US20080202974A1

US20080202974A1 - Tank indicator for container contents

Info

Publication number: US20080202974A1
Application number: US11/712,004
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul A. Walters
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-02-28
Filing date: 2007-02-28
Publication date: 2008-08-28

Abstract

The subject invention is a reminder and warning mechanism for a liquid container, such mechanism having movable or other visually oriented means thereof to alert a person whether the container is filled with only one type of liquid or with a mixture of liquids, and if mixed with various liquids to register what particular mixture ratio of mixed liquids. The subject invention is also applicable to non-liquid containers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The subject invention relates to a means to allow one to keep track of the contents of a gasoline container, or other similar fluid or non-fluid containers. The most specific designated function of the subject invention is to provide means for the user of a gasoline container to denote in some manner on the container, or on an attachment thereto, whether the container is filled with gasoline only or with a mixture of gasoline and oil, and, in some instances to denote the ratio of gasoline and oil. This process can also be applied to other types of liquids or fluids that may potentially be stored in containers intermixed with other fluids or non-fluid substances.
The more specific purposes and intent of implementing the subject invention is focused on the practice of intermixing oil and gas for use on small engines used primarily in lawn mowers, snow blowers, pumps, or chain saws, for example. These small engines usually are two stroke cycles that run with a mixture of gas and oil for both lubrication and other functions. There are a variety of engines in the small engine genre and each type may call for or require a different ratio of gasoline and oil as poured into the gasoline tank. It is therefore important when using the same container with varying mixture contents from time to time, for different engine types, to ensure that the container has the right mixture of gas and oil for the particular engine on the given tool or implement.
Most vitally, most small engines will potentially be subjected to damage if gasoline is poured to the tank without oil. On the other hand, if the gasoline and oil mixture is not properly supplied for a give engine type, the engine performance will be adversely affected among other potential problems.
In this respect, it is common to mix the oil and gasoline in the same container or alternately at a different time use the same container for gasoline alone. After placing gasoline only in the container or placing a mixture of oil and gas in the same container, there is usually a left-over portion after the implement is used. This left over portion of gasoline or a mixture of gas and oil is often left in a container for storage and future usage. One of the problems later encountered is that when the container is retrieved for later usage it is common for the user to forget what was last placed in the container and if the container is then later used to fill up the tank for a small engine there is great risk involved if the remaining container contents are poured into a fuel tank if it is particularly pure gasoline only or if the fuel to oil mixture is improper for the type of engine involved.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The following are object of the subject invention:
It is an object of the subject invention to provide an improved method to keep track of the contents of a gasoline container, and any possible ratio of mixed oil and gasoline therein, if there is a mixture;
Another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved device to register for reminder purposes the exact contents of a container used to store multiple internal liquids or non-liquid substances at the same times;
A further object of the subject invention is to provide means to warn individuals about the actual liquids, or combined liquid, content of a container;
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide an improved system for noting the precise contents of a liquid container;
Other and further objects of the subject invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the claims and drawings.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top elevation view of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the subject invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container used in conjunction with the subject invention.

