Container having recessed tilting handle and method for stacking same
A stackable container for carrying and scooping material has a body, a lower handle mounted in a recess in the lower portion of the container body, and an optional upper handle attached to the upper portion of the container body. The lower handle is an elongated continuous member, like a stiff metal rod, shaped into a handle. When not in use, the lower handle can be stowed in the recess beneath an optional retainer flange. To use the lower handle, the handle can be urged from beneath the optional flange to extend outwardly from the container body. The optional upper handle is an elongated member with a grip mounted in the center. A total of three recesses in the exterior of the container body and three corresponding protuberances in the interior are used to stack multiple containers together.
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This application claims priority to provisional application 61/047,353, filed Apr. 23, 2008.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot Applicable.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for carrying and scooping material.
2. Relevant Art
One type of container having a handle is a bucket made up of a cylindrical body with a closed bottom end, an open top end, and a handle mounted in the upper portion of the bucket so that the handle swivels. Such a bucket can be filled with material, carried, and emptied of its contents. One way to fill the bucket is to pour material into it while it is standing upright. Another way to fill the bucket is to use it as a scoop.
One method for using the bucket as a scoop involves grasping the bucket's handle in one hand and swiveling it toward oneself while tipping up the bottom of the bucket with the other hand. This motion places the open mouth of the bucket either roughly parallel with the material to be scooped or facing downward toward the material, depending upon the height at which the bottom of the bucket is lifted. The bucket is then dragged through the material by pulling on the handle and pushing on the bottom of the bucket, or by simply pushing on the bottom of the bucket alone. At the end of the scooping action, the bottom of the bucket is dropped and the bucket is lifted by the handle. This causes the material captured by the scooping action to settle within the bucket.
Scooping material in this way can involve bending over at the waist so as to reach the material with the bucket. The lower the material to be scooped, the further one will likely need to bend to get at the material.
A bucket can be carried by a handle mounted near the top of the bucket. For heavier loads, one might be required to use two hands on the handle to carry the bucket. This generally calls for each hand to be placed side by side on the handle and the bucket to be held out in front of one as one walks. Because of the relatively great weight of the bucket's contents, the bucket typically needs to be carried close to the body. The position of the bucket held out in front of one and held close to the body makes a normal gait difficult, resulting in one taking smaller steps as the load is carried.
A handle of a bucket can also be useful in emptying contents from the bucket. One way to empty a bucket is to grasp the handle in one hand to stabilize the bucket and to grab the bottom of the bucket in the other hand. The bottom of the bucket is then tipped up. The lifting motion provided by the hand on the bottom of the bucket controls the rate at which the contents of the bucket are emptied.
When emptying a heavy bucket of material, the weight of the contents is lifted as the bottom of the bucket is initially tipped up. As the contents of the bucket pours out, the weight of the material remaining in the bucket naturally decreases, thereby requiring less effort to lift the remaining contents of the bucket. If the bucket of material is relatively heavy, initially tipping up the bottom of the bucket can make it difficult to control the speed at which the material is emptied from the bucket.
What is needed is a container that decreases the amount of bending required to scoop material into the container, that allows one to more conveniently carry heavy containers of material, and that provides more control when emptying material from a container.
SUMMARYIn accordance with the present invention, a container is provided that employs a lower handle and that allows for the stacking of multiple containers. With the present invention, the amount of bending required to scoop material into a container is decreased, carrying heavy containers of material is made more convenient, and more control is provided when emptying material from a container. A container embodying features of the present invention comprises a body having a sidewall and a lower handle assembly mounted in a recess in the lower portion of the body.
The body of the container has an enclosing bottom and an open top. The body also has multiple recesses in a lower portion of its exterior surface. The formation of each recess in the exterior surface produces a corresponding protuberance in the interior surface of the body. The recesses and protuberances together allow for the stacking of multiple containers.
The lower handle assembly is housed within one of the recesses in the lower portion of the exterior surface of the body of the container. Generally, the entire assembly is contained within the recess. The lower handle assembly contains a lower handle that is capable of extending outwardly from the recess and retracting back within the recess.
In some embodiments, an upper handle is attached to the upper portion of the container body. The upper handle is an elongated member that attaches loosely to the body. This loose attachment allows the upper handle to swivel in relation to the body of the container. In some of these embodiments, a grip is mounted over the center portion of the upper handle to afford more comfort in carrying the container.
