REFILLABLE STORAGE CONTAINER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of Provisional Ser. No. 62/657,149, filed Apr. 13, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage containers such as for use with food products such as coffee, flour, sugar. spices and the like, and more particularly to a refillable storage container which includes removable upper and lower closure members, whereby the contents of the container can be accessed by removal of the upper closure member, and the contents replenished by inverting the storage container and removing the lower closure member to refill the contents of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of storage containers for food products and the like is common in both the home and in commercial establishments. Matching cannister sets are typically used in the home for convenient storage and use of particulate or powdered staples such as flour and sugar, with smaller-sized containers are frequently used for storage and convenient access of spices or other food additives.

In a commercial setting, storage containers may be used to store coffee, tea, or other beverage ingredients. Toppings for ice cream, such as nuts, granola, sprinkles, etc., may be stored in containers of this type.

A typical storage container includes a removable closure member which permits access to the contents of the container. To replenish the contents, this same closure member is removed to gain access to the interior of the container for refilling.

As be appreciated, this typical arrangement can create issues with maintaining the contents of the container in a fresh condition, since during refilling, fresh contents are usually placed upon and commingled with the existing contents in the container. Contents at the very bottom of the container may not be used in a timely manner, as fresh contents are placed upon the contents at the bottom during typical refilling.

The present invention is directed to a refillable storage container which is configured to optimize the freshness of its contents by permitting fresh contents to be placed generally at the bottom of the container. The arrangement desirably ensures use of the contents before there is degradation in the freshness, potency or quality, and eliminates waste associated with contents which are no longer fresh. Ease in refilling the container is facilitated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A refillable storage container embodying the present invention includes a container body, and upper and lower closure members. Access to the container contents is easily effected by removal of the upper closure member. To replenish the contents, the container can be inverted, with the upper closure member in place, and the lower closure member removed to permit new contents to be added to the container. The container is thereafter returned to its upright orientation, with older contents thus positioned toward the upper part of the container for use before the fresher contents are used from the lower part of the container.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the present refillable storage container comprises a container body, including a container sidewall defining upper and lower openings. The container further includes an upper closure member releasably secured to the upper opening for selectively accessing the contents of said storage container.

In accordance with the present invention, the container further includes a lower closure member releasably secured to the lower opening. By this arrangement, the lower closure member is removable when the storage container is in an inverted orientation, with the upper closure member secured to the container body, to thereby facilitate refilling of the contents of the storage container through the lower opening. Thereafter, the lower closure member can be secured to the container body to close the lower opening, and the container returned to its normal, upright orientation. By this action, the newly introduced contents are positioned toward the bottom of the container, generally beneath any contents previously in the container.

When next used by access through the upper opening, the previous contents will be used before the contents added via the bottom opening, thus promoting and maximizing the freshness of all the contents used from the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the upper closure member of the container is complementary with the lower closure member. This arrangement facilitates stacking of plural ones of the storage container, such as for use a kitchen storage cannisters or spice storage.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container sidewall has a generally rectangular cross-section. However, it will be appreciated that the container can be otherwise configured, such as including a sidewall having a circular cross-section, or other configuration. While the upper and lower closure members are illustrated as similarly sized, these members, and the openings within which they are fitted, can be differently sized as desired.

In order to maintain the freshness of the contents of the container, the container can include upper and lower gasket members respectively fitted between the upper and lower closure members, and the upper and lower openings, for sealing the interior of the storage container.

A refillable storage container embodying the present invention can be formed from a variety of materials, including extruded aluminum, or other metallic materials, or polymeric materials. The upper and lower gasket members can be formed from suitable elastomeric materials for flexibility and sealing. Other materials, including wood or glass, may also be used, depending upon the intended use and desired aesthetic properties.

Other features and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refillable storage container embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plurality of the present storage container arranged in a stacked, inter-engaged configuration;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the present refillable storage container; and

FIGS. 4(a) to 4(f) are a series of diagrammatic views illustrating refilling and use of the present storage container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

While the present invention is susceptible to embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawing, and hereinafter will be described, a presently preferred embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment disclosed herein.

The present invention contemplates a refillable storage container, designated 10, which facilitates refilling of the contents of the container in a fashion which acts to maintain the freshness of the contents. The is achieved by configuring the container for refilling when the container is in a generally inverted orientation, via an opening provided at the lower portion of the container. After filling, the container can be reinverted, to a generally upright orientation, and contents accessed by opening of opening at the top of the container. By this arrangement, contents which have been previously placed in the container are accessible for consumption and use before those contents which have been subsequently placed in the container.

A refillable storage container embodying the present invention includes a container body, and upper and lower closure members. Access to the container contents is easily effected by removal of the upper closure member. To replenish the contents, the container can be inverted with the upper closure member in place, and the lower closure member removed to permit new contents to be added to the container. The container is thereafter returned to its upright orientation, with older contents thus positioned toward the upper part of the container for use before the fresher contents are used from the lower part of the container.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the present refillable storage container 10 comprises a container body 12, including a container sidewall defining upper and lower openings 13, 13′. The container 10 further include an upper closure member 14 releasably secured to the upper opening 13 for selectively accessing the contents of said storage container 10.

In accordance with the present invention, the container 10 further includes a lower closure member 16 releasably secured to the lower opening 13′. By this arrangement, the lower closure member 16 is accessible and removable when the storage container 10 is in an inverted orientation, with the upper closure member 14 secured to the container body, to thereby facilitate refilling of the contents of the storage container 10 through the lower opening. Thereafter, the lower closure member 16 can be secured to the container body to close the lower opening 13′, and the container 10 returned to its normal, upright orientation. By this action, the newly introduced contents are positioned toward the bottom of the container, generally beneath any contents previously in the container.

When next used by access through the upper opening 13, the previous contents will be used before the contents added via the bottom opening 13′, thus promoting and maximizing the freshness of all the contents used from the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the upper closure member 14 of the container is complementary with the lower closure member 16. To this end, as shown in FIG. 3, in the illustrated embodiment the upper closure member 14 includes an upstanding projection 18, while the lower closure member 16 refines a recess 20 which is generally complementary to the projection 18. As will be appreciated, the specific arrangement of the projection and recess can be reversed, and other interlocking arrangements alternatively provided. This complementary arrangement facilitates stacking of plural ones of the storage container, such as for use as kitchen storage cannisters or for spice storage, with the projection 18 of a lower container fitting into the recess 20 of an upper container. Such an arrangement of stacked containers is illustrated in FIG. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container sidewall has a generally rectangular cross-section. However, it will be appreciated that the container can be otherwise configured, such as including a sidewall having a circular cross-section, or other configuration. Additionally, while the upper and lower openings 13, 13′ can be of the same size, for some applications it can be desirable to provide one of the openings with a size that is larger than the other opening.

In order to maintain the freshness of the contents of the container, the present container 10 can include upper and lower gasket members 22, 24 respectively fitted between the upper and lower closure members 14, 16, and the upper and lower openings 13, 13′, for sealing the interior of the storage container 10.

A refillable storage container embodying the present invention can be formed from a variety of materials, including extruded aluminum, or other metallic materials, or polymeric materials. The upper and lower gasket members can be formed from suitable elastomeric materials for flexibility and sealing. Other materials, including wood or glass, may also be used, depending upon the intended use and desired aesthetic properties.

A method of filling a storage container in accordance with the present invention will be readily appreciated, and is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(f).

The method comprises the steps of providing a refillable storage container 10 comprising a container body 12, including a container sidewall defining upper and lower openings 13, 13′, The container further includes an upper closure member 14 releasably secured to the upper opening 13 for selectively accessing the contents of storage container, and a lower closure member 16 releasably secured to the lower opening 13′.

As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the present method next includes inverting the storage container 10 from an upright orientation, wherein the upper closure member 14 is accessible (FIG. 4(a)), to an inverted orientation, wherein the lower closure member 16 is accessible (FIG. 4(b)).

As shown in FIG. 4(c), the present method next includes removing the lower closure member 16 from the lower opening 13′. Next, as shown in FIG. 4(d), a product is placed in the container body 12 through the lower opening 13′. As shown in FIG. 4 (e), the lower closure 16 is replaced in the lower opening 13′, and then, as shown in FIG. 4 (f), the storage container 10 is re-inverted from the inverted orientation to the upright orientation. Thereafter, product within the storage container can be accessed by removal of upper closure member 14.

While use of the present storage container for particulate, powdered, and otherwise generally flowable dry products is contemplated, a storage container embodying the principles of the present invention can be used for semi-solid or semi-liquid products, such as ice cream. For such use, it is contemplated that fresh product be introduced into the container via the bottom opening in the container body, again with the goal that after returning the container to its upright orientation, older product is first removed from the container before the newly-introduced product.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous modification and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiment is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.