Straight taper dipper

Abstract

A dipper having an inlet and an outlet, and an inlet reference plane being defined at the inlet. The dipper includes a front wall and an opposite back wall extending between the inlet and the outlet. A front wall reference plane extends from the inlet to the outlet and is positioned between the front wall and the back wall. The dipper further includes two side walls connected between the front wall and the back wall and extending between the inlet and the outlet. The inlet has an inlet area in the inlet reference plane, wherein the outlet has an outlet area in an outlet reference plane substantially parallel to the inlet reference plane. The front wall, the back wall, and the two side walls are arranged such that the outlet area is at least 3 percent and no more than 25 percent greater than the inlet area.

1 . A dipper having an inlet and an outlet, the dipper comprising:
 a front wall and an opposite back wall extending between the inlet and the outlet, a first reference plane extending from the inlet to the outlet and positioned between the front wall and the back wall, the front wall having a substantially linear inner surface, the front wall being arranged relative to the first reference plane at an angle of at least about 0 degrees and no more than about 3 degrees from the inlet toward the outlet   two side walls connected between the front wall and the back wall and extending between the inlet and the outlet, a second reference plane extending from the inlet to the outlet and positioned between the side walls; and   a lip coupled to at least the front wall and extending outwardly from the inlet;   wherein at least one of
 the back wall tapers outwardly relative to the first reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 0 degrees and no more than about 30 degrees, and 
 each of the side walls tapers outwardly relative to the second reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 0 degrees and no more than about 30 degrees. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dipper of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall is arranged relative to the first reference plane at an angle of about 0 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The dipper of  claim 1 , wherein the back wall tapers outwardly relative to the first reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 1 degree and no more than about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The dipper of  claim 3 , wherein the back wall tapers outwardly relative to the first reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle of about 5 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The dipper of  claim 1 , wherein each of the side walls tapers outwardly relative to the second reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 1 degree and no more than about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The dipper of  claim 5 , wherein each of the side walls tapers outwardly relative to the second reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle of about 3 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The dipper of  claim 1 , wherein the lip defines opposite side surfaces, each of the side surfaces tapering outwardly relative to the second reference plane from the inlet toward the outer surface at an angle greater than about 0 degrees and no more than about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The dipper of  claim 7 , wherein the lip defines opposite side surfaces, each of the side surfaces tapering outwardly relative to the second reference plane from the inlet toward the outer surface at an angle greater than about 1 degree and no more than about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The dipper of  claim 1 , wherein the lip defines opposite side surfaces, each of the side surfaces tapering outwardly relative to the second reference plane from the inlet toward the outer surface at an angle of about 0 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The dipper of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall is curved in a plane tangential to the first reference plane. 
     
     
         11 . A dipper having an inlet and an outlet, the dipper comprising:
 a front wall and an opposite back wall extending between the inlet and the outlet;   two side walls connected between the front wall and the back wall and extending between the inlet and the outlet, a reference plane extending from the inlet to the outlet and positioned between the side walls, each of the side walls tapering outwardly relative to the reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 0 degrees and no more than about 30 degrees; and   a lip coupled to at least the front wall and extending outwardly from the inlet to an outer surface, the lip having opposite side surfaces, each of the side surfaces tapering outwardly relative to the reference plane from the inlet toward the outer surface at an angle greater than about 0 degrees and no more than about 30 degrees.   
     
     
         12 . The dipper of  claim 11 , wherein each of the side walls tapers outwardly relative to the reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 1 degree and no more than about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The dipper of  claim 12 , wherein each of the side walls tapers outwardly relative to the reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle of about 3 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The dipper of  claim 11 , wherein each of the side surfaces taper outwardly relative to the reference plane from the inlet toward the outer surface at an angle greater than about 1 degree and no more than about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The dipper of  claim 14 , wherein each of the side surfaces taper outwardly relative to the reference plane from the inlet toward the outer surface at an angle of about 0 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The dipper of  claim 11 , wherein another reference plane extends from the inlet to the outlet and is positioned between the front wall and the back wall, and wherein the front wall is arranged relative to the other reference plane at an angle of at least about 0 degrees and no more than about 3 degrees from the inlet toward the outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The dipper of  claim 16 , wherein the front wall is arranged relative to the other reference plane at an angle of at about 0 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The dipper of  claim 11 , wherein the front wall is curved in a plane tangential to the other reference plane. 
     
     
         19 . The dipper of  claim 11 , wherein the back wall tapers outwardly relative to the other reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 0 degrees and no more than about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The dipper of  claim 19 , wherein the back wall tapers outwardly relative to the other reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle greater than about 1 degree and no more than about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         21 . The dipper of  claim 20 , wherein the back wall tapers outwardly relative to the other reference plane from the inlet toward the outlet at an angle of about 5 degrees. 
     
     
         22 . A dipper having an inlet and an outlet, an inlet reference plane being defined at the inlet, the dipper comprising:
 a front wall and an opposite back wall extending between the inlet and the outlet, a front wall reference plane extending from the inlet to the outlet and positioned between the front wall and the back wall, the front wall having a substantially linear inner surface, the front wall being arranged relative to the front wall reference plane at an angle of at least about 0 degrees and no more than about 3 degrees from the inlet toward the outlet;   two side walls connected between the front wall and the back wall and extending between the inlet and the outlet; and   a lip coupled to at least the front wall and extending outwardly from the inlet;   wherein the inlet has an inlet area in the inlet reference plane, wherein the outlet has an outlet area in an outlet reference plane substantially parallel to the inlet reference plane, and wherein the front wall, the back wall, and the two side walls are arranged such that the outlet area is at least about 3 percent and no more than about 25 percent greater than the inlet area.   
     
     
         23 . The dipper of  claim 22 , wherein the outlet area is at least about 8 percent and no more than about 9 percent greater than the inlet area. 
     
     
         24 . The dipper of  claim 23 , wherein the outlet area is at least about 10 percent greater than the inlet area.