Structure for detachable coupling of containers

Abstract

A container structure is provided for detachable coupling of at least two containers. The detachable coupling structure of a first container includes a top portion with an upstanding perimeter having radial protrusions extending from a surface of the upstanding perimeter, and a container bottom portion having a complementary structure to engage the radial protrusions of the top portion of a second container for the purpose of detachably coupling two or more containers end to end. In one embodiment, two containers placed end to end with their respective structures aligned to be engaged are rotated in opposite directions to fully engage the protrusions of one container with the complementary structure of the other. A rim around the top portion of a container in a second embodiment has a larger diameter than the top portion. The rim may be pushed through a flexible opening into a recess in the bottom of another container.

1 . A container comprising:
 a main body that, in use, holds liquid;   a top portion having an upstanding peripheral flange, the upstanding peripheral flange having at least one protrusion extending radially from a surface; and   a bottom portion having a peripheral structure, the peripheral structure having an end face, an interior wall facing toward a recessed area, an exterior wall, and at least one groove circumferentially oriented on the interior or exterior wall to receive at least one protrusion of a second container, the at least one groove having a receiving portion which, when aligned with the at least one protrusion of the second container, receives the at least one protrusion of the second container upon rotation of the second container with respect to the container to detachably couple the container and the second container.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , the top portion further comprising a tap removable from an opening in a top surface near a pouring section of the upstanding peripheral flange, and the at least one groove further includes a locking portion,
 wherein the groove is formed by a circumferential recess around the exterior wall of the bottom portion, the groove having a lower face angled to enhance shedding of foreign particles from the groove, the receiving portion is formed by an opening at a recessed area of the exterior wall, the locking portion being an end of the recess forming the at least one groove, and at least one bent section of the upstanding peripheral flange bent radially inward forms the at least one protrusion, the bent section being disposed outside of the pouring section.   
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein the recessed area forming the groove widens at the receiving portion and gradually narrows to form the locking portion. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 1 , the top portion having a narrower diameter than the main body, the upstanding peripheral flange forming a mouth portion of the container, the container further comprising:
 at least one outside spiral thread on an exterior wall of the mouth portion;   a cap having at least one cap interior spiral thread to screw the cap onto the mouth portion;   at least one cap exterior spiral thread disposed on an external wall of the cap;   a cap diameter region extending to a first depth in the recessed area in the bottom of the container; and   at least one first inside spiral thread on an inside wall of the first depth of the recessed area, the at least one first inside spiral thread to receive the at least one cap exterior spiral thread.   
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a mouth diameter region extending from the first depth to a second depth in the recessed area;   at least one second inside spiral thread on an inside wall of the mouth diameter region, the at least one second inside spiral thread to receive the at least one outside spiral thread on the exterior wall of the mouth portion.   
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 4  or  5 , wherein the at least one cap interior spiral thread and the at least one cap exterior spiral thread are oriented such that a rotation direction of the cap screwing into the at least one first inside spiral thread in the recessed area is the same as a rotation direction of the container screwing the at least one outside spiral thread into the at least one cap interior spiral thread. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 6 , wherein the recessed area wall has at least one rib protruding toward and inner space of the main body of the container. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 7 , wherein a roof of the recessed area is round. 
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at least one projection on an inside wall of the recessed area, wherein   rotation of the second container with respect to the container to detachably couple the container and the second container stops upon a top face of a cap on a mouth portion of the second container reaching the at least one projection on the inside wall of the recessed area of the container, and   the recessed area of the bottom of the container includes an insertable region that receives a small statue on the top face of the cap of the top portion of the detachably coupled second container.   
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 1 , the top portion further comprising a tap removable from an opening in a top surface near a pouring section of the upstanding peripheral flange, and the at least one groove further including a locking portion and a blocking portion,
 wherein the groove exists between the main body and a protrusion extending circumferentially around an exterior wall of the bottom portion, the receiving portion is an opening at one end of the at least one groove, the blocking portion is an obstructed end of the at least one groove, the locking portion is adjacent to the blocking portion where the rotation of the second container with respect to the container to detachably couple the container and the second container stops upon the at least one protrusion of a top portion of the second container reaching the blocking portion of the container, and at least one bent section of the upstanding peripheral flange bent radially inward forms the at least one protrusion, the bent section of the upstanding peripheral flange is disposed separate from the pouring section.   
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 10 , the top portion having a narrower diameter than the main body, the upstanding peripheral flange forming a mouth portion of the container, the container further comprising:
 at least one outside spiral thread on an exterior wall of the mouth portion;   a cap having at least one cap interior spiral thread to screw the cap onto the mouth portion;   at least one cap exterior spiral thread disposed on an external wall of the cap;   a cap diameter region extending to a first depth in a recessed area in the bottom of the container; and   at least one first inside spiral thread on an inside wall of the first depth of the recessed area, the at least one first inside spiral thread to receive the at least one cap exterior spiral thread.   
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a mouth diameter region extending from the first depth to a second depth in the recessed area;   at least one second inside spiral thread on an inside wall of the mouth diameter region, the at least one second inside spiral thread to receive the at least one outside spiral thread on the exterior of the mouth portion.   
     
