~ 177~5 BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the--Invention The present invention relates generally to liquid containers, and specifically to containers designed to store gas-oline, kerosene, and other volatile liquids.
2. Descri~tion of the Prior Art In my U. S. Design Patent 241,619, I disclose a liquid storage container having a conical conÇiguration with a vertical side. Other liquid container designs of interest are disclosed in U. S. Patents 454,436 to Gatchell, and 2,699,626 to Bober et al.; and in Germ~n Patent 218,117.
Portable gasoline and kerosene storage containers have traditionally taken a blocky, short and wide shape, typ~cal-ly with a handle along a side or a surface opposite the direction of pour from a related spout.
Such prior art arrangements are difficult to use for emptying into automobile fuel tank filler necks, particularly late-model versions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
. .
The present invention contemplates a liquid storage container and dispenser including an enclosure having a flat bottom for resting the container on a supporting surface, the side periphery of the enclosure defining a generally conical configuration with one side generally transverse to the flat bot--tom. A cylindrical spout is coupled with the enclosure at the top of the conical configuration and extends angularly away from the central axis of the enclosure, with a dispensing opening al:
the extremity of the neck. Means are provided along the side periphery to permit egress for filling the enclosure. A handle ~ i~7~
is included along the side periphery of the enclosure, and, in the preferred embodiment, has the filling means extending t.hrough the handle. It will be understood that the enclosure tapers fror a large dimension adjacent the fla~ bottom to a smaller dimension adjacent the spout, such ~,at liquids in the enclo~ure are fun-neled into the spout and out of the dispensing opening when the flat bottom is elevated above the ~pout.
The generally conical configuration of the container of the present invention is such that each imaginary latecal section of the enclosure has a tangent which lies in a common p.lane with respect to other imaginary lateral sections of the enclosure.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filling means and the handle comprise a hollow member formed integrally with the enclosure along the transverse side and in~
cluding an encirc].ing handle with a filler opening molded into the hollow member at the extremity thereof toward the spout. An air vent tube extends completely through the container ancl terminates at the extremity of the spout.
In the preferred embodiment, the container further in-cludes a bottom rim portion formed integrally with the conical enclosure, and between the enclosure and the flat bottom, the periphery of the end portion defining a substantially cylindrical side wall and i,ncluding a finger grip indentation in the rim side wall adjacent the intersection o~ the rim and the transverse side.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
.
FIGURE 1 is a side elevation illustrating a liquid stoe-age container and dispenser in accordance with the present invention.
~ ~77445 FIGURE 2 is a side elevation similar to ~hat of FIGU~}~
1, partially cut away.
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the liquid container ancl dispenser illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4(a) is a side elevation oE the liquid storage container and dispenser of the present invention, including imaginary lateral sections used to illustrate the conical con figuration of the container, and in which FIGURE 4(b) comprises projections of the imaginary lateral sections illustrated in FIGURE 4(a).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFER ED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGURE 1, a liquid storage container and dispenser in accordance with the present invention is referred to generally with the reference numeral 10. The container includes a flat bottom 12 adapted for resting the container 10 on a sup-porting surface, and further includes a side periphery defining a generally conical configuration with one side 13 generally trans-verse to the flat bottom.
Reference is now made to FIGURES 4(a) and (~). The con-ical configuration of the periphery 14 of the enclosure of the container 10 is such that each imaginary lateral sections A-F, inclusive, of the generally conical enclosure has a tangent lying in a plane, referred with the letters "TP" in FIGURES 4(a) and 4(b), which plane TP is common with the tangents of the other imaginary lateral sections A-F.
Referring again to FIGURE 1, the container 10 includes a generally cylindrical spout 16 coupled with the side periphery 14 forming the enclosure of the container at the top 18 of the con-ical configuration and extending angularly away from the central.
axis of the enclosure (note FIGURE 2). The angular extension oE
-~ 1774~5 the neck is referrecl to by the reference numeral 20 in FIGU~ES ]
and 2. As there shown, the .spout 16 further includes a dispens-in~ openin~ 22 at the extremity of the spout, with a closure 2 adapted to fit over the dispensing opening 22~ In FIGURES 1 and 2, the central axis of the container is referred to by the refer-ence letters "CA".
With reference to FI~URES 1, 2 and 3, the container 10 includes means along the transverse side 13 permitting egress for filling the enclosure, and further including a handle along that.
side for holding the entire container. In the preferred embodi-ment, this combination of handle and filling means comprises a hollow member 24 formed integrally with the enclosure of the con-tainee 10 along the transverse side 13, and includes an encircl-ing handle 26 with the filler opening 28 molded into the hollow member 24 at the extremity thereof toward the spout 16. A clo-sure 29 is adapted to fit over the filler opening 28.
Noting FIGURES 2 and 3, the container 10 includes an air vent tube 21 extending from the extremity of the spout 22 and to the bottom 12. The lower end 25 of the tube 21 is cut at an angle, to insure that air remains in the tube. The tube 21 is formed of a material having sufficient tensile strength as to maintain its position after insertion without being permanently fastened to the,inner wall of the container 10.
As is shown at the bottom of FIGURES 1 and 2, the con-tainer 10 includes a bottom rim portion formed integrally with the conical enclosure defined by the periphery 14, and between that conical periphery and the flat bottom 12, the periphery of the rim portion defined by a substantially cylindrical side wall 30 and including a finqer indentation 32 in the rim side wall adjacent the intersection 34 of the rim portion 34 anA the trans-verse side 13.
1 ~77~L45 It will be under~tood and appreciated by those skilled in the art that the particular dimensions for the cont~iner 10 are not essential to the practice of this invention. However, typically the overall height of the container is approximately 17 to 20 inches, and the flat hottom 12 has a dimension on the order of approximately 7 or 8 inches. Typcially, the spout 16 extends about 5 inches beyond the plane of the transverse side 13.
The container 10 is particularly suitable for the stor-age and dispensing of volatile liquids, such as gasoline and kerosene, and especially for use in the Eilling of automobile fuel tank and the like. It will be understood that, after filling of the container 10, the closure 29 is placed firmly over the fill opening 28. The container 10 may then be used to pour the liquid contained therein from any direction; however, in the case of the filling through an automob~le fuel tank filler neck, typically at the rear of the vehicle, it is preferred that the slanted conical surface opposing the transverse ~ide 1~ be up, with the transverse side 13 pointed down. When being held in that way, the bottom of the container i8 then elevated sufficiently to permit almost all of the liquid therein to drain out of the dispensing opening 22. Any llquid remaining in the hollow handle member may be drained by a slight rotation of the container to one side. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the design of automobile vehicles that the fuel tank 111er neck i5 located within a recess, generally behind a license plate, or below an opening along a rear quarter panel. Because of the configuration of the conical periphery and the tilt on th~
spout of the container 10, almost the entire amount of l.iquid within the container may be easily drained intv those types of late-model vehicle fuel tank filler necks.