Dispensing container for solid air-treating gel

Claim 2

A dispensing container for air-treating gel comprising, a base member in the form of a cup having an open upper end portion and integral base and side walls, said cup including internal guide and support means comprising a plurality of axially elongated and peripherally spaced spring fingers extending upwardly therefrom to positions above the upper end portion of said base; and a closure member For said dispenser comprising an elongated cup having opposed closed and open end portions and a side wall extending therebetween, said cover receiving and slidably engaging said spring fingers through its open end portion in a friction fit with the inner surface of its sidewall engaging said fingers whereby said elongated closure member is adapted to be supported on said spring fingers above the open end of said base member.

Claim 3

The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated cup is tapered slightly from a first cross-sectional dimension at the closed end portion thereof to a slightly larger cross-sectioned dimension at said open end portion.

Claim 4

The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein the sidewall of said base member has a top edge at the upper end portion of the base member and an exterior upwardly facing shoulder located below said top edge about the periphery of said base member; and said side wall of said elongated closure member including a lower edge portion, adjacent the open end portion of the closure member, dimensioned to receive said upper end portion of the base member; said lower edge portion including an edge engaging said upwardly facing shoulder on said base member.

Claim 5

The dispensing container as defined in claim 3 wherein said upper end portion of the base member, above said shoulder and said lower end portion of said closure member are beveled in a complementary interfitting fitting configuration to form a vapor tight seal therebetween.

Claim 6

The dispensing container as defined in claim 3 wherein said elongated closure member has a plurality of convex ribs formed in its side wall opening towards the interior of said closure member, said convex ribs being dimensioned to respectively receive said spring fingers freely therein, whereby said closure member is seated on said shoulder without stressing said spring fingers when said convex ribs are aligned with said fingers and said closure member is supported on said fingers above the open end portion of said base member by the engagement of said spring fingers with the inner surface of the sidewall of the closure member when said closure member is rotated to move said ribs out of alignment with said spring fingers.

Claim 7

The dispensing container as defined in claim 5 wherein said base member and closure member have cooperating keying means for locating said convex ribs in alignment with said spring fingers when said closure member is seated on said base.

Claim 8

The dispensing container as defined in claim 6 wherein said keying means comprises at least one recess formed in the lower edge portion of said closure member and at least one protuberance formed on said shoulder in a configuration complimentary to that of said recess, said recess and protuberance being respectively located to be in mating relation when said fingers are received in said ribs.

Claim 9

The dispensing container as defined in claim 7 wherein said cover member and base member have a plurality of said recesses and protuberances formed therein respectively located in generally axial alignment with said ribs and said fingers.

Claim 10

The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure member has a generally circular raised surface portion at its closed end and said base wall of the base member is generally concave and defines a circular recess opening outwardly of the base member; said base member having a plurality of spaced ribs extending radially inwardly of said recess for frictionally engaging the raised surface portion of a cover member, whereby a plurality of said dispensing containers may be stacked on one another in vertical alignment.

Claim 11

The dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring fingers are spaced inwardly of the upper end portion of said base member and said upper end portion has a plurality of thin webs, respectively associated with said spring fingers, extending radially inwardly therefrom to positions adjacent to but spaced from said spring fingers, whereby said webs serve to break up any ring of gel tending to form about said fingers in said base member.

Claim 12

The dispensing container as defined in claim 3 wherein said lower edge portion of said closure member is laterally offset from the remainder of the tapered sidewall of said closure member to form an enlarged base and said closure member has a relatively smooth transition surface on the interior thereof between said tapered sidewall and said offset lower end portion of the closure member.

Claim 13

A dispensing container for air-treating gel comprising a base in the form of a generally cylindrical cup having an open upper end and integral bottom and side walls, said side wall of the base having a laterally offset annular wall portion at the upper end of the base; and said base having a plurality of axially elongated and circumferentially spaced spring fingers extending upwardly from said sidewall at the interior of said base in spaced relation to said laterally offset annular wall portion to positions above said upper end portion of the base; and a cover for said dispenser comprising an elongated generally cylindrical cup having opposed closed and open end portions and a sidewall extending therebetween tapering from said closed end portion to said open end portion, with said open end portion being slightly larger than said closed end portion and including a laterally offset annular wall portion receiving therein said laterally offset wall portion of the base, said cover being dimensioned to receive and slidably engage said spring fingers with the inner surface of its side wall whereby said cover is supported on said spring fingers above the open end of said base.

