Container having upper and lower grips for use when pouring material from the container

Abstract

The subject invention is a pouring container, receptacle or bucket used to hold materials. The container includes grips to assist an operator in pouring the materials from the container. The container includes upper and lower grips. The upper grips are positioned near the top of the cylindrical container and contain at least one slot for receiving a finger of the operator. The lower grips are located on the bottom of the container. The lower grips include at least one indentation for receiving the finger of the operator. When pouring materials from the container the operator places fingers of one hand in the upper grip and fingers from his other hand in the lower grip. The grips assist the operator in maneuvering the container to pour the materials in a proper location.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to holding of containers of different sizes for pouring material, and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a container having upper grips and lower grips for receiving fingers of an operator while pouring material from the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Traditional containers are capable of storing and pouring materials. Unfortunately, pouring materials from traditional containers is often a very messy and disorganized distribution. Materials spill from the container instead of evenly pouring from the container because the traditional container is difficult for an operator to maneuver. With traditional containers there are no positions for an operator to place his hands when pouring materials. Accordingly, the positions of the operator's hands are not proper and the operator's maneuverability of the containers is limited thereby causing material to spill. Additionally, a lack of grips or hand positions forces the operators to grip the traditional container at the top opening of the container. Especially when the container is holding a liquid material, positioning one hand at the top opening of the container while pouring often causes the operator's hand to become soiled. The disadvantages of traditional containers can easily be avoided with the subject invention described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] To overcome the disadvantages of traditional containers, the present invention is a container including a bottom and a central portion. The central portion is attached to the bottom. The container includes an upper grip. The upper grip is attached to the central portion. The container also includes a lower grip. The lower grip is attached to the bottom.

[0004] The present invention overcomes the difficulty of pouring material stored in the container with the assistance of the upper and lower grips. The grips provide positions for an operator, attempting to empty material from the container, to properly position his hands. Proper hand position gives the operator increased maneuverability when pouring material from the container.

[0005] A further understanding of the present invention will be had in view of the description of the drawings and detailed description of the invention, when viewed in conjunction with the subjoined claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container of the present invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a lower perspective view of the container of the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a side view of the container of the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a side view of an opposite side of the container of the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 5 is a top view of the container of the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the container of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the container of the present invention shown in FIG. 3;

[0014] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the container of the present invention shown in FIG. 4; and

[0015] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the container of the present invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a container is generally shown at 10 in FIG. 1. As best shown in FIG. 2, the container 10 includes a bottom 12 and a central portion 14. The central portion 14 is attached to the bottom 12. Preferably, the bottom 12 and the central portion 14 are formed together in a plastic molding process. Therefore, the bottom 12 and the central portion 14 are integrally connected. The central portion 14 as shown in FIG. 1 is generally cylindrical. However, the shape of the container 10 as shown in the figures is meant in no way to be limiting to only round containers 10. The shape of the container 10 could be of any conceivable shape. The cylindrical shape of the central portion 14 creates an inner side 16 and an outer side 18 to the container 10.

[0017] The container 10 includes an upper grip 20. The upper grip 20 is attached to the outer side 18 of the central portion 14 of the container 10. In the preferred embodiment the upper grip 10 and central portion 14 are formed together in the molding process and integrally attached. The upper grip 20 and central portion 14, however, may be attached in any form necessary to achieve the objects of the present invention. The upper grip 20 includes at least one slot 22 for receiving a finger of an operator when pouring material from the container 10. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes sets of two slots 22 on diametrically opposed sides of the cylindrical container 10. The positions of slots 22 of the upper grip 20 demonstrated in the preferred embodiment are in no way limiting. The present invention only needs one slot 22 in the upper grip 20 to successfully achieve the objects of this invention. The width of the slot 22 is also variable. A preferred embodiment, as best shown in FIG. 9, has the width of the slots 22 large enough to receive more than one finger of the operator. Only one slot 22 wide enough to received one finger of the operator is necessary.

[0018] The container 10 also includes a lower grip 24. The lower grip 24 is at the outer side 18 of the container 10 and formed in the bottom 12 of the container 10. The lower grip 24 is integrally molded into the bottom 12 of the container 10. The lower grip 24 includes at least one indentation 26. In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the lower grip 24 includes two sets of three indentations 26 on diametrically opposed sides of the cylindrical container 10. As with the upper grip 20, the preferred embodiment is in no way limiting. The present invention only needs one indentation 26 to successfully achieve the objects of this invention.

