Container apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730438-B2
Application number	US-201514601210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A container apparatus for exposing an article to an external environment, the apparatus including a sidewall with an interior having an inner surface, the sidewall terminating in a first margin and an opposing second margin. The container apparatus also includes a capsule having an outer periphery and an inner void holding the article, the outer periphery is slidably engaged to the sidewall inner surface, the capsule having a split boundary separating the capsule into a plurality of partial capsule elements. The capsule having a closed state with the partial capsule elements being adjacent at the boundary while slidably engaged to the sidewall with the void separated from the environment and the capsule being able to have an open state without the slidable engagement as the partial capsule elements are separated at the boundary with the void open to the environment, thus exposing the article to the environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container apparatus for exposing an article to an external environment, comprising:
(a) a surrounding sidewall that is about a longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall including a first end portion and an opposing second end portion along said longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, said first end portion terminating in a first open aperture defining a first margin portion and said second end portion terminating in a second open aperture defining a second margin portion, said surrounding sidewall inner surface, said first aperture, and said second aperture defining a sidewall interior of said surrounding sidewall, as differentiated from the external environment outside of said sidewall interior; and
(b) a capsule element having an outer periphery and an inner void disposed within said periphery, wherein said outer periphery is slidably engaged to said surrounding sidewall inner surface such that said capsule element has movement along said longitudinal axis within said sidewall interior, said capsule element having a split boundary separating said capsule element into a plurality of partial capsule elements, said capsule element having a closed state defined as said plurality of partial capsule elements are adjacent to one another at said split boundary with said inner void being a closed volume separated from the external environment and said capsule element having an open state defined as said plurality of partial capsule elements are partially separated apart from one another at said split boundary with said inner void being an open volume exposed to the external environment, wherein when said capsule element has said slidable engagement on said outer periphery to said surrounding sidewall inner surface said capsule element is in said closed state, wherein said capsule element is disposed completely within said surrounding sidewall interior between said first and second end portions when said capsule element is in said closed state, and when said capsule element is not slidably engaged on said outer periphery and clear from said surrounding sidewall inner surface, wherein said capsule element is in the external environment, said capsule element can be in said open state, wherein operationally the article is disposed within said inner void with the article isolated from the external environment when said capsule element is in said closed state and the article being exposed to the external environment when said capsule element is in said open state facilitated by said surrounding sidewall inner surface having been forcibly removed in a direction along said longitudinal axis from said capsule element outer periphery.

2. A container apparatus for exposing the article to the external environment according to claim 1 further comprising an elongated flexible member having a primary end portion and an opposing secondary end portion with a mid-portion positioned therebetween, said elongated flexible member is disposed between said surrounding sidewall inner surface and said capsule element outer periphery with said primary end portion affixed to said surrounding sidewall and said secondary end portion affixed to said capsule element all while said capsule element is in said closed state, wherein operationally when said capsule element is not slidably engaged on said outer periphery and is clear from said surrounding sidewall inner surface, said elongated flexible member acts as a flexible tether as between said surrounding sidewall and said capsule element to create a distance between said surrounding sidewall and said capsule element to enable a larger silhouette being of a combination of said surrounding sidewall, said elongated flexible member, and said capsule element to enhance a potential for entanglement of said container apparatus in a thicket growth.

3. A container apparatus for exposing the article to the external environment according to claim 2 wherein said elongated flexible member is constructed of a planar strip of material that is wound about said capsule outer periphery in a spiral form when said capsule element is in said closed state, to operationally facilitate a longer length of said elongated flexible member thus increasing said distance of said tether to further enhance a potential for entanglement in a thicket growth combination of said surrounding sidewall, said elongated flexible member, and said capsule element.

4. A container apparatus for exposing the article to the external environment according to claim 3 further comprising a cover that is affixed to said first margin portion, wherein said capsule element rests against and is in removable contact with said cover resulting in said surrounding sidewall second aperture remaining open while said capsule element is in said closed state, operationally this is to cause said capsule element to exit said surrounding sidewall therethrough said second aperture from said surrounding sidewall inner surface having been forcibly removed in a direction along said longitudinal axis from said capsule element outer periphery with the purpose being to further ensure that said spiral form of said planar strip of material unwinds said spiral in a more tangle free manner.

5. A container apparatus for exposing the article to the external environment according to claim 4 wherein said cover is formed into a dome shape that projects inwardly toward said sidewall interior wherein said cover is disposed within a portion of said sidewall interior, wherein said cover is affixed to a portion of said surrounding sidewall inner surface, further said planar strip primary end portion is affixed to said cover, thus said cover axially positions said capsule element in said closed state along said longitudinal axis to be within a portion of said surrounding sidewall interior causing an offset of said closed state capsule element axial position along said longitudinal axis while said capsule element is disposed within said surrounding sidewall interior, wherein operationally said capsule element outer periphery is clear from said surrounding sidewall inner surface having been forcibly removed in a direction along said longitudinal axis from said capsule element outer periphery therethrough said surrounding sidewall second aperture via said surrounding sidewall being rotated about a rotational axis that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said rotational axis is also positioned between said first and second end portions, wherein said offset through centrifugal force causes said capsule element to dislodge from said surrounding sidewall un-spiraling said planar strip of material into said tether, wherein said surrounding sidewall and said capsule element separate from one another to help keep said tether substantially taut thus helping to maximize said distance as between said surrounding sidewall and said capsule element to further enhance said potential for entanglement in a thicket growth of said combination of said surrounding sidewall, said tethered planar strip, and said capsule element.

6. A container apparatus for exposing a poisoned bait to an external environment, comprising:
(a) a cylinder that is about a longitudinal axis, said cylinder including a first end portion and an opposing second end portion along said longitudinal axis, said cylinder having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, said first end portion terminating in a first aperture defining a first margin portion and said second end portion terminating in a second aperture defining a second margin portion, said cylinder inner surface, said first aperture, and said second aperture defining a cylinder interior of said cylinder, as differentiated from the external environment outside of said cylinder interior,

Assignees

• Applied Design Corp
• Us Agriculture

Inventors

• Messaros Michael C
• Barfoot Grady E
• Fragoso Jonathan C
• Savarie Peter J
• Pitt William C

Classifications

• A01M25/00

  Devices for dispensing poison for animals (A01M27/00 takes precedence; for insects A01M1/20) · CPC title

• A01M25/006 Primary

  Poison applicators, i.e. mobile devices for disposing poison wherever required, e.g. into holes, burrows, walls or ground · CPC title

• A01M25/002

  Bait holders, i.e. stationary devices for holding poisonous bait at the disposal of the animal · CPC title