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Lid for a flat back bucket

a bucket and lid technology, applied in the field of lids for flat back buckets, can solve the problems of not being able to stack buckets that contain water or feed, not being able to store water or feed in the buckets, so as to reduce the risk of contamination and enhance protection

Inactive Publication Date: 2019-12-19
WALKER ROBIN E
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The solution effectively prevents contamination and infestation, allows for stacking, and can be universally applied to existing buckets without design modifications, enhancing their usability and protection.

Problems solved by technology

One problem with prior art flat back buckets is that the buckets are sold without lids.
Without lids, it is not feasible to store water or feed in the buckets due to the risk of contamination and / or rodent or insect infestation.
Further, without lids, it is not possible to stack buckets that contain water or feed.
Attempts have been made provide lids for flat back buckets, but have not been entirely satisfactory.
Fabric covers are not entirely satisfactory because they cannot support the weight of another bucket and provide only limited protection for rodents, insects and debris.
This later design although somewhat successful, does not solve the problem of providing a lid for conventional flat back buckets with a bail mount on the rim channel.

Method used

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  • Lid for a flat back bucket
  • Lid for a flat back bucket
  • Lid for a flat back bucket

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0035]The lid 10 is secured to the rim channel 14 of the bucket by tabs or clips 28 that in the first embodiment are integral with and extend downwardly from lip 24 of the lid, and are configured to engage the bottom 34 of the bucket rim channel. The optional front cutout 30 in the lid provides room to easily grasp the bail hook 20.

[0036]The lid is preferably molded from a substantially rigid, durable plastic or plastic-rubber blend, most preferably from the same material as bucket. The lid material is preferably a food grade material.

[0037]FIG. 4a is a detailed cross sectional view of one side of the lid taken along the same line as FIG. 3. The bucket rim channel 14, bail 16 and bail mount 18 are shown in dashed lines. As illustrated, the cutout 26 provides sufficient space to avoid interference of the lid with bail 16 or bail mount 18. However, the lid central portion 22 extends outwardly a sufficient distance so that the bottom surface of the lid engages the top inside portion of...

fourth embodiment

[0041]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the bucket lid 52 in which the front portion of the lid 54 is attached to the rear portion 56 by a hinge 58 which allows the front portion to be lifted up independently of the rear portion. The hinge 58 lies on a second axis 60 that is substantially parallel to the flat back 32 of the lid.

[0042]FIGS. 10-17 illustrate a fifth embodiment 110 of the bucket lid. The lid 110 comprises a rear lid portion 112 with a top surface 114 and a bottom surface 116, a front lid portion 118 that is preferably hingedly connected to the rear lid portion 112 so that it can be pivoted between open and closed positions. The front lid portion 118 has a top surface 120 and a bottom surface 122. Lips 124 extend downwardly from both the front lid portion and rear lid portion and are configured to be exterior of bucket rim channel 14. Peripheral margins 125 of the bottom surfaces of the rear and front lid portions are configured to engage the rim channel 14 of the bucket 10 ...

fifth embodiment

[0046]FIGS. 15-17 are piece part drawings for the rear lid portion, front lid portion and locking tab or clip, respectively, of the lid.

[0047]While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that other modifications, substitutions, and alternatives are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. It is also contemplated that the various embodiments shown and described can be combined. For example, the recessed central lid portion of the second embodiment can be provided in the fifth embodiment. Also, the non-integral locking tab shown in FIG. 14 can be used in combination with the any of the first four embodiments. Such modifications, substitutions, combinations and alternatives can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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PUM

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Abstract

A lid for a bucket comprises a front lid portion and a rear lid portion, where the front lid portion may be hingedly connected to the rear lid portion in some embodiments, and the front lid portion and rear lid portion may comprise one center portion in other embodiments. In hinged embodiments, the hinge may be offset from a center of the lid. In some embodiments, the lid includes a plurality of cut outs or openings configured to receive plural bail mounts on the bucket. In some embodiments, the front lid portion has a semi-circular configuration and the rear lid portion has a substantially flat back configured to match a flat back of a bucket. In some embodiments, the lid includes at least one flex zone capable of being flexed to facilitate placing the lid onto the bucket and over at least one bail mount on the bucket.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 15 / 053,050, filed on Feb. 25, 2016 and titled “Lid for a Flat Back Bucket,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 120,484, filed on Feb. 25, 2015 and titled “Lid for a Flat Back Bucket.” Each application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Flat back buckets have been used for many years on ranches and farms, especially in connection with horse stables. The conventional flat back bucket is a semicircular in plan view with one side that is straight or slightly bowed inward, which defines the flat back. Conventional buckets are typically tapered, having a smaller diameter at the bottom and larger diameter at the top. The top includes a rim channel. Conventional buckets also have a bail which is attached to a pair of U -shaped mounts secured to the bucket rim channel along a cent...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B65D43/22B65D43/16
CPCB65D43/22B65D43/16B65D25/2879B65D43/161B65D43/0212B65D45/18B65D2543/00296B65D2543/00537B65D2543/00657B65D2543/00685B65D2543/00805B65D2543/00759
Inventor WALKER, ROBIN E.SCHAFERNAK, RANDOLPH J.
Owner WALKER ROBIN E