Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PCT Patent Application
Title: Plastic Container
Statement Concerning Priority
[000l] This application claims priority to, and the full benefit of, US
provisional patent application no. 62/369,581 filed on August 1, 2016.
Field of the Invention
[0002] The field of the invention is plastic containers for fluids.
Background
[0003] Although the plastic container for fluids has evolved substantially in
the last few years, there have been important needs unmet by the traditional
cylindrical container.
[0004] One of the most important needs is to reduce transportation costs
which the traditional cylindrical container has not solved. First, cylindrical
containers have a large space between them even when touching, and this area
means smaller volumes of the contents can be shipped in individual containers
arranged within a space of a certain size, e.g., the van of a large trailer,
compared to
in the present invention. Second, a cylindrical container, when empty, cannot
be
nested, so stacking multiple empty containers for shipment to plants where
they are
filled also greatly increases the number of unfilled units which can be loaded
into a
shipment.
[0005] Another longstanding issue is that of dried paint which accumulates
within the U-shaped channel of a container rim after fluids such as paint dry
after
collecting in the rim, for example, after pouring or dripping from a
paintbrush. Dried
fluids or paint in the rim tends to make resealing a container difficult
because the
channel in the rim (for receiving the lid) can become obstructed.
[o006] Additionally, the stability of loaded containers when
stacked has
been a continuing concern.
[0007] Also, pouring paint into a roller pan produces wasted paint in that
paint is slathered in the pan and dries there, or at least paint that adheres
to the
roller pan cannot be returned to the container.
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[0008] Thus, there is a need for a plastic container to address the
above
issues.
[0009] The invention disclosed herein is a non-cylindrical plastic container
which has several novel features providing advantages over the prior art. In
one or
more embodiments the plastic container is a modified rectangular prism or,
more
specifically, a modified square prism. The use of the term "modified" here
means that
the prism has a substantially rectangular or square 3-dimensional shape,
except that
at least a portion of the rectangular or square prism has four tapered
sidewalls and,
in this sense, the container is rectangular or square at its top and, in
various
embodiments, may have rounded corners or angular corners. The modified
rectangular or square prism is thus a rectangular or square frustum.
Additionally,
other embodiments at the top may have shapes other than rectangular or square,
as
long as they are non-cylindrical.
Brief Description of the Figures
[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present
invention without the lid.
[oon] Fig. 2 is a section view at 45 degrees of one embodiment of
two
buckets of the present invention without lids, one being nested inside the
other.
[0012] Fig. 3 is a section view of one embodiment of the bucket of the
present invention without the lid, in which one internal surface of a sidewall
is shown
having ridges in a chevron pattern, and showing a taper of the sidewalls,
depicting a
mouth of the bucket which is wider than the bottom of the bucket.
[0013] Fig. 4i5 a section view of one embodiment of the present invention
containing fluid with the lid sealed to the rim, and stacked on top of a lid
of another
instance of the invention, with circles around features enlarged in Figs. 4A
and 4B.
[0014] Fig. 4A is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 4, showing how the
stacking loop is positioned on the lid just outside the stacking ridge when
one of the
present invention containers is stacked on top of another.
[0015] Fig. 4B is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 4, showing the lid
sealed to the rim, and the upper portion of a sidewall, the nesting ridge and
the top
most portion of the lower portion of a sidewall.
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[0016] Fig. 5 is a top-down view of one embodiment of the bucket without
the lid, showing the ridges (roller pan surfaces) on opposite internal walls,
and also
depicting how downward tapering of the sidewalls yields smaller dimensions for
the
bottom of the container compared to the dimensions of the mouth of the
container,
and the breakaway tab on the lower right corner.
[0017] Fig 5A is an enlargement of one embodiment of the breakaway tab.
[0018] Fig. 5B is a perspective view of one corner of one embodiment of the
container with the lid seated in the rim, and the breakaway tab removed.
[0019] Fig. 6 is a view of the top of the lid, that is, the side of the lid
facing
outwardly when the lid is seated in the rim, and a depiction of the stacking
ridge near
the outer edge of the lid.
[0020] Fig. 7 is a side view of a section of the lid.
