AU2007231847A1 - A container attachment - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: Brendan Ngata O'Brien Actual Inventor: Brendan Ngata O'Brien Address for Service: C/- MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: A CONTAINER ATTACHMENT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me. I PatAU132) A CONTAINER ATTACHMENT TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to an attachment for a container. 5 More specifically, it relates to an attachment for a container used to facilitate pouring of flowable material from inside a container. BACKGROUND ART Many flowable products, such as liquids or solid material in granular or powder form, are stored in containers. When required for use the flowable material is 10 typically poured from the storage container. One problem is that storage containers generally are designed to contain the contents in a sealed manner. This usually involves the containers having a lid which seals against the rim of the opening of the container. The requirements for a seal are quite different from the requirements for a pouring surface. In the case 15 of a seal the requirement is to prevent leakage; the requirements of a pouring surface are to facilitate removal of the contents. Sealing a container with a wide opening requires good contact between the lid and the rim to be made around the entire circumference of the rim. This is easier to achieve when the shape of the rim is kept simple, for example, circular. 20 Where airtight sealing is required a common solution is to form a groove in the rim of the container and a complementary projection to the groove on the lid of the 1a container. In this way an airtight seal can be formed by pushing the projection of the lid into the groove in the rim. The problem with this form of sealing is that when the contents of the container are poured over the rim, some material usually enters the groove in the rim. This 5 can have the effect of preventing a good seal when the lid is refitted, as for example if solid material has accumulated within the groove preventing the lid from fully entering the groove. Some materials, such as paint, harden on contact with air. If paint (or similar material) enters the groove when poured from the contained the likely result is that the paint will harden (as it is not enclosed in an 10 airtight manner) which causes the lid to stick to the rim making future removal of the lid difficult. A number of solutions to this particular problem have been proposed. For example, New Zealand Patent No. 206171 discloses a container attachment which engages with the grooves in the rim of a tin (or can), such as a paint tin. 15 The attachment includes projections, similar to those in the lid of the container, which engage with the grooves in the rim. The attachment extends around the entire rim of the tin, and is designed to prevent the contents of the tin, typically paint, from entering the sealing grooves in the rim of the tin. A disadvantage of this container attachment is that it can only be used with 20 containers having a grooved rim. Many containers do not have this feature, which limits the usefulness of the attachment. Furthermore the attachment of NZ 206171 is not configured to facilitate pouring of the contents of the container. The attachment has a planar upper surface and sharp scraping edges which project into the interior of the container when fitted, these features making pouring more 2 difficult. New Zealand Patent No. 220143 discloses a container attachment configured to fit into a groove on a rim of a container. A portion of the circumference of the attachment is configured as a spout, in the form of a lip including side walls, to 5 contain the flow of material when being poured over the lip. The spout projects above the surface of the attachment around the remaining portion of the circumference of the attachment, and also projects away from the side of the container (when fitted). This attachment has the disadvantage of only being usable on containers having 10 a grooved rim. Another disadvantage for containers having a handle is the requirement to align the spout approximately at right angles to the (imaginary) line connecting the attachment points of the handle to the container. Getting the correct alignment with the handle in order to facilitate easy pouring requires additional time in setting up the attachment. 15 Another disadvantage is that the spout provides an obstacle where it projects away from the container. The spout may be accidentally knocked resulting in the container being overturned and the contents spilt. A further disadvantage of these devices is that, in use, they leave the contents exposed to the air. For many liquid substances, such as paint, this leads to 20 evaporation of the contents and a consequent undesirable increase in the viscosity of the substance. For example, when the attachments of the prior art are used during painting the paint may be left uncovered for a prolonged period, commonly several hours. This 3 can result in an undesirable thickening of the paint or, in more extreme instances, the formation of a skin over the surface of the paint in the paint tin. Leaving an opening over the container can also allow contaminants to enter the container and mix with the contents, which may result in the contents having to be 5 discarded. The alternative is to remove the attachment and replace the lid until further access to the paint is required, when the lid is removed and the attachment re-attached on the container. This is time consuming and an inconvenience to the painter. Australian Patent No 676820, US Patent No 4,240,568 and US Patent No 10 2005/0236443 Al all disclose pouring attachments for a container with a lid. The pouring attachments include a surface onto which the lid can be placed in order to cover the contents of the container when access into the container is not required. However, the pouring surfaces of these attachments are in the form of spouts extending from one side of the attachment only. They therefore have the 15 disadvantages in use as outlined above for such attachments having spouts, including the need to align the spout with respect to a handle when fitting to a container, and that the extended spout can create an obstacle when fitted to a container, increasing the likelihood of the container being accidentally knocked over. 20 It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that 4 any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not 5 constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country. It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an 10 inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 15 from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a container attachment including an engagement profile configured to fit over at least a portion of a rim of a 20 container, and a pouring surface, 5 characterised in that the container attachment has a support surface for a lid of a container and wherein the pouring surface extends around substantially the entire circumference of the attachment. A container may be any vessel for holding