Supportable pressurizable container having a bottom for receiving a dip tube and base cup therefor

The present invention relates to containers with irregular bottoms and base cups for such containers.

Pressurized containers are well known in the art. Such containers are often used to hold and distribute consumer products such as shaving creams, deodorant sprays, cleaning agents, furniture polishes and the like. The container can be pressurized to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure using high pressure gas, an inflatable bag, a power pump, such as a manual pump such as a squeeze trigger.

The contents of the container, when pressurized, can be distributed through nozzles or other openings juxtaposed at the top of the container. For example, the top of the container may have a neck with a threaded cap, as in regular soft drinks, so that the contents can simply be poured out of the container when the cap is removed. Alternatively, a nozzle may be provided at the top of the container, whereby the contents are dispensed from the container as foam, gel, mist or spray. Various other types of distribution mechanisms are well known in the art.

In order to accommodate the desired pressure during shipping, storage and transportation, the walls of the container need to be able to withstand and maintain the pressure after manufacture through a variety of temperatures, orientations and user handling. Therefore, the walls of the vessel need to be thick enough to prevent leakage of the contents under pressure or cracking due to stress. This is achieved by providing a thicker wall. However, relatively thick walls pose a material cost issue and are considered environmentally unfavorable.

One approach to solving this problem was to provide a relatively thin side wall and a hemispherical or otherwise curved base. The hemispherical base withstands more pressure than the flat base.

However, this approach has the disadvantage that the curved base prevents the container from being placed upright on a horizontal surface such as a shelf or table. Such a base can be considered non-uniform. Non-uniform means that an upright container with such a base cannot stand upright without tipping over a horizontal surface.

One attempt in the art to overcome this problem is to fit the base cup onto the hemispherical bottom of the container. The base cup fits around the container and has a flat bottom. The flat bottom allows the base cup and the container attached to the base cup to be placed upright.

Attaching the base cup to the bottom of the container still presents its own problems. Various groove / protrusion systems for mounting have been proposed. Groove / protrusion systems generally provide circumferential grooves and complementary protrusions around the vessel. Grooving systems are generally located near the curved bottom of the container, such as the point of contact between the curved bottom of the container and the side walls. The base cup has complementary protrusions or grooves that engage with the grooves or protrusions of the container. Such engagement provides a mechanical fit that prevents the base cup from separating from the container during normal use.

Containers with an engagement system must pass regulatory drop tests to ensure safety during handling and shipping. The engagement system must be sturdy enough to provide both static and dynamic mounting between the container and the base cup.

However, such engagement systems have their own problems. The boundary between the protrusion and the groove is not always smooth. This results in prominent lines or bumps, which are poor in appearance. This effect is exacerbated when shrink wrapping film or other labels are placed around the container. Bad-looking lines or bumps can be more noticeable when trying to hide them.

This problem can be exacerbated when the container is pressurized. The line between the base cup and the vessel may be less noticeable under atmospheric conditions. However, expansion can occur when the container is pressurized. Such expansion can result in further inconsistencies at the boundary between the engaging edges of the container and the base cup.

One attempt to solve this problem was to adhesively attach the base cup to the container. This technique has the disadvantage of incurring the additional material cost of adhesives. In addition, there must be an extra manufacturing process between the manufacture of the container and the attachment of the base cup to the container. The adhesive needs to be applied to one or both of the container and the base cup, requiring additional manipulation and extra mechanical equipment.

Yet another problem arises when the container uses dip tubes to distribute the contents. The dip tube may not be placed at the lowest point of the container, wasting its contents. For example, if a container with a hemispherical bottom is held at an angle, the bottom of the dip tube may not be immersed in the contents of the container. One approach to solving this problem was to place wells at the bottom of the vessel. However, this technique may not be feasible in a container with a hemispherical bottom designed to withstand internal pressure.