[0019] The container 10 also includes a handle 28 connected to the central portion 14. The handle 28 has a first end 30 and a second end 32. The handle 28 is fixedly connected to the central portion 14 of the container 10 by engaging the first end 30 of the handle 28 into one of a plurality of channels 34. The channels 34 are integrally formed with the central portion 14 of the container 10. The handle 28, traditionally a metal tube, is arched over the top of the container 10. The second end 32 of the handle 28 is then engaged into another channel 34 diametrically opposed from the channel 34 receiving the first end 30 of the handle 28. The channels 34 permit the handle 28 to rotate from one side of the container 10 to the other.

[0020] The container 10 further includes a lip 36 encircling the central portion 14. A lid 38 receives the lip 36 and is thereby attached to the central portion 14 of the container 10. The lid 38 covers the top of the central portion 14 to keep materials in the container 10. The lid 38 and lip 36 described herein are commonly found in the art.

[0021] A preferred embodiment of the container 10 is shown as a round, five-gallon bucket with a handle 28, lid 38, upper grip 20 and lower grip 24. However, any combination of these elements is covered in the scope of the subsequent claims. The size or shape of the container 10 may vary and it may or may not include a handle 28 or lid 38. Additionally, the container 10 may only include the upper grip 20 or the lower grip 24 instead of both. The drawings and description of the container 10 are meant in no way to be limiting.

[0022] To use the described container 10 for pouring material from the container 10, the operator places one hand near the bottom 12 and one hand near the top of the container 10. The fingers of the hand near the bottom 12 of the container 10 are received by the indentations 26 of the lower grip 24. The fingers of the hand near the top of the container 10 are received in the slots 22 of the upper grip 20. The handle 28 is rotated to the side of the container 10 that the hands of the operator are gripping. The handle 28 is secured against the side of the container 10 by the palm of the hand with fingers received in the slots 22 of the upper grip 20. Using the upper grip 20 and lower grip 24 the operator rotates the container 10 from a normally upright position to a horizontal or downward position. The material within the container 10 falls from the container 10 to a desired location chosen by the operator. The use of the container 10 of the present invention is best illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0023] Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited, since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification and following claims.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a bottom; a central portion attached to said bottom; an upper grip attached to said central portion; and a lower grip attached to said bottom.

2. The container as described in claim 1 wherein said central portion is cylindrical thereby forming an inner side and an outer side of said container.

3. The container as described in claim 2 wherein said upper grip and said lower grip are attached to said outer side of said container.

4. The container as described in claim 1 wherein said upper grip and said lower grip are integrally attached to said container.

5. The container as described in claim 1 wherein said upper grip includes at least one slot for receiving a finger of an operator.

6. The container as described in claim 1 wherein said lower grip includes at least one indentation for receiving a finger of an operator.

7. The container as described in claim 1 including a handle attached to said central portion.

8. The container as described in claim 1 including a lip on said central portion.

9. The container as described in claim 8 further including a lid being received over said lip for maintaining material within said container.

10. A container comprising: a bottom; a central portion attached to said bottom; and an upper grip attached to said central portion.

11. A container as described in claim 10 wherein said central portion is cylindrical thereby forming an inner side and an outer side of said container.

12. A container as described in claim 11 wherein said upper grip is attached to said outer side of said container.

13. A container as described in claim 10 wherein said upper grip is integrally formed in said container.

14. A container as described in claim 10 wherein said upper grip includes at least one slot for receiving a finger of an operator.

15. A container comprising: a bottom; a central portion attached to said bottom; and a lower grip attached to said bottom.

16. A container as described in claim 15 wherein said central portion is cylindrical thereby forming an inner side and an outer side of said container.

17. A container as described in claim 16 wherein said lower grip is attached to said outer side of said container.

18. A container as described in claim 15 wherein said lower grip is integrally formed in said container.

19. A container as described in claim 15 wherein said lower grip includes at least one indentation for receiving a finger of an operator.

20. A container comprising: a bottom; a central portion molded to said bottom thereby creating an enclosure for holding material in the container; an upper grip molded to said central portion providing a location for an operator to properly position his fingers while pouring material from the container; a lower grip molded to said bottom providing a second location for the operator to properly position his fingers while pouring material from the container; a handle molded to said central portion for use in carrying or holding the container; a lip on said central portion; and a lid being received over said lip to enclose material within the container.