SPILLAGE FREE FLUID BOTTLE

Abstract

A spillage free fluid bottle has a partition plate with a first opening to allow the bottle to be tilted to a horizontal position with the outlet sprout positioned at the lowest position without fluid escaping out of the bottle. A second opening in the partition plate allows fluid to be injected into the lower reservoir section of the bottle during filling process of the bottle. The second opening is sealed by an insert, which is assembled into the fluid bottle after filling process.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oil spillage has been a common problem encountered during pouring engine oil from an oil bottle to the fill port of an automobile engine. Oil spillage is due to oil begins to escape out of bottle when the bottle is tilted to a certain degree, in which, the outlet sprout of the bottle is not yet emerged into the fill port of the engine. The use of a drain funnel adapted to the fill port of the engine can prevent oil spillage. But there is still a popular demand for a spill free oil bottle to prevent spillage without using the drain funnel.

One unsuccessful prior approach to the design of a spillage free fluid bottle is shown in FIG. 1. The fluid bottle has a convergent section in the upper section. The outlet sprout, which sits on the top of the convergent section, is nearly located to the right side of the fluid bottle. The intent of such arrangement is to allow the fluid bottle to be tilted counter clockwise to a certain degree without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. It becomes apparent that the less fluid content is stored in the bottle, the higher degree is allowed to tilt the bottle without fluid escaping out of the bottle. But the bottle with reduced storage capacity is not economical. Presumably, the ultimate design may allow the bottle to be tilted to a maximum 90 degree counter clockwise without fluid escaping out of bottle. In this case, the outlet sprout is positioned horizontally at relatively the highest elevation of the bottle without fluid escaping out of the bottle. But, when the bottle is positioned horizontally to approach to the fill port of the engine, there still exists a vertical distance between the outlet sprout of the bottle and the fill port of the engine. It has been proved that spillage can still occur in this case. This is due to the fact that the bottle needs to be tilted further beyond 90 degree to pass the vertical distance between the outlet sprout of the bottle and the fill port of the engine before the outlet sprout can be completely merged into the fill port of the engine. Consequently, fluid escapes out of the bottle as soon as the bottle is tilted beyond 90 degree.

Another unsuccessful prior approach to the design of a spillage free fluid bottle is to incorporate a baffle plate within the bottle adjacent to the outlet port. The baffle plate allows the bottle to be tilted to a larger degree without fluid escaping from the bottle. Therefore, the outlet port of the bottle can be aligned to the fill port of the engine before fluid escaping from the bottle. The drawback of this prior approach is that the baffle plate becomes a barrier during filling process of the bottle. This significantly slows down the filling process because fluid must be injected into fluid bottle in a small section above the baffle plate, and is then drained down to the main body of the bottle by gravity. There is also a possibility that oil spillage may occur during the filling process.

There are other prior approaches to the design of a spillage free fluid bottle such as adopting a rupture disc or spring biased device within the bottle, or a control device within the cap of the bottle . . . etc. These prior approaches present a serious risk of introducing a moving part into the engine if the incorporated device fails within the bottle.

Therefore, there is still a need to design a spillage free bottle that does not slow down the filling process of the bottle. Equally important, the fluid bottle must have a fail-safe design without a possibility of contaminating fluid content with foreign object. Finally, the manufacturing cost of such fluid bottle must be minimum.

The spillage free bottle of present invention has a horizontal partition plate that divides the bottle into an upper transition section and a lower reservoir section. The partition plate has a first opening located adjacent to a side wall of the bottle, and a second opening located below the outlet port of the bottle. The second opening is considered as a temporary opening for use only during the filling process of the bottle. The second opening allows fluid to be directly injected into the lower reservoir section of the bottle. As a result, the fluid bottle of present invention does not slow down the filing process, or encounter the possibility of spillage during the filling process. After completion of the filling process, an insert is assembled into the fluid bottle to completely seal the second opening. The insert is provided with openings and flow passage for purpose of transporting fluid out of fluid bottle during pouring.

