# US 2017/0254476 A1 · Shroud assembly for a portable pressurized gas cylinder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254476 A1 - Document ID: US20170254476A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/443,177 - Filed: 2017-02-27 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-07 - Assignees: Amtrol Licensing Inc. - Applicants: AMTROL Licensing Inc. - Inventors: Carlos Aguiar; Filipe Pedrosa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254476A1 ## CPC - F17C 1/00: Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge (pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 {; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00}) - F17C 1/02: involving reinforcing arrangements {(F17C1/14, F17C1/16 take precedence)} - F17C 2201/0128: spherical or elliptical - F17C 2201/032: with substantially vertical main axis - F17C 2201/058: portable (<30 l) - F17C 2203/0604: Liners - F17C 2203/0619: with two layers - F17C 2203/0636: Metals - F17C 2203/0658: Synthetics - F17C 2203/0663: in form of fibers or filaments - F17C 2205/0115: Dismountable protective hulls - F17C 2205/0126: One vessel - F17C 2205/0165: with handgrip - F17C 2205/0323: Valves - F17C 2209/224: Press-fitting; Shrink-fitting - F17C 2260/011: Improving strength - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) ## Abstract A portable gas cylinder assembly is disclosed which includes a gas cylinder having a central axis and a protective shroud configured to encase the gas cylinder and including opposed half-sections mechanically connected to one other along a vertical plane intersecting the central axis of the gas cylinder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable gas cylinder assembly comprising: a) a gas cylinder having a central axis; and b) a protective shroud configured to encase the gas cylinder and including opposed half-sections mechanically connected to one other along a vertical plane intersecting the central axis of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the opposed half-sections of the shroud are mechanical connected to one another through intimate engagement of a plurality of tang sets within corresponding reception grooves that are each formed integral with the opposed half-sections. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the opposed half-sections of the shroud are further mechanically connected to one another by a plurality of separate horizontal clamps that are configured for locking engagement in corresponding horizontal recessed channels formed in the opposed half sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the shroud further includes a base member for supporting a lower portion of the gas cylinder within the opposed half-sections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the shroud further includes a cover member for supporting an upper portion of the gas cylinder within the opposed half-sections. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of tang sets includes a pair of deflectable parallel legs each having a tapered head with an angled cam surface at a distal end thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein each reception groove includes cam surfaces having angled leading edges for interacting with the angled cam surfaces of the tapered heads of the tang set to compress the parallel legs of the tang set together, and each reception groove includes trailing abutment surfaces for capturing the tapered heads of the tang set when the parallel legs are released from compression. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of horizontal clamps include a finger having a pointed head for engagement between the parallel legs of a corresponding tang set and a plurality of inwardly projecting deflectable tang members for engaging corresponding abutment member formed within the horizontal channels formed in the opposed half-sections of the shroud. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein each inwardly projecting deflectable tang members includes a tapered head with an angled cam surface for interacting with an angled cam surface of a corresponding abutment member formed in the horizontal recessed channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the gas cylinder is a hybrid pressure vessel including a thin metal liner and a composite overwrap. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A portable gas cylinder assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each half-section of the shroud includes an integrally formed carrying handle. ### Claim 12 A protective shroud assembly for encasing a portable gas cylinder, the shroud assembly comprising: a generally cube-shaped housing including opposed half-sections mechanically connected to one other along a vertical plane intersecting a central axis of the housing through an intimate engagement of a plurality of tang sets within corresponding reception grooves that are each formed integral with the opposed half-sections, wherein each half-section of the shroud assembly includes an integrally formed carrying handle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the opposed half-sections of the shroud are further mechanically connected to one another by a plurality of separate horizontal clamps that are configured for locking engagement in corresponding horizontal recessed channels formed in the opposed half sections. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 12, further comprising a base member for supporting a lower portion of the gas cylinder within the opposed half-sections. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 12, further comprising a cover member for supporting an upper portion of the gas cylinder within the opposed half-sections. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of tang sets includes a pair of deflectable parallel legs each having a tapered head with an angled cam surface at a distal end thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein each reception groove includes cam surfaces having angled leading edges for interacting with the angled cam surfaces of the tapered heads of the tang set to compress the parallel legs of the tang set together, and each reception groove includes trailing abutment surfaces for capturing the tapered heads of the tang set when the parallel legs are released from compression. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of horizontal clamps include a finger having a pointed head for engagement between the parallel legs of a corresponding tang set and a plurality of inwardly projecting deflectable tang members for engaging corresponding abutment member formed within the horizontal channels formed in the opposed half-sections of the shroud. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A protective shroud assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein each inwardly projecting deflectable tang members includes a tapered head with an angled cam surface for interacting with an angled cam surface of a corresponding abutment member formed in the horizontal recessed channel. ### Claim 20 A method of constructing a protected portable gas cylinder assembly comprising: a) providing a gas cylinder having a central axis; b) encasing the gas cylinder in a protective shroud including opposed half-sections connected to one other along a vertical plane intersecting the central axis of the gas cylinder; c) connecting the two half-sections to one another through intimate engagement of a plurality of tang sets within corresponding reception grooves that are each formed integral with the opposed half-sections; and d) connecting the two half-sections of the shroud to one another through engagement of a plurality of separate horizontal clamps in corresponding horizontal recessed channels formed in the opposed half sections.