Multiple variable container package

A container package comprises a plurality of individual containers which each have a hollow polygonal body from which an elongated hollow neck extends. Each hollow body has side walls, a bottom wall and a top shoulder wall. A recess is provided either in the bottom wall or one of the side walls for receiving the neck of an adjacent container in the package. The containers are mated together and form a polyhedron. The containers may have interior volumes which are different from each other so that the containers contain different amounts of materials or may have identical volumes but be shaped differently from each other. At least one of the recesses may also contain a secondary container which, together with a neck of another container, substantially fill the recess.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to containers and, more particularly, to 
a new and useful container package which is composed of two or more 
individual hollow containers that are mated together and which have 
different interior volumes or exterior displacements or shapes. 
Containers that have necks or spouts extending from a main body portion of 
the container to facilitate the discharge of material from the interior of 
the container are well known. Containers having elongated necks for 
aesthetic reasons or for a combination of aesthetic and functional reasons 
are also known. In cases where such containers are packaged in rectangular 
or square cartons, significant space is lost around the elongated necks. 
This empty space must at times be filled with packing material in order to 
reduce the possibility of damage to the containers during transit. 
Protection and support for such containers is usually provided by 
cardboard boxes and similar structures in which the containers are packed. 
The association of two or more containers together in a multiple container 
unit is also known. Four and six packs are particularly popular in the 
beverage field. 
It is also known to utilize the neck of a container to facilitate nesting 
or engagement of one container to another. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,489,839 which shows a container having a substantially cylindrical body 
portion with a recess and a cylindrical upstanding spout or neck. The neck 
of one container rests in the recess of another container for facilitating 
nesting of one or two containers with the first container. 
Additional background information can be found in the present inventor's 
two copending United States patent applications, Ser. No. 560,597 entitled 
"Mated Container Units", filed on Dec. 12, 1983 (now U.S. Pat. No. 
4,573,595), and Ser. No. 577,177, entitled "Multiple Container Package", 
filed Feb. 6, 1984 (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,799), and the entire subject 
matter of these two applications is incorporated herein by reference. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a container package that is composed 
of a plurality of mated and interlocked containers which together 
substantially fill a polyhedral volume. Each container has a body with 
four preferably polygonal lateral side walls, a polygonal bottom wall and 
a top shoulder wall. A neck extends upwardly from the shoulder wall and is 
integrally formed as one piece with the body. The combined inner volume of 
the body and neck form the total interior volume of the container. Each 
container body has, either in its base or one of its lateral side walls, a 
recess which is shaped to receive a neck of an adjacent container in the 
package. In this way, one container is mated and engaged with the next. 
Two, three, or four containers can be connected by engagement of the necks 
and recesses to form a polyhedral volume in which virtually no space is 
wasted. 
In accordance with a feature of the invention, the containers have either 
different interior volumes or different exterior displacements. Interior 
volumes having different amounts of the same or different materials can be 
supplied in a single package configuration. Such a configuration is 
particularly useful in fields where two or more chemicals or substances 
are used in conjunction with each other. Where different amounts of the 
different substances must be combined together, the exact proportions can 
be distributed among the plural containers in the inventive package. 
It is also useful to provide a package having containers in which each 
container has the same or a similar interior volume but which define 
different exterior volumes or displacements. In such a case, the wall 
thickness of some containers in the package are different from the wall 
thickness of other containers of the package. Such a package is 
advantageous where different materials to be stored in a package have 
different storage characteristics. A container for a pressurized, 
carbonated liquid, for example, may require thicker walls than a container 
for a non-carbonated liquid or a powder. 
Similarly, all containers of the package may have identical interior 
volumes but different exterior shapes. For example, one unit may have a 
short neck with a large diameter or cross-section while another unit may 
have a neck with a smaller diameter or cross-section. The length and shape 
of the necks could be different to assist in identifying contents that 
differ. 
Thus, an advantageous feature of certain embodiments of the invention is 
that the difference of outward appearance of the containers in the package 
can be used to identify their contents. 
