container

Abstract

A container for a plurality of articles, the container comprising: a body; a hollow member fixedly connected to an end of the body; and a cup member movably connected to the hollow member. When the cup member is in an open position, the cup member and the hollow member are spaced apart to define an opening. A slider is movably connected to the cup member. The slider has a spring such that when the slider is moved radially relative to the cup member, the slider moves the articles toward the opening and the spring on the slider deflects. After dispensing, the spring gradually relaxes, resetting the slider.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to containers, and more particularly to containers for multiple soluble articles.

Background Art

[0002] Some personal care products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial cleanser, and hand soap, are available in solid unit dose forms. Such products include soluble films, compressed powders in solids, fibrous structures, porous foams, soluble deformable solids, powders, bars, or pills. Ideally, these products can be formulated to dissolve almost immediately when exposed to liquid water. However, this causes problems related to storing the personal care products, as well as protecting the products through the supply chain and the expected shelf life, since it is generally most convenient to store the personal care products in the locations where they are used (e.g., in a shower, bathtub, or adjacent to a sink). However, these convenient storage locations are generally very wet and / or the products / articles may be accidentally splashed with water before use, dissolving the products and making the personal care products liquid and / or sticky and soiled.

[0003] Currently, soluble unit dose products can be individually packaged. However, this is inconvenient as consumers must open the packaging of each article and dispose of the package before use, and consumers generally do not have a trash can or recycling container in the shower. Alternatively, consumers can store the products away from the shower, bathtub, or sink, but then must remember to bring the articles to the place of use each time they desire to wash.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a container that can hold multiple doses of a dissolvable unit-dose consumer product, allows for convenient and intuitive dispensing of the consumer product, and enables storage of the container in a humid environment such as a shower, bathtub, or sink where the consumer will use the product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A container for multiple articles stacked on top of each other, comprising: a body having a hollow shape and extending along a longitudinal axis, having a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end; a hollow member fixedly connected to the body at the second end; a cup member movably connected to the hollow member, wherein in the open position, the cup member and the bottom member are separated to define an opening communicating with the second open end, and the cup member has a base that defines a closed bottom end of the container; and a slider positioned opposite the opening and having a spring, the slider being movably connected to the cup member such that the slider is radially movable relative to the cup member between a position in which the spring is relaxed and a position in which the spring is bent, wherein in the closed position the opening is closed, and in the open position the movable opening is at least partially exposed to allow the bottom article to be removed from the container from the multiple articles.

