U.S. patent application number 17/590551 was filed with the patent office on 2022-08-04 for container for shipping hazardous materials.
The applicant listed for this patent is American Labelmark Company. Invention is credited to William D. Barger, Luca Molinaro.
Application Number | 20220242644 17/590551 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006166547 |
Filed Date | 2022-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220242644 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Barger; William D. ; et
al. |
August 4, 2022 |
Container for Shipping Hazardous Materials
Abstract
A hazardous material shipping container comprises a shell having
a first threaded portion at a first end thereof, a closed second
end opposite the first end, inwardly extending ribs, and outwardly
extending flutes, wherein the ribs and flutes are disposed between
the first end and the second end. A cushioning material is inside
the shell, and a cap has a second threaded portion adapted to mate
with the first threaded portion and a recess on a lower surface
wherein the recess is adapted to receive an upper portion of a
material container.
Inventors: |
Barger; William D.;
(Canonsburg, PA) ; Molinaro; Luca; (New Castle,
PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
American Labelmark Company |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006166547 |
Appl. No.: |
17/590551 |
Filed: |
February 1, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
63144758 |
Feb 2, 2021 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 1/40 20130101; B65D
41/0442 20130101; B65D 81/05 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/05 20060101
B65D081/05; B65D 41/04 20060101 B65D041/04; B65D 1/40 20060101
B65D001/40 |
Claims
1. A hazardous material shipping container, comprising: a shell
having a first threaded portion at a first end thereof, a closed
second end opposite the first end, inwardly extending ribs, and
outwardly extending flutes, wherein the ribs and flutes are
disposed between the first end and the second end; a cushioning
material inside the shell; a cap having a second threaded portion
adapted to mate with the first threaded portion and a recess on a
lower surface wherein the recess is adapted to receive an upper
portion of a material container.
2. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the cap further has a upwardly extending member disposed on an
upper surface.
3. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the cap further has a upwardly extending hexagonal projection
disposed on an upper surface.
4. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, in
combination with a material container disposed inside the
cushioning material inside the shell wherein the container and the
fabric bag are captured snugly within the shell.
5. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the cushioning material comprises a fabric bag.
6. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, further
comprising an O-ring disposed between the shell and the cap.
7. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, further
comprising an O-ring disposed between a curved recess in the cap
and a curved upper circumferential end surface of the shell when
the cap is disposed on the shell.
8. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the inwardly extending ribs comprise first ribs and the cap
includes second ribs on an upper surface.
9. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the inwardly extending ribs comprise first ribs and wherein the cap
includes radial gussets defining second ribs on an upper
surface.
10. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the inwardly extending ribs comprise first ribs and wherein the cap
includes radially extending second ribs of constant height on an
upper surface.
11. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the inwardly extending ribs are substantially identical to one
another and equally spaced about an inner surface of the shell and
the outwardly extending flutes are substantially identical to one
another and equally spaced about an outer surface of the shell and
each first rib is equally spaced between adjacent flutes.
12. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the cap includes serrations disposed on an outer surface.
13. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 1, wherein
the cap further has a upwardly extending member disposed on an
upper surface, wherein the inwardly extending ribs comprise first
ribs, wherein the cap includes second ribs on an upper surface,
wherein the cushioning material comprises a fabric bag, and wherein
the inwardly extending ribs are substantially identical to one
another and substantially equally spaced about an inner surface of
the shell and the outwardly extending flutes are substantially
identical to one another and equally spaced about an outer surface
of the shell and each first rib is equally spaced between adjacent
flutes, and further including a an O-ring disposed between a
circumferential curved recess in the cap and a curved upper
circumferential end surface of the shell.
14. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 13, wherein
the cap includes serrations disposed on an outer surface.
15. The hazardous material shipping container of claim 13, in
combination with a material container disposed inside the fabric
bag and wherein the fabric bag is disposed inside the shell wherein
the container and the fabric bag are captured snugly within the
shell.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 63/144,758, filed Feb. 2, 2021,
entitled "Container for Shipping Hazardous Materials," the entire
contents of which is hereby incorporated herein.
FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present subject matter relates to containers, and more
particularly to a container for shipping hazardous materials.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A known shipping container for shipping hazardous materials
that are stored in, for example, an inner material container
comprising a plastic or glass bottle, is similar to a conventional
paint can having a center cover that fits over a center portion and
has an outer rim that wedges into a circumferential groove of the
container proper. In addition, such a "paint can" container
includes a plastic ring that fits over the outer periphery of the
container so that the container can withstand high pressures within
the container and can survive drops and rough handling in transit.
