tank container

Abstract

This invention provides a tank container, comprising: a tank body, horizontally positioned, with a through hole communicating with the internal space of the tank at one end along its axial direction; two end frames, respectively connected and fixed to both ends of the tank body; a flange, having a central hole extending through it axially; one end of the flange extending axially into the through hole and welded and fixed to the tank body, the central hole communicating with the through hole; the other end of the flange recessed towards the tank body to form a receiving groove, the opening of the receiving groove facing the end frame; and a valve, one end of which is received and installed in the receiving groove and communicating with the central hole, the other end not extending beyond the end frame. The presence of the receiving groove increases the axial distance between the valve and the end frame compared to a conventional flange, providing sufficient space for valve installation. This maximizes the tank container's volume without shortening the tank body length, improving transportation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of container technology, and in particular to a tank container. Background Technology

[0002] To adapt to international multimodal transport and match various transport platforms, the external dimensions (length, width, and height) of tank containers are fixed, and they are divided into 20-foot tank containers and 40-foot tank containers according to size.

[0003] Tank containers consist of a tank and a frame, and are typically used to transport hazardous chemicals. Due to the presence of hazardous chemicals, they are usually operated at high pressures, and the tank body consists of a cylinder and two end caps.

[0004] To improve transportation efficiency, the volume of the tank container needs to be as large as possible. This requires the external dimensions of the cylinder (diameter and total length) to be as large as possible, while all tank components installed on the tank, such as various instruments and valves, must not exceed the external dimensions of the frame.

[0005] For flexible loading and unloading, tank containers need to be equipped with loading and unloading ports and valves at the end caps. The valves are connected to flanges welded to the end caps. The valves are typically straight-through and have a certain length. Due to the constraint that the valves cannot exceed the frame, sufficient space must be left between the end caps and the frame for valve installation. Therefore, the cylinder needs to be shortened. However, this reduces the cylinder's footprint, ultimately preventing the tank's axial length from being maximized and the container's volume from being maximized, thus affecting transportation efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tank container to solve the problem in the prior art where the tank volume cannot be maximized due to the presence of valves.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A tank container includes: a tank body, horizontally positioned, with a through hole communicating with the internal space of the tank at one end along its axial direction; two end frames, respectively connected and fixed to both ends of the tank body; a flange having a central hole that extends axially; one end of the flange extending axially into the through hole and welded and fixed to the tank body, the central hole communicating with the through hole; the other end of the flange recessed towards the tank body to form a receiving groove, the opening of the receiving groove facing the end frame; and a valve, one end of which is received and installed in the receiving groove and communicating with the central hole, the other end not extending beyond the end frame.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flange includes a cylindrical body and a flange disposed on at least a portion of the peripheral wall of the body; one axial end of the body is connected to the tank body, and the other axial end of the body forms a connecting surface, the connecting surface being a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tank body, and the connecting surface having a plurality of connecting holes around the central hole, the valve being fixed to the connecting surface through the connecting holes; the flange extends axially toward the end frame and beyond the connecting surface; the flange and the body form the receiving groove.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral wall of the main body is divided into a first sidewall and a second sidewall that are connected circumferentially, the second sidewall being closer to the horizontal central axis of the tank than the first sidewall; the first sidewall has a first axial length along the axial direction of the tank, the second sidewall has a second axial length along the axial direction of the tank, the second axial length being less than the first axial length; the flange protrudes vertically from the connecting surface and is connected to the second sidewall axially; there is a gap between the flange and the first sidewall.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the area of ​​the connecting surface is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer peripheral wall of the flange is flush with the outer surface of the second sidewall.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tank body includes a cylindrical body and two end caps disposed at both ends of the cylindrical body; the through hole is disposed at the lower end of one of the end caps; the second sidewall is located above the first sidewall on the end cap.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flange is located above the horizontal central plane of the main body.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the end of the flange that extends beyond the connecting surface gradually slopes from top to bottom toward the connecting surface.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the end of the main body portion used to connect with the end cap is formed into an inclined surface, the inclined surface having an arcuate profile adapted to the end cap to fit the end cap; the first sidewall is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface, and the second sidewall is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface; the cross-sectional area of ​​the main body portion gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the main body and the flange are integrally formed.

[0018] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the tank container provided by the present invention has at least the following advantages and positive effects:

[0019] Its flange has a recessed groove that curves towards the tank body. Without altering the flange's external dimensions or affecting welding quality, the presence of this groove increases the axial distance between the flange and the end frame compared to a conventional flange. This means sufficient space is left between the groove and the end frame to install valves, ensuring that the valve ends do not extend beyond the end frame and eliminating the impact of valve length on tank length. Thus, the aforementioned tank container can maximize its volume without shortening the tank length, improving transportation efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tank container in related technologies.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the valve structure in related technologies.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tank container in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the image.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the flange in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The front view of the flange in the image.