particular things. Containers come in 5 many different shapes and sizes. However, each container will include an opening, the perimeter of which is defined by a rim. The rim may be simply an edge of the container surrounding the opening. More commonly however a rim may be contoured in some manner, usually to facilitate sealing of the container with a lid. 10 In a preferred embodiment the container attachment is configured to attach to a paint tin. A paint tin is normally in the form of a can having a base and a cylindrical side wall. The side of the paint tin opposite the base is usually substantially open to allow easy access to the contents of the paint tin. A rim is usually formed around 15 the opening in the paint tin. A rim is bound on one side by the edge of the opening in the paint tin and generally extends some way towards the outer edge (or side wall) of the tin. The rim of a paint tin is usually configured to include an annular groove located between the inner and outer edges of the rim and extending around the entire 20 circumference of the opening in the tin. A paint tin is usually sealed with a lid having an annular projection complementary to the groove, so that when engaged with the paint tin, the projection fills the groove thus providing an air tight seal. Reference will be made throughout this specification to a container attachment for 6 use with a paint tin. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the current invention may be adapted for use with a wide variety of containers, and in particular those having a rim close to the side wall(s) of the container, such as a bucket or jar. 5 The container does not need to be cylindrical (although this is the most common shape) but may be any convenient shape, and as will become apparent, the rim does not need to contain a groove. It will be obvious that the container attachment of the current invention may be configured for use with a wide variety of containers and that reference to a container as a paint tin only should not be 10 seen as limiting. Reference to an engagement profile throughout this specification should be understood to refer to a part of a container attachment configured to engage with an edge of a rim or a side wall of a container to which it is fitted. The function of an engagement profile is to grip the container such that the container attachment 15 is attached to the container during normal operations, including pouring out of any contents of the container, and remains attached until released by an operator. In a preferred embodiment the engagement profile is configured to extend across the width of a rim of a container. In some embodiments the engagement profile is configured to fit over the entire rim of a container. 20 One function of the engagement profile is to provide a cover over the rim. The engagement profile forms a lower surface of the container attachment when fitted to a container. An upper surface of the container attachment defines the pouring surface, being 7 the surface over which, in use, the contents of the container may flow when poured out of the container. In a preferred embodiment an engagement profile includes an inner engagement projection configured to engage with an inner edge of the rim. 5 In a preferred embodiment the inner engagement projection is configured to create a seal around the inner edge of the rim. Reference to the inner edge of the rim should be understood to refer to the edge of the rim that defines the opening in the container. Preferably the inner engagement projection is formed as a truncated conical 10 section. A truncated conical section may provide a seal around the inner edge of the rim in much the same manner as the outer side surface of a cork may be used to seal against the neck of a bottle. The advantage of forming a seal between the container attachment and the inside of the paint tin is that it prevents the contents of the container from contacting the 15 rim during pouring. This keeps the surface of the rim clean thus avoiding the resealing problems associated with fouling of the rim by the contents of the container, which may typically be paint but potentially could be other products that may effect the resealing of the container. In a preferred embodiment the engagement profile includes one or more outer 20 engagement projections configured to grip the outer side wall of a container when fitted. In a preferred embodiment a single outer engagement profile is configured to grip 8 around the entire circumference of the outside of the container when fitted. The outer engagement projection may be formed as an annular band having an arcuate cross section projecting towards the inner engagement projection. Such an outer engagement may enable easy removal of the container attachment from 5 the paint tin. The shape of the outer engagement projection may be configured such that the central portion of the arc is held in contact with the outer side wall of the paint tin when fitted. This leaves a lip protruding away from the paint tin which may be gripped, for example by the fingers of the operator, and used to lever the outer engagement projection away from the paint tin, thus facilitating its removal. 10 Preferably the outer engagement projection is tapered. In this embodiment the inner surface of the outer engagement projection, being the surface that in use abuts an outer side of a container, is inclined away from the edge of the engagement projection. This arrangement provides a thicker portion that can form an attachment to the outer side of a paint tin, while the thinner edge can be used 15 to grip and lever the outer engagement projection away from the container. In a preferred embodiment the engagement profile includes a rim cover. Reference to a rim cover throughout this specification should be understood to refer to a surface of the engagement profile extending between an inner engagement projection and an outer engagement projection so as, when fitted to 20 a container, it is adjacent to and covers the outer surface of the rim of the container. In a preferred embodiment the rim cover includes a planar section configured to extend over a rim. 9 This configuration has an advantage over the prior art container attachments which include a projection that engages with a groove in the rim of the container. Container attachments according to the current invention may therefore be attached to any container without being limited to containers having grooved rims. 5 Reference will be made throughout this specification to a rim cover including a planar section configured to extend over a rim. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the section of the rim cover configured to extend over a rim may take any suitable form, including a projection to engage with a groove in a rim of a container, and that reference to a planar section only should not be seen as 10 limiting. In a preferred embodiment the rim cover includes a rim cover side wall. In preferred embodiments the rim cover side wall is an annular band extending from the outer engagement projection towards the pouring surface. In a preferred embodiment the rim cover is configured to include a planar section 15 connected to an inner engagement projection and a rim cover side wall connected to an outer engagement section, wherein the planar section is substantially at right angles to the rim cover side wall. The rim cover side wall increases the ease with which the container attachment may be removed from a container by providing a lever from an outer engagement 20 projection to the outer edge of the rim of the paint tin. Another advantage of a rim cover side wall in the form of an annular band is that it provides a flat surface around the circumference of the container attachment on which information may be displayed. For example, a stick-on label may be 10 attached to display advertising material, brand marks and so on. In preferred embodiments the pouring surface of the container attachment extends from an edge of the inner engagement projection over the rim cover to (at least) the outer circumference of the paint tin. The pouring surface may have an 5 arcuate cross section and may include a lip over which flowable material may flow. The container attachment of the present invention is configured to support a lid. The support surface is preferably configured to accept the projection in the lid of the paint tin. In a preferred embodiment the pouring surface includes a support surface for a 10 container lid. In order to form a reasonable temporary seal the support surface may be configured such that an edge of the projection in the lid may be in contact with the support surface around the circumference of the lid. The pouring surface of a container attachment according to the present invention 15 extends around substantially the entire circumference of the attachment. This arrangement has the advantage that the container attachment can be attached to the paint tin without any need for alignment of the pouring surface relative to the handle. Furthermore, the continuous pouring surface may enable pouring without 20 restricting the flow rate (e.g. as may occur with narrow pouring surfaces where high flow rates may result in the contents flowing over the side edge of the pouring surface). 11 In some prior art container attachments the pouring surface is limited to a portion of the circumference only. In use on a paint tin these attachments must be oriented on the rim substantially at right angles to the imaginary line joining the points where the handle is attached to the paint tin. This is to enable the handle 5 to be held in one hand while the paint tin is tipped (i.e. rotated about the imaginary line joining the points where the handle is attached to the paint tin) with the other hand. In a preferred embodiment the container attachment has rotational symmetry about a central axis. 10 The key features of the preferred embodiment of a container attachment all extend continuously around the container attachment. Maintaining rotational symmetry about a central axis may simplify manufacture, as there is no variation in the cross sectional shape around the entire container attachment. Another advantage is that the rotational symmetry of the container attachment may be 15 aesthetically pleasing. Rotational symmetry also means that the container attachment does not require alignment with respect to a handle or any other feature of a container, which simplifies fitting the attachment to a container. In a preferred embodiment the container attachment is formed from a resilient 20 material. Container attachments made from a resilient material can be configured such that deformation of the container attachment, particularly in the vicinity of the engagement projection, is required in order for it to engage with the rim or side 12 wall of the paint tin. In this case the natural flexibility and resilience of the material ensures that the engagement projection exerts pressure on the rim or side wall of the paint tin to which it is attached. Container attachments formed from flexible resilient material may be configured 5 such that the container attachment can be attached to the paint tin by a push fit. Similarly, following use the container attachment can be released and removed from the paint tin by pulling and lifting the container attachment away from the paint tin to unclip it. In a preferred embodiment the container attachment is formed from a plastics 10 material. Reference to a plastics material throughout this specification should be understood to refer to any of a number of synthetic polymeric substances that can be given any required shape, for example through moulding. Plastics materials provide many advantages in forming a container attachment. A 15 plastics material may be chosen which provides the resilience required by an engagement projection while also providing sufficient structural rigidity to the container attachment. Furthermore, plastics materials may be moulded into complex shapes and forms. The moulding of complex shapes and forms with plastics materials is a quick and 20 relatively inexpensive method of manufacture compared with, for example, forming the container attachment on a lathe or joining preformed components together. The particular plastics material used may be chosen to enhance various properties 13 of the container attachment. For example, apart from the properties mentioned above, it may be chosen for high resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light (if to be used extensively outdoors), or for easy removal of paint (if used with a tin containing paint) or resistance to any other material contained within the container. 5 Resistance to UV helps to prolong the useful lifetime of the container attachment, while easy removal of paint (or other contents) following use assists with cleaning the container attachment so that it may be reused. It will be appreciated that materials other than plastics, such as various rubbers, may be used to form a container attachment and that reference to attachments 10 made from plastics materials only throughout this specification should not be seen as limiting. In a preferred embodiment the container attachment is formed as a single piece. Forming the container attachment as a single piece means a single mould only is required, and there is no additional time or cost involved in connecting sections 15 together, thus reducing manufacturing and assembly costs and hence the cost of the container attachment to the consumer. A container attachment in a single piece may also be easier and quicker to attach to a container than one which requires several pieces to be connected. A container attachment formed according to the current invention provides several 20 advantages over the prior art. In particular, it provides a container attachment that may be formed for use with containers varying in size and shape, and is not limited to containers having a grooved rim. 14 A key advantage is that the pouring surface of the container attachment according to the current invention is configured to include a support for a lid. This arrangement, which is not provided in the prior art attachments, means that the lid can be located on the support surface