AU2003204488A1

AU2003204488A1 - Gas Bottle Sealing Device

Info

Publication number: AU2003204488A1
Application number: AU2003204488A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Suwat Ricbroicharoen; David John Tyler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-07
Filing date: 2003-06-03
Publication date: 2004-01-08

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NO:

LODGED:

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED:

ACCEPTED:

PUBLISHED:

RELATED ART: NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: DAVID JOHN

REIBROICHAROEN

TYLER SUWAT

APPLICANTS

LORD COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, of 4 Douro Place, West Perth, Western Australia, 6005, AUSTRALIA.

GAS BOTTLE SEALING DEVICE DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO'S: AUSTRALIAN PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NUMBER PS2802 FILED JUNE 7, 2002 The following Statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

TITLE

"GAS BOTTLE SEALING DEVICE" The present invention relates to gas bottle sealing device.

As an alternative to having a gas bottle filled while you wait, many businesses are now operating a bottle exchange service. This service involves a customer, who has an empty gas bottle which requires filling, leaving their empty gas bottle at the local service outlet and exchanging it for a full gas bottle. When a sufficient number of empty gas bottles are exchanged, the local service outlet then sends the empty bottles away to be filled.

A problem encountered with this type of operation is that some individuals do not send the empty gas bottles back to the appropriate place for filling and instead fill the empty bottles with a cheaper gas, such as auto-gas. There is therefore a need to be able to place a sealing device on the outlet of the gas bottle once it is filled which serves to indicate that the bottle has been filled by the appropriate persons, with the correct type of gas and correct quantity of gas.

As the sealing devices are to be placed on the outlet of the gas bottle during the filling process which would generally involve a significant number of bottles, the sealing device must be quick and easy to put on. Further, the sealing device should preferably be able to be removed by the end user of the gas bottle easily, without the need for any tools.

The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part the aforementioned problems by providing an improved device for sealing the outlet of gas bottles.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a gas bottle sealing device comprising: a cap member arranged to cover an outlet of a gas bottle; a flexible elongate member extending from the cap member; and a retaining means mounted on the cap member, the retaining means having an aperture for receiving a distal end of the elongate member; wherein when the gas bottle sealing device is arranged so that the elongate member extends around a portion of the gas bottle with the cap member covering the outlet and the distal end of the elongate member is pulled through the aperture in the retaining means, the retaining means prevents the elongate member from being withdrawn from the aperture thus securing the cap member to the outlet of the gas bottle.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a gas bottle sealing device in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the gas bottle sealing device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side cross sectional view of the gas bottle sealing device of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the gas bottle sealing device of Figure 1 with the distal end of the elongate member held within the retaining means; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the gas bottle sealing device of Figure 1 in place on a gas bottle.

Referring to the Figures, there is shown a gas bottle sealing device 10 comprising a cap member 12 and an elongate member 14. The cap member 12 is arranged to cover the outlet 15 of a gas bottle. The cap member 12 comprises a cylindrical body portion 16 and a face portion 18. The cylindrical body portion 16 may be arranged to be received within the outlet 15 of the gas bottle as shown in Figure 5 or may completely cover the outlet 15 of the gas bottle in the case of a gas bottle having a smaller outlet.

It will be appreciated that the shape and size of the cap member 12 may be altered to suit the outlet of the gas bottle which is to be sealed.

The elongate member 14 extends from the cap member 12 in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane of the face portion 18 and radially with respect to the cylindrical body portion 16. The elongate member 14 is constructed of a suitably flexible material such as polypropylene.

The cap member 12 also includes a retaining means 20 including an aperture 22 arranged to receive a distal end 30 of the elongate member 14. The retaining means comprises a member 24 extending from a generally opposite side of the cap member 12 and in an opposite direction to the elongate member 14. The aperture 22 extends through the member 24 in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body portion 16 of the cap member 12.

