BE1003546A3 - STACKABLE CONTAINERS. - Google Patents

Abstract

Stackable container for vertical storage stackable with similar containers, comprising a container body (12) and a closure cover (14), this body having a closed bottom end forming a bottom (18) and an opposite open top end ( 20), the lower end comprising support means (28) defining a support plane, the cover having a multi-level upper surface, this upper surface comprising receiving means (34), intended to receive and keep horizontal the support means (22) of the container relative to the defined support plane.

Description

"Stackable containers”.

The present invention relates to stackable containers and e ^ e relates more particularly to the stacking of containers having a pressure release cover, subject to another patent of the applicant.

The invention basically relates to containers of the type that is usually encountered, although not exclusively, in kitchens for the storage of food and the like. Such containers are normally molded from a suitable plastic material and, for the preservation of the contents, they are provided with a lid which closes or seals the container.

For the economy of space, increased accessibility and a variety of other reasons, containers of the general type envisaged here are designed for stacking by providing flat upper and lower surfaces, of the same extent, which , in turn, may include securing parts for stabilization of the formed pue.

While containers intended to be deposited on flat surfaces are normally inherently suitable for vertical stacking due to their planar bottoms or bottoms which define a flat horizontal support surface, provided that containers have a flat horizontal upper surface of similar configuration, such stacking is not possible in cases where the upper surface is defined by a plane other than an essentially horizontal plane. Such a problem arises in the main form of cover case, illustrated in the other patent of the applicant which has already been mentioned. This cover, for the needs of the new sealing system and release of this other patent; comprises an upper surface with multiple plane, comprising 00 first horizontal plane and a second plane oriented upwards at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal. The angular planar portion excludes the appropriate vertical stacking of a container of similar appearance having a horizontal base support plane, since the upper container would naturally be inclined according to a degree defined by the plane at an acute angle, and therefore would be unstable and would constitute an unattractive arrangement if, in fact, the upper container could be maintained.

The main object of the present invention is to allow an appropriate vertical stacking of containers despite the fact that they have upper lid surfaces which include multiple main multiple planes which, under normal conditions, would ensure unstable oblique or another unsuitable support base for a stacked container.

The invention relates more particularly to the stacking of containers, the upper cover surface of which is formed of two flat portions, a first horizontal flat portion which constitutes the major section of the surface of the cover, and a second planar portion oriented towards the high with respect to the first portion of flat surface at an acute angle to the horizontal. The container body comprises several hanging feet, spaced along the periphery and which, for the appropriate positioning of the container on a counter or other surface, define a horizontal support plane. The stacking of these containers would normally give an angular orientation of the upper container because of the coming into contact of one or more of the support legs with the surface portion having an acute angle, and therefore higher.

This problem is avoided by the present invention by providing, in the surface portion forming an upward angle, depressions or seats which are arranged so as to receive the foot or feet of the stacked container, which would normally come into contact with this surface portion during a vertical alignment of the containers. These seats or depressions have their interior lower support surfaces or ends, lying in the same plane as the main horizontal surface which receives and supports the other support legs. In this way, the depressions define, along with the horizontal surface portion, a horizontal support plane, as do the lower ends of the feet. This in turn allows vertical stacking of the containers without tilting, misalignment, etc. It will be understood that the feet are such that they are completely housed in the cavity or cavities and come into contact with the bottoms thereof, these bottoms in turn lying in the plane of the horizontal surface portion.

Since the horizontal portion of the upper surface of the lid constitutes the major proportion of this surface, there will be no tendency for the weight of the superimposed container to cause the lid to tip over, by coming into contact with the portion tilted.

The invention will be further described more fully below with reference to the accompanying non-limiting drawings.

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a container according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of this container.

Figure 3 is a detail view in elevation of a pair of stacked containers.

Figure 4 is a detail view in cross section, on a larger scale, taken essentially along a plane passing through line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail view in cross section, taken essentially along a plane passing through line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view from above of the upper part of a container having a modified cover.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view in cross section of a pair of stacked containers, these containers being of the type illustrated in FIG. 6.

