Patent Publication Number: US-10308411-B2

Title: Shell and retainer containment system for dual bottles

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This regular utility non-provisional patent application claims priority benefit with regard to all common subject matter of earlier-filed provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/430,042 filed on Dec. 5, 2016, and entitled “SHELL AND RETAINER CONTAINMENT SYSTEM FOR DUAL BOTTLES”. The identified earlier-filed provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Liquid storage bottles are often used for storing, transporting, and dispensing chemicals, petroleum products, and other liquids. However, some bottles have rounded or angled bottoms, which prevents them from being set firmly on a ground surface. Many bottles do not have handles or lifting features, which prevents them from being easily lifted and handled. Many bottles also do not have volume markings, which makes it difficult to determine how much liquid is currently in them. It is often desirable to keep and transport multiple bottles together, but known bottles do not have any pairing or connecting features. 
     Conventional containers, such as boxes and crates, can be used to hold and transport multiple bottles, but such containers do not adequately support the bottles, causing damage to the bottles and spills. Conventional containers are also typically designed to either secure bottles or provide easy access to the bottles, but not both. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention solves the above-described and other problems and limitations by providing a shell and retainer containment system that securely supports and restrains two or more bottles without blocking access to their filling and dispensing openings. 
     An embodiment of the shell and retainer containment system broadly comprises an outer shell and an upper retainer, both of which may be molded of synthetic resin materials or other suitable materials. 
     The outer shell includes a base, a number of sidewalls, and a top rim cooperatively forming a central cavity. The base includes a lowermost support, an elevated sloped section, and a sump section. The lowermost support is configured to rest on a ground surface, a shelf, or a top of another shell and may include stacking geometry for interlocking with or engaging stacking geometry of the top of the other shell. The stacking geometry may include recesses, bosses, protrusions, grooves, ridges, guides, or any other suitable geometry. 
     The elevated sloped section is angled downward from above the lowermost support to the sump section and is shaped to at least partially support sloped portions of the bottles. The sump section receives sump portions of the bottles and is level with or slightly elevated above the lowermost support. 
     The sidewalls vertically extend from the base to the top rim and include a set of windows configured to allow a user to view a level or amount of liquid contained in the bottles. The windows may be positioned in vertical columns so that each window corresponds to a different level or amount of fluid. For example, a bottom window may be positioned such that a bottle has approximately twenty liters if the fluid level is visible through the bottom window. The top window may be positioned such that the bottle has approximately one hundred liters if the fluid level is visible through the top window. Additional windows may be positioned between the bottom and top windows at twenty liter increments or any other suitable increment. 
     The top rim is the uppermost portion of the outer shell and includes a set of handles, a set of forklift fork openings, and stacking geometry. The handles allow the user to pick up the shell and retainer containment system by hand. The forklift fork openings are aligned with each other for receiving a forklift fork therethrough for lifting the shell and retainer containment system via a forklift. In one embodiment, the top rim includes four handles spaced orthogonally from each other and four forklift fork openings spaced orthogonally from each other for lifting the shell and retainer containment system from any direction. 
     The stacking geometry of the top rim interlocks with or engages stacking geometry of the base of another shell. The stacking geometry may include recesses, bosses, protrusions, grooves, ridges, guides, or any other suitable geometry. 
     The upper retainer retains the bottles in the central cavity and includes a brace and four corner reinforcements. The brace includes access openings for allowing access to bung openings of the bottles and is configured to be positioned above the bottles when the upper retainer is inserted into the central cavity over the bottles. In one embodiment, a first access opening provides access to the bung openings of a first bottle while a second access opening provides access to the bung openings of a second bottle. 
     The corner reinforcements extend upwards toward upper corners of the shell and may include fastener openings or other features for securing the upper retainer to the shell via a number of fasteners. That is, the fasteners keep the upper retainer in place and hence secure the bottles in the central cavity of the shell. 
     The above-described shell and retainer containment system provides several advantages over conventional bottle containment systems. For example, the upper retainer secures the bottles in the outer shell while providing access to the bung openings of the bottles via the access openings. The upper retainer also does not obscure the handles and forklift fork openings such that the shell and retainer containment system can be lifted and transported by hand or via a forklift fork extending through one or two of the forklift fork openings. 
     The outer shell ensures that the bottles are properly positioned and restrained in the central cavity. The base of the outer shell does not have any holes or openings such that any fluid spilled or leaked from the bottles is retained in the central cavity. The outer shell may be mirrored or shaped so that the bottles can only fit into the central cavity a predetermined way, which ensures that the bottles are not switched or loaded improperly. This may be desirable if the bottles hold different fluids or chemicals that must be not be mistaken for each other. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a shell and retainer containment system constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the shell and retainer containment system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the shell and retainer containment system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cutaway perspective view of the shell and retainer containment system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cutaway perspective view of the shell and retainer containment system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the shell and retainer containment system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims of a subsequent patent, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the current technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
     Turning to the drawing figures, a shell and retainer containment system  10  constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The shell and retainer containment system  10  firmly supports and provides access to two or more bottles. The shell and retainer containment system  10  can be used with bottles of any type, size, and shape. 
