FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001 ] The present invention relates to the field of portable industrial liquid container, including bulk containers for liquid chemicals, other liquids and viscous or liquid foods.

[0002] In one form, the invention relates to an industrial liquid container for smooth pouring of liquids.

[0003] In one particular aspect the present invention is suitable for use as a stackable container for transport of dangerous goods.

[0004] It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention in relation to fuel containment, however it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to that use only and can be used for a wide range of industrial liquids, including those classed as dangerous.

BACKGROUND ART

[0005] It is to be appreciated that any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the present invention. Further, the discussion throughout this specification comes about due to the realisation of the inventor and/or the identification of certain related art problems by the inventor. Moreover, any discussion of material such as documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention in terms of the inventor's knowledge and experience and, accordingly, any such discussion should not be taken as an admission that any of the material forms part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia, or elsewhere, on or before the priority date of the disclosure and claims herein.

[0006] Many liquid transport containers used in industry today are derived from German designed pressed steel liquid containers made for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel. These containers known as Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister, (but referred to in colloquial English as 'jerrycans') were a significant improvement on earlier designs which required tools and funnels to use. To facilitate fast filling and draining, it was fitted with a large spout and flip top closure. A hole in the closure retainer made it possible to fit a lead seal. The jerrycans were of rectangular shape so they could be stacked. Indentations in the pressed metal sides ensured that a full can would not be severely damaged when falling from a vehicle. A dip coat of paint on the inside protected it from corrosion.

[0007] The German design was so useful that it was reverse engineered and substantially copied for use by the US army. The welds of the German design were replaced with rolled seams to avoid leakage. For use as fuel containers, the lining was removed, the weight was reduced and a wrench and funnel were required. A similar water container was also adopted, with a flip-top lid and enamel lining.

[0008] Jerrycans became so important to allied fuel supply during World War II that President Roosevelt commented that "Without these cans it would have been impossible for our armies to cut their way across France at a lightning pace which exceeded the German Blitzkrieg of 1940."

[0009] Meanwhile when the British army first saw the German fuel cans during the invasion of Norway in 1940, they immediately saw the advantages of the design, which was superior to their tin plate containers referred to as 'flimsies' due to their lack of robustness. Flimsies tended to leak and were easily punctured. They were considered as only usable for a single trip and were usually discarded at their destination.

[0010] The British used captured German fuel cans, preferring their three-handle design which allowed two empty cans to be carried in each hand. Furthermore, the sides of the can were marked with cross-like indentations that strengthened the can while allowing the contents to expand, as did an air pocket under the handles when the can was filled correctly. The air pocket allowed the container to float if dropped in water. Rather than a screw cap, the containers used a cam lever release mechanism with a short spout secured with a snap closure and an air-pipe to the air pocket which enabled smooth pouring. The interior was also lined with an impervious plastic, first developed for steel beer barrels that would allow the can to be used for either water or gasoline. The can was welded and had a gasket for a leak-proof mouth. The British design is still used for standard fuel containers in the armies of NATO countries.

[001 1 ] Several designs of industrial liquid transport containers have evolved from the aforementioned jerrycan designs. Such designs are illustrated in US D636,056 S (Pritchard), US 2012/0187005 (Pritchard). Importantly they must be economical to manufacture in large numbers, they must stack efficiently and they must meet appropriate national and international standards for the transportation of industrial goods.

[0012] One of the problems associated with such containers is 'glugging' or large, sudden variations in flow volume. This typically causes splashing of the liquid, leading to wastage or even safety issues when the liquid is classed as dangerous. Glugging is caused by a pressure differential between the inside and exterior of the container as liquid is poured from the container. EP0027283 describes the use of a venting tube which intrudes into the interior of the container from the pouring opening to maintain atmospheric pressure in the container and enable the liquid to be smoothly poured.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0013] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable industrial liquid container.

[0014] A further object of the present invention is to alleviate problems associated with pouring liquid from industrial liquid containers of the prior art.

[0015] It is an object of the embodiments described herein to overcome or alleviate at least one of the above noted drawbacks of related art systems or to at least provide a useful alternative to related art systems.

[0016] In a first aspect of embodiments described herein there is provided a portable liquid container comprising a container body having four side walls intermediate a generally rectangular top surface and rectangular base, wherein an elongate carrying handle is integrally formed along a diagonal of the top surface with one end of the handle terminating adjacent a port, and a correspondingly shaped recess is integrally formed along a diagonal of the base.

