INSULATED REAR HEAD FOR TRANSPORT TANK AND/OR STORAGE TANK

Abstract

An insulated rear head for a tank comprising an outer head and an inner head. The inner head is spaced away from the outer head, creating an insulation cavity. The insulation cavity is filled with an insulating material to prevent heat gain or loss from the product contained within the tank.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/239,792, filed Oct. 9, 2015, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates generally to trailered transport tanks, e.g., a tank trailer pulled by a semi, or storage tanks. More particularly, an insulated rear head is disclosed as part of the tanks.

Description of the Related Art

Tank trailers and storage trailers are known in the art and are capable of receiving product within the trailer. The product will comprise a temperature upon loading into the trailer. Known trailers do not provide an insulation at the rear head of the trailer, thus allowing the product within the trailer to gain or lose heat. The present invention addresses this problem.

The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these and other embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial side view of a tank of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a tank of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cutaway cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The present invention provides an insulated rear head that is connected to the rear end of a tank capable of storing product within. See, e.g., exemplary trailer tanks manufactured by Polar® Tank Trailer, Inc., located in Holdingford, Minn. The subject tank may comprise a trailer tank that is mobile by connection to a powered truck. The combination of the trailer tank and powered truck, commonly known as a “semi”, is used to transport product. In other cases, the subject tank may comprise a generally non-mobile storage tank.

In some cases, the subject tank, whether a tank trailer or a storage trailer, may comprise a rear head that may, or may not, be openable. The rear head in all of the inventive embodiments comprises an insulation layer to ensure that the temperature of the product contained within the tank is maintained to the extent possible.

The insulated rear head of the present invention is designed to sealingly close against the rear end of the subject tank by bolts or other equivalent fasteners, to ensure that the contents therein do not leak and maintain its temperature by minimizing temperature gain or loss through the known non-insulated rear head.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a tank 100 according to the present invention. As discussed above, tank 100 may be a trailer tank with wheels and means for connecting with a powered truck as is commonly known in the art or may comprise a generally stationary storage tank with support feet or anchors as is also commonly known.

Tank 100 is generally hollow with inlets and outlets to enable inflow, outflow and storage of product within the hollow area. Front head 102 and rear head 104 are in communication with a main tank body 106. As shown, rear head 104 comprises an external surface generally smoothly radiused concave side profile. FIG. 2 illustrates that the exemplary rear head 104 of FIG. 1 comprises a substantially circular profile when viewed from the front of tank 100 that matches up with the generally circular and cylindrical cross-sectional profile of main body 106 of tank 100 to enable rear head 104 to seal against the main body 106. Stated differently, the diameter D₁ of main body 106 and the diameter D₂ of rear head 104 are equivalent in order to attain a seal when rear head 104 is closed against main body 106. A second variable is that the cross-sectional profile of the main body 106 of tank 100 and the end profile as in FIG. 2 of the rear head 104 must be complementary so that they achieve a sealing fit.

Though FIG. 1 illustrates a smoothly radiused side profile, that is only an example as other side profiles are within the scope of the present invention. The only requirement is that the rear head 104 and main body 106 achieve a sealing fit when the rear head 104 closes against main body 106.

As discussed above, rear head 104 may sealingly engage the end of main body 106 of tank 100 with a series of bolts or other connection means that allow pressured sealing, and releasing, of the rear head 104 against main body 106. Rear head 104 may also comprise a hinging mechanism, preferably located on the top of rear head 104 but may also be located on, e.g., one of the sides of rear head 104, to facilitate opening and closing of the rear head 104.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the rear head 104 is shown in cross-section. Rear head 104 comprises an outer head 108 and an inner head 110 spaced away from the outer head 108 and in operative connection with each other. The region between the outer head 108 and inner head 110 is the insulated cavity 112 of the rear head 104. The insulated cavity 112 comprises an insulating material to assist the product within tank 100 to maintain the temperature that it had when loaded into the tank 100. In this way, the inner head 110, insulated cavity 112 and the outer head 108 form a layered structure that assists in limiting heat gain or loss from the rear head 104.

As shown, the radii of the exemplary inner and outer heads 110, 108 are substantially equivalent and are both generally concave in cross-sectional profile. In this case, the insulated cavity 112 will comprise a uniform shape and thickness or width, i.e., distance from inner head 110 to outer head 108. In other embodiments, the inner head 110 may comprise a cross-sectional profile that is not substantially equivalent to the cross-sectional profile of the outer head producing an insulating cavity 112 that is not uniformly shaped and will have a non-uniform thickness or width from the inner head 110 to the outer head 108.

The descriptions of the embodiments and their applications as set forth herein should be construed as illustrative, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Features of various embodiments may be combined with other embodiments and/or features thereof within the metes and bounds of the disclosure. Upon study of this disclosure, variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein are possible, and practical alternatives to and equivalents of the various elements of the embodiments will be understood by and become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, all alternatives, variations, modifications, etc., as may become to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered as being within the metes and bounds of the instant disclosure.

Claims

1. A rear head for a tank, comprising:

an outer head having a cross-sectional profile;

an inner head having a cross-sectional profile and in operative connection with the outer head, and spaced apart from the outer head; and

an insulating cavity defined by the spacing of the outer head from the inner head and the cross-sectional profiles of the outer head and the inner head, the insulating cavity further filled with insulating material.

2. The rear head of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the inner head and the cross-sectional profile of the outer head are substantially similar.

3. The rear head of claim 2, further comprising the insulating cavity having a cross-sectional profile with a width that is substantially uniform.

4. The rear head of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the inner head and the cross-sectional profile of the outer head are not substantially similar.

5. The rear head of claim 4, further comprising the insulating cavity having a cross-sectional profile with a width that is not substantially uniform.

6. A tank comprising:

a main body;

a front head sealingly attached to the main body;

a rear head in openably sealing communication with the main body and further comprising: an outer head having a cross-sectional profile;

an inner head having a cross-sectional profile and in operative connection with the outer head, and spaced apart from the outer head; and

an insulating cavity defined by the spacing of the outer head from the inner head and the cross-sectional profiles of the outer head and the inner head, the insulating cavity further filled with insulating material.

7. The rear head of claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the inner head and the cross-sectional profile of the outer head are substantially similar.

8. The rear head of claim 7, further comprising the insulating cavity having a cross-sectional sectional profile with a width that is substantially uniform.

9. The rear head of claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the inner head and the cross-sectional profile of the outer head are not substantially similar.

10. The rear head of claim 9, further comprising the insulating cavity having a cross-sectional profile with a width that is not substantially uniform.