The fluid bottle of present invention allows the fluid bottle to be tilted 90 degree, and allows the outlet sprout of fluid bottle to be positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation rather than the highest elevation of the bottle without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. This allows the outlet sprout of fluid bottle to be positioned immediately adjacent to the fill port of a fluid receiver without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. After completion of such immediate alignment, spillage is not likely to occur as fluid bottle being further tilted beyond 90 degree.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

One object of present invention is to provide a spillage free fluid bottle without slowing down the filling process of the bottle.

Another object of present invention is to provide a spillage free fluid bottle without containing a moving part or mechanical device within the bottle.

Another object of present invention is to provide a spillage free fluid bottle at minimum cost.

Another object of present invention is to allow the outlet sprout of fluid bottle to be positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation of the bottle without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the spillage free fluid bottle of prior art.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the insert of the second preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 2. The spillage free fluid bottle 1 comprises of a bottle body 2, an outlet sprout 3, an insert 4, a cap 5, and a horizontal partition plate 6. The partition plate 6 is integrally constructed within bottle body 2 with a side opening 7 and a center opening 8. The partition plate divides the internal volume of bottle body 2 into an upper transition section 9 and a lower reservoir section 10. The insert 4 is basically a hollow cylinder that consists of an externally threaded top end 11 for receiving screw cap 5, a collar 12 extended radially outward, an externally threaded midsection 13 for engaging with internal threads 14 of the outlet sprout 3, a plurality of peripheral openings 15, a closed bottom 16 with tapered end 17 matching the tapered end 18 of center opening 8 in partition plate 6, and an internal passage 19. Preferably, both threads 13 in insert 4 and threads 14 in sprout 3 are left hand threads so that insert 4 is assembled into bottle body 2 with left hand threads engagement. This is to ensure insert 4 is securely attached to bottle body 2 when an user unscrews the cap 5. The purpose of peripheral openings 15 and internal passage 19 is to transport fluid out of fluid bottle 1 during pouring.

The fluid bottle 1 is filled at a process plant prior to assembling insert 4 into bottle body 2. Fluid is directly injected into the lower reservoir section 10 through center opening 8 in partition plate 6 during filling process. After completion of filling process, insert 4 can be assembled into bottle body 2 through outlet sprout 3 by a capping machine rather than manually. Cap 5 is preferably pre-assembled to top end 11 of insert 4 prior to the capping process. During capping process, capping machine grips the collar 12 of insert 4 in lieu of cap 5 because the outside diameter of collar 12 is slightly larger than that of cap 5. Capping machine then screw the insert 4 into bottle body 2 until the tapered end 17 of insert 4 being engaged with the tapered end 18 of center opening 8, which completely seals opening 8. In the case that insert 4 and sprout 3 are engaged with left hand threads, capping machine must rotate counter clockwise.

It should be noted that the locations of outlet sprout 3 and side opening 7 are offset at a maximum distance. As shown in FIG. 4, outlet sprout 3 is located on top of the bottle body 2 adjacent to the right side of bottle body 2. Opening 7 is located next to the left side of bottle body 2. Opening 8 is centered along the vertical center line of the outlet sprout 3. Based on these arrangements, fluid bottle 1 must be tilted clockwise in order to prevent fluid escaping from side opening 7. Also, fluid bottle 1 must be tilted clockwise in order to position outlet sprout 3 at relatively the lowest elevation of fluid bottle 1. The fluid volume stored in lower reservoir section 10 is predetermined so that, when fluid bottle 1 is tilted 90 degree clockwise, no fluid will escape from side opening 7. It should be noted that, when fluid bottle is tilted 90 degree clockwise, the outlet sprout 3 is positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation of the fluid bottle 1. This allows the outlet sprout 3 to be positioned immediately adjacent to the fill port of a fluid receiver. After completion of such immediate alignment, spillage is not likely to occur as fluid bottle being further tilted beyond 90 degree. It becomes apparent that, when fluid bottle 1 is tilted up side down, fluid in lower reservoir section 10 will be diverted into upper transition section 9 through side opening 7, and then diverted from upper transition section 9 to the outlet sprout 3 through openings 15 and internal passage 19 of insert 4.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the insert of the second preferred embodiments. FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 5. The second preferred embodiments are different from the first preferred embodiments only in respect to the application of the insert. The construction of the bottle body 20 and partition plate 21 of second preferred embodiments shown in FIG. 7 is identical to the bottle body 2 and partition plate 6 of the first preferred embodiments. The insert 22 is assembled into fluid bottle 20 by pushing/sliding rather than by thread engagement proposed in the first preferred embodiments. Therefore, insert 22 becomes the simplified version of the insert 4 of the first preferred embodiments. The insert 22 has a top opening end 23, a plurality of peripheral openings 24 in the midsection, and a closed bottom 25 with tapered end 26 matching the tapered end 27 of center opening 28 in partition plate 21. Screw cap 29 is screwed onto the outlet sprout 30.