of the container attachment in such a 5 manner as to provide a temporary seal over the contents of the container. This may prevent contaminants from falling into the container and, in the case of liquids such as paint, reducing evaporation and consequent undesirable increases in the viscosity of the liquid. The placement of the lid on the support surface may also reduce deterioration of the contents of the container in situations where the 10 contents deteriorate on exposure to air. Another advantage is that the rotationally symmetric pouring surface that extends around the entire circumference of the container (when attached), thus eliminating the need to align the pouring surface with a handle on the container. A pouring surface extending around substantially the entire rim may allow higher flow rates 15 when pouring than may be possible with a pouring surface that covers only a portion of the rim. The pouring surface does not contain extensions that extend out from the container, thus reducing the likelihood of knocking over the container when compared with attachments including spouts. The container attachment may be formed in a single piece, for example by 20 moulding a plastics material. This may allow relatively inexpensive manufacture providing a commercial advantage in the unit cost of the attachment. The plastics material may be chosen to provide advantageous properties, such as environmental protection (e.g., UV protection to increase the lifetime if used outdoors) or to match some property of the contents, for example to enhance the 15 flow of the contents over the pouring surface, or to ease cleaning of the attachment following use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following 5 description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1a a schematic sectional view of one embodiment of a container attachment; and Figure lb shows a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a 10 container attachment, and Figure 1c shows a cross sectional view through one embodiment of a container attachment, and Figure 2 a schematic sectional view of another embodiment of a container attachment; and 15 Figure 3 a schematic view of a container attachment attached to a container; and Figure 4 another schematic view of a container attachment attached to a container; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a container attachment engaging with a 20 paint can. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 16 A container attachment, generally indicated by (1) in Figure 1, is shown in a form configured for use with a container having a circular rim, such as a paint tin. The container attachment (1) is made of a plastics material and is moulded as a single piece. 5 Figure 1 a shows a cutaway view of a portion of the container attachment (1). The container attachment (1) has an annular form having rotational symmetry about a central axis (not shown) as illustrated in Figure 1b. A cross sectional view through the container attachment is shown in Figure 1 c. The inner engagement projection (2) is configured as a truncated cone. An outer 10 engagement projection (3) has an tapered shape extending towards the interior of the container attachment (1). The inner engagement projection (2) is connected to the outer engagement projection (3) by a rim cover, generally denoted by (4). The rim cover (4) of this embodiment includes a planar section (5) and a rim cover sidewall (6). 15 The inner engagement projection (2), rim cover (4) and outer engagement projection (3) are configured to enable a push fit attachment to a container wherein the rim of the container is contained within the space between the rim cover side wall (6) and the inner engagement projection (2). The configuration is such that the inner edge of the rim of a container engages with the intemal 20 surface of the inner engagement projection (2) in a continuous fashion, in order to form a seal between the inner edge of the rim of a container and the inner engagement projection (2). The outer engagement projection (3) is configured to engage with the outer side 17 wall of a container. The configuration is such that attachment of the container attachment (1) with a container requires some deformation of the container attachment (1), and in particular of the inner engagement projection (2), rim cover (4) and the outer engagement projection (3). When fitted this results in pressure 5 being exerted by the inner engagement projection (2) on the inner edge of the rim and by the outer engagement projection (3) on the outside side wall of the container. In this way the container attachment (1) will remain firmly in contact with the container during use, including during pouring of the contents. The container attachment may be released from the container by pulling the lower 10 edge (7) of the outer engagement projection (3) away from the sidewall of the container, thus releasing the pressure, followed by lifting the container attachment (1) clear of the container. The container attachment (1) includes a pouring surface (8), which is formed by the outer surfaces of the inner engagement projection (2), the lid support surface 15 (9) and the lip (10). The lid support surface (9) is formed by an indentation in the pouring surface (8), in this instance as a planar section between the upper surfaces of the inner engagement projection (2) and the lip (10). The lid support is configured to engage with an edge of the projection of a paint tin lid. 20 Alternatively, a lid may be supported on the upper surface of the inner engagement projection (2) or on the lip (10) if required. Another embodiment of a container attachment (1) is shown in Figure 2 in which the continuous outer engagement projection (3) of Figure 1 has been replaced by 18 a number of outer engagement projections (11). The outer engagement projections (11) are shown in the form of arcuate projections, projecting towards the interior of the container attachment (1). However it is apparent that these may be of any shape and number, provided they are configured to exert pressure 5 against the outer sidewall of the container when attached. Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the container attachment (1) when in use attached to the rim of a paint tin (12) having a handle (13) attached at connection points (14) on opposite sides of the paint tin. The rotational symmetry of the container attachment (1) about the central axis, 10 shown as the imaginary dashed line (15) in Figure 3, ensures that the paint can be poured at any flow rate from within the tin over any part of the lip (10) as desired. This design also removes the requirement for alignment of the pouring surface with the handle (13). These features are also obtained in alternate embodiments which do not have 15 rotational symmetry but do have a continuous pouring surface around the circumference of the container. The lid (16) of the paint tin (12) is supported by the container attachment (1) as shown in Figure 4. Figure 5 illustrates in cross-section some of the features discussed above. 20 Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims. 19

