The present invention relates generally to receptacles and containers, and particularly relates to a caseless dispenser container used for transporting, storing, and dispensing fluids. The invention finds particularly particular application with fluids introduced or subjected to elevated temperatures relative to the filling temperature of the fluid into the container, such as cooking oil or similar comestible products, although it may also find application with noncomestible fluid products.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,050,455; 6,068,161; and 6,247,507 are commonly owned by the assignee of the present application. These patents relate generally and specifically to the concept of thin-walled containers, and the disclosures of each are hereby expressly incorporated herein. For example, thin-walled containers which are defined as having a ratio of plastic resin required to manufacture the container relative to the amount of product capable of being transported in the container. A typical thin-walled container of this type has a weight-to-volume ratio of approximately 55 to 70 grams per gallon (approximately 18 to 24 grams per liter).
In shipping and storing bulk fluid products, plastic molded containers are commonly used and are blow-molded, one-piece containers. These containers are usually stored or shipped in a separate case that receives individual containers or may enclose multiple containers such as a set of four (4) to six (6) containers. These cases adopt various different configurations or conformations such as wire or plastic cases, corrugated paper boxes, or other corrugated materials, which provide desired structural support to the individual containers during shipping. For example, and as shown in
Another common use for containers in cases is to store and ship cooking oil. Historically, and as briefly noted above, these containers are used in conjunction with a corrugated or cardboard case so that vertical loading of one container to the other is transferred through the cases. As will be appreciated, part of the manufacturing/total cost of the shipping assembly is associated with the corrugated case. The use of the case allows less resin to be used in the plastic container, although the design of the assembly (container and associated case) is intended to transfer structural forces via the corrugated material and not the container.
These known arrangements encounter a number of problems, for example, stacking height of one container on top of another is limited. Long, unbraced lengths are encountered. In addition, if the corrugated material becomes wet, e.g., if a container leaks or moisture from the environment permeates the corrugated case, the structural strength and integrity of the corrugated case can become a serious problem. There are also potential food storage issues associated with any leakage of oil.
Still another issue with a container and case assembly used in storing and shipping cooking oil, for example, is that the oil is typically filled at a temperature above ambient, on the order of approximately one hundred degrees Fahrenheit (100° F.). Oil is less dense at the elevated temperature. The containers are usually filled to the base of the neck and then over time and as the oil cools, the fill level decreases. This results in a large air gap in prior art containers. In order to ship a desired amount of oil when it is filled at an elevated temperature, the vendor must use a container of increased height to accommodate this phenomenon.
Once the container is filled, it is sealed with a cap, such as a screw-on or threaded cap. Typically, a lesser quality, less expensive model is used since some of the cost in the prior art arrangements is directed to supplying the corrugated case. If the sealed container is exposed to an increase in temperature, for example on the order of one hundred ten degrees (110° F.) while sitting in a truck in a hot environment, the increase in internal pressure could cause the lesser quality cap to leak. As will be appreciated, this only exacerbates the situation of contaminated product, as well as moisture problems and decreased strength associated with the prior art corrugated case and container assembly.
Accordingly, a need exists to provide a container, preferably a caseless container that resolves these problems and others in an inexpensive, efficient, and reliable manner.
A new and improved container for storing fluid, particularly a fluid filled at an elevated temperature, and a method of forming same is provided.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the container includes a generally parallelepiped structure having a fill/dispensing spout through one wall thereof. The spout extends above a desired fill level with an opening that terminates in a first plane. An overflow region is provided that terminates in a wall portion in the first surface that is disposed between the fill level and first plane to accommodate a desired air space in the container.
Preferably, a wall portion defining the overflow region terminates substantially in the same plane as the opening through the spout.
A handle is preferably interposed between the opening and the wall portion of the overflow region. In one embodiment, the handle extends at an angle from beneath a base portion of the spout to the wall portion of the overflow region.
With large volume containers that may hold three (3) to five (5) gallons of a fluid, product may be stored in caseless containers. A number of structural load elements, which in the preferred arrangement are rib elements, are used to add structural rigidity to the container. The larger containers may be stacked in a brick-like fashion.
Preferably, the ribs are oriented generally perpendicular to the elongated dimension of the container to serve the useful purpose of transferring forces from an upper layer to a lower layer of containers when the containers are oriented in a stacked array on their sides.
An advantage of the present invention resides in the ability of the container to accommodate fluid filled at an elevated temperature.
Still another advantage is found in the elimination of cases for shipping.
Yet another advantage is found in improved sealing of the spout.
Still other advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.
Briefly, and with reference to
The wall structure includes a strengthening component such as a series of integrally formed ribs or grooves 40 that provide additional structural strength or rigidity to the container. As shown, the strengthening features 40 are illustrated as extending around the entire periphery of the container and are disposed in generally parallel relation to a first or upper surface 42 and a second or lower surface 44. Although it will be appreciated that the strengthening features 40 are peripherally continuous in the illustrated embodiment, related designs that alter the cross-section of these ribs in order to attain increased rigidity or strength can be used without departing from the present invention.
The lower surface 44 includes a recess 50 that is primarily intended for ease of handling when the contents of the fluid container are poured from the spout. As will be further appreciated, a user grasps the container by the handle 36 with one hand and can tip or manipulate the container by placing the fingers of the other hand into the recess 50 on the lower surface. The contents can then be poured from the container in a controlled fashion. It will also be appreciated that opening 52 is provided to form/delineate the handle from the remainder of the container and allows the container to be lifted with a single hand. If the lateral width of the handle is increased, it may not be necessary to provide a through opening cooking oil, and instead recesses extending inwardly from either side may be sufficient. The handle is preferably centrally located between parallel sidewall portions 32a, 32b (
The reservoir region comprises approximately one and one-half percent (1½%) of the total volume of the container. For example, in a thirty five (35) pound version of the container, the total fill capacity is approximately one thousand sixty five cubic inches (1,065 in3) and the overflow region capacity is approximately twenty additional cubic inches (20 in3), for a total of one thousand eighty four cubic inches (1,084 in3). In the seventeen and one half (17½) pound version of the container, the total fill capacity is approximately five hundred and thirty two cubic inches (532 in3) and the overflow region adds an additional eight cubic inches (8 in3) of capacity for a total of five hundred forty cubic inches (540 in3). The upper wall portion 54b in the overflow region defines the upper terminus of the container. That is, it defines a stepped region above the planar portion 54a of the upper surface located beneath the spout. The overflow region provides increased capacity that finds particular application when fluid, such as cooking oil, is introduced into the container at an elevated temperature. The fill line is represented by dotted line 62 (
As is also apparent in
The container can be filled to increased capacity, and provision is made for filling with fluids at elevated temperatures, as well as encountering environments where the sealed container is exposed to elevated temperatures. The potential problems associated with a container that leaks are also substantially reduced since the structural load bearing capability of the container is not impacted.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
This application hereby incorporates by reference the following chain of applications/patents and claims the priority benefit of continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 10/264,305, filed Oct. 3, 2002, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/472,138, filed Dec. 23, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,986, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/114,244, filed Jun. 29,1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,161, which claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/052,775, filed Jul. 1, 1997.
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32326 | May 1999 | AU |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040007488 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60052775 | Jul 1997 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09114244 | Jun 1998 | US |
Child | 09472138 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09472138 | Dec 1999 | US |
Child | 10264305 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10264305 | Oct 2002 | US |
Child | 10386338 | US |