US 12,134,554 B2
Intermediate bulk container, valve and connector system
Charles A. Huston, Edwardsburg, MI (US)
Filed by ELKHART PLASTICS, INC., South Bend, IN (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/343,494.
Application 18/343,494 is a continuation of application No. 17/482,916, filed on Sep. 23, 2021, granted, now 11,713,238.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/081,954, filed on Sep. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0339739 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. B67D 7/02 (2010.01); B67D 7/36 (2010.01); F16K 27/06 (2006.01)
CPC B67D 7/36 (2013.01) [B67D 7/02 (2013.01); F16K 27/067 (2013.01); Y02W 30/80 (2015.05)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An intermediate bulk container, comprising:
a tank defining an interior volume for storage of a bulk material;
an outlet tube extending from the interior volume of the tank to an outlet at an outboard end of the outlet tube, the outlet tube defining a lateral end-facing surface at the outboard end thereof;
a valve assembly operable to control an outflow of the bulk material from the interior volume of the tank, the valve assembly having an inlet opening fluidly coupled to the outlet of the outlet tube and an annular flange circumscribing the inlet opening of the valve assembly, the annular flange including a lateral sealing surface facing the lateral end-facing surface of the outlet tube and a lateral anchoring surface opposite the lateral sealing surface;
an annular seal member disposed between the lateral end-facing surface of the outlet tube and the lateral sealing surface of the annular flange; and
a connector rotatably coupled to the valve, the connector including an annular lip engaging the anchoring surface of the annular flange such that engagement of threads of the connector with the corresponding threads on the outlet tube draws the sealing surface laterally toward the lateral end-facing surface of the outlet tube to compress the annular seal therebetween.