Transport Ring for Plastic Container Lids

Abstract

A transportation ring affixed to a plastic paint can for the purpose of retaining the lid on the plastic paint can during transportation. The transportation ring snaps downward over the can rim and extends inwardly over the edge of the lid. The transportation ring additionally includes an alignment ridge for cooperation with the bottom of the plastic paint can to facilitate stacking both during shipment and in-store stocking. The ring is preferably fabricated from a rigid plastic material.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A transportation ring affixed to a container comprising:
 a plastic paint can comprising:
 a cylindrical can body; 
 a round can bottom attached to the can body; 
 a round can rim attached to the can body opposite to the can bottom and including a lid sealing ridge and an outer peripheral edge extending radially out beyond the can body; and 
 a round lid removably attached to the can rim and including a planar center portion for enclosing the contents of the plastic paint can and an outer channel portion for sealing with the lid sealing ridge; 
   a round transportation ring mounted to the plastic paint can and comprising:
 a lid retaining collar reaching inward over the outer channel portion of the lid for retaining the lid on the plastic paint can; 
 a cylindrical outer ring portion reaching down over the can rim; and 
 a securing ridge on an inside inner surface of the cylindrical outer ring portion residing below the outer peripheral edge of the can rim and having an inside diameter smaller than an outside of the outer peripheral edge thereby resisting removal of the transportation ring from the plastic paint can. 
   
     
     
         2 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 1 , wherein the transportation ring is substantially thicker than the can body of the plastic paint can. 
     
     
         3 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the can bottom includes a bottom groove concentric with and proximal to an outer edge of the can bottom;   the transportation ring further includes an upward extending alignment ridge concentric with and proximal to an outer edge of the transportation ring and having approximately the same diameter as the bottom groove and having a width less than the width of the bottom groove; and   the cooperation of the bottom groove with the alignment ridge facilitates vertically stacking more than one of the plastic paint cans.   
     
     
         4 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 1 , wherein securing ridge includes:
 a lower beveled portion for sliding over a rim edge of the plastic paint can;   a center cylindrical portion; and   an upper beveled portion for retaining the transportation ring on the plastic paint can.   
     
     
         5 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 4 , wherein the lower bevel portion is at an angle A 1  from the vertical and the upper bevel portion is at an angle A 2  from the vertical and the angle A 1  is less than the Angle A 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 5 , wherein the angle A 1  is between 30 degrees and 50 degrees from the vertical and the angle A 2  is between 50 degrees and 70 degrees from the vertical. 
     
     
         7 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid retaining collar has a flat bottom surface. 
     
     
         8 . The transportation ring affixed to a container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid retaining collar has a flat top surface allowing embossing. 
     
     
         9 . A transportation ring affixed to a container comprising:
 a plastic paint can comprising:
 a cylindrical can body; 
 a round can bottom attached to the can body; 
 a round can rim attached to the can body opposite to the can bottom and including a lid sealing ridge and an outer peripheral edge extending radially out beyond the can body; and 
 a round lid removably attached to the can rim and including a planar center portion for enclosing the contents of the plastic paint can and an outer channel portion for sealing with the lid sealing ridge; 
   a round transportation ring mounted to the plastic paint can and comprising:
 a lid retaining collar reaching inward over the outer channel portion of the lid for retaining the lid on the plastic paint can; 
 a cylindrical outer ring portion reaching down over the can rim; and 
 a securing ridge on an inside inner surface of the cylindrical outer ring portion residing below the outer peripheral edge of the can rim and having an inside diameter smaller than an outside of the outer peripheral edge thereby resisting removal of the transportation ring from the plastic paint can, the securing ridge comprising: 
 a lower beveled portion at an angle A 1  from the vertical for sliding over a rim edge of the plastic paint can; 
 a center cylindrical portion; and 
 an upper beveled portion at an angle A 2  from the vertical for retaining the transportation ring on the plastic paint can, wherein the angle A 1  is less than the angle A 2 . 
   
     
     
         10 . A transportation ring affixed to a container comprising:
 a plastic paint can comprising:
 a cylindrical can body; 
 a round can bottom attached to the can body; 
 a round can rim attached to the can body opposite to the can bottom and including a lid sealing ridge and an outer peripheral edge extending radially out beyond the can body; and 
 a round lid removably attached to the can rim and including a planar center portion for enclosing the contents of the plastic paint can and an outer channel portion for sealing with the lid sealing ridge; 
   a round transportation ring mounted to the plastic paint can and comprising:
 a lid retaining collar reaching inward over the outer channel portion of the lid for retaining the lid on the plastic paint can; 
 a cylindrical outer ring portion reaching down over the can rim; and 
 a securing ridge on an inside inner surface of the cylindrical outer ring portion residing below the outer peripheral edge of the can rim and having an inside diameter smaller than an outside of the outer peripheral edge thereby resisting removal of the transportation ring from the plastic paint can, the securing ridge comprising: 
 a lower beveled portion at an angle A 1  between 30 degrees and 50 degrees from the vertical for sliding over a rim edge of the plastic paint can; 
 a center cylindrical portion; and 
 an upper beveled portion at an angle A 2  between 50 degrees and 70 degrees from the vertical for retaining the transportation ring on the plastic paint can.