CONTAINER HAVING SEPARATION MECHANISM

Abstract

A container system includes an upper housing including a first volume, a lower housing including a second volume, a cap attached to one of the upper housing and the lower housing and including a dispensing mechanism that is configured to dispense a product and a separation mechanism. The separation mechanism includes a seal member attaching the upper housing to the lower housing. The first volume and the second volume together form at least part of an internal cavity based on the attachment of the upper housing to the lower housing by the seal member. The separation mechanism includes a release mechanism that is configured to release the seal member from the upper housing and the lower housing. The release of the seal member is configured to allow a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing by the user to access the first volume and the second volume.

Claims

1. A container system comprising: an upper housing comprising a first volume that is configured to store a product; a lower housing comprising a second volume that is configured to store the product; and a cap attached to one of the upper housing and the lower housing, the cap comprising a dispensing mechanism that is configured to dispense the product; a separation mechanism comprising: a seal member attaching the upper housing to the lower housing, the first volume and the second volume together forming at least part of an internal cavity of the container system based on the attachment of the upper housing to the lower housing by the seal member; and a release mechanism configured to release the seal member from the upper housing and the lower housing based on an actuation by a user, the release of the seal member being configured to allow a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing by the user to access the first volume and the second volume.

2. The container system of claim 1, wherein the upper housing is configured to removably re-attach to the lower housing after the seal member is released from the upper housing and the lower housing.

3. The container system of claim 2, wherein one of the upper housing and the lower housing comprises a neck, the upper housing being configured to removably re-attach to the lower housing via an insertion of the neck into the other of the upper housing and the lower housing.

4. The container system of claim 3, wherein the neck comprises at least one rib that is configured for engagement against an inner surface of the other of the upper housing and the lower housing.

5. The container system of claim 4, wherein the rib is configured to seal against the inner surface of the other of the upper housing and the lower housing, the seal being configured to inhibit the product from exiting the internal cavity between the upper housing and the lower housing.

6. The container system of claim 2, wherein: the internal cavity comprises a first internal cavity; and the first volume and the second volume together form a second internal cavity that is smaller than the first internal cavity when the upper housing is re-attached to the lower housing after the seal member is released from the upper housing and the lower housing.

7. The container system of claim 1, wherein the separation of the upper housing from the lower housing is configured to allow the user to access the first volume via a first opening of the first housing and the second volume via a second opening of the second housing.

8. The container system of claim 7, wherein the first opening and the second opening are separate from a third opening of the upper housing corresponding to the dispensing mechanism.

9. The container system of claim 1, wherein the upper housing is spaced apart from the lower housing by the seal member when the seal member attaches the upper housing to the lower housing, the seal member sealing the internal cavity between the first volume and the second volume and forming the internal cavity together with the first volume and the second volume.

10. The container system of claim 1, wherein the separation mechanism is configured to inhibit a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing absent an actuation of the release mechanism by the user.

11. The container system of claim 1, wherein: the upper housing comprises a first end on an opposite side of the upper housing from the seal member, the upper housing comprising a first length from the first end to the seal member; the lower housing comprises a second end on an opposite side of the lower housing from the seal member, the lower housing comprising a second length from the second end to the seal member; and the first length is greater than the second length.

12. The container system of claim 1, wherein the first volume is greater than the second volume.

13. A container comprising: an upper housing comprising a first volume; a lower housing comprising a second volume; a seal member attaching the upper housing to the lower housing, the first volume and the second volume together forming at least part of an internal cavity of the container, the seal member inhibiting a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing; and a release mechanism that is configured to release the seal member from the upper housing and the lower housing, the release of the seal member being configured to allow a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing.

14. The container of claim 13, wherein the upper housing is configured to removably re-attach to the lower housing after the seal member is released from the upper housing and the lower housing.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein one of the upper housing and the lower housing comprises a neck, the upper housing being configured to removably re-attach to the lower housing via an insertion of the neck into the other of the upper housing and the lower housing.

16. The container of claim 15, wherein the neck comprises at least one rib that is configured for engagement against an inner surface of the other of the upper housing and the lower housing.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the rib is configured to seal against the inner surface of the other of the upper housing and the lower housing, the seal being configured to inhibit a product stored in the internal cavity from exiting the internal cavity between the upper housing and the lower housing.

