GB2109333A - Safety cover for containers holding gasified liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

A safety cover for a container e.g. of glass, holding gasified liquids for retaining fragments in event of the container bursting, comprises at least two connected bodies 1, 9 of contractable plastics material, one of the bodies having disc-shaped lower base 2, and a perimetral projection 4 which projects from the perimetral border of. the disc-shaped base of the body substantially perpendicularly to the base, and the other body 9 being attached to a head valve (not shown) of the container and having a perimetral projection 13 extending down the container. The edge regions of adjacent bodies are overlappingly interconnected by co-operating projections and recesses or apertures. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety cover for containers holding gasified liquids This invention relates to safety covers for containers holding gasified liquids.

More particularly it relates to a cover which completely covers the body of a container or vessel, from the outside, thus offering total protection and safety in case it explodes, while containing liquids gasified under pressure based on soluble or insoluble gases.

There is no doubt that syphons (Seltzer bottles) are a constant threat of explosion either by impact, shaking, misuse, or simply due to failure of the glass container, due to the pressure of the gas kept with the mixture of water or beverage.

It has caused and still causes, serious injuries and death to production and delivery personnel as well as consumers, due to the fracturing of the glass.

In order to reduce the effects of the breakage of the glass container, part of the body of the glass bottle has been covered with a sleeve of aluminium sheet, other metals or synthetic plastic material.

Certain ornamental covers, are simply pulled over the head valve and narrowed at the neck, at the upper tapered part, which reaches below the head valve, in the example of the soda water bottle syphon. At the lower part, the sleeve reaches to a certain distance from the bottom, and known covers do not extend beyond this distance.

Thus, the apparent safety of said sleeves, as a means of protection against the effects of explosion, is not realised in practice.

For example the bottom of the container, which is the thickest glass part of the container, has not been protected by adequate means, and hence all the power of the explosion is concentrated here, the fragments of glass being dispersed radially with great power.

In another example the head valve is fixed on a screw, which is detachable from the bottom and which is not protected, tends to shoot off like a projectile when an explosion occurs.

Where a protective sleeve is employed around the container the body of the container is protected only up to a certain point, preventing radial dispersion of the fragments.

However, due to the fact that the body of the container of gasified liquids is under pressure and is surrounded by a sleeve, all the power of the resulting explosive expansion, will project to either end, with the results mentioned before.

If a syphon placed with its base resting on a table should explode, its pieces would be thrown at table level with great force and danger.

It is, an object of this invention, to provide in a practical way, the proper safety of any potentially explosive container of gasified liquid under pressure, such as soda water contained in glass bottles.

According to the invention there is provided a safety cover for containers holding gasified liquids of the type in which a cover surrounds the container, comprising at least two bodies of contractable plastic material, one of the bodies having an inwebbed disc-shaped lower base, also with an inwebbed perimetral projection which projects from the perimetral border of the disc-shaped base of the body substantially perpendicularly to the base, said perimetral projection terminating in an integral ribbon-shaped band, a screw of a head valve of the container holding a second body having a perimetral projection which extends down the container and which terminates in an integral ribbon-shaped band, wherein the ribbonshaped bands of each body overlap with the ribbon-shaped band of an adjacent body and in each set of overlapping bands outermost from the container has a plurality of surface grooves which surround the band in a parallel manner and the band innermost to the container has a plurality of formations emerging from the band in a parallel manner, and the formations are arranged to fit the grooves on the overlapping bands, whereby adjacent bodies may be connected together.

Preferably the safety cover has a third tubelike body which is inwebbed on both ends with ribbon-shaped bands the upper of which overlaps with the band of the perimetral projection from the base and the lower which overlaps with the band of the perimetral projection from the head screw.

The parts of the invention may, if desired, be assembled by welding or by an adhesive of adequate strength.

The invention provides a total protection against explosions. The head valve is secured to the second body so it will not be blown off.

Similarly the glass base will be contained by the first body, which surrounds it.

This invention is easily used with containers already in commonn use, like for instance glass bottles and containers having a complete head valve.