Claims (18)

1. A container attachment including an engagement profile configured to fit over at least a portion of a rim of a container, and a pouring surface, characterised in that the container attachment has a support surface for a lid of a container and wherein the pouring surface extends around substantially the entire circumference of the attachment.

2. A container attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pouring surface includes the support surface for a container lid.

3. A container attachment as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the container attachment is configured to attach to a paint tin.

4. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the engagement profile is configured to extend across the width of the rim of a container.

5. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the engagement profile includes an inner engagement projection configured to engage with an inner edge of a rim of a container. 20

6. A container attachment as claimed in claim 5 wherein the inner engagement projection is configured to create a seal around an inner edge of a rim when fitted.

7. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the engagement profile includes one or more outer engagement projections configured to grip an outer side wall of a container when fitted.

8. A container attachment as claimed in claim 7 wherein a single outer engagement projection is configured to grip around an entire circumference of the outside of a container when fitted.

9. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the engagement profile includes a rim cover.

10. A container attachment as claimed in claim 9 wherein the rim cover includes a planar section configured to extend over the rim.

11. A container attachment as claimed in either claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the rim cover includes a rim cover side wall.

12. A container attachment as claimed any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the rim cover is configured to include a planar section connected to an inner engagement projection and a rim cover side wall connected to an outer engagement section, wherein the planar section is substantially at right angles to the rim cover side wall. 21

13. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the container attachment has rotational symmetry about a central axis.

14. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the container attachment is formed from a resilient material.

15. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the container attachment is formed from a plastics material.

16. A container attachment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the container attachment is formed as a single piece.

17. A container attachment substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying description and drawings.

18. A method of adapting a container for pouring including the step of fitting a container attachment substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying description and drawings. 22