[0006] A container for multiple articles stacked on top of each other, comprising: a body having a hollow tubular shape and extending along a longitudinal axis, having a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end; a bottom member fixedly connected to the body at the second open end; and a movable member movably connected to the bottom member, wherein the movable member is movable relative to the bottom member between a closed position and an open position, the movable member defines a movable opening communicating with and passing through the second open end, the movable opening extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the movable opening being closed in the closed position and at least partially exposed in the open position, allowing the bottom article of the multiple articles to be removed from the container, and the movable member defines the closed bottom end of the container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] This specification concludes with claims that specifically point to and clearly assert the subject matter of the present invention, but it is thought that the present invention may be more readily understood from the following description relating to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1A] This is a front perspective view of a container for multiple articles according to a first aspect of the present invention. [Figure 1B] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the container. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a disassembled perspective view of the container. [Figure 3A] Figure 1 is a side perspective view of the hollow component of the container. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A is a bottom perspective view of the hollow member. [Figure 4A] Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of the cup component of the container. [Figure 4B] Figure 4A is a perspective view of the bottom of the cup component. [Figure 5A] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper part of the cam arm of the container. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A is a bottom perspective view of the cam arm. [Figure 5C]It is a cross-sectional view of a cam arm along line 2-2 of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6] It is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a container along line 1-1 of FIG. 1. [Figure 7A] It is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 7B] It is an upper perspective view of the container of FIG. 7A. [Figure 7C] It is a front perspective view of the container of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8A] It is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1 in an intermediate configuration where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 8B] It is an upper perspective view of the container of FIG. 8A. [Figure 9A] It is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1 in an open configuration where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 9B] It is an upper perspective view of the container of FIG. 9A. [Figure 10A] It is a front perspective view of a container for multiple articles according to the second aspect of the present invention. [Figure 10B] It is a bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] It is an exploded perspective view of the container of FIG. 10A. [Figure 12A] It is a cross-sectional view of the container in a different configuration along line 3-3 of FIG. 10A. [Figure 12B] It is a cross-sectional view of the container in a different configuration along line 3-3 of FIG. 10A. [Figure 13A] It is a front perspective view of a container for multiple articles in an open configuration according to the third aspect of the present invention. [Figure 13B] It is a bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 13A. [Figure 13C] It is a front perspective view of the container of FIG. 13A in a closed configuration. [Figure 14] It is an exploded perspective view of the container of FIG. 13A. [Figure 15A] It is a partial front view of the container of FIG. 13A where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 15B]Cross-sectional view of the container taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 15A. [Figure 16A] Cross-sectional view of the container in a different configuration taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 13A. [Figure 16B] Cross-sectional view of the container in a different configuration taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 13A. [Figure 17A] Front perspective views of the container for a plurality of articles in an open configuration and a closed configuration, respectively, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention. [Figure 17B] Front perspective views of the container for a plurality of articles in an open configuration and a closed configuration, respectively, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention. [Figure 18] Exploded perspective view of the container of FIG. 17A. [Figure 19A] Front view of a part of the container of FIG. 17A, with some elements of the container not shown. [Figure 19B] Cross-sectional view of the container taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 19A. [Figure 20] Cross-sectional view of the container taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 17A. [Figure 21A] Front perspective views of the container for a plurality of articles in a closed configuration and an open configuration, respectively, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention. [Figure 21B] Front perspective views of the container for a plurality of articles in a closed configuration and an open configuration, respectively, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention. [Figure 21C] Exploded perspective view of the container of FIG. 21A. [Figure 22A] Cross-sectional views of the container along line 8-8 of FIG. 21A in a closed configuration and an open configuration, respectively. [Figure 22B] Cross-sectional views of the container along line 8-8 of FIG. 21A in a closed configuration and an open configuration, respectively. [Figure 23A] Front perspective views of the container for a plurality of articles in an open configuration and a closed configuration, respectively, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention. [Figure 23B]These are front perspective views of a container for multiple articles in an open configuration and a closed configuration, respectively, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention. [Figure 24] Figure 23A is a disassembled perspective view of the container. [Figure 25A] Figure 23A is a top perspective view of the movable components and slider of the container. [Figure 25B] Figure 25A is a bottom perspective view of the movable member and slider. [Figure 26A] These are front perspective and bottom perspective views of the slider of the container shown in Figure 23A, respectively. [Figure 26B] These are front perspective and bottom perspective views of the slider of the container shown in Figure 23A, respectively. [Figure 27A] These are a front perspective view and a plan view of a portion of the container shown in Figure 23A, where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 27B] These are a front perspective view and a plan view of a portion of the container shown in Figure 23A, where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 28A] These are a front perspective view and a plan view, respectively, of a portion of the container shown in Figure 23A, with a different configuration from Figures 27A and 27B, where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 28B] These are a front perspective view and a plan view, respectively, of a portion of the container shown in Figure 23A, with a different configuration from Figures 27A and 27B, where some elements of the container are not shown. [Figure 29] This is a cross-sectional view of a container having a fixed stake. [Figure 30A] This is a perspective view of the cup member, slider, and hollow member in the closed position. [Figure 30B] This is a perspective view of the slider in the closed position and the open / distribution ready position. [Figure 30C] This is a perspective view of the cup member, slider, and hollow member in the open / distribution ready position. [Figure 30D] This is a perspective view of the cup member, slider, and hollow member located at the bending position / the position where the article is distributed. [Figure 30E]This is a perspective view of the slider at the bending point / the position where the items are distributed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This specification concludes with the "Claims," ​​which specifically point to and clearly assert the present invention, but this disclosure is thought to be better understood from the following description.

[0009] It should be understood that all maximum numerical limits given throughout this specification include all lower numerical limits as if they were explicitly stated herein. All minimum numerical limits given throughout this specification include all higher numerical limits as if they were explicitly stated herein. All numerical ranges given throughout this specification include all narrow numerical ranges that fall within such broad numerical ranges as if they were explicitly stated herein.

[0010] The present invention relates to a container for storing a plurality of arranged articles. The articles may be arranged in a regular, semi-regular / apparently random, or random arrangement. In some embodiments, the articles may be stacked on top of each other. In other embodiments, the articles may be arranged side by side. The plurality of articles may be solid forms of personal care and other consumer products, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, and facial cleanser. The plurality of articles may also be consumer products, such as laundry detergent, fabric softener, fabric conditioner, household cleaner, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. The container may store and dispense the plurality of articles, and in some embodiments, the articles may be stacked directly on top of each other and / or arranged side by side without any intervening material.

