Abstract:
A durable one-piece plastic container having a bottom, upwardly extending cylindrical sidewalls and a rim extending circumferentially around the top of the cylindrical side wall. The side wall is interspersed with gussets and flutes providing support for the side wall. The flutes run over the edge of the bottom of the container forming handles. On the top of the container there are primary and secondary rims forming a 360 degree continuous handle surrounding the entire container perimeter for easy lifting of the container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention pertains to a durable one-piece molded plastic container for holding, handling, or storing bulk materials or for a receptacle for trash. The containers may be nested when empty, and when used with a lid, may be stacked upon each other. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Conventional containers of one-piece construction that are used for trash receptacles or for the storage of large quantities of bulk material, for example, food products, have handles that protrude outwardly from the sides of the container. The outwardly extending handles are typically either a pair of rectangular or similarly shaped handles that protrude from the side of the container. The handles may fail when the containers are subjected to heavy loads or subjected to violent impacts, such as when they collide with another container or are dropped to the ground. Further, when the conventional container are placed on their sides, they may not be rolled on the ground when moving the container to another location. The protruding handles would prevent this function. 
         [0005]    Additionally, an outwardly extending handle on containers requires more storage spaces than if handles were not placed on the outside of the containers. The outwardly extending handles prevent the outside walls of adjacent containers from being placed close together. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A preferred embodiment of the invention is a container for handling large quantities of bulk materials, such as grain and other food products, or is used as a trash receptacle. It is a molded plastic container having a bottom, upwardly extending cylindrical sidewalls, and a rim extending circumferentially around the top of the cylindrical sidewall. On the cylindrical sidewall, there are gussets alternating with flutes or a recessed portion of the sidewall, both of which provide strength to the sidewall. The flutes wrap around the edge of the bottom of the container, forming handles on the bottom. The gussets wrap around the edge of the bottom of the container interspersed between the flutes and lead to floor guides molded into the bottom of the container. The handles on the bottom of the container provide for easy lifting of the container. The rim of the container provides a 360° continuous molded handle surrounding the entire container perimeter for easy lifting of the container. 
         [0007]    Another aspect of the invention, in the upper portion of the container, the rim forms an inverted U-shaped configuration closely concentric to the rim of the container and integrally formed and outside of this configuration, is a U-shaped configuration with an outside wall extending upwardly. This upper portion of the container has a larger diameter than the diameter of the lower portion of the container formed by the cylindrical sidewalls. This upper portion of the cylindrical sidewalls and rim form the continuous 360° handle. The upwardly extending outer wall provides support and fits within the skirt of a lid for the container. The annular skirt of the lid extends downwardly on the outside of the upwardly extending outside wall, providing a secure fit and attachment to the container. The annular skirt of the rim enables the container to be rolled on its side on the ground for easy movement since there are not external handles on the container. The 360° molded continuous handle is formed by the outer U-shaped configuration of the rim. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the container and cover in use. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with the lid in an exploded view. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the lid on the container. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the lid and container taken at line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a plane view of the inside of the bottom of the container. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the bottom, sidewalls, and underside of the rim of the container. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of the bottom of the container. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    For the purposes of promoting and understanding the invention and principles disclosed herein, reference is now made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language is used to describe the same. It is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and such further applications of the principles disclosed and illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates. 
         [0017]    With reference to the drawings, there is shown a container  10  for holding, handling, and storing large quantities of bulk material, such as food products, and for serving as a trash receptacle. The container  10  comprises a durable, one-piece, single-wall molded plastic container  10  have an open top  12 , a lid  14 , and bottom  16 . An upwardly extending cylindrical sidewall  18  extends from bottom  16 . 
         [0018]    The term “plastic” is used herein to mean synthetic resins that are moldable into various forms and are hardened for commercial and industrial use. A preferred plastic for this invention is a polypropylene, which is flame retardant and preferably FDA approved material. 
         [0019]    The cylindrical sidewall  18  comprises a primary rim  20  with a 360° continuous handle  22  located on the underside  24  of the rim as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0020]    The primary rim  20  extends circumferentially around the top  26  of the container  10 . 
         [0021]    A plurality of gussets  28  are integrally formed in the cylindrical sidewall  18  and provide strength and support for the primary rim  20 . The gussets  28  extend downwardly from the upper portion  30  of the cylindrical sidewall  18  through the lower portion  32  of the cylindrical sidewall  18  to the bottom edge  36  onto bottom  16 . Gussets  28  wrap around the bottom edge  36  joining bottom  16 . 
