.g., due to turbulences). However, it is noted that the secondary ventilation elbow 46 can be shaped to include an apex 48 positioned vertically higher than the inlet 47, thereby further preventing, or at least impeding, fluid flow along the ventilation pipe 36 and toward the ventilation access port 34.
Now referring to
The cleaning system 70 also includes a cleaning system access port 75 provided at the rear of the tank trailer 10 (e.g., proximate the manhole 14 and/or the ventilation access port 34). The cleaning system access port 75 is therefore adapted to be accessible from ground level, and can include a control valve (now shown) for controlling the flowrate of washing fluid from the washing fluid source, through the cleaning pipe, and to the tank trailer components. The cleaning system access port 75 is preferably positioned within the lockable housing 80 to increase security and prevent unauthorized access thereto.
In some implementations, the cleaning pipe 74 can be adapted to supply washing fluid to at least the interior volume 13 of the tank 12, the collection pipe 52 and the ventilation elbow 38 since fluid (e.g., milk) is more likely to flow in/through these components. As seen in
In some implementations, each cleaning pipe 74 can include respective cleaning interfaces 76 communicating with the interior of the corresponding component. For example, the tank cleaning pipe 74a communicates with the interior volume 13 of the tank 12 via a tank cleaning interface 76a. Similarly, the collection cleaning pipe 74b communicates with the interior of the collection pipe 52 via a collection cleaning interface 76b, and the ventilation elbow cleaning pipe 74c communicates with the interior of the ventilation elbow 38 via a ventilation elbow cleaning interface 76c. Each cleaning interface 76 can be provided with a dispersion device, such as a spray-head or spray-ball, configured to effectively disperse washing fluid within the corresponding components and clean them. For example, and as seen in
Referring back to
In this implementation, and as best seen in
The drain pipe 92 can be adapted to evacuate fluid collecting in the collection pipe 52 to prevent it from flowing into the ventilation pipe 36. However, it should be noted that the drain system 90 can be adapted to drain the various pipes from washing fluid following a cleaning process. In some implementations, once the tank 12 has been emptied (e.g., following a delivery), washing fluid can be injected to the various pipes and into the tank 12. For example, washing fluid injected into the ventilation elbow 38 can flow (fall) into the collection pipe 52 and tank 12. The washing fluid in the collection pipe 52 can be drained therefrom via the drain pipe 92 connected thereto.
In another implementation, the drain system 90 can be part of the cleaning system 70, where a single pipe (or set of pipes) is used for both providing cleaning fluid to the various systems of the tank trailer 10 and within the tank 12, and to drain the fluids from these systems and from within the tank. For example, the cleaning pipe 74 can be used for initially supplying washing fluid to the components of the tank trailer (e.g., the tank, the collection pipe, the ventilation pipe(s), etc.), and subsequently used to drain the fluids (e.g., residual washing fluid and/or other) from these components. The position, configuration and cooperation between the cleaning pipe 74 and the various components of the tank trailer can therefore be adapted to facilitate both functions (e.g., supplying washing fluid and draining fluids).
