SAFETY CONTAINER
A safety container can include a hazard indicator located on an external surface thereof. The hazard indicator can include indicia to convey to personnel in the vicinity the nature of the hazard posed by the materials stored in the safety container. The hazard indicator can be made, at least in part, of a reflective material, preferably a retroreflective material. The indicator is disposed on the exterior surface of the safety container to help personnel locate the safety container in low light situations and to indicate the nature of the contents stored in the safety container, especially in situations where the safety container is located in a room where there is smoke or low light. The safety container can be in the form of a safety cabinet or a portable safety can, for example.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/593,422, filed on Nov. 6, 2006, which in turn claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/799,591, filed on Mar. 6, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to a safety container for flammable, combustible, or other hazardous materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA safety container for storing flammable or explosive materials is known in the art. Such a safety container can be located at a plant allows for the onsite storage of flammable material. The safety container can be in the form of a safety cabinet or a portable safety can.
The safety cabinet can be provided to insulate flammable material stored within it from the direct effects of an external fire to prevent the flammable material from adding to the deleterious effect of the original fire. The safety can may also be used to store flammable material. Because it is portable, a safety can may not always be stored in a safety cabinet. Because of the nature of the materials stored in a safety container and the risks they pose to personnel in the vicinity of the safety container, it is desirable to alert those in the area of these risks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the present invention, a safety container can include a hazard indicator located on an external surface thereof. The hazard indicator can include indicia to convey to personnel in the vicinity the nature of the hazard posed by the materials stored in the safety container. The hazard indicator can be made, at least in part, of a reflective material, preferably a retroreflective material.
These and other features of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provided herein.
In the following description, reference is sometimes made to the “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” or other regions of the safety cabinet and its various components. It should be understood that these terms are used solely for convenient reference, inasmuch as the safety cabinet may be used omni-directionally.
Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in
The safety cabinet 30 can be provided with an indicator 38 that is disposed on an exterior surface thereof to identify readily the safety cabinet as a device for storing hazardous materials and to indicate clearly the nature of the contents stored therein. For example, the indicator 38 can identify the nature of the hazard posed by the material stored in the safety cabinet 30. The indicator 38 can include indicia configured to convey information to an observer thereof. The indicia can be a graphical symbol and/or writing to convey information concerning the contents stored in the safety cabinet 30. For example, the indicator 38 can include writings such as “Flammable” or “Danger” and a graphical symbol depicting a flame. It should be appreciated that the indicator 38 can include writings in any language and convey any message through a selected combination of letters and/or symbols.
In the embodiment of
In some embodiments, the indicator 38 can include indicia formed, at least in part, from a reflective material so as to be particularly visible when struck by light such as from a flashlight, for example, in low-level lighting conditions. In yet other embodiments, the indicator 38 can include, at least in part, a retroreflective material such that at least a portion of incident light hitting the retroreflective material is redirected toward its originating source. For example, the indicator 38 can include a suitable reflective material such as those commercially available from 3M of St. Paul, Minn., including the reflective sheeting marketed as Scotchlite™ reflective sheeting, Series 510-10, for example. In other embodiments, any other suitable retroreflective material can be used. In yet other embodiments, a reflective ink or paint can be applied directly to the exterior surface of the safety cabinet to form the indicator 38 using any suitable technique, including silk screening, for example.
Referring to
The indicia 242 can be formed from a material that is reflective, and even more preferably from a material that is retroreflective. In this embodiment, the entire indicator label 240 comprises a retroreflective material that has a coefficient of retroreflection, as measured by ASTM E810, that allows the indicator 238 to retain its reflectivity when viewed at a wide entrance angle. For example, the indicator 238 can have a coefficient of retroreflection of at least about 35 candelas/footcandle/square foot when measured using a 2° observation angle and a −4° entrance angle, where the observation angle is an angle between the line formed by a light beam striking the reflective surface (the illumination axis) and the light formed by its reflective beam (the observation axis), and the entrance angle is the angle formed by the illumination axis and a line perpendicular to the surface at the same point (the retroreflector axis). Preferably, the indicator 238 has a coefficient of retroreflection when the indicator is totally wet of at least 90% of the value of the coefficient of retroreflection when the indicator 238 is dry.
Referring to
The lock bar 40 is securable to the enclosure 32 such that the lock bar 40 prevents the paddle handle 44 from moving to actuate the latch system and prevents the doors 34, 36 from moving from the closed position. The padlocks 41, 42 can be disposed at each end 45, 46 of the lock bar to lockingly retain the lock bar 40 to the enclosure 32. The base assembly 31 includes a pair of forklift pockets 48, 49 that are disposed in spaced relationship to each other and configured to accommodate a respective blade of a forklift fork to allow the use of a forklift for transporting the safety cabinet from one location to another. The safety cabinet 30 of the present invention can be similar in other respects to the safety cabinet as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,701.
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In a preferred embodiment, the retaining system 117 includes a first retaining element 120 with a first fusible link 122. The first retaining element 120 has a detent feature that acts to retain the left door 34 in the open position. The first fusible link 122 is mounted to the left door 34 and the enclosure 32. The fusible link 122 is constructed such that the fusible link 122 fuses, i.e., melts, when the ambient temperature is above a selected level to thereby detach the link from the enclosure 32 to allow the closure system to move the door 34 to the closed position. The retaining system 117 includes a second retaining element 124 with a second fusible link 126. The second retaining element 124 is similar to the first retaining element 122 and is used to hold the right door 36 in the open position. The second fusible link 126 is similar to the first fusible link 120 and similarly provides means to release the right door 36 in the event of a rise in ambient temperature. The second link 126 is mounted to the right door 36 and the enclosure 32.
