CA2658315A1

CA2658315A1 - Stackable watering can

Info

Publication number: CA2658315A1
Application number: CA2658315A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Daniel Thibault
Original assignee: Skerpa Design Inc
Current assignee: Skerpa Design Inc
Priority date: 2009-03-13
Filing date: 2009-03-13
Publication date: 2010-09-13
Also published as: US20120055833A1; CA2755051A1; WO2010102407A1

Abstract

A stackable watering can for watering plants and flowers for example comprises a tank having a peripheral wall, a bottom and a top opening defining a top edge of the wall, a spout extending from the tank so as to be in fluid communication therewith, a handle having a hollow stem portion mounting to the bottom of the tank so as to extend therefrom, a first handle portion extending from the stem portion so as to define a first angle therewith, and a second handle portion extending from the first handle portion so as to define a second angle therewith; and a spout cover removably mounted to the spout thereon.

Description

TITLE

Stackable Watering Can BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0001] In the appended drawings:

[0002] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stackable watering can according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the spout cover both mounted onto the spout and removed in dash line;

[0003] Figure 2 is a side elevation of the stackable watering can from Figure 1;

[0004] Figure 3 is a top plan view of the stackable watering can from Figure 1; and [0005] Figure 4 is a top perspective view of two stackable watering cans from Figure 1 illustrated in a stack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0006] A stackable watering can 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

[0007] The watering can 10 comprises a tank 12 having a peripheral wall 14, a bottom 16 and a top opening 18 defining a top edge 20 of the wall 14, a spout 22 extending from the tank 14 so as to be in fluid communication therewith, a handle 24 mounting to the bottom 16 of the tank 12 so as to extend therefrom within the tank 12, and a spout cover 26 removably mounted to the spout 22 thereon.

[0008] According to the illustrated embodiment, the tank has a volume of about six (6) liters. The watering can 10 can however be configured and sized so as to contain another volume of liquid, which can be greater or smaller than six liters.

[0009] As can be seen in Figure 3, the tank wall 14 is oblong and more specifically generally oval. As can be better seen from Figure 2, the cross-section of the tank 12 is gradually increasing from the bottom to the top thereof.

[0010] It is to be noted that the tank wall is not limited to the oval shape and can be for example rectangular or round.

[0011] The spout 22 has a generally v-shaped cross-section and is defined by an extension of the opening 18 both in the direction defined by the longer side of the tank 12 and away from the bottom 16. The cross-section of the spout 22 varies along the length thereof. More specifically, the spout 22 has a cross-section which decreases from the tank 12 to about the center thereof and then begins to increase to a maximum at the distal end 28 thereof.
According to another embodiment (not shown), the spout has a regular cross-section along its length.

[0012] The removable spout cover 26 is configured and sized to snugly fit onto the spout 22 to force the water exiting at the distal end 28 thereof. For that purpose, the spout cover 26 comprises a cover portion 30 shaped to complement the spout 22 so as to cover it, and a spreader portion 32, extending from the cover portion 30 for partially closing the opening defined by the spout 22 and the cover portion 30 so as to cause the water exiting the can 10 to spread.

[0013] The spreader portion 32 extends from the cover portion 30 so as to define an angle between -20 and + 20 degrees with a normal that extends from the bottom 16 of the tank 12. This angle is determined by the configuration of the spout 22 and cover portion 30 and/or by the desired shape of the water jet (not shown) exiting from the spreader portion 32 when it is positioned on the spout 22. It is to be noted that the shape of the water jet is also conditioned by the shape and size of the spout 22.

[0014] The inner surface of the spout 22 is provided with a channel adjacent the distal end thereof 28 (not shown) for receiving the peripheral edge 33 of the spreader portion 32 therein. The channel is, for example, defined by the gap between two parallel extruded tracks. It can also be defined by a groove in the surface.

[0015] The spreader portion 32 includes for example between about forty (40) to sixty (60) holes therein, each having a diameter of about 1 to 3 mm. The cover portion 30, and therefore also the top edge of the spout 22 to which it conforms, define an angle E with the bottom 16 of the tank which is between about 5 and 25 degrees. The length LG1 of the cover portion is about between 0.85 and 1.20 of the distance LG2.

[0016] According to a further embodiment, the spreader portion 32 is provided with slits (not shown) instead or in addition to holes. The orientation of such slits can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or a combination thereof.
Their sizes may also vary.

[0017] According to still another. embodiment (not shown), the spreader portion 32 is removably mounted to both the cover portion 30 and the spout 22 therebetween. For that purpose, the cover portion 30 includes a channel (not shown) similar to the channel in the spout 22, for receiving the top peripheral edge of the spreader portion 32.

According to another embodiment, the spreader portion 32 is so mounted to the cover portion so as to be distanced from the distal end 28 of the spout 22 when the spout cover 26 is mounted to the spout 22 thereon.

[0018] With reference now to Figure 2, according to the illustrated embodiment, the ratio of the lowest point H2 of the spout 22 at the distal end thereof and the highest point H1 of the spout 22 with the cover 26 at the distal end 28 is between about 0.75 and 0.85.

[0019] The ratio of the longitudinal distance LG2 from the intersection 34 of the bottom 16 and the peripheral wall 14 on the side thereof from which extends the spout 22 and the distance H1 of the highest point 28 of the spout 22 from the bottom 16 is between about 0.5 and about 0.75.

[0020] The handle 24 extends from within the tank 12 and includes a generally rectangular stem portion 36 mounted to the bottom of the tank so as to extend generally perpendicularly therefrom, a first handle portion 38 extending from the stem portion 36 so as to define a first angle therewith, and a second handle portion 40 extending from the first handle portion so as to define a second angle therewith. The handle 24 defines a single part which is integral to the tank 12. The stem portion 36 is defined by a recess in the tank wall 14 on the side thereof diametrically opposite the spout 22.