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Side view of the flange in the image.

[0027] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0028] 500 - Standard flange, 600 - Valve

[0029] 1-Tank body, 11-Cylinder body, 13-End cap,

[0030] 2-End frame,

[0031] 3-Flange, 301-Center Hole, 303-Receiving Groove, 31-Main Body, 311-First Side Wall, 312-Second Side Wall, 313-Connecting Surface, 305-Connecting Hole, 315-Bevel, 33-Flange

[0032] 4-Valve components. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present invention can have various variations in different embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the descriptions and illustrations herein are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the present invention.

[0034] In related technologies, please refer to Figure 1 The tank container mainly consists of a cylinder and two heads. The right-side head of the cylinder is equipped with a loading / unloading port and a valve 600. The valve 600 is connected to a standard flange 500 welded to the head.

[0035] Please combine Figure 2 Valve 600 is a straight-through type with a certain length. As can be seen from the figure, if a conventional flange 33 is used, valve 600 will extend beyond the frame without shortening the length of the cylinder. Conversely, the cylinder needs to shorten its length to completely house valve 600 within the frame, which would sacrifice the tank's volume.

[0036] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment provides a novel tank container. By improving the flange structure, the axial length of the tank can be maximized without shortening its length, thus maximizing the container's volume and achieving high transportation efficiency.

[0037] Please refer to the above as well. Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 This embodiment illustrates the specific structure of a tank container, which includes a tank body 1, two end frames 2, a flange 3, and valves 4. The tank body 1 is horizontally positioned, with a through-hole (not shown) communicating with the internal space of the tank at one end along its axial direction. The two end frames 2 are respectively connected and fixed to both ends of the tank body 1. The flange 3 has a central hole 301 extending axially; one end of the flange 3 extends into the through-hole and is welded and fixed to the tank body 1, with the central hole 301 communicating with the through-hole; the other end of the flange 3 is recessed towards the tank body 1 to form a receiving groove 303 (the specific structure of the receiving groove 303 is described in the appendix below). Figure 5 (See detailed description below) The opening of the receiving groove 303 faces the end frame 2. One end of the valve 4 is received and installed in the receiving groove 303 and communicates with the central hole 301, while the other end does not extend beyond the end frame 2.

[0038] The tank body 1 includes a cylindrical body 11 and two end caps 13 located at both ends of the cylindrical body 11.

[0039] To facilitate flexible loading and unloading, the tank container in this embodiment is equipped with a discharge port and a valve 600 at the lower end of the end cap 13, which facilitates unloading operations by personnel located on the ground. Moreover, combined with the bowl-shaped design of the end cap 13, the lower end of the end cap 13 is further away from the end frame 2 than the middle part of the end cap 13, providing more space for installing the valve 4.

[0040] by Figure 3 With reference to the view direction, flange 3 and valve 4 are located at the lower end of head 13 on the right side of cylinder 11.

[0041] Furthermore, the directions "inner" and "outer" mentioned below refer to directions closer to the center of the tank 1 as inwards and directions farther from the center of the tank 1 as outwards. For the same end frame 2, the end frame 2 has an inner side facing the end cap 13 and an outer side relatively away from the end cap 13. In this embodiment, the valve 4 must not extend beyond the outer side of the end frame 2. More specifically, the end of the valve 4 away from the end cap 13 is flush with the outer side of the end frame 2.

[0042] In this embodiment, flange 3 is an irregular flange 3.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 5 The irregular flange 3 includes a cylindrical body 31 and a flange 33 provided on at least a portion of the peripheral wall of the body 31.

[0044] The main body 31 has a central hole 301 extending through it axially to form a cylindrical structure. One end of the main body 31 is connected to the end cap 13 along the axial direction, and the other end of the main body 31 forms a connecting surface 313. This connecting surface 313 is a flange face for fitting and connecting the valve 4. The connecting surface 313 is a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tank body, i.e., it is arranged vertically. The connecting surface 313 has a plurality of circumferentially distributed connecting holes 305 around the central hole 301.

[0045] The flange 33 extends axially toward the end frame 2 and beyond the connecting surface 313. The flange 33 and the main body 31 enclose and form a receiving groove 303.

[0046] When installing valve 4, one end of valve 4 extends into receiving groove 303, fits against connecting surface 313, and is fixed to connecting surface 313 through connecting hole 305 and suitable bolts to form flange 3 connection, thereby completing the fixing of valve 4 on tank 1.

[0047] Due to the presence of the receiving slot 303, the axial distance between the irregular flange 3 of this invention and the end frame 2 is increased compared to the conventional flange 500. The connecting surface 313 is also closer to the interior of the tank body 1. Sufficient space can be left between the connecting surface 313 and the end frame 2 to install the valve 4, thereby ensuring that the end of the valve 4 does not exceed the end frame 2, eliminating the influence of the length of the valve 4 on the length of the tank body 1. In this way, the above-mentioned tank container does not need to shorten the length of the tank body 1, and can maximize the volume of the tank container, improving transportation efficiency.