[0021] Fig. 8 is a section view of a portion of one embodiment of two lids,
showing how they may be stacked separately from the bucket.
[0022] Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the bucket of the present invention.
[0023] Fig. 10 is a section view of an embodiment of the bucket comprising
sidewalls which are continuous in slope, that is, without three portions as in
Figs. 1-
4, 4B and 5B.
[0024] Fig. 11 is more detailed view of the locking mechanism of the lid and
the rim as in Figs. 4 and 4B.
[0025] Fig. 12 is a plan view of the front side of one embodiment of the
handle.
[0026] Fig. 13 is a side view of the handle of Fig. 12.
[0027] Fig. 14 is a top view of the tab on the strap, i.e, looking down onto
the tab.
[0028] Fig. 15 is a side view of the tab on the strap.
[0029] Fig. 16 is a plan view of the rear side of the handle as in Fig. 12.
[0030] Fig. 17 is a section view of the tab on the strap.
[0031] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the handle inserted into the slots on
the brackets with the handle resting against a sidewall.
[0032] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the handle inserted into the slots on
the brackets with the handle in an upright position as it would be carried by
a user.
[0033] In one embodiment the invention is a plastic container 1 comprising
a bucket IA and a lid 16 sized to fit the bucket, said bucket comprising a rim
2 near a
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mouth 14 of the bucket, sidewalls 26, corners 12, and a bottom, each said
sidewall
having a width 29 and comprising two borders 30 integral, each border integral
to
one of the corners and also integral to the bottom 10, each said sidewall also
comprising an upper portion 15, a nesting ridge 25 and a lower portion 3, said
upper
portion comprising a first end near the mouth and a second end integral to the
nesting ridge, and the lower portion comprising a first end integral to the
nesting
ridge and a second end integral to the bottom, each said lower portion of the
sidewalls having a width 29 greater near the nesting ridge than at the bottom,
such
that the mouth of the bucket is wider than the bottom and one of the buckets
may be
nested inside another bucket when the lids are removed and the buckets are
empty.
The bucket and the lid are sized to fit each other and each has corners 12. In
one
embodiment, the container comprises four sidewalls 26 and the mouth of the
bucket,
the rim and the lid are shaped as a rectangle or, in another embodiment, a
square.
The aforesaid shape of the bucket describes a rectangular frustum extending
from
near the nesting ridge to the bottom. In one embodiment, the corners 12 of the
bucket IA, the rim 2 and the lid i6 are rounded. In one embodiment, the lower
portion 3 of each of the sidewalls 26 comprises an internal surface 11, and at
least
one of the internal surfaces ii comprises ridges 7. The ridges 7 can be
disposed so
that they are approximately horizontal or parallel to the bottom 10 of the
bucket,
that is, they are non-vertical. The shape of the ridges 7 can be selected from
a group
consisting of straight lines, curvy lines, wavy lines, a chevron, or a series
of bumps or
other shapes placed randomly or irregularly. Moreover, as used herein,
"horizontal"
or "parallel" means broadly that the ridges 7 are not vertical so that, when a
paint
roller is applied, the ridges are able to contact the majority of the width of
the roller,
so as to remove excess paint from the roller.
[0034] In one embodiment, the rim 2 comprises a breakaway tab 6 at one
or more of the corners 12 which, when broken off the rim 2, leaves no channel
20 in
which fluids, such as paint, can collect and dry, hindering re-sealing of the
lid 16.
[0035] In one embodiment the lid 16 comprises an outer edge 28 and a
stacking ridge 17 which is, in one embodiment, a continuous or nearly
continuous
ridge near the outer edge 28 of the lid, and the bucket IA further comprises a
stacking loop 9 integral to the bottom 10, the sidewalls 26 and the corners 12
of the
bucket, the stacking loop 9 being slightly wider than the stacking ridge 17 of
a lower
container, so that the stacking loop 9 of one container can fit within close
proximity
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around the stacking ridge 17 and prevent a bucket filled with contents
(stacked on
top of another bucket) from sliding. The stacking ridge 17 and stacking loop 9
are
sized such that stability can be achieved in stacking two or more containers
by
placing the stacking loop 9 of one bucket on the lid 16 of another of the
containers
adjacent to the stacking ridge.
