초록 ▼

An improved container designed to provide all of the foregoing attributes (including light weight, low cost, ease of use and carrying, and climatic tolerance) while also presenting a virtually impenetrable barrier to animals. One exemplary embodiment comprises a highly resilient, lightweight, one pi

An improved container designed to provide all of the foregoing attributes (including light weight, low cost, ease of use and carrying, and climatic tolerance) while also presenting a virtually impenetrable barrier to animals. One exemplary embodiment comprises a highly resilient, lightweight, one piece polymer (polycarbonate) body or shell having a large-diameter aperture disposed at one end. A threaded, partially flexible lightweight polymer cap element mates with the body; the cap element comprises a tamper-resistant configuration with locking features which prevent rotation of the cap with respect to the body past a certain point. A ridge is formed on the body along the mating region of the cap, the ridge acting to prevent any animal (or human for that matter) from being able to insert anything (e.g., claws) under the cap when installed to pry it off. The locking features, ridge, body, and cap coordinate to make the container pliable enough to distort without opening, yet resilient and rugged enough to prevent permanent deformation, fracture, or cracking even under the weight (and motive forces) of a fully grown bear.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Bear excluding container apparatus, comprising: a molded body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein, said body further comprising first threads and a cap retention element, and being adapted to withstand forces exerted by said bear; anda molded cap having a locking element and

1. Bear excluding container apparatus, comprising: a molded body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein, said body further comprising first threads and a cap retention element, and being adapted to withstand forces exerted by said bear; anda molded cap having a locking element and a support ring associated therewith and second threads, said cap being retained on said body through at least cooperation between said first and second threads, and said support ring contacting and supporting an interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture only during instances of transverse loading of said body;wherein access to said volume by said bear is frustrated by said locking element, said body, said support ring and said cap; andwherein said support ring is located substantially within said aperture when said cap and body are mated and said support ring is spaced inward of said aperture an amount less than the height of the second threads of said cap. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking element is adapted to require at least some distortion of at least one of said molded cap or body for said cap to be threadably removed from said body. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body is substantially comprised of polycarbonate, and said cap is substantially comprised of a nylon-based polymer. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one exclusion ridge formed on said body proximate said cap and first and second threads, said at least one ridge being adapted to substantially shield a gap created between said cap and said body when said cap is threaded at least partly onto said body. 5. Animal excluding apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein;a threaded cap having at least one locking element associated therewith and a strengthening member, said cap threading onto said body; anda cap retention element formed proximate said cap, said retention element and said cap cooperating to prevent said animal from gaining access to said interior volume;wherein said strengthening member is spaced inward of said aperture an amount less than a height of threads of said cap such that when said cap is threadedly engaged on said body, said strengthening member substantially prevents an interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture to displace inward more than said amount, thereby preventing said cap from dislodging from said body under a transverse load to said body; andwherein said strengthening member only contacts and supports an interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture during instances of transverse loading of said body. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cap comprises a lower edge, said lower edge mating substantially flush with a corresponding surface of said body when said cap is threadedly engaged on said body so as to substantially eliminate any gap there between. 7. The apparatus of claim 5, said body further comprising a ridge formed proximate said cap, said ridge substantially denying access to a gap formed between said cap and said body. 8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one cap retention element comprises at least one structure adapted to cooperate with an outer surface of a sidewall of said cap, said structure substantially limiting the outward travel of said sidewall to a first amount. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first amount of outward travel comprises an amount less than the lesser of either (i) the height of threads of said cap, or (ii) the height of threads of said body. 10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cap further comprises a feature disposed on an inner surface of a sidewall of said cap that substantially frustrates inward movement of a lower sidewall portion of said cap when said cap is threadedly engaged on said body. 11. A container apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein; anda threaded cap having at least one locking element associated therewith and a ring molded on an interior surface thereof, said cap threading onto said body;wherein said cap further comprises at least one structure adapted to cooperate with an outer surface of a sidewall of said cap, said structure substantially limiting the outward travel of said sidewall to a first amount so as to frustrate unintended removal of said cap due to loading or shock to said cap or said body; andwherein said ring is adapted to reside substantially within said aperture when said cap is threaded onto said body and spaced inward of said aperture an amount less than the height of the threads of said threaded cap, said ring is further adapted to only contact an interior surface of said body proximate said aperture when said body flexes in response to transverse loading of said body. