US20040016655A1

US20040016655A1 - Instant concrete system

Info

Publication number: US20040016655A1
Application number: US10/209,800
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Goodman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-26
Filing date: 2002-07-26
Publication date: 2004-01-29

Abstract

An instant concrete system for including in one portable package all the necessary ingredients and corresponding mixing device for making concrete. The instant concrete system includes a premeasured amount of concrete mix in a container. Included in the container is a bag containing a premeasured amount of water. The inside of the container is shaped with curved projections. The container includes a removable handle that can be used to open the water bag. A lid securely fits to the container. The portable instant concrete system can be transported to a remote work site, the bag of water opened and emptied into the concrete mix. The lid replaced on the container and the container moved back and forth to mix the ingredients. The curved projections internal to the container assist in making a concrete of the correct proportions and consistency.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable to this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to concrete ingredients packaging and more specifically it relates to an instant concrete system for including in one portable package all the necessary ingredients and corresponding mixing device for making concrete.

2. Description of the Related Art

Concrete has been in use for years. Typically, concrete is made by combining cement, stone and water in a mixing container or device. The dry ingredients are mixed in appropriate proportions and then water is added. Mixing of appropriate amounts of each ingredient will result in a concrete of a uniform consistency which can be applied and that will harden into the desired product. Typically, the cement ingredient is packaged in large paper containers that can easily break with the corresponding loss of product. Mixing is usually done in a cement mixer or wheelbarrow or some similar large liquid holding container. Mixing the ingredients usually includes the use of a shovel or similar tool. For remote location the availability of the water ingredient may be limited and difficult to transport to the location where the concrete is to be mixed.

The current systems for making concrete usually include transporting to the job site bulky packages that include far more concrete ingredients than are necessary for the job. A source of water is located and transported to the mixing location. Often the concrete is not mixed in the correct proportions which results in a poorer quality concrete. The current systems are labor intensive, wasteful and often result in a concrete with poor hardening properties.

Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,984 to Weaver et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,562 to Schwartzman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,429 to Morici; U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,219 to Stupar; U.S. Pat. 4,557,377 to Maloney; U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,269 to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,004 to Isono et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,679 to Newarski; U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,576 to Leoncavallo; and U.S. Pat. No. 364,341 to Regenscheid et al.

While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for including in one portable package all the necessary ingredients and a corresponding mixing device for making concrete.

Current systems for making concrete do not include water in the systems, but water is often not readily available in remote locations. Typically, current systems are not designed for preparing a small quantity of concrete and additional tools for mixing are needed to be brought to the work site. Rudimentary methods used at remote work sites lead to product waste and poor measurement of correct ingredient proportions resulting in a poorer quality concrete mixture.

In these respects, the instant concrete system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of including in one portable package all the necessary ingredients and a corresponding mixing device for making concrete

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of concrete ingredients packaging now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new instant concrete system construction wherein the same can be utilized for including in one portable package all the necessary ingredients and corresponding mixing device for making concrete

The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new instant concrete system that has many of the advantages of the concrete ingredients packaging mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new instant concrete system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art concrete ingredients packaging, either alone or in any combination thereof.

To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a premeasured amount of concrete mix in a container. Included in the container is a bag containing a premeasured amount of water. The inside of the container is shaped with curved projections. The container includes a removable handle that can be used to puncture the water bag. A lid securely fits to the container. The portable instant concrete system can be transported to a remote work site, the bag of water opened and emptied into the concrete mix. The lid replaced on the container and the container moved back and forth to mix the ingredients. The curved projections internal to the container assist in making a concrete of the correct consistency.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an instant concrete system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.

A second object is to provide an instant concrete system for including in one portable package all the necessary ingredients and corresponding mixing device for making concrete.

Another object is to provide an instant concrete system that is easy to use.

An additional object is to provide an instant concrete system that can be designed in a variety of sizes.

A further object is to provide an instant concrete system that is labor and time saving.

Another object is to provide an instant concrete system that is economical.