[0017] Where used herein the term 'diagonal' is given its ordinary geometrical interpretation as a straight line joining two nonadjacent angles or vertices of a polygon. In a rectangle, the diagonal joins opposite corners but is not an edge.

[0018] Another problem associated with liquid containers of the prior art, is structural weakness which leads to structural failure (such as rolling, creasing, splitting or buckling) when the container is under load stress. This is particularly evident when the container is stacked. Regulatory requirements for liquid containers tend to vary according to the physical attributes and any safety hazards associated with the liquid being contained.

[0019] The portable liquid container of the present invention may address the problem of structural failure by including one or more of the following features: a. one or more chamfered corners; b. one or more recessed rectangular facets at an edge of the top surface and an edge of the base; c. one or more pairs of ribs located adjacent the shared edge of adjacent

walls; d. one or more locating lugs positioned in the vicinity of the vertices; to

facilitate alignment of the containers when stacked; e. at least one bridge associated with a locating lug in the base; f. locating the port higher than the handle; g. having handle of solid cross section; and h. optimising the ratio of port neck height compared to depth of the handle recess in the top surface.

[0020] In another aspect of embodiments described herein there is provided a method of pouring liquid from the portable liquid container of the present invention, the method including the steps of: grasping the handle with a first hand, contacting the fingers of a second hand in the bridge in the container base, then, whilst maintaining finger contact with the bridge, raising the base of the container such that liquid inside the container flows towards the port.

[0021 ] The portable liquid container of the present invention has a top surface that may include a number of alternating raised and recessed features while the base has a number of complementary shaped recessed and raised features. This configuration allows the container to be secured in a stacked configuration with a second container.

[0022] In yet a further aspect of embodiments described herein there is provided a method of stacking containers of the present invention, the method including the steps of: positioning the handle associated with the top surface of a first container in a complementary shaped recess in the base of a second container, and, optionally, positioning one or more locating lugs associated with the top surface of a first container in one or more complementary recess in a second container.

[0023] The container of the present invention can be made of any convenient manufacturing process using appropriate materials. Typically, the container would be blow moulded from a suitable material such as a polymer. Polyethylene is particularly preferred although many other suitable polymers will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art. [0024] Other aspects and preferred forms are disclosed in the specification and/or defined in the appended claims, forming a part of the description of the invention.

[0025] In essence, embodiments of the present invention stem from the realization that the problem of glugging associated with liquid containers of the prior can addressed location of the handle and port along a diagonal of the container. In order not to compromise the strength and robustness of the container, the position of various other features and the thickness of the construction material can be optimised.

[0026] Advantages provided by the present invention comprise the following:

• resists glugging and promotes smooth liquid flow,

• stackable,

• structure can be optimised so the container complies with relevant regulations associated with the liquid being contained,

• economical to manufacture.

[0027] Further scope of applicability of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosure herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Further disclosure, objects, advantages and aspects of preferred and other embodiments of the present application may be better understood by those skilled in the relevant art by reference to the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the disclosure herein, and in which: FIG 1 illustrates a perspective view of the container clearly showing the top surface;

FIG 2 illustrates a perspective view of the container of FIG 1 clearly showing the base;

FIG 3 illustrates a side view of the container of FIG 1 ; and

FIG 4 illustrates the distribution (thickness) of the polymer comprised in the container of FIG 1 .

FIG 5 illustrates a plot of load (kg) against vertical displacement (mm) for top load testing of a 20 litre volume container as shown in FIG 1 . Curve (1 ) corresponds to the displacement results for an empty container without structural refinement at a weight of 1 .2Kg. Curves (4) and (2) correspond to the empty container with the added structure refinement at weight of 1 .2kg (4) and 980g (2). Curve (5) (1 .2kg) and Curve (3) (980g) are for the same container which has been filled with fluid.

FIG 6 illustrates the result of top load stress testing of a 20 litre volume container as shown in FIG 1 . In brief, top load stress testing was carried out by applying increasing weight to the top of the container. Fig 6 is a contour plot of the stress distribution (von mises or equivalent stress) for a 1 .2Kg empty container at the first peak in the load curve shown in Fig 5. This would be the expected fail point.