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first amount of outward travel comprises an amount less than the lesser of either (i) the height of threads of said cap, or (ii) the height of threads of said body. 13. A container apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein; anda threaded cap having at least one locking element associated therewith and a body support ring, said cap threading onto said body; wherein said cap further comprises a feature disposed on an inner surface of a sidewall of said cap that substantially frustrates inward movement of a lower sidewall portion of said cap when said cap is threadedly engaged on said body; andwherein said support ring is spaced at a distance from an internal surface of said body within said aperture less than a height of threads, such that as said body distorts in response to transverse loading, said distortion and removal of said cap are substantially frustrated; andwherein said support ring only contacts and supports said internal surface of said body during instances of transverse loading of said body. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said frustration of said inward movement is a function of the amount said cap is threaded on said body. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said inward movement is selectively allowed to a prescribed degree of threading so that said cap can be distorted so as to disengage said locking element. 16. A container apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein;a threaded cap having at least one locking element associated therewith, said cap threading onto said body;a support feature located on said threaded cap, said support feature disposed inside but separated from the interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture by an amount less than the height of the threads on said threaded cap when said cap is threadedly engaged onto said body;wherein said support feature only contacts an interior surface of said body during instances of transverse loading of said body. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising at least one cap retention element formed proximate said cap, said retention element and said cap cooperating to prevent said animal from gaining access to said interior volume. 18. Animal excluding apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein;a threaded cap having at least one locking element associated therewith, said cap threading onto said body;a support feature located on said threaded cap, said support feature residing substantially within said aperture a distance from an inner surface of said body when said cap is threaded onto said body that is less than the height of the threads on said threaded cap such that the support feature only supports an interior surface of said body during instances of transverse loading of said body; andat least one cap retention feature, said cap retention feature and cap cooperating to substantially frustrate removal of said cap from said body other than by said threading. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said cap comprises a lower edge, said lower edge mating substantially flush with a corresponding surface of said body so as to substantially eliminate any gap there between. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a ridge disposed proximate said gap, said ridge substantially denying access to said gap by said animal. 21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a ridge formed proximate said cap, said ridge substantially denying access to a gap formed between said cap and said body. 22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said body is formed of polycarbonate, and said cap is formed of nylon. 23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said body and said cap coordinate to dissipate energy applied to said apparatus by said animal without causing said cap to separate from said body. 24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said body is substantially smooth and featureless so as to frustrate said animal in applying force thereto. 25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said at least one cap retention feature comprises a structure disposed on said body proximate to said cap. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said at least one cap retention feature comprises at least one tab molded as part of said body. 27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said at least one cap retention feature comprises at least one structure adapted to cooperate with an outer surface of a sidewall of said cap, said structure substantially limiting the outward travel of said sidewall to a first amount. 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said first amount of outward travel comprises an amount less than the lesser of either (i) the height of threads of said cap, or (ii) the height of threads of said body. 29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said support feature comprises a rim adapted to engage an interior surface of said body at said aperture against an outer peripheral surface of said rim when said body is distorted. 30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said body is adapted to withstand at least the weight of an adult black bear. 31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a ridge formed on said body proximate to a juncture of a bottom exterior edge of said cap when said cap is threaded onto said body, said ridge adapted to substantially frustrate said animal from getting one or more claws under said edge. 32. