U.S. patent application number 09/982201 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-17 for jar container and method of making same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Olcott Plastics. Invention is credited to Brodner, John R., Brodner, Joseph F. JR., Brodner, Joseph M..
Application Number | 20030071040 09/982201 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25528931 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030071040 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brodner, Joseph M. ; et
al. |
April 17, 2003 |
Jar container and method of making same
Abstract
An improved jar and method of making the same. The double walled
jar comprises a single piece double walled container, bottom plug,
and lid. The container comprises an inner wall structure with open
top and a closed bottom. A shoulder portion extends from the outer
surface of the inner structure. Sets of threads are located above
the shoulder portion about the outer surface of the inner
structure. An outer wall structure extends from the shoulder
portion, forming a gap between the structures. The terminal end of
the outer structure extends past the closed bottom and has a
notched channel within the inner surface of the outer structure
below the closed bottom. A bottom plug having a portion shaped for
a snap fit into the notched channel is used to cover the bottom of
the container. A lid is used to complete the container as a
jar.
Inventors: |
Brodner, Joseph M.; (St.
Charles, IL) ; Brodner, John R.; (Glen Ellyn, IL)
; Brodner, Joseph F. JR.; (Barrington, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERONI + MERONI
P.O. BOX 309
BARRINGTON
IL
60011
US
|
Assignee: |
Olcott Plastics
St. Charles
IL
|
Family ID: |
25528931 |
Appl. No.: |
09/982201 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/23.87 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 25/205 20130101;
B65D 81/3841 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/23.87 |
International
Class: |
B65D 021/02 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A double walled jar, the jar comprising: a single piece double
walled container, the container comprising: an inner wall structure
having an open top end and a closed bottom end; an outer wall
structure having a proximal end and a terminal end encircling the
inner wall structure forming a gap between the inner wall structure
and the outer wall structure, the gap between the inner wall
structure and the outer wall structure being greater near the
terminal end of the outer wall structure than near the proximal end
of the outer wall structure, the terminal end extending past the
closed bottom of the inner wall structure and having a notched
channel within the inner surface of the outer wall structure
located below the closed bottom of the inner wall structure; a
shoulder portion linking the inner wall structure with the outer
wall structure extending continuously from and about the outer
surface of the inner wall structure to the proximal end of the
outer wall structure, the shoulder portion being the sole means of
linking the inner wall structure and the outer wall structure; a
set of threads located above the shoulder portion and about the
outer surface of the inner wall structure; a bottom plug sized and
shaped to fit within the area encircled by the outer wall structure
having a portion sized and shaped for a snap fit into the notched
channel within the inner surface of the outer wall structure; and a
lid sized and shaped to cover the open top end of the inner wall
structure, the lid having a set of threads formed to fit in mating
relationship with the set of threads located about the outer
surface of the inner wall structure.
2. The jar of claim 1 wherein the notched channel is located within
the inner surface of the outer wall structure such that a face of
the bottom plug comes into contact with the closed bottom end when
the bottom plug is snapped into the notched channel, the closed
bottom providing support to the bottom plug.
3. The jar of claim 2 wherein the thickness of the outer wall
structure and the thickness of the bottom plug have a relationship
such that the bottom plug deflects along the long axis of the
bottom plug as the bottom plug is pushed into the area encircled by
the outer wall structure and returns to is original shape when the
bottom plug snaps into the notched channel.
4. The jar of claim 3 further comprising a label placed in the gap
between the inner wall structure and outer wall structure, the
label held in place by the inner wall structure, outer wall
structure and bottom plug.
5. The jar of claim 4 wherein the shoulder portion is a fluid tight
seat for the lid when the lid is secured to the container.
6. The jar of claim 5 wherein the bottom plug is symmetrical about
the long axis of the bottom plug.
7. The jar of claim 6 wherein the thickness of the inner wall
structure is from about 0.035 inches to about 0.047 inches and the
thickness of the outer wall structure is less than the thickness of
the inner wall structure.
8. The jar of claim 7 wherein the bottom plug has at least one
indexing lug providing a common point of reference for performing
manufacturing processes on the bottom plug.
9. A single piece double walled container in combination with a
symmetrical bottom plug, the combination comprising: a single piece
double walled container having an inner wall structure with an open
top end and a closed bottom end; an outer wall structure having a
proximal end and a terminal end encircling the inner wall structure
forming a gap between the inner wall structure and the outer wall
structure, the terminal end of the outer wall structure extending
past the closed bottom of the inner wall structure and having a
notched channel within the inner surface of the outer wall
structure located below the closed bottom of the inner wall
structure; a shoulder portion linking the inner wall structure with
the outer wall structure extending continuously from and about the
outer surface of the inner wall structure to the proximal end of
the outer wall structure, the shoulder portion being the sole means
of linking the inner wall structure and the outer wall structure;
and a symmetrical bottom plug having a portion sized and shaped for
insertion into the notched channel within the inner surface of the
outer wall structure.