[0021] The handle 24 is integrally mounted to the tank 12 so as to be aligned with the greater axis 42 of the tank 12 and therefore with the spout 22 diametrically opposite thereof. Even though the handle 24 according to the illustrated embodiment is secured to both the bottom 16 of the tank 12 and to the peripheral wall 14 on the side thereof opposite the spout 22, a watering can according to a further embodiment (not shown) can include a handle which is distanced from the peripheral wall 14.

[0022] According to still another embodiment, the second handle portion 40 extends from the first handle portion 38 in a direction opposite the spout 22 and the first handle portion 38 is biased from the tank wall 14. The first handle portion 38 is also rotated 180 degrees. According to a most specific embodiment, the stem portion 36 is then not defined by a recess in the tank wall 14.

[0023] Also, according to a further embodiment, the handle 24 is assembled from a plurality of parts using glue, fasteners, or any other fastening means.

[0024] The stem portion 36 has a rounded front side 41 which is provided to ease the insertion of the handle 24 of an identical watering can when two such cans 10 are stacked as will now be explained.

[0025] Similarly to the cross-section of the tank 12, the cross-section of the handle 24 is tapered so as to allow insertion of an identical watering can thereon in a stack arrangement as illustrated in Figure 4. Even though only two watering cans 10 are illustrated in Figure 4, the watering can 10 is configured so that a stack of such cans 10 may include more than two cans 10.
The number of watering cans 10 that may be mounted together in a stack depends on their size, geometry and material for example.

[0026] The single handle 24 serves the two purposes of allowing to lift the watering can during transport thereof and to poor the liquid therefrom (not shown).

[0027] With reference to Figure 2, the second handle portion 40 shows and angle a of between 0 and about 30 degrees with the bottom 16 and therefor with the horizontal. The distance between the bottom of the handle portion 40 of the handle 24 and the top of the stem portion 38 is between about 7 and 14 cm.

[0028] The back of the first handle portion 38 relative to the spout 22 is slanted so as to define an angle R between about 10 and 30 degrees with an axis perpendicular to the bottom 16 of the tank 14. The front of the first handle portion 38 is also slanted so as to define an angle y with an axis perpendicular with the bottom 16 between about 0 and 15 degrees. The front portion of the first handle portion 38 is closed from about half its height to the intersection with the second handle portion 40.

[0029] According to another embodiment (not shown), the second handle portion 40 is further connected to the tank 12 through a third handle portion which is connected to the tank 12 in the direction of the spout 22, the handle thereby having an arch shape.

[0030] The watering can 10 can be made from only two parts, each resulting for example from a molding process, a first part being the tank 14 with the integral spout 22 and handle 24, and the second part being the spout cover 26.

[0031] The spout cover 26 is made of a polymeric material which is more resilient than the other one-piece part. The spout cover 26 includes a flange 44 which cooperates with a corresponding flange (not shown) on the peripheral edge of the spout 22 to allow removably securing the spout cover 26 onto the spout 22 in a snap fitted way.

[0032] The cover portion 30 of the spout cover 26 includes a central recess 45, which contributes adding flexibility to the cover 26. It has also been found that the embossed inner side of the spout cover 26, which is of course a consequence of the recess on the opposite side, contributes to increasing the pressure onto the liquid flowing through the spout 22.

[0033] The spout cover 26 is so configured and sized that when it is mounted onto the spout 22, its proximate end 46 is positioned at a height H3 substantially equal to H2 which has been defined hereinabove.

[0034] According to a further embodiment (not shown), the spout cover 26 is irremovably mounted to the spout 22. According to still a further embodiment, the spout cover 26 is omitted.

[0035] As can be better seen from Figure 3, the watering can 10 further includes a first stop 48, in the form of a protrusion integral the stem portion 36 of the handle 24. The stop 48 so extends from the stem portion 36 from a predetermined distance from the bottom 16 as to prevent another watering can 10 inserted therein in a stacked configuration as illustrated in Figure 4 to get stocked therein.

(0036] Turning now to Figure 1, the watering can 10 includes a second stop 50 which is in the form of the edge of a wall extending throughout the undersurface of the second handle portion 40. This second stop 50 serves a similar purpose than the first stop 48.

[0037] In operation, the watering can 10 is held by the handle 24 during its carrying or while pouring water or any other liquid that has been filled in the can 10 through its top opening 18.

[0038] More specifically, a user (not shown) lifts the watering can 10 by holding the second handle portion 40 of the handle 24. With one hand, the first handle portion 38 of the handle 24 or with both hands the first and second handle portions 38 and 40, is/are used to poor liquid out of the can 10.

[0039] The first handle portion 38 is so mounted to the tank 12 via the stem portion 36 as to naturally put the watering can 10 into an ergonomical pouring angle. The handle 24 further allows a user to move his or her hand from the second handle portion 40 to the first handle portion 38 during the watering process.

[0040] The spout cover 26 can be used to create a pressure onto the liquid in the spout 22 and to create spraying jets (not shown) throughout the spreader portion 32 when the user tilt the watering can 10 so as to lower the spreader portion 32.

[0041] The watering can 10 can be used with or without the spout cover 26.

Claims

1. A stackable watering can comprising:
a tank having a peripheral wall, a bottom and a top opening defining a top edge of the wall;
a spout extending from the tank so as to be in fluid communication therewith;
a handle having a hollow stem portion mounting to the bottom of the tank so as to extend therefrom, a first handle portion extending from the stem portion so as to define a first angle therewith, and a second handle portion extending from the first handle portion so as to define a second angle therewith; and a spout cover removably mounted to the spout thereon.