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Title:
TANK STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY FOR WINE PRODUCTION OR FOR STORING ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2020/021471
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A tank (1) comprising a supporting frame for at least one containment body (2) which has a bottom wall (3), a lateral containment surface (4) and an upper closure wall (5), a walkway being provided for accessing the upper closure wall; the access walkway (10) comprises at least one walkway portion which is supported directly by the supporting frame of the tank (1).

Inventors:
MARASTONI DANIELE (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2019/056327
Publication Date:
January 30, 2020
Filing Date:
July 24, 2019
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
DEFRANCESCHI S R L (IT)
International Classes:
C12L11/00; B65D6/28
Domestic Patent References:
WO2006079987A22006-08-03
Foreign References:
ES1049272U2001-11-16
EP1582580A12005-10-05
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MODIANO, Micaela (IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. A tank structure (1) comprising a supporting frame for at least one containment body (2) which has a bottom wall (3), a lateral containment surface (4) and an upper closure wall (5), a walkway being provided for accessing said upper closure wall, characterized in that said access walkway (10) comprises at least one walkway portion which is supported directly by said supporting frame of said tank (1), at least one portion of said access walkway is formed at said upper closure wall (5).

2. The tank (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper closure wall (5) forms at least one access hatch (5a), said portion of said walkway formed at said upper closure wall being arranged proximate to said access hatch (5 a).

3. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one walkway portion is arranged facing and spaced with respect to said upper closure wall (5) of said containment body (2).

4. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said portion of said walkway formed at said upper closure wall is arranged around said access hatch (5a).

5. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said walkway portion supported directly by said supporting frame is associated integrally with said containment chamber.

6. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said containment chamber is made of metallic material.

7. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a wine production tank and/or a storage tank.

8. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting frame completely supports the portion of the access walkway (10) that faces the upper closure wall (5).

9. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting frame completely supports said access walkway (10).

10. The tank (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that supporting spacers (10a) are interposed between said upper closure wall (5) and said access walkway (10).

Description:
TANK STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY FOR WINE PRODUCTION OR FOR STORING ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS

The present invention relates to a tank, particularly for wine production or for storing alcoholic products.

Wine production is the biochemical process for transforming grapes in wine and for refinement thereof.

Tanks, for example made of steel, concrete, fiberglass, are well known and widely used for wine production and/or for the storage of alcoholic products such as wine.

Such tanks typically have a supporting structure or frame for a containment body which forms internally a chamber designed to contain must or wine.

The containment body comprises a bottom wall, a lateral containment surface and an upper closure wall.

Typically, at the upper closure wall there is a hatch or an upper stack that can be used for loading or for inspection of the material contained inside the chamber.

In many cases, especially in the case of tank of considerable size, there are supporting structures for grid-like walkways or for platforms for accessing the various upper hatches.

The supporting structures are in general made of metal and are provided, proximate to the various hatches, with walking surfaces with corresponding safety railings.

These constructive solutions, although widely used, are not however free from drawbacks.

Sometimes, the upper access stacks must therefore be arranged off- center with respect to the axis of the tank in order to arrange them near the lateral walkways, but in this manner the visual field is limited considerably.

Furthermore, it is necessary to design in each instance, according to the distribution of the tanks in the cellar, the supporting structures and the various platforms and walkways according to the arrangements of the tanks.

For this reason, it is often impossible to adapt the supporting structures and the platforms and walkways if the distribution of the tanks is changed or if the type of tanks is changed.

Furthermore, it is noted that known solutions necessarily entail that the upper closure walls of the tanks are frustum-shaped, in order to ensure their cleaning and washing, thus limiting, at equal height, the capacity of said tanks.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a tank that is capable of improving the background art in one or more of the above mentioned aspects.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a tank that allows to optimize the arrangement of the platforms and walkways, simplifying and reducing the burden of any construction and/or moving operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tank that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and at competitive costs.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a tank according to claim 1, optionally provided with one or more of the characteristics of the dependent claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the tank according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective and schematic view of a room used to contain tank according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of a tank according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a top view of the tank according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the tank, taken along the plane of arrangement indicated by the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged-scale view of a portion of the cross-section shown in Figure 4.

The tank according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting frame for at least one containment body 2 having a bottom wall 3, a lateral containment surface 4 and an upper closure wall 5.

The tank 1 is furthermore associated with a walkway 10 for accessing the upper closure wall 5.

According to the present invention, the access walkway 10 comprises at least one walkway portion supported directly by the supporting frame of the tank 1.

In particular, the supporting frame of the walkway supports at least partially the access walkway 10.

According to a possible constructive variation, the supporting frame of the walkway fully supports the portion of the access walkway 10, at least the one facing the upper closure wall.

The supporting frame of the walkway can also fully support the portion of the access walkway 10.

Conveniently, the access walkway 10 is formed at the upper closure wall 5.

Conveniently, the upper closure wall 5 forms at least one upper access stack 5a.

Preferably, supporting spacers 10a can be interposed between the upper closure wall 5 and the access walkway 10.

The supporting spacers 10a can comprise blade elements, arranged radially with respect to the tank and on a substantially vertical plane.

The lateral containment surface 4 may also be associated with at least one supporting body 10b for the access walkway 10.

Preferably, the supporting body 10b extends for an angular portion around the axis of the tank 1. The walkway portion formed at the upper closure wall is arranged, in particular, proximate to the access hatch 5a.

Preferably, the walkway portion defined at the upper closure wall is arranged around the access hatch or stack 5 a.

Advantageously, at least one walkway portion is arranged so that it faces and is spaced from the upper closure wall 5 of the containment body 2.

The walkway portion can be provided by a continuous flat surface that is not perforated or grid-like.

Conveniently, a thermal insulation region is arranged between the walkway portion and the upper closure wall 5.

The access hatch or stack 5a extends in a vertical direction and preferably has at least the top portion arranged at a higher level than the level of the walkway portion formed at the upper closure wall.

According to a practical embodiment, the walkway portion supported directly by the supporting frame is associated integrally with the containment chamber.

In particular, the containment chamber is made of metallic material.

Preferably, the tank 1 comprises a tank for wine production and/or a storage tank.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, providing a tank capable of optimizing the arrangement of the platforms and walkways.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Invention Patent Application No. 102018000007482, from which this application clai priority, are incorporated by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.