[0048] The peripheral wall of the main body 31 is divided into a first side wall 311 and a second side wall 312 that are connected in the circumferential direction.

[0049] Please combine Figure 6 The cross-sectional shape of the first sidewall 311 and the second sidewall 312 is semi-circular. The second sidewall 312 is closer to the horizontal central axis of the tank body 1 than the first sidewall 311. The first sidewall 311 has a first axial length along the axial direction of the tank body 1, and the second sidewall 312 has a second axial length along the axial direction of the tank body 1, the second axial length being less than the first axial length.

[0050] Since flange 3 is located at the lower end of head 13 on the right side of cylinder 11, the second sidewall 312 is positioned above the first sidewall 311 on head 13. This means the second sidewall 312 is located in the upper half of main body 31 and the lower half of main body 31.

[0051] The flange 33 protrudes vertically from the connecting surface 313 and axially connects with the second sidewall 312. Correspondingly, the flange 33 is located above the horizontal central axis surface (upper half) of the main body 31. Preferably, the outer peripheral wall of the flange 33 is flush with the outer surface of the second sidewall 312. In this embodiment, the main body 31 and the flange 33 are integrally formed, resulting in high structural strength and long service life.

[0052] The flange 33 protrudes axially, which is equivalent to increasing the axial length of the second sidewall 312.

[0053] When flange 3 is inserted into the through hole of tank body 1, part of the main body 31 extends into the interior of tank body 1 in the axial direction, while the other part is exposed on the outside of tank body 1. At this time, the first side wall 311 and the second side wall 312 respectively contact the hole wall of the through hole in the circumferential direction. During welding, the parts of the above-mentioned side walls that contact the through hole will form a weld between flange 3 and tank body 1.

[0054] The longer first sidewall 311 extends outward beyond the tank body 1 by a certain distance to ensure sufficient welding space between it and the tank body 1, which is conducive to the welder's operation; while the shorter second sidewall 312 has insufficient welding space, so the flange 33 needs to increase its own length.

[0055] Meanwhile, there is a gap between the flange 33 and the first sidewall 311. Since the length of the first sidewall 311 is sufficient, there is no need for the flange 33 to connect to it to increase its length. In other words, the flange 33 does not need to circle the entire circumference of the main body 31, which indirectly reduces the volume of the entire flange 3 and reduces the self-weight of the flange 3, thereby reducing the self-weight of the tank container.

[0056] Please refer to further details. Figure 7 The end of the main body 31 that is connected to the end cap 13 forms an inclined surface 315. The inclined surface 315 has an arc that matches the arc contour of the end cap 13 so as to fit on the end cap 13.

[0057] Due to the presence of the inclined plane 315, the cross-sectional area of ​​the main body 31 gradually increases from top to bottom. More specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the main body 31 is similar to a right trapezoid.

[0058] The first sidewall 311 is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface 315, forming the base of a trapezoid with the maximum axial length.

[0059] The second sidewall 312 is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface 315, and is the top edge of a trapezoid, having the minimum axial length.

[0060] In this embodiment, as Figure 7 As shown, the first axial length of the first sidewall 311 is designated as L1, with a specific value range of 318-328 mm; the second axial length of the second sidewall 312 is designated as L2, with a specific value range of 54-64 mm; and the axial length of the flange 33 is designated as L3, with a specific value range of 35-45 mm. Therefore, the second sidewall 312 needs to be axially connected to the flange 33 to increase the welding space between the upper end of the flange 3 and the tank body 1.

[0061] The end of flange 33 that extends beyond connecting surface 313 gradually slopes downwards towards connecting surface 313. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of flange 33 resembles an inverted triangle.

[0062] The upper side of the flange 33 that connects with the second sidewall 312 has the largest axial length.

[0063] The purpose of this design is to allow the flange 33 to be cut off according to the working conditions without affecting the effective length of the portion where the flange 33 connects to the second sidewall 312, thereby minimizing the volume of the flange 33 and its weight, i.e., the self-weight of the flange 3. For example, after removing the excess portion of the flange 33, the weight of the flange 3 is reduced by 3 to 5 kg, which allows the volume of the tank 1 to increase by 3 to 5 kg, thus increasing the loading capacity of the tank 1.

[0064] Furthermore, the outermost edge of the flange 33 can be cut off according to the working conditions, so that its outermost edge forms a vertical plane, thereby further reducing the volume of the flange 33 and further reducing the self-weight of the flange 3, so that the volume of the tank 1 is maximized.

