Multilevel sheet metal container with outwardly beaded end faces

Abstract

A multilevel container is disclosed which comprises circumferentially continuous wall or bottom elements of sheet metal with radially outwardly beaded end faces. The wall and bottom elements are placed on top of each other on butt joints so as to seal the end faces and are detachably braced with a minimum of one neighboring container level. The multilevel container also comprises one or more sealing rings and bracing components that act on neighboring end faces. In order to provide a readily manufacturable and form a stable multilevel container without multiple beads in alternating directions or weldings in the butt joint portions, a separate and independent shape retaining ring is provided. This ring reinforces the container and has shape retaining surfaces on its two end faces. In the region of their end faces, the neighboring wall and bottom elements are set on and tightly braced against the shape retaining surfaces of the reinforcing shape retaining ring. Radially inside or radially outside the reinforcing shape retaining ring, a separate sealing ring is inserted between the radially outwardly beaded sheet metal end faces of the neighboring bottom or wall elements of the multilevel container or between these end faces and the reinforcing shape retaining ring.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The subject matter of the present invention relates to a multilevel sheet metal container with outwardly beaded end faces. The container utilizes a unique sealing configuration and sealing ring between container levels or regions.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]To meet the requirements of different container sizes or the requirements of containers with changeable bottom or wall elements, it is customary in the case of multilevel containers to ensure the stability of the container in the butt joint region by means of an appropriately robustly designed bracing ring (German Patent DE U1 88 10 118). Between the bracing ring and the outwardly beaded end faces of the container wall or bottom elements, elastic sealing rings are inserted into the butt joints. An elastic sealing ring or one of the lips of a multisegmented elastic sealing ring is inserted in the area between the facing end faces of the outwardly beaded sheet metal of which the bottom and wall elem...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Based on these considerations, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a generic multilevel container so as to be robust, but without flanges that need to be welded onto the butt joints, so that no beading folds or grooves can form in which the material stored in the container can be trapped or accumulated.

[0008]The present invention provides a readily producible and simply constructed multilevel container in which the neighboring bottom and wall elements are connected to each other by means of a direct, in particular metal, contact. While ensuring high stiffness, the invention also provides for a lightweight construction and modular design. In the container surface area which comes into contact with the product contained therein, in particular along the butt joints, dead spaces can be eliminated or avoided. This ensures that relatively high and in many instances, the highest, hygiene requirements are met. In addition, this configuration promotes easy cleaning of the container and its interior surfaces. Furthermore, the present invention avoids the broader problems arising with the known multilevel, i.e., modularly designed, containers, such as electrostatic charges and shear deformation of seals during operation under a vacuum, as well as shape-retaining problems caused by an uneven distribution of the load on the collets and centering problems. Since in the stacking joint design according to the present invention the end faces of the neighboring container wall and bottom elements are made of the same sheet metal, of which the container jacket and container bottom are made, i.e., of sheet metal with a wall thickness of less than about 10 mm, and especially less than 4 mm, it is easy and efficient to manufacture the modules. Due to the use of a separate and independent shape-retaining ring with shape-retaining surfaces on the end faces which reinforces the container, the unavoidably present tolerances during sheet metal forming (beading) are not critical, and a precise stacking height can be maintained. This stacking height does not alter even when excess and reduced pressure is applied. Accordingly, the container is stable in height and length.

Problems solved by technology

Among other things, these reinforcements have the disadvantage that they form grooves in which the material stored in the container can be trapped.

For reasons of hygiene, this is undesirable, especially in food and pharmaceutical applications.

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