LU87583A1 - STACKABLE CONTAINER - Google Patents

Description

DK-9003-M26

Title: STACKABLE CONTAINER

Inventor: Stig Lillelund & Eskil H ^ jland Olsen

With this application, a related application with the title CONTAINER WITH PRESSURE-RELEASABLE COVER is also submitted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates essentially to containers of the usual, but not exclusively, in a kitchen for storing food or the like. found type. Such containers are normally molded from a suitable plastic and are provided with a lid which closes the container in order to store the contents.

To save space, improve accessibility, and for various other reasons, containers of the general type discussed here are designed to be stacked by providing similarly planar lower and upper surfaces, which in turn may have interlocking parts to stabilize the stacking.

While containers designed to be placed on flat surfaces, whether they have a flat floor or a floor that delimits a flat horizontal support surface, are normally inherently stackable when a similar flat horizontal surface is used

If a surface is provided, stacking of this type is not possible with an upper surface which is different from an essentially horizontal surface. Such a problem arises in view of the basic lid shape shown in the pending related application. For reasons of the novel closure and opening system of the pending application, this lid has an upper surface with multiple levels and with a first horizontal plane and a second plane inclined upwards at an acute angle to the horizontal. The angled flat section precludes the proper vertical stacking of containers of the same shape with a lower support plane formed thereon, since the upper container is of course inclined at an angle determined by the inclined plane and therefore, if at all, unstable and an unattractive arrangement would show.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main aim of the present invention is to enable a suitable stacking of containers also with upper lid levels, which have several clearly defined levels, which under normal circumstances form an unstable, inclined or otherwise insufficient support base for a container arranged above would.

In particular, the invention relates to the stacking of. Containers whose upper lid surface is formed with two flat sections, namely a first horizontal flat section which forms the majority of the lid surface and a second flat surface section which is angled upwards at an acute angle to the horizontal from the first flat surface section. The container housing shows several mutually in mutual

Spacing downwardly extending feet (3e) which define a horizontal support plane for proper positioning of the container on a kitchen worktop or the like. Stacking such containers would normally have an angled orientation of the upper container by standing up one or more support feet result in the angled and thus higher section.

This problem is avoided in the present invention by providing recesses or seats in the upwardly angled portion which are positioned to receive the foot or feet of the container located above it, which is normally thereon

Section with vertical alignment 'of the container would / would. These seats or recesses have the inner support ends or their surfaces in one plane with the horizontal main surface, which takes up and supports the other support feet. Therefore, the recesses in connection with the horizontal section and also delimit the lower outer ends of the Join a horizontal support plane, which enables the containers to be stacked vertically without tipping, misalignment or the like. It can be seen that the feet are designed in such a way that they are completely inside the recess or recesses which are in the Level of the horizontal section, sit and attack on the floor of the same.

Insofar as the horizontal section of the upper lid surface forms the main section of the surface, there is no tendency since [3] the weight of the container arranged above causes the lid to tilt by standing on the inclined section.

Further features of the invention are apparent from the details of the described and claimed below

Construction and how they are used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig.l is a perspective view of a container according to the invention from above;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same from below;

Figure 3 is a detail of two stacked containers in side view;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged (third section of a detail in a plane substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

Figure 5 is a section of a detail on a plane substantially along line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top of a container with a modified lid from above; and

Figure 7 is a section of a detail of two stacked containers of the type shown in Figure 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The container 10 shown in the drawings has a vertical container housing 12 and a removable lid 14. The container housing 12 has a circumferential wall 16, a closed bottom 18 and an open top, which is delimited by a circumferential, flat upper wall edge 20. The container housing 12 is preferably cylindrical as shown, although other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the invention. In any case, the integrally formed bottom 18 and the removable cover 14 are circumferentially identical to the container housing.

The container housing rests on several downwardly extending feet 22 which protrude from the bottom 18 and at the lower outer ends of the feet 22 a common horizontal support plane for placement on a horizontal support surface, e.g. limit a storage board, table or the like. The feet 22 can be formed in one piece with the base 18, formed as independent insert pieces or specially molded onto the base.

The cover 14 is a tiltable cover with a closure which is designed in the form of a ring in the open upper part of the container housing 12 and a flange 24 and an upper wall 26 which has an outer circumferential rib section for attachment to the upper housing wall edge 20 beyond the closure 3f launches 24.

The upper wall 26 is formed from two flat wall sections 28 and 30. The flat wall section 28 forms the main section of the cover wall, which is horizontal when the cover 14 is in the normal position on the container housing 12. The relatively smaller wall section 30 extends from the wall section 28 at an acute angle to the horizontal and forms a section of progressively greater height from the connecting line 32 with the section 28 to its outer bent end. The cover wall is therefore designed with an upper surface which, when the cover is placed and closed on the housing, has a horizontal upper surface or a surface in a horizontal plane, and a plane inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal plane of the horizontal surface Has surface and therefore represents an upper cover surface with multiple levels.

The container and the lid, as far as described so far, show a special construction which is described and claimed in detail in the copending application and the subject of which is inserted here for a better understanding.

Due to the upper surface with multiple levels, and in particular the acute angled upper surface section, the container described above cannot be stacked vertically. The aim of the present invention is to enable such vertical stacking.