While the container may be usable to protect against an accidental
release of the hazardous material and/or damage to the inner
container during shipping, such a container suffers from the
disadvantage that the plastic ring is difficult to remove when the
contents are to be retrieved from the container. This disadvantage
can render use of the shipping container inconvenient and
undesirable.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to an aspect, a hazardous material shipping
container comprises a shell having a first threaded portion at a
first end thereof, a closed second end opposite the first end,
inwardly extending ribs, and outwardly extending flutes, wherein
the ribs and flutes are disposed between the first end and the
second end. A cushioning material is inside the shell, and a cap
has a second threaded portion adapted to mate with the first
threaded portion and a recess on a lower surface wherein the recess
is adapted to receive an upper portion of a material container.
[0005] Other aspects and advantages will become apparent upon
consideration of the following detailed description and the
attached drawings wherein like numerals designate like structures
throughout the specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an embodiment
of a container in combination with two sample glass, plastic, or
other inner containers to be transported therein;
[0007] FIGS. 2-5 are perspective views illustrating an assembly
method for inserting and securing one of the glass or other
containers of FIG. 1 in the container of FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 5A is an isometric view of the assembled shell and cap
of FIG. 5;
[0009] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the shell of FIGS. 1-4;
[0010] FIGS. 7-9 are top, bottom, and side elevational views,
respectively, of the shell of FIGS. 1-4;
[0011] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional taken generally along the lines
10-10 of FIG. 7;
[0012] FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally at
the view lines 11-11 of FIG. 10;
[0013] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the container cap of FIGS. 4
and 5;
[0014] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the cap of FIG. 12;
[0015] FIG. 13A is a plan view of a cap similar to the cap FIG. of
FIG. 13 with flat surfaces adapted to be engaged by a wrench;
[0016] FIGS. 14 and 15 are side elevational views of the cap taken
at 90 degree spacing as indicated by the view lines 14-14 and 15-15
of FIG. 13;
[0017] FIG. 16 is a bottom elevational view of the cap of FIG.
12;
[0018] FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines
17-17 of FIG. 13;
[0019] FIG. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the
cap taken generally at the view lines 18-18 of FIG. 17;
[0020] FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines
19-19 of FIG. 13;
[0021] FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines
20-20 of FIG. 13; and
[0022] FIG. 21 is an isometric view of another container cap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Embodiments of a container 10 particularly suited to ship
hazardous materials is shown in the FIGS. The container 10
comprises a plastic container shell 12 with a screw-on cap 14
wherein one or both of the shell 12 and the cap 14 may be
fabricated of, for example, a high density polyethylene,
polypropylene, a copolymer, or other suitable material. The shell
12 is preferably of a substantially circular cylindrical shape,
with the exception of a slight draft angle of a sidewall 15 for
molding purposes, although the shell 12 may be of any other
suitable shape. An upper portion 16 of the shell 12 and the cap 14
have first and second threaded portions comprising mating circular
cylindrical buttress threads 18, 19, respectively, and a rubber or
other O-ring 20 (FIGS. 4 and 16) is seated in a circumferential
curved recess 22 (FIGS. 16-19) in the cap 14 and seals against a
curved (in cross-section as seen in FIG. 11) upper circumferential
end surface 24 of the shell 12 when the cap 14 is threaded thereon.
The cap 14 further preferably includes a closed bottom end opposite
the threads 18.
[0024] As seen in FIG. 13A, in an embodiment comprising a cap 14a
that may be used in lieu of the cap 14, one or more upwardly
projecting (i.e., extending) surfaces may be formed on an upper
surface of the cap 14a, for example, in a shape defining a
hexagonal projection 25, to permit the cap 14 to be turned by a
turning tool, such as a torque wrench (not shown), in the latter
case to a desired torque magnitude on the shell 12. In any event,
the shell 12 is sized, for example, to accept up to a one-liter
glass, plastic, or other rigid or flexible material container
therein, for example, as seen at 26 (FIG. 1), that is optionally
placed in a fabric bag 28 (seen in FIGS. 1 and 2) that may be made
of felt or other soft and absorbable material and placed in the
shell 12 (FIGS. 3 and 4) before the cap 14 is threaded thereon (as
seen in FIGS. 5 and 5A). Alternatively, a different glass, plastic,
or other rigid or flexible material container 30 may be optionally
placed in the bag 28 or other cushioning material (as described
below) and the optional combination of the two deposited in the
shell 12 and the cap 14 threaded thereon. The glass, plastic, or
other rigid or flexible other material container 26, 30 may hold a
hazardous liquid or dry powder.
[0025] The fabric bag 28 provides cushioning for shock isolation
and is preferably liquid absorbent. The bag 28 may be replaced
and/or used in conjunction with a different absorbent and/or
cushioning material, such as bubble wrap, vermiculite, or the like.
The shell optionally includes inwardly extending first ribs 32
(FIGS. 6, 7, and 10) on an inner surface 34 thereof. The shell
further optionally includes outwardly extending bumps or flutes 36
(FIGS. 2, 6, and 8) on an outer surface 38. The first ribs 32
and/or bumps or flutes 36 may be substantially or fully equally
spaced about the shell 12 and absorb and/or deflect side
forces.
