U.S. patent application number 11/430816 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-15 for stacking containers.
This patent application is currently assigned to Silgan Plastics Corporation. Invention is credited to Laura Flanagan-Kent, Donald E. Staples.
Application Number | 20070261983 11/430816 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38663487 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070261983 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Flanagan-Kent; Laura ; et
al. |
November 15, 2007 |
Stacking containers
Abstract
A stacking bottling has a bifurcated base portion providing a
pair of legs defining a channel therebetween, a body portion with a
generally rectangular cross section, and a top portion providing an
inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are configured and
dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base portion of a second
bottle of like dimension and configuration. The adjacent side
surfaces of the top and base portions has interfitting projections
and recesses to limit relative horizontal movement of the stacked
bottles. Preferably, the side surfaces of the legs of the base
portion have the projections and the side surfaces of the handle or
the spout have the recesses.
Inventors: |
Flanagan-Kent; Laura;
(Loganville, GA) ; Staples; Donald E.; (Grayson,
GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PEPE & HAZARD, LLP
225 ASYLUM ST.
HARTFORD
CT
06103
US
|
Assignee: |
Silgan Plastics Corporation
|
Family ID: |
38663487 |
Appl. No.: |
11/430816 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/510 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/0231
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/510 |
International
Class: |
B65D 21/00 20060101
B65D021/00 |
Claims
1. A stacking bottle having: (a) a bifurcated base portion
providing a pair of legs defining a channel therebetween; (b) a
body portion having a generally rectangular cross section; and (c)
a top portion providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout
which are configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the
base portion of a second bottle of like dimension and
configuration, the adjacent side surfaces of said top and base
portions having interfitting projections and recesses to limit
relative horizontal movement of the stacked bottles.
2. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein the side surfaces
of said legs of said base portion have said projections and the
side surfaces of one of said handle and spout have said
recesses.
3. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projections
and recesses are oriented vertically.
4. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said body portion
has a rectangular cross section and the axis of said channel
extends perpendicularly relative to the axis of said handle.
5. The bottle in accordance with claim 4 wherein said rectangular
cross section is substantially square.
6. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said legs have a
cross section in which the inwardly oriented opposing side surfaces
of each of said legs defining said channel converge to said
intermitting projections and said handles have said cooperating
recesses.
7. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spout and
handle portions lie along a common horizontal axis.
8. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein the side walls of
said legs defining said channel are inclined inwardly.
9. The bottle in accordance with claim 8 wherein the side of
surfaces of said handle are inclined inwardly to cooperate with
said side surfaces of said legs defining said channel.
10. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said top portion
has a horizontal surface about said handle and spout.
11. The bottle in accordance with claim 10 wherein said legs of
said base portion have a horizontal bottom surface.
12. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projections
have opposed surfaces which are inclined inwardly and said recesses
are cooperatively configured.
13. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recesses are
on the side surfaces of said handle.
14. A stacking bottle having: (a) a bifurcated base portion
providing a pair of legs defming a channel therebetween; (b) a body
portion having a generally square cross section; (c) a top portion
providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are
configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base
portion of a second bottle of like dimension and configuration, the
adjacent side surfaces of said top and base portions having
interfitting projections and recesses to limit relative horizontal
movement of the stacked bottles, said projections and recesses
being oriented vertically; and (e) the axis of said channel extends
perpendicularly relative to the axis of said handle, the side
surfaces of said legs of said base portion having said projections
and the side surfaces of one of said handle and spout having said
recesses.
15. The bottle in accordance with claim 14 wherein said legs have a
cross section in which the inwardly oriented opposing side surfaces
of each of said legs defining said channel converge to said
intermitting projections and said handles have said cooperating
recesses and said spout and handle portions lie along a common
horizontal axis.
16. The bottle in accordance with claim 14 wherein the side walls
of said legs defining said channel are inclined inwardly and the
side of surfaces of said handle are inclined inwardly to cooperate
with said side surfaces of said legs defining said channel.
17. The bottle in accordance with claim 14 wherein said top portion
has a horizontal surface about said handle and spout and said legs
of said base portion have a horizontal bottom surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to containers and, more
particularly to stacking containers.
[0002] Synthetic resin containers are widely employed for various
types of products. Those which carry liquids are frequently called
bottles. Many containers have configuration to facilitate handling
and spouts to facilitate pouring larger containers frequently have
carrying handles formed as a part thereof. Moroever, such
containers may employ body portions having a variety of cross
sectional configurations.
[0003] To conserve volume in cartons in which the containers are
placed, they may have top and bottom portions which are configured
to permit stacking such as a recess in the bottom portion to seat
the handle and spout of a container therebelow such as shown in
Maynard, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,454 and Srokose et al U.S. Pat.
No. 6,029,858. Other merely provide flat surfaces on the top and
bottom such as Soehnlen et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,455.
