FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to storage containers and adjustable storage structures. More specifically, the present invention discloses a storage container with adjustable storage space.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nowadays, various storage containers are available to help people store different items for safekeeping and to prolong the product life cycles. Reusable storage containers are specially popular to help store food products including, but not limited to, condiments, sauces, and seasonings. In general, most reusable storage containers have a solid base with a shape and size large enough to store a predetermined amount of product. The solid base can be made from different solid materials (e.g., glass or plastic) and include an opening that allows access to the solid base. In addition, the opening of the solid base can be provided with a lid that can be used to seal the opening to help protect the stored product. While practical, this traditional design has many disadvantages that make the available storage containers cumbersome to use. Most storage containers have an opening that is not large enough for the user to freely access the product stored within. For example, reaching the product at the bottom of large containers with small openings can be difficult, especially for people with large hands. Therefore, there is a need for a storage container that facilitates access to the stored product regardless of the design, shape, or size of the storage container.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a container with adjustable storage space that facilitates access to stored items without the use of external tools. The design of the present invention allows the user to adjust the storage space within the container to hold different amounts of product. The design of the present invention also allows the user to easily retrieve the stored product until all the product in the container is consumed. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a container with adjustable storage space that can be provided as a reusable container. The present invention can be designed as a single-use container or as a reusable container that can be cleaned to store products repeatedly. Additional features and benefits of the present invention are discussed in the sections below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses a container with adjustable storage space that facilitates the retrieval of the product stored within the container. The container of the present invention is designed to hold different amounts of product without altering the overall outer structure of the container. To do so, the present invention includes an internal platform that can be moved within the container to adjust the storage space available within the container. The internal platform can be selectively moved using a mechanism integrated into the container that can be manually engaged by the user. The user can move the internal platform closer to the opening of the container to position the stored products closer to the opening. Alternatively, the user can move the internal platform away from the opening of the container to provide more space to store the desired products.
Further, the present invention can include an internal lateral wall that helps retain products in a more controlled manner within the container. The internal lateral wall of the present invention facilitates the reuse of the container without obstructing the movement of the internal platform. The internal lateral wall can be provided in different versions that allow for different products to be stored. In addition, the different versions of the internal lateral wall can enable the insertion of the desired product into the container in different ways. For example, in one version, the internal lateral wall can be designed to allow the direct refilling of the container without the user having to remove the internal lateral wall. In another version, the internal lateral wall can be provided as a removable structure that comes pre-filled with the product in the form of a replaceable cartridge that make refilling of the container easy. Additional features can be implemented to improve the functionality of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top-front-left perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom-rear-right perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a top-front-left exploded perspective view of the present invention, wherein the removable lid is shown removed from the tubular shell.
FIG. 6 is a top-front-left exploded perspective view of the present invention, wherein the present invention is shown without the removable lid.
FIG. 7 is a bottom-rear-right exploded perspective of the present invention thereof.
FIG. 8 is a top-front-left exploded perspective view of the present invention, wherein the lid assembly, the annular screw guide, the tubular shell, and the raisable platform are shown removed from the tubular shell.
FIG. 9 is a bottom-rear-right exploded perspective of the present invention thereof.
FIG. 10 is a front view of the present invention, wherein the present invention is shown without the removable lid nor the tubular shell.
FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a front view of the present invention, wherein the present invention is shown without the removable lid, the tubular shell, nor the telescopic lateral wall.
FIG. 13 is a front view of the present invention thereof, wherein the raisable platform is shown raised using the gearing system.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the present invention, wherein the present invention is shown without the removable lid, the tubular shell, the gearing system, nor the end cap.
FIG. 15 is a front view of the present invention thereof, wherein the telescopic lateral wall is shown collapsed.