[0011] The container comprises a body having a hollow tubular shape and extending along a longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the body may have any hollow shape. For example, it may have a cross-section that can be any shape, including polygons, polygons with rounded corners, circles including ellipses, irregular shapes, etc. The body comprises a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. At least the second end may be open. The container further comprises a hollow member fixedly connected to the body at the second end and defining a first opening that extends at an angle around the longitudinal axis. The container further comprises a cup member rotatably connected to the hollow member so that the cup member may be rotatable relative to the hollow member about the longitudinal axis. The cup member defines a second opening that extends at an angle around the longitudinal axis and passes through the cup member. The cup member comprises a base that defines the closed bottom end of the container and a grooved track facing the second end of the main body. The container further comprises a hollow member and a cam arm that is received within the cup member. The cam arm is movably connected to the hollow member and comprises a projection that movably engages with the grooved track, causing the cam arm to move relative to the hollow member due to the relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member. The main body, the hollow member, and the cup member together contain a plurality of articles inside. The hollow member and the cup member are rotatable relative to each other between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In the open configuration, the first opening and the second opening are at least partially aligned with each other to form a distribution opening. In the closed configuration, the first opening and the second opening are not aligned with each other to close the distribution opening. The cam arm moves between an engagement position corresponding to the closed configuration and a distribution position corresponding to the open configuration due to the relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member. In the engagement position, the cam arm may be configured to engage with the bottom article of a plurality of articles. The cam arm may further be configured to move the bottom article due to relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member, so that, in the distribution position of the cam arm, the bottom article may extend at least partially through the distribution opening and be removable from the container.

[0012] The container may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles stored inside the container and moisture present in the external environment where the container may be placed (e.g., near a shower, sink, or in a damp bathroom). Therefore, the container may reduce or prevent the absorption of external moisture by the multiple articles stored inside the container. Furthermore, the container may enable consumers to store or place the container for storing multiple articles in a damp environment where multiple articles are used, such as a shower, bathtub, or sink.

[0013] In some cases, the body may not contain substantially any plastic and may be made from paper, cardboard, and / or metal foil (e.g., aluminum or steel). Furthermore, the hollow members, cup members, and cam arms may be made of plastic. The relative dimensions and weights of the body, hollow members, cup members, and cam arms may be selected so that the body forms the majority of the container, and the overall plastic content of the container may be lower than that of conventional containers made entirely of plastic. The body may be at least partially covered with packaging material labels and / or coatings to protect it from moisture during use (e.g., splashes, wet hands, etc.).

[0014] In some cases, if the container is placed on a damp surface, a support member may be positioned beneath the base of the cup member to separate the base from moisture (e.g., stagnant water).

[0015] The container may further provide an easy-to-use, intuitive dispensing mechanism for dispensing articles from the bottom of the container. Specifically, relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member in a first direction about the longitudinal axis, from a closed configuration to an open configuration, may move the cam arm from an engagement position to a dispensing position. After removing the articles from the bottom of the container, relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member in a second direction opposite to the first direction, from an open configuration to a closed configuration, may move the cam arm from the dispensing position to an engagement position, and engage with a series of bottom articles from multiple articles. Thus, multiple articles can be easily and conveniently distributed from the container. In some embodiments, the container may be stored horizontally. In other embodiments, articles from the top may be distributed.

[0016] Therefore, opening the container and distributing the articles at the bottom may be achieved in a single action by the consumer. Specifically, a relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member from a closed configuration to an open configuration may simultaneously expose the distribution opening and distribute the articles at the bottom through at least partially the distribution opening. Furthermore, closing the container and starting the container for future distribution of the articles at the bottom may also be achieved in another single action by the consumer. Specifically, a relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member from an open configuration to a closed configuration may close the distribution opening and engage the cam arm with the articles at the bottom for future distribution.

[0017] The container may further include a cap connected to the body at a first end. The cap may be configured to close the first end of the body in order to define the closed upper end of the container. The cap may prevent water from accumulating at the closed upper end of the container. In some cases, the cap may be made of paper and / or aluminum. In such cases, a rigid or flexible plastic covering may be placed at least partially on the cap to protect the cap from moisture (e.g., splashes and water from a showerhead that may be placed near the container).