[0036] In all the embodiments of the invention, the lid 16 further
comprises a U-shaped channel 18 which, when installed, faces toward the bottom
10
and the rim 2 further comprises a U-shaped channel 20 which faces away from
the
bottom, the U-shaped channel 18 of the lid comprising three projections E, F,
I, and
the U-shaped channel 20 of the rim comprises three projections D, G, H, each
of
said projections of the lid corresponding to one of said projections of the
rim, so that
pressing the U-shaped channel of the lid into the U-shaped channel of the rim
forms
three complementary or corresponding pairs A, B, C of said projections from
the lid
and the rim.
[0037] In another embodiment the container comprises a bucket IA and a
lid 16 sized to fit the bucket, said bucket IA comprising a rim 2 and
sidewalls 26
defining a mouth 14 at an open end of the bucket, each of said sidewalls
comprising a
width 29 and two borders 30, each said border being integral to one of the
corners
12 and said sidewalls also integral to a bottom, each width being greater near
the
mouth than at the bottom, such that one of the buckets may be nested inside
another
bucket when the lids are removed and the buckets are empty. That is, the
bucket in
this embodiment has no nesting ridge but the sidewalls 26 comprise a
continuous
slope commencing near the mouth of the bucket, and the sidewalls 26 are, at
their
other end, integral to the bottom of the bucket. The aforesaid shape of the
bucket
describes a rectangular frustum extending from near the mouth, i.e, from
inward
slope notch G, to the bottom. Further, in this embodiment, the sidewalls 26
have no
upper portion or lower portion. Embodiments of the bucket with sidewalls 26
having
a continuous slope may also be rectangular or square, have rounded corners,
have
ridges 7 on one or more of the internal surfaces of the sidewalls, have a
breakaway
tab 6 on the rim, have a stacking ridge 17011 the lid 16, and a stacking loop
9 on the
bucket, all as described in embodiments above. This embodiment maybe, at the
top,
any shape which is non-cylindrical. The bucket and the lid are sized to fit
each other
and each has corners 12. The overall dimensions of the mouth of the bucket are
wider at the top than at the bottom of the bucket, and the sidewalls 26 taper
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inwardly to a bottom 10 which is narrower than the dimensions of the mouth 14
of
the bucket. The tapering thus allows one version of the bucket, before being
filled
with fluid, to nest inside another instance of the bucket as needed, such as
during
shipment from the production facility to the paint producer's facility. This
allows
significant reduction in freight as opposed to prior art cans.
[0038] The invention, in one embodiment, has a breakaway tab 6 in one
corner which will tear when pressed by the user thus turning this corner into
a
natural pour spout. The U-shaped channel on the rim of prior art containers,
whether metal or plastic, fills up with paint during pouring. This is a
cleanup issue
for closing the container. Paint left in the U-shaped channel of the rim 2
then dries
and makes the lid more difficult to open and close in future use. The
breakaway tab
6, along with moving the U-shaped channel 20 beyond the sidewall 26, solves
those
issues. Moving the U-shaped channel beyond the sidewall also increases the
size of
the opening vis-à-vis a rim which is attached to the sidewall and extends
inwardly
from the sidewall.
[0039] There is at least one set of ridges 7 raised above the internal surface
of at least one of the sidewalls 26, which mimics the bottom of a traditional
flat roller
pan. This allows the bucket to be used with a 4" roller without a separate
roller pan,
thus being more convenient and reducing waste of paint left in a separate
roller pan.
[0040] In one embodiment, the plastic container comprises a bucket and a
lid sized to fit the bucket, said bucket comprising a rim, a bottom, a mouth
at an open
end defined by four sidewalls and each said sidewall comprising two borders
and
integral to one of four corners on each of said borders, each of said
sidewalls further
comprising an upper portion, a nesting ridge and a lower portion, said rim
integral to
said upper portions of the sidewalls and said rim comprising a breakaway tab,
each
said upper portion integral to one of the nesting ridges integral to one of
the lower
portions integral to the bottom, said lower portion having a width greater
near the
nesting ridge than at the bottom, such that one of the buckets can be nested
in
another of the buckets without the lid attached. The aforesaid shape of the
bucket
describes a rectangular frustum extending from near the nesting ridge to the
bottom.
