Tapered stackable can

Abstract

The invention is a can with a full taper on the sidewalls, as opposed to a straight side or expanded shoulder, thereby enabling the cans to be nested with less distance between cans. To prevent the cans from wedging together or locking, stand-offs in the form of inwardly indented ribs or bubbles are incorporated into the bottom surface of the can. In one embodiment, there are two ribs transecting the bottom of the can. The two ribs are off-center, so that when two adjacent cans within a nested stack are rotated 180° from each other, the ribs in the upper can are not in alignment with the ribs in the lower can. The inward facing ribs in the lower can thus contact the flat outer surface of the upper can so as to maintain space between the nested cans and prevent locking or wedging. In a second embodiment, there are six bubbles in two rows of three on the bottom of the can. In one row, the middle bubble faces outward and the two side bubbles face inward. In the other row, the middle bubble faces inward and the two side bubbles face outward. When two adjacent cans within a nested stack are rotated 180° from each other, the inner-facing bubbles in one row of the lower can contact the outer-facing bubbles of the opposite row of the upper can. This contact between the opposing bubbles maintains space between the nested cans and prevents locking or wedging.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A nestable can with a closed lower end and an open upper end, said can comprising: 
 a full taper on the four sidewalls, as opposed to a straight side or expanded shoulder, thereby enabling the cans to be nested with less distance between the cans;    standoffs in the form of two inward facing ribs that transect the bottom surface of the can, said ribs being off-center or non-symmetrical so that when two adjacent cans within a nested stack are rotated 180° relative to each other, the ribs in the lower can will not be in alignment with the ribs in the upper can and will thus contact the flat outer surface of the upper can so as to maintain space between the adjacent nested cans and prevent locking or wedging.    
     
     
         2 . A nestable can with a closed lower end and an open upper end, said can comprising: 
 a full taper on the four sidewalls, as opposed to a straight side or expanded shoulder, thereby enabling the cans to be nested with less distance between the cans;    standoffs in the form of multiple bubbles in two or more rows on the bottom surface of the can, a first said row having peripheral bubbles facing outward with alternating bubbles facing inward and outward, a second row having peripheral bubbles facing inward and alternating bubbles facing outward and inward, and adjacent cans within a nested stack rotated 180° from each other, the inward-facing bubbles in the lower can contacting the outward-facing bubbles of the upper can, said contacting between the opposing bubbles serving to maintain space between the adjacent nested cans and prevent locking or wedging.    
     
     
         3 . A method of nesting cans with a closed lower end and an open upper end for preventing locking or wedging between adjacent cans, said method comprising: 
 providing the four sidewalls of the can with a straight taper;    incorporating two off-center inward facing ribs into the bottom surface of the can;    rotating each can within a nested stack of such cans 180° relative to the previous can in the nested stack.    
     
     
         4 . A method of nesting cans with a closed lower end and an open upper end for preventing locking or wedging between adjacent cans, said method comprising: 
 providing the four sidewalls of the can with a straight taper;    incorporating multiple bubbles in two or more rows of a bottom surface of the can, the first said row having peripheral bubbles facing outward and alternating bubbles facing inward and outward, the second said row having peripheral bubbles facing inward and alternating bubbles facing outward and inward;    rotating each can within a nested stack of such cans 180° relative to the previous can in the nested stack.    
     
     
         5 . A method of nesting cans so as to prevent locking or wedging between adjacent cans, said cans having a closed lower end and an open upper end and having four sidewalls with a straight taper, said method comprising: 
 using a tool to incorporate multiple bubbles in two or more rows into a bottom surface of a first can, a first said row having peripheral bubbles facing outward and alternate bubbles facing inward and outward, a second row having the peripheral bubbles facing inward and alternating bubbles facing outward and inward;    gagging the tool;    using the gagged tool to incorporate multiple bubbles in two or more rows into a bottom surface of a second can, a first row having the peripheral bubbles facing inward and alternating bubbles facing outward, a second row having peripheral bubbles facing outward and alternate bubbles facing inward and outward;    placing the second can within the first can without rotating either can relative to the other.