     
         13 . A container comprising:
 a main body that, in use, holds liquid;   a top portion having a cap, an outside diameter smaller than the main body, and a rim around and protruding outwardly from an exterior face of the top portion, the top portion including a neck section below the rim having a smaller diameter than the rim; and   a bottom portion having an end face, and a cavity in the center of the end face, the cavity having an opening into which a top portion and a perimeter rim of a second container can be inserted, and having flexible protrusions extending inwardly from inside walls of the cavity to create a flexible opening narrower than the inside dimension of the cavity,   wherein upon aligning the top of the second container end to end with the bottom cavity of the container, and inserting the top portion of the second container into the cavity of the container, the rim deflects the flexible protrusions and moves past the flexible protrusions to enter the cavity, and the flexible protrusions resiliently returning toward an undeflected position.   
     
     
         14 . The container according to  claim 13 , wherein the flexible protrusions are planar tabs extending toward the center of the opening of the cavity in a plane substantially parallel to the end face, and small separations between adjacent planar tabs which can allow air to escape from the cavity as the top portion of the second container is inserted into the cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The container according to  claim 14 , wherein when the rim of the second container moves past the deflected planar tabs, the planar tabs resiliently return toward an undeflected position until coming to rest against the neck section. 
     
     
         16 . The container according to  claim 14  or  15 , wherein the undeflected position of the planar tabs is such that a distal end of the planar tab extends from the end face into the depth of the cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The container according to  claim 13 , wherein the flexible protrusions gradually increase in thickness from the opening of the cavity into a depth of the cavity to create a gradually narrowing diameter and sharply decrease in thickness to provide a seat position for the rim of the second container fully inserted into the cavity, and the spaces between the respective protrusions may allow air to escape from the cavity as the top portion of the second container is inserted into the cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The container according to  claim 13 , further comprising, at a region of the cavity where the cap of the second container is inserted, a cavity wall structure for resisting movement of the cap into and out of the cavity or shaking of coupled containers. 
     
     
         19 . The container according to  claim 18 , wherein the cavity wall structure for resisting movement includes flexible walls narrowing the diameter of the cavity to provide a squeezing force to the cap inserted in the cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The container according to  claim 13 , wherein the rim forms a lip edge of the mouth of the container, the mouth being closed with a lid. 
     
     
         21 . The container according to  claim 20 , wherein the flexible protrusions are planar tabs extending toward the center of the opening of the cavity, and located at least four points crosswise the tabs are configured to bend to form an U-shape upon insertion of the top portion of the second container into the cavity of the container, and the tabs are configured to resiliently return toward an undeflected position upon insertion of the top portion of the second container into the cavity of the container through the tabs. 
     
     
         22 . The container according to  claim 20 , wherein the cavity further comprises an insertable region configured to receive the top portion of the second container. 
     
     
         23 . A container comprising:
 a main body that, in use, holds liquid;   a top portion having a cap, an outside diameter smaller than the main body, and at least one spiral thread around and protruding outwardly from an exterior face of the top portion, the top portion including a neck section below the at least one spiral thread having a smaller diameter than the at least one spiral thread; and   a bottom portion having an end face, and a cavity in the center of the end face, the cavity having an opening into which a top portion and a perimeter rim of a second container can be inserted, and having at least one spiral thread extending inwardly from inside walls of the cavity which, when aligned with at least one spiral thread on an exterior face of the top portion of the second container, receives the at least one spiral thread of the second container upon rotation of the second container with respect to the container to detachably couple the container and the second container.   
     
     
         24 . The container according to  claim 23 , wherein:
 the at least one spiral thread of the top portion of the container or the at least one spiral thread of the cavity of the bottom portion of the container has an obstructed end, and   the rotation of the second container with respect to the container to detachably couple the container and the second container stops upon the at least one spiral thread of the cavity of the bottom portion of the container reaching the obstructed end of the at least one spiral thread of the top portion of the second container or the at least one spiral thread of the top portion of the second container reaching the obstructed end of the at least one spiral thread of the cavity of the bottom portion of the container.   
     
     
         25 . The container according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 at least one projection on an inside wall of the cavity, wherein the rotation of a second container with respect to the container to detachably couple the container and the second container stops upon a top face of the top portion of the second container reaching the at least one projection on an inside wall of the cavity of the container.   
     
     
         26 . The container according to  claim 23 ,  24 , or  25 , wherein:
 an outer part of the at least one spiral thread on the exterior face of the top portion of the second container has a wider diameter than the cap and contacts the at least one spiral thread of the cavity of the bottom portion of the container when the container and the second container are detachably coupled, and   an inner part of the at least one spiral thread on the exterior face of the top portion of the second container includes a narrower diameter than the cap and does not contact the at least one spiral thread of the cavity of the bottom portion of the container when the container and the second container are detachably coupled, the inner part extending upwardly and forming a rim protruding outwardly from an exterior face of the top portion of the second container.   
     
     
         27 . The container according to  claim 23  or  25 , wherein the inside wall of the cavity has at least one rib protruding toward an inner space of the main body of the container. 
     
     
         28 . The container according to  claim 27 , wherein a roof of the cavity is round.