The aperture 22 in the retaining means 20 includes an inwardly protruding lug 26 and the distal end 30 of the elongate member 14 includes a protrusion 28. The lug 26 and the protrusion 28 are arranged such that when the distal end 30 of the elongate member 14 is received within the aperture 22, the protrusion 28 and the lug 26 prevent removal of the elongate member 14 from the retaining means 20. The distal end 30 of the elongate member 14 is inserted through the aperture 22 in a direction such that the distal end 30 extends outwardly and generally perpendicular to the face portion 18 of the cap member 12. Figure 4 shows the gas bottle sealing device ready for use in this configuration where the distal end of the elongate member 14 is retained within the aperture 22 in the retaining means The elongate member 14 also includes a plurality of ridges 32 along a portion of the length of the elongate member 14. Each of the ridges 32 is arranged to cooperate with the lug 26 within the retaining means in a manner similar to the protrusion 28. That is, as the elongate member 14 is drawn through the aperture 22 in the retaining means each of the ridges 32 may pass the lug 26 and then prevents the elongate member 14 from being withdrawn from the retaining means 20 in a manner similar to known cable ties.

Further, the elongate member 14 includes a plurality of weakened portions along the length of the elongate member 14 over which the ridges 32 extend. The weakened portions comprise a plurality of holes 34 in the elongate member 14. The holes 34 are provided in the elongate member 14 in between adjacent pairs of ridges 32. The weakened portions are arranged to allow the elongate member 14 to be broken by application of a pulling force on the elongate member 14 applied by the user.

In use, the gas bottle sealing device 10 is supplied for installation in the configuration as shown in Figure 4, in which the distal end 30 of the elongate member 14 is inserted in the aperture 22 of the retaining means 20 such that the protrusion 28 and lug member 26 prevent removal of the elongate member 14 from the retaining means The gas bottle sealing device 10 is placed such that the cap member 12 is adjacent the outlet 15 and the elongate member 14 extends around the gas bottle valve. The distal end of the elongate member 14 may then be pulled to tighten the gas bottle sealing device 10 around the gas bottle valve and secure the cap member 12 to cover the outlet 15, as shown in Figure 5. Due to the orientation of the aperture 22 in the retaining means 20, the distal end 30 of the elongate member 14 is accessible to the user and can be pulled outwardly of the outlet 15 of the gas bottle to tighten the gas bottle sealing device 10 quickly and easily.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention

Claims

1. A gas bottle sealing device comprising: a cap member arranged to cover an outlet of a gas bottle; a flexible elongate member extending from the cap member; and a retaining means mounted on the cap member, the retaining means having an aperture for receiving a distal end of the elongate member; wherein when the gas bottle sealing device is arranged so that the elongate member extends around a portion of the gas bottle with the cap member covering the outlet and the distal end of the elongate member is pulled through the aperture in the retaining means, the retaining means prevents the elongate member from being withdrawn from the aperture thus securing the cap member to the outlet of the gas bottle.

2. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distal end of the elongate member is retained within the aperture such that the distal end of the elongate member extends generally outwardly from the outlet, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outlet.

3. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein the cap member comprises a cylindrical body portion and a face portion and the elongate member extends from the cap member in a direction generally radially from and parallel to the face portion.

4. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the retaining means comprises a member extending generally radially outwardly from the face portion of the cap member, on an opposite side of the body portion to the elongate member.

A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate member includes a plurality of weakened portions along a portion of the length of the elongate member.

6. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aperture includes an inwardly protruding lug and the elongate member includes a portion having a plurality of ridges, the ridges and the lug being arranged such that as the elongate member is drawn through the aperture, each of the ridges which passes the lug engages with the lug to prevent the elongate member from being withdrawn from the aperture.

7. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the elongate member includes a protrusion adjacent a distal end. thereof, the protrusion being separated from the portion of the elongate member having the ridges and being arranged such that when the protrusion passes the lug as the elongate member is drawn through the aperture, the protrusion engages with the lug such that the protrusion may not be drawn back through the aperture.

8. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the weakened portions comprise a plurality of holes in the elongate member, each of the holes residing between an adjacent pair of ridges.

9. A gas bottle sealing device in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas bottle sealing device is constructed of polypropylene. A gas bottle sealing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 2 ND DAY OF JUNE 2003. DAVID JOHN TYLER SUWAT RIEBROICHAROEN By their Patent Attorneys LORD COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.