Abstract:
Apparatus and methods are described for the containment and dispensing of liquid in a container that can be stored more conveniently and easily. Apparatus are described wherein the liquid containing and dispensing apparatus has a main body and collapsible sides that enclose a liquid holding reservoir which is in fluid communication with a collapsible spout. The collapsibility of the sides and the spout reduces the size of both the profile and the volume of the apparatus, allowing it to be more easily stored.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    Aspects of the present disclosure relate to apparatus for containing and dispensing liquids. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Various devices and methods exist for containment and delivery of liquids. Common liquid containers that can both contain and deliver liquids include gasoline cans, oil cans, and watering cans. Often, such containers have bodies capable of receiving and holding liquids and elongated spouts in fluid communication with the bodies. It has been recognized that the shape of such containers can make storage difficult. Solutions to this difficulty have previously focused on the protruding elongated spouts which are often included on such containers, and various means have been taught for making spouts easier to store. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The present disclosure recognizes the need to address storage problems caused, not only by the spouts of liquid containing and dispensing apparatus, but also by the main body of liquid containing and dispensing apparatus. 
         [0004]    One objective of some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide apparatus and methods for containment and delivery of liquids in a container that can be stored more easily than prior containers, without reducing the capacity of the liquid containing and dispensing apparatus to hold liquid or interfering with the ease and comfort of the user in containing and/or dispensing liquid.  
         [0005]    Apparatus and methods are described for the containment and dispensing of liquid in a container that can be stored more conveniently and easily. Apparatus are described wherein a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus has a main body and collapsible sides that enclose a liquid holding reservoir which is in fluid communication with a collapsible spout. The collapsibility of the sides and the spout reduces the size of both the profile and the volume of the apparatus, allowing it to be more easily stored. 
         [0006]    One or more alternate or additional objectives may be served by the present disclosure, e.g., as may be apparent by the following description. Embodiments of the disclosure include any apparatus, machine, system, method, articles, or any one or more subparts or subcombinations of such apparatus (singular or plural), system, method, or article, e.g., as supported by the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Example embodiments will be described with reference to the following figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a right-side profile view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout extended and sides expanded according to one embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing an exploded view of a liquid containing and delivering apparatus according to one embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing a front view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout extended and sides expanded according to one embodiment.  
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing a rear view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with sides expanded according to one embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram showing a perspective view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout extended and sides expanded according to one embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing a bottom view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout extended and sides expanded according to one embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing a left-side profile view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout extended and sides collapsed according to one embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram showing a left-side view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout collapsed and sides collapsed according to one embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram showing a left-side view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus with a spout folded up and sides collapsed according to one embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now the drawings in greater detail,  FIG. 1  presents a schematic diagram showing a right-side profile view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with a spout  110  extended and sides  302  expanded according to one embodiment. The apparatus according to one embodiment comprises a front facing side   102 , a rear facing side  104 , a top facing side  106 , and a bottom facing side  108 . In embodiments such as the one depicted in  FIG. 1 , a front facing side  102  has a spout  110 . 
         [0018]    The area enclosed within a front facing side  102 , a rear facing side  104 , a top facing side  106 , and a bottom facing side  108 , and sides  302  is a liquid holding reservoir  116  capable of containing liquid. The liquid holding reservoir  116  is in fluid communication with a spout  110 , thus allowing the apparatus  100  to dispense any liquid contained in a liquid holding reservoir  116  through a spout  110 . In embodiments, a spout  110  is in fluid communication with a liquid holding reservoir  116  through a spout attaching chamber  206 . 
         [0019]    A spout  110  may, according to embodiments, comprise accordion piping  114 . Such accordion piping  114  allows a spout  110  to be extended (as depicted), folded, or collapsed. 
         [0020]    A gripping member  112  may comprise an upper end extending from the top of a front facing side  102  to the bottom of a rear facing side  104 . A gripping member  112  may be rounded or otherwise ergonomically shaped to allow for the comfortable gripping, holding, carrying, raising, lowering, and tipping of the liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . A bottom facing side  108  may, according to one embodiment, comprise a base  601  that is flat and of sufficient area to allow the liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  to rest stably and without tipping on a flat, nearly flat, or mostly flat surface when empty or when partially or completely filled with liquid. A gripping member  112  may be solid or it may be hollow, in whole or in part. A wholly or partially hollow gripping member  112  may be in fluid communication with a liquid holding reservoir  116 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  presents a schematic diagram showing an exploded view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  according to one embodiment. A main body  202 , according to embodiments, may be made of any rigid material including hard plastic such as, in embodiments, blow-molded plastic, injected molded plastic, or metal. A main body  202  according to embodiments may be made in one piece or in plural pieces. The plural pieces may, for example, in embodiments be made of injection molded plastic. The plural pieces can then be assembled by fusing or bonding the pieces together or by any other practicable means. 