10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the notched channel is
located within the inner surface of the outer wall structure such
that a face of the bottom plug comes into contact with the closed
bottom end when the bottom plug is inserted into the notched
channel, the closed bottom end providing support to the bottom
plug.
11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the gap between the inner
wall structure and the outer wall structure being greater near the
terminal end of the outer wall structure than near the proximal end
of the outer wall structure
12. The combination of claim 11 further comprising a label placed
in the gap between the inner wall structure and outer wall
structure, the label held in place by the inner wall structure,
outer wall structure and bottom plug.
13. The combination of claim 12 further comprising a set of threads
located above the shoulder portion and about the outer surface of
the inner wall structure.
14. The combination of claim 13 further comprising a lid sized and
shaped to cover the open top end of the inner wall structure, the
lid having a set threads formed to fit in mating relationship with
the set of threads located about the outer surface of the inner
wall structure.
15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the shoulder portion is a
fluid tight seat for the lid when the lid is secured to the
container.
16. In a double walled injection molded plastic container having a
gap between the inner wall and the outer wall, the improvement
comprising: forming the inner wall and outer wall out of one
continuous piece of injection molded plastic; extending the outer
wall past the bottom of the container; forming a notched channel
within the inner surface of the outer wall located below the bottom
of the container; and inserting a bottom plug having a portion
sized and shaped for a snap fit into the notched channel.
17. The improved container of claim 16 wherein the thickness of the
inner wall is from about 0.035 inches to about 0.047 inches and the
thickness of the outer wall is less than the thickness of the inner
wall.
18. The improved container of claim 17 wherein the bottom plug is
symmetrical about the long axis of the bottom plug.
19. The improved container of claim 18 further comprising at least
one indexing lug providing a common point of reference for
performing manufacturing process on the bottom plug.
20. A method of manufacturing a single piece double walled
container, the method comprising: molding a single piece double
walled container using a translucent synthetic plastic by forming a
translucent inner wall structure with a closed bottom end and a
translucent outer wall structure while forming the outer wall
structure with a terminal end extending past the inner wall
structure and a notched channel within the inner surface of the
outer wall structure, the inner and outer translucent wall
structure being left free of any interior obstructions there
between enabling contents of the container to be clearly visible
through the translucent inner and outer wall structures; molding a
bottom plug and sizing and shaping the bottom plug to fit within
the area enclosed by the outer wall structure and forming a portion
that is sized and shaped for insertion into the notched channel;
and inserting the bottom plug into the notched channel, the bottom
plug deflecting along the long axis of the bottom plug as the
bottom plug is pushed into the area encircled by the outer wall
structure and returning to original shape upon seating into the
notched channel.
21. The method of manufacturing of claim 20 wherein the molding of
the bottom plug further comprises symmetrically forming the bottom
plug about the long axis of the bottom plug.
22. A single piece double walled container of translucent plastic
providing unobstructed view of the contents of the container, the
container comprising: an inner wall structure having an open top
end and a closed bottom end; an outer wall structure having a
proximal end and a terminal end encircling the inner wall structure
forming a gap between the inner wall structure and the outer wall
structure; and a shoulder portion linking the inner wall structure
with the outer wall structure extending continuously from and about
the outer surface of the inner wall structure to the proximal end
of the outer wall structure such that the viewing of the contents
through the outer wall structure and the inner wall structure of
the container is unobstructed.
23. The single piece double walled container of claim 22 wherein
the shoulder portion is the sole means of linking the inner wall
structure and the outer wall structure.
24. The single piece double walled container of claim 23 wherein
the shoulder portion is a fluid tight seat for a lid when the lid
is placed on the container.
25. The single piece double walled container of claim 24 wherein
the outer wall structure extends past the closed bottom of the
inner wall structure and further comprises a notched channel within
the inner surface of the outer wall structure located below the
closed bottom of the inner wall structure.
26. The single piece double walled container of claim 25 further
comprising a bottom plug sized and shaped to fit within the area
encircled by the outer wall structure having a portion sized and
shaped for a snap fit into the notched channel within the inner
surface of the outer wall structure.
27. The single piece double walled container of claim 26 further
comprising a set of threads located above the shoulder portion and
about the outer surface of the inner wall structure.