In some embodiments, a retainer flange is attached to the top of the recess that houses the lower handle assembly. The retainer flange secures the handle portion of the lower handle assembly within the recess. The retainer flange is attached so as to be generally flush with the exterior surface of the body of the container. To use the lower handle, the handle is removed from the retainer flange and extended outwardly from the recess.
The lower handle is used in a variety of ways. One way is to help in scooping material into the container. Extending and grasping the lower handle allows one to stand more upright when getting at the material, as opposed to grabbing the bottom of the container and bending, or bending further, to reach the material.
The lower handle is also used in conjunction with an upper handle to carry a heavy container of material. By grasping the upper handle in one hand and the lower handle in the other, one is able to hold the container more to one side as one walks, allowing one generally to take fuller strides. By and large this would be preferable to carrying the container by two hands on the upper handle. Carrying the container in this manner can lead to the container being carried out in front of oneself close to the body, resulting in the likely need to take smaller steps.
Another way the lower handle is used is in emptying material from a container. By pulling up on the lower handle, rather than tipping up the bottom of the container, one generally has more control over the speed at which the material is emptied from the container, particularly when dealing with a heavy container of material. Pulling up on the lower handle, rather than tipping up the bottom of the container, can also make it easier to empty the container.
The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and to its method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodying the principles of the present invention is a container depicted in
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Although the present invention has been described in detail herein with reference to a certain preferred embodiment, other embodiments are possible. For example, in an alternate embodiment, either an upper handle 100, a lower handle 196, or both handles 100, 196 can be fitted with a protective sleeve or grip or the like to protect one from injury or discomfort while using a container 30. In another alternate embodiment, an upper handle 100, a lower handle 196, or both handles 100, 196 can be removable. In yet another alternate embodiment, an upper handle 100 can be formed as part of a body 40 of a container 30. Another alternate embodiment can include a spout for pouring from a container 30. Yet another alternate embodiment can include a container 30 with a lid for protecting material stored in the container 30. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiment contained herein.
Claims
1. Apparatus for carrying and scooping material, comprising:
- a container member having an open top, an enclosed bottom and an enclosing side wall extending from said top to said bottom;
- a handle attached to said container adjacent said top; and
- a handle assembly fitted with said container member adjacent said bottom, said handle assembly including a lower handle member and mounting means permitting said lower handle member to extend outwardly from said side wall to facilitate filling, carrying or emptying of said container member, said mounting means permitting said lower handle member to be stored along said side wall of said container member.
2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a recess in said side wall of said container member for receiving said lower handle member when stored.
3. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said lower handle member has a proximal end pivotally attached in said side wall forming said recess adjacent said bottom, said lower handle member being rotatable about said proximal end for storage within said recess.
4. The apparatus recited in claim 3 wherein said recess extends laterally from generally said bottom and along said side wall.
5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein said recess extends inwardly from said side wall and forms a protuberance inwardly of said container member.
6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein said lower handle member includes an elongated portion extending from said proximal end toward a distal end of said lower handle member, and a handle element at said distal end extending laterally from said elongated portion at said distal end.
7. The apparatus recited in claim 5 further comprising spaced supplementary recesses in said side wall of said container member, each supplementary recess extending laterally from generally said bottom and along said side wall and extending inwardly from said side wall and forming an additional spaced protuberance inwardly of said container member; and
- each supplementary recess of a substantially identical apparatus nested within said apparatus dimensioned and singularly positioned to be aligned with one said protuberance of said apparatus dimensioned and singularly positioned to mate with respective said supplementary recess of said substantially identical apparatus.
8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said upper handle member is generally U-shaped with each leg thereof pivotally attached at opposing locations along said side wall adjacent said top, each location being substantially equidistant from said lower handle member.
9. A container apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of nestable container members, each said container member having an open top, an enclosing bottom, an enclosing side wall extending between said top and said bottom, a first recess extending from generally said bottom along said side wall and forming a corresponding protuberance inwardly of said container member, and spaced supplementary recesses extending from generally said bottom along said side wall, each said supplementary recess forming a corresponding protuberance inwardly of said container member;
- an upper handle attached to each said container member adjacent said top;
- a lower handle assembly fitted within said first recess of each said container member; and
- said nestable container members nested such that each supplementary recess of a subsequent container member nested within a previous container member is dimensioned and singularly positioned to be aligned with one protuberance of said previous container member, said one protuberance dimensioned and singularly positioned to mate with respective said supplementary recess of said subsequent container member.
10. The container apparatus recited in claim 9 wherein each said nestable container member further comprises a stacking stop extending outwardly and about said side wall below said open top.
