DEVICE IN FORM OF A CONTAINER

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

The present invention was developed to solve a practical problem connected with vehicle use. In using vehicles, a number of different containers are most often employed to hold, for example, spare fuel, engine oil, oil for direct injection engines, lead additives, screenwash, sand, etc. Tools, jump leads, tow rope, removable hitch, light bulbs and the suchlike also lack methodical organisation or a storage space inside the vehicle. The invention detailed here solves this.

There are many disadvantages with traditional containers, plastic bottles, jerry cans, etc. Consequently, many people choose not to carry spares. One reason for this is that they take up room in the luggage storage space. When driving, it often happens that containers topple and move around in the vehicle. They may also roll under seats and, in the worst case, interfere with the driver's use of the pedals. People are also keen to avoid carrying fuel cans along with other luggage, food and clothes. In estate cars, the luggage space is not separated off and fuel and other fumes can spread into the passenger compartment.

When travelling on holiday, people normally want to use all the available space for luggage. Hence, jerry cans and the suchlike are left at home. However, a jerry can is particularly desirable precisely when holidaying to and/or in places where the travellers do not know the location of filling stations.

Extra screenwash is used in wintry conditions when it is, therefore, desirable to carry extra.

Currently, a vast number of container designs are used for different contents. The idea behind the present invention is the standardisation of a single design that is better adapted to the design of vehicles. The smaller and more compact a vehicle is developed to be, the fewer the extra storage spaces or nooks and crannies where a jerry can or other container, etc. can be carried. However, there is one

space that is most often unused, namely, the space inside the rim of the spare wheel. The latter is most usually carried under the floor of the luggage compartment.

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a simple solution to the storage problem presented by containers for various liquids, tools, warning triangle, towing hook, spare light bulbs, fuses, etc. in a vehicle.

The container (1) is designed to fit into the space (4) inside the rim of the spare wheel (5). As it is designed to fit into the unused space (4) inside the rim, the container (1) has a suitable location where it will not move around and where it does not take up stowage space in the vehicle's luggage compartment. The container can be designed to fill either all or parts of the space. If the container fills all the space, the design can also incorporate various sections that would enable it to hold various liquids/solids. It could also have an open section for storing tools, towing hook, warning triangle and the suchlike. One design could be, for example, that the container fills a third of the space so that the entire space could be used for three containers with, perhaps, different contents. Suitable examples of the latter could be petrol, screenwash, sand, etc. Alternatively, one section could be for tools and spares, e.g. light bulbs and fuses.

In the long-term, the invention could result in the container (1) becoming standard and it being possible to buy a container filled with fuel or screenwash or sand. When the container runs out, a new one holding the appropriate product could be bought.

It is important that the container is made of a material that is suitable for recycling. The container (1) should preferably have a design that makes it easy to pour out its contents. It could have a screw cap (2) with, inside this, a spout that can be pulled out of the container (1) - when it has been opened - and then poked back in after use. The container could have a simple tap such as the type widely used

on bag-in-box wine containers. The container (1) could have a handle (3) that could also form a mount for a funnel that could be detached when necessary. Example variants are many and embrace the ethos of this invention, i.e. placing a container (1) and/or tools, warning triangle, detachable hook, etc. inside the inner part of the spare wheel (5).

As regards appearance, the container (1) could be made in different colours for different contents (thereby reducing the risk of confusion). The container could also be given an appealing design.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is described in some detail with the assistance of 5 figures. Figure 1 shows the container in two of its fundamental formats.

Figure 2 shows a spare wheel from two different angles.

Figure 3 shows a container placed inside the spare wheel.

Figure 4 shows a container with several compartments.

Figure 5 shows a container with several compartments, including open compartments for tools and accessories.

A FIRST DESIGN POSSIBILITY

Figure 1 shows a "banana-shaped" container (1a) and a "cake-slice-shaped" container (1b), each of which fits inside the rim (4) of the spare wheel. The container (1) is designed to fit inside the central part of the spare wheel's rim (4) and take up approximately 1/3 ^rd of the space there. In this way, three different containers with different liquids can be kept inside the wheel. By having the container (1) take up one third of the space, it can be dimensioned to fit, for example, 14-inch rims. Thus, larger diameter wheels will also easily accommodate 3 containers (1). A further optimum design would be to dimension for a larger rim

(4), a smaller wheel diameter then being possibly able to accommodate 2 containers.

A container can be designed to be completely open or partly/wholly lidded, its inside being organised to hold spare light bulbs, fuses, popular tools, etc.

Another design could be as per figure 4, in which the container is circular and is accommodated centrally within the rim. To hold different contents, the container can have one or more sections separated by intermediate walls. Each section has a purpose-designed screw cap and a spout that can be extracted from the container.

Figure 5 shows a variant that has space for tools as well as towing hook, tow rope, jump leads, first-aid kit and the suchlike. In the figure, these are indicated as (8) tools, (9) spare bulbs, etc. The space can also be designed to accommodate a scissors jack and/or a warning triangle (7) that, to stand firm when all or parts of the unit are deployed at the side of the road when there is a hazard, can be an integral part of the container. There can also be a void (8) to provide for however the spare wheel is secured.

The goal of the invention is that it should become a standard article for several makes of cars, in a manner analogous to Bosch's manufacture of components - e.g. starter motors - that are used in several different makes of cars. Integrating the contents described in this document into the centre of the wheel would prove beneficial in car accidents as everyone would know the location of spare fuel, tools, warning triangle, first-aid kit, firefighting aids, e.g. powder extinguisher, emergency equipment, etc. irrespective of the make of car.

A further aim of the invention is to collect all emergency facilities into a single area and thus establish an international standard. Depending on each market's priorities, there can be many different combinations. It is important to take environmental aspects into consideration. One possible design could thus be to have the unit form part of a "replacement cycle", perhaps with a refundable deposit

system and the possibility of sponsorship from insurance companies and similar (possibly against advertising space).