Patent Publication Number: US-2009236301-A1

Title: Spillage free fluid bottle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Oil spillage has been a common problem encountered during pouring engine oil from an oil bottle to the fill port of an automobile engine. Oil spillage is due to oil begins to escape out of bottle when the bottle is tilted to a certain degree, in which, the outlet sprout of the bottle is not yet emerged into the fill port of the engine. The use of a drain funnel adapted to the fill port of the engine can prevent oil spillage. But there is still a popular demand for a spill free oil bottle to prevent spillage without using the drain funnel. 
     One unsuccessful prior approach to the design of a spillage free fluid bottle is shown in  FIG. 1 . The fluid bottle has a convergent section in the upper section. The outlet sprout, which sits on the top of the convergent section, is nearly located to the right side of the fluid bottle. The intent of such arrangement is to allow the fluid bottle to be tilted counter clockwise to a certain degree without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. It becomes apparent that the less fluid content is stored in the bottle, the higher degree is allowed to tilt the bottle without fluid escaping out of the bottle. But the bottle with reduced storage capacity is not economical. Presumably, the ultimate design may allow the bottle to be tilted to a maximum 90 degree counter clockwise without fluid escaping out of bottle. In this case, the outlet sprout is positioned horizontally at relatively the highest elevation of the bottle without fluid escaping out of the bottle. But, when the bottle is positioned horizontally to approach to the fill port of the engine, there still exists a vertical distance between the outlet sprout of the bottle and the fill port of the engine. It has been proved that spillage can still occur in this case. This is due to the fact that the bottle needs to be tilted further beyond 90 degree to pass the vertical distance between the outlet sprout of the bottle and the fill port of the engine before the outlet sprout can be completely merged into the fill port of the engine. Consequently, fluid escapes out of the bottle as soon as the bottle is tilted beyond 90 degree. 
     Another unsuccessful prior approach to the design of a spillage free fluid bottle is to incorporate a baffle plate within the bottle adjacent to the outlet port. The baffle plate allows the bottle to be tilted to a larger degree without fluid escaping from the bottle. Therefore, the outlet port of the bottle can be aligned to the fill port of the engine before fluid escaping from the bottle. The drawback of this prior approach is that the baffle plate becomes a barrier during filling process of the bottle. This significantly slows down the filling process because fluid must be injected into fluid bottle in a small section above the baffle plate, and is then drained down to the main body of the bottle by gravity. There is also a possibility that oil spillage may occur during the filling process. 
     There are other prior approaches to the design of a spillage free fluid bottle such as adopting a rupture disc or spring biased device within the bottle, or a control device within the cap of the bottle . . . etc. These prior approaches present a serious risk of introducing a moving part into the engine if the incorporated device fails within the bottle. 
     Therefore, there is still a need to design a spillage free bottle that does not slow down the filling process of the bottle. Equally important, the fluid bottle must have a fail-safe design without a possibility of contaminating fluid content with foreign object. Finally, the manufacturing cost of such fluid bottle must be minimum. 
     The spillage free bottle of present invention has a horizontal partition plate that divides the bottle into an upper transition section and a lower reservoir section. The partition plate has a first opening located adjacent to a side wall of the bottle, and a second opening located below the outlet port of the bottle. The second opening is considered as a temporary opening for use only during the filling process of the bottle. The second opening allows fluid to be directly injected into the lower reservoir section of the bottle. As a result, the fluid bottle of present invention does not slow down the filing process, or encounter the possibility of spillage during the filling process. After completion of the filling process, an insert is assembled into the fluid bottle to completely seal the second opening. The insert is provided with openings and flow passage for purpose of transporting fluid out of fluid bottle during pouring. 
     The fluid bottle of present invention allows the fluid bottle to be tilted 90 degree, and allows the outlet sprout of fluid bottle to be positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation rather than the highest elevation of the bottle without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. This allows the outlet sprout of fluid bottle to be positioned immediately adjacent to the fill port of a fluid receiver without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. After completion of such immediate alignment, spillage is not likely to occur as fluid bottle being further tilted beyond 90 degree. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     One object of present invention is to provide a spillage free fluid bottle without slowing down the filling process of the bottle. 
     Another object of present invention is to provide a spillage free fluid bottle without containing a moving part or mechanical device within the bottle. 
     Another object of present invention is to provide a spillage free fluid bottle at minimum cost. 