FIG. 16 is a front view of the pleated lateral wall of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 in FIG. 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention discloses a container with adjustable storage space. The present invention enables the user to easily retrieve all the products stored within the container. For example, the container of the present invention can store a predetermined amount of an edible product, such as peanut butter, dipping sauce, or protein powder, or non-edible products such as makeup or candle wax. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the present invention comprises a lid assembly 1, a tubular shell 9, an end cap 13, a raisable platform 14, and a gearing system 15. The lid assembly 1 helps seal the tubular shell 9 to protect the stored product within to prolong the product life cycle. The tubular shell 9 retains the raisable platform 14 in such a way that the raisable platform 14 can move inside the tubular shell 9. The raisable platform 14 is used to adjust the storage space within the tubular shell 9 to store different amounts of the desired product. The gearing system 15 facilitates the controlled movement of the raisable platform 14 within the tubular shell 9. The end cap 13 enables the user to manually engage the gearing system 15.
The general configuration of the aforementioned components enables the user to more easily store and retrieve products from a container, so no stored product is wasted. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the tubular shell 9 is a hollow tubular structure with a size large enough to accommodate the desired amount of product. For example, the tubular shell 9 can be a cylindrical structure made from a rigid material including, but not limited to, plastic, metal, etc. Further, the tubular shell 9 can be made from materials with different transparencies that can allow the user to monitor the products stored within. For example, the tubular shell 9 can be made from a transparent material, a translucent material, or an opaque material. However, other materials and designs can be implemented to help store the desired products within the tubular shell 9. Further, the tubular shell 9 comprises an open shell end 10 and a closed shell end 11 corresponding to the terminal ends of the tubular shell 9. The open shell end 10 preferably corresponds to the opening of the tubular shell 9, while the closed shell end 11 corresponds to the base of the tubular shell 9. Further, the gearing system 15 comprises an internal spline 16, a plurality of planetary gears 18, and a plurality of lifting screws 19. The internal spline 16 is designed to engage the plurality of planetary gears 18 to drive the rotation of the plurality of lifting screws 19 in a controlled manner. The plurality of planetary gears 18 and the plurality of lifting screws 19 enable the conversion of rotational motion to linear motion to move the raisable platform 14 within the tubular shell 9. Furthermore, the plurality of lifting screws 19 includes several worms gears of an overall length matching the height of the tubular shell 9. So, each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 comprises a proximal screw end 35 and a distal screw end 36 corresponding to the terminal ends of each lifting screw.
In the preferred embodiment, the present invention can be arranged as follows: the lid assembly 1, the tubular shell 9, the raisable platform 14, and the end cap 13 are axially positioned with each other due to the tubular design of the present invention, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. The raisable platform 14 is slidably positioned within the tubular shell 9 so that the raisable platform 14 can be moved via the gearing system 15. Further, the end cap 13 is positioned external to the tubular shell 9 so that the end cap 13 is accessible to the user to engage the gearing system 15. In addition, the end cap 13 is rotatably mounted onto the closed shell end 11 to secure the end cap 13 to the tubular shell 9 while enabling the rotation of the end cap 13 on the closed shell end 11. Further, the internal spline 16 is also provided within the end cap 13 in such a way that the internal spline 16 part of the end cap 13. The internal spline 16 is peripherally distributed around the end cap 13 so that several gear teeth are provided around the end cap 13. The internal spline 16 is also connected onto the end cap 13 to secure the internal spline 16 to the end cap 13.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the plurality of planetary gears 18 is further radially distributed within the end cap 13 to provide balanced engagement to the raisable platform 14 within the tubular shell 9. Each of the plurality of planetary gears 18 is engaged against the internal spline 16 so that the rotation of each planetary gear is driven by the end cap 13. In other words, as the user rotates the end cap 13, the internal spline 16 causes the plurality of planetary gears 18 to rotate in place. The plurality of planetary gears 18 can be arranged so that clockwise rotation of the end cap 13 also rotate each planetary gear to rotate in a clockwise direction. Alternatively, the counterclockwise rotation of the end cap 13 rotates each planetary gear in a counterclockwise direction. Each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is positioned axially with a corresponding planetary gear from the plurality of planetary gears 18 to ensure that the plurality of lifting screws 19 is oriented perpendicular to the end cap 13. Further, the proximal screw end 35 of each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is torsionally connected to the corresponding planetary gear from the plurality of planetary gears 18. This way, the rotation of each planetary gear causes the connected lifting screw to rotate in the same direction. This prevents the potential malfunction of the gearing system 15 when engaging the end cap 13.
