AU646896B2

AU646896B2 - Container

Info

Publication number: AU646896B2
Application number: AU86757/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wim Van Miltenburg
Original assignee: Castrol Ltd
Current assignee: Castrol Ltd
Priority date: 1990-11-12
Filing date: 1991-10-25
Publication date: 1994-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-25
Also published as: AU8675791A

Description

64 68 9 6Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

00 *0 o oo •0 0 00 o0o 00* 0 0 1)0 o eoe oooo Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: CASTROL .WE LIMITED Goo* 0 0 0.

00 *0 0 0 o 0 00 DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

"Container" Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): PK3293/90 filed 12 November, 1990 PK7429/91 filed 25 July, 1991 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1s

"CONTAINER"

The present invention relates to a container and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a container for dispensing a liquid product such as engine oil.

According to the present invention there is provided a container assembly comprising a primary container for containing and dispensing a fluid product, a secondary container of a smaller capacity than that of the primary container, the body of the primary container including a recess which opens to the outside of the primary container and which is of a shape to receive therein the secondary container, and means for releasably retaining the secondary container within the recess, said means comprising a permanently tacky adhesive connecting the secondary container to an adjacent wall of the recess, said adhesive being a nonhardenable adhesive.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the recess is formed in a side wall of the primary container, the depth of the recess being such that the secondary container, when within the recess, does not substantially project beyond the side wall of the primary container. Preferably the profile of the recess has a close conformity to the profile of the secondary container. Advantageously the 9: secondary container is retained within the recess by at least one releasable retaining projection on the secondary container and/or on the wall of the recess, in addition to the adhesive between the secondary container and the wall of the recess.

An embodimern the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a container assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the container assembly as shown in Figure 1; 931203,p:/oper/rsbContainer.spe, -3- Figures 3 to 5 are views of a secondary container of the container assembly as shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 6 is a side view of the secondary container showing A fit retention system for the secondary container; and Figure 7 is an underneath view Geondary-etatinershoev-riB- Figure 6.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 a container assembly comprises a main or primary container 2 for a product such as motor oil, and has a body with an integral handle 4 and an outlet 6 through which the product may be dispensed by pouring. When the product is a motor oil, the primary container shown could typically have a capacity of four litres, although, of course, the invention is not restricted to a container of a particular size. The primary container may be blow-moulded from a suitable plastics. The body of the primary container S 15 has opposed rectangular front and rear walls 8, 10 of substantially planar form.

The central portion of the front wall 8 is shaped with a recess 12 which opens to the front of the body to receive a secondary container 14 as shown in detail in Figures 3 to The secondary container 14 also has a body comprising opposed front S* and rear rectangular walls 16, 18 of substantially planar form. The secondary container 14 has a neck carrying a removable cap 20 and is also preferably blow-moulded in a suitable plastics. The depth of the recess 12 in the primary container approximately corresponds to the depth of the secondary container 14 (as considered at right angles to its front and rear walls) so that when the :a o* secondary container 14 is seated within the recess 12, the front wall 16 of the °4 secondary container 14 is approximately flush with the front wall 8 of the primary container. The periphery of the recess 12 in the primary container 2 broadly corresponds to the peripheral shape of the secondary container 14 although in the area of the top of the secondary container the recess 12 is enlarged to enable the cap or neck to be grasped between the finger and 911024,RSHSPE.008,Container.SPE,3 thumb of a hand inserted into the recess in order to remove the secondary container 14.