Consequently the invention can easily be adopted by industry without the need for great changes. In addition the protection from explosions provided by the invention will increase safety and decrease economic losses due to damage.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows one example of the invention, in which the security cover, consists of three elements, a bottom, a head valve cover and a centre sleeve; Figure 2 shows an example of the invention comprising two elements, a bottom and a head valve cover, arranged to be joined at the centre; Figure 3 is a further view of the first example; Figure 4 shows one embodiment of the arrangement of formations and grooves provided on the security cover; Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the arrangement of formations and grooves provided on the security cover; Figure 6 shows another embodiment of the arrangement of formations and grooves provided on the security cover; Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the arrangement of formations and grooves provided on the security cover; and Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the arrangement of formations and grooves provided on the security cover.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the security cover has a first thermoplastic shrinkable body 1, with a disc-shaped base 2, inwebbed with marginal edge 3. A part 5 is also inwebbed. A perimetral projection 4 extends perpendicularly from the base 2, and a ribbon-shaped band 6 is arranged at the upper end of the projection 4. The outer surface of band 6 has a plurality of grooves 21.

The security cover also has a second thermoplastic shrinkable body 9. A part 10 of the body 9 is provided with a screw thread 11. A perimetral projection 1 3 extends downwardly from part 10, and has a ribbon-shaped band 14 at its lower end. The outer surface of band 14 has a plurality of grooves 28.

A third body 19 extends between the first body 1 and the second body 9. The third body is provided at its lower end with ribbonshaped band 22 having formations 20, and at its upper end with ribbon-shaped band 23 having formations 24. The bands are arranged so that grooves 21 can interengage with formations 20 and grooves 28 can interengage with formations 24.

Fig. 2 shows a security cover which has only two bodies 1 and 9. Here the perimetral projections 4 and 1 3 are extended in length and end respectively in ribbon-shaped bands 6 and 1 2. Band 6 is provided with grooves 8 which can interengage with formations 1 6 provided on band 12.

Figs. 4 to 8 show a number of different forms of the grooves 8, 21 and 28 interengaging respectively with formations 16, 20 and 24.

In Fig. 4 the grooves 29 and formations 30 are not continuous.

In Fig. 5 the grooves 31 are provided as button holes while the formations 32 are provided as buttons.

In Fig. 6 the grooves 33 comprise a "V" shaped section into which the correspondingly shaped formations 34 may fit.

In Fig. 7 the grooves 35 and formations 36 are square-shaped and in Fig. 8 the grooves 37 and formations 38 are swallow-tailed shaped.

Claims (10)

1. A safety cover for containers holding gasified liquids, comprising a plurality of bodies, one of which surrounds the base of the container, and another of which is attached to a head valve of the container, in which each body is connected to each adjacent body, whereby the container is surrounded by the bodies.

2. A safety cover according to Claim 1 having a third body which is tube-like and which can be located between the base and the head valve of the container.

3. A safety cover according to Claim 1 or 2 in which adjacent bodies are connected together by the interengagement of formations provided on one body with grooves provided on the adjacent body.

4. A safety cover for containers holding gasified liquids of the type in which a cover surrounds the container, comprising at least two bodies of contractable plastic material, one of the bodies having an inwebbed discshaped lower base, also with an inwebbed perimetral projection which projects from the perimetral border of the disc-shaped base of the body substantially perpendicularly to the base, said perimetral projection terminating in an integral ribbon-shaped band, a screw of a head valve of the container holding a second body having a perimetral projection which extends down the container and which terminates in an integral ribbon-shaped band, wherein the ribbon-shaped bands of each body overlap with the ribbon-shaped band of an adjacent body and in each set of overlapping bands the band outermost from the container has a plurality of surface grooves which surround the band in a parallel manner and the band innermost to the container has a plurality of formations emerging from the band in a parallel manner, and the formations are arranged to fit the grooves on the overlapping bands, whereby adjacent bodies may be connected together.

5. A safety cover according to Claim 4 in which the safety cover has third tube-like body which is inwebbed on both ends with ribbon-shaped bands the upper of which overlaps with the band of the perimetral projection from the base and the lower which overlaps with the band of the perimetral projection from the head screw.

6. A safety cover according to claims 3 to 5 in which the formations and grooves have swallow-tail shaped cross-sections.

7. A safety cover according to claims 3 to 5 in which the formations and grooves have a square-shaped cross-sections.

8. A safety cover according to claims 3 to 5 in which the formations and grooves have "V" haped cross-sections.

9. A safety cover according to any of Claims 3 to 8 in which the formations and grooves are not continuous.

10. A safety cover substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.