Further, each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is rotatably positioned through the closed shell end 11 to allow the plurality of lifting screws 19 to engage with the raisable platform 14, as can be seen in FIG. 1 through 15. Each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is also threadably engaged to the raisable platform 14 to connect the raisable platform 14 to the plurality of lifting screws 19. This way, the rotation of the plurality of planetary gears 18 is converted into linear motion of the raisable platform 14 inside the tubular shell 9. Further, the distal screw end 36 of each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is rotatably mounted within the tubular shell 9 so that each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 can freely rotate to move the raisable platform 14 within the tubular shell 9. Finally, the lid assembly 1 is mounted onto the open shell end 10 to seal the storage space within the tubular shell 9.
As previously discussed, the plurality of lifting screws 19 traverses through closed shell end 11 so that the raisable platform 14 can be moved by the plurality of lifting screws 19. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the tubular shell 9 may further comprise a plurality of shell holes 12 that allow the plurality of lifting screws 19 to pass through the closed shell end 11 without obstructing the rotation of each of the plurality of lifting screws 19. So, each of the plurality of shell holes 12 traverses normal through the closed shell end 11 to form several holes large enough that accommodate the plurality of shell holes 12. In addition, the plurality of shell holes 12 is peripherally distributed around the closed shell end 11 to match the distribution of the plurality of lifting screws 19. Furthermore, each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is rotatably positioned through a corresponding shell hole from the plurality of shell holes 12. In other embodiments, different mechanisms can be implemented to allow the plurality of lifting screws 19 to traverse into the tubular shell 9 through the closed shell end 11.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the linear movement of the raisable platform 14 is facilitated due to the engagement of the plurality of lifting screws 19 with the raisable platform 14. Each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is preferably a threaded rod with a length that fits inside the tubular shell 9 and an overall diameter that fits within the corresponding shell hole. To facilitate the engagement of the raisable platform 14 with the plurality of lifting screws 19, the gearing system 15 may further comprise a plurality of threaded holes 20. The plurality of threaded holes 20 enables the engagement of the plurality of lifting screws 19 with the raisable platform 14. To do so, each of the plurality of threaded holes 20 is integrated normal through the raisable platform 14 to form openings with dimensions matching the dimensions of the plurality of lifting screws 19. The plurality of threaded holes 20 is also peripherally distributed around the closed shell end 11 to match the distribution of the plurality of lifting screws 19. Further, each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is threadably engaged through a corresponding threaded hole from the plurality of threaded holes 20. The threading of the plurality of threaded holes 20 preferably matches the threading on each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 so that the engagement of each lifting screw with the corresponding threaded hole causes the raisable to move within the tubular shell 9. In alternate embodiments, different means can be implemented to enable the engagement of the plurality of lifting screws 19 with the raisable platform 14.