28. The single piece double walled container of claim 27 further
comprising a label placed in the gap between the inner wall
structure and outer wall structure, the label held in place by the
inner wall structure, outer wall structure and bottom plug.
29. A labeled double walled jar of translucent plastic, the jar
comprising: an inner wall structure having an open top end and a
closed bottom end; an outer wall structure having a proximal end
and a terminal end encircling the inner wall structure forming a
gap between the inner wall structure and the outer wall structure
the terminal end extending past the closed bottom of the inner wall
structure and having a notched channel within the inner surface of
the outer wall structure located below the closed bottom of the
inner wall structure; a shoulder portion linking the inner wall
structure with the outer wall structure extending continuously from
and about the outer surface of the inner wall structure to the
proximal end of the outer wall structure; a bottom plug sized and
shaped to fit within the area encircled by the outer wall structure
having a portion sized and shaped for a snap fit into the notched
channel within the inner surface of the outer wall structure; and a
label placed in the gap between the inner wall structure and outer
wall structure, the label held in place by the inner wall
structure, outer wall structure and bottom plug.
30. The labeled double walled jar of claim 29 wherein the notched
channel is located within the inner surface of the outer wall
structure such that a face of the bottom plug comes into contact
with the closed bottom end when the bottom plug is snapped into the
notched channel, the closed bottom providing support to the bottom
plug.
31. The labeled double walled jar of claim 30 wherein the thickness
of the outer wall structure and the thickness of the bottom plug
have a relationship such that the bottom plug deflects along the
long axis of the bottom plug as the bottom plug is pushed into the
area encircled by the outer wall structure and returns to is
original shape when the bottom plug snaps into the notched
channel.
32. The labeled double walled jar of claim 31 wherein the shoulder
portion is a fluid tight seat for the lid when the lid is secured
to the container.
33. The labeled double walled jar of claim 32 wherein the bottom
plug is symmetrical about the long axis of the bottom plug.
34. The labeled double walled jar of claim 33 wherein the thickness
of the inner wall structure is from about 0.035 inches to about
0.047 inches and the thickness of the outer wall structure is less
than the thickness of the inner wall structure.
35. The labeled double walled jar of claim 34 wherein the bottom
plug has at least one indexing lug providing a common point of
reference for performing manufacturing processes on the bottom
plug.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The claimed invention relates to an improved jar container
and method for making an improved jar container, and in particular
a single piece double walled container with bottom plug.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Double walled containers have been in use for many years and
are used for many different applications such as providing
insulation for contents of the container, providing increased
protection for the contents of the container, and providing a
container that is aesthetically appealing. The common practice of
making a double walled container is assembling two discrete piece
by making an outer single wall structure designed to accept a
single wall container, and a single wall container designed to nest
into the outer wall structure. Since the double walled container is
made of two discrete pieces, additional measures are typically
incorporated into the two pieces so that they are joined as a
single piece, including but not limited to elaborate means for
preventing the rotation of one piece with respect to the other.
[0005] This type of double walled container is expensive to
manufacture for several reasons. This method is labor intensive in
that the single wall container has to be inserted into the outer
single wall structure. In order to properly insert the single wall
container into the outer single wall structure, the person or
apparatus has to orient one with relationship to the other. This
requires time that ultimately figures into the cost of producing
such a double walled container. Further, the assembly of the single
wall container into the outer single wall structure is a source of
breakage of both pieces, increasing the per-piece manufacturing
cost. A common solution to this breakage problem is increasing the
thickness of both pieces to prevent breakage, further increasing
the material costs involved in the product. This method is also
costly in that valuable manufacturing machine time is taken up in
producing each of these complicated pieces. Therefore, there is a
need for a double walled container that is cheaper to fabricate and
assemble.
[0006] Containers of this type do not make attractive see-through
container. When containers of this type are made of translucent
materials, the structures used to join the two discrete parts
together are visible, obstructing the view of the contents of the
container, presenting an unattractive appearance. Therefore, there
is a need for a double walled see-through container that is
aesthetically pleasing to the user of the container. Further, due
to the fact that double walled container of this type are not made
of translucent material, any labeling or markings of the container
has to be done on the outside of the container that is susceptible
to damage during handling of the container. Therefore, there is a
further need for a double walled see-through container that allows
the placement of a label or markings between the inner and outer
wall of the container so that the label or markings may not be
damaged during handling.
