Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STACKABLE CONTAINER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container of a type with an arrangement
which allows the container to be stacked vertically with another container of
the same
type.
BACKGROUND
Storage containers are convenient for storing materials especially those
which flow, whether for example in a particulate or a liquid form.
, Further, as such containers are commonplace, it is desirable to be able
to arrange these in an efficient storage configuration so as to minimize an
amount of
surface area in a storage space which the containers occupy. One way in which
to
accomplish this is to provide the containers with an arrangement which allows
them to
be stacked vertically one on top of the other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a container
comprising:
a top wall, a bottom wall, and a plurality of side walls spanning
therebetween so as to define an interior volume of the container;
an opening for accessing the interior volume of the container;
a protrusion on one of the top wall and the bottom wall with a tip spaced
from an outer surface of said one of the top wall and the bottom wall and
opposite sides
of the protrusion depending from the tip on either side thereof towards the
outer surface
of said one of the top wall and the bottom wall;
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a groove on the other one of the top wall and the bottom wall with a base
recessed from an outer surface of said other one of the top wall and the
bottom wall
and opposite sides of the groove extending from the base on either side
thereof towards
the outer surface of said other one of the top wall and the bottom wall;
the groove of a first one of a plurality of the container being arranged for
matingly receiving the protrusion of a second one of the plurality of the
container such
that the first and the second containers are interconnectable in a vertically
stacked
configuration.
As such, the protrusion of one container is arranged for nesting within the
groove of another container so that the containers are held in fixed relation
to one
another by mating of the protrusion and groove thereby forming a stable
vertical stack.
Each one of the protrusion and groove comprises two side surfaces on either
side of
the respective one of the tip and the base which cooperate in butting
engagement with
the side surfaces of the other so as to maintain one container in fixed
relation relative
.. to the other in a direction transverse to the direction of extent of the
protrusion and
groove.
Preferably each of the protrusion and the groove follow a closed annular
path about the respective one of the top wall and the bottom wall. Use of the
term
"annular" is not intended to limit the shape of the path, and thus the path
may be for
example rectangular (e.g., square) or elliptical (e.g. circular).
The protrusion and groove may be continuous so that each extends along
the closed annular path.
Alternatively, the protrusion and the groove may each comprise a plurality
of segments each extending along a portion of the closed annular path so that
the
segments collectively form the closed annular path.
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Preferably each of the tip of the protrusion and the base of the groove
along a length thereof defines a common stacking plane.
Thus, in the vertically stacked configuration the stacking plane of the
protrusion and the stacking plane of the groove are substantially coplanar.
In one arrangement the outer surface of the bottom wall is inclined on
either side of a central line extending longitudinally of the bottom wail so
as to form a
tip along said central line, and the container includes a plurality of feet at
the bottom
wall on either side of said central line with bottoms of the feet defining a
common plane
with the tip of the outer surface of the bottom wall.
Thus the feet are suited for resting on a support surface such as a room
floor while being arranged so as to not interfere with a container
therebeneath in the
vertically stacked configuration.
Preferably the common plane of the feet and tip of the bottom wall and
the stacking plane are parallel.
In one arrangement the outer surface of the top wall is inclined on either
side of a central line extending longitudinally of the top wall so as to form
a tip along
said central line such that the bottoms of the feet of the first one of the
plurality of the
container are spaced from the outer surface of the top wall of the second one
of the
plurality of the container in the vertically stacked configuration.
Thus the feet bottoms do not contact the top wall of the container
therebeneath in the vertically stacked configuration.
A central portion of each of the bottom wall of the first one of the plurality
of the container and the top wall of the second one of the plurality of
container may be
arranged for butting engagement one with the other in the vertically stacked
configuration. This central portion comprises the tip of the respective one of
the top
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wall and the bottom wall.
It will be appreciated that the opening is located in one of the top wall, the
bottom wall, and the plurality of side walls. Typically the opening is located
in one of
the side walls.
Typically there is provided a handle formed recessed into the top wall. In
this arrangement the handle does not protrude beyond the outer surface of the
top wall
so as to not interfere with a container thereover in the vertically stacked
configuration.
