CONTAINER WITH INTEGRAL CAP REMOVAL TOOL

Abstract

A container for removing a cap of another identical container includes a vessel defining an interior space therein and having a rim positioned on a top side of the vessel which defines an opening to the interior space. A cap is removably couplable to the rim of the vessel to close the opening. The cap has a top wall and a perimeter wall, wherein the perimeter wall is coupled to and extends away from the top wall. The perimeter wall surrounds the rim when the cap is coupled to the rim. The vessel defines a notch extending upwardly into a bottom surface of the vessel. The notch is shaped to receive another cap therein and remove the other cap from another vessel.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a vessel defining an interior space therein, the vessel having a rim positioned on a top side of the vessel, the rim defining an opening to the interior space; and a cap being removably couplable to the rim of the vessel to close the opening, the cap having a top wall and a perimeter wall, the perimeter wall being coupled to and extending away from the top wall, the perimeter wall surrounding the rim when the cap is coupled to the rim; wherein the vessel defines a notch extending upwardly into a bottom surface of the vessel, the notch being shaped such that the notch is configured to receive another cap identical in size and shape to the cap, the notch being shaped such that the vessel is configured to engage the other cap when the other cap is positioned in the notch to remove the other cap from another vessel.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein: the cap has interior threads which engage exterior threads of the vessel when the cap is coupled to the vessel; and the notch is shaped and the vessel is configured to engage a perimeter wall of the other cap and the vessel is rotatable to twist the other cap off of the other vessel.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the container further comprises a plurality of teeth being coupled to the vessel and extending into the notch, the plurality of teeth being positioned such that the plurality of teeth is configured to engage the perimeter wall of the other cap.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein: a plurality of fins is formed on the perimeter wall and extends outwardly from the perimeter wall; and the plurality of teeth being spaced such that the plurality of teeth is configured to be positioned in alternating fashion with a plurality of fins of the other cap when the notch receives the other cap.

5. The container of claim 3, wherein the plurality of teeth is integrally formed with the vessel.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the notch defines a recessed surface of the vessel which extends at an acute angle to the bottom surface of the vessel, the vessel having a ledge extending into the notch and having an edge engagement surface which faces the recessed surface, the edge engagement surface being configured to be urged against a free edge of the perimeter wall of the other cap to remove the other cap from the other vessel.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the ledge has a U-shape such that the ledge is configured to extend around the other vessel below the other cap.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the ledge has a pair of tapered ends such that the ledge is configured to facilitate guiding the other vessel into the notch.

9. A container comprising: a vessel defining an interior space therein, the vessel having a rim positioned on a top side of the vessel, the rim defining an opening to the interior space; and a cap being removably couplable to the rim of the vessel to close the opening, the cap having a top wall and a perimeter wall, the perimeter wall being coupled to and extending away from the top wall, the perimeter wall surrounding the rim when the cap is coupled to the rim, a plurality of fins being formed on the perimeter wall and extending outwardly from the perimeter wall; wherein the vessel defines a notch extending upwardly into a bottom surface of the vessel, the notch being shaped such that the notch is configured to receive another cap identical in size and shape to the cap, the notch being shaped such that the vessel is configured to engage the other cap when the other cap is positioned in the notch to remove the other cap from another vessel.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein: the cap has interior threads which engage exterior threads of the vessel when the cap is coupled to the vessel; and the container further comprises a plurality of teeth being coupled to the vessel and extending into the notch, the plurality of teeth being positioned such that the plurality of teeth is configured to engage a perimeter wall of the other cap and the vessel is rotatable to twist the other cap off of the other vessel, the plurality of teeth being spaced such that the plurality of teeth is configured to be positioned in alternating fashion with a plurality of fins of the other cap when the notch receives the other cap, the plurality of teeth being integrally formed with the vessel.

11. The container of claim 9, wherein the notch defines a recessed surface of the vessel which extends at an acute angle to the bottom surface of the vessel, the vessel having a ledge extending into the notch and having an edge engagement surface which faces the recessed surface, the edge engagement surface being configured to be urged against a free edge of the perimeter wall of the other cap to remove the other cap from the other vessel, the ledge having a U-shape such that the ledge is configured to extend around the other vessel below the other cap, the ledge having a pair of tapered ends such that the ledge is configured to facilitate guiding the other vessel into the notch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a top front perspective view of a second embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of the first embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a front view of the second embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the first embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the second embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the first embodiment of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the second embodiment of the disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a cross section view of the first embodiment of the disclosure taken from Arrows 9-9 in FIG. 7.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the second embodiment of the disclosure taken from Arrows 10-10 in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 10 thereof, a new container embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0023] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10, the container 10 generally comprises a vessel 12 defining an interior space 14 therein and having a rim 16 positioned on a top side 17 of the vessel 12 which defines an opening 18 to the interior space 14. A cap 30 is removably couplable to the rim 16 of the vessel 12 to close the opening 18. The cap 30 has a top wall 32 and a perimeter wall 34, wherein the perimeter wall 34 is coupled to and extends away from the top wall 32. The perimeter wall 34 surrounds the rim 16 when the cap 30 is coupled to the rim 16. A plurality of fins 36 is formed on the perimeter wall 34 and extends outwardly from the perimeter wall 34.

[0024] The vessel 12 defines a notch 20 which extends upwardly into a bottom surface 22 of the vessel 12. The notch 20 is shaped such that the notch 20 is configured to receive another cap 30 identical in size and shape to the cap 30. The notch 20 is also shaped such that the vessel 12 is configured to engage the other cap 30 when the other cap 30 is positioned in the notch 20 to remove the other cap 30 from another vessel 12. The vessel 12 may be formed of glass, metal, polymer, or the like.

[0025] In a first embodiment, the cap 30 has interior threads (not shown) which engage exterior threads 19 of the vessel 12 when the cap 30 is coupled to the vessel 12. The container 10 further comprises a plurality of teeth 23 which are coupled to the vessel 12 and extend into the notch 20. The plurality of teeth 23 is positioned such that the plurality of teeth 23 is configured to engage a perimeter wall 34 of the other cap 30 and the vessel 12 is rotatable to twist the other cap 30 off of the other vessel 12. The teeth 23 of the plurality of teeth 23 are spaced such that the plurality of teeth 23 is configured to be positioned in alternating fashion with a plurality of fins 36 of the other cap 30 when the notch 20 receives the other cap 30. The plurality of teeth 23 is integrally formed with the vessel 12.

[0026] In a second embodiment, the notch 20 defines a recessed surface 24 of the vessel 12 which extends at an acute angle to the bottom surface 22 of the vessel 12. The vessel 12 has a ledge 26 which extends into the notch 20 and has an edge engagement surface 28 which faces the recessed surface 24. The edge engagement surface 28 is configured to be urged against a free edge of the perimeter wall 34 of the other cap 30 to remove the other cap 30 from the other vessel 12. The ledge 26 has a U-shape such that the ledge 26 is configured to extend around the other vessel 12 below the other cap 30. The ledge 26 also has a pair of tapered ends 27 such that the ledge 26 is configured to facilitate guiding the other vessel 12 into the notch 20.

[0027] In use, two containers are used in conjunction with each other. The vessel of the first container receives the cap of the second container into the notch and is urged against the cap of the second container to remove the cap of the second container off the vessel of the second container. The same can be done to the cap of the first container by the vessel of the second container.

[0028] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0029] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.