[0018] The container may further include a follower slidably received within the body and configured to engage with a plurality of articles, thereby allowing the articles to be at least partially received between the follower and the cam arm with respect to the longitudinal axis. The follower may reduce or prevent displacement of the articles if the container tips over. The follower may also provide a moisture sink inside the container. The moisture sink may include an absorbent material (e.g., an absorbent gelling material), a desiccant, etc.

[0019] The hollow member may further include a first connecting portion fixedly connected to the main body and a second connecting portion rotatably connected to the cup member. The second connecting portion may define the first opening as an angled cutout. The hollow member may further include a projection positioned between the first and second connecting portions. The projection may engage with the main body and the cup member, respectively, such that the projection is positioned between the main body and the cup member along the longitudinal axis. Specifically, the projection may engage with the corresponding axial ends of the main body and the cup member so that the cup member does not directly contact or engage with the main body. This may allow the cup member to rotate freely relative to the main body. The cup member may include a raised portion or other structure, which may be made from the main material of the cup member, or from an additional material such as a low jurohardness material that facilitates gripping and rotation of the cup member.

[0020] The hollow member may further comprise a plurality of molded portions disposed on the outer surface of the first connecting portion. The molded portions may engage with the body to fix the body and the hollow member relative to each other in the rotational and / or axial directions. In some embodiments, the member may be permanently joined to the body by means of adhesive, crimping, and / or riveting. In other embodiments, the member may be temporarily joined to the body.

[0021] The hollow member may further comprise angled projections positioned at its ends. The cup member may further define angled slots that movably engage with the angled projections of the hollow member to allow relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member.

[0022] The cup member may further include a portion that can be an annular portion defining a second opening as an angled cutout, and a connecting portion that connects the periphery of the base to that portion. The angled slot may be defined between the periphery of the base, the annular portion, and the connecting portion.

[0023] The cup member may further comprise a lip-shaped portion located at its distal end relative to the base. The hollow member may further comprise a groove inside which at least partially receives the lip-shaped portion of the cup member, such that the lip-shaped portion is rotatable within the groove.

[0024] The hollow member may further include a connecting feature portion extending from the inner surface of the hollow member. The cam arm may further include a connecting element that is at least partially received through the connecting feature portion in order to pivotally connect the cam arm to the connecting feature portion.

[0025] The connecting feature portion may comprise a narrow opening, a shoulder portion positioned adjacent to the narrow opening, and a wider opening adjacent to the shoulder portion and positioned on the opposite side of the narrow opening. The connecting element of the cam arm may comprise a narrow portion that is at least partially pivotably received within the narrow opening, and a wider portion that is at least partially pivotably received within the wider opening and engages with the shoulder portion. The engagement between the wider portion of the connecting element and the shoulder portion of the connecting feature portion may fix the connecting element to the connecting feature portion.

[0026] The cam arm may further comprise a receiving portion configured to receive a bottom article on its behalf, and an engaging portion extending from the receiving portion and inclined relative to the receiving portion. The engaging portion may be configured to engage with the bottom article and move the bottom article toward a distribution opening. A projection may extend from the receiving portion. Specifically, the projection and the engaging portion may extend from the opposing main surface of the receiving portion. Furthermore, the engaging portion may ensure that the bottom article moves toward the distribution opening when the cam arm moves from the engagement position to the distribution position. Specifically, the engaging portion may prevent substantial slippage between the bottom article and the cam arm. Thus, the engaging portion can prevent the bottom article from remaining stationary in the container while the cam arm moves toward the distribution position.

[0027] The cam arm may further include a curved portion extending distally from the engaging portion to the receiving portion. In the engaged position, the curved portion may engage with the inner surface of the hollow member.

[0028] The receiving portion of the cam arm may further define a V-shaped notch spaced apart from the engaging portion. In some cases, the V-shaped notch may act as a rotation stop for the cam arm by selectively engaging with the connecting element. The V-shaped notch may allow the cam arm to rotate freely around the connecting feature without interference. Furthermore, (if the cam arm is made of plastic) the V-shaped notch may further reduce the plastic content of the container.

[0029] The grooved track may extend from a first groove end to a second groove end. In the engagement position, the projection of the cam arm may engage with the first groove end of the grooved track. In the distribution position, the projection of the cam arm may engage with the second groove end of the grooved track. The engagement between the projection and the first groove end may act as a first stop corresponding to the engagement position. Similarly, the engagement between the projection and the second groove end may act as a second stop corresponding to the distribution position.