<p> Therefore, we provide containers with thin walls, containers that can be placed on a horizontal surface, containers that can be placed on a horizontal surface using a base cup, use of a base cup that does not require adhesive mounting. There is a need to solve the above problems and to have a base cup that mechanically engages the container without the appearance of unsightly lines at the boundary between the container and the base cup. To do.</p>

<p> In one embodiment, the invention may include a container that can be attached to the base cup by mechanical engagement. The container has a top, an irregular bottom, a side wall, and a contact point between the bottom and side walls of the container. The vessel has a longitudinal axis through which it passes and a 45 ° bottom cone, which has vertices located on the longitudinal axis at positions corresponding to contact points and the bottom of the vessel. It spreads outward toward. Mechanical engagements for connecting the container to the base cup are located on the bottom of the container in at least a portion of the bottom cone.</p><p> In one embodiment, the invention may include a base cup for supporting a container having an irregular bottom and a longitudinal axis passing through it. The base cup has a bottom for resting on a horizontal surface, a top distant from the bottom, and a base cup sidewall connecting the top and bottom of the base cup. The inner perimeter resides inside the side wall of the base cup and provides a mechanical engagement for engagement with the container. The mechanical engagement may include an inner engageable portion that extends radially inward from the proximal end to the distal end, whereby the engageable portion is cantilevered from the bottom of the base cup. It protrudes into.</p><p> In one embodiment, the invention may include a container and a base cup attached to the container. The container may have an irregular bottom and side walls that are visible when the container is placed on a horizontal surface. The base cup fits on at least part of the bottom of the container so that the container can be placed upright on a horizontal surface. The mechanical engagement portion connects the base cup and the container. The mechanical engagement may include complementary engageable portions located on the container and base cup, in particular the mechanical engagement may be arranged to be on the bottom of the container. Well, thereby the side walls of the container are separated from the engagement when the base cup is attached to the container.</p><p> In one embodiment, the invention may include a container and a base cup attached to the container. The container may have an irregular bottom and side walls that are visible when the container is placed on a horizontal surface. The base cup fits over at least a portion of the bottom of the container to allow the container to sit upright on a horizontal surface. The container and base cup may have matching tabs, which together fit together to provide a reaction force of one component to the other, and when these components are engaged, said Helps keep the components in place.</p><p> In one embodiment, the invention may include a container and a base cup attached to the container. The container may have an irregular bottom and side walls that are visible when the container is placed on a horizontal surface. The base cup fits over at least a portion of the bottom of the container to allow the container to sit upright on a horizontal surface. The bottom of the container may be curved, especially hemispherical. The wells may be juxtaposed with the bottom of the container. The base cup has a side wall, which shields the container at the point of contact.</p>

<figref num="1">An exploded perspective view of the container and the base cup according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="2A">Vertical cross-section of the container of FIG. 1 with longitudinal alignment and a fragment of the base cup with a hole in the bottom.</figref><figref num="2B">Vertical cross-sectional view of a fragment of the container of FIG. 1 with longitudinal alignment and a base cup with a solid bottom.</figref><figref num="3A">FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the engagement state of the container and the base cup of FIG. 2A.</figref><figref num="3B">FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the engagement state of the container and the base cup of FIG. 2B.</figref><figref num="4">Top view of an alternative base cup with longitudinal alignment tabs and four separate radial alignment tabs, respectively, for applying longitudinal and radial forces.</figref>

With reference to FIG. 1, the present invention includes the container 10, and more particularly the bottom portion of the container 10. The container 10 has a bottom 12 for indirectly resting on the surface, a top 16 for distributing the contents of the container 10 from the container, and a side wall 14 connecting the bottom 12 and the top 16. The container 10 may have a longitudinal axis passing through the bottom 12 and the top 16. The longitudinal axis can be approximately vertical when the container 10 is placed on a horizontal surface. The container 10 can be coupled to a complementary base cup 20 and rest on the surface.