Accordingly, the present invention provides a multiple container package 
which comprises a plurality of mated hollow containers each having an 
interior volume and an exterior volume, each container being made of a 
hollow body and a hollow neck integrally connected to the hollow body. The 
hollow body comprises side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, a bottom wall 
and a top shoulder wall which may all be polygonal in shape. The neck 
extends outwardly of the body from the top shoulder wall. A recess is 
provided either in the bottom wall or in the front wall of the hollow body 
with a neck of one container extending partly or fully into the recess of 
an adjacent container. At least two walls of two adjacent containers lie 
in contiguous relationship against each other so that the mated containers 
form a polyhedron which is substantially filled by the containers. Either 
the interior volumes or the exterior volumes or shapes of at least two 
containers in the package are different from each other. 
According to another feature of the invention, one or more of the necks of 
one container is foreshortened so as to leave a remaining space in the 
respective recess of the other container in which the neck is received. 
One or more secondary containers are provided in this remaining space and 
substantially fill the remaining space. 
An object achieved by the invention is the provision of a multiple 
container package which includes containers having different interior 
volumes or for containing different substances which are used in 
conjunction with each other and in the predetermined portions provided in 
the various containers of the package. 
A further object of the invention is the provision of a multiple container 
package which substantially occupies and fills the minimum rectangular 
polyhedral volume of one container, where two containers are provided in 
the package, or substantially fill the volume occupied by the minimum 
rectangular polyhedral volume of two containers, where three or four 
containers are provided in the package. 
An even further object of the invention is the provision of a container 
package which best fits rectangular spaces of conventional cartons or 
boxes normally utilized for transporting packages. 
An even still further object of the invention is the provision of a 
multiple container package which is simple in design, rugged in 
construction and economical to manufacture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein 
comprises a multiple container package which includes two or more 
containers that have either different interior or exterior volumes or 
both, or two or more containers of like interior and exterior volumes but 
which have different shapes. When the containers are mated together, they 
form a polyhedron. 
FIG. 1 shows two containers 20 and 22 which can be mated to each other in 
the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. The mated containers 
substantially fill the minimum rectangular polyhedral volume or envelope 
required to encompass one of the containers. As shown in FIG. 1, by 
phantom lines at 24, the two mated containers will substantially fill and 
occupy the minimum polyhedron which can be drawn about and encompass a 
single one of the containers. 
Container 20 comprises a body 26 and a neck 28 extending upwardly from a 
top shoulder wall 30 of body 26. Body 26 includes a front wall 32 having 
an arcuate recessed surface 34 therein which in the illustrated embodiment 
is U-shaped or semi-circular. The recessed surface could extend for more 
than 180 degrees to form a lip which prevents lateral movement of the neck 
of a mated container inserted into the recess. Recess 35 is elongated and 
may be slightly tapered in the downward direction. Body 26 also includes 
side walls 36 and 37, a rear wall 38 (see FIG. 3) and a bottom wall 40 
which is opposite, but in the illustrated embodiment not parallel to, the 
shoulder wall 30. 
Recess 35, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3, has opposite open ends which 
open respectively into the shoulder wall 30 and bottom wall 40, and is 
further open at front wall 32. Recess 35 may however be closed at front 
wall 32 and also at bottom wall 40. 
Body 26 and neck 28 are both hollow and together define the interior volume 
of container 20. Neck 28 has an open top which can be closed by a threaded 
cap 42 or other closure means. The neck 28 preferably has a generally 
circular front and side surface and a planar rear surface 29. 
Container 22 also includes a hollow body 46 and a hollow neck 48. Body 46 
has a front wall 47 with a U-shaped recessed surface 44, which represents 
a peripheral surface for recess 45, a top shoulder wall 49, side walls, a 
rear wall and a bottom wall. Each of the walls of the body 46, like those 
of the body 26, are polygonal. 
