WO1994019247A1

WO1994019247A1 - Container with a combination handle

Info

Publication number: WO1994019247A1
Application number: PCT/SE1994/000144
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hugo Nilsson; Karl-Eric Johnsson
Original assignee: Hugo Nilsson; Johnsson Karl Eric
Priority date: 1993-02-22
Filing date: 1994-02-22
Publication date: 1994-09-01
Also published as: AU6159894A; SE9300573D0; SE500953C2; SE9300573L

Abstract

A container (1) for e.g. oil has a handle (4) with a carrying as well as a pouring function. According to the invention the handle is L-shaped with one of its ends by means of a lid (11) attachable to a container portion designed as an apparent opening or a second container opening, whereas the other end of the handle by means of a pour spout lid (5) with a locking element (10) is inserted into a locking slot (6) in a raised portion (8) of the container during the carrying function. For the pouring function the handle is rotated and unscrewed and secured onto an ordinary container opening (9), a lid (7), which seals the latter, being screwed onto said apparent or second container opening.

Description

CONTAINER WITH h COMBINATION HANDLE

The present invention relates to a combination handle accor¬ ding to the preamble of patent claim 1.

One problem with e.g. gas and oil cans supposedly is, that the tubular charging spout, which is designed to avoid waste during filling and ordinarily is needed, is provided and stored as a separate component, which easily can be lost, commands additional costs etc.

US-A-2 673 664 relates to a liquid container having a com¬ bined pour spout and handle. The drawback with this combina¬ tion is that the spout can only be lowered in one direction and that it results in high manufacturing costs for the con¬ tainer and in addition this combination can not avoid waste during filling at all.

FR-A-2 513 598 relates to a container of the type mentioned in the introduction. However, in addition to the pour spout there is provided an entirely stationary non-hollow handle. The pour spout is, subsequent to its removal from its handle shank support, not designed to be sealed, since no lid is provided and also no double function, namely in addition to the sealing of the pour spout also no support for the latter in the container itself. Besides the pour spout the pour spout fastening means in another tube angle is also subse¬ quent to the rotation outwards of the pour spout completely open, why liquid can be wasted immediately from the contai¬ ner, in case the latter would be dropped on the ground, be tilted in the wrong direction etc. The container construc¬ tion is complicated and besides many individual components extensive assembly work is required.

The object of the present invention is to in the above-men¬ tioned respects improve and further develop the already known containers having a combined pour spout and handle and suggest a new type of container, which it is very easy and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble as well as advantag¬ eous to use during transport as well as during pouring.

The characterizing features as well as the advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following detailed de¬ scription , reference being made to the accompanying drawings which depict in a partially schematic way a few preferred, but not limiting embodiments according to the invention, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention having a combined handle/pour spout in the carry¬ ing or transport position;

Fig. 2 a lateral view of the container without its handle/ pour spout, seen from one of the narrow sides; Fig. 3 shows the handle/pour spout fastened through screwing to the pour or filling opening of the container, seen from above; and

Fig. 4 shows the container according to Fig. 3 in a lateral view.

Container 1, shown in Fig. 1, is an oblong rectangular box having short sides, which make gripping easier. The containe has an expansion 2, which is about 5 mm at its upper and its lower side respectively as well as at one of its edges. The expansion has smoothly rounded edges and in the link to the enclosed part 13 the expansion is bevelled at 14 with prefe¬ rably about 45 . Upwards the container changes into a com¬ bined carrying handle/pour spout 4, which is shown in its carrying function, in which the handle is screwed on to a threaded support 15 with a locking ring 11, which surrounds the handle and which , when the handle is screwed on, fasten the base of the handle, which base is designed as a projec¬ ting flange (not shown), on said threaded support. The handle comprises a circular tube, which to begin with extends straight upwards from the lower fastening point (support 15) and subsequently changes into a 90° bending in relatioi to support 15. The handle has at its second horizontal end a closing lid 5, which is provided with a projecting pin¬ like locking element 10, which e.g. is cast integral with lid 5 and which is to be inserted in lateral direction into a fastening slot 6 in a raised portion 8. Lid 5 also has two functions, namely partly to prevent any liquid from leaking from the spout and partly to secure the fastening of the handle in projecting fastening slot 6 by means of projec¬ ting pin 10, which when the lid is tightened pulls the pin against the wall of the fastening slot and consequently forms a firm fastening of the handle. The container has a second support 16 with an opening 9, which is placed in front of handle 4 and is closed with^' a lid 7.