[0007] Various paper and plastic cup-type containers having double
wall construction and base/bottom construction have been used in
the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,266,828 (the '828 Patent)
discloses a paper cup with dual walls and a disc-shaped bottom
member with an integral upwardly extending circumferential flange
which seats tightly against the surrounding wall of the body and is
secured therein by an adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,599 (the '599
Patent) discloses a beverage cup of biodegradable paper elements
having an inner side wall, an outer side wall spaced exteriorly of
the inner side wall, and a bottom closure adhesively secured to and
forming a fluid tight closure with the bottom of the inner side
wall and a rim defined by the upper margin of the inner side wall.
The '828 Patent and the '599 Patent both require the production of
two complex pieces that have to be assembled in a certain way,
while having structure that is easily susceptible to breakage or
deformation during assembly.
[0008] Similar containers have also been designed out of plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,537 discloses a plastic cup of the thin wall
variety having inner and outer spaced walls with an insulating air
space therebetween. The inner and outer walls of each cup are
spaced apart in a stacking and sealing ring area to allow pivotal
movement of an inner cup wall with regard to its corresponding
outer cup wall, whereby a telescoped stack of nested cups can flex.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,640 discloses an integral double-wall
container, made of a synthetic plastic, for handling bulk
materials. The '640 Patent also discloses a method of making the
container by rotational molding thus avoiding welding and its
attendant difficulties. The container is integral and is one-piece
and is made of a synthetic plastic, preferably polyethylene. The
method of making the container by rotational molding comprises
placing the outer mold into position, placing the inner mold into
position within the outer mold, inserting a powder of synthetic
plastic into the space between the molds, heating the powder,
rotating the mold to gravity spread the melted powder, and cooling
the plastic before removing the molds. The disposable insulated
container of U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,577 comprises an inner container
structure and an outer insulating wrap that comprises a microflute
laminated structure. The microflute laminated structure has a first
corrugated laminate of microflute corrugations which extend
substantially circumferentially around the side wall of the inner
container and a second, outer sheet laminate of the thin flexible
paper which presents a substantially smooth outer surface for the
user's hand. These containers suffer many of the disadvantages that
were previously mentioned.
[0009] Other references include the display-type container of U.S.
Pat. No. 5,791,506 that includes a panel member that is preferably
transparent, to permit viewing of the jar contents, and a screw cap
that is preferably opaque, to largely conceal its own thread, and
that of a flat jar. The dual wall container of U.S. Pat. No.
5,950,917 is formed of a laminated blank wrapped about the
longitudinal axis of the container to define an inner sidewall and
an outer sidewall. Scores are provided within the inner sheet for
forming annular air pockets between the two sidewalls.
[0010] Other containers have used plug type bottoms to complete the
containers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,858 discloses two-piece cups formed
from a thermoformable plastics material, including a bottom wall
disc which is bonded to an inwardly turned annular bottom flange of
the side wall by an upwardly and inwardly sloped transition wall.
The bottom wall disc may be in the form of multiple concentrically
disposed, annular bottom wall segments which are connected to one
another by respective ones of a plurality of transition walls. U.S.
Pat. No. 4,613,063 discloses a three piece safety dispensing
package for granular or pellet material. Introducing a snap-in plug
bottom into the open container bottom seals the package.
[0011] Several different methods of manufacturing double walled
containers have been used in the past, such as vacuum molding. U.S.
Pat. No. 4,192,701 discloses a double wall plastic article and a
method and apparatus for forming a double wall article with a pair
of deformable thermoplastic sheets wherein the sheets are mounted,
in face to face contiguous relation, on a single pair of laterally
spaced longitudinally extending rails. The rail supported,
contiguously disposed sheets are heated to forming temperature and
are then subjected to differential forming pressures via a pair of
opposed molds which seal to the sheets to fuze perimetrically
extending, opposed portions of the sheets and form the border of
the article being formed. Differential pressure is then applied to
a central portion of at least one of the sheets within the formed
border to withdraw the central portion and form the article.
[0012] The container of U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,024 is a high pressure
container made by rotationally molding a first wall of plastic
material closed at the bottom and open at the top, and a second
wall of plastic material also closed at the bottom and open at the
top that encloses and is bonded to the first wall. The first wall
is formed by a one-shot rotationally moulding process whereafter
the second wall is rotationally moulded around the inner wall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] A principal object of the claimed invention is to provide a
less costly double walled container that can be mass produced on a
high quantity production basis with new features and advantages not
found in conventional double walled containers in the market place
prior to our invention.
[0014] Accordingly, it is an object of the claimed invention to
avert the problems of the prior art. More particularly, it is an
object of the invention to provide a double walled container having
a simplified overall design. The claimed invention provides a
single piece double walled container where the inner wall and the
outer wall is made of one continuous piece, thus obviating the need
for joining structures and structures that prevent the rotation of
one discrete part in relation to another.