As shown in FIG. 3, containers 20 and 22 are mated together by inserting 
neck 28 of container 20 into recess 45 of container 22 and, neck 48 of 
container 22 into recess 35 of container 20. When the containers are fully 
mated with each other, as shown in FIG. 6, their shoulder walls 30, 49 lie 
contiguously with respect to each other and against each other. The length 
of neck 28 of container 20 is essentially equal to the length of the 
recess 45 of container 22 and, correspondingly, the length of neck 48 of 
container 22 is essentially equal to the length of recess 35 of container 
20. The volume thus occupied by containers 20 and 22, when they are mated 
together, corresponds exactly to the minimum rectangular polyhedral volume 
24 needed to encompass the neck (including the closure) of a single one of 
the containers. The exposed surfaces of the respective side walls, rear 
walls and front walls and rear surfaces of the necks of the two containers 
provide a substantially uninterrupted surface contour on the so assembled 
container package. 
As is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the neck 48 of container 22 also 
includes a planar rear surface 50 which aligns as a substantially 
uninterrupted surface with the front wall 32 of container 20 so that the 
surface 50, front wall 32 and rear wall of container 22 are essentially 
flush. Similarly, the neck 28 substantially fills the recess 45 of 
container 22 so that rear face 29 of the neck 28 of container 20 extends 
substantially in a plane which contains the front wall 47 of container 22 
in FIG. 4. 
FIG. 2 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the interior 
volumes of containers 20 and 22 are identical. This is accomplished by 
providing container 22 with a neck 148 having a larger diameter than the 
neck 128 of container 20 and correspondingly shaped recessed surfaces 134 
and 144. 
By way of illustration, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, longitudinal ribs 135 
and 145 are formed on opposite sides of the recessed surfaces 134, 144 and 
radial ribs 127, 147 are formed on the necks 128, 148 respectively. When 
the containers 20, 22 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 are mated, the 
longitudinal ribs engage the back of the necks which are received in the 
recesses and restrain lateral movement of the container. The radial ribs 
engage the bottom ends longitudinal recesses to restrict unintended 
longitudinal movement of the containers. When the containers are comprised 
of plastic, enough flexibility is provided to allow transverse or lateral 
separation upon the application of positive pressure. 
Containers 20 and 22, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, differ in that they have 
different interior and different exterior shapes. As shown, container 22 
has a shorter body 46 and a longer neck 148 than the respective body 26 
and neck 128 of container 20. 
The exterior volume of each container 20, 22 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 
comprises its outer displacement. The difference between the interior and 
the exterior volumes of each container represents the wall thickness for 
the containers. 
FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of container 22 wherein the body 46 and 
neck 48 are made of relatively thin-walled material. By way of comparison, 
FIG. 8 shows a container 22' having an identical exterior volume or 
displacement as container 22 of FIG. 1, but a smaller interior volume due 
to the fact that the container of FIG. 8 has thicker side walls. Container 
22' also includes a hollow body 46' having a recessed surface 44' and with 
a neck 48' extending upwardly from the body. 
A modification of the invention is shown in FIGS. 9-12. 
In FIG. 9, the neck 48 of container 22 is shortened so that it occupies 
only part of the space for the recess 35 in container 20. The remainder of 
the space is occupied and substantially filled by secondary containers 60, 
61 which substantially have the same shape as the portion of neck 48 which 
has been removed. In this way, four containers are interlocked and mated 
with each other, containers 60 and 61 have a far smaller capacity than 
either containers 20 or 22. This configuration is particularly 
advantageous where multiple chemicals or substances must be mixed 
together, one or two of the substances being needed in a far smaller 
volume than the other substances. This container would be particularly 
useful in the field of adhesives which for example utilize large volumes 
of resin which is cured and hardened by a relatively small volume of 
hardening agent. 
FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a three container package wherein the 
recess of container 20 has been enlarged for receiving a correspondingly 
larger secondary container 62. 
The exploded views of FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrated further details of the 
embodiments of FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively. In the embodiments of FIGS. 
11 and 12, the top shoulder wall 30 of container 20 and the corresponding 
top shoulder wall (not shown) of container 22 are stepped so that portions 
31, 33 are parallel to the bottom wall. 
