Container with support skirt and inner chamber

Abstract

A container assembly including a removable closure and a container which includes a chamber wall and a bottom attached to the chamber wall to form a cavity in which product is contained. An outer surface of the chamber wall includes a first attachment connector near the upper end of the chamber wall and which removably engages with a mating second attachment connector formed on the closure. A shoulder extends radially outward from the chamber wall at a point below the first attachment connector, and an outer support skirt extends downward from a distal end of the shoulder. The outer support skirt surrounds at least a substantial portion of the outer surface of the chamber wall and, when placed on a surface, the support skirt rests on the surface and the bottom of the cavity rests on or is spaced apart from the surface.

1 . A container assembly comprising:
 a container; and   a removable closure including a top and a sidewall attached to and depending downward from the top, the sidewall substantially circumscribing the top and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the closure being configured to attach to the container;   wherein the container includes a chamber for containing a product, the chamber having a chamber wall and a bottom attached to the chamber wall, the chamber wall extends downward from an upper end to a lower end where chamber wall attaches to the bottom, the chamber wall and bottom form a cavity in which product is contained, the chamber wall has an inside surface located in the cavity and an outside surface located outside the cavity;   wherein the outer surface of the chamber wall includes a first attachment connector which is formed at or near the upper end of the chamber wall, the first attachment connector removably engages with a mating second attachment connector formed on the closure; and   wherein a shoulder extends radially outward from the chamber wall at a point below the first attachment connector, an outer support skirt extends downward from a distal end of the shoulder, the outer support skirt surrounds at least a substantial portion of the outer surface of the chamber wall, the support skirt has a length dimension from the shoulder to its distal end that is at least approximately the same as a length of the chamber wall from the shoulder to the bottom such that, when placed on a surface, the distal end of the support skirt rests on the surface and the bottom of the cavity rests on or is spaced apart from the surface, whereby the skirt provides support for the container, and wherein there is a space between the chamber wall and the outer skirt at the bottom, thereby permitting the containers to be stacked.   
     
     
         2 . The container assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall of the closure is cylindrical in shape with the outer surface having an outer diameter and the inner surface having an inner diameter, and wherein the chamber wall is substantially cylindrical in shape with an outer diameter and an inner diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the outer diameter of the skirt at its upper end is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the closure, further comprising a tamper-evident label attached to an outer surface of the closure and an outer surface of the skirt such that the label will be severed or torn when the closure is twisted relative to the container. 
     
     
         4 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the shoulder and support skirt are formed at 90 degree angles to one another so as to result in the support skirt being substantially vertical. 
     
     
         5 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the projection of the shoulder from the chamber wall results in the space between the chamber wall and the support skirt extending the full length of the support skirt. 
     
     
         6 . The container assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the shoulder projects from the outer surface of the chamber wall a sufficient distance to result in the support skirt having an outer diameter that is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the sidewall of the closure. 
     
     
         7 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second attachment connectors are mating threads, one thread formed on an inner surface of the closure and the other formed on an outer surface of the chamber wall. 
     
     
         8 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second attachment connector is a protrusion that extends or projects inward from an inner surface of the closure and the first attachment connector is a protrusion that extends or projects outward from an outer surface of the chamber wall, the second attachment connector is positioned and sized to engage with a lower side of the first attachment connector. 
     
     
         9 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the closure is a child resistant closure that includes an outer cap and an inner locking cap, the outer cap includes the top and the sidewall, and wherein the inner locking cap is located beneath the top and within the sidewall, the inner locking cap includes an inner top and an inner sidewall which extends downward from the inner top, wherein the inner locking cap is configured to, upon activation by a user, lock to the outer cap so as to rotate in combination therewith, and when not activated by the user, the outer cap is rotatable relative to the inner locking cap. 
     
     
         10 . The container assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the outer cap includes locking tabs formed on an inner surface of the top that engage with tabs formed on an outer surface of the inner top when the outer cap is pressed down on the inner locking cap, and wherein the shoulder is positioned so as to provide sufficient room for the movement of the outer cap downward relative to the inner locking cap when the closure is on the container. 
     
     
         11 . The container assembly of  claim 1 , wherein chamber wall is cylindrical and wherein the diameter of the chamber wall includes a taper inward. 
     
     
         12 . The container assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the taper varies from the upper end of the chamber wall to the lower end of the chamber wall. 
     
     
         13 . The container assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the container includes standoff ribs formed near the bottom on an outer surface of the chamber wall which protrude outward. 
     
     
         14 . A container assembly comprising:
 a container; and   a removable closure including a top and a sidewall attached to and depending downward from the top, the sidewall substantially circumscribing the top and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the closure being configured to attach to the container;   wherein the container includes a chamber for containing a product, the chamber having a cylindrical chamber wall that tapers inward and a bottom attached to the chamber wall, the chamber wall extends downward from an upper end to a lower end where chamber wall attaches to the bottom, the chamber wall and bottom form a cavity in which product is contained, the chamber wall has an inside surface located in the cavity and an outside surface located outside the cavity;   wherein the outer surface of the chamber wall includes a first attachment connector which is formed at or near the upper end of the chamber wall, the first attachment connector removably engages with a mating second attachment connector formed on the closure;   wherein a shoulder extends radially outward from the chamber wall at a point below the first attachment connector, an outer support skirt extends downward from a distal end of the shoulder, the projection of the shoulder from the chamber wall resulting in a space or gap between the chamber wall and the support skirt, the outer support skirt surrounds at least a substantial portion of the outer surface of the chamber wall, the support skirt has a length dimension from the shoulder to its distal end at least at a multiple locations that is at least approximately the same as a length of the chamber wall from the shoulder to the bottom such that, when placed on a surface, the distal end of the support skirt at such locations rests on the surface and the bottom of the cavity rests on or is spaced apart from the surface, whereby the skirt provides support for the container, and wherein the space between the chamber wall and the outer skirt at the bottom permits multiple containers to be stacked;   wherein the closure is a child resistant closure that includes an outer cap and an inner locking cap, the outer cap includes the top and the sidewall, and wherein the inner locking cap is located beneath the top and within the sidewall, the inner locking cap includes an inner top and an inner sidewall which extends downward from the inner top, wherein the inner locking cap is configured to, upon activation by a user, lock to the outer cap so as to rotate in combination therewith, and when not activated by the user, the outer cap is rotatable relative to the inner locking cap; and   wherein the outer cap includes locking tabs formed on an inner surface of the top that engage with tabs formed on an outer surface of the inner top when the outer cap is pressed down on the inner locking cap, and wherein the shoulder is positioned so as to provide sufficient room for the movement of the outer cap downward relative to the inner locking cap when the closure is on the container.   
     
     
         15 . The container assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the sidewall of the closure is cylindrical in shape with the outer surface having an outer diameter and the inner surface having an inner diameter, and wherein the chamber wall is substantially cylindrical in shape with an outer diameter and an inner diameter. 
     
     
         16 . The container assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the outer diameter of the skirt at its upper end is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the closure, further comprising a tamper-evident label attached to an outer surface of the closure and an outer surface of the skirt such that the label will be severed or torn when the closure is twisted relative to the container. 
     
     
         17 . The container assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the shoulder and support skirt are formed at 90 degree angles to one another so as to result in the support skirt being substantially vertical. 
     
     
         18 . The container assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the shoulder projects from the outer surface of the chamber wall a sufficient distance to result in the support skirt having an outer diameter that is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the sidewall of the closure.