Patent Publication Number: US-2012037532-A1

Title: Interlocking cans

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a container and more particularly to a can having an integrated connection mechanism for allowing interlocking of cans. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Beverages, such as beer and soda, are stored in numerous forms. One of the more common is a beverage can typically made from aluminum to hold a single serving of a beverage. While sizes vary and include 8, 12, and 24 ounces can and 330 milliliter, and 500 milliliter can, the most common size container in the United States is 12 ounces. 
     While cans are convenient for serving, individuals cans are not convenient for transporting or serving. At one time, it was common to find a six pack, six cans, connected with a six-pack plastic ring or yoke. It is more common now days to find cans packaged in larger numbers such as 12, 24, or 30 cans within a sealed paperboard carton. 
     Unfortunately after the beverage can is removed from the box or the plastic yoke and the beverage consumed, the desire and the ability to bundle the empty containers is lost. While approximately a dozen states have bottle laws that incentivize the proper disposal of cans, it does not facilitate the bundling of cans together for transportation. 
     SUMMARY 
     In contrast to the conventional beverage cans, the can of the instant invention has several features that allow grouping of cans together for delivery to a proper disposal location. In addition, these features allow for other uses of cans as described below. 
     In an embodiment of a container, the container has an outer surface including having a bottom surface and a top surface. The bottom surface is capable of engaging the top surface of another container for stacking the containers. The container has a connection mechanism having a pair of complementary components carried by the outer surface of the container wherein one of the pair of complementary components carried by the container engages the other of the pair of complementary components by another container for securing the containers together. 
     In an embodiment, the connection mechanisms are dis-engageable for separating the containers. In an embodiment, the container is a cylindrical container having a top and a bottom and a cylindrical side wall. 
     In an embodiment, the connection mechanism has a pair of complementary components. One of the complementary components is carried by the top and the other of the complementary components is carried by the bottom wherein the complementary components engage each other for allowing the secure stacking of containers. In one embodiment, the pair of complementary components are a plurality of dimples and complementary protrusions. 
     In an embodiment, the top of the container has a generally planar portion which is parallel to a generally planar portion of the bottom and an annular ring having a radial facing inward surface. The radial facing inward surface has the plurality of dimples and the bottom has a bottom rim with a plurality of protrusions for acceptance in dimples carried on the top of another container. 
     In an embodiment, the pair of complementary components are a pair of threaded surfaces. In an embodiment, the pair of complementary components are a pair of interlocking hook segments. 
     In an embodiment, the container has a second connection mechanism having a plurality of complementary components carried by the generally cylindrical side wall wherein the complementary components engage each other to allow the secure connection of containers. In an embodiment, the plurality of complementary components of the second connection mechanism are dovetail components having at least one tenon and at least one complementary mortise. 
     In a method of practicing the invention to stack a plurality of cans, each can has an outer surface including a bottom surface and a top surface. The bottom surface is capable of engaging the top surface of another container for stacking the containers. The bottom of a can is placed into engagement with the top of another can such that a connection mechanism carried by the top of one can engages the complementary components carried by the bottom of the other can. 
     In one embodiment of the method, the top of the can has a generally planar portion which is parallel to a generally planar portion of the bottom. The top has an annular ring having a radial facing inward surface wherein the connection mechanism is a plurality of dimples and the bottom having an outer rim with the complementary component is a plurality of protrusions for acceptance in dimples carried on the top of another container wherein the can flexes to allow the protrusion to engage the dimples. 
     In an embodiment, the can is coupled to another a connection mechanism having a pair of complementary components carried by the outer surface of the container wherein one of the pair of complementary components carried by the container engages the other of the pair of complementary components by another container for securing the containers together. 
     In an embodiment, the cans are stacked such that an opening the size of a can or larger opening is found in the stacked cans. 
     These aspects of the invention are not meant to be exclusive and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of its preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the top portion of the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the container of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  3 - 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of one container stacked on top of another container; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a container of an alternative embodiment; 
         FIG. 6A  is an enlarged view of a portion of the container of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of a portion of the container of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of two containers of the embodiment described with respect to  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic of a plurality of containers connected; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of a portion of a pair of containers of an alternative embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of a container of an alternative embodiment; and 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view of a portion of a pair of containers of the embodiment of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a container  20  according to the invention is shown. The container  20  in a preferred embodiment is a beverage can having a cylindrical outer wall  22 , a bottom surface  24 , as seen in  FIG. 3 , and a top surface  26 . The top surface  26  as an upper rim  28  with an annular ring  30 . 
