DE29804369U1 - Bulk container - Google Patents

Description

Bremen, 11 March 1 998

Our reference: K 1216 J B/m I

Applicant/Owner: KELLOGG COMPANY

Official reference number: New registration

Patent Attorney

European Patent Attorney

Jochen Ehlers

Patent Attorney

Dipl.-Phys. Frank Meier

Lawyer

Rainer Boehm

Munich

Patent attorneys

European Patent Attorneys

Dipl.-Phys. Gerhard Liedl

Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Rainer Fritsche

Patent Attorney

Dipl.-Chem. Dr. Peter Schuler

Berlin

Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
Dipl.-Ing. Jutta Kaden

Alicante

European Trademark Attorney
Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Klinghardt

Patent attorneys European Patent Attorneys Dipl.-Ing. Günther Eisenführ Dipl.-Ing. Dieter K. Speiser Dr.-lng. Werner W. Rabus Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Brügge Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Klinghardt Dipl.-Ing. Klaus G. Göken Patent attorneys Dipl.-Ing. Mark Andres Dipl.-Ing, Joachim von Oppen

Attorneys at Law Ulrich H. Sander Christian Spintig Sabine Richter

Martinistrasse 24 D-28195 Bremen Tel. 0421-36 35 0 Fax 0421-36 35 35 (G3I Fax 0421-32 88 631 (G4)

73 064.125 @ CompuServe, com

Kellogg Company, One Kellogg Square, Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.A. 49016-3599

Bulk containers

The device relates to a bulk container for pourable goods, in particular for cereals, consisting of an elongated container with an upper removal opening and a lid closing the opening.

Such containers are already known in the hotel industry for breakfast buffets and also in private households to protect and present pourable foods such as cereals or nuts, raisins, etc. The bulk goods stored in such containers can also be poured out by the user without the aid of spoons or the like, although the lid that closes the container always has to be removed and put back on, so a second hand has to be used.

The present invention is based on the object of proposing a bulk container for pourable goods, in which the bulk goods are protected against external influences by a closing lid, but removal is made easier without the need for a second hand and the lid possibly having to be placed separately when pouring out the bulk goods.

This object is achieved according to the present invention in that the upper edge of the container at the removal opening is inclined relative to the horizontal and is provided with an inclined support surface, and that the lid rests on this inclined support surface and is hinged at its upper end to the upper edge of the container by means of a smooth hinge in such a way that the container is closed in its vertical position by the lid resting on it and in an inclined position of the container the lid lifts off the edge and opens the container.

Such a bulk container has the advantage that in order to remove the bulk material, the bulk container only needs to be held with one hand and placed in an inclined position in which the hinged lid is lifted from the upper edge of the bulk container by gravity, so that the contents can be easily poured out without using a second hand. This solution also has the advantage of hygienic handling of the bulk material, which is particularly advantageous in the hotel industry at breakfast buffets.

A particularly effective solution is characterized in that the upper edge is inclined by approximately 45° relative to the horizontal. The container preferably has a cylindrical cross-section and the height of the container is preferably approximately three times as high as the container is wide.

Attaching the hinge supporting the lid is particularly easy if the container is closed off at the top over about 1/4 to 1/3 of its width by a horizontally extending, solid cover wall, to which the removal opening is connected, and the hinge of the lid is held on this cover wall. A handle for grasping the bulk container is arranged on the side of the container that is on the higher side of the upper edge. The bulk container is preferably made of transparent material, in particular acrylic glass, in order to present the contents clearly and distinguishably.

The invention also relates to an advantageous device for accommodating several bulk containers of the type according to the invention, namely this device is designed as a rotating carousel with a turntable mounted on a base frame, which has recesses for accommodating one bulk container each. In this way, different materials can be stored and presented in a clear manner. The rotating carousel is also preferably made of transparent material, in particular acrylic glass.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Show it:

Figure 1 is a side view of the bulk container according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bulk container according to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a device for receiving several

Bulk containers; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the device according to Figure 3.

Figures 1 and 2 show the bulk container 10 according to the present invention. It consists of a cylindrical container 1 with a base and an opening located on an inclined upper edge 7. This upper edge 7 is flat and a disk-shaped lid 2 rests on it, which is hinged to an upper fixed cover wall 8 by means of a hinge 3 with hinge parts 4 and 5. This cover wall 8 extends approximately over 1/4 to 1/3 of the width of the container 1. The container 1 also has a side handle.

In Figures 1 and 2, the bulk container 10 is shown in the closed state, in which the lid 2 rests sealingly on the upper edge 7 of the container 1 due to its gravity. In Figure 1, the horizontal is indicated by a dash-dotted line 16 and the vertical by a dash-dotted line 17. If the bulk container 10 is now moved from the vertical position shown into an inclined position, the lid 2 is lifted by its gravity into the dash-dotted position 2' and the bulk material can be easily poured out of the pouring opening in the area of the upper edge 7. If the bulk container 10 is returned to the vertical position, the lid 2 closes the pouring opening on the edge 7 again.

Figures 1 and 2 show that the hinge parts 4 and 5 of the hinge 3 are placed on the lid 2 or the upper fixed cover wall 8. It is of course also possible for the hinge parts 4 and 5 to be integrated into the lid or the container 1. The handle 6 is designed as a bracket and is of course arranged laterally opposite the pouring opening on the upper edge 7.

Even if in the present embodiment the bulk container 10 has a substantially cylindrical shape, it is of course also possible to make it cuboid-shaped or oval. In order to be able to present the contents well and hygienically, the container 1, the lid 2 and the other parts are made of transparent material, in particular acrylic glass.

A device for holding a plurality of bulk containers 10 will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. A turntable 11 is mounted so that it can rotate on a base frame 12 and has recesses 14 on its upper surface into which the individual bulk containers 10 can be placed. The turntable 11 is mounted on the base frame 12 so that it can rotate easily about an axis 13 by means of a suitable pivot bearing, so that the user can bring the desired bulk container 10 into a position by turning the turntable 11 in which he can easily remove the desired bulk container 10 from the turntable and place it back on it.

This rotating device is also preferably made of transparent material, especially acrylic glass.

Claims (9)

Expectations 1. Bulk container for pourable goods, in particular for cereals, consisting of an elongated container (1) with an upper removal opening and a lid (2) closing the opening, characterized in that the upper edge (7) of the container (1) at the removal opening is inclined relative to the horizontal (1 6) and is provided with an inclined support surface, and that the lid (2) rests on this inclined support surface and is hinged at its upper end to the upper edge of the container (1) by means of a smooth-running hinge (3) in such a way that the container (1) is closed in its vertical position by the lid (2) resting thereon and, when the container is in an inclined position, the lid lifts off the edge and opens the container. 2. Bulk container according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper edge (7) is inclined relative to the horizontal (16) by approximately 45°. 3. Bulk container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container (1) has a cylindrical cross-section. 4. Bulk container according to one or more of the preceding claims,
characterized by being about three times as high as it is wide. 5. Bulk container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (1) is closed off over approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of its width at the top by a horizontally extending, solid cover wall (8) to which the removal opening is connected, and that the hinge (3) of the lid (2) is held on this cover wall (8). 6. Bulk container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a handle (6) is arranged on the side of the container (1) which is located on the higher side of the upper edge. 7. Bulk container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists of transparent material, in particular acrylic glass. • · Φ·«· ·Φ« - 6- 8. Device for receiving several bulk containers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a rotating carousel with a turntable (11) rotatably mounted on a base frame (12), which has recesses (14) for receiving a bulk container (10) each. 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the rotating carousel (11, 12) consists of transparent material, in particular acrylic glass.