Typically the handle is located within the path followed by the respective one
of the
protrusion and the groove at the top wall.
In one arrangement the protrusion is located at the top wall and the
groove at the bottom wall. In this arrangement the container preferably
includes feet
on the bottom wall that are distinct of the groove for example like those
described
above.
In another arrangement the groove is located at the top wall and the
protrusion at the bottom wall. In this arrangement the protrusion may define a
footing
of the container for resting on a support surface such that feet at the bottom
wall which
are additional to the protrusion may not be required.
The arrangement of container described hereinbefore may be applied to
a container of the type for storing fuel such as gasoline, and therefore the
container
may further include a spout and a cap which are connected at the opening. The
spout
and cap are cooperatively arrangeable in a first closed position where the
spout is
located in the interior volume of the container which is not communicated with
an
exterior of the container such that contents stored within the container
remains
contained therein, and in a second pouring position where the spout is mounted
on the
cap so that the contents may be evacuated from the interior volume of the
container by
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pouring.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One arrangement of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 illustrates from the top and one side a perspective view of
container according to the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates another perspective view of the container of Figure 1
from the bottom and one side thereof.
Figure 3 is a plan view from a top of the container of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan view from a bottom of the container of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is an elevation view from a front of the container of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is an elevation view from a rear of the container of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is an elevation view from a side of the container of Figure 1.
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the container of Figure 1 taken along
line 8-8 in Figure 3.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a plurality of containers according to the
present invention disposed in a vertically stacked configuration.
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in Figure 9.
Figure 12 is an elevation view from the rear of the containers in the
vertically stacked configuration of Figure 9 but showing only two of the
stacked
containers.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the different figures.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In Figures 1 to 10 is provided a container generally indicated at reference
numeral 10 with an arrangement which allows the container to be stacked
vertically with
another container of the same type. It will be appreciated that although the
container
of the illustrated arrangement is of a kind for storing fuel such as gasoline,
the
arrangement providing stacking capability may be applied to containers of
different
kinds.
Generally speaking, the container 10 comprises a top wall 12, a bottom
wall 14, and a plurality of side walls 17-20 spanning between the top and the
bottom
walls so as to define an interior volume V of the container. There is provided
for
accessing the interior volume V of the container an opening 23 in the front
side wall 17
which is formed in three sections with an upper section 17A inclined relative
to the top
wall 12, an intermediate section 17B which is oriented substantially
vertically, and a
lower section 17C which is inclined relative to the bottom wall 14. Thus, more
specifically the opening is located in the upper section 17A of the front side
wall for
reasons which will become more apparent shortly hereinafter.
At the opening 23 there is provided a conventional spout and cap
assembly 25 for selectively communicating the interior volume V with an
exterior of the
container. The assembly 25 includes the spout 27 and the cap 28 arrangeable in
a first
closed position as shown through the figures where the spout 27 is located in
the interior
volume of the container and the opening 23 is closed such that the interior
volume is
not communicated with the exterior of the container, and thus contents stored
within
the container remains contained therein. The assembly 25 is also arrangeable
in a
second pouring position (not shown) where the spout is mounted on the cap at
the
opening in a manner communicating the interior volume with the exterior so
that the
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contents may be evacuated from the interior volume of the container by
pouring.
Further, the container comprises at least one handle 29 which in the
illustrated arrangement is formed recessed into one of the container walls.
That is, the
handle is formed in such a manner so that it protrudes inwardly into the
interior volume
V of the container relative to the container wall at which the handle is
located. As such,
the respective handle is formed by a U-shaped channel 31 which is open at a
first
location L1 at the respective wall and at a spaced second location L2
wherebetween
there is formed a tubular grip 33 which is flush with an outer surface of the
respective
container wall. In the illustrated arrangement the container comprises two
handles, one
handle 29 located centrally at the top wall 12 and another one 30 of the same
arrangement located centrally at the rear wall 18 so as to provide two
gripping locations
which may make handling the container easier than if there were just one
handle,
especially for pouring.
Turning now to the arrangement providing the stacking ability, the
container comprises at its top wall 12 a continuously extending protrusion 36
following
a closed annular path about the top wall with a tip 37 of the protrusion
spaced from an
outer surface 39 of the top wall so as to be raised thereabove and opposite
sides 40
and 41 depending downwardly from the tip 37 on either side thereof towards the
top
wall's outer surface 39.