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a ridge formed on said body proximate to a juncture of a bottom exterior edge of said cap when said cap is threaded onto said body, said ridge adapted to substantially frustrate said animal from getting one or more claws under said edge. 33. Container apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume, first threads and an aperture formed therein;at least one tab retention element disposed on said body proximate to said aperture; anda threaded cap having at least one locking element and at least one support feature, said cap threading onto said body;wherein said support feature is adapted to provide support to an interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture only during instances of transverse loading of said body by being positioned inward of said aperture an amount less than the height of the first threads to prevent said cap from disengaging from said body; andwherein said tab retention element cooperates with said cap to substantially frustrate unintended removal of said cap from said body. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said at least portion of said body comprises a region proximate to said aperture, and said load comprises a load applied externally by an animal. 35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said support feature comprises a lip disposed on said cap. 36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said at least one tab retention feature comprises at least one structure adapted to cooperate with an outer surface of a sidewall of said cap, said structure substantially limiting the outward travel of said sidewall to a first amount. 37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said first amount of outward travel comprises an amount less than the lesser of either (i) the height of threads of said cap, or (ii) the height of threads of said body. 38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said cap further comprises a feature disposed on an inner surface of a sidewall of said cap that substantially frustrates inward movement of a lower sidewall portion of said cap when said cap is threadedly engaged on said body. 39. Animal excluding apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein, said body further comprising a first locking element; anda cap having a second locking element and a molded ridge associated therewith, said cap being received onto said body; andwherein said first and second locking elements cooperate to frustrate removal of said cap without the application of pressure substantially at said first locking element; andwherein said molded ridge is disposed inward of said aperture of said body when said cap is received onto said body by an amount less than would permit said cap to disengage from said body, said molded ridge further being positioned to engage an interior surface of said body at said aperture against an outer peripheral surface of said ridge only when said body is distorted during transverse loading of said body. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said first and second locking elements each comprise raised tabs each having an angled engagement surface. 41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said first locking element is disposed on a sidewall of said cap at an elevation such that at least a portion of said cap sidewall can deform sufficiently to allow said first and second elements to pass one another when removing said cap from said body. 42. Animal excluding apparatus, comprising: a polycarbonate body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein with first threads disposed adjacent said aperture;a threaded, nylon polymer cap having at least one locking element associated therewith, said cap threading onto said body;a support feature located on said threaded cap, said support feature residing substantially within said aperture when said cap is threaded onto said body and disposed inward of an internal surface of said body by an amount less than the height of said first threads;wherein said support feature cooperates with said body to substantially frustrate distortion of said body proximate said aperture that would otherwise cause said cap to disengage from said body by supporting the internal surface of said body proximate to said aperture only during instances of transverse loading of said body. 43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said support feature comprises a rim adapted to engage an interior surface of said body at said aperture against an outer peripheral surface of said rim when said body is distorted. 44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said body is adapted to withstand at least the weight of an adult black bear. 45. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising a ridge formed on said body proximate to a juncture of a bottom exterior edge of said cap when said cap is threaded onto said body, said ridge adapted to substantially frustrate said animal from getting one or more claws under said edge. 46. Animal excluding apparatus, comprising: a body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein; anda threaded cap having at least one locking element and at least one support feature, said cap threading onto said body;wherein said support feature is adapted to provide support to an interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture only during instances of transverse loading of said body by being spaced inward of said aperture an amount less than the height of the threads on said threaded cap and less than an amount of distortion of at least a portion of said body under load required to cause said cap to disengage said body. 47. Container apparatus, comprising: a polycarbonate body having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein communicating with said volume, said body further being formed of a rigid yet flexible polymer and comprising first threads disposed proximate said aperture;a tamper-resistant nylon polymer cap comprising a ring molded on an interior surface thereof, said cap being threaded onto an outer surface of said body; anda cap retention element disposed proximate said cap, said cap and said cap retention element cooperating to dissipate forces applied to the interior of said cap, said dissipating substantially preventing said cap from being dislodged from said body;wherein said ring is spaced inward said aperture an amount less than the height of said first threads when said cap is threaded onto said body and provides support to an interior surface of said body proximate to said aperture only during instances of transverse loading of said body, said ring substantially frustrating flexing of said body in response to transverse loading of said body.