         [0022]    A front facing side  102 , a rear facing side  104 , a top facing side  106 , and a bottom facing side  108  together form a chamber  204  with a left side opening on the left side of a main body  202  and a right side opening on the right side of a main body  202 . With sides  302  attached to a main body  202 , a left side opening and a right side opening will be closed and a chamber  204  will be the interior of a liquid holding reservoir  116 . 
         [0023]    A main body  202  may, according to embodiments, comprise a gripping member  112 . In embodiments, a fill opening  210  through which liquids may be poured into the liquid holding reservoir  116  may be placed on a main body  202 , and may, in embodiments be placed on a gripping member  112 . In embodiments, a fill opening  210  may have a removable cap while in other embodiments it may remain open. 
         [0024]    In embodiments, a main body may further comprise indicator lines  208  placed to indicate the volume of liquid within a liquid holding reservoir  116  or otherwise contained in the apparatus  100 . Indicator lines  208  may, in embodiments, be provided in one set or in plural sets to indicate the volume of liquid with both sides  302  expanded or with one or more sides  302  partially or fully collapsed.  
         [0025]    A main body  202  may further comprise a spout attaching chamber  206  which is open to and in fluid communication with a liquid holding reservoir  116  and which comprises a spout receiver  226 . A spout receiver  226 , in embodiments, may be a threaded male screw for attaching to a threaded female end of a spout  110  or a coupling ring  230 . In other embodiments the male/female threading orientations may be reversed. In other embodiments a spout  110  and a liquid containing reservoir  116  may be in direct fluid communication and a spout  110  and a main body  202  may be attached by means other than a male-female screw attachment, such as with adhesive. 
         [0026]    The main body  202  may further comprise ridge rings  212  that may be raised around a left side opening and a right side opening. Ridge rings  212  may be threaded in a male or female orientation to attach to a side  302 , or may attach to a side  302  through other means such as adhesive. 
         [0027]    Sides  302  may comprise a gasket  214  a coupling ring  216  and a drum  218 . 
         [0028]    A drum  218  may be made of any material that is flexible and capable of collapsing, or holding plural positions, including rubber, plastic, polymers such as thermoplastic elastomers including various Kraton® thermoplastic elastomer products, specifically including Kraton® DynaFlex™ and VersaFlex™ products. The material may be opaque, transparent, semitransparent, translucent, or semi-translucent, and may be colorable. A drum  218  may have fold lines  222  such as rings where the material is thinner to facilitate collapsing and expanding of sides  302 . A drum  218  could be made of an alternative material, including a hard material, if the fold lines  222  facilitate the collapsing and expanding of sides  302 . A drum  218  may further comprise handles  220  to facilitate quick and easy expansion and collapse of sides  302  by a user without any screws, springs,  hinges, lugs, chains, struts or other mechanical manipulations beyond simply pulling or pushing on the sides  302 , for example by using the handles  220 . 
         [0029]    A coupling ring  216  may be made of a hard material such as a hard plastic, including a blow-molded plastic. Coupling ring  216  may be attached or fused to a drum  218  to form a coupling drum. A coupling ring  216  may have means to attach a drum  218  or a coupling drum to a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 , such as at a ridge ring  212 . It may have male or female oriented screw threading to complement the threading of a ridge ring  212  and facilitate attachment of a drum  218  or a coupling drum to a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . 
         [0030]    In alternative embodiments, a drum  218  may be threaded or have other means of attaching directly to a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 , for example with an adhesive, without need for a separate coupling ring  216  or the formation of a drum  218  or coupling drum. 
         [0031]    A drum  218  or a coupling drum may attach to a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with or without a gasket  214 . A side  302  may, as examples of alternative embodiments without limiting thereto, comprise only a drum  218 , only a coupling drum, or either a drum  218  or a coupling drum with or without a gasket  214 . 
         [0032]    A gasket  214  may be either a flat circular ring or may be a torus such as an O-ring. It may also be in any alternative shape that fits between a drum  218  or coupling drum and a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . A gasket  214  may be made of rubber, including silicone rubber, or any material capable of sealing  any gap between a drum  218  or a coupling drum and a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . 
         [0033]    In embodiments, sides  302  may be co-molded with the single main body  202  or, if the main body is made in plural pieces, the sides  302  may be co-molded to the plural pieces before or after the plural pieces are assembled to form the a main body  202 . Other means of attaching sides  202  to a main body  202  besides co-molding, such as by screwing or adhesives, may also be used. 
         [0034]    Sides  302  and a main body  202  of the liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  enclose a liquid holding reservoir  116  which is in fluid communication with a spout  110  either, for example, directly or via a spout attaching chamber  206 . 
         [0035]    A spout  110  may, in various embodiments, comprise a spout gasket sleeve  228 , a spout locking coupler  230 , a neck  232 , a sprinkler head housing  234 , and a sprinkler head  236 . 
         [0036]    A neck  232  may further comprise a collar  244  and accordion piping  114 . The neck may, in certain embodiments, be made of plastic including blow-molded plastic, but it may also be made of other materials or combinations of materials, including metals. A collar  244  may be threaded with male or female oriented screw threading to complement any threading on a spout receiver  226 , or it may attach to a spout receiver  226  by other means including through use of an adhesive. 