18. A container assembly comprising: an upper housing comprising a first volume; a lower housing comprising a second volume; a cap comprising a dispensing mechanism, the cap being configured for attachment to the upper housing; a separation mechanism comprising: a seal member that is configured to attach the upper housing to the lower housing to form a container, the container comprising an internal cavity formed at least partially by the first volume and the second volume, the seal member being configured to inhibit a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing; and a release mechanism that is configured to release the seal member from the upper housing and the lower housing, the release of the seal member being configured to allow a separation of the upper housing from the lower housing.

19. The container assembly of claim 18, wherein one of the upper housing and the lower housing comprises a neck, the upper housing being configured to removably attach to the lower housing via an insertion of the neck into the other of the upper housing and the lower housing.

20. The container assembly of claim 18, wherein the seal member is configured to space the upper housing apart from the lower housing when the seal member attaches the upper housing to the lower housing, the seal member being configured to seal the internal cavity between the first volume and the second volume and form the internal cavity together with the first volume and the second volume.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container system according to an embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a front view of the container system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a top-down view of the container system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a side view of the container system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a front view of the container system of FIG. 1 showing the separation mechanism removed and the upper and lower housings separated according to an embodiment.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a side view of the container system of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view of the container system of FIG. 4 taken along section line A-A prior to removal of the separation mechanism according to an embodiment.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the container system of FIG. 7 showing the separation mechanism removed and the upper and lower housings separated according to an embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the container system of FIG. 8 showing the upper and lower housings re-attached according to an embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a front view of the container system of FIG. 1 prior to removal of the separation mechanism according to an embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a front view of the container system of FIG. 10 showing the separation mechanism removed and the upper and lower housings separated according to an embodiment.

[0046] FIG. 12 is a front view of the container system of FIG. 11 showing the upper and lower housings re-attached according to an embodiment.

[0047] FIG. 13 is a front view of a container system prior to removal of a separation mechanism according to another embodiment.

[0048] FIG. 14 is a front view of the container system of FIG. 13 showing the separation mechanism removed and the upper and lower housings separated according to an embodiment.

[0049] FIG. 15 is a side view of the container system of FIG. 14 showing the upper and lower housings re-attached according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Subject matter will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any example embodiments set forth herein; example embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the illustrative embodiments. Likewise, a reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase in one embodiment as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase in another embodiment as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter include combinations of exemplary embodiments in whole or in part. Among other things, for example, subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. Accordingly, embodiments may, for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof (other than software per se). The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0051] End users of containers such as those described above often find it challenging to dispense a last portion or remainder of the product effectively from the container, e.g., the last 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% or another amount.

[0052] In some cases, end users may take further action to access such inaccessible product including, e.g., ripping open the bottle, cutting open the bottle with sharp implements, using thin or narrow implements such as knives to try to scrape the insides of the bottle, or taking any other destructive action just to access the remaining portion of the product. Such actions may be dangerous to the end user, may be difficult to execute correctly, may contaminate the product, may result in the product splashing or exploding out of the container and across a work surface thereby becoming contaminated and unusable or may cause other unanticipated results. In addition, the end user has to waste valuable time and effort attempting to access the remaining portion of the product and, if necessary, clean up any mess made. Such actions may also result in a potentially dangerous container having sharp edges, container material contaminating the product, or other features that may be dangerous to the end user.

[0053] With reference to FIGS. 1-12, a container system 100 is disclosed according to an embodiment. Container system 100 is configured to provide an end user with access to a remainder of a product stored within a container 102 that would normally be inaccessible absent destructive actions such as those described above.

[0054] Container 102 comprises an upper housing 104 and a lower housing 106 that together define at least part of an internal cavity 108 (FIGS. 5 and 7-9) that is configured to store a volume of product for later dispensing. Upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 are attached together by a separation mechanism 110. While upper and lower housings are shown and described, in other embodiments, any other number of housing components may alternatively be used. For example, a container 102 may comprise an upper housing 104, a middle housing and a lower housing 106 or any other number of housings that may be attached together by one or more separation mechanisms 110 to form internal cavity 108 and enable progressive access to the product by a user.