[0026] The cap 14 may also be of a substantially circular
cylindrical shape and may include radial gussets defining second
ribs 40 (FIGS. 12, 13, 17, 18, and 19) on an upper surface 42 that
strengthen the cap 14. An optional recess 44 (FIG. 16) may be
provided on a lower surface 46 of the cap 14 that may receive an
upper portion of a material container cap 48 (FIG. 1) screwed onto
the glass containers 26, 30 and a circular wall 50 defining the
recess 44 may have a depth and radius to limit longitudinal and
lateral movement of the material container 26, 30 and thus promote
stability of the glass or other material container 26, 30 in the
container 10. Further limitations on lateral movement may be
imposed by the first ribs 32, which may extend inwardly to an
extent to capture the glass or other material container 26, 30 and
bag 28 snugly within the shell 12.
[0027] The cap 14 may further include an upwardly extending
circular cylindrical member 52 (FIGS. 12 and 13) that may coincide
with or be coaxial with respect to the circular wall 50. An outer
surface 54 of the member 52 may include outwardly extending
features, such as lugs separated by grooves to form serrations 56
to allow a user to exert opening and closing torque forces using,
for example, a suitable tool on the cap 14. Further, four sets of
spaced portions 58 (FIGS. 14, 15, and 21) of an outer surface 60 of
the cap 14 may also include outwardly extending portions or lugs
separated by grooves (FIG. 20) defining serrations 62 (FIGS. 14 and
15) to promote gripping of the cap 14 by a user during threading
and unthreading thereof.
[0028] While the first ribs 32 are illustrated as being
substantially or fully identical to one another in shape and
spacing and the bumps or flutes 36 are illustrated as being
substantially or fully identical to one another in shape and
spacing, this need not be the case inasmuch as one or more of the
ribs 32 may be differently shaped and/or differently spaced with
respect to the remaining rib(s) 32, as may one or more of the bumps
or flutes 36 with respect to the remaining bumps or flutes 36.
Also, as seen in FIG. 7, each first rib 32 is illustrated as being
equally spaced between adjacent bumps or flutes 36. although this
need not be the case inasmuch as the ribs 32 may be disposed at
other locations relative to the bumps or flutes 36. Also, each rib
32 and bump or flute 36 may extend the full height of the shell 12,
exclusive of the threads 18, or may only extend a portion of such
height.
[0029] Still further, although the first ribs 32 and bumps or
flutes 36 are shown as having constant inwardly extending and
outwardly extending dimensions, respectively, along the height of
the shell 12 exclusive of the threads 18 (neglecting taper due to
the presence of the draft angle), respectively, one or more of the
ribs 32 and/or bumps or flutes 36 may have varying inwardly
extending and outwardly extending dimensions, respectively, along
the height of the shell 12.
[0030] While inner and outer bottom surfaces 42, 43, respectively,
of the shell 12 are illustrated as being flat (i.e., planar), a
series of bumps, nubs, or other features (not shown) may be
provided on either or both surfaces 42, 43 to provide shock
absorption if the shell 12 is dropped.
[0031] Other features and/or recesses may be provided on the shell
12 and/or cap 14 to provide further shock protection. An
alternative or additional enclosure for the glass container 26, 30
other than the fabric bag 28 may be provided.
[0032] Another cap 14b is illustrated in FIG. 21 that is usable
with the shell 12 in lieu of the cap 14. The cap 14a includes
radially-extending ribs of constant height in place of some or all
of the ribs 40. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, radially
extending ribs 40a are substituted for every other radial gusset
comprising a rib 40. The cap 14b is otherwise identical to the cap
14 with the exception of a shallow blind bore 100 disposed at the
center of the cap 14b and is threaded onto the shell 12 in use as
seen in FIGS. 5 and 5A.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0033] The container disclosed herein is sufficiently strong and
resilient to pass drop tests and other federally-mandated
requirements and may be capable of qualifying for a special permit
from the Department of Transportation that would allow the
container to be shipped without the need for further protective
packaging.
[0034] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar
references in the context of describing the invention (especially
in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to
cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated
herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of
values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of
referring individually to each separate value falling within the
range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value
is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually
recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in
any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise
clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples,
or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is
intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not
pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise
claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as
indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of
the disclosure.
[0035] Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be
apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing
description. It should be understood that the illustrated
embodiments are exemplary only and should not be taken as limiting
the scope of the disclosure.
[0036] All references, including publications, patent applications,
and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to
the same extent as if each reference were individually and
specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set
forth in its entirety herein.
[0037] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar
references in the context of describing the invention (especially
in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to
cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated
herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of
values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of
referring individually to each separate value falling within the
range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value
is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually
recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in
any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise
clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples,
or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is
intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not
pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise
claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as
indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of
the disclosure.
* * * * *