[0004] Unfortunately, if the containers of the stack are able to
move horizontally, this produces unstable misalignment of the
containers and stacks of the containers in a point of purchase
displays can collapse.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide novel
stacking containers which are economical to form and stable when
stacked.
[0006] It is also an object to provide such containers which employ
a relatively small space.
[0007] Another object is to provide a stacking container which is
easily stacked and is relatively stable and able to limit relative
horizontal movement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects
are readily attained in a stacking bottle having a bifurcated base
portion providing a pair of legs defining a channel therebetween, a
body portion having a generally rectangular cross section and a top
portion providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are
configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base
portion of a second bottle of like dimension and configuration. The
adjacent side surfaces of the top and base portions have
interfitting projections and recesses to limit relative horizontal
movement of the stacked bottles.
[0009] Preferably, the side surfaces of the legs of the base
portion have the projections and the side surfaces of one of the
handle and spout have the recesses. The projections and recesses
are oriented vertically.
[0010] Desirably, the rectangular cross section is substantially
square, and the axis of the channel extends perpendicularly
relative to the axis of the handle. The legs have a cross section
in which the inwardly oriented opposing side surfaces of each of
the legs defining the channel converge to the interfitting
projections and the handles have the cooperating recesses.
[0011] The spout and handle portions lie along a common horizontal
axis and the side walls of the legs defining the channel are
inclined inwardly. The side of surfaces of the handle are inclined
inwardly to cooperate with the side surfaces of the legs defining
the channel, and the legs of the base portion have a horizontal
bottom surface. The projections have opposed surfaces which are
inclined inwardly and the recesses are cooperatively
configured.
[0012] Most conveniently the recesses are on the side surfaces of
the handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a stackable bottle
embodying the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a bottom view thereof;
[0017] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a stacked pair of bottles;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a similar view with the pair rotated 180.degree.;
and
[0019] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing
the engagement of the projections on the side walls of the recess
seated in the recesses of the handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Turning first to FIGS. 1-4 of the attached drawings, a
bottle A embodying the present invention has a base portion
generally designated by the numeral 10, a body portion generally
designated by the numeral 12 and a top portion generally designated
by the numeral 14. Containers embodying the present invention can
be stacked as seen in FIGS. 5 and 7.
[0021] Turning first to the base portion 10, it has a pair of legs
16 which are spaced apart diagonally so as to define a channel 18
therebetween. The general cross section of the bottle is that of a
square and the legs 16 are located at diagonal corners of the
square configuration. Each of the legs 16 has two outer
substantially vertical faces 20,22 which are perpendicular to each
other and two substantially vertical inner faces 21, 23 which
converge inwardly and a projection 28 extends along the upper
portion of the converging sides surfaces. The bottom surfaces 30 of
the legs 16 lie in a common plane so that the bottle A can be
stably seated on a support surface (not shown).
[0022] The surfaces 21, 23 slope upwardly and inwardly as does the
projection 28. The body portion 12 is essentially square with
rounded comers and can be of any desired length. Recesses (not
shown) can be provided on one or more of the outer surfaces of the
body portion for labels and the like.
[0023] Turning next to the top portion 14, it has a relatively
planar top wall 32 and at one of the comers, is a spout 34 with a
pour opening 36. Extending therefrom to the diagonally opposite
corner is a inverted generally U-shaped handle 38 which has
recesses 40 formed on the sides thereof to seat the projections 28
formed on the side surfaces of the legs 16 in the base portion 10.
The side surfaces of supporting legs of the handle 38 slope
inwardly and upwardly as seen in FIG. 2.
[0024] As seen in FIGS. 5-7, the bottle A of the present design is
seated on the support surface and a like configured bottle B is
placed thereon with the handle 38 and spout fitting into the bottom
channel 18 in the base portion 10. As indicated previously and as
best seen in FIG. 7, the projections 28 on the side surfaces of the
legs 16 defining the channel 18 seat in the recesses 40 formed in
the side of the handle 28. The legs 16 of the superposed bottle B
seat on flat surfaces of the top wall 32 and the projections 28
seat in the recesses 40 to substantially preclude movement in a
horizontal plane.
[0025] It will be appreciated that the inwardly sloping side
surfaces on the legs and handle allows these surfaces to abut and
limit movement. The sloping surfaces on the legs of the handle
extend oppositely to the cooperating surfaces of the legs so that
the projections on the legs slide easily downwardly into the
recesses on the handle. Once seated, relative horizontal motion is
substantially precluded.
[0026] As will be readily appreciated, the cross section of the
bottle may vary but rectangular, and preferably square, to
facilitate close packing, particularly in cartons and on pallets.
The spout may have a simple cap or include other elements.
[0027] Thus, it can be seen from the foregoing detailed description
and the attached drawings that the containers of the present
invention stack easily and are essentially precluded from
horizontal movement, thus providing a more stable stack. The
containers are readily fabricated and easily stacked.
* * * * *