Considering the components in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the bottom 12 of the container 10 may be irregular and the container 10 cannot stand upright on a horizontal surface. The bottom 12 of the container 10 may be eccentric, sloping, tapered, curved, especially hemispherical as shown. As used herein, the irregular bottom 12 does not have a substantial cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container 10, and when the container 10 is placed on a horizontal surface, the container 10 Any bottom 12 that cannot stand upright on the bottom 12. The tapered bottom 12 is a bottom 12 whose cross section decreases in the longitudinal direction as it approaches the bottom 12 of the container 10 from the side wall 14. The curved bottom 12 is a curved bottom 12 having a tapered shape. The irregular bottom 12 does not include a champagne bottom or petaloid bottom well known in the art.

The top 16 of the container 10 may have an arbitrary distribution opening juxtaposed with the top, which can distribute the contents of the container 10. The opening can further allow the container 10 to be filled with the contents. The opening may be located at the top 16 which is the highest point of the container 10, especially when the longitudinal axis is vertical. Alternatively, the opening may be located in or near the side wall 14 at a suitable distance from the bottom 12 of the container 10. If desired, the opening of the container 10 may be located at or near the bottom 12 of the container 10. This arrangement provides the benefit of being able to eject the contents without pressurization. In addition, such an arrangement can be reversed from its normal position to have an aesthetic appearance.

The opening of the container 10 may be a simple hole that is closed by a screw lid, a snap lid, or any other closure known in the art. Alternatively, the opening may be a nozzle such as that used to spray the liquid contents from the container 10. Pressurizing and spraying or otherwise distributing the contents from container 10 is known in the art, for example, in a trigger sprayer, high pressure gas, gas, pressed internal bag, battery or It can be provided by a pump such as AC power. Of course, if the opening is simply exposed, contents to be poured from the container 10 can be further distributed.

The side wall 14 of the container 10 may provide any suitable cross section connecting the top 16 and the bottom 12 of the container 10. The side wall 14 may define a cross section of the container 10, and the cross section may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. If desired, the side wall 14 of the container 10 may provide a longer shape in the longitudinal direction as compared to the radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

As shown in the figure, the container 10 may have a constant cross section. Further, the container 10 may have a circular cross section as shown and provide a substantially cylindrical shape. Alternatively, various other cross sections can be used, including rectangular, elliptical and the like. In yet other modifications, the container 10 may have a variable cross section in which a suitable cross section is monotonically tapered to a pyramidal shape. The side wall 14 and bottom 12 of the container 10 may be in contact at a contact point 46 so that a particular break can be identified, or the side wall 14 and bottom 12 may have contoured transitions.

Container 10 may be blow molded from any polyolefin material as known in the art, or made from a laminated structure of recycled and / or unused materials including PET, PVA, PEN, nylon. It may be made from glass or metal or any combination thereof. Container 10 may be coated with carbon, silica or other coating to provide a emission / permeation shield.

The base cup 20 is any member that can be attached to the container 10 so that the container 10 stands upright on a horizontal surface, and more specifically to the bottom 12 of the container 10. The base cup 20 may be any member formed separately from the container 10 and provides a transition between the irregular bottom 12 of the container 10 and the surface on which the container 10 is placed. In certain cases of the container 10 having a tapered bottom 12, the base cup 20 can surround the bottom 12 and partially cover the bottom from view.

The base cup 20 may have a bottom 22. The bottom 22 of the base cup 20 may be parallel to the cross section of the container 10 and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The bottom 22 of the base cup 20 may have a hole through the bottom or may be solid, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The side wall 24 of the base cup may extend upward from the bottom 22 of the base cup 20. Either the longitudinal dimension of the side wall 24 of the base cup or the cross-sectional dimension of the base cup 20 may be larger than the other.

