초록 ▼

A container includes a canister having an upper lip, and an operator having an operator main body. The operator has a gripping ring at one end that defines an operator upper lip and a container opening. The gripping ring outside diameter is greater than an outside diameter of the operator main body.

A container includes a canister having an upper lip, and an operator having an operator main body. The operator has a gripping ring at one end that defines an operator upper lip and a container opening. The gripping ring outside diameter is greater than an outside diameter of the operator main body. The canister includes a helical grooved canister engagement feature which extends about the canister. The operator includes an operator engagement feature which is a longitudinal slot formed through the operator main body. A lift having a lift projection is received in the operator, and the operator main body is received within the canister, with the lift projection extending through the operator engagement feature and into the canister engagement feature. The gripping ring extends at least partially over the canister upper lip, and a lower edge of the gripping ring is located adjacent the canister upper lip.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A container comprising: a canister defining a canister interior cavity which is defined by a canister inside diameter, and having at least one interior sidewall, and a canister top opening defined by a canister upper lip and a canister opening diameter;an operator comprising an operator main body

1. A container comprising: a canister defining a canister interior cavity which is defined by a canister inside diameter, and having at least one interior sidewall, and a canister top opening defined by a canister upper lip and a canister opening diameter;an operator comprising an operator main body portion which is defined by an operator interior cavity and an operator main body portion outside diameter, the operator having a gripping ring disposed at a first end of the operator, the gripping ring defining an operator upper lip and a container main opening, the gripping ring being defined by a gripping ring outside diameter which is greater than the operator main body portion outside diameter, the gripping ring further being defined by a gripping ring lower edge which is opposite the operator upper lip;a lift having at least one lift projection extending there from;and wherein:the canister includes at least one canister engagement feature which comprises a groove formed in the canister interior sidewall and which extends in an essentially diagonal direction about the canister interior sidewall;the operator includes at least one operator engagement feature which comprises an essentially longitudinal slot formed through the operator main body portion;the lift is received in the operator interior cavity, and the operator main body portion is received within the canister interior cavity such that the lift projection extends through the operator engagement feature and into the canister engagement feature;the canister inside diameter and the operator main body portion outside diameter are selected to be substantially similar such that the operator is substantially adjacent to the canister interior sidewall;the gripping ring outside diameter is selected to be larger than the canister opening diameter such that the gripping ring extends outward of the canister interior cavity and at least partially over the canister upper lip; and the gripping ring lower edge is located in proximity to the canister upper lip thus defining a junction there between; androtation of the operator relative to the canister causes the lift projection to ride along the canister engagement feature and the operator engagement feature to thereby move the lift in a vertical direction within the operator main body portion. 2. The container of claim 1 and wherein the at least one container engagement feature comprises a helical groove formed in the container interior sidewall. 3. The container of claim 1 further comprising a sealing means for sealing the container main opening and the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip. 4. The container of claim 3 wherein: the canister includes thread features formed on an exterior of the canister proximate the canister upper lip; andthe sealing means comprises a screw cap configured to fit over the container main opening and to engage the thread features. 5. The container of claim 4 and further comprising a sealing compound applied to at least one of the canister or the operator proximate the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip. 6. The container of claim 3 wherein: the canister includes a cap securing feature which extends at least partially around an exterior of the canister proximate the canister upper lip; andthe sealing means comprises a snap-on cap configured to fit over the container main opening and to engage the cap securing feature. 7. The container of claim 6 and wherein the sealing means further comprises a safety seal applied to the operator upper lip over the container main opening. 8. The container of claim 3 wherein the sealing means comprises: one of a screw cap or a snap-on cap configured to cover at least the container main opening; anda shrink wrap seal covering the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip. 9. The container of claim 1 wherein: the canister includes three canister engagement features, the canister engagement features comprising essentially parallel helical grooves formed into the canister interior sidewall;the operator comprises three operator engagement features, the operator engagement features being equally radially disposed about the operator main body portion; andthe lift comprises three lift projections equally radially disposed about the lift. 10. The container of claim 1 wherein: the operator is fabricated from an essentially clear material; andthe canister includes a substantially clear window extending along the canister in a direction perpendicular to the lift;whereby a side edge of the lift can be viewed through the window and the operator. 11. The container of claim 10 and further comprising indicia applied to the canister proximate the window, the indicia indicating status of contents within the container. 12. The container of claim 1 wherein: the canister is fabricated from a material which allows at least partial light transmission through the canister; andthe operator is fabricated from a material which allows at least partial light transmission through the operator main body portion;whereby a light source supported by the lift within the container can provide illumination through the canister and operator. 13. The container of claim 12 wherein: at least one of the canister or the operator is provided with gradations; andthe gradations comprise one of gradations in color or gradations in light transmissiveness. 14. The container of claim 1 wherein the lift defines a lift surface, and the lift surface is a non-planar surface with respect to the operator outside diameter. 15. The container of claim 14 wherein the lift surface is saddle shaped. 16. The container of claim 1 and further comprising a contents retainer applied to the operator upper lip, the contents retainer comprising at least one flexible protrusion which extends from the operator upper lip inwards of the container main opening. 17. The container of claim 1 wherein: one of the operator or canister comprises a securing feature; andthe other of the operator or canister comprises a securing feature receiver; wherebythe securing feature is engaged by the securing feature receiver to retrain the operator within the canister. 18. The container of claim 1 wherein the operator comprises raised spacing features defined on an outer wall of the operator main body portion. 