         [0022]    Flutes  38  are integrally formed into the upwardly extending sidewall  18  and run from the upper portion  30  of the cylindrical sidewall through the lower portion  32  of the cylindrical sidewall  18  to bottom edge  36  and join bottom  16 . Flutes  38  wrap around edge  36  to form recessed handles  40  in bottom  16 . Gussets  28  wrap around bottom edge  30  where floor guides  42  are molded in bottom  16 . Guides  42  reduce floor scuffing and scratching as the container is pushed on the surface of the floor. Floor guide  43  is in the center of the bottom  16  of container  10 . 
         [0023]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are six recessed handles  40  extending from flutes  38  in sidewall  18 . Flutes  38  are adjacent gussets  28 . Alternating gussets  28  and flutes  38  provide strength and durability to upwardly extending cylindrical sidewall  18  and container  10 . The number of flutes and gussets is not intended to be limiting. Any number may be utilized depending on the size of the container. 
         [0024]    Lid  14  is shown with concentric shoulders  46 ,  48 . Annular skirt  50  is positioned downwardly from top  15  of lid  14  at edge  15   a . Containers with closed lids are stacked upon each lid. Concentric shoulder  48  aids in the stacking of the containers by supporting the bottom edge of the container placed on it. 
         [0025]    Secondary rim  52  is integrally formed from the upper portion  30  of cylindrical sidewall  18  by inverted U-shaped configuration  54 . The underside  56  of this configuration serves as a grip or handle  58 . Following inverted U-shaped configuration  54  is concentric channel  60  that serves as an inside wall  62  for upwardly extending outside rim wall  64 . The vertically oriented outside rim wall  64  is adjacent to and outward from inverted U-shaped configuration  54  forming a secondary rim  52  extending circumferentially along the top  66  of the extended cylindrical sidewall  68  and secondary rim  52  and upwardly extending outside rim wall  64 . 
         [0026]    The continuous recessed handle  58 , which runs 360°, is integrally formed in the inverted U-shaped configuration  54  and shaped by the upwardly extending outside rim wall  64 . Handle  58  is gripped by inserting one&#39;s fingers and hands into the inverted U-shaped configuration  54  while gripping the U-shaped configuration  54 , the concentric channel  60 , and upwardly extending outside rim wall  64 . 
         [0027]    Individual channels  72  are cut through the inverted U-shaped configuration  56  to assist in the gripping of handle  58  and to serve as a drain if liquid is contained or trapped in concentric channel  60 . The cut channels  72  serve to drain the liquid into the interior  74  of container  10 . With regard to nesting, the cylindrical sidewall  18  slopes inwardly from top to bottom, ending at bottom edge  30 . Therefore, the outside circumference  78  of container  10  at primary rim  20  is greater than the outside circumference of the container  10  at bottom edge  36 . In addition, a shoulder  76  is formed by the configuration of secondary rim  52  and U-shaped configuration  54 , forming concentric channel  60 . Therefore, the sloping circumference  82  of upper portion  30  of cylindrical sidewall  18  assists in the nesting of empty containers. When lid  14  is placed on the open top  12  of container  10  engaging secondary rim  52  the annular skirt  50  of lid  14  contacts the outside surface  64   a  of upwardly extending outside rim wall  64  for sealing container  10  securely. Typically, the inside diameter of container  10  at rim  52  is about 1.1 to about 1.2 times the diameter of primary rim  20 . 
         [0028]    With regard to  FIG. 5 , the inside  74  of container  10  is shown. Inside floor  83  of bottom  16  is shown with concentric shoulders  84  formed by flutes  38  and inside shoulder  86  formed by gussets  28  provide support for bottom  16 . Shoulders  84  form spaced concentric channels  88  that also forms inside spaced channel  90  of bottom handles  40 . In addition, molded floor guides  40  are shown near edge  36  of gussets  28 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , flutes  38  and gussets  28  are shown reaching from the upper portion  30  of cylindrical sidewall  18  wrapping around bottom edge  36  into bottom  16 . Recessed handles  40  are shown, as well as floor guides  42 , including floor guide  43 . Outside spaced channels  92  on bottom  16  are opposed to inside spaced channel  88 . Handles  40  form outer bottom rim  94  of flutes  38  adjacent to concentric inner rim  96  of gussets  28 . Inner rim  96  holds floor guides  42 . The channels are interspersed between the bottom of gussets  28 . Container  10  is made from flame-retardant material and has passed California Technical Bulletin  133 , a flame-retardant test. The test is an open-flame test and is mandatory for furniture sold in what is called “public occupancies” in the State of California. Several other states have adopted California Technical Bulletin  133 . The plastic used in the manufacture of the container is also a food-grade material approved by the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration. 
         [0030]    Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and it not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of appended claims.