[0015] Another object of the invention is to provide a double
walled container that requires less assembly time. The claimed
invention provides a single piece double walled container and a
bottom plug that covers the bottom of the container. The double
walled container does not require assembly in that it is molded out
of a single piece. The bottom plug is of a simple, symmetrical
design so that during the assembly of the bottom plug into the
bottom of the container, the step of orienting the bottom plug in
relation to the container is drastically reduced. The assembly of
the bottom plug into the bottom of the container is a simple
snap-in process, eliminating the need for more complicated
turn-to-lock assembly methods.
[0016] A further object of the invention is to provide a double
walled container that is less susceptible to breakage during
assembly of the container. The claimed invention provides a single
piece double walled container with a design that does not require
interlocking structures that may break during assembly. The bottom
plug is also designed to be less susceptible to breakage during
assembly into the bottom of the container.
[0017] Still a further object of the invention is to provide a
double walled container having reduced material costs and reduced
overall weight. The claimed invention provides a single piece
double walled container with less duplication of structure and
eliminates the need for interlocking structures. The reduction and
elimination of material necessary to fabricate the container
results in a container that requires less material to make the same
size container using the prior art designs. This reduction in
material makes the cost of material to make the container
correspondingly less and also reduces shipping charges that may be
incurred in shipping such containers.
[0018] Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an
attractive transparent double walled container. The claimed
invention provides a double walled container that when made out of
a translucent material, the contents of the container can be view
unobstructed. This is accomplished by making the double walled
container out of a single piece, thus eliminating the need for
retaining structures that may be aesthetically unattractive.
[0019] An even further object of the invention is to provide a
double walled container that can be manufactured using simplified
molds. The prior art required the construction of two complicated
mold designs that were expensive to build and maintain. The claimed
invention provides a single piece double walled container of
simplified design as previously described. This simplification in
design also allows the simplification of the mold that is used to
fabricate the double walled container. Simplified mold design is
important in that it reduces the overall cost of constructing the
mold and reduces the costs associated with mold maintenance. This
also translates into reduced piece part cost, allowing embodiments
of the claimed invention to be manufactured with reduced capital
equipment costs. Similarly, the mold design of the bottom plug is
greatly simplified. The prior art required a second correspondingly
complicated piece to nest into the outer wall structure. In the
claimed invention, the second piece necessary to complete the
container is reduced to a simplified disc type design. The cost of
constructing the mold for this design is much less than before, and
also provides a mold that is easier and less costly to
maintain.
[0020] To achieve the foregoing and other objects of the claimed
invention, an improved jar container and method of making the same
are provided. The jar comprises a single piece double walled
container, a bottom plug, and a lid.
[0021] The single piece double walled container comprises an inner
wall structure having an open top end and a closed bottom end. An
outer wall structure having a proximal end and a terminal end
encircles the inner wall structure forming a gap between the inner
wall structure and the outer wall structure. The terminal end of
the outer wall structure extends past the closed bottom of the
inner wall structure and has a notched channel within the inner
surface of the outer wall structure located below the closed bottom
of the inner wall structure. A shoulder portion linking the inner
wall structure with the outer wall structure extends continuously
from and about the outer surface of the inner wall structure to the
proximal end of the outer wall structure. The shoulder portion is
the sole means of linking the inner wall structure and the outer
wall structure. A set of threads located above the shoulder portion
and about the outer surface of the inner wall structure.
[0022] The bottom plug is sized and shaped to fit within the area
encircled by the outer wall structure and is symmetrical about its
long axis. The bottom plug has a portion sized and shaped for a
snap fit into the notched channel within the inner surface of the
outer wall structure.
[0023] The notched channel is located within the inner surface of
the outer wall structure such that a face of the bottom plug comes
into contact with the closed bottom end when the bottom plug is
snapped into the notched channel, the closed bottom providing
support to the bottom plug.
[0024] The thickness of the outer wall structure and the thickness
of the bottom plug have a relationship such that the bottom plug
deflects along the long axis of the bottom plug as the bottom plug
is pushed into the area encircled by the outer wall structure and
returns to is original shape when the bottom plug snaps into the
notched channel.
[0025] The lid is sized and shaped to cover the open top end of the
inner wall structure. The lid has a set of threads formed to fit in
mating relationship with the set of threads located about the outer
surface of the inner wall structure. The shoulder portion acts as a
fluid tight seat for the lid when the lid is secured to the
container.