19. A container comprising: an essentially cylindrical canister comprising a canister upper lip at a canister main opening defined at a first end of the canister, the canister main opening being defined by a canister main opening diameter, the canister further comprising: a canister main body portion defined by a canister main body portion inside diameter;a plurality of canister engagement features formed in the canister main body portion, the canister engagement features comprising essentially parallel helical grooves;an essentially cylindrical operator comprising: an operator main body portion defined by an operator main body portion outside diameter which is substantially equal to the canister main body portion inside diameter;a plurality of operator engagement features formed in the operator main body portion, the operator engagement features comprising vertical slots formed through the operator main body portion;a gripping ring at a first end of the operator, the gripping ring defining an operator upper lip and a container main opening, the gripping ring being defined by a gripping ring outside diameter which is greater than the operator main body portion outside diameter and the canister main opening diameter, the gripping ring being further defined by a gripping ring lower edge;anda lift comprising a plurality of lift projections extending outward of the lift;wherein:the lift is received in the operator main body portion, and the operator main body portion is received within the canister main body portion such that the lift projections extend through the operator engagement features and into the canister engagement features, and the gripping ring extends outward of the canister main opening;the gripping ring lower edge is located in proximity to the canister upper lip thus defining a junction there between; androtation of the operator relative to the canister causes the lift projections to ride along the operator engagement features and the canister engagement features to thereby move the lift in a vertical direction within the operator main body portion. 20. The container of claim 19 comprising: a canister upper flange portion disposed between the canister main body portion and the canister upper lip;an operator upper flange portion disposed between the operator main body portion and the gripping ring; andwherein:the canister upper flange portion is defined by a canister upper flange portion inside diameter which is the canister main opening diameter; andthe operator upper flange portion is defined by an operator upper flange portion diameter which is greater than the operator main body portion outside diameter and less than the gripping ring outside diameter. 21. The container of claim 19 further comprising a sealing means for sealing the container main opening and the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip. 22. The container of claim 21 wherein the sealing means comprises: a cap including a top which covers the main container opening, the cap further including a side flange which extends downward from the cap top to cover the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip. 23. The container of claim 22 wherein the sealing means further includes at least one of: a sealing compound applied to at least one of the canister or the operator proximate the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip;a shrink wrap seal covering the junction between the gripping ring lower edge and the canister upper lip; anda safety seal applied to the operator upper lip over the container main opening. 24. A container comprising: a canister defining a canister interior cavity which is defined by a canister inside diameter, and having at least one interior sidewall, and a canister top opening defined by a canister upper lip and a canister opening diameter;an operator comprising an operator main body portion comprising a plurality of interconnected lobes each defining a lobe interior cavity, and collectively defining an operator interior cavity, each lobe being defined by an outermost edge, the outermost edges of the lobes being circumscribed by a circle which defines an operator main body portion outside diameter, the operator having a gripping ring disposed at a first end of the operator, the gripping ring defining an operator upper lip and a container main opening, the gripping ring being defined by a gripping ring outside diameter which is greater than the operator main body portion outside diameter, the gripping ring further being defined by a gripping ring lower edge which is opposite the operator upper lip;a lift having a lift body shape to be received within the operator interior cavity and having a plurality of lift projections extending there from;and wherein:the canister includes a plurality of canister engagement features which comprise essentially parallel helical grooves formed in the canister interior sidewall and which extend about the canister interior sidewall;the operator includes a plurality of operator engagement features which comprise essentially longitudinal slots formed through the operator main body portion at the outermost edge of each lobe;the lift is received in the operator interior cavity, and the operator main body portion is received within the canister interior cavity such that the lift projections extend through the operator engagement features and into the canister engagement features, and the gripping ring extends outward of the canister interior cavity;the canister inside diameter and the operator main body portion outside diameter are selected to be substantially similar such that outermost edges of the lobes are substantially adjacent to the canister interior sidewall;the gripping ring outside diameter is selected to be larger than the canister opening diameter such that the gripping ring extends outward of the canister interior cavity and at least partially over the canister upper lip, and the gripping ring lower edge is located in proximity to the canister upper lip thus defining a junction there between; androtation of the operator relative to the canister causes the lift projections to ride along the operator engagement features and the canister engagement features to thereby move the lift in a vertical direction within the operator main body portion. 25. A container comprising: a canister comprising a canister upper lip located at a canister main opening at a first end of the canister, the canister further comprising: a canister main body portion defined by a canister main body portion inside diameter;at least one canister engagement feature formed in the canister main body portion, the canister engagement feature comprising an essentially helical groove;an operator comprising: an operator main body portion defined by an operator main body portion outside diameter which is between about 90 percent and 110 percent of the canister main body portion inside diameter;at least one operator engagement feature formed in the operator main body portion, the operator engagement feature comprising an essentially vertical slot formed through the operator main body portion;a gripping ring portion at a first end of the operator, the gripping ring portion defining a container main opening;anda lift comprising at least one lift projection extending outward of the lift;wherein:the lift is received within the operator main body portion; andthe operator main body portion is received within the canister main body portion such that the at least one lift projection extends through the at least one operator engagement feature and into the at least one canister engagement feature, and the gripping ring portion extends above the canister upper lip. 26. The container of claim 25 wherein: the gripping ring portion of the operator is located in proximity to the canister upper lip thus defining a junction there between; andthe container further comprises a double-sealing means configured to seal the container at the container main opening and at the junction.