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US 5,060,816 AGranted
Composite container and associated carrier
OwnerEdward S. Robbins, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packaging system for liquids includes a relatively rigid open top carrier provided with a carrying/pouring handle, the carrier adapted to receive a collapsible container in nested relationship. The unitary, collapsible, but normally self-supporting container includes an integral dispensing portion including a pour spout and a screw-on type cap. The container and carrier are provided with cooperable surface configurations which releasably hold the container within the carrier during pouring.
Claims19
A collapsible container and carrier assembly comprising:
- a relatively rigid plastic carrier having a substantially open upper end, a first peripheral side wall and a first bottom wall defining a first shape;
- a relatively thin, flexible stand-along but collapsible polymer container body having a second peripheral sidewall and a second bottom wall defining a second shape substantially complementary to said first shape;
- said container body also provided with a top wall, said top wall having a unitary, relatively rigid upstanding dispensing portion formed therein, said second peripheral sidewall of said container body having a thickness of between 2 and about 6 mil, said dispensing portion of said top wall having a thickness of at least about 15 mil, wherein said container body is self-supporting both filled and empty and sufficiently strong for stand-along use, and wherein said container body is nestable within said outer carrier so that substantially all of said first peripheral side wall and first bottom wall are in engagement with and provide support for said second peripheral side wall and second bottom wall, said carrier being provided with a handle on an exterior side thereof to facilitate pouring of contents from said container body.
A process for packaging and distributing liquid filled containers comprising:
- a) providing a plurality of relatively rigid and reuseable plastic carriers each having a first peripheral side wall including a handle, a first bottom wall, and an open upper end;
- b) providing a plurality of replaceable, flexible, normally self-supporting and collapsible containers each having a second peripheral side wall, a second bottom wall and top wall formed with an upstanding dispensing portion therein, the second peripheral sidewall having a thickness of between 2 and about 6 mil;
- c) filling said containers with a liquid and applying removable closures to said dispensing portions;
- and
- d) shipping at least some of said filled containers to retailers in a stand-alone mode without external support such that end users may utilize said containers in either a stand-along mode or in nested relationship with said carriers, said carriers being reusable with other of said replaceable containers.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.