FIG 7 illustrates the result of pressure testing of a 20 litre volume container as shown in FIG 1 viewed from the side. In general, pressure testing is carried out by filling the container with water and pressurising it with gas to locate any areas that fail or leak. Fig 7 is the resultant contour plot of the stress distribution of a container at a weight of 1 .2 kg under an internal pressure of 3.5 Bar. Material yield for the test material is 28 Mpa and the plot shows the regions where plastic yielding has occurred.

FIG 8 illustrates the result of pressure testing of a 20 litre volume container as shown in FIG 7 viewed from the top. FIG 9 illustrates three embodiments of a container according to the present invention; FIG 9a (a non-optimal embodiment) in which the neck is fully recessed and extends no further than the top of the container; FIG 9b (the optimal embodiment) in which part of the neck is recessed and part of the neck extends beyond the top of the container; and FIG 9c (a non-optimal embodiment) in which the neck is not recessed and extends fully above the top of the container.

LIST OF PARTS

[0029] The numerals used in the abovementioned non-limiting illustrations of embodiment of the container correspond to the following parts:

I container body 2 container wall

3 container top 4 container base

5 handle 6 port

7 neck 8 recess in top

9 chamfered vertices 10 locating lugs

I I recessed facets in top 12 recessed facets in base

13 recess in base for receiving locating 14 recess in base for receiving handle

lugs

15 bridge 16 cap

17 upper stacked container 18 lower stacked container

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] For purposes of description herein, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical" (in the direction of the y-axis), "horizontal" (in the direction of the x- axis), "interior," "exterior," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 3. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific device and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, it is to be understood that discussion of a particular feature of component extending in or along a given direction or the like does not mean that the feature or component follows a straight line or axis in such a direction or that it only extends in such direction or on such a plane without other directional components or deviations, unless otherwise specified.

[0031 ] In FIG 1 the container is illustrated in a perspective view with the container body (1 ) tilted to clearly disclosed the top (3). In FIG 2 the container is illustrated in a perspective view with the container body (1 ) tilted to clearly disclosed the base (4). In FIG 1 it can be seen that the handle (5) is elongate, the longitudinal axes of the handle being elongate to the diagonal of the top of the container (indicated as A-A'). The port (6) with screw threaded neck (7) is located at one end of the handle (5) and adjacent a vertex of the container body (1 ). A correspondingly threaded cap (not shown) can be applied to the neck for containment of liquid.

[0032] The handle (5) is solid in cross section and resides within a recess (8) in the top (3) of the container body. A solid handle construction prevents the liquid contents of the container from flowing into the handle (as it would if the handle were hollow). This facilitates cleaning for re-use or re-cycling of the container. The generally T-shape of the handle stiffens the adjacent areas and has a positive effect on performance of the container in pressure testing.

[0033] The port (6) is of relatively wide diameter when compared with the width of the handle (5). This contributes to smooth flow of liquid out of the port by allowing air to continuously enter the container as the liquid is poured out and avoids glugging.

[0034] The height of the neck (7) above the top (3) compared to the amount of depression of the recess (8) around the handle (5) is an important ratio and is selected to meet material thickness needs.

[0035] Specifically, different configurations of the neck (7) relative to the recess (8) will have different effects on the blow moulding process. This is illustrated and discussed with reference to FIG 9, which illustrates two containers according to the present invention stacked with the base (4) of the upper container resting on the top (3) of the lower container.

[0036] FIG 9a illustrates one extreme in which the lower container (18) neck (7) and screw cap (16) are shown to be fully recessed and extend no further than the top (3) of the lower container (1 ). Concomitantly, the upper container (17) has a planar base (4) and does not need to include a recess in which the neck (7) and cap (16) may reside. This embodiment is not optimal because although the material comprising the base (4) is thick, the top (3) of the lower container (18) on which it rests is unacceptably thin.

[0037] FIG 9c illustrates an alternate extreme in which the lower container (18) neck (7) and screw cap (16) are not recessed and extend fully above the top (3) of the lower container (18). Concomitantly, the upper container (17) has a recess that is sufficient for the neck (7) and cap (16) to reside. This embodiment is not optimal because the material comprising the top (3) of the lower container 918) is thick, the base (4) of the upper container is too thin.