It is understood that fluid bottle of present invention in both first and second preferred embodiments must be tilted in the proper direction in order to avoid spillage during pouring. Graphical instruction markings 31 and 32 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 respectively are provided for indicating the proper direction for tilting the fluid bottle during pouring.

Claims

1. A spillage free fluid bottle comprises:

a enclosure body having an integrally connected sprout for transporting fluid, in which, said sprout is located at the top of said enclosure body adjacent to a first side wall of said enclosure body; and

a horizontal partition plate integrally connected to said enclosure body within said enclosure body, in which, said partition plate divides the internal volume of said enclosure body into an upper and lower sections, said partition plate has a first opening adjacent to a second side wall of said enclosure body opposite to said first side wall of said enclosure body, and said partition plate has a second opening centered along the vertical center line of said sprout; and

a insert body made of a hollow cylinder having a top opening end, a plurality of peripheral openings in midsection, and a closed bottom with tapered end that matches the tapered end of said second opening of said partition plate; and said insert body having an internal flow passage for transporting fluid between said top opening end and said peripheral openings;

Wherein:

fluid being injected directly into said lower section of said enclosure body through said sprout and said second opening of said partition plate prior to assembling said insert body into said fluid bottle; and

said insert body being assembled into said fluid bottle after a filling process, in which, said second opening of said partition plate is completely sealed by said tapered end of said closed bottom of said insert body; and

said fluid bottle capable of being tilted 90 degree so that said sprout is positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation of said fluid bottle without fluid escaping out of said fluid bottle.

2. In claim 1, said insert body also has first external threads at said top opening end for receiving a screw cap, a collar projected radially outward so that a capping machine can grip onto said collar to assemble said insert body into said fluid bottle, and second external threads in midsection between said collar and said peripheral openings; and said sprout has internal threads so that said insert body is assembled into said fluid bottle through thread engagement between said internal threads of said sprout and said second external threads of said insert body.

3. In claim 1, said insert body also has external right hand threads at said top opening end for receiving a screw cap, a collar projected radially outward so that a capping machine can grip onto said collar to assemble said insert body into said fluid bottle, and external left hand threads in midsection between said collar and said peripheral openings; and said sprout has internal left hand threads so that said insert body is assembled into said fluid bottle through thread engagement between said internal left hand threads of said sprout and said second external left hand threads of said insert body.

4. In claim 1, said sprout has external threads for receiving a screw cap, and said insert body is assembled into said fluid bottle by pushing with force before said screw cap being assembled onto said sprout.

5. In claims 2 and 3, said screw cap is pre-assembled onto said insert body prior to assembling said insert body into said fluid bottle.

6. In claims 2 and 3, said screw cap is assembled onto said insert body after assembling said insert body into said fluid bottle.

7. In claim 1, a graphical marking is provided on the outer surface of said fluid bottle for indicating the proper direction for tilting said fluid bottle during pouring.