[0055] Upper housing 104 extends from separation mechanism 110 to a first end 112 of container 102 and lower housing 106 extends from separation mechanism 110 to a second end 114 of container 102. Second end 114 is disposed on an opposite side of container 102 from first end 112 relative to separation mechanism 110 in some embodiments.

[0056] First end 112 comprises a cap 116 having a dispensing mechanism 118 such as, e.g., a pump, flip-top, roll-on, screw cap, spray nozzle, or any other dispensing mechanism, that is configured to dispense product from container 102. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-12, dispensing mechanism 118 comprises a pump. In some embodiments, container 102 may comprise a hard container that inhibits squeezing of container 102 to drive product toward or away from cap 116. In other embodiments, container 102 may comprise a soft container that may be squeezed to drive product toward or away from cap 116 and dispensing mechanism 118. Other dispensing mechanisms may alternatively be utilized, e.g., by replacing dispensing mechanism 118 with one or more of the alternatives described above. Cap 116 may also be replaced as needed to support a different type of dispensing mechanism 118.

[0057] With reference to FIGS. 5 and 7-9, upper housing 104 comprises a first opening 119 and defines a first volume 120 for storing product and lower housing 106 comprises a second opening 121 and defines a second volume 122 for storing product. First volume 120 and second volume 122 together form at least part of internal cavity 108. For example, in some embodiments, first volume 120 and second volume 122 together form internal cavity 108. In some embodiments, first volume 120 and second volume 122 together with separation mechanism 110 form internal cavity 108 where, for example, upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 may be spaced apart by separation mechanism 110. In some embodiments, first volume 120 has a larger volume than second volume 122. In some embodiments, first volume 120 has the same volume as second volume 122. In some embodiments, first volume 120 has a smaller volume than second volume 122.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, in some embodiments, container 102 may have a length from first end 112 to second end 114 of L.sub.0 where upper housing 104 comprises a length L.sub.1 and lower housing 106 comprises a length L.sub.2 where L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 are each smaller than L.sub.0. In an embodiment, L.sub.1 is longer than L.sub.2, e.g., to enable access to a portion of container 102 most likely to contain remaining product when upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 are separated. In other embodiments, L.sub.1 may alternatively be shorter than L.sub.2 or have the same length as L.sub.2.

[0059] Separation mechanism 110 is configured to removably attach upper housing 104 to lower housing 106 and in some embodiments to seal upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 together, thereby forming internal cavity 108 from first volume 120 and second volume 122. In an embodiment, separation mechanism 110 comprises a seal member 124 and a release mechanism 126 that is actuatable by a user to release seal member 124 from upper housing 104 and lower housing 106. The release of seal member 124 is configured to allow a user to separate upper housing 104 from lower housing 106, thereby exposing first opening 119 and second opening 121 and providing a user with access to first volume 120 and second volume 122 without the need to damage container 102 or access first volume 120 and second volume 122 solely via cap 116. For example, seal member 124 may tear away from upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 to enable a separation of upper housing 104 from lower housing 106 and expose first opening 119 and second opening 121.

[0060] In an embodiment, seal member 124 may comprise a molded plastic strip and release mechanism 126 may comprise a pull-tab. For example, the end user may grip the pull-tab and tear the pull-tab across/around container 102 along a separation path to separate upper housing 104 from lower housing 106. A starter tab of the pull-tab may lay flat against container 102 and may be lifted by the user, e.g., using a nail or other item, to access the pull-tab and perform the separation. In some embodiments, the starter tab may be secured to the container using, e.g., hook and loop fasteners, adhesive or another manner of attachment. While separation mechanism 110 is described herein as comprising a pull-tab, pre-weakened sections or other similar components, in other embodiments, separation mechanism 110 or the mechanism keeping upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 together may also or alternatively comprise other components or features such as, e.g., hook and loop fasteners, zippers, magnets, mechanical clips, adhesive tape or glue, latch mechanisms, snap buttons, push-pull fasteners or other similar attachment and separation technologies.

