U.S. patent application number 16/496084 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-30 for container comprising rupturable pouch arranged inside container.
This patent application is currently assigned to RPC SUPERFOS A/S. The applicant listed for this patent is RPC SUPERFOS A/S. Invention is credited to Lars Skjold FREDERIKSEN, Juergen FUSS, Klaus SEIP.
Application Number | 20200239218 16/496084 |
Document ID | 20200239218 / US20200239218 |
Family ID | 1000004769387 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-30 |
Patent Application | download [pdf] |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200239218 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FREDERIKSEN; Lars Skjold ;
et al. |
July 30, 2020 |
CONTAINER COMPRISING RUPTURABLE POUCH ARRANGED INSIDE CONTAINER
Abstract
Container comprising a bottom portion and a side wall portion
extending upwardly from the bottom portion, said container being at
least partially filled with a first material, said container
further comprising a pouch filled with a second material, said
pouch being arranged inside the container. Said pouch is arranged
to be fastened to the bottom portion of the container such that at
least a portion of the first material is arranged above the pouch
and in that the pouch is rupturable. In this way, a container is
provided whereby a second material can be mixed with a first
material in a safe manner with a lowered risk of splashing.
Inventors: |
FREDERIKSEN; Lars Skjold;
(Ejby, DK) ; SEIP; Klaus; (Ludwigshafen, DE)
; FUSS; Juergen; (Ludwigshafen, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
RPC SUPERFOS A/S |
Taastrup |
|
DK |
|
|
Assignee: |
RPC SUPERFOS A/S
Taastrup
DK
|
Family ID: |
1000004769387 |
Appl. No.: |
16/496084 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
March 21, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2018/057205 |
371 Date: |
September 20, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3233
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/32 20060101
B65D081/32 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 21, 2017 |
DK |
PA201770202 |
Claims
1. A container comprising a bottom portion and a side wall portion
extending upwardly from the bottom portion, said container being at
least partially filled with a first material, said container
further comprising a pouch filled with a second material, said
pouch being arranged inside the container, wherein said pouch is
fastened to the bottom portion of the container such that at least
a portion of the first material is arranged above the pouch and in
that the pouch is rupturable.
2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the pouch has an
outer surface and in that the pouch is arranged offset from the
side wall portion such that some of the first material is arranged
between the outer surface of the pouch and an inner surface of the
side wall portion.
3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises
a flexible material.
4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises
a weakened portion which is arranged to rupture and release the
second material from the pouch when a predetermined pressure or
force is applied to the pouch.
5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is
fastened to the bottom portion via an adhesive or via a weld.
6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container
further comprises an intermediate holding element arranged to
fasten the pouch to the bottom portion of the container.
7. The container according to claim 6, wherein said intermediate
holding element is a planar element having a planar surface area
essentially corresponding to a surface area of an inside surface of
the bottom portion.
8. The container according to claim 6, wherein the pouch is
fastened to an upper surface of the intermediate holding element
via a weld or via an adhesive.
9. The container according to claim 6, wherein the pouch is
fastened to the intermediate holding element via a mechanical
gripping mechanism.
10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the second material
is a liquid.
11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is
arranged such that an implement can be inserted into the first
material which pierces the pouch or causes the pouch to rupture or
burst when force is applied.
12. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is
arranged such that in order to rupture the pouch, it is necessary
to insert an implement into the first material to agitate the first
material and/or apply pressure directly to the pouch.
13. The container according to claim 11, wherein the container is
arranged such that the implement is inserted into the first
material via an opening of the container.
14. The container according to claim 1, wherein an area of an
opening of the container is larger than an area of the inside
surface of the bottom portion.
15. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first material
is a material for forming a surface covering of a building, wherein
the first material includes a mortar material, a filler material,
and/or a paint like material.
Description
[0001] The current invention relates to a container comprising a
bottom portion and a side wall portion extending upwardly from the
bottom portion, said container being at least partially filled with
a first material, said container further comprising a pouch filled
with a second material, said pouch being arranged inside the
container.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] Containers which allow mixing of two separate materials
prior to use are well known in the art. Most containers known in
the art provide a main container filled with a first material and a
small pouch filled with the second material. The pouch is typically
attached to the main container during transport. Prior to use, the
pouch is opened and the second material is added to and mixed with
the first material.