     Exemplary bottles  100 ,  102  are shown in  FIGS. 2-6  and each include a bottom wall  104 , a plurality of sidewalls including a front sidewall  106 , a rear sidewall  108 , a left sidewall  110 , and a right sidewall  112 , and a top wall  114  cooperatively forming an interior chamber  116 . The bottles  100 ,  102  are substantially similar and thus only bottle  100  will be described in detail. 
     The bottom wall  104  includes a sloped portion  118  and a sump portion  120 . The sloped portion  118  is angled downward to the sump portion  120 . The sump portion  120  is the lowest-most point of the bottle  100  and may be positioned near a corner of the bottom wall  104 . 
     The front sidewall  106  extends vertically between front edges of the bottom wall  104  and top wall  114  and may be substantially flat or curved. The front sidewall  106  may have ridges or other features for increased strength and rigidity. 
     The rear sidewall  108  extends vertically between rear edges of the bottom wall  104  and top wall  114  and is substantially similar to the front sidewall  106 . That is, the rear sidewall  108  may be substantially flat or curved and may have ridges or other features for increased strength and rigidity. 
     The left sidewall  110  extends vertically between left edges of the bottom wall  104  and top wall  114  and may be substantially flat or curved. The left sidewall  110  may be at least twice as wide as the front and rear sidewalls  106 ,  108  and may have ridges or other features for increased strength and rigidity. 
     The right sidewall  112  extends vertically between right edges of the bottom wall  104  and top wall  114  and may be substantially similar to the left sidewall  110 . That is, the right sidewall  112  may be substantially flat or curved and may have ridges or other features for increased strength and rigidity. 
     The top wall  114  includes a plurality of bung rims  122 A-C forming bung openings  124 A-C configured to receive bung caps  126 A-C therein. One of the bung openings  124 A-C may be angled for allowing for a dip tube to be aligned with the sump portion  120  while the other two bung openings  124 A-C may be relatively flat. In one embodiment, the bung openings  124 A-C are spaced from each other in a straight line. 
     The bottles  100 ,  102  may be interchangeable with each other or non-interchangeable. For example, the bottles  100 ,  102  may be mirror images of each other or may have unique geometry or different colors representing the liquids that should be stored in them. The bottles  100 ,  102  may be formed of metal, molded plastic, glass, or any other suitable material. 
     An embodiment of the shell and retainer containment system  10  will now be described in detail. The shell and retainer containment system  10  broadly comprises an outer shell  12  and an upper retainer  14 . 
     The outer shell  12  protects the bottles  100 ,  102  and broadly comprises a base  16 , a plurality of sidewalls including a front sidewall  18 , a rear sidewall  20 , a left sidewall  22 , and a right sidewall  24 , and a top rim  26  cooperatively forming a central cavity  28 . The base  16  includes a lowermost support  30 , an elevated sloped section  32 , and a sump section  34 . The lowermost support  30  is configured to rest on a ground surface, a shelf, or a top of another shell and may include stacking geometry  36  for interlocking with or engaging stacking geometry of the top of another shell. The stacking geometry  36  may include recesses, bosses, protrusions, grooves, ridges, guides, or any other suitable geometry. 
     The elevated sloped section  32  is raised relative to the lowermost support  30  and angles downwardly to the sump section  34  for at least partially supporting the sloped portions  118  of the bottles  100 ,  102 . The sump section  34  is below the sloped section but above the lowermost support  30  to receive the sump portions  126  of the bottles  100 ,  102 . 
     The front sidewall  18  extends vertically between front edges of the base  16  and the top rim  26  and may include a first set of windows  38 A-D and a second set of windows  40 A-D configured to allow a user to view a level or amount of liquid contained in the bottles  100 ,  102 . The first set of windows  38 A-D may be positioned in a vertical column on a left side of the front sidewall  18  so that each window of the first set corresponds to a different level or amount of fluid in the left bottle  100 . For example, a bottom window  38 A may be positioned such that the left bottle  100  has approximately twenty liters if the fluid level is visible through the bottom window  38 A. The top window  38 D may be positioned such that the left bottle  100  has approximately one hundred liters if the fluid level is visible through the top window  38 D. Additional windows  38 B,C may be positioned between the bottom and top windows  38 A,D at twenty liter increments or any other suitable increment. 