[0030] The base may comprise a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface. A grooved track may extend from the first main surface. A cam arm may be at least partially positioned on the first main surface and may move along the first main surface between an engagement position and a distribution position. In some cases, the cam arm may move substantially along the plane of the first main surface of the base.

[0031] The base may further comprise a continuous side wall extending from a first main surface beyond a second main surface, and a bottom wall connected to the continuous side wall and distal to the first main surface. The continuous side wall and the bottom wall may define a grooved track between them. The continuous side wall may have a suitable height to facilitate secure engagement between the projection and the grooved track.

[0032] The base may further comprise a plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions extending from a second main surface, and a lip-shaped portion extending from the second main surface and surrounding the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions. The lip-shaped portions may be connected to at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions. At least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions may define a plurality of hexagonal shapes. At least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions may be connected to a continuous side wall. The lip-shaped portions and interconnected lip-shaped portions may provide further rigidity to the cup member. Furthermore, the lip-shaped portions and interconnected lip-shaped portions may minimize contact between the base and any moisture (e.g., stagnant water) that may be present on the external surface on which the container is placed. In some cases, additional support members may be placed on the lip-shaped portions to further minimize contact between the base and any moisture present on the external surface.

[0033] Figures 1A and 1B show a front perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view, respectively, of a container 100 for a plurality of arranged articles 10 stacked on top of each other, according to a first aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the container 100.

[0034] The articles 10 may be solid consumer products. In particular, the articles 10 may be solid personal care articles, including but not limited to shampoos, conditioners, body washes, facial cleansers, and hand soaps. For example, the articles 10 may be fibrous or porous foam structures that become liquid shampoos, liquid conditioners, liquid body washes, liquid facial cleansers, and / or liquid hand washes when hydrated, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publications 2018 / 0333339, 2019 / 0282461, and 2020 / 0405587. In some cases, the articles 10 may be unit-dose solid products. Depending on the application requirements, the articles 10 may have any preferred shape, such as circular, triangular, rectangular, polygonal, or hexagonal. The articles may be molded in a manner similar to the cross-section of a dispenser. The articles 10 stacked on top of each other include the bottom article 10A. The bottom item 10A may be the lowest item among a group of items 10.

[0035] Referring to Figures 1A, 1B, and 2, the container 100 comprises a body 110. The body 110 has a hollow shape. In some embodiments, the hollow shape may be tubular and / or have an annular cross-section. In other embodiments, the hollow shape may have a cross-section that is circular including an ellipse, rectangular including a square, hexagonal, another polygon, convex, concave, teardrop, flower, star, or any other preferred shape. The hollow tubular shape may allow the body 110 to accommodate some of a plurality of articles 10 inside it. As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2, the body 110 may have a hollow cylindrical shape.

[0036] The body 110 comprises a first end 112 and a second end 114 opposite the first end 112. In other words, the second end 114 is on the opposite side of the first end 112. The body 110 extends along the longitudinal axis 111. Specifically, the body 110 may extend along the longitudinal axis 111 between the first end 112 and the second end 114. At least the second end 114 may be open. In other words, the body 110 is open at its second end 114.

[0037] The first end 112 may be closed. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the container 100 may further include a cap 180 connected to the body 110 at the first end 112. The cap 180 may be configured to close the first end 112 of the body 110 in order to define a closed upper end 102 of the container 100. The cap 180 may prevent water from accumulating on the closed upper end 102 of the container 100 by, for example, having a curved concave shape. In other words, the cap 180 can prevent water from accumulating on the closed upper end 102 of the container 100. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the body 110 may have an upper portion integrated with the body 110 in order to close the first end 112 and define a closed upper end 102 of the container 100. In other words, the body 110 may be closed beforehand. For example, the main body 110 may be similar to a cup or can (e.g., an aluminum can) having an upper part that closes the first end 112 and defines the closed upper end 102 of the container 100. The upper part may be configured, similar to the cap 180 described above, to prevent water from accumulating on the closed upper end 102 of the container 100.

[0038] The container 100 further comprises a hollow member 120 (clearly shown in Figure 2). The hollow member 120 can be at least partially received within the main body 110. In other words, at least a portion of the hollow member 120 may be received within the main body 110. The hollow member 120 may be fixedly connected to the main body 110 at a second end 114. The hollow member 120 does not have to be movable relative to the main body 110. Specifically, the hollow member 120 does not have to move linearly and / or rotationally relative to the main body 110. Therefore, the hollow member 120 may rotate with the main body 110. The hollow member 120 defines a first opening 121 (shown in Figure 2) through which it extends at an angle about a longitudinal axis 111.