     The container  20  has a connection mechanism  34  having a pair of complementary components  34   d  and  34   p . One of the complementary components  34   d  is carried on the inner surface  36  of the annular ring  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of the top portion of the container  20  is shown. The container  20  in the embodiment shown has a pull tab  38  that results in a portion  40  of the top surface  26  moving to create an opening  42 . A pair of one of the complementary components  34   d  are seen. In the embodiment shown, the components  34   d  are dimples. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a sectional view of the container  20  is shown. The top surface  26  of the container  20  is shown with the annular ring  30  having the inner surface  36  wherein the complementary components  34   d  are a plurality of dimples  34   d . In the embodiment shown, the container  20  has four dimples  34   d  of which three are seen in the FIG. The bottom surface  24  has a bottom rim  46  with an outer rim  48  which has a diameter slightly smaller than the inner surface  36  of the annular ring  30  of the rim  28  of the top surface  26 . The outer rim  48  has a plurality of the complementary components  34   p . In the embodiment shown, the complementary components  34   p  are a plurality of protrusions  34   p  formed in the rim. The plurality of protrusions  34   p  are both complementary and aligned with the dimples  34   d . It is noted that the protrusions  34   p  and dimples  34   d  do not interfere with the use of the container  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , an enlarged sectional view of a portion of one container  20  stacked on top of another container  20  is shown. The protrusions  34   p  on the outer rim  48  of the bottom surface  24  are received in the dimples  34   d  on the inner surface  36  of the annular ring  30  of the upper rim  28  of the top surface  26 . While the container  20  does not flex significantly, the aluminum surface of the container  20  flexes sufficiently to allow the protrusions  34   p  to move into and out of the engagement with the dimples. When one container  20  is stacked on top of another container  20 , the lower bottom surface  24  of the top container  20  is received within the annular ring  30  of the bottom container  20 . One of the complementary components  34  is carried by the top and the other of the complementary components  34  is carried by the bottom wherein the complementary components  34  engage each other for allowing the secure staking of containers  20 . While only portions of two containers  20  are shown secured together, it is recognized that a stack of several containers  20 , cans, can be stacked to form a cylinder having a longitudinal axis through a plurality of containers  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a side view of a container of an alternative embodiment is shown. The container  20  has a plurality of dovetail components  54  as also seen in  FIG. 1 . The dovetail components  54  include a plurality of complementary components  54   r  and  54   s ; the components  54  include at least one tenon or rail  54   r  and at least one complementary mortise or slot  54   s . The tenon or rail  54   r  extends longitudinally down the cylindrical outer wall  22  of the container  20 . In one embodiment, the tenon or rail  54   r  is formed from the cylindrical outer wall  22  of the container  20  as seen in  FIG. 6A . Likewise in the embodiment, the complementary mortise or slots  54   s  is formed form the cylindrical outer wall  22  of the container  22  as seen in  FIG. 6B . 
     While both the tenon and the mortise are shown extending the length of the maximum diameter of the container, it is recognized that the tenon or rail  54   r  can be of a short length or two or more segments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a sectional view of two containers  20  of the embodiment described with respect to  FIG. 5  is shown. The tenon  54   r  of the container  20   r  on the left side of the FIG is shown received by the mortise  54   s  of the container  20  on the right side of the FIG. The tenon  54   r  is aligned with the mortise  54   s  and containers  20  slide to align with each other. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a schematic of a plurality of containers  20  that are connected is shown. The containers  20  in this embodiment are connected top to bottom by the dimples  34   d  and protrusions  34   p  discussed above. Adjacent containers  20  are connected using the rails  54   r  and the slots  54   s . The wall of containers  20  can be built with openings  58  the size of one container or multiple containers  20 . In addition while the FIG. shows the containers in two dimension, it is recognized that the containers can be stacked in three dimensions. In the embodiment shown, the rails  54   r  and slots  54   s  are spaced at ninety (90) degrees, but it is recognized that the connection mechanism can be positioned at other spacing such as 45°, 60°, or 120°. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a sectional view of a portion of a pair of containers  60  having an alternative embodiment of a connection mechanism  34  is shown. The top surface  26  of the bottom container  30  has a pull tab  38  that is used for opening the container  20 . The pull tab  38  has an opening  62 . The bottom surface  24  of the top container  20  has a hook  66  which projects up and is received by the opening  62  in the pull tab  38 . The opening  62  in the pull tab  38  and the hook  66  are part of the connection mechanism  34 . In that the pull tab  38  flexes relative to the top of the container  60 , after the hook  66  is received by the opening  62  in the pull tab  38 , the containers can be pushed together so that the bottom rim  46  of the top container  60  is received in the upper rim  26  of the bottom container  60 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , a sectional view of a container  80  having an alternative embodiment of a connection mechanism  34  is shown. The bottom surface  26  of the container  80  has an outer protruding thread  84  on the outer rim  48  of the bottom rim  46 . The upper rim  26  of the container  80  has an inner thread  86  which is complementary to the outer protruding thread  84 . The inner thread  86  of the upper rim  26  receives the outer protruding thread  84  on the outer rim  48  of the bottom rim  46  as shown in  FIG. 11 . The two complimentary threaded portions  84  and  86  of the connection mechanism  34  allows for a plurality of containers  80  to be stacked together. 
     While the principles of the invention have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.