A safety can includes a receptacle and a valve mechanism connected thereto. The valve mechanism can include a body, a fill cover assembly, a pour valve assembly, and a trigger assembly. The body can include a fill port and a separate pour port. The fill cover assembly can be adapted to selectively move between a closed position to cover the fill port and an open position to allow the receptacle to be filled. The pour valve assembly can be adapted to selectively move between a closed position to cover the pour port and an open position to allow fluid to be poured from the receptacle through the pour port. The trigger assembly can be operated to move the pour valve assembly. The pour valve and the pour port can be disposed along a longitudinal pour axis. The fill port can be disposed in offset relationship to the longitudinal pour axis.
1. A can for storing and dispensing liquids, comprising:
a receptacle defining an inner chamber, the receptacle including an outer surface defining a main opening in fluid communication with the inner chamber; and
a valve assembly connected to the receptacle, the valve assembly including:
a valve body, the valve body defining a fill opening, a pour opening, a main passage, and a pouring valve passage, the main passage extending along a main passage centerline between the fill opening and a main passage opening, the main passage opening being aligned and fluidly open to the main opening of the receptacle such that the main passage and the inner chamber are fluidly connected, the pouring valve passage extending along a pouring valve passage centerline, the pouring valve passage in communication with the pour opening, the valve body defining at least one fluid passage fluidly interconnecting the main passage and the pour opening, wherein the main passage centerline is substantially perpendicular to the pouring valve passage centerline, and wherein the main passage centerline is disposed at an offset distance, D, from the pouring valve passage centerline along an axis that is perpendicular to the pouring valve passage centerline,
a fill cap adapted to selectively cover the fill opening, and
a pour valve movably disposed within the pouring valve passage over a range of travel between a closed position and an open position, the pour valve adapted to fluidly block the pour opening when the pour valve is in the closed position.
2. The can of claim 1 , wherein the main passage has a generally cylindrical shape and wherein the pouring valve passage has a stepped cylindrical shape.
3. The can of claim 1 , further comprising a resilient element disposed to bias the fill cap toward sealing engagement with the fill opening.
4. The can of claim 1 , wherein the valve body defines a pour valve seat adjacent the pour opening, and the pour valve includes a slide shaft, an actuator adapted to selectively move the slide shaft in the pouring valve passage, a pour valve gasket disposed to sealingly engage the pour valve seat of the valve body when the pour valve is in the closed position, and a spring in engaging relationship with the slide shaft and adapted to bias the pour valve to the closed position.
5. The can of claim 4 , further comprising a movable trigger having a cam feature adapted to move the slide shaft when the trigger is actuated such that the pour valve gasket is unseated from the pour valve seat.
6. The can of claim 1 , further comprising an angled outlet flange connected to a face of the body that surrounds the pour opening.
7. The can of claim 6 , wherein the angled flange forms an outlet flange disposed at an acute angle relative to the face of the body that surrounds the pour opening.
8. The can of claim 7 , wherein the acute angle is about 45-degrees.
9. The can of claim 1 , wherein the fluid receptacle includes a base, a cylindrical side wall portion and a dome, the base, the side wall portion and the dome being connected in a fluid-tight fashion to define the inner chamber therebetween.
10. The can of claim 9 , wherein the dome includes a convex outer surface that includes the surface onto which the valve body is connected.
11. The can of claim 1 , wherein the valve body defines a vent passage fluidly connected to a vent opening of the fluid receptacle such that the vent passage is fluidly connected to the inner chamber when the pour valve is in an open position.
12. The can of claim 1 , wherein the valve body is made of metal using a fabrication or molding operation.
13. The can of claim 1 , wherein the valve body defines a second passage adapted to fluidly interconnect the main passage and the pour opening.
14. The can of claim 13 , wherein the second passage has a generally rectangular cross section and extends along a centerline in substantially parallel relationship to the pouring valve passage centerline and tangentially relative to a main passage cross section.
15. A valve assembly for a Type II fluid receptacle having an inner chamber suitable for storage of flammable liquids, the valve assembly comprising:
a valve body, the valve body defining a fill opening, a pour opening, a main passage, and a pouring valve passage, the main passage extending along a main passage centerline between the fill opening and a main passage opening, the pouring valve passage extending along a pouring valve passage centerline, the pouring valve passage in communication with the pour opening, the valve body defining at least one fluid passage fluidly interconnecting the main passage and the pour opening, wherein the main passage centerline is substantially perpendicular to the pouring valve passage centerline, and wherein the main passage centerline is disposed at an offset distance, D, from the pouring valve passage centerline along an axis that is perpendicular to the pouring valve passage centerline,
a fill cap adapted to selectively cover the fill opening, and
a pour valve movably disposed within the pouring valve passage over a range of travel between a closed position and an open position, the pour valve adapted to fluidly block the pour opening when the pour valve is in the closed position.
16. The valve assembly of claim 15 , wherein the main passage has a generally cylindrical shape and wherein the pouring valve passage has a stepped cylindrical shape.
17. The valve assembly of claim 15 , further comprising a resilient element disposed to bias the fill cap toward sealing engagement with the fill opening.
18. The valve assembly of claim 15 , wherein the valve body defines a pour valve seat adjacent the pour opening, and the pour valve includes a slide shaft, an actuator adapted to selectively move the slide shaft in the pouring valve passage, a pour valve gasket disposed to sealingly engage the pour valve seat of the valve body when the pour valve is in the closed position, and a spring in engaging relationship with the slide shaft and adapted to bias the pour valve to the closed position.
19. The valve assembly of claim 18 , further comprising a movable trigger having a cam feature adapted to move the slide shaft when the trigger is actuated such that the pour valve gasket is unseated from the pour valve seat.
20. The valve assembly of claim 15 , wherein the valve body defines a vent passage.
21. The valve assembly of claim 15 , wherein the valve body defines a second passage adapted to fluidly interconnect the main passage and the pour opening.
22. The valve assembly of claim 21 , wherein the second passage has a generally rectangular cross section and extends along a centerline in substantially parallel relationship to the pouring valve passage centerline and tangentially relative to a main passage cross section.