Stacking containers

Abstract

A stacking bottling has a bifurcated base portion providing a pair of legs defining a channel therebetween, a body portion with a generally rectangular cross section, and a top portion providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base portion of a second bottle of like dimension and configuration. The adjacent side surfaces of the top and base portions has interfitting projections and recesses to limit relative horizontal movement of the stacked bottles. Preferably, the side surfaces of the legs of the base portion have the projections and the side surfaces of the handle or the spout have the recesses.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to containers and, more particularly to stacking containers.

Synthetic resin containers are widely employed for various types of products. Those which carry liquids are frequently called bottles. Many containers have configuration to facilitate handling and spouts to facilitate pouring larger containers frequently have carrying handles formed as a part thereof. Moroever, such containers may employ body portions having a variety of cross sectional configurations.

To conserve volume in cartons in which the containers are placed, they may have top and bottom portions which are configured to permit stacking such as a recess in the bottom portion to seat the handle and spout of a container therebelow such as shown in Maynard, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,454 and Srokose et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,858. Other merely provide flat surfaces on the top and bottom such as Soehnlen et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,455.

Unfortunately, if the containers of the stack are able to move horizontally, this produces unstable misalignment of the containers and stacks of the containers in a point of purchase displays can collapse.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel stacking containers which are economical to form and stable when stacked.

It is also an object to provide such containers which employ a relatively small space.

Another object is to provide a stacking container which is easily stacked and is relatively stable and able to limit relative horizontal movement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects are readily attained in a stacking bottle having a bifurcated base portion providing a pair of legs defining a channel therebetween, a body portion having a generally rectangular cross section and a top portion providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base portion of a second bottle of like dimension and configuration. The adjacent side surfaces of the top and base portions have interfitting projections and recesses to limit relative horizontal movement of the stacked bottles.

Preferably, the side surfaces of the legs of the base portion have the projections and the side surfaces of one of the handle and spout have the recesses. The projections and recesses are oriented vertically.

Desirably, the rectangular cross section is substantially square, and the axis of the channel extends perpendicularly relative to the axis of the handle. The legs have a cross section in which the inwardly oriented opposing side surfaces of each of the legs defining the channel converge to the interfitting projections and the handles have the cooperating recesses.

The spout and handle portions lie along a common horizontal axis and the side walls of the legs defining the channel are inclined inwardly. The side of surfaces of the handle are inclined inwardly to cooperate with the side surfaces of the legs defining the channel, and the legs of the base portion have a horizontal bottom surface. The projections have opposed surfaces which are inclined inwardly and the recesses are cooperatively configured.

Most conveniently the recesses are on the side surfaces of the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a stackable bottle embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a stacked pair of bottles;

FIG. 6 is a similar view with the pair rotated 180°; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the engagement of the projections on the side walls of the recess seated in the recesses of the handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning first to FIGS. 1-4 of the attached drawings, a bottle A embodying the present invention has a base portion generally designated by the numeral 10, a body portion generally designated by the numeral 12 and a top portion generally designated by the numeral 14. Containers embodying the present invention can be stacked as seen in FIGS. 5 and 7.

Turning first to the base portion 10, it has a pair of legs 16 which are spaced apart diagonally so as to define a channel 18 therebetween. The general cross section of the bottle is that of a square and the legs 16 are located at diagonal corners of the square configuration. Each of the legs 16 has two outer substantially vertical faces 20,22 which are perpendicular to each other and two substantially vertical inner faces 21, 23 which converge inwardly and a projection 28 extends along the upper portion of the converging sides surfaces. The bottom surfaces 30 of the legs 16 lie in a common plane so that the bottle A can be stably seated on a support surface (not shown).

The surfaces 21, 23 slope upwardly and inwardly as does the projection 28. The body portion 12 is essentially square with rounded comers and can be of any desired length. Recesses (not shown) can be provided on one or more of the outer surfaces of the body portion for labels and the like.

Turning next to the top portion 14, it has a relatively planar top wall 32 and at one of the comers, is a spout 34 with a pour opening 36. Extending therefrom to the diagonally opposite corner is a inverted generally U-shaped handle 38 which has recesses 40 formed on the sides thereof to seat the projections 28 formed on the side surfaces of the legs 16 in the base portion 10. The side surfaces of supporting legs of the handle 38 slope inwardly and upwardly as seen in FIG. 2.