The secondary container 14 is releasably retained within the recess 12 by adhesive areas and also by engagement between the secondary container 14 and the wall of the recess 12. Although this engagement could be a simple frictional engagement whereby the secondary container 14 is retained within tile recess 12 by frictional forces, it is preferred to use a positive retention between the secondary container 14 and the wall of the recess 12. Positive retention of the secondary container 14 can be achieved by means of inter-engaging projections and/or inter-engaging projections and recesses on the wall of the recess 12 and on the secondary container 14. In one preferred practical form, the cap 20 of the secondary container 14 has an upstanding rim and the upper wall of the recess 12 has downwardly directed projections which snap into engagement with the inner 15 edge of the rim, and the base of the secondary container 14 is formed with depressions 22 which receive projections upstanding from the lower wall of the recess 12. The secondary container 14 can be released from the recess by gripping the neck or cap of the secondary container 14 and withdrawing the container outwardly with sufficient force to cause slight flexing of the upper and S: 20 lower walls of the recess 12 sufficient to permit release of the retaining projections.

The adhesive areas are shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7, as adhesive areas 26 between the base of the container and the base of the recess.

Alternatively, the adhesive areas may be positioned between the rear side of the secondary container and the adjacent wall of the recess in a position adjacent the base of the secondary container. If required, one or more additional adhesive areas may be incorporated between the rear side of the container and the adjacent wall of the recess at a position nearer to the neck of the container.

Advantageously the adhesive does not harden and remains permanently tacky and may consist of a resilient or gel-like adhesive. This enables the secondary 931203,p:IoperrshContainer.spe, container to be reinserted into the recess after initial removal and also ensures that adhesive retention is not affected by distortion which may occur in the shape of the recess during handling or transportation, or by vibration during transportation. A suitable adhesive is a permanently pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive known as Hot Melt HM 0036C as marketed by H.B.Fuller Company Australia Pty. Limited of Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia.

The secondary container 14 may contain a smaller amount of the same motor oil (for example half litre) and which, after an oil change using oil from the primary container 2, may be retained by the customer for topping up the oil level at a later date. Alternatively, the secondary container may carry an associated product, for example windscreen washer additive or a fuel additive.

The invention is not limited to the particular form shown and modifications l 15 are possible within the scope of the invention.

931203,p:/oper/rsh,Continer.spe,

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising a primary container for containing and dispensing a fluid product, a secondary container of a smaller capacity than that of the primary container, the body of the primary container including a recess which opens to the outside of the primary container and which is of a shape to receive therein the secondary container, and means for releasably retaining the secondary container within the recess, said means comprising a permanently tacky adhesive connecting the secondary container to an adjacent wall of the recess, said adhesive being a non-hardenable adhesive.

2. A container assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed in a side wall of the primary container, the depth of the recess being such that the secondary container, when within the recess, does not substantially project beyond the side wall of the primary container. S*

3. A container assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the profile of the recess has a close conformity to the profile of the secondary container.

4. A container assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the u- itrve-C retaining means comprises at least one retaining projection on one from said secondary container and the wall of the recess and releasably engageable with the other from the secondary container and the wall of the recess.

A container assembly according to claim 4, wherein there is at least one said retaining projection on an upper wall of the recess and engageable with a cap of the secondary container.

6. A container assembly according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein there is at least one said retaining projection between the base of the secondary container and a base wall of the recess. 931203,p:/oper/rshContainersp,

7. A container assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the adhesive is of resilient or gel-like form.

8. A container assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the adhesive is arranged in a plurality of discrete areas.

9. A container assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the recess is only open to a single side of the primary container whereby the secondary container is enclosed within said recess at all sides with the exception of a side adjacent said single side.

10. A container assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3rd day of December, 1993 CASTROL LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON S S. S S. S S.. o 5 9 S 55 S 5 S S PALq 1 6 U1 931203,p:/oper/rsh,Containcr.spe, ABSTRACT A container for dispensing a fluid product has, in one of its walls a recess (12) which opens to the outside of the body to receive a secondary container The secondary container (14) is releasably retained within the recess (12) by positive retaining means such as releasable projections and/or *a by adhesive. The secondary container may contain an additionl quantity of S0 the fluid within the primary container, for example for top-up purposes when the primary container carries a product such as engine oil or alternatively the secondary container may contain an associated product, for example windscreen washer additive. So 0. o i 4 *0 9 0t 911024,RSHSPE.008,Container.SPE,8