In this case, the lowest surface plane assigned to the horizontal section 28 is considered to delimit a base surface, which in turn is horizontal and forms a horizontal support surface for all the support feet of a container arranged above it. The raised or higher surface of the lid has recesses that delimit a horizontal plane that is the same as the horizontal base surface for receiving the aligned container feet or supports 22.

In particular, in order to receive the support feet (3e 22) aligned above the elevated level section 30, this section 30 is provided with one or more recesses or depressions 32 in its inclined surface, which are used to receive and seat a flush end or foot 3s 22 are configured on the same horizontal plane which is formed by the upper surface forming the base surface of the horizontal section 28. This relationship is best shown in Fig. 5, in which a line AA represents the horizontal plane which, regardless of the cover surface, also includes multiple level of the container arranged below it receives the feet for the vertical alignment of the container arranged above it.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show in the raised section 30 a single recessed seat or a single recess 32. FIGS. 6 and 7 show two recessed seats 32. It can be seen that [3 is the number of recesses provided from the mutual distance of the 3e u in the closed bottom 18 of the container housing 12 and the relative sizes of the horizontal section 28 and the inclined section 30 depends. In any case, for the preferred actuation of a lid it is intended, as described in the copending application, and for proper support and stabilization of the container, that at least one foot 22 is aligned over the raised section 30.

As suggested in Figures 6 and 7, it is possible that two or more feet 22 are aligned over the raised portion 30. In such a case, complementary recesses or recessed seats 34 are provided for each foot 3. It can also be seen that, depending on the positioning of the recesses within the raised section, the depth of the recesses can vary in order to bring the inner lower support section of each recess 34 into coplanar relation to the horizontal base support surface, which is from the upper horizontal surface of the bottom Levels of the horizontal section 28 is formed.

Although not essential with regard to the stacking of the containers, it can be seen that (3 the recess or recesses receiving a foot creates a certain degree of intermeshing and the lateral stability between the containers. Furthermore, the recesses provided form a view - and tangible reference point for the raised section, a desired feature when the cover is operated according to the manner proposed in the co-pending application.

It can be seen that the height of the feet 22 is such that they reach the bottom of the recesses 34 before or at the same time as the attack on the lower surface of the bottom 18 at the highest point of the lid, around the horizontal Ensure positioning of the container located above. As a further possibility, each foot-receiving recess can receive the foot in alignment without hindrance if the height of the foot 2 2 corresponds to the greatest height of the upper section plane 30 above the horizontal base surface of the section 28, the lower surface of the the container arranged above engages at the uppermost point of the upwardly inclined section 30 and therefore maintains the desired vertical positioning.

The foregoing is to be understood as explaining the basics of the invention. Further embodiments and modifications within the framework of the principles of the invention and the scope of the following claims will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

Claims (9)

1429 1. Stackable container for vertically stacked storage with the same containers, consisting of a container housing and a closure lid, the housing having a closed lower end of the floor and an open end opposite it, the lid closing the open end and optionally removable therefrom and the bottom has support devices that delimit a support plane, the lid has an upper surface with a multiple level, this upper surface has receptacles for receiving and maintaining the support devices of the container with a horizontally lying, limited support plane, as a result of which several containers can be stacked vertically with the same support devices and upper lid surfaces. 2. Stackable container according to claim 1, characterized in that the support devices consist of a plurality of downwardly extending support feet with lower ends, which lie in a common plane delimiting the support plane, the receiving devices being a horizontal plane for receiving the Limit the support feet of a stackable container arranged above and to keep the support level of the lower ends of the feet horizontal. 3. Stackable container according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper cover surface with multiple levels has a base surface section and at least one surface section elevated with respect to the base surface section, the base surface section forming a section of the receiving devices, the support feet around the lower end Forming a stable support for the container are arranged, wherein at least one of the feet is flush with the raised surface section, the remaining feet are flush with the base surface section, the receiving devices also have a recess in the raised surface section for receiving a foot one above have arranged container and the recess is sufficiently deep for the horizontal alignment of a picked-up foot with the remaining feet for keeping the support plane of the lower ends of the feet of a container arranged above it horizontal. 4. Stackable container according to claim 3, characterized in that [3 the recess has a support base for the foot taken on [3, and da) 3 the support base lies in a common horizontal plane with the base surface section, which horizontal plane is the horizontal plane delimited by the receiving devices. 5. Stackable container according to claim 4, characterized in that the raised surface section is flat and is inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal from the base surface section. 6. Stackable container according to claim 5, characterized in that the base surface section is flat and horizontal and forms the main section of the upper cover surface. 7. Stackable container according to claim 1, characterized in that {3, the upper level surface with a multiple level has a flat horizontal surface section and a flat surface section inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal from the horizontal surface section and the support means of the container bottom are vertical align with both flat surface sections. 8- A stackable container according to claim 7, characterized in that [3 the support devices have a plurality of downwardly extending support feet with lower ends which are aligned perpendicularly with each flat section and lie in a common plane forming the support plane, the receiving devices a horizontal plane to accommodate the support feet of a stackable container arranged above and to keep the support level of the lower ends of the feet horizontal. 9. A stackable container according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving devices have a recess receiving a foot in the inclined surface section in alignment with each support foot that is aligned perpendicularly with the inclined surface section, and the receiving devices also the embrace a flat, horizontal surface section.