U.S. patent application number 10/103092 was filed with the patent office on 2002-09-26 for stackable holder.
Invention is credited to Olsthoorn, Boudewijn Hendrikus Maria.
Application Number | 20020134701 10/103092 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19773120 |
Filed Date | 2002-09-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020134701 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Olsthoorn, Boudewijn Hendrikus
Maria |
September 26, 2002 |
Stackable holder
Abstract
Described is a stackable holder (1), the upper surface of which
is open and provided with a bent edge, wherein the bent edge
comprises at least one elongate opening (3). In addition, notches
(4) can be arranged in the surface under the base of the holder.
When moisture remains in such holders placed into one another, they
can nevertheless be separated from each other easily since vacuum
hardly occurs between the holders.
Inventors: |
Olsthoorn, Boudewijn Hendrikus
Maria; (Naaldwijk, NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIERMAN MUSERLIAN AND LUCAS
600 THIRD AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10016
|
Family ID: |
19773120 |
Appl. No.: |
10/103092 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/503 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/0233 20130101;
B65D 85/505 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/503 |
International
Class: |
B65D 021/00; B65D
085/62 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 23, 2001 |
NL |
1017677 |
Claims
1. Stackable holder, the upper surface of which is open and
provided with a bent edge, characterized in that the bent edge
comprises at least one elongate opening (3).
2. Stackable holder according to claim 1, wherein the elongate
opening has an oval shape.
3. Stackable holder according to claim 1 or 2, of practically
truncated cone shape (1), or the walls of which consist of
trapeziums (2) and the base is polygonal in accordance with the
number of trapeziums.
4. Stackable holder according to one or more of the foregoing
claims, with at least one notch (4) in a surface under the
base.
5. Stackable holder according to claim 4, with at least one notch
(4) in an edge under the base.
6. Stackable holder according to claim 5, wherein the edge with at
least one notch lies in the line of the side walls of the
holder.
7. Method of stacking stackable holders such that practically no
vacuum is formed between the stacked holders, wherein two or more
holders as described in one or more of the foregoing claims arc
placed onto one another with the upper surface downward.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a stackable holder, the upper
surface of which is open and provided with a bent edge.
[0002] Examples of such stackable holders are holders of
practically truncated cone shape, the upper surface of which is
open, such as for instance a bucket, or the walls of which consist
of triangular and/or trapezoidal segments and the base is polygonal
in accordance with the number of triangles and/or trapeziums. Such
stackable holders can also consist of portions, such as for
instance rings, which can be fitted into each other.
[0003] Such bucket-shaped holders or holders with triangular and/or
trapezoidal segments as described in the German utility model DE
29701744 have already been in use for some considerable time, for
instance in the transport and display of bunches of cut flowers in
water.
[0004] After use the holders have to be cleaned thoroughly to
remove the contaminated, bacteria-containing flower water, and then
stored or transported in stacked manner so that they take up little
space. During cleaning of the holders it is however unavoidable
that some moisture remains behind in the holders. When the holders
are subsequently stacked by placing them onto each other, moisture
is left between the torus or side walls of the holders even when
the holder is placed with the upper surface downward, whereby a
vacuum results between the torus or walls of the holders. This has
the result that holders placed into each other are difficult to
separate from each other.
[0005] The invention provides a solution to this problem, viz. a
stackable holder of the type stated in the preamble, the bent edge
of which is provided with at least one clongate opening. Owing to
this elongate opening or plurality of elongate openings the
cleaning water left behind surprisingly drains away much better
than when only round openings are available. As elongate openings
can preferably be envisaged an oval shape or an elongate shape. The
chance of vacuum formation thus decreases, whereby taking the
stacked holders apart becomes easier.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment there is situated at least one
notch in a surface under the base, preferably in an edge at the
position of the surface under the base, more preferably in such an
edge which lies in the line of the side walls of the holder. In
this way the formation of vacuum between the holders placed into
each other is reduced in simple manner since there remains a
certain space between two holders. When holders are stacked with at
least one elongate opening on the bent edge as well as at least one
notch on the underside of the side walls, it requires hardly any
effort to pull them apart again.
[0007] The holders are usually manufactured from light plastic
material, but manufacture with other material such as aluminium can
also be envisaged.
[0008] In general holders of the same size will be stacked, but in
the case holders are used with different height dimensions the
application of a holder according to the invention will also result
in less moisture between the walls of the different holders. The
stacked holders can thereby be taken apart more easily.
[0009] The present invention will be further elucidated with
reference to the annexed figures, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a view diagonally from above of a bolder with
truncated cone shape (1) with optional notches (4) in the side
walls and which is provided with a bent edge in which a number of
oval openings (3) are situated;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a view diagonally from above of a holder, the
side walls of which consist of triangles and trapeziums (2) and the
base is polygonal in accordance with the number of triangles and
trapeziums, the upper surface of which is open, which is provided
with a bent edge in which a number of oval openings (3) are
situated, and with optional notches (4) in an edge in the surface
under the base.
[0012] The figures are purely schematic and not drawn to scale.
Some dimensions in particular are exaggerated for the sake of
clarity.
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a holder of truncated cone shape according to
the preferred embodiment of the invention, including notches.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a holder with triangular and trapezoidal side
walls, likewise in the preferred embodiment of the invention
including notches.
[0015] When the holder is used in upside down position, practically
all the lcak water runs out, reducing the chance of vacuum forming
between the holders. If necessary, notches in the bottom edge
further ensure that hardly any vacuum is created between the
holders during unstacking. The great advantage achieved here in the
transport industry, and particularly in the transport of holders
for cut flowers which have to be cleaned with water, will be
evident.
[0016] Although the present invention is elucidated in the
foregoing on the basis of several embodiments, it will be apparent
that the invention is by no means limited thereto. Any holder
provided with an upper surface which is open with a bent edge in
which goods are transported wherein leak water must be removed
afterwards, such as for instance in the transport of fish, is
deemed to fall within the invention.
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