[0039] The container 100 further comprises a cup member 140 rotatably connected to the hollow member 120 so that the cup member 140 may be rotatable relative to the hollow member 120 about a longitudinal axis 111. The cup member 140 defines a second opening 141 (shown in Figure 2) through which it extends at an angle about the longitudinal axis 111.

[0040] The second opening 141 of the cup member 140 may be substantially similar in shape and dimensions to the first opening 121 of the hollow member 120, thereby defining a distribution opening 106 when the second opening 141 and the first opening 121 are at least partially aligned. In other words, the cup member 140 and / or the hollow member 120 may be rotated relative to each other about the longitudinal axis 111 such that the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 are at least partially aligned with each other to define a distribution opening 106. The distribution opening 106 defined by the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 may have a suitable shape and dimensions that allow at least one article from a plurality of articles 10 (e.g., the bottom article 10A) to be distributed.

[0041] The cup member 140 includes a base 142. The base 142 defines the closed bottom end 104 of the container 100. The closed bottom end 104 may be on the opposite side of the closed top end 102 of the container 100. The base 142 further defines a grooved track 145 facing the second end 114 of the main body 110.

[0042] The container 100 further comprises a cam arm 160 that is received within a hollow member 120 and a cup member 140. The cam arm 160 may be movably connected to the hollow member 120. For example, the cam arm 160 may be pivotally connected to the hollow member 120. The cam arm 160 includes a projection 162 (shown in Figure 2) movably engaged with a grooved track 145 such that the cam arm 160 moves relative to the hollow member 120 due to the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140. Specifically, the projection 162 movably engaged with the grooved track 145 causes the cam arm 160 to move relative to the hollow member 120 due to the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140. In other words, the projection 162 may be configured to move along the grooved track 145 and cause the cam arm 160 to move relative to the hollow member 120 due to the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140.

[0043] The relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 can be achieved in any preferred way. For example, the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 can be achieved by rotating the body 110 relative to the cup member 140 (since the hollow member 120 can be fixedly connected to the body 110), by rotating the cup member 140 relative to the body 110, or by rotating the body 110 and the cup member 140 in opposite directions.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1B, the main body 110, the hollow member 120, and the cup member 140 all contain a plurality of articles 10 inside. As described above, some of the plurality of articles 10 may be contained in the main body 110. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of articles 10 may be received in the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140. As described above, the plurality of articles 10 may include a bottom article 10A. The container 100 may be configured to distribute at least the bottom article 10A through a distribution opening 106 (shown in Figure 1). In some cases, the container 100 may be configured to sequentially distribute the bottom articles from a stack of the plurality of articles 10 through the distribution opening 106.

[0045] The container 100 may further include a follower 185. The follower 185 may be slidably received within the body 110. Specifically, the follower 185 may be slidably engaged with the inner surface of the body 110. The follower 185 may be configured to engage with a plurality of articles 10 such that the articles 10 can be at least partially received between the follower 185 and the cam arm 160 with respect to the longitudinal axis 111. The follower 185 may have a section that slidably engages with the body 110 and a base located at the end of the section. The base of the follower 185 may engage with an upper article 10B from the plurality of articles 10. The upper article 10B may be the topmost article of a plurality of articles 10 stacked on top of each other. The follower 185 may be configured to slide along the longitudinal axis 111 in order to maintain engagement with the plurality of articles 10. Advantageously, the follower 185 may reduce or prevent displacement of the multiple articles 10 in the event that the container 100 tips over. In other words, the follower 185 may maintain the multiple articles 10 in an aligned stack in the event that the container 100 tips over.

[0046] The main body 110 may be configured to provide the container 100 with compression resistance and moisture resistance. In other words, the main body 110 may protect the multiple articles 10 from compression (for example, by external forces the container 100 is subjected to during transport or use), and may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 100 and moisture present in the external environment (for example, a shower) in which the container 100 is placed. Thus, the container 100 may reduce or prevent external moisture from being absorbed by the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 100.

[0047] The body 110 may be made primarily of paper material and may not contain any plastic. Specifically, the body 110 may contain 0% to 5% by weight of plastic. The body 110 made of paper material may include a barrier material to protect the body 110 from, for example, moisture, grease / oil, oxygen, etc. The barrier material may be a coating (applied before or after paper formation) or an additional structural layer such as a film or aluminum foil. An example of a barrier material is VaporCoat® 2200R, commercially available from Michelman® Incorporated (Cincinnati, Ohio). However, the barrier material may include any other printed, sprayed, or laminated barrier material.

