# US 11,027,903 B2 · Molded container assembly

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- Number: US 11,027,903 B2
- Document ID: US11027903B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/377,696
- Filed: 2019-04-08
- Published: 2020-10-08
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-08
- Assignees: Snyder Industries, Inc.
- Applicants: Snyder Industries, LLC
- Inventors: Herbert H. Spann; Darrell A. Oltman; Colin James Suiter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027903B2

## CPC

- B65D 21/0215: {Containers with stacking feet or corner elements (B65D21/0211, B65D21/023 take precedence)}
- B65D 71/0096: {the dimensions of the supports corresponding to the periphery of the load, e.g. pallets}
- B65D 1/14: characterised by shape
- B65D 19/18: made wholly or mainly of plastics material
- B65D 19/385: {Frames, corner posts or pallet converters, e.g. for facilitating stacking of charged pallets}
- B65D 21/0224: {Auxiliary removable stacking elements other than covers}
- B65D 2519/00034: Plastic
- B65D 2519/00069: Plastic
- B65D 2519/00174: Plastic
- B65D 2519/00243: Plastic
- B65D 2519/00268: made of one piece
- B65D 2519/00288: made of one piece
- B65D 2519/00308: grid type, e.g. perforated plate
- B65D 2519/00318: made of one piece
- B65D 2519/00333: contact surface having a stringer-like shape
- B65D 2519/00437: on the load supporting surface
- B65D 2519/00442: on the base surface
- B65D 2519/00497: whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
- B65D 2519/00507: shape of the wall, i.e. other than rectangular
- B65D 2519/00621: sidewalls directly connected to each other
- B65D 2519/00805: Means for facilitating the removal of the load
- B65D 2519/0097: through corner posts
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES

## Abstract

A molded container assembly includes a pallet, a molded container, and a plurality of connection systems. The pallet supports the molded container thereon and includes stacking alignment structure for stacking the pallet on another molded container assembly. The molded container includes a tank portion, several leg supports, and several buttresses. The tank portion includes several curved sidewalls and a fill opening. The leg supports include lower sections and upper sections that extend above the fill opening for spacing a pallet stacked on top of the molded container above the fill opening. The upper sections include pallet engaging structure for engaging pallets of at least two different types. The buttresses extend between the tank portion and the leg supports. The connection systems include washers that allow for shrinkage and expansion between the molded container and the pallet in a number of directions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A molded container comprising:
a tank portion defining therein a fluid storage chamber, the tank portion including a plurality of sidewalls, a bottom wall, a top wall, and a fill opening near a center of the top wall; and
a plurality of supports integrally formed with and extending vertically from the tank portion, each vertically extending support including a lower section and an upper section, the upper sections extending above the fill opening and each having an upper surface including first pallet engaging structure for interlocking with tank engaging structure of a first pallet of a first type and second pallet engaging structure for interlocking with tank engaging structure of a second pallet of a second type, the first pallet including diagonally adjacent cavities, the second pallet including a bottom rim;
the first pallet engaging structure including two diagonally-spaced nub protrusions positioned near a center of the upper surface, the nub protrusions being configured to be at least partially inserted into the diagonally adjacent cavities of the first pallet;
the second pallet engaging structure being a concave curved ridge for engaging the bottom rim of the second pallet, the concave curved ridge laterally facing the center of the top wall and being farther from the center of the top wall than the first pallet engaging structure;
the first pallet engaging structure and the second pallet engaging structure being topmost features of the molded container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The molded container of claim 1, wherein the plurality of supports includes a front left support, a front right support, a middle left support, a middle right support, a left rear support, and a right rear support, wherein the front left support, front right support, left rear support, and right rear support include the first pallet engaging structure and the second pallet engaging structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The molded container of claim 1, wherein the plurality of supports includes a front left support, a front right support, a left rear support, and a right rear support each including the first pallet engaging structure and the second pallet engaging structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The molded container of claim 1, wherein the first pallet engaging structure extends above the second pallet engaging structure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The molded container of claim 1, wherein one of the two nub protrusions is tapered.