Depending on the overall materials used to manufacture the structure of the present invention, additional structural support may be needed to facilitate the optimal operation of the gearing system 15. In some embodiments, the gearing system 15 may further comprise a plurality of threaded tubular supports 37, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. The plurality of threaded tubular supports 37 includes several hollow tubular protrusions that ensure the orientation of the plurality of lifting screws 19 through the raisable platform 14 to prevent malfunction of the gearing system 15. To do so, the plurality of threaded tubular supports 37 is peripherally distributed around the raisable platform 14 to match the arrangement of the plurality of lifting screws 19. In addition, each of the plurality of threaded tubular supports 37 is axially aligned with a corresponding threaded hole of the plurality of threaded holes 20. This ensures that each lifting screw can engage through the corresponding threaded hole and the corresponding threaded tubular support. Further, each of the plurality of threaded tubular supports 37 is mounted onto the raisable platform 14, opposite the closed shell end 11, to secure the plurality of threaded tubular supports 37 to the raisable platform 14. Furthermore, each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is threadably engaged through a corresponding threaded tubular support from the plurality of threaded tubular supports 37. In other embodiments, other structural support features can be implemented on the raisable platform 14 to ensure the optimal operation of the gearing system 15, such as platform guides on the outer perimeter of the raisable platform 14. The platform guides can engage with the interior of the tubular shell 9 to guide the linear movement of the raisable platform 14 along the tubular shell 9.
To further ensure the optimal operation of the gearing system 15, the gearing system 15 may further comprise an annular screw guide 38, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. The annular screw guide 38 is designed to retain each distal screw end 36 in such a way the spinning of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is not obstructed. To do so, the annular screw guide 38 comprises a plurality of screw slots 39 that retain each distal screw end 36 to further prevent unwanted lateral movement of the plurality of lifting screws 19. To implement the annular screw guide 38, the annular screw guide 38 is axially aligned with the tubular shell 9 so that the annular screw guide 38 can be positioned within the tubular shell 9 without blocking the telescopic lateral wall 21. In addition, the annular screw guide 38 is mounted onto the lid assembly 1 to secure the annular screw guide 38 to the lid assembly 1. For example, the annular screw guide 38 can be mounted onto the lid collar 2, around the proximal lateral wall 6, opposite to the distal lateral wall 7.
Further, each of the plurality of screw slots 39 traverses into the annular screw guide 38, opposite to the lid assembly 1, to receive each distal screw end 35, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. The plurality of screw slots 39 is also peripherally distributed around the annular screw guide 39 to match the arrangement of the plurality of lifting screws 19. Further, the distal screw end 36 of each of the plurality of lifting screws 19 is rotatably mounted into a corresponding screw slot from the plurality of screw slots 38. This way, each distal screw end 36 is retained by the corresponding screw slot to prevent the corresponding lifting screw from moving laterally. In other embodiments, different structural supports for the gearing system 15 can be implemented within the tubular shell 9 that ensures the optimal operation of the gearing system 15 without blocking the operation of the telescopic lateral wall 21 or the pleated lateral wall 28.
In general, the tubular shell 9 and the raisable platform 14 can retain solid products without risking malfunction of the gearing system 15 by the stored products. However, smaller products or liquid products may require additional sealing to separate the stored products from the gearing system 15. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the present invention may further comprise a telescopic lateral wall 21. The telescopic lateral wall 21 is designed to be provided within the tubular shell 9 to separate the stored products from the gearing system 15. The telescopic lateral wall 21 is preferably a tubular telescopic structure with an overall diameter smaller than the diameter of the tubular shell 9. In addition, the telescopic lateral wall 21 comprises a first telescoping end 22 and a second telescoping end 23 corresponding to the terminal ends of the telescopic lateral wall 21.
In the preferred embodiment, the telescopic lateral wall 21 can be implemented as follows: the telescopic lateral wall 21 is axially positioned with the tubular shell 9 to align the telescopic lateral wall 21 with the tubular shell 9, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. The telescopic lateral wall 21 is also positioned within the tubular shell 9 to retain the stored product separate from the gearing system 15 inside the tubular shell 9. In addition, the telescopic lateral wall 21 is positioned in between the open shell end 10 and the raisable platform 14 so that the telescopic lateral wall 21 moves along the raisable platform 14. Further, the first telescoping end 22 is hermetically connected to the lid assembly 1 so that the telescopic lateral wall 21 is secured to the lid assembly 1 without allowing the stored food products to escape into the tubular shell 9. Furthermore, the second telescoping end 23 is hermetically connected to the raisable platform 14 to secure the telescopic lateral wall 21 to the raisable platform 14. In other embodiments, the telescopic lateral wall 21 can be implemented in different ways due to alternate configurations of the tubular shell 9.
