Patent Publication Number: US-2022212833-A1

Title: Material handling device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 63/134,834, which was filed on Jan. 7, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure pertains to a material handling device. More particularly, the present disclosure pertains to a container with a lid that facilitates a weighing of a substance and pouring the substance into a bag. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Containers such as buckets have traditionally been used for storing materials and for pouring the material at a desired location. However, buckets generally have wide mouths and are therefore not particularly useful for careful pouring of their contents, which often results in spilling or creating a mess. To overcome the spilling a funnel may be used, but funnels are unsteady and may require a second person to hold the funnel in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an aspect of the disclosure a material handling system is disclosed. The material handling system includes a container, such as a bucket, having a base, a sidewall extending outwardly and upwardly from the base, the sidewall including an upper edge defining an access opening. The material handling system further includes a lid adapted to be connected to the bucket to cover the access opening. The lid includes a funnel portion having a spout portion to facilitate an exit of the contents of the bucket through the lid. 
     Optionally, the material handling system includes a handle coupled to the sidewall of the bucket, the handle extending outwardly from the sidewall. Preferably, the handle is an open handle having an upper end attached to the sidewall, and a free lower end. 
     Optionally, the bag comprises a plastic film material. 
     Optionally, the bucket comprises a plastic material, and more preferably, a food-grade polymer. 
     Optionally, the lid comprises a plastic material, and more preferably, a food-grade polymer. 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a material handling system having a bucket and a lid with a funnel portion, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the bucket positioned on a weighing scale using the lid in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the material handling system of  FIG. 1  in an inverted position and having a bag attached to a funnel portion of the lid for transferring contents from the bucket to the bag, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a material handling system having a lid with a spout portion arranged at an inclination, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a material handling system having a lid with a funnel portion pivotally connected to a base portion of the lid, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a material handling system having a lid pivotally engaged to a bucket, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a material handling system having a lid having a first portion and a second portion rotatably connected to the first portion, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a material handling system having a lid having a handle and a bucket having a handle that cooperates with the handle of the lid for lifting the bucket, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , there is provided a material handling system  100  adapted to store contents, or a material, and facilitate the transfer of the material to a bag  200 . The material handling system  100  includes a container  102 , such as a bucket  102 , for storing the material and weighing the material on a scale, and a lid  104  coupled to the bucket  102  for covering the bucket  102 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bucket  102  includes a bottom, or base  110 , and a sidewall  112  extending upwardly from the base  110 . In an embodiment, the base  110  may be circular in shape, and in such a case, the sidewall  112  may extend from the base  110  in the shape of a cylinder or a truncated cone around a longitudinal axis  114  of the bucket  102 . The sidewall  112  includes a base edge  116  defined at an interface of the base  110  and the sidewall  112 , and an upper edge  118  that defines an access opening  120  of the bucket  102 . The access opening  120  permits the entry of a material into the bucket  102 , and the exit of the material from the bucket  102 . Although the bucket  102  preferably has a cylindrical sidewall or a truncated cone-shaped sidewall (which provide for a circular cross-section), it may be appreciated that the base  110  and the sidewall  112  may be any other shape, such that the cross-section of the bucket  102  may be, but is not limited to, a square, a rectangle, or oval, or any other suitable shape known in the art. The access opening  120  is covered/closed by the lid  104  to prevent the material from unintentionally exiting the bucket  102 . Also, in an embodiment, the bucket  102  may include a flange (not shown) extending radially outwardly of the upper edge  118  of the sidewall  112 . The flange may facilitate an engagement of the lid  104  with the bucket  102 . 
     Additionally, the bucket  102  may include a handle  130  coupled to the sidewall  112  for holding and lifting of the bucket  102 . As shown, the handle  130  may be, but is not necessarily, disposed proximate to the upper edge  118  of the sidewall  112  and extend outwardly from the sidewall  112 . As shown throughout the drawings, the handle  130  may be an open handle with one end (for example, upper end  144 ) of the handle  130  attached to the sidewall  112 , and a free lower end  146 . Alternatively, the handle  130  may be a closed handle with both ends of the handle  130  attached to the sidewall  112 . In some embodiments, the handle  130  may be integrally formed with the sidewall  112 . In some implementations, the handle  130  may be removably attached to the sidewall  112  of the bucket  102 . It is envisioned that the handle  130  may include any shape or structure that facilitates holding and lifting of the bucket  102 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the lid  104  may include a base portion  132  adapted to contact the sidewall  112 , and a funnel portion  134  extending upwardly or away from the base portion  132 . The funnel portion  134  includes an elongated spout  136  that facilitates the exit of the material from the bucket  102  via the lid  104 . Optionally, the lid  104  may also be used to position the bucket  102  on a weighing scale  300  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) to measure a weight of the material contained inside the bucket  102 . This is accomplished by removing the lid  104  from the bucket  102  and placing the lid  104  on the scale  300  such that the base portion  132  contacts a surface of the scale  300  and the bucket  102  is arranged on the spout portion  136 . 