At the bottom wall 14 there is thus provided a continuously extending
groove 46 following a matching closed annular path about the bottom wall with
a base
47 recessed from an outer surface 49 of the bottom wall and opposite sides 50
and 51
upstanding from the base 47 so as to extend therefrom on either side of the
base
towards the bottom wall's outer surface 49.
Thus, the protrusion 36 and the groove 46 each define a stack-
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interconnecting feature of the respective one of the top wall 12 and the
bottom wall 14
for enabling interconnection between one container and the next arranged in
the
vertically stacked configuration.
Further, in the illustrated arrangement both the protrusion 36 and the
groove 46 are endless.
The groove of one container is thus arranged to matingly receive the
protrusion of another container in a nesting manner such that the two
containers can
be interconnected in a vertically stacked configuration.
In order to provide stability, the tip 37 of the protrusion and the base 47 of
the groove along a full length thereof following the annular path each define
a respective
horizontal stacking plane respectively indicated at P1 or P2 which in the
vertically
stacked configuration is substantially coplanar with the other as best shown
in Figures
10 and 11. This also allows the vertically stacked configuration of the
containers 10 to
include more than two containers.
In the illustrated arrangement, the outer surface of each of the top and
the bottom walls 12, 14 is inclined at 52, 53 of the top wall and 54, 55 of
the bottom wall
on either side of a central line extending longitudinally of the bottom wall
so as to form
a tip along the central line that is indicated at 56 of the top wall and 57 of
the bottom
wall and which is pointed in the illustrated arrangement.
The container includes a plurality of feet 59 which are located at the
bottom wall 14 at positions spaced outwardly of the groove 46 in a radial
direction from
a central area of the bottom wall. The feet 59 have bottoms 60 each forming a
flat
surface which with the tip 57 of the bottom wall along the tip's full length
define a
common horizontal plane H. Thus the feet 59 are suited for resting on a
support surface
such as a room floor. As the feet are spaced transversely outwardly from the
bottom
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wall's tip 57 the feet do not interfere with a container therebeneath in the
vertically
stacked configuration whose top wall outer surface 39 is inclined downwardly
from the
tip 56 of the top wall, as more clearly shown in Figure 12.
Furthermore, since the outer surface of each of the top and bottom walls
.. has inclined portions converging at the tip while the stacking feature
defines the
respective stacking plane, a height of the protrusion 36 from the top wall's
outer surface
39 varies along a length of the protrusion so that the full length of the
protrusion's tip is
provided at the respective horizontal stacking plane P1, particularly
transversely from
one side to the other. Similarly, a depth of the groove 46 relative to the
bottom wall's
.. outer surface 47 varies along a length of the groove so that the full
length of the groove's
base is provided at the respective horizontal stacking plane P2.
Figures 9 to 12 show a plurality of the containers disposed in the vertically
stacked configuration. As most clearly shown in Figure 9, it is possible to
arrange in
the stacked configuration the containers indicated at A, B, and C which have
different
.. capacities because a footprint of the stacking feature of one of the
containers matches
that of the container vertically adjacent thereto. In other words, regardless
of the
capacity of the interior volume of the respective container, each container's
stacking
features have a common footprint so that containers which have different
capacities but
not necessarily the same dimensions between every pair of diametrically
opposite walls
.. can be disposed in the vertically stacked configuration.
In the illustrated arrangement, the outer surfaces 39, 49 of the top and
bottom walls 12, 14 with their inclined portions are held in spaced relation
to one another
except for at the tips 56, 57 of the top wall 12 of a lower one of the
adjacent pair of
stacked containers and the bottom wall 14 of an upper one of the adjacent
stacked pair.
Further, as more clearly shown in Figure 11, by locating the opening 23
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in the upper inclined section 17A of the front side wall and as the lower
section 17C of
the front side wall is inclined the opening 23 of the lower one of the
adjacent containers
in the vertically stacked configuration is still accessible in this stacked
configuration.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above
described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it
is
intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be
interpreted
as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
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