The telescopic lateral wall 21 can be provided in different versions to accommodate different products within the tubular shell 9. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, in one embodiment, the telescopic lateral wall 21 can be provided as a structure that includes several nested annular rings. So, the telescopic lateral wall 21 may comprise a plurality of nested annular portions 24 and a plurality of seal rings 27. The plurality of nested annular portions 24 corresponds to the several nested annular rings that are interconnected to each other to form a single telescopic structure. The plurality of seal rings 27 prevent the retained products from leaking through gaps in between the plurality of nested annular portions 24. Due to the telescopic design of the telescopic lateral wall 21, the plurality of nested annular portions 24 comprises a proximal annular portion 40, a plurality of intermediate annular portions 41, and a distal annular portion 42. The proximal annular portion 40 and the distal annular portion 42 correspond to the terminal annular portions of the telescopic lateral wall 21. The plurality of intermediate annular portions 41 corresponds to the one or more annular portions that form the middle section of the telescopic annular wall 21.
Further, due to the tubular design of the telescopic lateral wall 21, each of the plurality of nested annular portions 24 comprises an outer annular surface 43, an inner annular surface 44, a first open portion end 45, and a second open portion end 46, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. The outer annular surface 43 and the inner annular surface 44 correspond to the annular surfaces of each of the plurality of nested annular portions 24. The first open portion end 45 and the second open portion end 46 correspond to the open base ends of each of the plurality of nested annular portions 24 due to the tubular design of each of the plurality of nested annular portions 24. To form the telescopic lateral wall 21, the first open portion end 45 of the distal annular portion 42 is positioned coincident with the first telescoping end 22, while the second open portion end 46 of the proximal annular portion 40 is positioned coincident with the second telescoping end 23. This ensures that the arrangement of the plurality of nested annular portions 24 matches the orientation of the telescopic lateral wall 21 inside the tubular shell 9. Furthermore, an arbitrary annular portion 25 is hermetically and telescopically engaged to an adjacent annular portion 26 by a corresponding seal ring from the plurality of seal rings 27. The arbitrary annular portion 25 and the adjacent annular portion 26 are any adjacent pair of nested annular portions from the plurality of nested annular portions 24. This way, the telescopic lateral wall 21 can expand or contract as the raisable platform 14 is moved within the tubular shell 9 using the gearing system 15.
The telescopic lateral wall 21 can be formed as follows: the arbitrary annular portion 25 can be an intermediate annular portion from the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41, while the adjacent annular portion 26 is the distal annular portion 42, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. In addition, the plurality of seal rings 27 may comprise a first intermediate O-ring 47 and a second intermediate O-ring 48 corresponding to a pair of O-rings that facilitate the hermetical connections of the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41 within the tubular shell 9. To do so, the first intermediate O-ring 47 and the second intermediate O-ring 48 are positioned in between the inner annular surface 44 of the distal annular portion 42 and the outer annular surface 43 of the intermediate annular portion. In addition, the first intermediate O-ring 47 is mounted into the outer annular surface 43 of the intermediate annular portion, adjacent to the first open portion end 45 of the intermediate annular portion, to secure the first intermediate O-ring 47 to the intermediate annular portion. Similarly, the second intermediate O-ring 48 is mounted into the outer annular surface 43 of the intermediate annular portion, adjacent to the second open portion end 46 of the intermediate annular portion, to secure the second intermediate O-ring 48 to the intermediate annular portion. As a result, the distal annular portion 42 is hermetically secured to the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41.