The base cup 20 may be concentric with the container 10 if both have a circular cross section, and / or congruent if a different cross section is selected for either the base cup 20 or the container 10. There may be. The base cup 20 and the container 10 can have the same or different cross sections as long as the attachment between them is feasible.

The side wall 14 of the container 10 and / or the side wall 24 of the base cup 20 may expand radially under pressure when the container 10 is filled with its contents and / or when pressurized. .. The container 10 and the base cup 20 of the present invention can be used at pressures in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 ksm as present in the beverage industry. The container 10 and the base cup 20 can be advantageously used at higher pressures ranging from 80,000, 90,000 or 100,000 ksm to 200,000, 120,000 or 110,000 ksm.

A mechanical engagement portion 30 may be provided to connect the base cup 20 to the container 10, particularly the bottom 12 of the container 10. The mechanical engaging portion 30 can provide a complementary engaging portion 32 on the base cup 20 and the container 10. The mechanical engagement portion 30 can provide a permanent or removable attachment of the base cup 20 to the container 10. This configuration provides a two-part system, i.e., an additional component such as an adhesive, or a mounting between the container 10 and the base cup 20, or to hold the container 10 and the base cup 20 together. A container 10 and a base cup 20 are provided that can be attached to each other without the need for other required third components and remain attached together for the intended useful life and use. ..

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the mechanical engagement portion 30 can provide attachment of the base cup 20 and the container 10 via frictional fit, interlock engagement, snap fit, tight fit and the like. The mechanical engagement portion 30 can include any suitable structure that keeps the base cup 20 and the container 10 in the intended parallel position for the intended useful life of the container 10. One of the suitable mechanical engagement portions 30 includes a complementary engageable portion 32 on the container 10 and the base cup 20. A suitable complementary engageable portion 32 includes a protrusion 34 and a complementary recess 35. The recess 35 may be in the form of a groove. Either the groove or the protrusion 34 can be placed on the base cup 20 or the container 10 and vice versa.

As shown, the protrusion 34 can be placed on the container 10 and the recess 35 can be placed on the base cup 20 and vice versa. The mechanical engagement portion 30 may span the entire 360 ° around the longitudinal axis, or may span a shorter arc. The plurality of mechanical engaging portions 30 may have different longitudinal positions in series, i.e. different longitudinal positions, or parallel i.e. different radial or peripheral positions, or both. May be used in.

The mechanical engaging portion 30 may be arranged at a position where it does not engage with the side wall of the container 10. This configuration minimizes movement at the attachment point / line due to pressurization / depressurization, drop impact, temperature changes, etc. However, it is not expected that all positions avoiding the side wall 14 will function equally well.

With reference back to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the mechanical engagement portion 30 may be located within the bottom conical portion 40 of the container 10. The bottom cone 40 is defined as a straight cone whose apex 42 is arranged on the longitudinal axis of the container 10, and the axis of the cone is co-located with the longitudinal axis of the container 10. The base of the cone is a circle perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the cross section of the container 10.

The taper of the bottom cone 40 diffuses outward toward the bottom 12 and / or the base cup 20 of the container 10. The angle of the taper can be 45 ° between the longitudinal axis and the side of the cone (90 ° including the angle between the opposite side of the cone), which is 40 °, 35 ° of the taper. Includes °, 30 ° and 25 ° angles.

The apex 42 of the bottom cone 40 is located at the height of the contact point 46 and coincides with the contact point 46, at which the side wall of the container 10 extends or tapers to the bottom 12. The base of the bottom cone 40 coincides with the bottom 22 of the base cup 20 when the base cup 20 is attached to the container 10. If container 10 / bottom 12 has multiple contact points, the top, bottom, or any intermediate contact points may be considered. Considering the bottom contact point provides the benefit that the fitting complexity required to engage the base cup 20 with the bottom 12 of the container 10 can be reduced.