In this embodiment with the four sidewalls and the four corners, the mouth,
the lid
and the rim are in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners and, in a
further
embodiment, the rectangle is a square. Herein, the lid comprises a stacking
ridge
near an outer edge, and the bucket further comprises a stacking loop integral
to the
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bottom on the bottom's outer perimeter and sized slightly larger than the
stacking
ridge, so that the stacking loop of one instance of the bucket can be
positioned for
stability just outside the stacking ring of the lid of another container.
[0041] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are further described in
the figures.
[0042] Fig. 1 is a first perspective view of one embodiment of the bucket IA
without a handle or a lid 16 attached. The rim 2, including its outer wall 21,
is affixed
to the bucket comprising four sidewalls 26 (the three sections shown grouped
together by brackets) which are generally planar and are comprised of an upper
portion 15, a nesting ridge 25, and a lower portion 3, each sidewall being
integral to
two corners 12 which maybe, in different embodiments, rounded or angular. In
Figs.
1-4 the upper portions 15 of the sidewalls 26 are approximately vertical, but
the
slope of the upper portion 15 may vary in other embodiments. Each lower
portion 3
of the sidewalls is also integral to the bottom 10. A bracket 4 is affixed to
two
opposite sides of the rim 2, and each bracket has a hole 5 for receiving a
handle
having tabs 31, 32. The breakaway tab 6 may be labeled "Press," or something
similar, and is molded to the upper corner of the rim 2. The ridges 7,
partially shown,
are raised projections on the internal surface ii of one or more of the lower
portions
3 of the sidewalls 26, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. In one embodiment,
there is
one set of ridges 7 two or more internal surfaces ii. The mouth 14 of the
bucket IA is
defined by the rim 2 and the upper portions 15 of the sidewalls 26.
[0043] Fig. 2 is a section view of two buckets at 45 degrees which are not
holding contents and which are nesting together. One set of ridges 7 is
depicted on
the internal surface ii of the lower portion 3 of a sidewall 26 in the bucket
which is
nesting inside the other bucket. When one bucket is inserted into the other,
the
sidewall 26 and the stacking loop 9 of one bucket (which extends all around
the
bottom 10 of the bucket IA) descends as far as the width allowed between the
internal surfaces of the other bucket, so that the bottom 10 of one container
is near
the bottom 10 of the other container. Figure 2 also shows, in one embodiment,
the
nesting ridge 25 on the inner bucket rests on the rim 2 of the bucket in which
it
nests. Other locations for a nesting ridge 25 on the upper bucket to rest on
the lower
bucket. On the internal side of the nesting ridge 25, there is an inward slope
27
between the upper portion 15 and lower portion 3 of the sidewall 26 which
narrows
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the internal width of the bucket IA. The mouth 14 is the open end at the top
of the
bucket IA.
[0044] Fig. 3 is a section view of a single instance of the entire container
1,
that is, the bucket IA and the lid 16 which is inserted to seal the bucket.
The rim 2
showing the ridges 7 on an internal surface ii of the lower portion 3 of the
sidewall
26 and the tapering of the sidewall 26 from a wider mouth 14, in this
embodiment,
by the narrowing dimension of the inward slope 27 and the lower portion 3
which
also slopes inwardly to a bottom 10. Thus, the bottom 10 has a narrower width
than
the mouth 14, which allows an upper bucket to nest inside a lower bucket, as
shown
in Fig. 2.
[0045] Fig. 4 is a section view showing an entire container 1, the bucket IA
and the lid 16, holding fluid, and the loaded container 1 is positioned on top
of a lid
16 for a lower bucket (not depicted). The stacking loop 17 is also shown in
cross-
section.
