MULTI-PIECE CONTAINER

Abstract

A multi-piece container includes a bottom section, a top section removably secured to the bottom section, and a cap alternatively securable to the top and bottom sections. The top and bottom sections define a continuous inner volume of the container so that the access to the bottom section is provided through the top section. Upon consumption of a portion of product contained within the container, the top section may be removed and the cap used to close the bottom section containing the remaining product.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a multi-piece container for containing a product. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a segmented, bifurcated, and separable container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Edible products are often manufactured and sold in resealable containers. Typically, these containers include a resealable lid or cap that may be removed from the top of the container to gain access to the contents within, and resealed as desired. The cap often includes threads that mate with corresponding threads on a top portion of the container. These types of containers are effective at providing a container that allows repeated access to the contents of the container while also providing an effective means at resealing the container between uses. However, this type of container is not ideal when a consumer wishes to consume the product directly from the container.

Once a first portion of the product in a container has been consumed it can be difficult to cleanly access the remaining portion of the product in the lower half of the container. This is especially true where the container is relatively narrow and tall. For example, consuming salsa directly from a container may become difficult or impossible once a first portion of the salsa has been consumed because chips used to retrieve the salsa may no longer fit within the container, or it will be necessary to reach into the container to retrieve the salsa. Another example is the typical peanut butter container, which has enough depth that accessing the last portions of the product becomes messy regardless of the method used to remove it from the container.

One solution to this problem has been to provide the edible product in a shorter and wider container having a top opening with an increased diameter to allow access to the entire contents of the product directly from the container. However, this results in smaller containers containing less product. Alternatively, the contents of the container must be poured into a separate container to allow easy consumption, but this makes preservation of any uneaten portion of the product difficult.

Thus, there is a need for improved container that allows for easy and clean consumption of the product contained therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, a multi-piece container according to the present invention includes a bottom section including a bottom surface and defining an internal chamber; a top section removably secured to the bottom section, said top section defining an internal chamber; and a cap removably secured to an upper portion of the top section.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention, a container includes a generally cylindrical bottom section having a bottom surface and an open upper portion with threads; a generally cylindrical top section having an open bottom portion with threads for mating with said threads on said top portion of said bottom section, and an open upper portion with threads; and a cap having threads for removably securing said cap to said threads of said upper portion of said top section and said threads of said upper portion of said bottom section.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention, a container includes a bottom section having a bottom surface and an open end opposite said bottom surface, said bottom section having a first internal chamber; a top section having opposing open ends, said top section having a second internal chamber and being removably secured to said bottom section; and a cap removably secured to said top section opposite said bottom section and adapted to alternatively be removably secured to said bottom section for closing said open end of said bottom section; said first and second internal chambers forming a continuous inner volume of the container, where access is provided to said first internal chamber through said second internal chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a full understanding of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a container having multiple sections with portions broken away to better show detail.

FIG. 2 is an exploded elevational view of the multi-piece container of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a multi-piece container is shown and is generally indicated by the numeral 10. The multi-piece container 10 includes a top section 12 removably secured to a bottom section 14 and a cap 16 that may be secured to the top of the top section 12 or the top of the bottom section 14. The multi-piece container 10 may be formed from any known suitable materials, such as, for example, glass or plastic.

In certain embodiments, the top section 12 may be generally cylindrical in shape with a hollow interior. An upper portion 18 of top section 12 may include external threads 20 adapted to engage internal threads 22 provided on an interior of cap 16. Thus, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, cap 16 may be removably secured to upper portion 18 of top section 12. In one or more embodiments, the upper portion 18 of top section 12 may have a smaller diameter than the remainder of top section 12.

A bottom portion 24 may include internal threads 26 adapted to engage external threads 28 on an upper portion 30 of bottom section 14. Thus, top section 12 may be removably secured to bottom section 14 by the internal threads 26 of the top section 12 and the external threads 28 of the bottom section 14. In one or more embodiments, the upper portion 30 of bottom section 14 may have a diameter smaller than the remainder of bottom section 14 to provide a generally continuous outer surface of the multi-piece container 10 when the top section 12 is secured to the bottom section 14.

The bottom section 14 further includes a bottom surface 32 that defines the bottom of the internal chamber formed by multi-piece container 10. In certain embodiments, bottoms surface 32 may be integral with the sidewalls of the bottom section 14. The top section 12 includes opposed open ends 34 and 36 at the upper portion 18 and bottom portion 24, respectively. The bottom section 14 includes an open end 38 opposite bottom surface 32. Open ends 34, 36, and 38 of top section 12 and bottom section 14 create a continuous internal volume within top and bottom sections 12 and 14 with a bottom end terminating at the bottom surface 32 and a top end terminating at cap 16.

