Compartmented composite container including a snap-fit separator member

Claim 1

A compartmented composite container, comprising (a) a composite tubular body wall including a fibrous body wall layer and an impervious inner liner layer, the inner cylindrical circumferential surface of said body wall being uniform throughout its length; (b) an end closure member connected to close one end of said body wall; (c) a cylindrical open-ended synthetic plastic cup member arranged concentrically within said body wall with the bottom of said cup member seated on said end closure member, the outer diameter of said cup member corresponding generally with the inner diameter of said tubular body wall, thereby to permit said cup member to be slidably inserted within said tubular body wall, the open top end of said cup member including an upper end surface spaced from the other end of said tubular body wall; (d) a rigid metal separator member closing the upper end of said cup member, whereby said cup member and the space between said separator member and the other end of said tubular body member are adapted to contain first and second products, respectively, separated by said separator member, said separator member including (1) a central circular disk-shaped portion arranged transversely within the open top end portion of said cup member, (2) a cylindrical neck portion which extends longitudinally upwardly through the open upper end of said cup member; and (3) a generally outwardly extending annular flange portion, (4) said flange portion terminating at its outer peripheral edge in a reversely curled portion; and (e) means defining a snap-fit connection between said separator neck portion and the upper end of said cup member, thereby to define a first pair of abutting sealing surfaces for separating the container products; (f) the outer diameter of said separator flange portion corresponding with the inner diameter of the tubular body wall to effect frictional engagement between said flange portion and said body wall inner surface, thereby to define a second pair of abutting sealing surfaces for separating the container products; (g) the reversely curled separator portion being in contiguous engagement with the upper end surface of said cup member, thereby to define a third pair of abutting sealing surfaces for separating the container products.