[0061] Separation mechanism 110 may be formed along with upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 during a molding or shaping process. As an example, a mold for container 102 may comprise features that define separation mechanism 110, enabling a formation of separation mechanism 110 in conjunction with upper housing 104 and lower housing 106. In some embodiments, separation mechanism 110 may be attached to upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 by weakened or thin portions of container material, e.g., plastic or another material, that may be torn away by a user gripping and pulling on release mechanism 126. Perforations 127 may be used to weaken the material about seal member 124. In some embodiments, upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 may be joined together by a screw mechanism where, for example, an actuation of the screw mechanism, e.g., by a user twisting upper housing 104 relative to lower housing 106, may cause seal member 124 to tear away or otherwise release upper housing 104 from attachment to lower housing 106.

[0062] In another embodiment, upper housing 104, lower housing 106 and separation mechanism 110 may be separately formed and joined together to form container 102, e.g., by positioning upper housing 104, lower housing 106 and separation mechanism 110 together and then sealing them using known techniques. Perforations 127 may be added after the joining to enable an easier removal of seal member 124.

[0063] In either embodiment, separation mechanism 110 is configured to attach upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 together and to inhibit separation of upper housing 104 from lower housing 106 until release mechanism 126 is actuated.

[0064] With reference to FIGS. 5 and 7-9, lower housing 106 may comprise a neck 128 that is recessed relative to a side wall 130 of lower housing 106 by a lip 132. Neck 128 is configured for engagement against an inner surface 129 of upper housing 104 when upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 are joined together. For example, neck 128 may define a smaller diameter or internal dimension than upper housing 104. In some embodiments, neck 128 provides a friction-fit between upper housing 104 and lower housing 106. In other embodiments, other attachment mechanisms may also or alternatively be utilized including, e.g., snap-fit, interference fit, screw-fit or any other attachment mechanism.

[0065] Neck 128 may include one or more ribs 134 or other members that are configured to engage against inner surface 129 of upper housing 104 to provide a seal between upper housing 104 and lower housing 106. Ribs 134 may also or alternatively comprise one or more O-rings. The seal formed by ribs 134 may be configured to inhibit liquids, semi-liquids, gels, solids or other types of product from exiting internal cavity 108 via the interface between neck 128 and upper housing 104. Neck 128 may alternatively be formed on upper housing 104 and be configured for engagement against an inner surface of lower housing 106.

[0066] In some embodiments, cap 116 and dispensing mechanism 118 may be dimensioned or otherwise configured for positioning on and engagement with neck 128. For example, after separation of upper housing 104 and lower housing 106, cap 116 and dispensing mechanism 118 may be removed from upper housing 104 and installed on neck 128 to seal lower housing 106 for further use instead of re-attaching upper housing 104 to lower housing 106. As an example, cap 116 may be configured to utilize the same mechanism that neck 128 provides for re-attaching upper housing 104 to lower housing 106, e.g., friction-fit, snap-fit, screw-fit, etc. In another embodiment, neck 128 may comprise more than one mechanism for attachment such that upper housing 104 may be attached to neck 128 using a first mechanism while cap 116 may be attached to neck 128 using a second attachment mechanism. A straw or other component of cap 116 or dispensing mechanism 118 may also or alternatively be configured to be shortened or otherwise adjusted to accommodate the smaller length L.sub.2 or second volume 122 of lower housing 106 relative to the length L.sub.0 or internal cavity 108 of container 102.

[0067] With reference to FIGS. 7-12, a method of using container system 100 is described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, a user obtains a container system 100 having container 102 with upper housing 104 and lower housing 106 attached together by separation mechanism 110. The user may use container system 100 as is conventional, e.g., by pumping dispensing mechanism 118 to obtain product from inside of container 102. As the user uses up the product, dispensing mechanism 118 loses its effectiveness, especially in a case where a tip of a straw or other member is no longer disposed in the product and is unable to draw the product out for dispensing.