Further, the arbitrary annular portion 25 can be an intermediate annular portion from the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41, while the adjacent annular portion 26 can be another intermediate annular portion from the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. Like before, the first intermediate O-ring 47 and the second intermediate O-ring 48 are positioned in between the inner annular surface 44 of the other intermediate annular portion and the outer annular surface 43 of the intermediate annular portion. In addition, the first intermediate O-ring 47 is mounted into the outer annular surface 43 of the intermediate annular portion, adjacent to the first open portion end 45 of the intermediate annular portion, to secure the first intermediate O-ring 47 to the intermediate annular portion. Similarly, the second intermediate O-ring 48 is mounted into the outer annular surface 43 of the intermediate annular portion, adjacent to the second open portion end 46 of the intermediate annular portion, to secure the second intermediate O-ring 48 to the intermediate annular portion. As a result, the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41 is hermetically connected to each other inside the tubular shell 9.
Furthermore, the arbitrary annular portion 25 can be the proximal annular portion 40, while the adjacent annular portion 26 is an intermediate annular portion from the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15. In addition, the plurality of seal rings 27 may further comprise a proximal O-ring 49 corresponding to the O-ring that facilitates the hermetical connections of the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41 to the proximal annular portion 40. To do so, the proximal O-ring 49 is positioned in between the inner annular surface 44 of the intermediate annular portion and the outer annular surface 43 of the proximal annular portion 40. In addition, the proximal O-ring 49 is mounted into the outer annular surface 43 of the proximal annular portion 40, adjacent to the first open portion end 45 of the proximal annular portion 40, to secure the proximal O-ring 49 to the proximal annular portion 40. As a result, the proximal annular portion 40 is hermetically secured to the plurality of intermediate annular portions 41, which completely seals the telescopic lateral wall 21.
In an alternate embodiment, the telescopic lateral wall 21 can be provided as single structure that can expand or contract within the tubular shell 9 to adjust the internal storage space. As can be seen in FIGS. 16 and 17, the present invention may further comprise a pleated lateral wall 28 and a flexible base 31 that replace the telescopic lateral wall 21. The pleated lateral wall 28 is a closed singular structure that can be expanded or contracted in the same manner as the telescopic lateral wall 21. In addition, the pleated lateral wall 28 comprises a first pleat end 29 and a second pleat end 30 corresponding to the terminal ends of the pleated lateral wall 28. Further, the flexible base 31 enables the closure of one end of the pleated lateral wall 28 so that the desired food product is retained within the pleated lateral wall 28. In this embodiment, the pleated lateral wall 28 can be implemented as follows: the pleated lateral wall 28 is axially positioned with the tubular shell 9 to align the pleated lateral wall 28 with the tubular shell 9. The pleated lateral wall 28 is also positioned within the tubular shell 9 to keep the stored product separate from the gearing system 15. Like the telescopic lateral wall 21, the pleated lateral wall 28 is positioned in between the open shell end 10 and the raisable platform 14. Further, the first pleat end 29 is hermetically attached to the lid assembly 1 to secure the pleated lateral wall 28 to the lid assembly 1. On the other hand, the second pleat end 30 is hermetically and perimetrically connected around the flexible base 31 to secure the flexible base 31 to the pleated lateral wall 28. Furthermore, the flexible base 31 is situated upon the raisable platform 14 so that the flexible base 31 moves along with the raisable platform 14.
The present invention can enable the user to refill the desired product directly into the tubular shell 9 in different ways. In one embodiment, the pleated lateral wall 28 and the flexible base 31 can be provided as a single-use receptacle that is only used once and discarded afterwards. The single-use receptacle can be pre-filled with a predetermined amount of product that the user can consume and then discard the container. In another embodiment, the pleated lateral wall 28 and the flexible base 31 can be provided as functional components of a single-use pod retaining a consumable product. In other words, the single-use pod serves as a replaceable cartridge that the user can replace whenever the user finishes consuming the product. The single-use pod is one pod from a plurality of single-use pods, and the plurality of single-use pods is part of a pod replacement system. The user can remove the empty single-use pod from the container after use and insert the new single-use pod into the container. In other embodiments, different mechanisms can be implemented to help the user refill the container of the present invention.