By arranging the mechanical engagement portion 30 within the bottom conical portion 40, the force that holds the container 10 and the base cup 20 together during a drop impact on the base cup 20 and the side wall and base cup of the container 10 It seems that it can cope with both competing forces with the forces that cause the differential radial expansion at the boundary between 20. In the prior art, forces are considered to compete, which means that the mechanical engagement 30 becomes more rigid as the radial expansion occurs, but the force transmitted during the drop impact is transmitted in the radial expansion and disengages. This is to invite.

The mechanical engagement portion 30 can be blow molded integrally with the container 10 having the protrusion 34, and the wall thickness of the protrusion 34 is larger than the wall thickness of the bottom 12 of the container 10. This difference in thickness provides the benefit of dealing with materials that would otherwise be depleted from protrusions 34 during manufacturing.

If desired, the well 70 may be juxtaposed with the bottom 12 of the container 10. The well 70 may internally receive the end of the dip tube. Well 70 will generally hold a certain amount of the contents of the container 10 to be distributed. Such contents may be placed in the well 70 even if the container 10 is tilted at a slight angle from the vertical. By accepting both the end of the dip tube and the contents of the container in the well 70, the contents remaining when the high pressure gas is depleted is reduced, and the distribution is when the container 10 is tilted at an angle. Can continue to.

It should be recognized that the well 70 is a break in the curved bottom 12 and does not simply represent the lowest point of curvature. Instead, the well 70 represents an additional volume that does not exist if the curvature is continuous and uninterrupted. If desired, the well 70 may have a curvature congruent with the bottom portion of the container 10, which is located away from the bottom portion 12.

Again, referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the protrusions 34 and the recess 35 can be snapped together by snap fitting, which allows engagement but later disengagement or separation. Do not. Alternatively, the protrusion 34 and the recess 35 may be detachable by the reverse movement of the process of fitting each other and fitting the complementary engageable portions 32 together.

Either protrusion 34 and / or recess 35 may span 360 °. This configuration provides the benefit of maximally distributing stress throughout the perimeter of the mechanical engagement.

Referring to FIG. 4, alternatively, the protrusion 34 and / or the recess 35 may include three tabs arranged at 120 °, four tabs arranged at 90 °, and the like. This configuration offers the benefit of using less material to form the tabs.

Returning to FIGS. 2A-2B, the recess 35 may include a non-through hole or a through hole, as shown. The non-through holes provide the benefit of preventing debris from entering and being trapped in the bottom 22 of the base cup 20. If container 10 is used in the kitchen like a cleaning agent, the debris may contain food particles that can later rot. Through holes provide the benefit of requiring less material to form the recess 35 and the base cup 20. Also, through-holes appear to be more tolerant if there is some eccentricity in either the base cup 20 or the container 10.

More specifically, with reference to the base cup 20, the recess 35 can be defined by the inner circumference 28 of the base cup 20. The engageable portion 32 of the base cup 20 may extend radially inward from the inner perimeter 28 of the base cup 20. More specifically, the engageable portion 32 may project inwardly in a cantilevered manner from the proximal end at the medial circumference 28, i.e., longitudinally to the distal end away from the proximal end. It may extend toward the axis. The distal end of the engageable portion 32 defines a recess 35 that can be engaged with the engageable portion 32 (eg, protrusion 34, etc.) of the bottom 12 of the container 10.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the engageable portion 32 of the base cup 20 may project like a cantilever from the bottom 22 of the base cup 20. This configuration provides the benefit that the reaction generated by engagement with the container 10 does not interfere with the base cup side wall 24 or move the wall surface. Therefore, the base cup side wall 24 is relatively free of circumferential stresses and other stresses. Due to the relatively low stress, the base cup side wall 24 can have a smoother transition at the interface with the container 10 side wall. The smoother transitions provide the benefit of a more aesthetically pleasing appearance, especially when the container 10 and base cup 20 are labeled.