[0026] To further achieve the foregoing and other objects of the
claimed invention, a method of making the jar container is
provided. The method comprises molding a single piece double walled
container having an inner wall structure with a closed bottom end
and an outer wall structure, the outer wall structure having a
terminal end extending past the inner wall structure and a notched
channel within the inner surface of the outer wall structure. Then
a bottom plug, sized and shaped to fit within the area enclosed by
the outer wall structure having a portion sized and shaped for
snapping into the notched channel, is molded. Finally, the bottom
plug is snapped into the notched channel of the double walled
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the improved jar
container.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the bottom plug.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bottom plug.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the container and the
bottom plug.
[0031] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the V shaped channel.
[0032] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view illustrating the deflection
of the bottom plug.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a round, double walled jar 10. The jar 10
comprises a single piece double walled container 100, a symmetrical
bottom plug 200 that is sized and shaped to fit into the bottom of
the container 100, and a lid 300 that is sized and shaped to fit
over the open end of the container 100. It is contemplated that
different sizes and shapes of jar 10 will be made following the
teachings of this detailed description.
[0034] The double walled jar 10 as shown in FIG. 1 was designed to
provide a double walled container 100 having an overall simplified
design. The container 100 is of a single piece design, eliminating
the need for elaborate joining structures to join the inner wall
105 to the outer wall 120. Further, the jar 10 is designed to
reduce the assembly time necessary to provide a double walled jar.
The symmetrical design of the bottom plug 200 reduces the
complexity and time involved in assembling the bottom plug 200 into
the bottom of the container 100 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6.
[0035] These simplifications in piece part designs correspondingly
simplify the mold design needed to produce the container 100 and
the bottom plug 200. The simplification of these mold designs
reduces the initial cost of constructing the molds and also reduces
maintenance costs associated with maintaining the integrity of the
molds. The design of the container 100 presents fewer injection
mold details that are susceptible to erosion due to the abrasive
nature of the material being injected into the mold during the
fabrication of the container 100.
[0036] FIG. 1, and 4-6 show the single piece double walled
container 100 comprises an inner wall structure 105, a shoulder
portion 110, a set of threads 115 located above the shoulder
portion 110, an outer wall structure 120 extending continuously
from the shoulder portion 110 forming a gap 145 between the inner
wall structure 105 and the outer wall structure 120, and a V shaped
channel 125 within the inner surface of the outer wall structure
120. See FIG. 5 for an enlarged view of the V shaped channel 125.
The container 100 is preferably made of a polypropylene or a
polystyrene material.
[0037] The inner wall structure 105 as shown in FIG. 1, 4 and 6
illustrate a circularly configured inner wall structure 105. The
inner wall structure 105 has an open top end 130 and a closed
bottom end 135. The relationship between the inner walls 140 is
variable depending upon the intended use of the container 100. The
inner walls 140 of the inner wall structure 105 are angled so that
the distance between the inner walls 140 near the bottom is
reduced, making the opening at the open top end 130 greater in area
than the closed bottom end 135. The closed bottom end 135 meets the
inner walls 140 in a varying relationship, depending upon the
intended use of the container 100. The inner walls tapers into the
closed bottom end 135. The thicknesses of the inner walls 140 vary
within a range depending upon the manufacturing processing
parameters and the type of material used. The targeted range is
from about 0.035 inches to about 0.047 inches.
[0038] A shoulder portion 110 is molded into the outer surface of
the inner wall structure 105 as shown in FIG. 1. The placement of
the shoulder portion 110 about the outer surface may vary depending
upon the intended use of the container 100. FIG. 1 shows that in
this embodiment of the invention the shoulder portion 110 is
located approximately 1/3 of the way down the inner wall structure
105, leaving space for threads 115 to be placed above the shoulder
portion 110. The distance that the shoulder portion 110 extends is
variable depending upon the size and intended use of the container
100. In this embodiment of the invention, the shoulder portion 110
extends substantially perpendicular from the surface of inner wall
structure 105 to create a gap 145 between the inner wall structure
105 and the outer wall structure 120 of about 0.2 inches. When the
lid 300 is screwed onto the male threads 115, the shoulder portion
acts as a fluid tight seat to prevent fluids from escaping from the
container.
[0039] FIG. 1 shows in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a
set of male threads 115 are molded into the outer surface of the
inner wall structure 105 above the shoulder portion 110, protruding
from the surface of the inner wall structure 105. In other
embodiments of the invention, female threads are molded into the
outer surface of the inner wall structure 105 above the shoulder
portion 110, recessed from the surface of the inner wall structure
110. In yet other embodiments of the invention, no threads are used
in the container 100.