     Furthermore, the lid  104  aids in pouring the material from the bucket  102  to the bag  200 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bag  200  is attached to the funnel portion  134  such that a portion of the spout portion  136  is positioned inside the bag  200 . The bag  200  is then securely tightened around the spout portion  136  and the bucket  102  is inverted to shift the material in the bucket  102  into the bag via the funnel portion  134  of the lid  104 . The bag  200  is secured around the spout portion  136  using any suitable type of means, such as a rubber band, a clip, or the like. Preferably, the bag  200  is secured around the spout portion  136  by being held in place by a user&#39;s hand. 
     In some embodiments, the spout portion  136  is arranged centrally to the lid  104  and extends substantially perpendicularly to the base portion  132 . Alternatively, the spout portion  136  may extend at an inclination relative to the base portion  132 , such as shown in  FIG. 4 , and/or may be arranged proximate to a side of the lid  104 . In some embodiments, such as shown in  FIG. 5 , the funnel portion  134  may pivot relative to the base portion  132 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the lid  104  may be removably attached to the bucket  102 , such as being snap-fitted to the bucket  102 . The lid  104  may be connected to the bucket  102  using any other known means, such as being threadingly connected to one another. In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the lid  104  may include a hinge and be pivotally coupled to the sidewall  112  and adapted to move between an open position and a close position. In the open position, the lid  104  is pivoted away from the access opening  120 , while in the close position, the lid  103  covers the access opening  120 . 
     The bucket  102  and the lid  104  can be formed from any suitable type of material, but preferably they comprise a plastic, or polymeric material. Even more particularly, the bucket  102  and the lid  104  comprise a food-grade polymer. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , another embodiment of the lid  104  is shown. The lid  104  includes the base portion  132  having a first portion  140  and a second portion  142 , the second portion  142  being rotatably engaged with the first portion  140 . The first portion  140  is securely attached to the upper edge  118 , or is alternatively integrally formed with the sidewall  112 . The first portion  140  includes the access opening  120 . The second portion  142  is adapted to rotate between a closed position and an opened position relative to the first portion  140 . The second portion  142  also includes the funnel portion  134  having the spout portion  136 . In the open position, the second portion  142  is rotated away from the access opening  120  in the first portion  140 , while in the closed position the second portion  142  is pivoted to cover the access opening  120 , thereby selectively allowing access to the inside of the bucket  102  through the access opening  120 . 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 8  the lid  104  may include a handle  150  attached to the base portion  132  and extending downwardly from an end of the base portion  132 . The handle  150  may be an inverted L shaped handle and may cooperate with the handle  130  of the bucket  102  for lifting and inverting the bucket  102  and pouring the material inside the bag  200  through the spout portion  136 . Preferably the shape of the handle  150  on the lid  104  complements the shape of the handle  130  on the bucket  102 . 
     Lastly, there is also provided the bag  200  for receiving the material from the bucket  102 . The bag  200  has a mouth which can be closed or secured around the spout portion  136 . The bag  200  can be formed from any well-known material which is suitable for the particular application and the material. For example, the bag  200  could be formed from a cellulose material like paper, or it could be formed from, or comprises, a plastic film material. 
     In use, the material handling system  100  can be used for storing, weighing, and transferring the material into the bag  102 . To weigh the material inside the bucket  102 , the lid  104  may be positioned on the scale  300  as shown in  FIG. 2 , and the bucket  102  may be positioned on the spout  136  of the lid  104 . Optionally the bucket  102  may be placed directly onto the scale  300 . The scale  300  is then tared or zeroed out, and the bucket  102  is filled with the material up to a desired weight. The bucket  102  may then be lifted from the weighing scale  300 , and the lid  104  is secured over the access opening  120  of the bucket  102 . The bag  200  is then attached to the spout portion  136  such that part of the spout portion  136  is disposed inside the mouth of the bag  200 . The mouth of the bag  200  is securely tightened around the spout portion  136 , and the bucket  102  and the bag  200  are inverted upside down. Accordingly, the material is funneled into the bag  200  from the bucket  102  through the funnel portion  134  due to gravity. 
     It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Further, the mere fact that different features are recited in mutually different dependent or independent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features cannot be advantageously used, such as a combination remaining within the scope of the aspects of the disclosed embodiments.