Tamper-resistant container and methods

Abstract

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.

1 .- 29 . (canceled) 
   
   
       30 . A bear excluding apparatus, comprising:
 a body comprised of a substantially clear polycarbonate material and having an interior volume and an aperture formed therein, a diameter of said aperture being smaller than a diameter of said body interior thereby forming a neck portion;   a cap comprised of a substantially opaque material different than said polycarbonate, said cap adapted to cover said aperture and having a top substantially planar portion and a substantially vertical side portion communicating therewith;   a support apparatus disposed substantially within said neck portion and adapted to mitigate distortion of said neck portion of said body under traverse load; and   at least one apparatus adapted to prevent removal of said cap from said body by said bear, but permit removal by a human.   
   
   
       31 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said body further comprises a plurality of retention features. 
   
   
       32 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said plurality of retention features comprise a plurality of raised bumps running circumferentially along at least a portion of said body. 
   
   
       33 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said plurality of retention features comprises a plurality of channels running circumferentially along said body. 
   
   
       34 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said support apparatus is adapted to bear against at least portions of an interior surface of said neck portion of said body to provide said support function. 
   
   
       35 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said support apparatus is adapted to be part of said cap at least when said cap is removed from said body. 
   
   
       36 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said cap comprises two separate and individually formed components adapted to be mated together. 
   
   
       37 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising at least one feature adapted to prevent distortion of said vertical side portion of said cap by said bear. 
   
   
       38 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising at least one rim feature formed substantially within said body and cooperating with a lower edge of said vertical side portion of said cap to frustrate said bear from placing one or more claws under said lower edge. 
   
   
       39 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein said rim feature further cooperates with said vertical side portion of said cap to limit the outward travel of side portion away from said neck portion. 
   
   
       40 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein:
 said transverse load comprises at least partly cyclic load applied by a bear placing at least its front paws on said body and utilizing its body weight in an oscillatory manner; and   said polycarbonate body is configured to withstand such cyclic load without cracking.   
   
   
       41 . The bear excluding apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said at least one apparatus adapted to prevent removal of said cap from said body by said bear, but permit removal by a human comprises apparatus adapted to threadedly retain said cap on said body. 
   
   
       42 . An animal excluding container apparatus, comprising:
 a body having:
 an interior volume; 
 an aperture formed in said interior volume; and 
 a neck portion substantially formed by said aperture having a diameter smaller than a diameter of said body interior; 
 a cap having a top portion adapted to cover said aperture and a substantially vertical side wall adapted to extend over at least a portion of said neck portion; 
 at least one feature able to be manipulated by human hands but not by paws of said animal so as to frustrate removal of said cap from said body by said animal; and 
 at least one feature adapted to prevent access to an unexposed surface of said cap by said animal. 
   
   
   
       43 . The animal excluding container apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein said body is comprised of a substantially clear polycarbonate material, and said cap is comprised of a substantially different material than said body. 
   
   
       44 . The animal excluding container apparatus of  claim 42 , further comprising a support apparatus disposed substantially within said neck portion of said body and adapted to mitigate distortion of said neck under traverse load. 
   
   
       45 . The animal excluding container apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein:
 said animal comprises a bear;   said transverse load comprising load applied by a bear placing at least its front paws on said body when said container apparatus is lying on its side; and   said body is configured to withstand such load without cracking.   
   
   
       46 . The animal excluding container apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein said support apparatus is adapted to engage at least portions of an interior surface of said neck portion of said body to provide said support function. 
   
   
       47 . The animal excluding container apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein said at least one feature adapted to prevent access comprises at least one rim or bead formed substantially within said body and cooperating with a lower edge of said side wall of said cap so as to frustrate said animal from placing one or more claws under said lower edge. 
   
   
       48 . Bear-excluding container apparatus, comprising:
 a substantially cylindrical molded high-strength body having an interior volume, and an aperture, said body being adapted to withstand forces exerted by said bear and, comprising at least one first cap retaining feature;   a cap having at least a bottom edge and at least one second cap retaining feature, said first and second retaining features cooperating to frustrate removal of said cap from said body by said bear; and   at least one exclusion feature comprising a ridge disposed on said body proximate to said bottom edge of said cap when said cap is disposed on said body;   wherein said exclusion feature is adapted to frustrate access by said bear to a gap formed by said bottom edge of said cap and said body when said cap is disposed thereon.   
   
   
       49 . The bear-excluding container apparatus of  claim 48 , further comprising a support apparatus disposed at least partly within said interior volume and adapted to mitigate distortion of said body proximate said aperture resulting from traverse loading placed on said body. 
   
   
       50 . The bear-excluding container apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said body further comprises a plurality of indentions disposed along at least a portion of the periphery of said body. 
   
   
       51 . The bear-excluding container apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said body is comprised of a substantially clear polycarbonate material, and said cap is comprised of a substantially different material than said polycarbonate, said different material being substantially opaque. 
   
   
       52 . The bear excluding container apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said cap comprises a first portion which is exterior to said body, and a second portion disposed substantially within said aperture, said second portion being adapted to provide support for at least a portion of said body under transverse load conditions. 
   
   
       53 . The bear excluding container apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said cap comprises at least two pieces formed so as to fit together with one another both: (i) at least some times when said cap is removed from said body; and (ii) at least some times when said cap is secured on said body. 
   
   
       54 . Container apparatus adapted for excluding an animal having one or more claws, said container apparatus comprising:
 a substantially cylindrical body formed of a first material and having an outside diameter, and a neck region having a diameter less than said outside diameter, said neck region comprising an aperture communicating with an interior volume of said body;   a cap formed of a second material different than said first material and configured to be retained onto said body at said neck region, thereby substantially covering said aperture; and   a neck support element providing support to said neck during traverse loading;   wherein said body further comprises a claw exclusion feature operative to substantially exclude said one or more claws of said animal from removing said cap from said body.   
   
   
       55 . The container apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein said cap is removable from said body by way of operating a threaded cap retaining system associated with at least said cap. 
   
   
       56 . The container apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein said animal comprises a bear, and said threaded cap retaining system is configured so that it cannot be operated by said bear, but can be operated by a human being. 
   
   
       57 . The container apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein said claw exclusion feature comprises at least one raised element disposed on an exterior surface of said body proximate said neck region and a lower edge of said cap when said cap is placed on said body. 
   
   
       58 . The container apparatus of  claim 57 , wherein said cap is further adapted to comprise a raised element disposed about the periphery thereof and adapted to cooperate with said raised element of said body when said cap is retained thereon. 
   
   
       59 . The container apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein said first material comprises a polycarbonate material, and said body comprises one or more features adapted to reduce flexing of said body under traverse loading.