Carrier for containerized fluids

Abstract

The safe storage and transportation of tanks containing compressed fluids is facilitated by a carrier which, in a preferred embodiment, can hold up to six such tanks in stable, fixed relation. Each tank is positioned in a compartment formed by front and rear members and a pair of sidewalls. The front member has a plurality of apertures for receiving the valve stems of the tanks. The rear member has a plurality of apertures for receiving the bottle ends of the tanks. Locking members can be adjusted to selectively lock the bottle ends at the rear member. A buffer region is preferably formed in front of the front member using a spaced front wall surface to prevent inadvertent contact with the valve stems. The sidewalls have handles to permit easy lifting and placement of the carrier.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application takes priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/858,529 field on Nov. 13, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to storage of containerized fluids and more specifically to storage of containers of compressed fluids such as oxygen tanks or the like.

2. Background Art

Moving containerized fluids, such as bottled liquid oxygen, has been a long-standing problem, especially if the movement of the liquid containers may result in an injury or a volatile gas explosion. For example, unless oxygen bottles are securely held when traveling, the oxygen bottles may roll around leading to a stem breach releasing the oxygen to the surrounding atmosphere.

Where such gas containers have an outer protective shell, keeping such gas containers secure also prevents damage to such shell, as well as helping to prevent damage to the gas container within the shell. Unfortunately, contemporary methods of securing containerized gasses are cumbersome for the individual to use as such methods usually involve a commercial container vehicle, and are difficult to manage and to store in conventional storage locations such as an apartment, home, or storage facility not-equipped to store such gas containers.

Therefore, what is needed in an apparatus capable of securing containers of liquefied gas and that are easy for the consumer to use and load into conventional vehicles such as automobiles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus configured to securely support one or more containers of fluid such as liquefied gas. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a front member, a rear member, and sidewalls configured to form a carrier for gas bottles. The front member may be configured with an opening sized and configured to support a stem of a gas bottle disposed therethrough and to prevent the bottle from exiting the front of the apparatus. The rear member has an opening sized and configured to receive a gas bottle therethrough and securely support the gas bottle therein. Respective front and rear openings form a gas bottle holding region of the container. Once one or more gas bottles have been placed in respective holding regions, a lock mechanism is positioned to lock the gas bottles from exiting the rear of the apparatus. Accordingly, the gas the bottles are securely held within a respective holding region until released by a user thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more fully understood herein after as a result of a detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for holding liquefied gas containers in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectioned view of the liquefied gas container apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus 100 for securing containers 105 of fluid such as liquid gas. In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 is composed of a box-like shell that may be made of any suitable material such as plastic. The apparatus may have dimensions suitable for easy transport. For example, the apparatus may be 11 inches in width, by 16.5 inches long, by 8.45 inches high to take up only a small volume, e.g., 0.89 square feet, to accommodate being stored in a tight or limited space such as a trunk or back seat of an automobile. The rectangular configuration of apparatus 100, permits such apparatus to be easily stacked and safely stored in a supplier warehouse, apartment, storage facility, hospital, and the like. A front member 110 allows the stems 115 of the bottles 105 to be spaced and held such that the stems are protected from outside disturbances.

One or more bottles 105 are slid through apertures 130 in the rear of the apparatus 100, and the stems 115 are slid through apertures 150 in the front member 110. Once the stems are in place, a locking device 160 positioned in the back portion 120 of the apparatus adjacent the rear of each bottle 105, is used to prevent the bottles from being slid out of the back member of the apparatus. Apparatus 100 has handles 180 disposed in the sidewalls 170 to aid in holding apparatus 100 by a user thereof.

Stem apertures 150 are preferably of a keyhole shape having an upper circular cutout portion and a lower rectangular cutout portion. This keyhole configuration permits easy placement and fixed and stable retention of the bottle stem 115 so that the bottles 105 will not rotate while held in apparatus 100.

The stems 115, protruding through apertures 150, are protected by a front wall 140 forming a buffer region 145 in front of the stems for preventing inadvertent contact therewith.

The bottle ends 125 of containers 105 extend through apertures 130 at the rear portion 120 of apparatus 100. In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, the containers 105 may be locked firmly in place by locking devices 160, at least one of which is adjacent each aperture 130. Each such locking device is affixed in limited sliding engagement to rear portion 120 by a threaded fastener 190 in a slotted channel 195, the latter permitting movement of the locking device toward and away from the bottle 105 as shown in FIG. 3

It will now be understood that what has been disclosed herein is an apparatus especially configured for the safe storage and transportation of tanks or bottles of compressed fluids. Those having skill in the relevant art of such carrier apparatus, will now with the benefit of the teaching herein, perceive various modifications and additions which may be made to the disclosed embodiment. By way of example, the precise shape, dimensions, materials and bottle carrying capacity thereof, may be readily altered without deviating from the inventive features hereof. Accordingly, it will be understood that the scope hereof is limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for storing fluid containers, the apparatus comprising:

carrier defined by a front member, a rear member and sidewalls, wherein said front member has at least one stem receiving aperture disposed therein and said rear member has at least one opening configured to receive a fluid container therethrough, wherein said front member supports a valve stem of the fluid container and said rear member supports a bottle member of the fluid container, said front member being configured to prevent the fluid container from exiting the front of the apparatus;

a locking device disposed adjacent said rear member to lock the fluid container to prevent the container from exiting said rear of the carrier, wherein said front member and said rear member cooperatively confine the movement of the fluid container to hold the fluid container within the carrier.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a buffer region formed by a front wall disposed in spaced relation to said front member for preventing inadvertent contact with a valve stem of said fluid container.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls each comprise a handle for convenient lifting of said carrier.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said locking device is releasably secured to said rear member for slidable movement relative to said fluid container for selective locking engagement therewith.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said stem-receiving aperture is configured as a keyhole-shaped aperture to prevent inadvertent movement of a bottle stem therein.

6. An apparatus for safely transporting bottles of compressed fluids, the bottles having a valve stem at a first end and having a second end; the apparatus comprising:

a pair of spaced parallel opposed surfaces, one such surface having a plurality of stem-receiving apertures for receiving the valve stems of said bottles and the other such surface having a plurality of second end-receiving apertures for securing said bottles between said opposed surfaces; and

at least one handle located between said opposed surfaces for enabling grasping of said apparatus and bottles during transport thereof, said handle being positioned on a structural member interconnecting said opposed surfaces.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6 further comprising a buffer region immediately adjacent said valve stems and formed by a solid surface in parallel, spaced location relative to said stem-receiving apertures.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 6 further comprising at least one locking device positioned adjacent at least one second end-receiving aperture for stabilizing a compressed fluid bottle during transport thereof.