The invention concerns a container for liquids, which is equipped with an outlet, to which a discharge hose having an interior hose space can be connected, and where the outlet is located in a container wall, which encloses an interior space of the container, and where in the region of the outlet a through-passage leading to the interior space of the container is disposed.
In addition to this, the invention concerns a container for liquids, which is equipped with an outlet, which opens into an interior space of the container in a region of the lower extension of a container wall in a vertically downward direction, and where the outlet can be closed off by means of a closing element.
During the handling of liquids which are stored in containers, the problem arises, that when the liquid is poured out of the container, the volume inside the container, which had previously been occupied by the liquid, must now be replaced by air from the area outside the container. When the liquid is poured out in the usual manner, the air enters the container in the form of bubbles as a result of the negative pressure, which is generated inside the container as a consequence of the pouring process. This results in an erratic pouring behavior. A further problem can be observed when a discharge hose is attached to the container. If in the use of such a discharge hose a closing element is disposed in the region where the hose enters the container, the volume of liquid, which is present inside the hose, runs out of the hose at a slow rate and air bubbles enter the hose in a direction opposite to that of the direction of discharge. Such a discharge of the hose takes a relatively long time, and furthermore, as a result of the erratic discharge behavior caused by the air bubbles, a contamination of the environment by spilled liquid can be expected.
When containers are emptied, which can be closed off by means of a closing element in the region of their lower vertical extension, for example, when objects containing oil are emptied, a problem arises due to the fact that the liquid is discharged immediately after the closing element is opened. For example, if used oil is discharged from the engine of a vehicle in which the closing element is constructed in the form of an oil drain plug, which is located in the region of the oil pan of the vehicle, the oil is discharged immediately after the oil drain plug is removed. Due to the threads of the oil drain plug the time of the complete separation of the oil drain plug from the oil pan is not exactly predictable, so that nearly every time when oil is discharged contamination occurs. A multiplicity of accidents was, moreover, caused by the fact that the oil drain plug had not been reconnected sufficiently tightly to the oil pan after the oil change process had been terminated.
In order to make it easier to empty the container while it is in an ergonomically favorable position, it is proposed that the outlet be disposed in a vertically lower region of the container.
It will be made easier to substantially empty the container if the two-position valve is disposed in a vertically lower region of the interior of the container.
An embodiment, which can be easily produced mechanically, consists in providing a tube for the actuation of the two-position valve, which tube is extended upward in an essentially vertical direction and which is made in the form of an aerating line, which contains an actuating handle in the region of its extension facing away from the two-position valve.
In order to avoid the generation of a negative pressure within the container, it is proposed that in the region where the aeration line extends through a head portion of the container, a compensating valve be placed in order to aerate the interior space of the container.
A simple design of a device for aerating the interior space of the container can be devised in such a manner that the compensating valve is made from the aerating line and a tube sleeve, which envelops the aerating line, and that the aerating line and the tube sleeve contain recesses, which correspond to each other and which can be disposed in such a manner that they are superimposed on each other or displaced relative to each other.
In order to avoid sealing problems, it is proposed that the outlet be disposed in a region of the container, which region is located in a vertical upward direction.
An embodiment consisting of multiple parts can be provided in such a manner that the discharge hose is supported by a connecting piece, which is held in place by means of a swivel nut in the region of a discharge spout of the container.
A simplified embodiment consists in disposing an aerating element, which extends as far as the interior space of the container inside the discharge hose, which aerating element, in a region of its end facing away from the discharge hose, extends into a vertically higher region of the interior space of the container.
In order to generate a closed system for handling a liquid, it is proposed that the discharge hose be equipped with a connecting thread in the region of its end that faces away from the container.
The ability to operate it with little loss of time is aided by disposing the valve element in such a manner that it can be shifted in a longitudinal direction of the guide element.
Another embodiment consists in that the valve element is disposed in such a manner that it can be rotated with respect to the guide element.
A mechanically strong arrangement is generated if the coupling element can be screwed into the guide element.
It is therefore the objective of the present invention to design a container of the kind referred to in the introduction in such a manner that the discharge behavior of the discharge hose is improved.
This objective is achieved according to the invention in such a manner that the outlet is connected to a two-position valve, which has at least two indexing positions, namely a discharge position and a fill position, and that the two-position valve in the discharge position connects the interior space of the container with the interior space of the hose, and that, in the aerating position, the end of the discharge hose facing the interior space of the container is connected to an environment of the container by way of the two-position valve.
It is a further object of the present invention to design a container of the kind referred to in the introduction in such a manner that it can be emptied only after the closing element is opened in such a way that an uncontrolled discharge of liquid from the container is avoided.
This object is achieved according to the invention in such a way that the closing element is disposed in the region of a connecting piece, into which a coupling element with an end piece can be inserted, that the closing element is constructed as a valve, which is opened when the coupling element is introduced and automatically closed when the coupling element is removed, and that the connecting piece can be closed by a drain plug in the region of its end facing away from the interior space of the container.
By using a two-position valve, which has a discharge position and an aerating position, it is possible to close the container and ventilate the discharge hose in one operation. The air for ventilating the hose is introduced into the interior space of the hose in the region of the end of the hose, which faces the interior space of the container. In this manner, the liquid present in the hose is discharged quietly and quickly from the hose.
By placing the closing element in the region of the connecting piece in such a manner that an opening of the closing element can only become possible after the coupling element has been inserted into the connecting piece, a defined discharge process will be provided, which, for example, can be directed into a container provided for this purpose. By means of the combination of the closing element with the drain plug, a double measure of security is being provided, which has the effect that even in the case of a defective closing element or if the drain plug is lost, an uncontrolled discharge of the liquid which is present inside the container is avoided.