IE45103B1

IE45103B1 - Plastics containers

Info

Publication number: IE45103B1
Application number: IE1290/77A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Mars Ltd
Priority date: 1976-07-02
Filing date: 1977-06-23
Publication date: 1982-06-16
Also published as: ES238403Y; IE45103L; AT367700B; CA1085751A; PT66738B; FR2356396A1; BR7704347A; FI62029B; SE424954B; AU2672577A; DK153284C; LU77673A1; NL7707407A; FR2356396B1; JPS601217B2; BE856321A; JPS536176A; GB1544223A; ATA473177A; CH615875A5

Abstract

In order to improve the stacking engagement without making separation more difficult, the holding means have a substantially cylindrical side wall section which is effective for stacking as well as a plurality of ribs (22). The latter engage during stacking on the side wall section of the immediately adjacent container so that the two containers are held by frictional engagement. The ribs (22) have at least one direction component running in the axial direction, and their apices have the same spacing from the container axis at least over a substantial part of their length. The container is suitable for beverage dispensers with prepared stacks of containers.

Description

The present invention relates to plastics containers for use in vending machines and particularly to containers which Gan be nested, one inside another to form a stack in which the bottom walls-of each.pair of adjacent con5 tainers are spaced apart and the spaces between adjacent bottom walls contain dry ingredients for a beverage and are sealed by abutment of- parts of ths respective containers.

Such containers may t-s used in automatic vending. machines where the containers are separated individually from a stack and automatically. filled with water to make a beverage when the machine is operated. They may also be used in the home where they are separated and filled with water by hand. •15.. in known containers of this kind the wall of the container is provided on its inside with an annular projection and on its outside with an annular groove, ths groove being disposed below the projection. When the containers are fitted together in a stack, ths annular projection of each container, interlocks with the annular grove of the container next above it .go as to secure the containers to one another. Wen such containers are brought together to form a stack and when they are separated, the walls of the containers are deflected radially to allow the annular pro25 jaction to pass over the wall of the container adjacent the s 5' 1 o 3 groove.

The present invention is concerned to provide an alternative arrangement for holding the cups together in the stack.

According to the present invention there is provided a nestable container at least partially of resilient plastics material comprising a bottom and a side wall, the side wall diverging generally upwardly from the bottom wall to ths lip, the container having surfaces which form stops and seals to limit the extent to which identical such containers can be nested one inside another and form a sealed space between the bottom walls of the containers, the container having holding means for releasably holding identical such containers together when nested, the holding means com15 prising axially extending ribs disposed on one surface of the side wall, the ribs being so arranged as to engage a substantially cylindrical part of the other surface of the side wall cf an identical container when the containers are nested to hold the containers together by frictional engagement, the cresto of the ribs being substantially the same distance from the axis of the containers throughout a significant part of their axial length.

With this arrangement the ribs and the surface are in frictional engagement not only when -rhe containers are fully nested but throughout the final part of the movement of the containers towards one another when they are being nested, Sy suitable choice of the thickness, height, and number of ribs the frictional force between the containers when the containers are nested can be adjusted to provide sufficient friction to hold the containers firmly together and yet allow the containers to be easily separated intentionally by an axial force. The ribs may be sufficiently thin and high to be flexed in the radial direction when the containers are nested. By making the containers 4$3.β3 -Λοί a resilient plastics material such as polypropylene which does not relax" when maintained under deformation the ribs will maintain a constant frictional force against the surface of the adjacent container.

Preferably the ribs are formed on the outside of the side wall of the container. By placing sufficient ribs in a suitable position towards the top of the containers they may also serve to provide additional insulation where the container is gripped by the user so that the container is more comfortable to hold when it contains a very hot beverage.

The stops and the seals may be formed by the same surfaces. For example they may be provided by a continuous internal shoulder on the side wall' of the container near its bottom which abuts a continuous foot extending around the periphery of the bottom wall formed by a downwards extension of the side wall of an identical container or a shoulder formed at the periphery of the bottom of the container where it meets the side wall. Abutment of the foot or shoulder with the internal shoulder serves bach to limit the axial extent to which identical containers can be nested one inside the other and to serve as a seal for the space between the bottom walls of the containers.

Alternatively the stops and the seals may be provided by different surfaces. For example the stops may be provided ty a series of internal projections distributed around the inside of the container near its bottom and either a shoulder formed at the periphery of the bottom where it meets the side-wall or a foot formed by a downward extension of th; side walls beyond the bottom wall of the container. The sealing surfaces may be provided by an outer surface of the side wall of the container and an inner surface of the side wall of an identical container which make wiping contact when the containers are nested together.

An embodiment of theinvention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section showing three containers nested one inside another; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section on the line III-III in Figure 2.