     The second set of windows  40 A-D may be positioned in a vertical column on a right side of the front sidewall  18  so that each window of the second set corresponds to a different level or amount of fluid in the right bottle  102 . For example, a bottom window  40 A may be positioned such that the right bottle  102  has approximately twenty liters if the fluid level is visible through the bottom window  40 A. The top window  40 D may be positioned such that the right bottle  102  has approximately one hundred liters if the fluid level is visible through the top window  40 D. Additional windows  40 B,C may be positioned between the bottom and top windows  40 A,D at twenty liter increments or any other suitable increment. 
     The front sidewall  18  may also be contoured for increasing rigidity and strength of the outer shell  12 . For example, the front sidewall  18  may form vertical legs at corners of adjacent sidewalls for supporting the weight of other shell and retainer containment systems stacked on top of the outer shell  12 . 
     The rear sidewall  20  extends vertically between rear edges of the base  16  and the top rim  26  and may be substantially similar to the front sidewall  18 . That is, the rear sidewall  20  may be contoured for increasing rigidity and strength of the outer shell  12 . For example, the rear sidewall  20  may form vertical legs at corners of adjacent sidewalls for supporting the weight of other shell and retainer containment systems stacked on top of the outer shell  12 . 
     The left sidewall  22  extends vertically between left edges of the base  16  and the top rim  26  and may be substantially similar to the front and rear sidewalls  18 ,  20 . That is, the left sidewall  22  may be contoured for increasing rigidity and strength of the outer shell  12 . For example, the left sidewall  22  may form vertical legs at corners of adjacent sidewalls for supporting the weight of other shell and retainer containment systems stacked on top of the outer shell  12 . 
     The right sidewall  24  extends vertically between right edges of the base  16  and the top rim  26  and may be substantially similar to the front, rear, and left sidewalls  18 ,  20 ,  22 . That is, the right sidewall  24  may be contoured for increasing rigidity and strength of the outer shell  12 . For example, the right sidewall  24  may form vertical legs at corners of adjacent sidewalls for supporting the weight of other shell and retainer containment systems stacked on top of the outer shell  12 . 
     The top rim  26  is the uppermost portion of the outer shell  12  and includes a set of handles  42 A-D, a set of forklift fork openings  44 A-D, and stacking geometry  46 . The handles  42 A-D allow the user to pick up the shell and retainer containment system  10  by hand and may be orthogonally spaced from each other. The forklift fork openings  44 A-D are configured to receive a forklift fork therethrough and may be orthogonally spaced from each other positioned directly below the handles  42 A-D. This allows the user to pick up and transport the shell and retainer containment system  10  from any direction. 
     The stacking geometry  46  interlocks with or engages stacking geometry of the base of another shell. The stacking geometry  46  may include recesses, bosses, protrusions, grooves, ridges, guides, or any other suitable geometry. 
     The upper retainer  14  secures the bottles  100 ,  102  in the central cavity  28  and includes a brace  48  and a set of corner reinforcements  50 . The brace  48  is configured to be positioned above the bottles  100 ,  102  when the upper retainer  14  is inserted into the central cavity  42  over the bottles  100 ,  102  and includes first and second access openings  52 A, B for allowing access to the bung openings  124 A-C of the bottles  100 ,  102 . In one embodiment, the first access opening  52 A provides access to the bung openings of bottle  100  while the second access opening  52 B provides access to the bung openings of bottle  102 . 
     The corner reinforcements  50  extend upwards toward upper corners of the shell  12  and may include fastener openings  54  or other features for attaching the upper retainer  14  to the shell  12  via fasteners  56 . That is, the fasteners  56  keep the upper retainer  14  in place and hence secure the bottles  100 ,  102  in the central cavity  42  of the shell  12 . 
     The above-described shell and retainer containment system  10  provides several advantages over conventional containment systems. For example, the upper retainer  14  secures the bottles  100 ,  102  in the outer shell  12  while providing access to the bung openings  124 A-C of the bottles  100 ,  102  via the access openings  52 . The upper retainer  14  also does not obscure the handles  42  and forklift fork openings  44  such that the shell and retainer containment system  10  can be lifted and transported by hand or via a forklift fork extending through one or two of the forklift fork openings  44 . 
     The outer shell  12  ensures that the bottles  100 ,  102  are properly positioned and restrained in the central cavity  28 . The base  16  of the outer shell  12  may not have any holes or openings such that any fluid spilled or leaked from the bottles  100 ,  102  is retained in the central cavity  28 . The outer shell  12  may be mirrored or shaped so that the bottles  100 ,  102  can only fit into the central cavity  28  a predetermined way, which ensures that the bottles  100 ,  102  are not switched or loaded improperly. This may be desirable if the bottles  100 ,  102  hold different fluids or chemicals that must not be mistaken for each other. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention.