Stack of nesting beaker-like containers

Details Stack of nesting beaker-like containers Stack of nesting beaker-like containers

1997-07-22

1999-05-25

Pollard, Steven

Special receptacle or package

Structural features for nesting identical receptacles or...

206517, 220666, B01D 3500

Patent

active

059062797

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a stack of cup-shaped containers coaxially inserted one inside another, each with a side wall, on one end of which a base is arranged, and on the other end a flange, wherein the container is composed of a flexible material and the flange is substantially stiffer than the side wall and the base. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a stack, a method for de-stacking such containers and a device for implementing the stacking and de-stacking.
Stacks of empty disposable drinking cups are known, which are transported by the manufacturer inserted one inside another either for filling or to the end user. These stacks of containers inserted one inside another are either de-stacked at high speed in a filling machine or removed individually by the end user, often from a specially constructed container dispenser.
Cup-shaped containers for stacking coaxially one inside another and forming a stack had, until now, to have certain geometrical configurations and sizes, in particular they had to have conical walls of a generally truncated conical shape and have a collar and a rigid flange in the wall adjacent to the open end of the container, on the one hand for being able to take hold of and manipulate the containers for stacking, and on the other hand for de-stacking said containers.
The length and density of the packaging in stacks of known containers inserted one inside another depends, inter alia, upon the length of the cup-shaped container, upon the thickness of its walls, and upon the cone or taper angle of the container. These known containers can only be inserted one inside another and combined into a stack until the conical walls are solidly and tightly folded. In most cases the collar described is necessary to keep the containers stacked one inside another at a sufficient distance apart from one another and thereby to also prevent wedging of one container into the next and thereby to prevent jamming and sticking due to friction. Using a sufficiently large collar such a stack can be better taken apart, that is to say the individual cup-shaped containers can be better de-stacked or better dispensed from a suitable dispenser. It has been shown that the transport and space requirements as well as the costs are higher the lower the stack density, the greater the distance from one flange of the containers to the other flange of the next container, and thereby the stacking distance, and the smaller the cone angle of the side wall of the container.
For this reason, attempts have already be made to reduce the distance of known containers from one another in a stack, and a limit encountered of a minimum distance apart of the containers amounting to approximately 5% of the total length of the cup-shaped container. This means that a substantial part of the transported volume is air between the cup-shaped containers in the stack, making a minimum of storage space unavoidable.
With separating devices, automated dispensers or the like for de-stacking conventional cup containers, it is necessary to withhold the stack and to release only the container located at the outermost free end. For this, specific mechanical retaining means and mechanisms for releasing the container located on the end of the stack are necessary, which cannot be manufactured and operated without additional costs and correspondingly complicated technology.
Other hollow containers such as, for example, foodstuff or drinks cans have a cone angle of 0 or, in other words, have a cylindrical side wall, so that they cannot be made into a stack. During transport and storage of such containers there are therefore additional costs for the transport of empty containers, because besides the materials for the containers there is relatively large weight of transporting equipment to be moved. In order to avoid this, the production plants for such cup-shaped containers have been positioned near to the food processing and filling points. This presents undesirable secondary conditions which could be avoided if cup-shaped c

REFERENCES:
patent: 1765182 (1930-06-01), Tomkins
patent: 1886171 (1932-01-01), Dodge et al.
patent: 2937786 (1960-05-01), Muller
patent: 4362623 (1982-12-01), Holopainen
patent: 5267685 (1993-12-01), Sorensen
patent: 5325993 (1994-07-01), Cooper

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