[0003] In certain cases, the pouch is arranged inside the main
container and a mechanism is provided in the lid or in the side
wall of the container to open the pouch, thereby causing the first
and second materials to mix together. Some examples are disclosed
in: DE102010006271 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,797,646 A, 3,043,424 A,
2,921,718 A, 2,819,738 A, DE1071579 B, WO06118697 A2, WO13056800
A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,130,198 A, 3,874,557, 4,927,012, EP2463212 and
U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,036 A.
[0004] However, in the case where the second material is dangerous
for human touch, there is a risk when opening the pouch or when
handling the pouch that the user gets the second material on his or
her skin. Likewise, some of the solutions provided for in the prior
art require complicated containers and/or mechanisms arranged in
the lid/container and which can both weaken and/or increase the
cost of the containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is therefore a first aspect of the current invention to
provide a container as mentioned in the introductory paragraph
which allows mixing of two components prior to use in a safe
manner.
[0006] A second aspect of the current invention is to provide a
container comprising a pouch filled with a second material in a
simple and low cost manner.
[0007] A third aspect of the current invention is to provide a
container where the second material is easily mixed with the first
material.
[0008] These aspects are solved at least in part by a container as
mentioned in the introductory paragraph where the pouch is
furthermore arranged to be fastened to the bottom portion of the
container such that at least a portion of the first material is
arranged above the pouch and in that the pouch is rupturable. By
arranging the pouch at the bottom of the container and fastening it
to the bottom portion, the pouch and the contents of the pouch are
completely covered by the first material. In order to release the
contents of the pouch, an implement can be inserted into the first
material which pierces the pouch or causes the pouch to
rupture/burst when force is applied. When the pouch ruptures, the
second material is released into the first material at the bottom
of the container. As the first material is stirred, the second
material is quickly mixed with the first material. By the time the
second material reaches the surface of the first material, the risk
for splashing is much reduced.
[0009] It should be noted that the phrase "fastened to the bottom
portion" should be understood in that the pouch is arranged in a
fixed position and at the bottom portion of the container. The
pouch could either be fastened directly to a surface of the bottom
portion, or it could be held in place against a surface of the
bottom portion via an intermediate holding element. However, in
both cases, the pouch is held in place against the bottom portion
of the container. This is in contrast to the prior art solutions
where a pouch is held and fastened to the lid or to the side wall
of the container. It should also be noted that the term "fastened
to" should be understood in that the pouch is held against the
bottom portion in a fixed position so the pouch doesn't freely move
around the container and such that it is easy to find the pouch and
cause it to rupture. However, it does not necessarily mean that the
pouch is permanently attached to the bottom portion.
[0010] It should also be noted that the phrase "at least a portion
of the first material is arranged above the pouch" should be
understood that there is an offset between the upper surface of the
first material and the uppermost surface of the pouch. In this way,
when the pouch is ruptured, the second material is not directly
accessible from the upper surface of the first material. The second
material first has to travel through the first material to reach
the upper surface of the first material. In one embodiment, it
could be that there was no direct connection between the pouch and
the upper surface of the first material. In another embodiment, it
could be that the container was arranged such that in order to
rupture the pouch, it was necessary to insert an implement into the
first material to agitate the first material and/or apply pressure
directly to the pouch. In one embodiment, it could be said that the
pouch was completely surrounded by the first material, or it could
be said that the pouch was completed embedded in the first
material.
[0011] In one embodiment, the pouch has an outer surface and the
pouch can be arranged offset from the side wall portion such that
some of the first material is arranged between the outer surface of
the pouch and an inner surface of the side wall portion. In this
way, the pouch is spaced from the side wall and when the second
material is released, it is not in direct contact with the
sidewall. If the second material was in direct contact with the
side wall, it could run up along the side wall and splash out the
top of the container. In one embodiment, the minimum distance
between the outer surface of the pouch and the inner surface of the
sidewall portion could be defined to be greater than 5 mm, 10 mm,
15 mm or 20 mm.