Multi-piece container 10 may initially contain a product that substantially fills both the bottom section 14 and the top section 12. The cap 16 is secured to upper portion 18 of the top section 12 to contain and preserve the product within the multi-piece container 10. The product may be consumed directly from multi-piece container 10 by removal of the cap 16, as shown in FIG. 1. Once enough product has been consumed so that the product can be contained within only the bottom section 14 of the multi-piece container 10, the top section 12 may be removed from the bottom section 14, as shown in FIG. 2. Product may then be consumed from the bottom section 14, and the cap 16 may be secured to the upper portion 30 of the bottom section 14 to contain and preserve any product remaining. In this way, multi-piece container 10 allows for clean and mess-free consumption of the entire product directly from the container. In addition, the volume of the container 10 can be reduced as product is consumed so that the container takes up less space in a refrigerator or pantry when stored.

Various modifications of the multi-piece container 10 shown in the drawings and described herein may fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, it is contemplated that one or more intermediate sections (not shown) that are substantially identical to the top section 12 may be provided between the bottom section 14 and the top section 12 to form three or more sections of the multi-piece container 10. In addition, any method or mechanism known to those skilled in the art may be utilized to removably secure the top section 12 to the bottom section 14. The invention should therefore not be limited to the embodiment discussed herein unless so claimed.

It is thus evident that multi-piece container constructed as described herein substantially improves the art. Only particular embodiment(s) have been presented and described in detail, and the invention should not be limited by the drawings or the description provided. For an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention, reference should be made only to the following claims.

Claims

1. A multi-piece container comprising:

a bottom section including a bottom surface and defining an internal chamber;

a top section removably secured to the bottom section, said top section defining an internal chamber; and

a cap removably secured to an upper portion of said top section, said bottom section, top section and cap defining a closed cylinder of substantially constant diameter, said cap selectively sealing an opening in said upper portion of said top section, said opening being of said substantially constant diameter for access to and removal of contents within said cylinder.

2. The container of claim 1, said internal chambers of said top section and said bottom section forming a continuous inner volume for holding a product.

3. The container of claim 1, said bottom section having external threads on an upper portion, and said top section having internal threads on a lower portion, said threads engaging one another for removably securing said top section to said bottom section.

4. The container of claim 3, said top section having external threads on an upper portion, and said cap having internal threads, said threads engaging one another for removably securing said cap to said top section.

5. The container of claim 1, said cap adapted to be removably secured to an upper portion of said bottom section.

6. The container of claim 1, said bottom section having an open end opposite said bottom surface.

7. The container of claim 1, said top section having opposing open ends.

8. A container comprising:

a generally cylindrical bottom section having a bottom surface and an open upper portion with threads;

a generally cylindrical top section having an open bottom portion with threads for mating with said threads on said top portion of said bottom section, and an open upper portion with threads; and

a cap having threads for removably securing said cap to said threads of said upper portion of said top section and said threads of said upper portion of said bottom section, said bottom section, top section and cap defining a closed cylinder of substantially constant diameter, said cap selectively sealing an opening in said upper portion of said top section, said opening being of said substantially constant diameter for access to and removal of contents within said cylinder.

9. The container of claim 8, said top and bottom sections each defining an internal chamber that together form a continuous inner volume of the container.

10. The container of claim 8, said upper portion of said bottom section having a reduced diameter relative to the remainder of said bottom section for creating a generally continuous outer surface of the container.

11. A container comprising:

a bottom section having a bottom surface and an open end opposite said bottom surface, said bottom section having a first internal chamber;

a top section having opposing open ends, said top section having a second internal chamber and being removably secured to said bottom section;

a cap removably secured to said top section opposite said bottom section and adapted to alternatively be removably secured to said bottom section for closing said open end of said bottom section;

said first and second internal chambers forming a continuous inner volume of the container, where access is provided to said first internal chamber through said second internal chamber; and

wherein said bottom section, top section and cap defining a closed cylinder of substantially constant diameter, said cap selectively sealing an opening in said upper portion of said top section, said opening being of said substantially constant diameter for access to and removal of contents within said cylinder.

12. A method for fully withdrawing contents from a container, comprising:

withdrawing contents from an upper portion of the container through a first opening at an upper end of said upper portion until said upper portion has been depleted of contents;

removing said upper portion of the container from a lower portion of the container;

continuing to withdraw contents from said lower portion of the container through a second opening at an upper end of said lower portion until said lower portion has been depleted of contents; and

wherein said step of withdrawing contents is intermittent and separated by steps of sealing said first opening with a cap while depleting said upper portion and sealing said second opening with said cap while depleting said lower portion.