DESCRIPTION OF GENERAL EMBODIMENT AND SUMMARY OF SUBJECT INVENTION

The subject invention is a reminder and warning mechanism for a liquid container, such mechanism having moveable or other visually oriented means thereof to alert a person whether the container is filled with only one type of liquid or with a mixture of liquids, and if mixed with various liquids to register what particular mixture ratio of mixed liquids. The subject invention is also applicable to non-liquid containers.
In summary, the subject invention is a device to help one register the contents of a liquid bearing container to remind a user both as to the exact contents of the container and if multiple liquids are intermixed and present in the container, the exact ratio thereof.
In the most general format the register mechanism includes a dial or multiple dials or other physical or computer based means to indicate the presence of a particular liquid and which liquid and if mixtures of liquids, what liquids and what ratios of the liquids are present within the container.
In summary, one of the embodiments of the subject invention is a tag-like member or a metal plate, or other supporting member affixed to the fluid container, such as a gasoline container. This tag-like member will generally be comprised or based on a longitudinally extending member having one or more dial members to register the fluid contents placed in the container. The first dial member will be adapted to register one type of liquid only or alternatively a mixture of such liquids or non-liquids. Another dial may be placed on the tag-like member to register a ratio of mixed liquids or non-liquids last placed in the container. Other general embodiments may be used in this regard.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the subject invention is shown, it is to be noted that the subject invention is described as only one embodiment within the scope of this application and that other embodiments are envisioned to fall with the scope of this invention. Therefore, the following description of such preferred embodiment of the subject invention is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention herein, as set forth in the claims herein. It is also stressed that the subject invention is equally applicable to fluid containers as well as non-liquid containers.
Attention is directed to FIG. 3 of the drawings, in which a container member using the subject device is shown. Specifically, a gasoline container 10 generally of conventional construction is shown in FIG. 3, which container has a handle 20 on the upper portion thereof and an opening 30 having a nozzle bearing cap cover 40. These container features, as stated, are conventional. It is also to be noted, as previously indicated, that the subject invention is also applicable to other types of fluid containers for varying types of liquids. Therefore the subject invention is not to be considered to be limited to just gasoline containers, as used to hold gasoline or oil or a mixture of both.
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention herein is incorporated in a base tag-like member 100 comprised preferably of a longitudinally extending flat member 110 having an upper surface 120 and lower surface 130 with opposing longitudinal side edges 130A and 130B and opposing end edges 140A and 140B. It is intended that the base tag-like member be appended in some manner to container 10, as graphically demonstrated in FIG. 3, although it may be integrated in to the container or it may be attached by other means or locations tan as stated above.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the upper surface or the base plate member 110, preferably but not critically, has one or more indented portions formed in the upper surface 120 of the flat plate member 110. More specifically, in the preferred embodiment of the subject invention as shown, there are two circular indentations, specifically a first indentation 160A and second indentation 160B formed in the upper surface 120 of the base plate member 110. In the preferred embodiment this first indented portion has a first movable marker member 170, which is pivotably mounted at or near the center of such indentation 160A so as to be rotatable in a circular manner, either clockwise or counter-clockwise within such indentation. More specifically, the movable marker member 170 has an arrowhead-like feature 180 formed on the first end 185 of said marker member 170 as opposed to the opposite 190 end of such marker having no such feature. More specifically, in the preferred embodiment this first indentation 160A portion has a first movable marker member 170 which is formed as a arrow like marker member 180 that is rotatably mounted into to the base plate member 110. More specifically, the arrow like rotable member 170 is a longitudinally extending movable marker. As can be seen the movable marker member 170 is pivotally mounted on central pin 195A in the indentation 160A, which pin is affixed in near out the center or the first indented portion, as seen. Specifically, the rotatable member 170 has a central opening 200 which conforming fits over the fixed central pin 190 so that there is a relatively tight fit over the pin member to prevent the rotatable marker member 170 from free rotation about the pin without some minimal manual effort. Otherwise, the rotable marker 180 could easily lose its positioning and would be of little value to the intended process herein.
As can be seen from FIG. 1 the movable marked member 170 can be rotated through various positions inside the circular indented portion 160A, as shown mainly having two settings, one setting 210A being marked as “gas only” and the opposing setting 220A being marked as “mixed gas”. This denotes the setting marking the contents of the container or settings, which also can be more that two settings for other types of liquids and can be marked with other appropriate language to accomplish the purpose herein. Obviously whatever markings are used each must be denoted some appropriate language to indicate somehow that there is only gasoline on the container or a mixture, or other indications of liquid and substances in the container.
Further, the plate member 110 has formed a second circular indentation 160B which is similar in size, disposition, and shape to the first indented portion 160A, although there is no need to have the two depressions be of equal shape or depth. Depression 160B 160B also has a rotatable marker member 310 which is installed and positioned in the second indentation 160B in a manner similar to movable member 170. The rotatable marker 310 is preferably but not necessarily identical to the first rotatable marker and is identical in all other aspects. The rotatable marker 310 is movable to various marker positions such as position 315 of denoted for a mixture of gas and oil at one specific ration level and other positions 320 and 330 for denoting whether there is yet other mixtures of gas and oil.
The marking system can vary from the foregoing and can be based on other structures that permit such marking.

Claims

1. A marking device for helping an individual to register the contends of a container comprising:

(a) a base surface member said base surface member having marking means thereon to denote types of contents of a container;

(b) movable means appended to said base surface member to the various masking means.