[0068] With reference to FIGS. 8 and 11, the user removes separation mechanism 110 to separate upper housing 104 from lower housing 106. For example, the user may actuate release mechanism 126, e.g., pull on a pull-tab, to separate seal member 124 from upper housing 104 and lower housing 106, e.g., by tearing seal member 125 away from upper housing 104 and lower housing 106. The user may now access product remaining in internal cavity 108 via first opening 119 for product remaining in first volume 120 of upper housing 104 and via second opening 121 for product remaining in second volume 122 of lower housing 106. For example, the user may scrape or otherwise remove product from first volume 120 and second volume 122 using a finger or another implement via first opening 119 and second opening 121, respectively. Removal of separation mechanism 110 enables access by the user while inhibiting the potential danger caused by a more brute force method such as cutting or tearing the material of container 102 which may otherwise leave sharp edges or other features that can potentially injure a user.

[0069] With reference to FIGS. 9 and 12, once the user is done using the product, they may re-attach upper housing 104 to lower housing 106, e.g., by sliding first opening 119 of upper housing 104 onto neck 128 such that inner surface 129 of upper housing 104 is engaged against neck 128. Alternatively, the user may remove cap 116 and dispensing mechanism 118 from upper housing 104 and attach cap 116 and dispensing mechanism 118 to neck 128 as described above in some embodiments. In this manner, container 102 may be re-sealed to preserve or enhance the life of the product, even though internal cavity 108 of container 102 has been exposed and accessed by the user. Ribs 134 of neck 128 may be configured to engage against inner surface 129 of upper housing 104 to provide an enhanced friction fit and sealing between upper housing 104 and lower housing 106.

[0070] With reference to FIGS. 13-15, an embodiment of a container system 200 is described. Container system 200 is configured to provide an end user with access to a remainder of a product stored within a container 202 that would normally be inaccessible absent destructive actions such as those described above. Container system 200 comprises similar components to container system 100 and like components may have similar numbers and functionality except where noted below. In the embodiment of FIGS. 13-15, container system 200 is shown as a tapered squeeze bottle having a flip-top cap although other shapes may alternatively be utilized. Other embodiments of container system 200 may have other types of containers, caps and dispensing mechanisms such as those described above.

[0071] Container 202 comprises an upper housing 204 and a lower housing 206 that together define at least part of an internal cavity 208 that is configured to store a volume of product for later dispensing. Upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 are attached together by a separation mechanism 210.

[0072] Upper housing 204 extends from separation mechanism 210 to a first end 212 of container 202 and lower housing 206 extends from separation mechanism 210 to a second end 214 of container 202. Second end 214 is disposed on an opposite side of container 202 from first end 212 relative to separation mechanism 210 in some embodiments.

[0073] First end 212 comprises a cap 216 having a dispensing mechanism 218 such as, e.g., a pump, flip-top, roll-on, spray nozzle, or any other dispensing mechanism, that is configured to dispense product from container 202. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13-15, dispensing mechanism 218 comprises a flip top with a dispensing orifice through which product may be squeezed from container 202. Container 202 may comprise a soft container that may be squeezed to drive product toward or away from cap 216 and dispensing mechanism 218. Other dispensing mechanisms may alternatively be utilized, e.g., by replacing dispensing mechanism 218 with one or more of the alternatives described above. Cap 216 may also be replaced as needed to support a different type of dispensing mechanism 218.

[0074] Upper housing 204 defines a first volume 220 for storing product and lower housing defines a second volume 222 for storing product. First volume 220 and second volume 222 together form at least part of internal cavity 208. In some embodiments, first volume 220 has a larger volume than second volume 222. In some embodiments, first volume 220 has the same volume as second volume 222. In some embodiments, first volume 220 has a smaller volume than second volume 222.

[0075] As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 13-15, upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 define a taper, e.g., as a squeeze bottle for dispensing product from internal cavity 208 via cap 216 and dispensing mechanism 218.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 13, in some embodiments, container 202 has a length from first end 212 to second end 214 of L.sub.3 where upper housing 204 comprises a length L.sub.4 and lower housing 206 comprises a length L.sub.5 where L.sub.4 and L.sub.5 are smaller than L.sub.3. In an embodiment, L.sub.4 is longer than L.sub.5, e.g., to enable access to a portion of container 202 most likely to contain remaining product when upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 are separated. In other embodiments, L.sub.4 may alternatively be shorter than L.sub.5 or have the same length as L.sub.5.