[0065] Please return to the reference. Figure 1 The conventional flange 500 has a flange connection surface that is compatible with the outer diameter of the valve 4. The area of ​​the flange connection surface is the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve 4, both of which are circular.

[0066] Please compare. Figure 4 In this embodiment, the area of ​​the connecting surface 313 of the irregular flange 3 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve 4. The connecting surface 313 is elliptical, increasing the diameter of the flange 3 compared to the conventional flange 500. It can be considered that the flange 33 fits against the peripheral wall of the conventional flange 500, increasing the thickness of the upper half of the flange 3.

[0067] The purpose is to ensure that the gap between the main body 31 and the through hole of the tank body 1 is not too large during welding to guarantee welding quality. Compared with the conventional flange 500, the diameter of the special-shaped flange 3 is larger, thereby reducing the circumferential gap between it and the through hole, ensuring that the root of the weld formed between the two is fully penetrated, resulting in high welding quality.

[0068] Moreover, the lower half of the irregular flange 3 can be appropriately cut off, as long as it matches the outer diameter of the valve 4, thereby minimizing the weight of the flange 33 and reducing the self-weight of the tank.

[0069] In this embodiment, flange 3 and valve 4 are located at the lower end of the tank container head 13, facilitating unloading operations by personnel on the ground. In other embodiments, under the same installation conditions and the constraint that valve 4 must not extend beyond end frame 2, flange 3 and valve 4 can also be located at the upper end of head 13 to achieve liquid inlet or other functions, thereby meeting diverse customer needs. In this case, the second sidewall 312 is located below the first sidewall 311 on head 13, and flange 33 is axially connected to the second sidewall 312.

[0070] In summary, the tank container provided by this invention has at least the following advantages and positive effects:

[0071] The flange 3 has a recessed receiving groove 303 that extends towards the tank body 1. Without altering the flange 3's external dimensions or affecting the welding effect, the presence of the receiving groove 303 increases the axial distance between the flange 3 and the end frame 2 compared to a conventional flange 3. This means sufficient space can be provided between the receiving groove 303 and the end frame 2 to install the valve 4, ensuring that the end of the valve 4 does not extend beyond the end frame 2 and eliminating the influence of the valve 4's length on the tank body 1's length. Thus, the aforementioned tank container can maximize its volume and improve transportation efficiency without shortening the length of the tank body 1.

[0072] Although the invention has been described with reference to several typical embodiments, it should be understood that the terminology used is illustrative and exemplary, and not restrictive. Since the invention can be embodied in many forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the invention, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted broadly within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tank container, characterized in that, include: The tank is placed horizontally, and one end of it along its own axis has a through hole that communicates with the space inside the tank. Two end frames are respectively connected and fixed to both ends of the tank body; A flange having an axially penetrating central hole; one axial end of the flange extends into the central hole and is welded and fixed to the tank body, the central hole and the central hole communicating with each other; the other axial end of the flange is recessed towards the tank body to form a receiving groove, the opening of the receiving groove facing the end frame; A valve component, one end of which is received and installed in the receiving groove and communicates with the central hole, and the other end does not extend beyond the end frame; The flange includes a cylindrical main body; one end of the main body is connected to the tank body along the axial direction. The peripheral wall of the main body is divided into a first side wall and a second side wall that are connected in the circumferential direction. The second side wall is closer to the horizontal central axis of the tank than the first side wall. The first side wall has a first axial length along the axial direction of the tank, and the second side wall has a second axial length along the axial direction of the tank. The second axial length is less than the first axial length. The flange includes a flange provided on at least a portion of the peripheral wall of the main body; the other end of the main body along the axial direction forms a connecting surface; The flange protrudes from the connecting surface and connects axially with the second sidewall; there is a gap between the flange and the first sidewall; The tank body includes a cylindrical body and two end caps located at both ends of the cylindrical body; the through hole is located at the lower end of one of the end caps; The second sidewall is located above the first sidewall on the end cap; The main body portion has an inclined surface at one end for connecting with the end cap, and the inclined surface has an arc that matches the arcuate contour of the end cap so as to fit the end cap. The first sidewall is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface, and the second sidewall is connected to the upper end of the inclined surface; the cross-sectional area of ​​the main body gradually increases from top to bottom.

2. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting surface is a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tank body, and the connecting surface has a plurality of connecting holes around the central hole. The valve is fixed to the connecting surface through the connecting holes. The flange extends axially toward the end frame and beyond the connecting surface; the flange and the main body together form the receiving groove.

3. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flange protrudes vertically from the connecting surface and connects axially with the second sidewall.

4. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area of ​​the connecting surface is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve.

5. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer peripheral wall of the flange is flush with the outer surface of the second sidewall.

6. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flange is located above the horizontal central plane of the main body.

7. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the flange that extends beyond the connecting surface gradually slopes from top to bottom towards the connecting surface.

8. The tank container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body and the flange are integrally formed.

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