[0040] An outer wall structure 120 is molded continuously from the
shoulder portion 110, extending roughly parallel with the inner
walls 140 of the inner wall structure 105, creating the second wall
of the double walled container 100 as shown in FIG. 1 and 4-6. The
thickness of the outer wall structure 120 in the preferred
embodiment is less than the thickness of the inner wall structure
105. See the enlarged view of FIG. 5. FIG. 1, 4, and 6 show that in
the embodiment illustrated, the outer wall structure 120 is also
configured in a circular configuration. However, it is contemplated
that the configuration of the outer wall structure 120 may vary
from the configuration of the inner wall structure 105. The
terminal end 150 of the outer wall structure 120 extends past the
closed bottom end 135 of the inner wall structure 105 and has a V
shaped channel 125 within the inner surface of the outer wall
structure 120 located below the closed bottom end 135 of the inner
wall structure 105. See FIG. 5.
[0041] The container 100 is designed to reduce the overall cost of
material to make the jar 10, and to reduce the overall weight of
the jar 10. Requiring less material to make a container of the same
size manufactured using prior art designs reduces the cost of
material to make the container 100. This is accomplished by
reducing the amount of duplication of structure as well as
eliminating the need for elaborate structure to join the inner wall
105 to the outer wall 120. The outer wall 120 is contiguous to the
inner wall 105 by way of the shoulder portion 110 only. See FIG. 1.
This allows the jar 10 to be sold at a lower price due to the
decreased material cost associated with making the container
100.
[0042] The use of a single piece double walled container 100 allows
the container 100 to be fabricated out of translucent plastic so
that the contents of the container 100 can be seen from the outside
of the container 100 through the outer wall 120 and the inner wall
105 unobstructed. FIG. 1 illustrates that there is no structure
obstructing the view of the contents of the container through the
outer wall 120 and the inner wall 105. This aspect of the claimed
invention is an important difference from the prior art that was
previously discussed. The prior art double wall containers
typically use two discrete containers in nested relationship.
Manufactures of this type employ various types of structures to
fasten the inner container to the outer container. If this type of
container were fabricated out of a translucent material, the
structures used to fasten the inner container to the outer
container would obstruct the viewing of the contents of the
container. With this in mind, the claimed invention makes it
possible to produce a translucent double walled container that is
more aesthetically appealing to the viewer of the container.
[0043] Due the problems of the prior art previously mentioned, the
marking or labeling of the container 100 was typically accomplished
by printing markings directly on the outer face of the outer wall
120 of the container 100 or adhering labels to the outer face of
the outer wall 120 of the container 100. This method of marking or
labeling prior art containers was expensive due to the cost of
printing directly onto a curved surface, or using adhesive backed
labels. As a further drawback, both of these methods require the
alignment of the markings or label with the container 100 so that
the marking or label is correctly oriented with the container
100.
[0044] With these further problems of the prior art in mind, a
further feature of molding the container 100 out of a translucent
material is the placement of a label or labels 155 between the
inner wall 105 and the outer wall 120, decreasing the cost in
placing markings on the container. See FIG. 1. The reduction in
cost is accomplished due to several reasons. First, the cost of
material to make a usable label 155 for the container 100 is
reduced. The prior art containers required labels to be adhered to
the outer face of the outer wall 120. A portion of the cost to
produce the adhesive backed labels is due to the cost of placing
the adhesive onto the back of the label. With the claimed
invention, adhesive backed labels are not needed. The claimed
invention allows the use of plain-backed labels because the labels
are held in place between the inner wall 105 and the outer wall
120. The cost of plain-backed labels is lower due to the
elimination of the adhesive of the back of the label,
correspondingly contributing to lowering the cost of providing the
container 100.
[0045] A second reason the cost in marking or labeling the
container 100 is reduced is the elimination of time and scrap
associated with the placement of the markings or label on the
container 100. The prior art practice of marking and labeling
required the orientation of the marking or labeling with the
container so as to provide a pleasing appearance to a person
viewing the container. This requires processes for aligning the
marking or label with container. These processes produce
cosmetically unusable containers when these processes do not work
correctly effectively increasing the per container cost. In
contrast, marking of the container 100 does not require such
orientation processes. The alignment of the label 155 with the
container 100 is accomplished by the edges 160, 165 of the label
155. When the label 155 is placed between the inner wall 105 and
the outer wall 120 in the gap 145, the edge 160 or 165 is seated
against the shoulder 110. When the label 155 seats against the
shoulder 110, the label 155 is effectively aligned with the inner
wall 105 and outer wall 120 by the profile of the edge 160 or 165.
With the use of a standard rectangular label 155 as shown in FIG.
1, the label 155 is properly aligned.
