Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means – Funnel type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2001-08-21
Jacyna, J. Casimer (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means
Funnel type
C141SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276411
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to funnel devices and more particularly pertains to a new funnel for convenient storage and usage of a funnel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of funnel devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, funnel devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,779; U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,707; U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,189; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,915; U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,595; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 296,496.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new funnel. The inventive device includes a panel. The panel has a front side, a back side, and a peripheral edge extending between the front and back sides. The panel has a hole therethrough. The hole is positioned in a medial portion of the panel. The panel has a slit therein. The slit extends from the peripheral edge to the hole. A securing means removably secures the panel to a magnetically receptive material for storage of the panel. The securing means comprises a magnetically active material. The securing means is securely attached to the back side of the panel. The slit allows the panel to be folded upon itself to form a funnel.
In these respects, the funnel according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of convenient storage and usage of a funnel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of funnel devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new funnel construction wherein the same can be utilized for convenient storage and usage of a funnel.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new funnel apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the funnel devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new funnel which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art funnel devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a panel. The panel has a front side, a back side, and a peripheral edge extending between the front and back sides. The panel has a hole therethrough. The hole is positioned in a medial portion of the panel. The panel has a slit therein. The slit extends from the peripheral edge to the hole. A securing means removably secures the panel to a magnetically receptive material for storage of the panel. The securing means comprises a magnetically active material. The securing means is securely attached to the back side of the panel. The slit allows the panel to be folded upon itself to form a funnel.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new funnel apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the funnel devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new funnel which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art funnel devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new funnel which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new funnel which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new funnel which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such funnel economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new funnel which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new funnel for convenient storage and usage of a funnel.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new funnel which includes a panel. The panel has a front side, a back side, and a peripheral edge extending between the front and back sides. The panel has a hole therethrough. The hole is positioned in a medial portion of the panel. The panel has a slit therein. The slit extends from the peripheral edge to the hole. A securing means removably secures the panel to a magnetically receptive material for storage of the panel. The securing means comprises a magnetically active material. The securing means is securely attached to the back side of the panel. The slit allows the panel to be folded upon itself to form a funnel.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new funnel that is a panel having a magnetic coating thereon for easy storage of the device against a magnetically receptive material such as the outside surface of a refrigerator.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new funnel that may be unfolded to form a generally planar panel for easy cleaning.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 29649
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