US 11,447,332 B2Granted

Assembly of an inliner and a tank container

AssigneeMega-Inliner International Group B.V.

InventorSidonius Joseph Victor Marie Van Laarhoven

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Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly (10) of a tank container (20), an inliner (40) and a connection unit (60) for the transport and/or storage of a liquid. The inliner is present in the tank container and the outlet of the inliner is connected to the drain hole (25) of the tank container. A connection unit is present that secures the connection of both outlets and at the same time provides a liquid tight and an air tight connection with an external unit for the delivery or discharge of the liquid contents.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An assembly comprised of a tank container, an inliner and a connection unit for the transport and/or storage of a fluid, wherein

(a) the tank container:
(a1) is of a cylindrical-like shape and comprises a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal axis extending from the first end portion to the second end portion;
(a2) comprises a circumferential wall having an inner surface inside the tank container and an outer surface outside the tank container, the circumferential wall being present between a first wall at the first end portion of the tank container and a second wall at the second end portion of the tank container, the first wall and the second wall having an inner surface inside the tank container and an outer surface outside the tank container;
(a3) comprises a drain hole that is present either in the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container thereby abutting the circumferential wall, or at the interface of the circumferential wall with the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container, the drain hole merging into a container spout extending from the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container or at the interface of the two walls, the container spout being provided with fastening means for connecting with the connection unit;
(a4) has an inner circumference around the circumferential wall;
(a5) has a bottom length, which is the length of the circumferential wall in the longitudinal direction, measured from a) that point on the interface of the circumferential wall with the first wall that comprises the drain hole to b) the corresponding point at the interface of the circumferential wall with the second wall;
and
(a6) has a first wall height that is defined as the distance from the drain hole to the opposite interface of the circumferential wall with the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container, measured along the inner surface of the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container;
and
(a7) comprises a manhole;
and wherein
(b) the inliner:
(b1) is present inside the tank container;
(b2) comprises at least two sheets lying on top of each other and that are sealed together at their edges, the inliner having:
a longitudinal dimension (length) between two short edges of the inliner, the longitudinal dimension being equal to the bottom length of the tank container plus 0.4-2.0 times the wall height of the first wall of the tank container plus 0.4-2.0 times the wall height of the second wall of the tank container, when measured over the surface of the inliner;
and
a transverse dimension (width) between two long edges of the inliner, the transverse dimension being perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension and being in the range of 0.4-1.0 times the inner circumference around the circumferential wall, when measured over the surface of the inliner, wherein the inner circumference is the largest circumference that is present between the first wall and the second wall, measured over the inner surface of the circumferential wall;
(b3) comprises an opening merging into an inliner spout, wherein
the opening is positioned on or adjacent to a central line extending along the longitudinal dimension of the inliner, wherein the shortest distance between the inliner spout and one of the short edges of the inliner is in the range of 0.1-2.0 times the wall height of the first wall;
the inliner spout is extending through the drain hole of the tank container and through at least part of the container spout, wherein the inliner spout is attached to the container spout;
the inliner is oriented in the tank container in such way that the central line along the longitudinal dimension comprising the inliner spout is aligned with the bottom length of the tank container, wherein the short edge of the inliner that is closest to the inliner spout is positioned at the first end portion of the tank container;
and wherein
(c) the connection unit:
(c1) comprises a tube for the passage of a liquid, the tube having a first end portion that extends through the container spout and through the inliner spout such that the first end portion of the connection unit extends into the tank container and into the inliner, and a second end portion that is outside the container spout, outside the inliner spout and outside the container, the second end portion comprising a closing means to control the passage of liquid through the tube;
(c2) comprises fastening means for connecting to the container spout;
and
(c3) is fastened to the container spout;
wherein
the first end portion of the tube is pressed against the inside of the inliner spout so that there is a liquid tight and air tight connection of the inliner spout with the connection unit.

26 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An assembly comprised of a tank container, an inliner and a connection unit for the transport and/or storage of a fluid, wherein

(a) the tank container:
(a1) is of a cylindrical-like shape and comprises a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal axis extending from the first end portion to the second end portion;
(a2) comprises a circumferential wall having an inner surface inside the tank container and an outer surface outside the tank container, the circumferential wall being present between a first wall at the first end portion of the tank container and a second wall at the second end portion of the tank container, the first wall and the second wall having an inner surface inside the tank container and an outer surface outside the tank container;
(a3) comprises a drain hole that is present either in the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container thereby abutting the circumferential wall, or at the interface of the circumferential wall with the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container, the drain hole merging into a container spout extending from the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container or at the interface of the two walls, the container spout being provided with fastening means for connecting with the connection unit;
(a4) has an inner circumference around the circumferential wall;
(a5) has a bottom length, which is the length of the circumferential wall in the longitudinal direction, measured from a) that point on the interface of the circumferential wall with the first wall that comprises the drain hole to b) the corresponding point at the interface of the circumferential wall with the second wall;
and
(a6) has a first wall height that is defined as the distance from the drain hole to the opposite interface of the circumferential wall with the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container, measured along the inner surface of the first wall at the first end portion of the tank container;
and
(a7) comprises a manhole;
and wherein
(b) the inliner:
(b1) is present inside the tank container;
(b2) comprises at least two sheets lying on top of each other and that are sealed together at their edges, the inliner having:
a longitudinal dimension (length) between two short edges of the inliner, the longitudinal dimension being equal to the bottom length of the tank container plus 0.4-2.0 times the wall height of the first wall of the tank container plus 0.4-2.0 times the wall height of the second wall of the tank container, when measured over the surface of the inliner;
and
a transverse dimension (width) between two long edges of the inliner, the transverse dimension being perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension and being in the range of 0.4-1.0 times the inner circumference around the circumferential wall, when measured over the surface of the inliner, wherein the inner circumference is the largest circumference that is present between the first wall and the second wall, measured over the inner surface of the circumferential wall;
(b3) comprises an opening merging into an inliner spout, wherein
the opening is positioned on or adjacent to a central line extending along the longitudinal dimension of the inliner, wherein the shortest distance between the inliner spout and one of the short edges of the inliner is in the range of 0.1-2.0 times the wall height of the first wall;
the inliner spout is extending through the drain hole of the tank container and through at least part of the container spout, wherein the inliner spout is attached to the container spout;
the inliner is oriented in the tank container in such way that the central line along the longitudinal dimension comprising the inliner spout is aligned with the bottom length of the tank container, wherein the short edge of the inliner that is closest to the inliner spout is positioned at the first end portion of the tank container;
and wherein
(c) the connection unit:
(c1) comprises a tube for the passage of a liquid, the tube having a first end portion that extends through the container spout and through the inliner spout such that the first end portion of the connection unit extends into the tank container and into the inliner, and a second end portion that is outside the container spout, outside the inliner spout and outside the container, the second end portion comprising a closing means to control the passage of liquid through the tube;
(c2) comprises fastening means for connecting to the container spout;
and
(c3) is fastened to the container spout;
wherein
the first end portion of the tube is pressed against the inside of the inliner spout so that there is a liquid tight and air tight connection of the inliner spout with the connection unit.

26 more elements