Container assembly

• US 20080083779A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coromandel International Limited (E.I.D.-Parry (India) Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: EID Parry Limited
• Inventors: Ramasamy, Senrayan, Pillai, Sankarakumara Sivaramakrishna, Saravanane, Radjendirane
• Granted Patent: US 7,938,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/129
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0081 and for mixing the components in a common container as a mixture ready for use before discharging the latter
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/10 Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle

Abstract

A container assembly includes exterior storage recesses or other accommodating spaces or members into which one or more cartridges may be removably inserted for the storage of chemical compounds. In various embodiments, one or more storage containers may contain a liquid and a solid component or a crystalline or powder and a solid component to be mixed in an interior of the container body, for example with water or other liquid, to form an activated compound. That compound or solution may be or include a pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, fuel mixture, cleaner, or other end product. The storage cartridges containing the ingredients may be configured to threadedly engage an outer cap which attaches to an opening in the container body. The outer cap and the threads of the ingredient-storing compartments may be counter threaded, so that when the outer cap is attached to the attachment opening of the container body, the storage compartments detach and drop into the interior of the container, releasing the ingredients for mixture and use. The separation of potentially volatile ingredients improves the shelf life of pesticides and other end product or solutions.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising:

a container having a hollow interior, the container comprising an exterior surface, the exterior surface having formed therein at least one storage recess that is externally accessible and adapted to removably receive at least one cartridge; and

at least one cartridge removable received in the at least one storage recess.

2. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage recess comprises a cylindrical bore.

3. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage recess comprises a plurality of storage recesses.

4. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one cartridge comprises at least one compartment adapted to releasably contain material for release into the interior of the container.

5. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a discharge spout for discharging the contents of the container.

6. The container assembly of claim 5, further comprising a spray nozzle, the spray nozzle adapted to releasably engage the discharge spout.

7. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the container comprises an attachment opening.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the at least one cartridge is adapted to releasably engage the attachment opening after removal from the at least one storage recess.

9. The container assembly of claim 8, wherein the at least one cartridge comprises cartridge threads, the attachment opening comprises opening threads, and the cartridge threads releasably engage the opening threads.

10. A container assembly comprising:

a container having a hollow interior, the container comprising an attachment opening;

at least one cartridge having at least one detachable storage compartment, the at least one cartridge being adapted to releasably engage the attachment opening;

wherein, upon engagement of the at least one cartridge with the attachment opening, the at least one detachable storage compartment detaches from the at least one cartridge into the interior of the container.

11. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one cartridge comprises cartridge threads, the attachment opening comprises opening threads, and the cartridge threads releasably engage the opening threads.

12. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one liquid-containing compartment.

13. The container assembly of claim 12, wherein the liquid-containing compartment releases a liquid into the interior of the container upon the detachment of the at least one detachable storage compartment into the interior of the container.

14. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one solid-containing compartment.

15. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the solid-containing compartment comprises a perforated grill or liquid-permeable layer capable of exposing a solid material contained in the solid-containing compartment to a fluid in the interior of the container.

16. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises a plurality of detachable storage compartments.

17. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment detaches completely from the at least one cartridge upon engagement of the at least one cartridge with the attachment opening.

18. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises a retention member which remains connected to the at least one cartridge upon detachment of the at least one detachable storage compartment from the at least one cartridge.

19. The container assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment contains a material that is activatable against pests.

20. A container assembly comprising:

a container having a hollow interior, the container comprising an attachment opening and a threaded neck surrounding the attachment opening, the threaded neck comprising an outer surface and threads on the outer surface, an inner surface, and at least one catch protruding from the inner surface;

at least one cartridge comprising a cap and at least one detachable storage compartment threadedly engaging the cap, the cap comprising—

an inner surface and threads on the inner surface that releasably engage the threads on the outer surface of the threaded neck, and

a cylindrical protrusion comprising an outer surface and threads on the outer surface of the cylindrical protrusion,

the at least one detachable storage compartment comprising—

an inner surface and threads that releasably engage the threads on the outer surface of the cylindrical protrusion, and

an outer surface comprising at least one outwardly protruding rib that engages the catch;

wherein, upon engagement of the threads on the inner surface of the cap with the threads on the outer surface of the threaded neck, the at least one outwardly protruding rib of the at least one detachable storage compartment catches the catch of the threaded neck, thereby threadedly disengaging the at least one detachable storage compartment from the threads on the outer surface of the cylindrical protrusion of the cap, detaching the at least one detachable storage compartment from the cap of the at least one cartridge.

21. The container assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment detaches from the at least one cartridge and releases into an interior of the container.

22. The container assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment detaches completely from the at least one cartridge upon engagement of the at least one cartridge with the attachment opening.

23. The container assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises a retention member which remains connected to the at least one cartridge upon detachment of the at least one detachable storage compartment from the cap of the at least one cartridge.

24. The container assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one liquid-containing compartment.

25. The container assembly of claim 24, wherein the liquid-containing compartment releases a liquid into the interior of the container upon detachment of the at least one detachable storage compartment into the interior of the container.

26. The container assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one solid-containing compartment.

27. The container assembly of claim 26, wherein the solid-containing compartment comprises a perforated grill or a liquid-permeable layer exposing a solid material contained in the solid-containing compartment to a fluid in the interior of the container.

28. The container assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises a plurality of detachable storage compartments.

29. The container assembly of claim 20, wherein the threads on the inner surface of the cap and the threads on the outer surface of the threaded neck are counter-threaded.

30. The container assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment contains a material that is activatable against pests.

31. A cartridge, comprising:

a connector, the connector being adapted to releasably engage the cartridge with a separate member; and

at least one detachable storage compartment releasably engaged with the connector, the at least one detachable storage compartment being configured to release from the connector upon engagement of the cartridge with the separate member.

32. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the connector comprises a threaded cap.

33. The cartridge of claim 32, wherein the threaded cap comprises a cylindrical threaded protrusion, and the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises a set of threads which releasably engage the cylindrical threaded protrusion.

34. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one liquid-containing compartment.

35. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one crystalline powder filled in the detachable storage compartment.

36. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment comprises at least one solid-containing compartment.

37. The cartridge of claim 36, wherein the solid-containing compartment comprises a perforated grill or liquid-permeable film enclosing a solid material contained in the solid-containing compartment.

38. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the at least one detachable storage compartment contains a material that is activatable against pests.

39. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the separate member comprises a container.

40. The cartridge in claim 31, wherein a material is present and comprises azadirachtin.