[0038] FIG 9b illustrates an optimal embodiment which is intermediate the arrangement shown in FIG 9a and FIG 9c. FIG 9b shows an embodiment in which part of the neck (7) and screw cap (16) are recessed and part extends beyond the top (3) of the lower container 918). The base (4) of the upper container (17) includes a recess to receive that part of the neck (7) and screw cap (16) that extend beyond the top (3). The resultant blow moulding of this embodiment provides bottles that have both base and top of similar thickness that provides acceptable strength.

[0039] Placement and configuration of the handle (5) and port (6) relative to the top (3) of the container body (1 ) is only part of a design optimisation process for a liquid container. Other features must be carefully selected and located to ensure that the container meets all relevant structural and safety requirements.

[0040] Typically, the container of the present invention would be extrusion blow moulded - a process that includes the steps of clamping a tube-like piece of polymer called a parison into a mold, heating the polymer and blowing air through it. The air pressure pushes the polymer out to match the shape of the mold. The polymer is then cooled until it has hardened before the mold is opened up and the container ejected.

[0041 ] In this embodiment the container body (1 ) includes chamfered vertices (9). When the container body (1 ) is manufactured by blow moulding, having chamfered vertices reduces the distance the moulding material has to travel when blown, so that it is of adequate thickness and concomitantly provides adequate resistance to buckling and failure.

[0042] In this embodiment the container body (1 ) also includes a recessed rectangular facet (1 1 ) at the centre of three of the edges of the top (3). A recessed rectangular facet (12) is also included at the centre of three of the edges of the base (4). The four walls (2) are moulded to include a thick vertical centre strip as shown in FIG 4 and the facets (1 1 ,12) as shown in FIG 1 , 2 and 3 are located at the top and bottom of the strips to resist roll. The position and size of the facets (1 1 , 12) tend to have a synergistic effect in combination with the chamfered vertices (9) with respect to providing structural strength of the container.

[0043] In this embodiment the container body (1 ) also includes a pair of vertical ribs of polymeric material located adjacent each edge formed by meeting of walls meet. The vertical ribs can be seen in the material contour plots of FIG 4.

[0044] Liquid containers according to the present invention are typically stacked and it is important that the stack is stable, strong and uses space efficiently. It is also important that the containers remain structurally sound when exposed to stacking forces.

[0045] As can be seen from FIG 2, the base (4) includes a recess (14) that corresponds generally to the shape of the handle (5) shown in FIG 1 and contributes to stable stacking of the containers.

[0046] As can be seen from FIG 1 , the container body includes locating lugs (10) in the form of bosses rising from the top (3). As can be seen from FIG 2, the container body also includes correspondingly shaped locating lug recesses (13). The locating lugs (10) and locating lug recesses (13) are adjacent vertices in order to facilitate alignment of the containers when stacked. Structurally, the locating lugs tend to resist creasing along the diagonal (Β-Β') to increase the load the container can bear and to improve stability by resisting 'trampolining' of the top (3).

[0047] FIG 2 shows one locating lug recess (13) combined with a bridge (15) in the base (4) of the container body (1 ). The bridge (15) resists failure between the locating lug recess (13) and the handle recess (14). The bridge (15) also provides a handy finger grip for a user. It promotes pouring with the neck (7) oriented at the highest point of the container and thus contributes to smooth flow of liquid without glugging.

[0048] FIG 4 to FIG 8 illustrates the results of various tests (pressure and top load) applied to a 20 litre version of the container illustrated in FIG 1 . These figures show quantitatively the effect from the addition of the structural elements to the container. The plots are used to assess the regions of high stress concentration and likely regions of failure of the container.

[0049] In general, specific safety regulations relating to the loading and pressure performance of a container depends on the liquid it is intended to contain.

[0050] While this invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification(s). This application is intended to cover any variations uses or adaptations of the invention following in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth.

[0051 ] As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of the essential characteristics of the invention, it should be understood that the above described embodiments are not to limit the present invention unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative only and not restrictive. [0052] Various modifications and equivalent arrangements are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the invention and appended claims. Therefore, the specific embodiments are to be understood to be illustrative of the many ways in which the principles of the present invention may be practiced. In the following claims, means-plus- function clauses are intended to cover structures as performing the defined function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. For example, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface to secure wooden parts together, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw are equivalent structures.

[0053] "Comprises/comprising" and "includes/including" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. Thus, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words 'comprise', 'comprising', 'includes', 'including' and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".