Saferring to the drawings, these show a cup 11 formed of polypropylene by injection moulding. The cup 11 comprises a bottom wall 12 which is bowed upwardly, and a side wall 13. The side wall 13 diverges from the bottom to the top where At terminates in a lip 14 which is curved outwardly and downwardly. A downwardly projecting extension of the side »;ali below the bottom wall provides a foot 15 on which the cup stands. The lower portion of the side wall increases in thickness from the bottom wall 12 up to a shoulder 16. When an identical cup 11' is nested inside the cup 11, the foct 15' abuts the shoulder 16 to limit the extent to which the cups can be nested together and to seal the space i8 between tha adjscene bottom walls 12 and 12’ of the cups.

Above the shoulder 16 the side wall 13 of the cup continues upwardly and outwardly to a cylindrical region 19. Above the region 19 is a region 20 of the side walls which extends upwardly and outwardly. A region 21 above the region 20 and below the lip 14 is also cylindrical. A small internal bead extending around the internal periphery of the cup may be formed in the region of the lip 14 to provide a slight undercut so that when the moulds are separated after forming the cup the cup remains on the male mould membere On the outside of the cup in the region 19 are axialJy extending ribs 22. The crests of the ribs extend parallel to the axis of the cup so that they are a uniform distance from the axis of the cup throughout their length. The outside diameter of the ribs is slightly greater than the internal diameter of the cup in the cylindrical region 21. When the cup 11' is nested inside the cup 11 and the. foot 151 is abutting the shoulder 16 the ribs 22' engage the inside of the region 21 of the cup 11. The height, thickness and number of ribs 221 is such that the frictional forces between the ribs 22' and the side wall of the cup 11 in the region 21 are sufficient to hold the cups together.

An alternative way of increasing the force that has to be applied to separate the cups is to provide between each alternate pair of adjacent ribs, a pair of projections which extend from the ribs circumferentially towards one another. On the inside of the cup wall is a row of studs. The width of the studs is slightly greater than the gap between the two projections of each pair so that when the cups are nested the studs pass up between the ribs, flexing the ribs circumferentially as the studs pass through the gap between the projections, and engaging behind the projections to assist in holding the cups together in a nested configuration. To facilitate removal of the cups from the mould, the projections may be provided only on the ribs in two diametrically opposite zones of the cup. The parts of the mould whioh form these zones may then be retractable to allow the undercuts on the cups, formed by the projection, to clear the mould wall.

Claims

1. A nestable container at least partially cf resilient plastics material comprising a bottom and a side wall, the side wall diverging generally upwardly from the bottom 5 wall to the lip, the container having surfaces which form stops and seals to limit the extent to which identical such containers can be nested one inside another and form a sealed space between the bottom walls of the containers, the container having holding means for releasably holding 10 identical such containers together when nested, the holding means comprising axially extending ribs disposed on one surface of the side wall , the ribs being so arranged as to engage a substantially cylindrical part of the other surface of the side wall of an identical container when the contai15 ners are nested to hold the containers together by frictional engagement, the crests of the ribs being substantially the same distance froa·. tiie axis of the containers throughout a significant part of their axial length.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the ribs 20 are formed cn the outside of the sidewall of the container.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which the ribs are placed on the upper half of the container.

4. A container according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the stops and the seals are formed by tha same sur25 faces.

5. A container according to claim 4 in which the stops and seals are formed by a continuous internal shoulder on the inside wall of the container near its bottom which abuts either a shoulder formed at the periphery of the 30 .bottom where if meets the side-wall or a continuous foot extending around the periphery of the bottom wall formed by a downwards extension of the side wall of an identical container.

6. A container according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the stops and the seals are provided by different surfaces.

7. A container according to claim 6 in which the 5 stops are provided by a series of internal projections distributed around the inside of the container near its bottom and either a shoulder formed at the periphery of the bottom where it meets the sidewall or a foot formed by a downward extension of the sidewalls beyond the bottom wall 10 Of the container.

8. A container according to claim 6 or 7 in which the sealing surfaces are provided by an outer surface of the side wall of the container and an inner surface of the side -wall of an identical container which make wiping con15 tact when the containers are nested together.

9. A container according to any of the preceding claims in which the bottom and sidewalls are formed as a single-piece moulding of plastics material.

10. A container according to any of claims 1 to 9 in 20 which the container is formed by injection moulding.

11. A container according to any of claims 1 to 10 in which the container is fabricated of polypropylene.

12. A container according to any of olaims 1 to 11 in which the container has an undercut on the inside adjacent 25 the lip. .

13. A stack of containers formed by nesting a plurality of containers, each container being according to any one of claims 1 to 12, including dry ingredients for a beverage in the spaces between the bottom walls of adjacent 30 pairs of containers.

14. A container substantially as hereinbefore descri 3 r, O3 - 9 bed with reference to the drawings accompanying the specification.