Patent Application
20170203903
Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to a device for separating and stabilizing cylindrical containers. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a device for separating and stabilizing cylindrical ice cream drums stored in a freezer.
Description of the Related Art
Retail stores commonly store ice cream in 1.5 to 5 gallon drums. The drums typically comprise a paperboard-based cylindrical sidewall having a bottom rim, a top rim defining a circular opening and comprising either a beaded top rim or a plastic fitment, a bottom wall affixed to the bottom rim, and a lid removably affixed to the top rim. The drums may be stored side by side in freezers.
During use the drums and, more particularly, the sidewalls and top rims, can be damaged from impacts with each other and with ice cream implements. Drums made entirely or primarily of paper are most vulnerable to damage, since they may lack hoop strength, that is, the ability to maintain their structural integrity, especially the circular opening, despite impacts and other abuse. Metal rings increase hoop strength but are known safety hazards and add cost.
The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems described above.
The present disclosure relates to a spacer that fits between cylindrical containers such as ice cream drums. The spacer maintains the drum layout, adds hoop strength to the top rims of the drums, provides positive control of the spacing of the gap between the top rim of the drums to avoid damage to the drum top rims, and prevents the drums from spinning during use.
In one aspect a spacer is provided that comprises four curved sidewalls and four distal edge panels. Each sidewall has an outer surface and extends vertically between a curved sidewall bottom edge and a curved sidewall top edge and horizontally between a straight side edge and an opposing straight side edge. Each distal edge panel extends vertically between a distal edge panel bottom edge and a distal edge panel top edge and horizontally between a side edge of one sidewall and a side edge of an adjacent sidewall.
The spacer may be configured to maintain the containers in a square packing layout.
The spacer may be symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane that bisects each pair of opposing distal edge panels.
Each spacer sidewall may describes an arc having a radius (RS) substantially the same as the radius (RD) of the containers.
The spacer sidewall outer surfaces may comprise friction enhancing material to inhibit spinning of the containers.
In another aspect a spacer and container combination is provided. The spacer comprises four curved sidewalls, with each sidewall having a curved outer surface, and four rectangular distal edge panels. The distal edge panels extend between adjacent sidewalls. The spacer maintains a gap between adjacent container sidewalls and between the top rims of adjacent containers. Preferably the spacer maintains the containers in a square packing layout. Preferably each spacer sidewall describes an arc having a radius substantially the same as the radius of the containers. The spacer sidewall outer surfaces may comprise friction enhancing material to inhibit spinning or rotating of the containers.
In another aspect a spacer and container arrangement is provided, comprising a spacer and at least two containers. The spacer is located at least partially between the containers and maintains the containers in a square packing layout.
While the device described herein may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the device and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent to the illustrated embodiments.
For the purpose of this description the term “vertical” refers to the dimension defined by any line parallel to the sidewall edges 18 of the spacer 10, and the term “horizontal” refers to dimension defined by any line orthogonal to the sidewall edges 18.
Each drum 20 comprises a paperboard based cylindrical sidewall 22 (
As show in
As perhaps best shown in
Referring again to
As best shown in
Preferably the radius of curvature (RS) of the spacer sidewalls 12 is about the same as the radius of curvature (RD) of the drum sidewalls 22 so that the drums 20 fit snugly against the spacer sidewalls 12 with each container sidewall 22 contacting all or a substantial portion of a spacer sidewall 12.
The arc of the spacer sidewalls 12 and the width of the distal edge panels 24 together should be large enough to create a gap between the drum sidewalls 22 and the drum top rims 23. If the sidewall arcs are ninety degrees like that shown in
Preferably the spacer 10 is about 6 to 9.5 inches high but shorter than the drums 20, so that the spacer top edge 16 is lower than the top rims 23 of the drums 20. However, the spacer 10 may be any suitable height, from very low (almost disc shaped) to higher than the drums 20.
The spacer sidewalls 12 may include various physical attributes or added materials to improve the contact surface with the drum sidewalls 22. For example, the spacer sidewall outer surfaces 26 may comprise friction enhancing material so that they possess a minimum level of friction suitable for preventing adjacent drums 20 from spinning.
Thus there has been described a spacer that fits between cylindrical containers such as the ice cream drums stored in a retail store freezer. The spacer maintains the drum layout and maintains a gap between the top rims of the drums to avoid damage to the drum top rims.
The spacer also adds hoop strength to the tops of the drums while assuring that the tops of the drums do not contact one another.
The spacer also allows neater stacking of drums in a dip freezer. The spacer makes it easier to remove drums due to their spacing, which results in better housekeeping and sanitation practices.
The spacer inhibits the drums from spinning during use. Without the spacer the user often must grab the drum with one hand while scooping ice cream with the other hand.
The spacer improves the overcall drum display, which can increase the merchantability of the ice cream stored in the drums.
The space can be made of lightweight material, such as plastic.
It is understood that the embodiments of the device described above are only particular examples which serve to illustrate the principles of the device. Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention are contemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within their scope.