In Fig. 1 it is shown that pin-like projecting locking ele¬ ment 10 has been inserted into fastening slot 6 and in this way secures the firm fastening of the handle in the faste¬ ning slot. When the combined handle/pour spout is to be used as a pour element, lid 5 is to be initially loosened a little in order to reduce the pressure of the integrally cast lock¬ ing element 10 against the wall of fastening slot 6 and in this way a clearance between the locking element and the fas¬ tening slot is obtained, by means of which the combined hand¬ le/pour spout can be turned about its axis counter-clockwise, viewed from above, and removed from the fastening slot into a position rotated outwards. In this position the handle/ pour spout can also be used as a pour element, which will be explained in more detail in the following text. When the hand le/pour spout is in this position, it is possible to remove locking ring 11 by screwing and thereby loosening the handle/ pour spout from the container and exchange it for lid 7 and fasten it there by screwing, lid 7 being fastened on lower threaded support 15, where locking ring 11 was positioned, i order to prevent that lid 7 be lost, and the handle/pour spou is fastened by screwing on threaded support 9" and opening 9 respectively, and in this way it can, subsequent to the remo val of pour spout lid 5, be used as a pour spout, which is rotated about its horizontal axis. The container without the combination of the handle/pour spout and locking ring 11, viewed from one of the narrow sides, is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows the combined handle/pour spout, mounted on sup¬ port 9 " and threaded opening 9 respectively. Lid 5 for the pour spout is also removed by screwing.

The container according to Fig. 3 viewed from above is shown in Fig. 4, in which a thin plastic membrane 12 is seen, which seals support 15. Normally, a negative pressure in the inte¬ rior of the container is obtained, when the container is til¬ ted to such an extent, that the liquid flowing out covers all the hole, which results in a "gurgling" liquid flow, which means an irregular flow. This can according to the invention be prevented by piercing the plastic membrane to obtain a hole by means of a pointed object. Air is then allowed to pass the hole and the liquid flow will then be regular. When liquid has been poured out, the hole will be sealed by means of locking ring 11 on lid 7.

Also, it is possible to only turn the handle/pour spout out of and into the fastening slot in order to between these po¬ sitions be able to use it as a pour spout without an exchange to another opening. Thus, it is sufficient also with one of the openings.

Plastic membrane 12 advantageously and preferably can be pro¬ vided centrally with a hollow projection 16, which like a bubble projects from the membrane above support " and which preferably is conically widened outwards, by means of which it will be possible to guide e.g. a knife along opening 9 on support 9" in order to cut a hole through the projection. The conical shape is designed in such a way, that the knife edge will be pressed into the groove between the projection and the support opening.

Claims

1. A container (1) having a combination handle (4), which has a carrying as well as a pouring function and which is L-shape one of its shanks being fastened by screwing by means of a threaded locking ring (11) on a threaded support (9") on the container, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the other shank end is sealed by means of a pour spout lid (5) , which is pro¬ vided with a locking element (10) , designed to be inserted in to a fastening slot (6) in a raised portion (8) of the con¬ tainer.

2. A container according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the container (1) is an oblong rectangu¬ lar box having narrow sides, which make gripping easier and are provided with a raised portion (2) of about 5 mm on the upper and the lower side respectively as well as one of the edges, which raised portion has smoothly rounded edges and is in the transition to the enclosed surfaces slightly inclined, preferably about 45 .

3. A container according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that said one shank is screwed onto a threaded raised portion, said locking ring (11) surrounding the shank, which locking ring, when it is fastened through screwing, se¬ curely fastens the base of the handle, which is designed as a projecting flange, onto the threaded raised portion.

4. A container according to any of claims 1-3, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the handle comprises a circular tube, which to begin with extends straight upwards from its lower fastening point and thereafter is bent 90° in relation to the threaded raised portion.

5. Acontainer according to any of claims 1-4, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the lid (5) has a projecting pin-like locking element (10) , which e.g. is cast integrally with the lid (5) and which is designed to be inserted in a lateral di- rection into said fastening slot (6) in the raised por-< tion (8) .

6. A container according to any of claims 1-5, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the lid (5) has a double function, namely partly to prevent liquid from leaking from the spout and partly to secure the fastening of the handle in the pro¬ jecting fastening slot (6) by means of the projecting pin, which when the lid is tightened is designed to be drawn against the wall of the fastening slot and in this way form a secure fastening of the handle.

7. A container according to any of claims 1-6, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the container (1) has an additional threaded support (9") with an opening (9) , which is positio¬ ned in front of the handle (4) and sealed by means of a lid (7).

8. A container according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the handle is designed to in its outward¬ ly rotated position about its axis be used as a pouring ele¬ ment subsequent to the unscrewing of the lid (11) or be loo¬ sened from the container and replace the lid (7) for the ad¬ ditional opening (9) to be screwed onto the latter, the lid (7) being designed to be fastened to the lower threaded raised portion, on which the locking ring (11) has been po¬ sitioned, in order not to lose it and in that the handle is designed to be secured on said additional opening (9) subse¬ quent to the removal of the pour spout lid (5) in order to use it as a pour spout, which is rotatable about its horizon¬ tal axis.

9. A container according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the threaded support (9') or' the ope¬ ning (9) is provided with a thin plastic membrane (12) , which membrane is to be pierced to allow air to flow into the con¬ tainer, which results in a regular liquid flow and in that subsequent to a pouring of liquid the support will be sealed by means of the locking ring (11) or the lid (7) .

10. A container according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that in the plastic membrane (12) a hollow projection (16) is designed, which extends upwards from the membrane above the support (9') and preferably is conically widened outwards and designed to be cut or the like in order to allow air to flow into the container.