[0048] In some embodiments, the paper material of the body 110 may be wound spirally. That is, the paper material may include an inner layer, an outer layer, and one or more internal layers positioned between the inner and outer layers. Furthermore, each of the inner layer, one or more internal layers, and outer layer may be wound around a mandrel. Each of the internal layers, outer layer, and one or more internal layers may be coated with a barrier material. In one embodiment, the internal layer may be coated with a layer of aluminum foil. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the outer layer may be coated with VaporCoat® 2200R. Alternatively, the body 110 may be constructed from carton board, which is generally formed in a cylindrical shape and may have a barrier material for its protection.

[0049] The cap 180 may be made of plastic, for example, by injection molding. Alternatively, the cap 180 may be made from formed pulp, with a barrier material applied to the formed pulp. As an alternative, the cap 180 may be made from metal (e.g., aluminum).

[0050] The follower 185 may be made primarily from paper material. Furthermore, the follower 185 may provide a moisture sink inside the container 100. In other words, the follower 185 may absorb moisture that could enter the container 100 from the external environment.

[0051] Each of the hollow member 120, cup member 140, and cam arm 160 may be made of plastic. Alternatively, each of the hollow member 120, cup member 140, and cam arm 160 may be made from injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. In some embodiments, each of the hollow member 120, cup member 140, and cam arm 160 may be made from aluminum.

[0052] Furthermore, the container 100 may be substantially made of paper and / or aluminum. In some embodiments, the container 100 may contain less plastic than a current liquid shampoo bottle. In some embodiments, the container 100 may contain less than 60% plastic, less than 55% plastic, or less than 50% plastic.

[0053] Figures 3A and 3B show a side perspective view and a bottom perspective view of the hollow member 120, respectively. The hollow member 120 may include a first connecting portion 122 and a second connecting portion 124. The hollow member 120 may further include a projection 123 positioned between the first connecting portion 122 and the second connecting portion 124.

[0054] Referring to Figures 2, 3A, and 3B, the first connecting portion 122 may be fixedly connected to the main body 110. Specifically, the first connecting portion 122 may be fixedly connected to the main body 110 at its second end 114. The first connecting portion 122 may be at least partially received within the main body 110 at its second end 114 in order to fixly connect the hollow member 120 to the main body 110. In some cases, the first connecting portion 122 may be configured to form an interference fit with the main body 110 at its second end 114.

[0055] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the hollow member 120 may further comprise a plurality of molded portions 125 disposed on the outer surface 126 of the first connecting portion 122. In other words, the first connecting portion 122 may comprise a plurality of molded portions 125. In some embodiments, the plurality of molded portions 125 may be tapered. Furthermore, the molded portions 125 may be tapered from the protrusion 123. The plurality of molded portions 125 can facilitate the formation of an interference fit between the first connecting portion 122 and the main body 110 in order to permanently connect the hollow member 120 to the main body 110. Specifically, the molded portions 125 may engage with the main body 110 to fix the main body 110 and the hollow member 120 relative to each other in the rotational and / or axial directions.

[0056] The second connecting portion 124 may define the first opening 121 (also shown in Figure 2) as an angled cutout. The second connecting portion 124 may also be rotatably connected to the cup member 140. In other words, the cup member 140 is rotatable around the second connecting portion 124. Specifically, the hollow member 120 may further include a groove 130. The groove 130 may be located on the second connecting portion 124 adjacent to the projection 123. The groove 130 may be configured to at least partially receive a portion of the cup member 140 inside it, so that the cup member 140 may be rotatable relative to the hollow member 120.

[0057] The hollow member 120 may further include an angled projection 127 located at the end 128 of the hollow member 120. The end 128 may be distal to the first connecting portion 122. The angled projection 127 may movably engage with a portion of the cup member 140 to allow relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140.

[0058] As shown in Figure 3B, the hollow member 120 may further include a connecting feature portion 132. The connecting feature portion 132 may extend from the inner surface 129 of the hollow member 120. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3B, the connecting feature portion 132 may extend from the inner surface 129 or may be located near the end portion 128 of the hollow member 120. The cam arm 160 may be pivotably connected to the hollow member 120 via the connecting feature portion 132.

