GB2360754A - Stackable containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A container preferably of moulded plastics or glass has formations allowing it to be stacked on a similar container either directly above or in an offset position in a stack of pyramid format. The formations may comprise protrusions (2) for engaging indentations in the top of the underlying container. The container may have a non-flat top and a protruding cap so arranged as not to interfere with the stacking.

Description

2360754 CONTAINER The present invention relates to a container,

particularly though not exclusively to a container of the type having a s neck for closure with a suitable closure means such as a cap.

Existing necked containers can be stacked, but must have a flattened top surface that can act as a stable platform.

The neck of the bottle and the cap may need to be positioned below or inline with this platform. This does not allow the tope of the container to be shaped, otherwise once stacked the containers become unstable.

is An objective of this invention allows the container to have a protruding cap and possibly also to have non-flat top surfaces and still be stacked in a stable manner. In this one embodiment this uses the integral shape of the container and does not necessitate further parts to achieve stability.

It is a further object of the present invention to address the problems of known containers, whether referred to herein or otherwise.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a container having receiving portions and protrusions substantially opposite said receiving portions.

Preferably, the receiving portions are located on one side of the container and the protrusions are located on the opposite side.

2 Conveniently, each receiving portion is a substantially flat and/or substantially concave area adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped protrusion.

The container is preferably manufactured from plastic or glass material, for example using a blow mould or injection mould process.

Preferably the container is provided with integral protrusions located on one side of the container and indentations on the opposite side of the container. The number of protrusions can be two or more, but will always be equal to the number of indentations on the same is container. This allows protrusions on the bottom of one container to locate the indentations on top of the respective container that it is standing upon. All surfaces surrounding these contact points may then be created with a geometry other than f lat.

Preferably, there are at least three protrusions (more preferably four) which cooperate with the corresponding receiving portions to inhibit lateral movement of one container with respect to the other.

Conveniently, the protrusions and receiving portions create contact surfaces, which may slope downwards, such that due to gravity lateral movement is inhibited.

The outermost area of the protrusions is arranged geometrically so that the innermost area of the indentations is an exact parallel offset. This ensures that the container stack directly on top of one another in 3 a stable manner. The containers can also be stacked in a stable pyramidshaped arrangement.

Thus, a container of the present invention may be provided s in a wide variety of different shapes and may also have a protruding neck with a cap but can nevertheless be stacked in a stable manner.

The location of the protrusions and corresponding receiving portions (e.g. indentations) can be in any of the possible six orientations in relation to the cap and any position on the surface between this, such as:

- protrusions at the top and indentations at the bottom is - indentations at the top and protrusions at the bottom - protrusion at the front and indentations at the back - indentations at the front and protrusions at the back - protrusions on the lef t side and indentations on the right side - indentations on the left side and protrusions on the right side.

The protrusions preferably also serve as 'legs, on which the container may stand, but additionally/alternatively there may be provided a flat surface on the container substantially parallel to the opening and perpendicular to its neck. This will be positioned on the opposite side of the container with regard to the neck and allow the container to sit on the flat surface in a stable manner.

Any feature of any aspect of any invention or embodiment described herein may be combined with any feature of any 4 aspect of any other invention or embodiment described herein.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a top view of a container according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a side view of two containers stacked one on top of the other.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the container sat on an is integral flat surface. (This shows how the container can be filled).

Figure 4 shows a side view of two containers stacked one on top of the other, to achieve vertical stacking.

Figure 5 shows a top view of a container according to the invention.

Figure 6 shows an end view of three containers stacked 25 together in a pyramid configuration.

As shown in the drawings, a container 10 according to the invention has a number of -receiving portions in the form of indentations 1 that correspond to protrusions 2 on the opposite face of the container.

The protrusions 2 of one container may be located in the indentations 1 of another container. This allows the containers to stack one on top of the other in a stable manner, ether one above the other as shown in f igure 2 or in a pyramid formation as shown in figure 6.

As shown in figure 2, a surface 3 surrounding the points of interaction between protrusions and indentations no longer needs to be of flat geometry.

As shown in figure 3, a flat surface 6 may be positioned offset - parallel to the sealing area of the neck finish 5, thus allowing the container to sit in stable manner, for example when it is being filled.

As shown in figure 4, when one container is stacked upon is the other, the location of the indentations is such that the top container will be offset parallel (marked as 7) to the one below. This allows the containers to be stacked in stable manner.

As shown in figure 6, one container may be stacked with two of its protrusions located in the indentations of one underlying container and the other two of its protrusions located in the indentations of a further adjacent underlying container, so as to form a pyramid shape.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

6 All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s) The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (5)

1 A unique container that can be stacked in a stable manner, one on top of another, or offset in a pyramid format.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1 that may be manufactured using a plastic or glass material, using a blow mould or injection mould process.

3. A container as claimed in preceding claims that may have a non-flat top surface and a protruding cap and yet may still be stacked in a stable manner.

4. A container as claimed in preceding claims that may be of multi use.

5. A container as described on the preceding pages in full and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.