An additional object is to provide an instant concrete system that provides a clean work site without requiring tools and mixing devices to clean.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: [0026]
FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of the present invention with the lid detached. [0027]
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the present invention along line [0028] 2-2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the present invention. [0029]
FIG. 4 is an upper perspective of the handle and bracket. [0030]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a instant [0031] concrete system 10, which comprises a premeasured amount of concrete mix 30 in a container 20. Included in the container 20 is a bag 40 containing a premeasured amount of water 42. The inside of the container 20 is shaped with curved projections 26. The container 20 includes a handle 24 that is removable and can be used to open the bag 40. A lid 22 securely fits to the container 20. The portable instant concrete system 10 can be transported to a remote work site, the bag 40 of water 42 opened and emptied into the concrete mix 30. The lid 22 can be replaced on the container 20 and the container 20 moved back and forth to mix the water 42 and concrete mix 30. The projections 26 are internal to the container 20 and facilitates making the concrete of the correct consistency.
The [0032] container 20 is preferably made from material that is strong enough to hold the cement mix 30 and water 42, but lightweight enough to be easily transportable. The container 20 is preferably of a hollow tapered cylindrical shape and should be designed to hold a fluid without leaking. The container 20 may be in a variety of different sizes corresponding to variety of different amounts of concrete mix 30 and water 42. A lid 22 is attachable to the top end of the container 20. The lid 22 should be designed to fit securely to the container 20 so that no leaking of ingredients is possible when the container 20 is turned on its side and moved back and forth. However, it can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that other embodiments of the present invention may include containers 20 made in various shapes.
The [0033] container 20 is preferably designed with a projection 26, or a plurality of projections 26, along the inside wall of the container 20. The projections 26 should be made of a sufficient thickness to withstand the pressures exerted on the projections 26 when the containers is being moved to mix the concrete mix 30 and water 42. The projections 26 may run vertically from the top to the bottom of the container 20 and extend inwardly towards the center vertical axis of the container 20. As best seen in FIG. 1, these projections 26 may be of a curved shape. The shape of the curve should be designed to facilitate mixing the concrete mix 30 and water 42 when the container is rolled on its side. However it can be appreciated by one in the art that other embodiments of the present invention could include projections 26 of various shapes and sizes or not include any projections 26.
Affixed to external walls of the [0034] container 20 are two brackets 28. The brackets 28 are preferably constructed of material strong enough to maintain their shape while the container 20 is being carried by the handle 24. The brackets 28 are designed to allow the handle 24 to be detachable from the brackets 28. As seen in FIG. 4, this detachability may be accomplished by including an aperture 29, that is semi-opened at the bottom, designed into the bracket 28. The handle 24 preferably snaps into the brackets 28 to securely hold the handle 24 to the container 20. However, it can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that other embodiments of the present invention could include other methods for affixing the handle 24 to the container 20.
As seen in FIGS. 1 through 4, the [0035] handle 24 is preferably designed to be attachable to the external wall of the container 20. The handle 24 may be constructed with material of a sufficient strength to maintain its shape when the container 20 is lifted by the handle 24. The end of the handle 24 may be designed to facilitate puncturing the bag 40.
A premeasured amount of [0036] concrete mix 30 is preferably located on the bottom of the container. The amount of concrete mix 30 should correspond to the size of the container 20 to maximize the amount of concrete capable of being made in the instant concrete system 10. The concrete mix 30 is preferably a commercially available concrete mix 30 capable of making concrete with simply the addition of some amount of water 42.
As best seen in FIG. 2, atop the [0037] concrete mix 30 is a bag 40. The bag 40 should be constructed of material capable of holding a liquid and not rupturing from the movement of the instant concrete system 10. However, the bag 40 should be capable of being punctured by the handle 24. The bag 40 should be capable of holding a premeasured volume of water 42. The volume of water 42 should correspond to the amount of concrete mix 30 in the container 20. The unique design of the instant concrete system 10 allows for the exact proportions of concrete mix 30 to water 42 to be included in the instant concrete system 10.
In use, the instant [0038] concrete system 10 is carried to the work site and placed on the ground. The lid 22 is removed from the container 20 and the handle 24 is detached from the brackets 28. The end of the handle 24 is used to puncture the bag 40 and the water 42 is poured onto the concrete mix 30. The bag 40 is removed and discarded. The lid 22 is placed securely on the container 20 and the container is moved to mix the concrete mix 30 and the water 42. The projections 26 assist in combining the concrete mix 30 and water 42. The handle 24 is placed back into the brackets 28 and the lid 22 is removed. The resulting concrete is now ready to be used.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. [0039]
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. [0040]
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. [0041]

Claims

I claim:

1. An instant concrete system, comprising:

a container having an inner wall, an outer wall, an open top end and a sealed bottom end;

a concrete mix stored within said container;

a bag of water stored atop said concrete mix within said container; and

a covering lid affixable to said top end of said container.

2. The instant concrete system of claim 1, wherein said container is tapered from the said top end to said bottom end.

3. The instant concrete system of claim 1, wherein said container has an arcuate projection along said inner wall from said top end to said bottom end of said container.

4. The instant concrete system of claim 1, wherein said container includes a pair of brackets affixed to said outer wall of said container.

5. The instant concrete system of claim 4, including a handle which is insertable into said pair of brackets.

6. The instant concrete system of claim 1, wherein said container is made of plastic.

7. The instant concrete system of claim 1, wherein said covering lid is made of plastic.

8. The instant concrete system of claim 1, wherein said bag is made of plastic.

9. An instant concrete system, comprising:

a pair of brackets affixed to said outer wall of said container;

a handle which is insertable into said pair of brackets;

a plurality of arcuate projections along said inner wall from said top end to said bottom end of said container;

a concrete mix stored within said container;

a bag of water stored atop said concrete mix within said container; and

a covering lid affixable to said top end of said container.

10. The instant concrete system of claim 9, wherein said container is tapered from the said top end to said bottom end.

11. The instant concrete system of claim 9, wherein said container is made of plastic.

12. The instant concrete system of claim 9, wherein said covering lid is made of plastic.

13. The instant concrete system of claim 9, wherein said bag is made of plastic.

14. A method of making concrete using a container having an inner wall, an outer wall, an open top end and a sealed bottom end; a pair of brackets affixed to said outer wall of said container; a handle which is insertable into said pair of brackets; a plurality of arcuate projections along said inner wall from said top end to said bottom end of said container; a concrete mix stored within said container; a bag of water stored atop said concrete mix within said container; and a covering lid affixable to said top end of said container, said method comprising the following steps:

(a) detaching said handle from said brackets;

(b) removing said lid from said container;

(c) puncturing said bag with said handle;

(d) pouring said water into said concrete mix;

(e) replacing said lid securely to said top end of said container; and

(f) moving said container so that said concrete mix and said water are thoroughly mixed together.