[0012] In one embodiment, the pouch could comprise a flexible
material. In one embodiment, the pouch could comprise a foil or
sheet like material. In one embodiment the pouch could be arranged
as a welded plastic bag filled with the second material.
[0013] In one embodiment, the pouch could comprise a weakened
portion which is arranged to rupture and release the second
material from the pouch when a predetermined pressure/force is
applied to the pouch.
[0014] In one embodiment, the pouch could be fastened to the bottom
portion via an adhesive or via a weld. In one embodiment, the weld
and/or adhesive could be applied directly between the pouch and a
surface of the bottom portion of the container. However, in another
embodiment, the container could further comprise an intermediate
holding element arranged to fasten the pouch to the bottom portion
of the container and/or to hold the pouch in place near the bottom
portion of the container.
[0015] In one embodiment, the intermediate holding element is a
planar element having a planar surface area essentially
corresponding to the surface area of an inside surface of the
bottom portion. In one embodiment, the outer periphery of the
intermediate holding element is smaller than the inner periphery of
the bottom portion of the container such that the intermediate
holding element can be arranged inside the container. In one
embodiment, the intermediate holding element is arranged to
correspond to the bottom portion of the container such that the
intermediate holding element is like a false bottom. In one
embodiment, the surface area of the intermediate holding element is
large enough such that the weight of the first material on the
intermediate holding element holds the intermediate holding element
in place against the bottom portion of the container.
[0016] In one embodiment, the pouch can be fastened to an upper
and/or lower surface of the intermediate holding element via a weld
or via an adhesive. If fastened to a lower surface, a slot or
opening could be formed in the intermediate holding element and a
portion of the pouch could be arranged to pass through the slot or
opening.
[0017] In another embodiment, instead of a weld or adhesive, the
pouch could be fastened to the intermediate holding element via a
mechanical gripping mechanism. In one embodiment, the mechanical
gripping mechanism could comprise a snap locking mechanism.
[0018] In one embodiment, the second material is a liquid. In one
embodiment, the second material is a material which is harmful to
skin contact, for example the second material could be a caustic
material. In one embodiment, the first material is a material for
forming a surface covering of a building, for example a mortar
material, a filler material, a paint like material, etc. In one
embodiment, the container is a plastic injection moulded container.
In one embodiment, the container is a poly propylene container and
the pouch is made from a polyethylene material.
[0019] It should be emphasized that the term
"comprises/comprising/comprised of" when used in this specification
is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition
of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or
groups thereof. For example, in the claims, it states that the
container comprises a pouch filled with a second material. However,
this should be understood in that the container comprises at least
one pouch and solutions comprising two or more pouches would also
be covered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] In the following, the invention will be described in greater
detail with reference to embodiments shown by the enclosed figures.
It should be emphasized that the embodiments shown are used for
example purposes only and should not be used to limit the scope of
the invention.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side cross section view of a first
embodiment according to the invention prior to mixing.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side cross section view of the
embodiment of FIG. 1 after mixing has occurred.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a schematic front view of one embodiment of a
pouch for a container according to the invention.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of the pouch of FIG.
3.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of an intermediate
holding element in the form of a false bottom plate for a container
according to the invention.
[0026] FIG. 6 schematically shows a step in the process of
fastening the pouch of FIGS. 3 and 4 to the false bottom plate of
FIG. 5.
[0027] FIG. 7 schematically shows the pouch and the false bottom
plate being inserted into a container.
[0028] FIG. 8 schematically shows the container of FIG. 7 filled
with a first material.
[0029] FIG. 9 shows a schematic cross sectional side view of
another embodiment of a container according to the invention.
[0030] FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross sectional side view of
another embodiment of a container according to the invention.
[0031] FIG. 11 shows a schematic cross sectional side view of yet
another embodiment of a container according to the invention.
[0032] FIG. 12 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of a
pouch suitable for a container according to the invention.
[0033] FIGS. 13 and 14 show two views of a false bottom plate
having a mechanical clip mechanism for holding a pouch.
[0034] FIG. 15 shows the false bottom plate of FIGS. 13 and 14 in a
configuration just after manufacture.