     Another object of present invention is to allow the outlet sprout of fluid bottle to be positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation of the bottle without fluid escaping out of fluid bottle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the spillage free fluid bottle of prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the insert of the second preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention.  FIG. 3  is an exploded view of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 2 . The spillage free fluid bottle  1  comprises of a bottle body  2 , an outlet sprout  3 , an insert  4 , a cap  5 , and a horizontal partition plate  6 . The partition plate  6  is integrally constructed within bottle body  2  with a side opening  7  and a center opening  8 . The partition plate divides the internal volume of bottle body  2  into an upper transition section  9  and a lower reservoir section  10 . The insert  4  is basically a hollow cylinder that consists of an externally threaded top end  11  for receiving screw cap  5 , a collar  12  extended radially outward, an externally threaded midsection  13  for engaging with internal threads  14  of the outlet sprout  3 , a plurality of peripheral openings  15 , a closed bottom  16  with tapered end  17  matching the tapered end  18  of center opening  8  in partition plate  6 , and an internal passage  19 . Preferably, both threads  13  in insert  4  and threads  14  in sprout  3  are left hand threads so that insert  4  is assembled into bottle body  2  with left hand threads engagement. This is to ensure insert  4  is securely attached to bottle body  2  when an user unscrews the cap  5 . The purpose of peripheral openings  15  and internal passage  19  is to transport fluid out of fluid bottle  1  during pouring. 
     The fluid bottle  1  is filled at a process plant prior to assembling insert  4  into bottle body  2 . Fluid is directly injected into the lower reservoir section  10  through center opening  8  in partition plate  6  during filling process. After completion of filling process, insert  4  can be assembled into bottle body  2  through outlet sprout  3  by a capping machine rather than manually. Cap  5  is preferably pre-assembled to top end  11  of insert  4  prior to the capping process. During capping process, capping machine grips the collar  12  of insert  4  in lieu of cap  5  because the outside diameter of collar  12  is slightly larger than that of cap  5 . Capping machine then screw the insert  4  into bottle body  2  until the tapered end  17  of insert  4  being engaged with the tapered end  18  of center opening  8 , which completely seals opening  8 . In the case that insert  4  and sprout  3  are engaged with left hand threads, capping machine must rotate counter clockwise. 
     It should be noted that the locations of outlet sprout  3  and side opening  7  are offset at a maximum distance. As shown in  FIG. 4 , outlet sprout  3  is located on top of the bottle body  2  adjacent to the right side of bottle body  2 . Opening  7  is located next to the left side of bottle body  2 . Opening  8  is centered along the vertical center line of the outlet sprout  3 . Based on these arrangements, fluid bottle  1  must be tilted clockwise in order to prevent fluid escaping from side opening  7 . Also, fluid bottle  1  must be tilted clockwise in order to position outlet sprout  3  at relatively the lowest elevation of fluid bottle  1 . The fluid volume stored in lower reservoir section  10  is predetermined so that, when fluid bottle  1  is tilted 90 degree clockwise, no fluid will escape from side opening  7 . It should be noted that, when fluid bottle is tilted 90 degree clockwise, the outlet sprout  3  is positioned horizontally at relatively the lowest elevation of the fluid bottle  1 . This allows the outlet sprout  3  to be positioned immediately adjacent to the fill port of a fluid receiver. After completion of such immediate alignment, spillage is not likely to occur as fluid bottle being further tilted beyond 90 degree. It becomes apparent that, when fluid bottle  1  is tilted up side down, fluid in lower reservoir section  10  will be diverted into upper transition section  9  through side opening  7 , and then diverted from upper transition section  9  to the outlet sprout  3  through openings  15  and internal passage  19  of insert  4 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiments of the spillage free fluid bottle of present invention.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the insert of the second preferred embodiments.  FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 5 . The second preferred embodiments are different from the first preferred embodiments only in respect to the application of the insert. The construction of the bottle body  20  and partition plate  21  of second preferred embodiments shown in  FIG. 7  is identical to the bottle body  2  and partition plate  6  of the first preferred embodiments. The insert  22  is assembled into fluid bottle  20  by pushing/sliding rather than by thread engagement proposed in the first preferred embodiments. Therefore, insert  22  becomes the simplified version of the insert  4  of the first preferred embodiments. The insert  22  has a top opening end  23 , a plurality of peripheral openings  24  in the midsection, and a closed bottom  25  with tapered end  26  matching the tapered end  27  of center opening  28  in partition plate  21 . Screw cap  29  is screwed onto the outlet sprout  30 . 
     It is understood that fluid bottle of present invention in both first and second preferred embodiments must be tilted in the proper direction in order to avoid spillage during pouring. Graphical instruction markings  31  and  32  shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5  respectively are provided for indicating the proper direction for tilting the fluid bottle during pouring.