Externally supported lye tank

Abstract

An article of manufacture that includes a lye tank and an external support structure attached thereto is described. The lye tank has a base having an aperture and sidewalls extending upwardly there from, and an open end. The lye tank may be fabricated from metal and/or plastic. The external support structure includes: (i) at least one bowl-shaped profile member having a base and sidewalls and an interior space; (ii) a plurality of plastic reinforcing ribs located fixedly within the interior space of the bowl-shaped member; and (iii) a connecting member, having an opening, which is connected to the first end of the bowl-shaped member by means of positive and/or material connections. The lye tank and the external support structure are connected together such that aperture of base of tank is aligned with opening of connecting member. External surfaces of base of bowl-shaped member face and extend along (and optionally abut) the external surfaces of base and sidewalls of lye tank.

1 . An externally supported lye tank comprising: 
 (a) a lye tank having a base and sidewalls extending away from said base, and having an open end, the base of said lye tank having an aperture therein, said lye tank being fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic and combinations thereof, the base and sidewalls of said lye tank each having external surfaces; and    (b) an external support structure comprising, 
 (i) at least one bowl-shaped profile member having a base and sidewalls extending away from said base, said bowl-shaped profile member having an open end, the sidewalls and base of said bowl-shaped profile having internal surfaces which together define an interior space of said bowl-shaped profile, said base of said bowl-shaped profile member having an external surface, said bowl-shaped profile being fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic and combinations thereof, and said bowl-shaped profile member having a first end and a second end,  
 (ii) a plurality of plastic reinforcing ribs located within said interior space of said bowl-shaped profile, said plastic reinforcing ribs being fixedly attached to said bowl-shaped profile member by means selected from the group consisting of positive connections, material connections and combinations thereof, and  
 (iii) a connecting member having an opening, said connecting member being connected to the first end of said bowl-shaped profile member by means selected from the group consisting of positive connections, material connections and combinations thereof,  
 wherein said lye tank and said external support structure are joined together such that the aperture in the base of said lye tank is aligned with the opening of said connecting member, the external surfaces of the base of bowl-shaped said profile member facing and being arranged along the external surfaces of said base and said sidewalls of said lye tank.  
   
     
     
         2 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said bowl-shaped profile member has a base arm portion that extends along said base of said lye tank, and a sidewall arm portion that is extends along said sidewall of said lye tank, said base arm portion and said sidewall arm portion of said bowl-shaped profile member being continuous and forming a substantially 90° angle with each other.  
     
     
         3 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said external support structure further comprises a plastic ring connected to the second end of said bowl-shaped profile member, said lye tank further comprising an outwardly extending annular flange positioned at an upper terminus of said sidewalls of said lye tank, said plastic ring of said external support structure and said annular flange of said lye tank engaging lockingly with each other.  
     
     
         4 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said external support structure comprises three bowl-shaped profile members, which are arranged at equal distances along the periphery of said connecting member.  
     
     
         5 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said connecting member has edge regions having perforations, and the first end of said bowl-shaped profile member has edge regions having perforations, the edge regions and perforations of said connecting member being positioned above the edge regions and perforations of said bowl-shaped profile member, and thermoplastic material being injected through the perforations and around the positioned edge regions of said connecting member and said bowl-shaped profile member.  
     
     
         6 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said bowl-shaped profile member and said connecting member are each fabricated from a metal selected independently from the group consisting of steel, nickel, chromium, iron, copper, zinc, titanium, scandium, aluminium, magnesium, and alloys of at least two metals thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said lye tank is fabricated from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PU), polyester, polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) graft copolymer, polypropylene oxide (PPO), polysulphone (PSO), polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), polyimide (PI), polyketone (PEEK), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 7  wherein said thermoplastic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of reinforcing material, filler material and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 3  wherein said plastic reinforcing ribs and said plastic ring are each fabricated from a thermoplastic material selected independently from the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic polyurethane (PU), polyester, polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene graft copolymer (ABS), polypropylene oxide (PPO), polysulphone (PSO), polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), polyimide (PI), polyketone (PEEK), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 9  wherein said thermoplastic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of reinforcing material, filler material and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said sidewalls and base of said bowl-shaped profile member have a plurality of perforations having edges, further wherein said plastic reinforcing ribs are formed by injection molding thermoplastic material onto the internal surfaces of said sidewalls and said base of said bowl-shaped profile member, a portion of the injected-on thermoplastic material extending through the perforations in the base and sidewalls of said bowl-shaped profile member, the edges of the perforations being embedded in the thermoplastic material extending there through, thereby fixedly attaching said reinforcing ribs to said bowl-shaped profile member by means of positive connections.  
     
     
         12 . The externally supported lye tank of  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing ribs are fixedly attached to said bowl-shaped profile member by means of material connections selected from the group consisting of, fasteners, snap fittings, clip-on fittings, adhesives and thermoplastic welds.