The engageable portion 32 may extend diagonally inward and upward from the bottom 22 of the base cup 20, as shown. This shape provides the benefit of higher section modulus and thus higher stiffness in the longitudinal direction, especially in the longitudinal compression direction. Alternatively, the engageable portion 32 may extend diagonally inward and upward from the bottom 22 of the base cup 20. This shape is a shorter engageable portion 32 and provides the benefit of using less material to form the engageable portion 32.

The protrusion 34 inserted into the recess 35 can have a longitudinal dimension and a radial dimension orthogonal to that dimension. The radial dimension may be larger than the longitudinal dimension. This offers the benefit of a relatively longitudinally compact structure. Such a structure places the boundary closer to the top 26 of the base cup 20 and the side wall of the container 10 closer to the bottom 22 of the base cup 20, potentially reducing the aesthetic impact of this boundary.

If desired, the base cup 20 may have a modular structure. In the modular structure, the bottom 22 of the base cup 20 may be made of one or more materials different from the base cup side wall 24. This modular structure provides the benefit that the bottom 22 can be formed from cheaper materials, because the bottom 22 is generally invisible during use or while the package is viewed on the shelves. In addition, the bottom 22 may be made of a relatively sturdy material and is suitable for maintaining its engageable portion 32 throughout its expected useful life. The bottom 22 may be provided with protrusions 34 or recesses 35 of various dimensions to complement the corresponding engageable portions 32 of the container 10.

The side wall 24 of the base cup 20 can be made in various colors, textures, dimensions, etc. to provide different aesthetics or to accommodate the bottom 12 of different dimensions of the container 10. The side wall 24 and the bottom 22 of the base 20 can be connected by an adhesive, sonic or ultrasonic welding, friction welding, snap fitting or the like, as is well known in the art.

The base cup 20 may be injection molded. When injection molded, it may be desirable to avoid constant placement of gates used to feed the material during the injection molding process. For example, placing the gate on the disengaged portion 32, in particular the distal end of the engageable portion 32 of the base cup 20, may result in premature cracking of the engageable portion 32. This phenomenon is believed to be due to the differential cooling associated with such gate placement. One or both of the container 10 and / or the base cup 20 may be transparent, translucent or opaque.

Referring to FIG. 4, the base cup 20 may contain a polyolefin material such as polyethylene. Alternatively, the base cup 20 may be made of metal, wood or hard paper.

The base cup 20 may have a matching tab 60. The alignment tab 60 is any member that is placed on the base or acts against the base to exert a force on the mechanical engaging portion 30. The force may be applied radially and / or longitudinally when the container 10 and the base cup 20 are engaged. The matching tab 60 may be elastically or plastically deformable. Such deformations can occur during assembly and during mounting of the container 10 and the base cup 20.

The alignment tab 60 provides a tightly secured fit between the base cup 20 and the bottom 12 of the container 10. The alignment tab 60 applies force between these components to prevent rattling and loose fitting. This offers the benefit that the package is perceived as of higher quality.

If an elastically deformable alignment tab 60 is selected, the alignment tab 60 may have greater flexibility than the walls of the protrusions 34 and recesses 35 that make up the mechanical engagement portion 30. Such flexibility uses a material with higher compliance than the material forming the mechanical engagement portion 30 and / or using a relatively thin wall portion to cross-section such a matching tab 60. It can be provided by reducing the coefficient. Suitable materials for the matching tab 60 include TPE.

The alignment tab 60 may project from the base cup 20, particularly the bottom 22 of the base cup 20, in a cantilever shape. The alignment tab 60 may taper along the axis from the proximal end to the distal end. This taper provides a spring constant that varies in the direction perpendicular to the taper of the entire longitudinal axis, and the spring constant increases as it approaches the proximal end. Such varying spring constants provide the benefit of being able to accommodate differences in mating and alignment.