The container 10 illustrated in the drawings comprises a vertical container body 12 and a removable cover 14. The container body 12 comprises a peripheral wall 16, a closed bottom 18 and an open upper part delimited by a top, flat wall edge, peripheral 20. The container body 12 is preferably cylindrical as illustrated, although other shapes are envisaged as coming within the scope of the invention. In each case, the bottom 18 formed in one piece with the container and the removable cover 14 will normally have the same peripheral extent as that of the container body.

The container body rests on several hanging feet 22, which project below the bottom 18 and form, by their lower ends, a common horizontal support plane intended to come into contact with a horizontal support surface, for example a board cupboard, table, etc. The feet 22 can be molded in one piece with the bottom 18, they can be formed as separate inserts, or else they can be molded separately on the bottom.

The cover 14 is a tilting cover comprising an annular closure flange hanging 24 which can be received in the open upper part of the container body 12, and an upper panel 26 which has an outer peripheral lip portion, situated beyond the sealing rim 24 and capable of coming into contact with the upper edge 20 of the wall of the container.

The upper panel 26 is formed by two flat panel portions 28 and 30. The flat panel portion 28 constitutes a main portion of the cover panel and it is horizontal in the normal support position of the cover 14 on the container body 12 The relatively smaller panel portion 30 is inclined relative to the panel portion 28 at an acute angle to the horizontal, defining a portion of progressively increasing height from the junction line 32 with the portion 28 , to the outer curved end. The cover panel is thus formed to present an upper surface which, in the mounted and closed position of the cover on the container body, comprises a horizontal upper surface or surface lying in a horizontal plane, and a plane surface inclined along an acute angle to the horizontal plane of the horizontal surface, thereby defining an upper surface of the multi-level cover.

The container and the lid, which have just been described, have a particular construction which is described in detail and claimed in another patent of the applicant.

Due to the multi-level upper surface, and more particularly due to the upper surface portion at an acute angle, the container described above cannot be subjected to vertical stacking. The object of the present invention is to provide such a possibility of vertical stacking.

For this purpose, the lowest surface level, associated with the horizontal portion 28, is considered to define a base surface which is itself horizontal and forms a horizontal support surface for all the support legs of a container. superimposed, which line up on top. The upper or higher surface of the lid comprises means in the form of cavities which define a common horizontal plane with the horizontal base surface in order to receive the aligned feet or supports 22 of the container.

More specifically, to accommodate the support legs 22 which line up over the raised level portion 30, this portion 30 has, internally at its upper inclined surface, one or more cavities or depressions 34 shaped in a manner receiving and accommodating one or more aligned feet 22, along the same horizontal plane as that which is defined by the upper surface of the horizontal part 28 which, in turn, constitutes the base surface. This relationship is best illustrated in Figure 5, where line A-A defines the horizontal plane that receives the feet for vertical orientation of the stacked container, despite the multi-level cover surface of the underlying container.

Figures 1-5 illustrate a single recessed seat or depression 32 in the raised part 30. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate two recessed seats 34. As will be understood, the number of cavities provided will depend on the spacing of the feet on the closed bottom 18 of the container body 12, as well as the relative dimensions of the horizontal and inclined portions 28 and 30. In each case, to allow a preferred operation of the cover as described in the other patent of the applicant and in view of an appropriate support and stabilization of the container, it is envisaged that at least one foot 22 will be provided in alignment with the raised portion 30.

As suggested by Figures 6 and 7, it is possible that two or more feet 22 are provided in alignment with the raised portion 30. In this case, cavities or complementary hollow seats 34 will be provided for these different feet. In addition, it will be understood that, depending on the positioning of the cavities in the raised portion, the depth of these cavities can differ as necessary to bring the internal lower support part of each cavity 34 in the same plane as the base support surface horizontal defined by the upper horizontal surface of the lower level horizontal part 28.