[0046] An additional advantage to the labeling of the container 100
in this manner is allowing users of the container to view the
labels 155 while the outer wall 120 protects the label 155 from
being damaged during use or handling as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore,
the claimed invention is capable of providing a labeled double
walled container wherein the markings are not susceptible to being
damaged.
[0047] A symmetrical bottom plug 200 is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3
that is sized and shaped to fit within the area enclosed by the
outer wall structure 120. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom
plug 200 is disc shaped so that it fits within the round
configuration of the outer wall structure 120. FIG. 2 shows the
bottom plug 200 is designed in a symmetrical manner so that it does
not require orientation before being inserted into the bottom of
the container 100, reducing the amount of assembly time that is
required to provide a double walled container 100 with a flat
bottom surface. The bottom plug 200 has a central lip portion 205
around the side of the bottom plug 200 that snaps into the V shaped
channel 125 within the inner surface of the outer wall structure
120 when the bottom plug 200 is inserted into the bottom of the
container 100. The bottom plug 200 also has a pair of indexing lugs
210, one on each face of the bottom plug 200, for providing a
common point of reference during printing or other manufacturing
operations that may be performed upon the bottom plug 200.
[0048] The central lip portion 205 design provides a snap-in piece
that is less susceptible to breakage during assembly of the bottom
plug 200 into the bottom of the container 100. The reduced breakage
translates into less scrap being made during the assembly process,
lowering the cost of the overall jar 10.
[0049] The design of the bottom plug 200 facilitates the
construction of a simplified injection mold as previously
mentioned. The bottom plug 200 design does not rely on intricate
features to function properly. Therefore, the injection mold design
is less expensive to initially construct, and is less expensive to
maintain due to reduced susceptibility to injection mold wear.
[0050] FIG. 1 shows a lid 300 sized and shaped to cover the open
top end 130 of the inner wall structure 105 can be used to provide
a closed jar 10. The lid 300 may have threads 305 that are designed
to fit in mating relationship with the set of threads 115 located
about the outer surface of the inner wall structure 105, or in
other embodiments, the lid 300 may be configured to fit tightly
over the open top end 130 of the inner wall structure 105. The
threads 115 and 305 work together with the shoulder portion 110 to
provide a fluid tight closure for the jar 10.
[0051] To further achieve the foregoing and other objects of the
claimed invention, a method of making the jar 10 container 100 is
also provided. The method comprises molding a single piece double
walled container 100 using a synthetic plastic by forming an inner
wall structure 105 with a closed bottom end 135 and an outer wall
structure 120 while forming the outer wall structure 120 with a
terminal end 150 extending past the inner wall structure 105. A V
shaped channel 125 is also formed within the inner surface of the
outer wall structure 120. The inner wall 105 and outer wall 120 is
left free of any interior obstructions there between enabling
contents of the container to be clearly visible through the inner
wall 105 and outer wall 120 structures when the method is used with
a translucent plastic material. The bottom plug 200 is then molded.
The method step comprises molding a bottom plug 200 and sizing and
shaping the bottom plug 200 to fit within the area enclosed by the
outer wall structure 120 and forming a central lip portion 205 that
is sized and shaped for insertion into the V shaped channel 125.
Next, the bottom plug 200 is snapped into the V shaped channel 125.
The method step comprises inserting the bottom plug 200 into the V
shaped channel 125. The bottom plug 200 deflects along the long
axis of the bottom plug 200 as the bottom plug 200 is pushed into
the area encircled by the outer wall structure 125 and returns to
original shape upon snapping into the V shaped channel 125.
[0052] In manufacturing a double walled container 100 using this
method, many of the problems previously pointed out in the prior
art are avoid. The single piece double walled container 100
eliminates the breakage that was associated with the assembly of
two discrete wall structures. The use of a symmetrical bottom plug
200 as shown in FIG. 2 to close off the bottom of the container 100
reduces the assembly time that is required to supply a finished
double walled container 100. In the claimed method, the assembly
step of orientating the bottom plug 200 with respect to the
container 100 is greatly reduced or eliminated due to the
symmetrical nature of the bottom plug 200. Since the bottom plug
200 is symmetrical, the bottom plug 200 can not be snapped into the
bottom of the container 100 in an incorrect orientation. This
method of manufacture is also advantageous in that the overall
cycle time it takes to mold the container 100 and the bottom plug
200 is less than that of the prior art using two discrete
containers used in nested relationship. A further advantage of this
method is the reduced tooling cost in making a mold to produce the
bottom plug 200.
[0053] The invention described above is the preferred embodiment of
the present invention. It is not intended that the novel device be
limited thereby. The preferred embodiment may be susceptible to
modifications and variations that are within the scope and fair
meaning of the accompanying claims and drawings.
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