Funnel with fill indicator

• US 4,901,776 A
• Filed: 10/12/1988
• Issued: 02/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ron Attinello
• Original Assignee: Ron Attinello
• Inventors: Attinello, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): CUSICK, ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US07/256,507
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 141/94, 141/95, 141/96, 141/297, 141/331-345, 141/298-300, 73/294, 73/305, 73/306, 73/314, 73/319, 73/322, 73/322.5, 116/109, 116/110, 116/70, 116/227, 116/228, 137/558
• US Class Current: 141/95
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 11/02 without discharge valves
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2011/40 comprising level indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/64 of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8342 Liquid level responsive indicator, recorder or alarm

Abstract

A funnel has a float member which rises when a container is filled to warn the user to halt the pouring of a liquid. The funnel body has a conical funnel portion with three colored circles, of different colors, at separated levels on the cone. The float member, near its top, has color marks which match the color circles on the funnel cone. When the funnel nozzle (neck) is inserted into the container orifice, one of its colored circles will meet the lip of the container. The user fills the container until the same color mark on the float member reaches the top of a sleeve which guides the float member.

Claims

1. A funnel to prevent overflow from the overfilling of containers having different diameter round openings with circular lips by indicating to the user that the container has been filled with liquid, said funnel comprising:

a body member of plastic resin having an imaginary axis and having a cone-shaped funnel portion and a nozzle portion without indicia thereon, said funnel portion and nozzle portion each having an exterior and an interior wall;

a plurality of spaced funnel indicia on the external wall of said funnel portion proximate the junction of said funnel portion and said nozzle portion, each of said plurality of funnel indicia being spaced perpendicular to said axis, each of said plurality of funnel indicia being adapted to meet with the respective lip of a different one of said openings;

an elongated sleeve member within the interior wall of said nozzle portion, connected to said interior wall and parallel to said axis, said sleeve member being hollow and having an interior wall forming an elongated bore therethrough, said sleeve member having a bottom orifice through which said liquid may flow;

an elongated hollow and liquid-tight float member at least partly positioned within said bore of the sleeve member and having a top end, said float member rising within the sleeve member bore as the container is filled;

a plurality of float member indicia on said float member proximate the top end of said float member to indicate when the container is filled, comprising a plurality of spaced lines which are spaced along the float member with the same spacing as between the said plurality of funnel indicia on the external wall of the funnel portion; and

a plurality of spacer means positioned between the interior wall of said sleeve member and said float member to prevent the float member from touching said sleeve member inside wall.

2. A funnel as in claim 1 and further comprising an elongated bushing portion which is integral with the interior of said nozzle portion, said sleeve member being force-fitted within said bushing portion.

3. A funnel as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of funnel indicia on said funnel portion are in colors different from each other and said plurality of float member indicia on said float member are in colors different from each other, and the two sets of indicia correspond to each other in color.

4. A funnel as in claim 1 wherein said float member comprises an elongated hollow straw and two end plugs, said plugs sealing the opposite ends of said straw.

5. A funnel as in claim 4 wherein each of said plugs has an external flange, the plug flanges are positioned outside of said sleeve member and the flanges prevent the plugs from being drawn entirely into said sleeve member.