         [0037]    A sprinkler head housing  234  may be made of either a hard material such as plastic including blow-molded plastic, or it may be made of a soft or flexible material such as thermoplastic elastomer or any material from which a drum  218  may be made. It may be attached to a neck  232  and it may be removable from a neck  232  by a user to facilitate  dispensing of liquid directly from a neck  232  or to facilitate replacement of a sprinkler head housing  234 , or for any other purpose. Sprinkler head housing  234  may be fitted into a fill opening  210  of a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  to allow a user to place and hold a sprinkler head housing  234  while dispensing liquid directly from a neck  232  or whenever a sprinkler head housing  234  is removed from a neck  232 . A sprinkler head housing  234  may have one or plural locking tabs  246 . Locking tabs  246  may be shaped and positioned to secure a sprinkler head housing  234  within a fill opening  210  without falling into a liquid holding reservoir  116 . 
         [0038]    A sprinkler head  236  may fit onto a sprinkler head housing  234  on a spout  110 . A sprinkler head  236  may have holes of various sizes and arranged in various positions to control the rate and direction of distribution of liquid dispensed from a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . A sprinkler head  236  may be part of a sprinkler head housing  234  and integrated as one piece therewith, or it may be a separate piece and removable and replaceable apart from a sprinkler head housing  234 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 3  presents a schematic diagram showing a front facing side  102  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with a spout  110  in a fully extended position and sides  302  expanded according to one embodiment. A spout locking coupler  230  may connect a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  to a spout  110  by fitting over a spout receiver  226  on a spout attaching chamber  206 . A spout locking coupler  230  may secure a spout  110  to a main body  202  by screwing to a spout receiver  226  and a collar  244  of a neck  232  so that the spout locking coupler  230  rests flush against a main body  202 . A liquid containing and  dispensing apparatus  100  may comprise a gripping member  112 . Sides  302  may comprise handles  220  and fold lines  222 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  presents a schematic diagram showing a rear facing side  104  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with sides  302  expanded according to one embodiment. A gripping member  112  may extend to the bottom of a rear facing side  104  of a main body  202  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . Sides  302  may comprise handles  220  and fold lines  222 . A main body  202  or sides  302  or a spout  110  may comprise indicator lines  208  to indicate the volume of liquid in a liquid holding reservoir  116  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . The main body  202 , sides  302 , or spout  110  where indicator lines may be placed may be transparent, semi-transparent, translucent or semi-translucent to allow a user to see an indication of the top of liquid in a liquid holding reservoir  116  or other portion of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 5  presents a schematic diagram showing a perspective view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with a spout  110  extended and sides  302  expanded according to one embodiment. A fill opening  210  may be placed on a gripping member  112  or other portion of a main body  202 . A side  302  may comprise fold lines  222  to facilitate collapse of sides  302  for easy storage or to decrease the volume of liquid held in a liquid holding reservoir  116 . Sides  302  may collapse along one or plural fold lines  222 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  presents a schematic diagram showing a bottom facing side  108  of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with accordion piping  114  of a spout  110  fully extended and sides  302  expanded according to one embodiment. A main body  202  may comprise a spout attaching chamber  206  connected to a spout  110  and in fluid communication with a liquid holding reservoir  116 . A base  601  may be flat and of sufficient area to allow the liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  to rest stably and without tipping on a flat surface when empty or when a liquid holding reservoir  116  is partially or completely filled with liquid. 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  presents a schematic diagram showing a left-side profile view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with accordion piping  114  of a spout  110  fully extended and sides  302  collapsed according to one embodiment. 
         [0044]      FIG. 8  presents a schematic diagram showing a left-side view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with accordion piping  114  of a spout fully collapsed and sides  302  fully collapsed according to one embodiment. Sides  302  may be collapsed along fold lines  222 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 9  presents a schematic diagram showing a left-side view of a liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  with accordion piping  114  of a spout  110  folded up and sides  302  fully collapsed along fold lines  222  according to one embodiment. In embodiments, a spout  110  may be folded up, down, or in any direction 360° around an imaginary axis through the center of a spout  110 . A user may compress or fold accordion piping  114  of a spout  110  to position the spout for ease or comfort when dispensing liquid or for convenient storage, or for any other reason. 
         [0046]    In alternative embodiments, an entire liquid containing and dispensing apparatus  100  may be manufactured in one piece with a main body  202 , a spout,  110 , and sides  302  as one unit of the same material wherein sides  302  are flexible and collapsible. In other alternative embodiments a main body  202  and a spout  110  may be one contiguous  unit of the same material with flexible sides  302  attached. In still other alternatives, a main body  202  and sides  302  may be one unit of the same material while a spout  110  is attached separately. The liquid containing and dispensing apparatus need only have a main body  202  and flexible sides  302  that enclose a liquid holding reservoir  116  in fluid communication with a spout  110  whether a main body  202 , sides  302 , or a spout are separate or separable units or one integrated unit. 
         [0047]    The claims as originally presented, and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.