Many types of containers have been developed for storing consumer products, perishable foodstuffs, and other manufactured goods in hermetically-sealed volumes that prevent the exchange of air between the inside of the container and ambience. The designs for these containers can vary greatly depending on the nature of the product that is stored, such as its state (solid or liquid), chemical composition, whether or not it is stored under pressure, and the like. In many cases, the walls of the container are configured to provide structural support that defines the shape of the container, puncture protection that maintains its integrity, as well as a barrier that prevents the stored product from escaping and outside air from entering into the sealed volume. Consequently, the inside surface of the container walls are typically wetted by contact with the stored product, which may in turn soil the container walls or otherwise render the entire container unsuitable for recycling.
In addition, the requirement to design the walls of the container for both the structural support/puncture protection functions and the barrier or product containment function may raise the cost of manufacturing the container. For example, a large amount of dual-purpose material may be required to form container walls made from a single material that is both rigid and impervious to the stored product. The expense of coating the internal surfaces of a pervious structural/puncture resistant material with an impervious coating or liner may also increase the number of manufacturing steps. Moreover, in cases where the bottoms and tops of the containers are not integrally formed with the sidewalls, and that may even be made from different materials, the expense of providing a fluid-tight joint at the interface between the different components can further raise the manufacturing costs.
A need therefore exists for a container that is both less expensive to manufacture and that provides enhanced separability of its various components for the segregation of recyclable waste after use It is to the provision of such a container that addresses these and other needs that the present disclosure is primarily directed.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds