GB2147989A

GB2147989A - Insulated milk bottle container

Info

Publication number: GB2147989A
Application number: GB08414817A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Charles Cole
Original assignee: RUBBER INJECTION MOULDING CO L
Current assignee: RUBBER INJECTION MOULDING CO L
Priority date: 1983-10-11
Filing date: 1984-06-11
Publication date: 1985-05-22
Also published as: GB8327095D0; GB2147989B; GB8414817D0

Abstract

A container 100 for enclosing and providing heat insulation for two milk bottles in side-by-side relationship comprises a lower portion 12 and an upper portion 14 which fits on the lower portion. Each portion 12, 14 is formed of a wall comprising inner 30, 38 and outer 28, 36 skins of a rigid plastics material with a foamed plastics material 44 therebetween to provide heat insulation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Milk bottle container This invention relates to a milk bottle container.

One disadvantage with door-step deliveries of milk, as practised in the U.K., is that under certain circumstances it may be some hours before the milk is taken in and placed in a refrigerator, for example the milk may be delivered after the residents have left home for the day. This may result in the milk becoming unpleasantly warm and even deteriorating.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the above disadvantage which may be readily marketable by a milk delivery person hereinafter referred to as a milkman, whereby sales at jeopardy because of this disadvantage can be maintained.

According to the invention, there is provided a container for enclosing and providing heat insulation for a plurality of milk bottles, the container comprising a lower portion and an upper portion which fits on the lower portion, each of said upper and lower portions being formed by a wall comprising inner and outer skins of a rigid plastics material with a foamed plastics material therebetween to provide heat insulation.

Such a container may be inexpensive and yet reasonably robust.

The upper and lower portions of the embodiments of the invention described hereinafter are nestable, either with corresponding portions of like containers or with each other.

In view of the nestability of their portions stocks of the containers do not require excessive storage space. This is considered an important feature of the containers as the milkman is seen to be the primary source of supply and would have to transport stocks of the containers along with his normal delivery goods.

In order that the invention may be well understood, two embodiments thereof, which are given by way of example only, will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a semi-top plan view of a lower portion of a container for two bottles of milk; Figure 2 is a semi-vertical cross-section of the container taken along the section line A in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a detail of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a front view of another container for two bottles of milk; Figure 5 is a semi-bottom plan view of the container shown in Fig. 4; Figure 6 is an end view of the same container, partly shown in cross-section taken along the line VI-VI in Fig. 4; and Figure 7 is a view of detail VII of Fig. 6 to a larger scale.

It has been established that a typical daily delivery is two pints of milk and the illustrated containers 10 in Figs. 1 to 3 and 100 in Figs.

4 to 7 are each for two pint bottles in side-byside relationship. However, it is to be understood that a container for more than two bottles may be provided.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 the container 10 illustrated therein comprises a lower portion 1 2 and an upper portion 14 which fits on the lower portion to provide a closed container for two milk bottles. The upper portion 14 is provided with a stepped rim 1 6 which seats on the rim 1 8 of the lower portion with a tongue part 20 of rim 1 6 fitting snugly within, or having an interference fit with the inwardly facing surface 22 of rim 1 8. Both the rims 1 8 and 1 6 of portions 1 2 and 14 have inclined outwardly facing surfaces 24, 26 which together define a V groove and which facilitate gripping of the upper portion 14 to remove the same from the lower portion 12.The surfaces 24, 26 may be moulded, as illustrated with serrations to provide finger grips.

The lower and the upper portions are both formed with double-skinned walls. The lower portion 1 2 has an outer skin 28 and an inner skin 30, the latter of which also provides the surfaces of the rim 1 8.

Skins 28 and 30 abut at respective free edges 32, 34 thereof. The upper portion 1 4 has an outer skin 36 and an inner skin 38, the latter of which also provides the surfaces of rim 20. Skins 36 and 38 abut at respective free edges 40, 42.

Each of the skins is formed of a rigid plastics material such as an ABS or a polystyrene and, as will be appreciated from Fig. 2, has a configuration which is suitable for simple injection moulding.

The spaces between the inner and outer skins of the two portions are filled with a foamed plastics material which provides heat insulation for the container. A foamed polyurethane is presently preferred, but it is envisaged that other foamed plastics such as a foamed polystyrene may be used. The foamed plastics, which is designated 44 in Fig. 3, is introduced into the space between the skins of the lower and upper portions through apertures at central lower locations 46, 48 respectively in the outer skin 28 of the lower portion and the inner skin 38 of the upper portion.

The position of the inner skins 30, 38 is fixed relative to the position of the outer skins 28, 36 during the introduction of the foamed plastics into the space therebetween and most desirably the foamed material bonds with the material of the skins.

Presently, it is preferred to have each skin 1.5mm thick with the inner and outer skins of each portion spaced apart by 15mm.

As will be noted a plurality of lower portions 1 2 will stack in nested relationship and also a plurality of upper portions 14 will also stack in nested relationship. This is advantageous where storage space is limited. Also, an upper portion 1 4 when upturned will nest within a lower portion 1 2 to provide an after native nested relationship useful in reducing the amount of storage space needed to store the containers.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the inner and outer skins of rigid plastics material makes the container reasonably robust so that it will withstand daily use for a reasonable period of time.

The base of the lower portion is liable to receive impact loads from milk bottles and it is envisaged that spaced apart supports 50 might be provided between the outer and inner skins 28, 30. As illustrated in dotted line in Fig. 2, these supports may comprise aligned projections 52, 54 moulded integrally with the skins. Alternatively they may be moulded integrally with only one of the skins or even comprise separate supports sized to extend between the outer and inner skins and positioned therebetween prior to the foamed plastics being introduced.

It is envisaged that the container can be made inexpensively and marketed at a price at which users would find it acceptable to purchase a new container each year, at the start of the first period of warm weather.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 7, there is illustrated another and presently preferred container 100. Generally the construction of the container 100 is similar to that of the container 10 and corresponding parts have been given like reference numerals in the drawings and will not be described in detail in connection with container 100.

The container 100 differs from the container 10 in that the lower portion 1 2 thereof is not nestable with lower portions of like containers. Whilst the upper portion 14 is nestable with upper portions of like containers, it is intended that for storage purposes the alternative nested relationship referred to in connection with the container 10 be used.

That is the upper portion is nested upturned in the lower portion of the container.

Rather than merely abut at respective free edges, the outer and inner skins 28, 30 and 36, 38 of the lower and upper portions fit together with a snap fit at their free edge portions. As shown in Fig. 7 the outer and inner skins 28, 30 of the lower portion overlap at their free edge portions 101, 102.

These edge portions are provided with cooperable snap-fit configurations shown as a groove 103 on edge portion 101 and a rib 104 on edge portion 102. The free edge portions 105, 106 of the outer and inner skins 36, 38 of the upper portion are bifurcated. One limb 107 of edge portion 105 abuts against one limb 108 of edge portion 106 substantially at right angles thereto and the other limbs 109, 110 of the edge portions 1 05, 106 overlap and snap-fit together by means of cooperable snap-fit configurations shown as a groove 111 in limb 109 and a rim 112 on limb 110.

The outer skin 28 comprises four integral support projections 11 3 arranged to extend to and support the inner skin 30 at the base of the lower portion 1 2 and correspond to the projections 52, 54 illustrated in Fig. 2. External rib means 11 4 are formed on the outer skin 28 at the base of the lower portion 1 2 for supporting the container 1 00. The container 10 is also provided with such rib means as indicated by reference numerals 45 in Fig.

2.

It is presently preferred to form the skins 28, 30. 36. 38 of container 100 from polypropylene with each skin being 1.5mm thick and the inner and outer skins being spaced apart by 15mm. The foamed plastics 44 of the container 100 is preferably rigid foamed polyurethane.

Whilst the lower and upper portions of the container 100 are illustrated with central apertures 46. 48 to allow the foamed plastics to be introduced between the inner and outer skins, these apertures may be, and preferably are, omitted. When the apertures are omitted each portion is constructed by depositing a mixture of chemical reactants for forming the foamed plastics, typically foamed polyurethane, into the outer skin moulding and snapfitting the inner skin onto the outer skin before the reaction and foaming of the mixture takes place.

Claims

1. A container for enclosing and providing heat insulation for a plurality of milk bottles, the container comprising a lower portion and an upper portion which fits on the lower portion, each of said upper and lower portions being formed by a wall comprising inner and outer skins of a rigid plastics material with a foamed plastics material therebetween to provide heat insulation.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion is nestable with upper portions of like containers.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower portion is nestable with lower portions of like containers.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper portion is nestable upturned in the lower portion.

5. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein respective rims of the upper and lower portions have inclined outwardly facing surfaces which together define a groove and facilitate gripping of the upper portion to remove the same from the lower portion.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein said outwardly facing surfaces have serrations to provide finger grips.

7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner and outer skins of the upper portion are snap-fitted together at their free edge portions.

8. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner and outer skins of the lower portion are snap-fitted together at their free edge portions.

9. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is arranged to contain two pint bottles in sideby-side relationship.

10. A container for enclosing and providing heat insulation for a plurality of milk bottles, substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 or 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.