With reference to
It should be noted that, during the cleaning process, washing fluid can cause the collection pipe 52 to overflow and spill into the venting pipe 36. As such, in this implementation, the pipe manifold 96 can be connected to the second branch of the T-joint 42 to allow the overflowing fluid to be drained via the pipe manifold 96, which routes the fluid into the tank via the manhole connection 15, as described above. It is appreciated that, during the cleaning process, the cap 44 (seen in
Referring back to
More specifically, the ventilation interface 32 can include an anti-wave mechanism 100 connected to the interface pipe 33 and extending within the interior 13 of the tank 12. In this implementation, the anti-wave mechanism 100 includes an insert 102 connected to the interface pipe 33 and extending within the tank 12 by any suitable length adapted to prevent fluids from flowing up the insert 102 due to the waves of fluid, for example and as described above. The insert 102 can be a length of pipe connectable to the interface pipe 33, effectively extending the length of the interface pipe 33. The insert 102 can have generally the same dimensions (e.g., diameter, thickness, etc.) as the interface pipe 33, although other configurations are possible. It should be noted that, when the tank 12 is full, the anti-wave insert 102 can be partially submerged. Therefore, in some implementations, the anti-wave insert 102 can be provided with apertures 104 defined therethrough proximate the top portion 18 of the tank 12 to promote ventilation of the tank 12. In the illustrated implementation, the anti-wave insert 102 has four (4) apertures 104, although it is appreciated that any other suitable number of apertures 104 is possible and may be used to promote ventilation of the interior 13 of the tank 12.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that there is provided a tank trailer that, by virtue of its design and components, as explained herein, and the particular configurations thereof, advantageously enables operations of the tank trailer at the rear end of the tank, from a centralized location (e.g., within the lockable housing), and from ground level. The position and configuration of the various access ports, along with the manhole, allow for operation of the tank trailer in a more efficient, more reliable, more adjustable, more versatile, more adaptable and/or more desirable manner, compared to what is possible with respect to other known tank trailers. Although the various implementations described herein include positioning the access ports and the manhole within the housing at the rear of the tank, it is appreciated that the housing can alternatively be located at any other suitable location on and/or around the tank, such as on the sides, at the front, below the tank (e.g., on a bottom surface of the tank, or on the trailer), for example.
Moreover, it should be understood that the anti-wave mechanism, the ventilation elbow, the collection pipe and the drain system all cooperate with one another to prevent fluid from entering the ventilation pipe 36. It should also be understood that, if fluids are prevented access to the ventilation pipe 36 and subsequent components (i.e., from the tank 12), then these components are not required to be connected to the cleaning system to be directly and thoroughly cleaned, thereby facilitating the overall cleaning process of the tank trailer 10. However, it is noted that the ventilation pipe 36 can be connected to the cleaning system, thereby permitting the ventilation system (or at least a portion thereof) to be cleaned, when necessary and as required in certain fields, such as in sanitary application, for example.
Moreover, although the implementations of the tank trailer and corresponding parts thereof consist of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperation thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations, may be used for the tank trailer, as it is briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom by a person skilled in the art. Moreover, it is appreciated that positional descriptions such as “top”, “bottom”, “above”, “below”, “left”, “right” and the like should, unless otherwise indicated, be taken in the context of the figures and should not be considered limiting.
Furthermore, in the context of the present description, it will be considered that all elongated objects will have an implicit “longitudinal axis” or “centerline”, such as the longitudinal axis and centerline of a pipe, for example, and that expressions such as “connected” and “connectable”, “attached” and “attachable” or “mounted” and “mountable”, may be interchangeable, in that the present disclosure includes various components for assembling various systems of a tank trailer.
Moreover, components of the tank trailer and/or steps of the method(s) described herein could be modified, simplified, altered, omitted and/or interchanged, without departing from the scope of the present invention, depending on the particular applications which the present invention is intended for, and the desired end results, as briefly exemplified herein and as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.
Several alternative implementations and examples have been described and illustrated herein. The implementations described above are intended to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual implementations, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the implementations could be provided in any combination with the other implementations disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific applications or configurations. The present examples and implementations, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific implementations have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the invention.
In the present disclosure, an implementation is an example or implementation of the tank trailer and/or associated components. The various appearances of “one implementation,” “an implementation” or “some implementations” do not necessarily all refer to the same implementations. Although various features may be described in the context of a single implementation, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the tank trailer may be described herein in the context of separate implementations for clarity, it may also be implemented in a single implementation. Reference in the specification to “some implementations”, “an implementation”, “one implementation”, or “other implementations”, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementations is included in at least some implementations, but not necessarily in all implementations.
It should also be appreciated that similar features of the drawings have been given similar reference numerals. To preserve the clarity of the drawings, some reference numerals have been omitted when they were already identified in a preceding figure.
This application claims priority under 35 USC§ 119(e) of US Provisional Application No. 63/126.600, filed Dec. 17, 2020, entitled “TANK TRAILER WITH FLUID COLLECTION SYSTEM”, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63126600 | Dec 2020 | US |