[0035] FIG. 16 schematically shows how a pouch could be fastened to
the false bottom plate of FIGS. 13-15.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0036] FIG. 1 shows a container 2 comprising a bottom portion 4, a
side wall portion 6 and an opening 8. The upper edge 10 of the side
wall portion defines a rim 12 which encircles the opening 8. The
bottom portion 4 has an inside surface 14 and an exterior surface
16. Likewise, the side wall portion 6 also has an inside surface 18
and an exterior surface 20. The container 2 is filled with a first
material 22. From the figures, it can be seen that the area of the
opening 8 is larger than the area of the inside surface 14 of the
bottom portion 4. In this way, the containers are stackable one
inside the other when they are empty. This type of container is
well known in the art.
[0037] Containers of this kind are well known in the art and can be
found in many shapes and sizes and can be used to hold many
different types of materials. Likewise, the container itself can be
made from many different types of materials. In many cases, the
container is made from a plastic injection moulded material, for
example Poly Propylene. In other cases, the container could be made
from a metal material. In many cases, the container can be a
cylindrical container with a circular cross section. In other
cases, the container has a more rectangular cross section. However,
many shapes can be imagined.
[0038] According to the invention, a pouch 24 is arranged on the
inside surface 14 of the bottom portion 4. The pouch in the current
embodiment is made from a flexible plastic foil like material,
similar to a plastic bag. The pouch can be made in many different
ways. Suitable techniques for manufacturing suitable pouches should
be available in the art.
[0039] In the current embodiment, the pouch is filled with a liquid
material 26. In this embodiment the liquid material is of a kind
which is dangerous for human contact and it is therefore desired to
prevent the second material from getting into contact with the
user. The pouch 24 is fastened to the inside surface 14 of the
bottom portion 4 of the container via an adhesive 28.
[0040] Prior to use, it is desired to mix the first and second
materials together. A stirrer 30 is therefore introduced into the
container. The stirrer can be pressed into contact with the pouch
thereby causing the pouch to rupture. Or the stirrer can stir the
first material which causes force to be applied to the pouch which
causes the pouch to rupture. FIG. 2 shows how the pouch 24 has
ruptured. FIG. 2 also shows that even after rupturing, the material
of the pouch itself remains fastened to the bottom portion of the
container. Likewise, since the material of the pouch itself is
flexible, the pouch itself should not prevent the user from
accessing the contents of the container.
[0041] In the current embodiment, and in some of the other
embodiments disclosed in this application, the pouch is arranged
near the centre of the container and at the bottom of the
container. In this way, the first material surrounds the pouch. In
this case, there is first material 32 above the top surface of the
pouch. Likewise, there is first material 34 between the sides of
the pouch and the side wall portion of the container. Were the
pouch arranged close to the side wall portion, then the second
material could slide up along the side wall portion of the
container and splash out the top of the container in a dangerous
manner. By placing the pouch such that there is first material all
around the pouch, there is less risk of splashing and
simultaneously there is also a better mixing effect.
[0042] In one concrete and non-limiting embodiment, the container
is a 10 L plastic injection moulded bucket with a circular cross
section filled with a mortar material used for exterior surface
finishing in the construction industry. The second material inside
the pouch comprises Natrium/Sodium hydroxide which is caustic and
can cause injury to a user when it gets in contact with their
skin.
[0043] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pouch 24 was
fastened directly to the inside surface 14 of the bottom portion 4
of the container. However, in other embodiments, the pouch could be
fastened to the bottom portion of the container via an intermediate
holding element which is inserted into the container prior to
filling the container with the first material. Some example
embodiments are discussed in more detail below.
[0044] FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment 40 of a pouch filled
with a second material 42. The pouch is again made from a flexible
plastic material in the form of a sheet or foil. In the figures,
the pouch is shown having a curved shape, however, the pouch could
also be formed with other shapes, for example, a rectangular shape.
In one example, not shown, a plastic tubelike material, is welded
shut at one end with a linear weld perpendicular to the extension
of the tubular material. Second material can then be filled into
the tube in the desired amount. The tube can then be welded shut,
again with a linear weld. A closed and filled pouch is produced in
this way in a simple manner. In the embodiment shown in the
figures, two flaps 44 of excess material extend from the pouch and
can be used to fasten the pouch to the bottom portion of the
container.
