GB2300560A

GB2300560A - Fluid pouring vessels

Info

Publication number: GB2300560A
Application number: GB9509590A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Edwin Cane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-05-11
Filing date: 1995-05-11
Publication date: 1996-11-13
Also published as: GB9509590D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a vessel, e.g. a bowl 2, which has a flat bottomed surface 1 for resting on a level surface, wherein the top of the bowl is open to facilitate collection of a fluid e.g. oil from an engine oil sump. The bowl has a conically shaped device 3, e.g. a funnel, protruding from the side of the bowl. The funnel may incorporate a filtering device 7 to restrict large solid objects, such as car engine oil sump plugs which may have been inadvertently dropped into the bowl. Having transferred such fluid as is desired into the bowl, it may be manually tilted so that the funnel points downwards and thereby allows the contained fluid to pour through the funnel 3 in a restricted and controlled way into any further container or drum.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FLUID POURING VESSELS The invention relates to a fluid containing vessel, and in particular which has a device for controlled emptying of fluid from the apparatus, which itself is portable.

It has been noted that current processes available to industry and Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts for the extraction of fluids such as waste car engine oil, need several items of apparatus to carry out the transfer of fluid from one vessel to another, often with the risk of spillage in such process. Such process is made more difficult to execute, particularly with cars, as the clearance height between ground level and engine oil sump is restrictive, and upon removal of the sump plug, the initial release of waste oil covers a larger distance than that covered as the volume in the sump reduces, manual gauging of this process normally producing unwanted spillage of said oils.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce to a minimum the number of items of apparatus needed to transfer such fluids by providing the optimum area into which such waste fluids may be emptied, and by its portable nature, assist the user in the transference of the fluid from the apparatus to another container in a controlled manner, thereby increasing efficiency of the process and reducing the potential of spillage.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a fluid pouring vessel, comprising a flat-bottomed vessel with raised side, and a conically shaped device incorporated in the side, extending away and diminishing in size from the centre of the vessel, which allows the fluid so contained in the vessel to be emptied by means of manual handling, by tilting the apparatus so that the conically shaped device is downmost, allowing the fluid to be restricted as it flows through the conically shaped device out of the vessel in a controlled manner.

Preferably the conically shaped device takes the form of what is commonly called a funnel.

Advantageously the top of the funnel will be seen to be higher than the rim of the vessel when viewed from the side, this being such part of the design of the invention to ensure that when emptying fluid from the vessel the likelihood of spillage is reduced to a minimum.

Preferably the funnel will have incorporated such device as will filter solid objects from passing through it during the emptying process. Such device is necessary for occasions such as when an oil drain plug from a car sump is accidentally dropped into the vessel and cannot be retrieved before being covered in waste oil.

Additionally and most advantageously the apparatus preferably has a small hole in the highest point of the conically shaped device when viewed from the side to facilitate the apparatus being hung on a suitable peg for storage purposes. Preferably the apparatus has a gauge which indicates to the user the volume of fluid contained in the apparatus at that time.

Such gauge comprises horizontal lines embossed on the inside face of the side of the apparatus to indicate such levels as desired, nominally litres. Further preference is given to such a line on the gauge indicating the maximum level of fluid which may be contained without the fluid spilling out of the funnel spout, when the flat bottom of the apparatus is on a level surface.

Preferably the rim of the apparatus will extent vertically above the line of the gauge indicating the maximum level. This is to facilitate more than the maximum amount of fluid to be contained by simply tilting the apparatus from level to a position whereby the spout of the funnel is above its normal horizontal state, thus giving a degree of flexibility of capacity of contained fluid.

The present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing as having a circular shaped fluid containing vessel. It will be understood that the fluid containing vessel may be an alternative shape.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side projection view of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

The example shown in the drawings comprises a flat bottomed vessel 1 surrounded by vertical side 2 projecting to the side from which is a conically shaped device 3 which is hollow and allows fluid to be passed through it from the vessel 1 by means of a tapering spout 9.

On the inside wall of the side 2 is a gauge 5 which indicates to the user the volume of fluid which is contained in the vessel 1, and by use of a maximum fill level indicating line 6, will also inform the user of the capacity of the present invention.

The conically shaped device 3 has incorporated within it a filter device 7 so as to prevent solid objects passing through the spout 9. This filter 7 may comprise a cap containing several holes to allow passage of fluid and for manufacturing purposes may be made as a separate item to the present invention and be fitted as a part of the final and only assembly of the whole apparatus.

At the uppermost part of the conically shaped device 3 is a hole 8 which can accommodate a small peg or nail to enable the apparatus to be hung in a vertical plane for storage purposes.

Preferably the top of the conically shaped device 10 extends vertically above the rim 4 as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, this being a necessary feature to eliminate the likelihood of spillages when emptying the apparatus.

In use, with the flat bottom of the vessel 1 on a level surface the vessel may be filled anywhere within the rim 4 area up to the maximum level of the gauge 5,6. By manual tilting of the vessel in such a manner that the spout 9 points downwards, any fluid contained in the vessel will be allowed to enter the conically shaped device and leave the apparatus via the spout 9.

In this particular example, the apparatus is made entirely of a plastic material which may be used in industry by such processes as injection moulding with thermo-plastics or similar. It is understood that the material used to make the apparatus should be commensurate with the fluids it is designed to contain.

Therefore a suitable material for fluids such as acids would be glass, and again using industrial processes, the apparatus may be quite readily manufactured using this medium.

It will be appreciated that by use of the present invention waste fluids may be allowed to be poured directly into the apparatus and subsequently emptied into another, normally larger, waste fluid or sullage container such as a 200 litre drum. It is possible to leave the apparatus with the spout vertically downwards inside the entrance to a larger container such as a 200 litre drum, thereby allowing the user freedom of movement whilst the apparatus drips virtually dry by itself.

When hung on a peg or similar by the hole at the top of the conically shaped device, the design is such that any residual fluid will 'pool' at a point directly opposite the filter device at the junction of the flat bottom with the side.

Claims

1 A fluid pouring vessel comprising a flat bottomed vessel with raised side and a conically shaped device incorporated in the side, extending away and diminishing in size from the centre of the vessel, which allows the fluid so contained in the vessel to be emptied by means of manual handling by tilting the apparatus so that the conically shaped device is downmost, allowing the fluid to be restricted as it flows through the conically shaped device, out of the vessel, in a controlled manner.

2 A fluid pouring vessel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein is incorporated in the side of the vessel a conically shaped device which is hollow and allows fluid to be passed through it from its widest opening to a smaller opening, and itself extending away from the centre of such vessel.

3 A fluid pouring vessel as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein is provided a filtering device to prevent solid objects passing through the conically shaped device in Claim 2. Such filter may be designed to be removable.

4 A fluid pouring vessel as claimed in any preceding claim wherein is provided a scalar device or gauge to show the volume of fluid contained within the vessel when the flat bottom is on a level surface.

5 A fluid pouring vessel as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the highest mark of the gauge or scalar device indicates the maximum level which fluid can attain before leaving the said vessel via the conically shaped device.

6 A fluid pouring vessel substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.

7 A fluid pouring vessel substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.