U.S. patent application number 10/265596 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-10 for drywall mud container.
Invention is credited to Sadr, Changize, Stepaniuk, Calvin.
Application Number | 20030066835 10/265596 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 4170245 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030066835 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sadr, Changize ; et
al. |
April 10, 2003 |
Drywall mud container
Abstract
Conventional drywall mud containers include a cardboard box
containing a plastic bag which carries the mud. Mixing of the mud
in the container can result in tearing of the bag. This problem is
solved by a mud container including an inner solid plastic tub for
receiving the mud, a thin closable plastic bag for surrounding the
tub, and an outer cardboard box, which carries the bag and the tub.
The use of a solid inner tub permits mixing of the mud in the
container, and makes it easy to remove all of the mud from the
container.
Inventors: |
Sadr, Changize; (Toronto,
CA) ; Stepaniuk, Calvin; (Edmonton, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
George A. Seaby
Seaby & Associates
603 - 880 Wellington Street
Ottawa
ON
K1R 6K7
CA
|
Family ID: |
4170245 |
Appl. No.: |
10/265596 |
Filed: |
October 8, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/495.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 21/00 20130101;
B65D 77/0406 20130101; B28C 5/10 20130101; B65D 77/062
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/495.11 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/14; B65D
035/14; B65D 090/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 9, 2001 |
CA |
2,358,880 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A drywall mud container comprising: a solid, plastic inner
receptacle for receiving drywall mud; a sealable plastic bag for
receiving the inner receptacle; and an outer box for carrying the
plastic bag and the inner receptacle.
2. The drywall mud container of claim 1, wherein said inner
receptacle is a blow molded plastic tub.
3. The drywall mud container of claim 1 or 2, wherein said plastic
bag includes an open top end; a hem in said open top end; and a
drawstring in said hem for gathering said top end to seal the bag
in a closed condition.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a container for a flowable solid
material or slurry, and in particular to a drywall mud
container.
[0003] Mud for drywall or plasterboard is a slurry which is
available in small solid plastic containers for the home handyman.
Large quantities of mud are usually packaged in plastic bags
carried by cardboard boxes. When the mud sits for a long period of
time, the solids settle to the bottom and the liquid portion of the
slurry rises to the top of the container. Mixing of the solid and
liquid portion of the mud can result in tearing of the bag.
Moreover, because the bag is thin-walled, it tends to develop deep
folds containing mud which is difficult to remove from an almost
empty bag. In fact, in order to remove all of the mud, it is
necessary to remove the bag from the box, tear open the bag and
scrape the mud from the plastic which is a messy operation.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Prior Art
[0005] Multi-walled or multi-part containers are described in the
patent literature. In this connection, reference is made to
Canadian Patent No. 1,327,545, issued to W. E. Lambert on Mar. 8,
1994; Canadian Patent Application No. 2,191,611 (C. D. Ring),
published on Oct. 3, 1996, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,096,912, issued to
E. J. Rivetette on Jul. 9, 1963; 3,279,657, issued to L. H.
Rousselet on Oct. 16, 1966; 3,957,195, issued to T. Lin on May 18,
1976; 5,209,364, issued to J. LaPoint, Jr. on May 11, 1993;
5,944,251, issued to L. LaFleur on Aug. 31, 1999 and 6,000,604,
issued to J. H. LaPoint, III on Dec. 14, 1999.
[0006] For the most part the containers disclosed by the
literatures do not include flexible, thin-walled inner bags or
liners, and thus do not afford a solution to the problems described
above.
[0007] The Lambert Canadian patent discloses a multi-receptacle
container including an outer cardboard or paperboard box, and an
inner, open-ended container or sleeve carried by a plastic bag in
the box. The Lambert combination would be ill-adapted to carrying
drywall mud, because there appears to be no bottom on the inner
container and thus the mud would still be in contact with the
plastic bag. Moreover, Lambert is silent with respect to the
material used in the internal sleeve, which could well be porous
cardboard which is unsuitable for the inner layer of a drywall mud
container. In other words, Lambert does not propose a solution to
the problems outlined above.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution
to the above-identified problems in the form of a simple drywall
mud container, which permits mixing of mud in the container without
damage to the latter, and which is relatively easy to empty.
[0009] The object of the invention is achieved by a drywall mud
container comprising:
[0010] a solid, plastic inner receptacle for receiving drywall
mud;
[0011] a sealable plastic bag for receiving the inner receptacle;
and
[0012] an outer box for carrying the plastic bag and the inner
receptacle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The invention described below in greater detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a
preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a container in
accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the container of FIG. 1 in
the partly open condition; and
[0016] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the container of FIGS. 1 and
2 in the fully open condition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, the drywall mud container of the
present invention includes three basic elements, namely an inner,
solid plastic receptacle or tub 1 for receiving drywall mud 2 (FIG.
3), a thin, sealable plastic bag 3 for receiving the receptacle 1
and an outer box 4 for carrying the bag 3 and the receptacle 1.
[0018] The inner tub 1 is formed of blow molded plastic, and
includes a closed bottom end (not shown), an open top end 5 and
side walls 6, which will not deform appreciably when the tub is
filled with drywall mud 2. While a blow molded plastic container is
preferred for the inner tub 1, it will be appreciated that other
materials can be used, provided the resulting tub is solid, i.e.
retains its shape when filled with mud. Moreover, the inner surface
of the tub 1 should be smooth.
[0019] As best shown in FIG. 1, the plastic bag 3 is preferably a
thin-walled polyethylene bag with a closed bottom end (not shown),
side walls 8 and a drawstring 9 slidable in a hem 10 at the open
top end of the bag.
[0020] The outer cardboard or paperboard box 4 is a conventional
rectangular box having a closed bottom end (not shown), side walls
12, and four closable flaps 13.
[0021] In use, the tub 1 is placed in the plastic bag 3, and the
two elements are inserted into the cardboard box 4. With the bag 3
open, the tub 1 is filled with drywall mud 2. The bag 3 is closed
(FIG. 2) by pulling on the drawstring 9, and the box flaps 13 are
folded to the closed position (not shown) and sealed. When mud is
required, the box 4 and the bag 3 are opened, and the top end of
the bag is folded over the top end of the box giving free access to
the mud. If the mud requires mixing, i.e. if there has been some
separation of solid and liquid portions of the mud, or if a
completely homogeneous mixture is desired, the mud can be mixed in
the solid-walled tub 1 without fear of damage to the container.
Moreover, because the interior of the tub 1 is smooth, virtually
all of the mud 2 can be removed from the container. Finally, the
inner container can either be re-used or recycled.
* * * * *