Claim 14

A dispensing container for air-treating gel comprising a base in the form of a generally cylindrical cup having an open upper end and integral bottom and side walls, said side wall of the base having a laterally offset annular wall portion at the upper end of the base; and said base having a plurality of axially elongated and circumferentially spaced spring fingers extending upwardly from said sidewall at the interior of said base in spaced relation to said laterally offset annular wall portion to positions above said upper end portion of the base; and a cover for said dispenser comprising an elongated generally cylindrical cup having opposed closed and open end portions and a sidewall extending therebetween tapering from said closed end portion to said open end portion, with said open end portion being slightly larger than said closed end portion and including a laterally offset annular wall portion receiving therein said laterally offset wall portion of the base, said cover being dimensioned to receive and slidably engage said spring fingers with the inner surface of its side wall whereby said cover is supported on said spring fingers above the open end of said base.

Claim 15

The dispensing container as defined in claim 12 including cooperating means at the open ends of said cover and said base for establishing a vapor tight seal therebetween.

Claim 16

The dispensing container as defined in claim 13 wherein said cooperating means comprise annular beveled and interfitting surfaces respectively formed on the interior and exterior of the laterally offset annular wall portions of said cover and base.

Claim 17

The dispensing container as defined in claim 14 wherein said cover includes a free annular bottom edge formed on its laterally offset wall portion and said base includes an annular upwardly facing shoulder formed on the exterior of its laterally offset wall portion, whereby said free bottom edge engages said shoulder when said beveled surfaces are in interfitting relation to completely enclose the gel in said container.

Claim 18

The dispensing container as defined in claim 15 wherein said cover has a plurality of elongated convex circumferentially spaced ribs formed in its side wall opening towards the interior of said cover, said ribs being equal in number to said fingers and spaced from each other a distance equal to the spacing between said fingers thereby to form recesses receiving said fingers freely therein without engaging the fingers whereby said cover is seated on said shoulder to seal the container without stressing said spring fingers when said cover is in a first position wherein the ribs receive the fingers and said cover is supported on said spring fingers above the open end of said base when one of said cover and base members is rotated axially to a second position whereby the spring fingers are moved out of the ribs and into supporting engagement with the tapered inner surface of the cover''s side wall.

Claim 19

The dispensing container as defined in claim 16 wherein said base and cover have cooperating keying means for locating said convex ribs in alignment with said spring fingers when said closure member is seated on said base.

Claim 20

The dispensing container as defined in claim 17 wherein said keying means comprises at least one recess formed in the lower edge portion of said closure member and at least one protuberance formed on said shoulder in a configuration complimentary to that of said recess, said recess and protuberance being respectively located tO be in mating relation when said fingers are received in said ribs.

Claim 21

The dispensing container as defined in claim 12 wherein said laterally offset wall portion of said base has a plurality of thin webs formed thereon respectively associated with said spring fingers and extending radially inwardly therefrom to positions adjacent to but slightly spaced from said spring fingers, whereby said webs serve to break up any ring of gel tending to form about said fingers in the base when liquid air-treating gel is placed in the container for solidification.

Claim 22

The dispensing container as defined in claim 12 wherein said cover has an interior transition surface formed in the interior of the cover between the side wall and said laterally offset annular wall portion, said transition surface extending from said side wall to a first level substantially parallel to and inwardly spaced from said laterally offset annular wall portion and from said first level to a second level located above and outwardly of said first level and at which said transition surface joins said laterally offset annular wall portion, whereby said transition surface forms a peripheral groove in the surface of the gel adjacent the top edge of said base as liquid gel placed in the container solidifies, said groove receiving and containing any liquid air-treating gel produced from the solidified gel in the container while the solidified gel is in use.

Claim 23

The dispensing container as defined in claim 12 wherein said cover has an aperture formed in its closed end and includes a removable and generally circular plug for closing said aperture.

Claim 24

The dispensing container as defined in claim 21 wherein said bottom wall of said base is generally concave and defines a circular recess opening outwardly of said bottom wall; said base having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extending radially inwardly of said recess for engaging the circular plug of the cover of a second container in the base of the container whereby a plurality of said dispensing containers may be stacked on one another in vertical alignment.

Claim 25

The dispensing container as defined in claim 13 including means in said base and integral with said bottom wall for providing surfaces adjacent the bottom wall adapted to form a firm anchorage with the gel.

Claim 26

A dispensing container as defined in claim 13 in which liquid air-treating gel, after having been supplied to the container in liquid form through said aperture, is solidified in the container with the container in a base down position to thereby establish a bond between said base and said solidified gel which supports the same against relative rotation between the base part and the solidified gel while permitting relative rotation and axial movement of the closure part with respect to the solidified gel.