The longitudinal alignment tab 62 may extend with a vector component parallel to the longitudinal axis. In the degenerate case, the longitudinal alignment tab 62 may be parallel to the longitudinal axis. The radial alignment tab 64 may extend inward along the longitudinal axis. Of course, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the alignment tab 60 may apply force not parallel to the radial or longitudinal direction, but instead to other directions that are oblique to the radial or longitudinal direction. Will.

The proximal end of the alignment tab 60 may be connected to the bottom 22 or side wall 24 of the base cup 20. The distal end of the radial alignment tab 64 can engage with or block any internal corner or annular groove within the protrusion 34, in particular the protrusion 34. This reduces the likelihood that the distal end of the alignment tab 60 will come off during shipping and handling.

The distal end of the longitudinal alignment tab 62 may block the bottom 12 of the container 10. This provides a force perpendicular to the bottom 12 of the container 10 and, in the case of the container 10 having a hemispherical bottom 12, also exerts a force radially inward. When the longitudinal alignment tab 62 (or the radial alignment tab 64) surrounds the mechanical engagement portion 30, equivalent forces facing in the radial direction are applied to assist in maintaining concentricity. Therefore, the alignment tab 60 provides the benefit of being able to handle manufacturing tolerances and inconsistencies between parts.

When the alignment tab 60 is elastically deformable, the alignment tab can act as a spring to apply a relatively constant force to the mechanical engagement portion 30. When the alignment tab 60 is plastically deformed during assembly, the alignment tab fills the inherent gap space within the mechanical engagement 30, reducing the movement that would otherwise occur between the components within the gap space.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the alignment tab 60 may project like a cantilever from a protrusion 34 or from another location on the bottom 12 of the container 10. In this configuration, the distal end of the alignment tab 60 will block the inside of the base cup side wall 24 and / or the bottom 22 of the base cup 20. Further, the alignment tabs 60 may be spaced at equal intervals and / or at different intervals around the longitudinal axis, and may be continuous or discontinuous, i.e. separated. Further, the longitudinal alignment tab 62 and the radial alignment tab 64 may be subjected to equivalent forces, or one may exert a greater or lesser force than the other.

After assembling the base cup 20 to the container 10, either or both of the base cup 20 and / or the container 10 may be decorated with various labels, figures, advertisements, instructions for use and other markings. This decoration can be achieved by printing, adhesively attached labels, shrink wrapping film labels, and the like. If the indicia connects the longitudinal (vertical) dimensions between the container 10 and the base cup 20, the indicia can be placed on the outside of both the container 10 and the base cup 20. This arrangement provides the benefit that the figure can look larger when the package is placed on the product shelves. Alternatively, the indicia may be placed outside the container 10 and stowed inside the base cup 20. This arrangement provides the benefit that the mark is covered by the base if the bottom of the mark is not accurately trimmed. In addition, if it is desired to have a base cup 20 of a particular color, such a base cup 20 will not be covered by the markings.

Container 10 may be used to hold, store and distribute any suitable contents. The contents can be useful as a consumer product or otherwise. For example, the contents can be used as cleaning products, deodorant sprays, disinfectants, topical agents for the skin, furniture polishes and the like. If the contents are used as a polish for furniture on the surface of wood, the container 10 may be made of matt aluminum, or any other material that has the appearance of matte aluminum. Such a container 10 may have a wooden sign on top to indicate the intended use of the interior furniture polish. This combination favorably offers the benefit of a modern container 10 with a wooden sign that looks warm at the top.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numbers listed. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each of these dimensions is intended to mean both the listed values and the functionally equivalent range around those values. For example, the dimensions disclosed as "40 mm" are intended to mean "about 40 mm".

All references cited in "Forms for Carrying Out the Invention" are incorporated herein by reference in the relevant parts, but any reference to any of the references acknowledges that it is prior art to the invention. It should not be interpreted as a thing. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in the literature incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition given to that term in this document applies. Shall be.

Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Let's do it. Therefore, all such changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention shall be treated within the scope of the appended claims.