[0045] Since welding or gluing the pouch to the inside surface of
the bottom portion of the container can be complicated to implement
in a production environment, the pouch can be fastened to a holding
element 50 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The holding element 50 of the
current embodiment is formed as a planar element having a cross
section with a planar shape which matches the planar surface area
of the inside surface of the bottom portion of the container. In
this way, the holding element can be inserted into the container
and it will assume a position at the bottom of the container. It
could therefore be called a false bottom plate like element.
[0046] The holding element 50 has a slot 52 in the centre portion
of the holding element. As shown in FIG. 6, the flaps 44 of the
pouch 40 can be inserted through the slot and then folded up on the
rear surface 54 of the holding element. An adhesive 56 applied on
the rear surface 54 holds the flaps of the pouch in place. In this
way, a strong connection is formed between the pouch and the
holding element 50. The flaps 44 could also be welded to the rear
surface of the holding element.
[0047] Once the pouch is securely fastened to the holding element,
the pouch and holding element assembly can be inserted into the
bottom of a container. This is shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 8, first
material is filled into the container thereby covering the pouch
completely. Due to the weight of the first material, the holding
element 50 is held in place, pressed against the inside surface of
the bottom portion of the container. In this way, the pouch is
likewise held fastened to the bottom portion of the container and
located in the centre of the container.
[0048] FIG. 9 shows another schematic embodiment of a container
according to the current invention where a pouch 40 with flaps 44
is glued via an adhesive 56 to the inside surface 14 of the bottom
portion 4 of the container 2. Instead of gluing, it would also be
possible to weld the pouch to the container via the flaps.
[0049] FIG. 10 shows another schematic embodiment. In this
embodiment, a pouch 40 with a flap 44 is welded or glued via an
adhesive 56 to a holding element 50 which is again shaped to fit
into the bottom of the container. One advantage of using a holding
element to hold the pouch, is that the pouch and the holding
element could be chosen as one type of material while the container
was chosen as another material. For example, the pouch could be
chosen as a poly ethylene material which has good rupture
properties and then it could be welded directly to a poly ethylene
holding element. The container itself could be manufactured from a
poly propylene material which has good robust properties for the
actual container.
[0050] FIG. 11 shows an embodiment, where the pouch 58 is formed as
a flatter pouch which is welded or glued via an adhesive 56 to the
holding element at at least two points via at least two flaps 59.
By using a flatter pouch, the pouch could fit between two
containers when stacked in an empty configuration. In other words,
the height of the pouch and holding element combination is less
than the distance between the exterior surface 16 of the bottom
portion of an upper stacked container and the inside surface 14 of
the bottom portion of a lower stacked container.
[0051] FIG. 12 shows one embodiment of a pouch 60 with a weakened
area in the form of a number of lines of weakness 60 introduced
into the material of the pouch. When pressure/force is applied to
the pouch, the pouch will rupture along the lines of weakness.
[0052] FIGS. 13-16 illustrate another embodiment of a holding
element 70. In this case, the holding element 70 is formed as a
planar disc shaped element 70. Two slots 72 are provided in the
disc into which flaps of the pouch can be inserted. Two bendable
portions 73 are arranged in the disc on each side of the slots. The
two bendable portions are provided with snap engagement means 74
which cooperate with corresponding snap engagement means 76 on the
disc itself. In this embodiment the snap engagement means 74,76 are
arranged as holes and plugs which fit into each other and engage
each other. When the flaps 44 of the pouch 40 are inserted through
the slots, the bendable portions are bent such that they sandwich
the flaps between the disc and the bendable portions. This is shown
in FIG. 16. When the snap engagement means are engaged, the flaps
are held tightly in place and the pouch is therefore also held
tightly in place against the holding element. It should be noted
that FIGS. 13 to 15 show the holding element from the bottom. In
use, the bendable portions will bend downwardly as shown in FIG.
16.
[0053] It is to be noted that the figures and the above description
have shown the example embodiments in a simple and schematic
manner. Many of the specific mechanical details have not been shown
since the person skilled in the art should be familiar with these
details and they would just unnecessarily complicate this
description.
* * * * *