[0046] Fig. 4A is an inset of a portion of the section in Fig. 4 showing the
lower portion 3 of the sidewall 26 and the stacking loop 9 of an upper bucket
which
is resting just outside a stacking ridge 17 on the lid 16 of a lower
container. The
stacking loop 9 is prevented from sliding by the barrier of the stacking ridge
17. In
one embodiment, the lid has a U-shaped channel 18 which faces toward the
bottom
of the container when the lid 16 is installed, and a channel foot 19.
[0047] Fig. 4B is an inset of the section view in Fig. 4 of the locking
mechanism of the rim 2 and lid 16 in one embodiment of the container 1, but
other
mechanisms are possible in other embodiments. A structure of the lid 2
including the
ridge E and the bump F is inserted into a U-shaped channel 20 of the rim 2.
The
bottom of the channel 20 is what is broken off when the breakaway tab 6 is
separated from the rim 2.
[0048] Fig. 5 is a top view looking down into a bucket IA having a rim 2
and a breakaway tab 6 but no lid attached. In one embodiment the bottom 10
(narrower than the mouth 14) is integral to the sidewalls 26 (here shown as
internal
surfaces 11) at the lines labeled 23, and sets of ridges 7 are shown on two of
the
sloping internal surfaces ii of the sidewalls 26. The joinder of the sidewalls
and the
bottom may be angular or rounded in various embodiments.
[0049] Fig. 5A is a detailed view of the breakaway tab 6, in one
embodiment, which may be connected to the rim 2 by means of, in one
embodiment,
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breakable joints 22 along the outer wall 21 of the rim 2 and also by
additional
breakable joints 22 on each end of the breakaway tab molded to the outer wall
21 of
the rim 2. The user breaks off the breakaway tab 6 by pressing downwardly to
tear
these breakable joints 22, the number of which may vary. Or instead, in
another
embodiment, there can be a general weakening of the channel 20 in the area of
the
breakaway tab 6 so that the entire bottom of the U-shaped channel 20 or the
rim 2
in the area of the breakaway tab 6 comprises a single breakable joint 22.
[0050] Fig. 5B is a detailed view of the lid 16 after the breakaway tab 6 is
removed, in one embodiment, showing the breakable joints 22 after having been
torn.
[0051] Fig. 6 is a top view of the lid 16 including the stacking ring 17 and
the outer edge 28 of the lid.
[0052] Fig. 7 is a section view of the lid 16 showing the stacking ring 17.
The outer edge 28 of the lid is also shown.
[0053] Fig. 8 is a section view of two lids 16 as they stack for shipment. It
also shows element 19 of the lid which is the outer wall of the U-shaped
channel 18
of the rim 16.
[0054] Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the bucket IA, showing that the
bottom 10 is narrower than the upper part of the bucket as indicated by the
rim 2, in
part because of the slope of the lower portion 3 of the sidewalls 26.
[0055] Fig. 10 depicts an embodiment in which the sidewalls 26 and their
internal surfaces ii comprise a continuous slope starting from the mouth 14
and
tapering down to a narrower width at the bottom, i.e., wherein the sidewalls
do not
have an upper and a lower portion and a nesting ridge as in, e.g., Figs. 1-4.
This
embodiment adopts the other features of the other embodiments described above,
except for the upper and lower portions and the nesting ridge of the
sidewalls.
[0056] Fig. 11 depicts the locking mechanism for embodiments of the
convention herein. Fig. 11 shows the same structures of the lid and rim from
Figs. 4
and 4B in more detail. Herein are shown three seal/latch combinations A, B, C
(surrounded by circles for explanatory purposes only) produced by the coupling
of
corresponding pairs of projections from the lid's U-shaped channel 18 and the
rim's
U-shaped channel 20. Fig. 11 shows the lid 16 as installed in (sealed to) the
rim 2. In
seal/latch A, the top H of the sidewall 26, which has an inward slope J
compared to
the upper portion 15 of the sidewall 26, is engaged by a cleft I. In
seal/latch B, the
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inward slope notch G of the sidewall 26, where the inward slope J of the upper
portion 15 begins, is engaged by a bump F. In seal/latch C, a ridge E on the
lid is
engaged by a shoulder D on the rim 2.