As shown in FIG. 12, secondary container 62 includes a flat rear wall 64 
which extends to a plane containing the front wall 32 of container 20. In 
this way the polyhedral shape of the container package is maintained. Each 
of the side walls 65 of secondary container 62, only one of which is 
shown, includes a horizontal rib 66 that is designed to engage the upper 
end of vertical ribs 88 (only one of which is shown) formed on the 
recessed surface 34 of container 20. The vertical rib 68 also acts to 
restrict lateral movement of the container 62. 
The recessed surfaces that surround recesses for the containers may be 
shaped so that they embrace their respective necks by more than 180 
degrees of arc. In this way once the containers are mated together into a 
package, they cannot be disengaged by lateral movement, but only by 
longitudinal movement in the direction of the double arrow shown in FIG. 
3. Alternate means, such as projections formed on the recessed surfaces 
that surround the recesses can also be employed to prevent or restrain 
lateral movement. The containers are preferably made of a plastic which 
has a certain resiliency which will allow the neck to engage and be 
disengaged from such projections. 
More than two containers can be mated together into a single polyhedral 
package as shown in FIGS. 13-16. 
In FIG. 13, four containers 70, 72, 74, and 76 are mated together by 
sliding them in the direction of the arrows. Each container has a bottom 
wall with a recess for receiving the neck of an adjacent container. 
Container 74 for example, has bottom wall 78 with recess 80 which receives 
neck 82 of container 72. Two or more of the containers can be provided 
with different interior or exterior volumes. In FIG. 13, for example, 
containers 70 and 74 have identical configurations and can be made using 
identical molds. Containers 76 and 72 are identical to each other but have 
larger interior and exterior volume than do containers 74 and 70. It is 
also noted that while containers 70 and 74 have top shoulder walls which 
incline downwardly from a respective rear wall to a respective front wall, 
the shoulder walls of containers 72 and 76 (which are not visible in FIG. 
13) extend perpendicularly to the rear wall of each of those containers. 
This is to insure that when the containers are mated together they form a 
true polyhedron. 
FIG. 14 shows a modified embodiment wherein containers 90 and 92 have 
volumes which are different from each other and which are both smaller 
than the volumes of containers 94 and 96. Neck 102 of container 92 is 
shortened and the remaining space in recess 100 of container 94 is 
occupied by a secondary container 110 which is shaped similarly to 
container 60 of FIGS. 9 and 11. 
FIG. 15 shows a package of four containers, 112, 114, 116, 118, which all 
have walls that lie at ninety degrees with respect to each other. 
Secondary containers could be accommodated by foreshortening one or more 
of the necks and configuring the recessed surface accordingly. 
FIG. 16 shows an embodiment of the invention with perpendicular walls as in 
embodiment of FIG. 15. In the embodiment of FIG. 16 however, three 
containers are mated together. Container 121 extends along one full side 
of the polyhedron which is filled by the remaining containers 122 and 124. 
In the embodiments of FIGS. 13-16, the package includes containers which 
fill the minimum polyhedral volume of two of the containers. This assumes 
however that the two containers that are utilized to define this volume do 
not have shortened necks as in the embodiment of FIG. 14. 
In all the embodiments of the invention, each of the primary containers, 
that is excluding the secondary containers such as containers 60 and 100, 
have two side walls, with one side wall of every container in the package 
laying in one side plane of the polyhedron which is filled by the package, 
the other side wall laying in an opposite side plane of the polyhedron. 
While all the embodiments shown comprise container packages which fill a 
rectangular polyhedron, the invention is not limited to such polyhedrons 
and may also form parallelepipeds, hexahedrons, tetrahedrons or other 
polyhedrons having sides which do not meet at ninety degrees. 
The recesses and corresponding necks are also shown as being substantially 
cylindrical. The recesses and necks may, however, be rectangular or square 
in cross section or have any other polygonal shape. 
Variable container packages, according to the invention, preferably utilize 
containers molded or shaped from a thermoplastic such as polyethylene, 
polyethylene terethalate, polyprophylene, polyvinyl chloride, or the like 
and produced by process such as injection blow molding, extrusion blow 
molding, stretch blow molding, extrusion stretch blow molding, or 
monolayer or multi-layer techniques. 
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described 
in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the 
invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied 
otherwise without departing from such principles.