[0077] Separation mechanism 210 is configured to attach upper housing 204 to lower housing 206 and in some embodiments to seal upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 together, thereby forming internal cavity 208 from first volume 220, second volume 222 and, in some embodiments, a portion of separation mechanism 210. Separation mechanism 210 comprises a seal member 224 and a release mechanism 226 that is actuatable by a user to release seal member 224 from upper housing 204 and lower housing 206. The release of seal member 224 is configured to allow a user to separate upper housing 204 from lower housing 206, thereby providing a user with access to first volume 220 and second volume 222 without the need to damage container 202 or access first volume 220 and second volume 222 solely via cap 216. For example, seal member 224 may tear away from upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 to enable a separation of upper housing 204 from lower housing 206. Separation mechanism 210 may comprise similar functionality and features to those described above for separation mechanism 110.

[0078] With reference to FIG. 14, upper housing 204 or lower housing 206 may comprise a neck 228 that functions in a similar manner and comprises similar features to those described above with respect to neck 128. In this embodiment, neck 228 may be formed at a taper, e.g., substantially parallel to the side walls of upper housing 204 and lower housing 206. Neck 228 is configured for engagement against inner surface of upper housing 204 or an inner surface of lower housing 206 when upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 are joined together. Neck 228 may also or alternatively be configured for engagement with cap 216 in some embodiments, e.g., in a similar manner to that described above for cap 116 and neck 128.

[0079] With reference to FIGS. 13-15, a method of using container system 200 is described. As shown in FIG. 13, a user obtains a container system 200 having container 202 with upper housing 204 and lower housing 206 attached together by separation mechanism 210. The user may use container system 200 as is conventional, e.g., by squeezing container 202 to dispense product from dispensing mechanism 218. As the user uses up the product, dispensing mechanism 218 loses its effectiveness, especially in a case where the product has a high viscosity and does not slide easily toward dispensing mechanism 218. The product instead sticks to the walls of internal cavity 208 and is hard to access.

[0080] With reference to FIG. 14, the user removes separation mechanism 210 to separate upper housing 204 from lower housing 206. For example, the user may actuate release mechanism 226, e.g., pull on a pull-tab, to separate seal member 224 from upper housing 204 and lower housing 206. The user may now access product remaining in first volume 220 of upper housing 204 and second volume 222 of lower housing 206. For example, the user may scrape or otherwise remove product from first volume 220 and second volume 222 using a finger or another implement. Removal of separation mechanism 210 enables access by the user while inhibiting the potential danger caused by a more brute force method such as cutting or tearing the material of container 202 which may otherwise leave sharp edges or other features that can potentially injure a user.

[0081] With reference to FIG. 15, once the user is done using the product, they may re-attach upper housing 204 to lower housing 206, e.g., by sliding upper housing 204 onto neck 228 such that inner surface 129 of upper housing 204 is engaged against neck 228. Alternatively, the user may remove cap 216 and dispensing mechanism 218 from upper housing 204 and attach cap 216 and dispensing mechanism 218 to neck 228 as described above in some embodiments. In this manner, container 202 may be re-sealed to preserve or enhance the life of the product, even though internal cavity 208 of container 202 has been exposed and accessed by the user. In some embodiments, neck 228 is configured to engage against an inner surface of upper housing 204 to provide an enhanced friction fit and sealing between upper housing 204 and lower housing 206.

[0082] The particular methods and other system functionality described in conjunction with the FIG. 1-15 are presented by way of illustrative example only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any way. Alternative embodiments can use other methods. For example, the ordering of the steps may be varied in other embodiments, or certain steps may be performed at least in part concurrently with one another rather than serially. Also, one or more of the steps may be repeated periodically, or multiple instances of the method can be performed in parallel with one another in order to implement the disclosed embodiments.

[0083] FIGS. 1 through 15 are conceptual illustrations allowing for an explanation of the disclosed embodiments of the invention. Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the invention to a single embodiment, as other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed embodiments can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the disclosed embodiments are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the disclosed embodiments. In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other embodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, terms in the specification or claims are not intended to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the disclosed embodiments encompass present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration.

[0084] The foregoing description will so fully reveal the general nature of the disclosed embodiments that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art(s) (including the contents of the documents cited and incorporated by reference herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the disclosed embodiments. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s).