As previously discussed, the lid assembly 1 is designed to seal the tubular shell 9 to help protect the stored products and prolong the product life cycle. The lid assembly 1 can be designed to accommodate the telescopic lateral wall 21 and the pleated lateral wall 28. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, the lid assembly 1 may comprise a lid collar 2 and a removable lid 8. The removable lid 8 enables the selective sealing of the tubular shell 9 whenever the user wants to access the stored products. The removable lid 8 is large enough to cover the first telescoping end 22 or the first pleat end 29. In addition, the removable lid 8 may include a flexible seal, such as a silicone seal, that helps hermetically seal the connection between the removable lid 8 and the lid collar 2 to further protect the stored products. The lid collar 2 accommodates a removable lid 8 that may have an overall diameter that is smaller than the overall diameter of the tubular shell 9. So, the lid collar 2 comprises an annular collar base 3, a proximal lateral wall 6, and a distal lateral wall 7. The annular collar base 3 corresponds to the main structure of the lid collar 2. The proximal lateral wall 6 enables the attachment of the lid collar 2 to the tubular shell 9. The distal lateral wall 7 enables the attachment of the removable lid 8 to the lid collar 2. Further, the distal lateral wall 7 can be initially covered by a hermetical seal that protects the integrity of the stored products prior to the initial consumption of the stored products after purchase. In addition, the annular collar base 3 comprises an outer base edge 4 and an inner base edge 5 corresponding to the annular edges of the annular collar base 3.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, this embodiment of the lid assembly 1 can be arranged as follows: the proximal lateral wall 6 and the distal lateral wall 7 are positioned perpendicular to the annular collar base 3 to match the cylindrical design of the container. Further, the proximal lateral wall 6 is connected around the outer base edge 4 to secure the proximal lateral wall 6 to the annular collar base 3. In addition, the proximal lateral wall 6 is threadably engaged to the open shell end 10 to enable the attachment of the lid assembly 1 to the tubular shell 9. Similarly, the distal lateral wall 7 is connected around the inner base edge 5 to secure the distal lateral wall 7 to the annular collar base 3. Further, the removable lid 8 is threadably engaged to the distal lateral wall 7 to allow the user to removably attach the removable lid 8 to the lid collar 2. In other embodiments, the lid assembly 1 may be modified to accommodate a removable lid 8 with larger dimensions to accommodate a wider telescopic lateral wall 21 or a wider pleated lateral wall 28. Alternatively, the lid assembly 1 may be altered to allow the direct attachment of the removable lid 8 to the tubular shell 9.
As previously discussed, the end cap 13 is designed to be attached to the closed shell end 11 in such a way that the end cap 13 can be rotated about the tubular shell 9. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 15, in some embodiments, an attachment mechanism can be implemented to allow the end cap 13 to be removably attached so that the user can perform maintenance on the gearing system 15. The present invention may further comprise a push-click attachment mechanism 32 that allows the removable attachment of the end cap 13 to the closed shell end 11 without obstructing the rotation of the end cap 13. To do so, the push-click attachment mechanism 32 comprises a first interlocking piece 33 and a second interlocking piece 34 that facilitate the removable attachment of the end cap 13 to the closed shell end 11. The first interlocking piece 33 is axially connected onto the closed shell end 11 to secure the first interlocking piece 33 to the tubular shell 9. On the other hand, the second interlocking piece 34 is axially connected onto the end cap 13 to secure the second interlocking piece 34 to the end cap 13. Further, the first interlocking piece 33 and the second interlocking piece 34 are axially aligned with the tubular shell 9 and the end cap 13 to keep the end cap 13 also axially aligned with the tubular shell 9. Furthermore, the first interlocking piece 33 and the second interlocking piece 34 are rotatably attached to each other to enable the removable attachment of the end cap 13 to the tubular shell 9. In other embodiments, different mechanisms can be implemented to facilitate the removable attachment of the end cap 13 to the tubular shell 9.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20250197060