[0057] In one embodiment, upon installation of the lid 16, there is over-
travel K, i.e., unfilled volume in several places near combinations A, B, C to
allow
sufficient flexibility for the lid to be sealed and re-sealed to the rim with
less damage
to the structures if there were no spaces. The actual locations of the over-
travel K
may vary from those shown in Fig. 11, in that the movement of the lid and rim
relative to each other are dynamic during and after insertion. In other
embodiments
of the invention, there may be less or even no over-travel in that the U-
shaped
channel 18 of the lid 16and the U-shaped channel 20 of the rim 2 may be sized
to fit
as snugly as possible.
[0058] In another embodiment, the container 1 also comprises a handle
30, which may be of unitary construction and made of plastic, comprising a
strap 33
with tabs 31, 32 projecting from the strap near either end. As shown in Figs.
12-19,
each of the brackets 5 are affixed to the exterior of the bucket la opposite
one
another and each bracket comprises a slot 4. The tab 31, 32 and slot 4 are
sized and
shaped to allow the tab 31, 32 to pass with force through the slot 4 in one
orientation, but to interlock such that the tab 31, 32 cannot be removed from
the slot
in all other orientations, including when the handle 30 is in use in an
upright
position and bearing the load of the container 1.
[0059] Referring to Figs. 12-17, the handle 30 comprises the strap 33 with
tabs 31, 32 projecting from the strap 33 near either end. In one embodiment
not
shown, each end of the strap 33 is integral to a cap recessed from the plane
of the
strap, in which the tabs 31, 32 are located. In Figs 12-17, the tabs 31, 32
project from
the body of the strap 33. The handle 30 is preferably symmetrical, with one
end
being a mirror image of the other, and therefore will be described with
respect to one
end only. It should be understood that such description is applicable to the
corresponding features on the other end as well.
[04360] The strap 33 is sufficiently long with respect to the container 1 to
form an arc above it, when the tabs are attached to the brackets, preferably
with
sufficient clearance between strap 33 and the lid 16 of the container for a
person to
grasp the handle without interference from the lid of the container.
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[0061] The tab 31, 32 comprises a three-dimensional head N that tapers
from a broader base R to a narrower top M. In one embodiment the head N is
attached to the strap 33 or cap by a post 0. The cross section of the head N
of the tab
31, 32 may be of any shape that allows its insertion into the slot 4 of the
bracket 5 in
one orientation and which becomes interlocked with the bracket 5 at any other
orientation, including without limitation an oval, rectangle or spheroid. This
generally requires the cross section to have major and minor axes, with the
major
axis being longer than the minor axis. Thus, the shapes described below are in
all
respects illustrative.
[0062] The head N is a frustum which may be regular or irregular and the
cross section defining its base may be any shape which generally has a major
axis
longer than a minor axis including, for example, a rectangle, an oval, squoval
or a
spheroid. The head N comprises a top M, opposing minor axis surfaces P
defining
the head's thickness in the direction of the minor axis, connected by opposing
major
axis surfaces Q defining its width in the direction of the major axis. In one
embodiment, the surfaces Q of the head N taper from the broader base R to the
narrower top M. As shown in Fig. 14, the thickness of the frustum need not be
uniform from bottom to top and, in a preferred embodiment the thickness
progressively decreases near the top M. In one embodiment, the cross section
of the
head N is rectangular and, in another embodiment, the shorter sides of the
rectangle
(in the direction of the minor axis) are convex. In one embodiment the major
axis
surfaces Q may be convex or arcuate. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 15, 17
the
head N is of uniform cross section for some distance from the base R. In a
preferred
embodiment, the minor axis surfaces P may be convex, such that the cross
section at
the base R of the frustum is a rectangle with rounded corners and approaches a
circle
at the top M. This shape reduces deformation of the head N as it is inserted
into the
slot 4 of the bracket 5. The post 0 of the tab 31, 32 may be substantially
narrower
than the width of the base R of the head N, and, in one embodiment, is
circular in
cross section. The tab 31, 32 is solid and of unitary construction with the
strap 33 or
the cap. The handle may rotate freely in a major arc defined by the opposite
sides
when the tabs 31, 32 are inserted into the slots 4.
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