Combination container and funnel having flexible pouring spout

Abstract

A device for acting as both a container and a funnel which has a body, a neck, a spout, and a base. The base is for being at least partially detached from the body after the dispensing of the fluid through the spout via the neck, so that the body, the neck, and the spout may act as a funnel. The base has an indented portion and a flush portion. The base 18 has at least two guides. The guides are for guiding a user in cutting of the device. When a user cuts along the upper guide the lower guide, a bottom portion and a central portion are separated from the base. The bottom portion may act as a cover for the device.

Claims

1. A device for acting as both a container and a funnel which comprises: a) a body; b) a neck; c) a spout; and d) a base; wherein said neck has a proximal end and a distal end; wherein said proximal end of said neck is connected to said body; wherein said spout is disposed at said distal end of said neck; wherein said body and said base are for holding a fluid to be dispensed through said spout via said neck; and wherein said base is for being at least partially detached from said body after said dispensing of said fluid through said spout via said neck, so that said body, said neck, and said spout may act as a funnel; wherein said neck comprises a flexible portion; wherein said flexible portion of said neck is flexible by virtue of having an accordion construction; wherein said device further comprises a cap; wherein said cap is threadably attachable to said spout; wherein said spout is rigid; wherein said base comprises an indented portion and a flush portion; wherein said body has a circumference; wherein said indented portion has a circumference which is recessed from said circumference of said body by a distance; wherein said flush portion has a circumference substantially identical to said circumference of said body; wherein said base further comprises at least two guides; wherein said at least two guides comprise an upper guide and a lower guide; wherein said guides are for guiding a user in cutting of said device; wherein said upper guide is on said indented portion of said base; wherein said lower guide is on said flush portion of said base; wherein when a user cuts along said upper guide of said base and said lower guide of said base, a bottom portion and a central portion are separated from said base; wherein said bottom portion of said base has a sidewall portion; wherein said sidewall portion has an interior size; wherein said interior size of said sidewall portion of said bottom portion of said base corresponds to said circumference of said indented portion of said base; wherein said sidewall portion of said bottom portion of said base has a cross-sectional thickness; and wherein said cross-sectional thickness of said sidewall portion of said bottom portion of said base is substantially identical in measure to said distance by which said circumference of said indented portion of said base is recessed from said circumference of said body.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said upper guide is centered on said indented portion of said base; and wherein said lower guide is centered on said flush portion of said base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FUNNEL HAVING FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT in use before cutting off the bottom of the container;

(3) FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FUNNEL HAVING FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT showing the container being cut, and with the cap separated there from;

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the container before cutting;

(5) FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FUNNEL HAVING FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT showing the container with a ring of material being removed there from;

(6) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FUNNEL HAVING FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT in use as a funnel;

(7) FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FUNNEL HAVING FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT showing the severed bottom being replaced on the open funnel end; and

(8) FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view of the container showing the severed bottom being replaced on the open funnel end.

A MARSHALING OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING

(9) 10 device for acting as both a container and a funnel 12 body 14 neck 16 spout 18 base 20 proximal end of neck 14 22 distal end of neck 14 24 fluid 26 flexible portion of neck 14 28 accordion construction of flexible portion 26 of neck 14 30 cap 32 indented portion of base 18 34 flush portion of base 18 36 circumference of body 12 38 circumference of indented portion 32 of base 18 40 circumference of flush portion 34 of base 18 44 upper guide 46 lower guide 48 bottom portion of base 18 50 central portion of base 18 52 sidewall portion of bottom portion 48 of base 18 54 interior size of sidewall portion 52 of bottom portion 48 of base 18 56 thickness of sidewall portion 52 of bottom portion 48 of base 18

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(10) Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIG. 1, disclosed is a device 10 for acting as both a container and a funnel which has:

(11) a) a body 12;

(12) b) a neck 14;

(13) c) a spout 16; and

(14) d) a base 18.

(15) The neck 14 has a proximal end 20 and a distal end 22. The proximal end 20 of the neck 14 is connected to the body 12. The spout 16 is disposed at the distal end 22 of the neck 14. The body 12 and the base 18 are for holding a fluid 24 to be dispensed through the spout 16 via the neck 14. The base 18 is for being at least partially detached from the body 12 after the dispensing of the fluid 24 through the spout 16 via the neck 14, so that the body 12, the neck 14, and the spout 16 may act as a funnel.

(16) This structure is advantageous in particular because the use of the same container for pouring its own contents and then funneling other fluids can assist a user in assuring that the device 10 will act in a predictable manner in terms of positioning and tipping. For instance if the device 10 originally contained a fluid 24 of motor oil, and is then utilized as a funnel for more motor oil from other containers a user can anticipate that the subsequent oil will behave in a similar manner to the originally dispensed fluid 24. This is a common use case, as motor oil is often sold in 1 quart containers, and typically 4 or 5 such containers would be used for one vehicle oil change. But of course this use case is one example only.

(17) In the preferred construction, the neck 14 has a flexible portion 26. The flexible portion 26 of the neck 14 is flexible by virtue of having an accordion construction 28. Further in the preferred construction, the device 10 has a cap 30, which is threadably attachable to the spout 16. To facilitate this, the spout 16 is rigid. This construction allows the dispensing of the initial fluid 24 and funneling of subsequent fluids 24 to be done at a larger variety of angles as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5.

(18) To facilitate the removability of the base 18, the base 18 has an indented portion 32 and a flush portion 34. Further, the body has a circumference 36. The indented portion 32 has a circumference 38 which is recessed from the circumference 36 of the body 12 by a distance 39. The flush portion 34 has a circumference 40 substantially identical to the circumference 36 of the body 12. This is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5.

(19) It is to be understood that the use of the term circumference here refers to the outer dimensions of the parts described and does not limit them to any particular shape, as possible shapes could include a cylindrical shape, as well as the substantially rectangular shape depicted in the figures.

(20) Further to facilitate the removability of the base 18, the base 18 has at least two guides, which include an upper guide 44 and a lower guide 46. The guides are for guiding a user in cutting of the device 10. The upper guide 44 is on the indented portion 32 of the base 18. The lower guide 46 is on the flush portion 34 of the base 18.

(21) When a user cuts along the upper guide 44 of the base 18 and the lower guide 46 of the base 18, a bottom portion 48 and a central portion 50 are separated from the base 18. This is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The bottom portion 52 of the base 18 has a sidewall portion 52, which sidewall portion 52 has an interior size 54. The interior size 54 of the sidewall portion 52 of the bottom portion 48 of the base 18 corresponds to the circumference 38 of the indented portion 32 of the base 18. This construction allows the bottom portion 48 to act as a cap for the device 10 after it has been used as a funnel, as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7. The correspondence in size of the interior size 54 of the sidewall portion 52 with the circumference 38 of the indented portion 32 allows it to be snugly fit thereon.

(22) In the preferred construction, the sidewall portion 52 of the bottom portion 48 of the base has a thickness 56. The thickness of the sidewall portion 52 of the bottom portion 48 of the base 18 corresponds to the distance by which the circumference 38 of the indented portion 32 of the base 18 is recessed from the circumference 36 of the body 12.

(23) This construction is most clearly illustrated in FIG. 7. This is advantageous in that it allows the bottom portion 48 to fit sleekly with the body 12 for both aesthetic and storage reasons, as well as for ease of construction of the device, because it allows for a thinner material to be used with a smaller indent, and a thicker material to be used with a larger indent. And because the size of the indent will impact the structural integrity of the device 10, this allows for good structural integrity in a large variety of materials and thicknesses thereof.

(24) It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

(25) While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of a COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FUNNEL HAVING FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

(26) Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.