Bulk container with liquid barrier lip

Abstract

A bulk container has a liquid barrier lip portion formed in an upper rim portion of the container side walls. The liquid barrier lip portion extends about the entire periphery of the container and provides a pooling region to prevent liquid condensate on the outside wall surfaces from coursing along the side walls and mixing with the container contents when the container is raised and tilted during unloading by a lifting and rotating mechanism.

1 . In a bulk container having front, rear, side and bottom sections forming a containment volume with upper corner portions, said front, rear, and side sections having an upper rim portion extending about the upper periphery of said container, said upper rim portion having an outwardly extending segment with an outer edge surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface; the improvement comprising a liquid barrier lip portion located along said lower surface of said upper rim portion providing a liquid pooling region for collecting liquid coursing along said sections when said container is tilted.  
   
   
       2 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said container is a unitary molded structure and said liquid barrier lip portion is integrally formed in said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       3 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion has a convex surface extending between said lower surface and said outer edge surface of said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       4 . The invention of  claim 3  wherein said convex surface is arcuate.  
   
   
       5 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises a concave surface formed in said lower surface and terminating adjacent said outer edge surface.  
   
   
       5 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises an angled essentially flat lip surface which extends downwardly and outwardly along said lower surface of said upper rim portion and terminates at a lower end of said outer edge surface of said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       6 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises a segment of said lower surface of said upper rim portion which is angled downwardly in the outward direction to provide a sloping undersurface and terminates at the lower end of said outer edge surface of said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       7 . The invention of  claim 6  wherein said outer edge surface has an inwardly angled lower portion terminating in said lower end.  
   
   
       8 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises a downwardly depending surface extending from said lower surface of said upper rim portion to a free end, and a wall surface extending outwardly from said free end to a lower end of said outer edge surface.  
   
   
       9 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein said upper corner portions of said bulk container each has a downwardly depending recess; and wherein said liquid barrier lip portion extends around each of said corner portions below said recess.  
   
   
       10 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein said container is a unitary molded structure and said liquid barrier lip portion is integrally formed in said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       11 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion has a convex surface extending between said lower surface and said outer edge surface of said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       12 . The invention of  claim 11  wherein said convex surface is arcuate.  
   
   
       13 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises a concave surface formed in said lower surface and terminating adjacent said outer edge surface.  
   
   
       14 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises an angled essentially flat lip surface which extends downwardly and outwardly along said lower surface of said upper rim portion and terminates at a lower end of said outer edge surface of said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       15 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises a segment of said lower surface of said upper rim portion which is angled downwardly in the outward direction to provide a sloping undersurface and terminates at a lower end of said outer edge surface of said upper rim portion.  
   
   
       16 . The invention of  claim 15  wherein said outer edge surface has an inwardly angled lower portion terminating in said lower end.  
   
   
       17 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein said liquid barrier lip portion comprises a downwardly depending surface extending from said lower surface of said upper rim portion to a free end, and a wall surface extending outwardly from said free end to a lower end of said outer edge surface.