Although this is not considered to be essential for stacking the containers, it will be understood that the cavity or cavities receiving one or more feet create a certain degree of soli-darization and lateral stability between the containers. In addition, the provided cavities also constitute a visual and tactile indication of the raised portion, a characteristic which is advantageous in the handling of the cover in the manner proposed in the other patent of the applicant.

It will be understood that the height of the feet 22 is such that it allows these feet to be housed in the cavities 34 before or at the same time as the entry in contact of the bottom surface of the bottom 18 with the highest point of the cover to ensure horizontal positioning of the stacked container. As another possibility, if the height of the feet 22 is equal to the maximum height of the raised portion 30 above the horizontal base surface of the portion 28, the cavity or cavities receiving the foot (s) can freely receive the foot (s) aligned, the lower surface of the superimposed container coming into contact with the highest point of the level inclined upwards to thereby maintain the desired vertical positioning.

The foregoing description is an illustration of the principles of the present invention, but it should be understood that other embodiments and modifications can be envisaged while remaining within the scope of this patent.

Claims (8)

1. Stackable container intended for vertical storage stacked with similar containers, comprising a container body (12) and a closure cover (14), this body comprising a closed bottom end forming a bottom (18) and an upper end opposite open (20), the cover closing this open end and can be removed therefrom as desired, the lower end comprising support means (22) defining a support plane, the cover having a multi-level upper surface , this upper surface comprising receiving means (34), intended to receive and maintain horizontal the support means (22) of the container with respect to the defined support plane, so that multiple containers comprising replicas of these means support and these top cover surfaces can be stacked vertically. 2. stackable container according to claim 1, characterized in that the support means consist of several hanging support legs (22) having lower ends lying in a common plane (A) defining the support plane, the receiving means defining a horizontal plane for receiving the support legs of a stackable stackable container and for keeping the support plane of the lower ends of the legs horizontal. 3. Stackable container according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper multi-level surface of the cover comprises a base surface portion (28) and at least one surface portion (30) raised relative to this surface portion of base, the latter constituting part of the aforementioned receiving means, the support feet (22) being arranged all around the lower end to define a stable support for the container, at least one of the aforementioned feet being in vertical alignment with the raised surface portion (30), the other feet being in vertical alignment with the base surface portion (28), the receiving means further comprising a cavity (32) in the raised surface portion, intended to receive a foot of a superimposed container, this cavity being of sufficient depth to bring a foot thus received into horizontal alignment, with the other feet to keep the support plane for the lower ends of the legs of a stacked container. k. Stackable container according to Claim 3, characterized in that the aforesaid cavity (34) comprises a support bottom for a foot which is received there, this support bottom being in a horizontal plane common with the base surface portion, this horizontal plane consisting of the horizontal plane defined by the receiving means. 5. Stackable container according to claim 4, characterized in that the raised surface portion (30) is planar and inclined upwards from the base surface portion (28) at an acute angle relative to the horizontal. 6. Stackable container according to claim 5, characterized in that the base surface portion (28) is planar and horizontal and constitutes a major proportion of the area of the upper surface of the cover. 7. Stackable container according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper multi-level surface of the cover comprises a flat horizontal surface portion (28) and a flat surface portion (30) inclined upward relative to the portion of horizontal surface at an acute angle relative to the horizontal, the means for supporting the bottom of the container being in vertical alignment with these two flat surface portions. 8. stackable container according to claim 7, characterized in that the aforesaid support means consist of multiple hanging support legs (22), aligned vertically with each flat portion and having lower ends lying in a common plane defining the plane of support, the receiving means defining a horizontal plane for receiving the support legs of a stackable stackable container and for keeping the support plane of the lower ends of the legs horizontal. 9. Stackable container according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving means consist of a cavity (34) receiving a foot, provided in the surface portion inclined in alignment with each support leg vertically aligned with respect to the portion of inclined surface, the receiving means further including the above-mentioned flat horizontal surface portion.