As seen in FIGS. 5-7, the bottle A of the present design is seated on the support surface and a like configured bottle B is placed thereon with the handle 38 and spout fitting into the bottom channel 18 in the base portion 10. As indicated previously and as best seen in FIG. 7, the projections 28 on the side surfaces of the legs 16 defining the channel 18 seat in the recesses 40 formed in the side of the handle 28. The legs 16 of the superposed bottle B seat on flat surfaces of the top wall 32 and the projections 28 seat in the recesses 40 to substantially preclude movement in a horizontal plane.

It will be appreciated that the inwardly sloping side surfaces on the legs and handle allows these surfaces to abut and limit movement. The sloping surfaces on the legs of the handle extend oppositely to the cooperating surfaces of the legs so that the projections on the legs slide easily downwardly into the recesses on the handle. Once seated, relative horizontal motion is substantially precluded.

As will be readily appreciated, the cross section of the bottle may vary but rectangular, and preferably square, to facilitate close packing, particularly in cartons and on pallets. The spout may have a simple cap or include other elements.

Thus, it can be seen from the foregoing detailed description and the attached drawings that the containers of the present invention stack easily and are essentially precluded from horizontal movement, thus providing a more stable stack. The containers are readily fabricated and easily stacked.

Claims

1. A stacking bottle having:

(a) a bifurcated base portion providing a pair of legs defining a channel therebetween;

(b) a body portion having a generally rectangular cross section; and

(c) a top portion providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base portion of a second bottle of like dimension and configuration, the adjacent side surfaces of said top and base portions having interfitting projections and recesses to limit relative horizontal movement of the stacked bottles.

2. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein the side surfaces of said legs of said base portion have said projections and the side surfaces of one of said handle and spout have said recesses.

3. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projections and recesses are oriented vertically.

4. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said body portion has a rectangular cross section and the axis of said channel extends perpendicularly relative to the axis of said handle.

5. The bottle in accordance with claim 4 wherein said rectangular cross section is substantially square.

6. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said legs have a cross section in which the inwardly oriented opposing side surfaces of each of said legs defining said channel converge to said intermitting projections and said handles have said cooperating recesses.

7. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spout and handle portions lie along a common horizontal axis.

8. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein the side walls of said legs defining said channel are inclined inwardly.

9. The bottle in accordance with claim 8 wherein the side of surfaces of said handle are inclined inwardly to cooperate with said side surfaces of said legs defining said channel.

10. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said top portion has a horizontal surface about said handle and spout.

11. The bottle in accordance with claim 10 wherein said legs of said base portion have a horizontal bottom surface.

12. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projections have opposed surfaces which are inclined inwardly and said recesses are cooperatively configured.

13. The bottle in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recesses are on the side surfaces of said handle.

14. A stacking bottle having:

(a) a bifurcated base portion providing a pair of legs defming a channel therebetween;

(b) a body portion having a generally square cross section;

(c) a top portion providing an inverted U-shaped handle and a spout which are configured and dimensioned to seat in the channel of the base portion of a second bottle of like dimension and configuration, the adjacent side surfaces of said top and base portions having interfitting projections and recesses to limit relative horizontal movement of the stacked bottles, said projections and recesses being oriented vertically; and

(e) the axis of said channel extends perpendicularly relative to the axis of said handle, the side surfaces of said legs of said base portion having said projections and the side surfaces of one of said handle and spout having said recesses.

15. The bottle in accordance with claim 14 wherein said legs have a cross section in which the inwardly oriented opposing side surfaces of each of said legs defining said channel converge to said intermitting projections and said handles have said cooperating recesses and said spout and handle portions lie along a common horizontal axis.

16. The bottle in accordance with claim 14 wherein the side walls of said legs defining said channel are inclined inwardly and the side of surfaces of said handle are inclined inwardly to cooperate with said side surfaces of said legs defining said channel.

17. The bottle in accordance with claim 14 wherein said top portion has a horizontal surface about said handle and spout and said legs of said base portion have a horizontal bottom surface.