In one embodiment of the fusible link, the link is constructed such that it will fuse when the ambient temperature is 165° F. In embodiments of the safety cabinet including a single door, the retaining system can include a single retaining element.
In use, the left and right doors 34, 36 can be moved from the closed position, which is shown in
Referring to
In the event of fire, for instance, the closure system 118 cooperates with the fusible links 122, 126 to automatically close the doors 34, 36. When the ambient temperature exceeds the predetermined level, the first fusible link 122 and the second fusible link 126 melt. The first and second air cylinders 130, 140 can act to move the left and right doors 34, 36, respectively, to the closed position. Under normal operating conditions, the closure system 118 can provide an assist feature during the manual closing of the doors 34, 36 by urging the doors 34, 36 to the closed position once the retaining system 117 is overcome.
Referring to
The illustrative embodiment of the closure system 118 of the safety cabinet 30 includes a timing mechanism 150 mounted to the enclosure 32 to control the sequence of the closing of the doors 34, 36 such that the left door 34 is placed in the closed position before the right door 36 is. The timing mechanism 150 is constructed in a fashion similar to the timing mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,098, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The timing mechanism 150 includes a timing slide bracket 152 that is disposed between the outer and inner top walls of the enclosure 32. The timing slide bracket 152 includes a slot 154 and is slidably mounted upon a slide pivot pin 156, which is disposed in the slot 154. The timing slide bracket 152 is moveable over a range of travel that is defined by the dimensions of the slot 154.
A slide bracket spring 160 is attached to a spring anchor 162 and to an end 163 of the timing slide bracket 152 to bias the timing slide bracket 152 to a normal position, as shown in
An actuating plate 170 is pivotally mounted to the inner top wall of the enclosure 32 by a plate pivot pin 172 and is pivotally mounted to the timing slide bracket 152. When the actuating plate 170 is rotated in a closing direction 174, the timing slide bracket 152 is moved in a disengaging direction 176. The right door 36 will remain partially open until the timing slide bracket 152 moves leftward a sufficient distance to position the stop 164 out of the path of the right linkage 144.
In operation, the doors 34, 36 are closed either manually or automatically by moving the doors 34, 36 from the open position to the closed position. The right door 36 can rotate toward the closed position until the right linkage 144 contacts the stop 164, thereby preventing further movement of the right door 36. The left door 34 can freely rotate from the open position toward the closed position until it engages the actuator plate 170. Continued movement of the left door 34 pivots the actuator plate 170 about the pin 172 in the closing direction 174, thereby drawing the timing slide bracket 152 in the disengaging direction 176 to move the stop 164 out of the path of the right linkage 144. The left door 34 is moved to the closed position. The right door 36 completes its movement to the closed position. The timing mechanism 150 allows the left door 34, which includes the baffle 149, to move to the closed position before the right door 36 does. Such an arrangement allows the left and right doors 34, 36 to cooperate to provide a protective seal.
In embodiments of the safety cabinet including a single door, the closure system can include a single air cylinder, linkage, and stop. Such a closure system can also omit the timing mechanism 150.
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The receptacle 652 includes an external surface with an indicator 738 affixed thereto. The indicator 738 is constructed in a fashion similar to the indicator label 240 such that the indicator 738 is reflective. In the embodiment of
The safety can 629 may be equipped with a flexible nozzle to facilitate the transfer of liquid stored in the safety can to another vessel. The safety can 629 can be similar in other respects to the safety cans shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,918, for example. In other embodiments, the safety container 629 can be similar to those shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,153.
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The receptacle 852 defines an enclosure with an opening and a cavity for storing the hazardous material. The valve mechanism 854 selectively occludes the opening to the cavity inside the receptacle 852. The receptacle 852 includes an external surface with an indicator 938 affixed thereto. The indicator 938 is constructed in a fashion similar to the indicator label 240 such that the indicator 938 is reflective. In the embodiment of
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Of course, variations of those preferred embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
Claims
1. A safety container for storing hazardous material, the safety container comprising:
- an enclosure defining an opening and a cavity for storing the hazardous material, the enclosure including an external surface; and
- an indicator disposed on the external surface of the enclosure, the indicator including indicia configured to convey information about the hazardous material stored in the enclosure, the indicator including at least a portion comprising a reflective material.
2. The safety container of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises a writing.
3. The safety container of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises a graphical symbol.
4. The safety container of claim 2, wherein the indicia comprises a graphical symbol.
5. The safety container of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises a reflective material.
6. The safety container of claim 5, wherein the reflective material is retroreflective
7. The safety container of claim 1, wherein the reflective material is retroreflective.
8. The safety container of claim 6, wherein the retroreflective material has a coefficient of retroreflection of at least 35 candelas per foot candle per square foot.
9. The safety container of claim 1, further comprising:
- a second indicator disposed on the external surface of the enclosure.
10. The safety container of claim 1, further comprising:
- a door rotatably attached to the enclosure, the door movable between an open position and a closed position, the door configured to selectively cover at least part of the opening of the enclosure when in the closed position; and
- wherein the indicator is disposed on an outer surface of the door.
11. The safety container of claim 10, wherein door includes a top end, and the indicator is disposed adjacent the top end of the door.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 26, 2008
Publication Date: Apr 2, 2009
Applicant: Justrite Manufacturing Company (Des Plaines, IL)
Inventors: Carol J. McLuckie (Barrington, IL), Patricia M. Maruszak (Itasca, IL), Gary A. Marcus (Hoffman Estates, IL), Glen Alan Carter (Mattoon, IL)
Application Number: 12/056,055
International Classification: A47B 81/00 (20060101);