11. A container comprising:
- a body having an enclosed bottom, an open top, an interior surface and an exterior surface, said body being wider at said top and narrower at said bottom, a lower portion of said exterior surface containing a plurality of recesses for stacking multiple containers such that each said recess produces a corresponding protuberance in a lower portion of said interior surface of said body;
- an elongated upper handle attached to an upper portion of said body; and
- a lower handle assembly generally contained within a first recess of said plurality of recesses in said exterior surface of said body for assisting in use of said container, said lower handle assembly including a lower handle and mounting means permitting said lower handle to selectively extend outwardly from said first recess and retract back therein.
12. The container recited in claim 11, wherein said first recess has a top end and a bottom end, said lower handle assembly further including a pair of opposing, spaced, parallel support ribs attached longitudinally along a center portion of said first recess and extending from generally said top end of said first recess to proximate said bottom end of said first recess, said support ribs substantially equal in length, each said support rib having a pivot hole extending through a lower portion thereof; and
- said lower handle being formed from an elongated member with a pair of legs substantially equal in length, a lower end of each said leg splayed outwardly substantially laterally such that each said leg fits within said pivot hole of an adjacent one of said support ribs, and said lower handle having at an upper end thereof a handle element to permit grasping and holding of said lower handle.
13. The container recited in claim 11, further comprising a flange attached to said body within said first recess for selectively securing said lower handle retracted in said first recess.
14. The container recited in claim 11, wherein said first recess forms a corresponding first protuberance within said container, a second recess being formed of a corresponding second protuberance, a third recess being formed of a corresponding third protuberance with said first, second, and third protuberances spaced about said interior surface and of approximately equal width.
15. The container recited in claim 14 wherein said first recess has a height extending above said bottom greater than a corresponding height of said second recess, and said second recess has a height extending above said bottom greater than a corresponding height of said third recess.
16. A container apparatus comprising:
- three nestable container members, each said container member having an open top, an enclosed bottom, an enclosed side wall extending between said top and said bottom, and three spaced recesses extending laterally from generally said bottom and along said side wall and extending inwardly from said side wall and forming corresponding spaced protuberances inwardly of said container member, each said protuberance substantially equal in height and width to a corresponding said recess;
- a first recess taller than a second recess, and said second recess taller than a third recess, and said first, second, and third recesses substantially equal in width;
- a vertical centerline of said first recess being angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of said second recess, and said vertical centerline of said second recess being angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of said third recess, and said vertical centerline of said third recess being angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees from said vertical centerline of said first recess;
- an upper portion of a first protuberance of a first container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a second recess of a second container member, said second container member nested within said first container member, and an upper portion of a second protuberance of said first container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a third recess of said second container member; and
- an upper portion of a first protuberance of said second container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a second recess of a third container member, said third container member nested within said second container member, and an upper portion of a second protuberance of said second container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a third recess of said third container member;
- such that said second container member nested within said first container member is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to said first container member, and said third container member nested within said second container member is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to said second container member and angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees with respect to said first container member.
17. A method for stacking nestable containers, each container having a plurality of recesses and corresponding protuberances formed of the recesses, said method comprising the steps of:
- aligning recesses of a subsequent container with protuberances of a previous container;
- stacking the subsequent container within the previous container such that each aligned recess of the subsequent container fits over a portion of a respective protuberance of the previous container;
- repeating said aligning and stacking steps in sequence until a last container has been stacked.
18. The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of recesses are a first recess, a second recess, and a third recess, and the corresponding protuberances are a first protuberance, a second protuberance, and a third protuberance.
19. The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in claim 18, wherein said aligning step includes aligning a second recess of the subsequent container with a first protuberance of the previous container, and aligning a third recess of the subsequent container with a second protuberance of the previous container; and
- said stacking step includes fitting the second recess of the subsequent container over an upper portion of the first protuberance of the previous container, and fitting the third recess of the subsequent container over an upper portion of the second protuberance of the previous container.
20. The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in claim 19, wherein a vertical centerline of a first recess is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of a second recess, and the vertical centerline of the second recess is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of a third recess, and the vertical centerline of the third recess is angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees from the vertical centerline of the first recess;
- such that the subsequent container nested within the previous container is angularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to the previous container, and another subsequent container nested within the subsequent container is angularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees with respect to the previous container.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 13, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 29, 2009
Applicant:
Inventors: Bryan P. Dunford (Pleasant Grove, UT), Steve M. Rindlisbacher (Lehi, UT)
Application Number: 12/291,786
International Classification: B65D 21/00 (20060101); B65D 25/00 (20060101);