[0059] The connecting feature section 132 may include a narrow opening 134, a shoulder section 135 positioned adjacent to the narrow opening 134, and a wide opening 136 positioned adjacent to the shoulder section 135 and on the opposite side of the narrow opening 134. The narrow opening 134 may have a narrow width 134W, and the wide opening 136 may have a wide width 136W. In some embodiments, the wide width 136W may be about 1.1 to about 3 times larger than the narrow width 134W. In some embodiments, the wide width 136W may be about 2 times larger than the narrow width 134W. The narrow opening 134, the shoulder section 135, and the wide opening 136 may be configured to receive a portion of the cam arm 160 and pivotably connect the cam arm 160 to the connecting feature section 132.

[0060] Figures 4A and 4B show an upper and lower perspective view of the cup member 140, respectively. As described above, the cup member 140 includes a base 142. Furthermore, the base 142 defines a grooved track 145. The base 142 may further include a peripheral edge 142E.

[0061] The base 142 may further comprise a first main surface 144 and a second main surface 146 opposite to the first main surface 144. The grooved track 145 may extend from the first main surface 144. Furthermore, the grooved track 145 may extend from a first groove end 145A to a second groove end 145B.

[0062] Referring to Figures 3A to 4B, the cup member 140 may have a lip-shaped portion 143 located at the distal end 156 relative to the base 142. The groove 130 (shown in Figures 3A and 3B) may at least partially receive the lip-shaped portion 143 of the cup member 140 inside so that the lip-shaped portion 143 may be rotatable relative to the groove 130. As a result, the cup member 140 may be rotatable around the hollow member 120.

[0063] The base 142 may further comprise continuous side walls 147 and a bottom wall 148. The continuous side walls 147 may extend from the first main surface 144 beyond the second main surface 146. The bottom wall 148 may be connected to the continuous side walls 147 or be distal to the first main surface 144. The continuous side walls 147 and the bottom wall 148 may define a grooved track 145 between them. The continuous side walls 147 may have a continuous curved shape and may define a first groove end 145A and a second groove end 145B of the grooved track 145.

[0064] As shown in Figure 4B, the base 142 may further comprise a lip-shaped portion 149 extending from the second main surface 146. The base 142 may further comprise a plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions 150 extending from the second main surface 146. The lip-shaped portion 149 may surround the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions 150. The lip-shaped portion 149 may be connected to at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions 150. At least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions 150 may be connected to a continuous side wall 147. Furthermore, at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions 150 may define a plurality of hexagonal shapes 153. Alternatively, at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions 150 may define a plurality of other shapes, including but not limited to circular shapes, triangular shapes, rectangular shapes, and any suitable polygonal shapes.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4B, the cup member 140 may further comprise a portion 152 which may be an annular portion and a connecting portion 154. The portion 152 may define the second opening 141 as an angled cutout. Furthermore, the connecting portion 154 may connect the peripheral edge 142E of the base portion 142 and the portion 152.

[0066] The cup member 140 may further define an angled slot 151 that movably engages with an angled projection 127 (shown in Figures 3A and 3B) of the hollow member 120, in order to allow relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140. In some embodiments, the angled slot 151 may be defined between the peripheral edge 142E, portion 152, and connecting portion 154 of the base 142.

[0067] Figures 5A and 5B show the upper and lower perspective views of the cam arm 160, respectively. Figure 5C shows a cross-sectional view of the cam arm 160 along line 2-2 in Figure 5A.

[0068] Referring to Figures 1A, 1B, and 3A to 5C, the cam arm 160 may include a receiving portion 163 and an engaging portion 164. The receiving portion 163 may comprise a first main surface 165 and a second main surface 166 opposite to the first main surface 165. The receiving portion 163 may be configured to receive a bottom article 10A (shown in Figure 1B) on it. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5A, the receiving portion 163 may be configured to receive the bottom article 10A on its first main surface 165. The receiving portion 163 of the cam arm 160 may further define a V-shaped notch 167 spaced apart from the engaging portion 164. In some cases, the V-shaped notch 167 may act as a rotation stop for the cam arm 160. The V-shaped notch 167 may allow the cam arm 160 to rotate freely around the connecting feature 132 (shown in Figure 3B) without interference. Furthermore, (if the cam arm 160 is made of plastic) the V-shaped notch 167 may further reduce the plastic content of the container 100.

[0069] As described above, the cam arm 160 includes a projection 162. The projection 162 may extend from the receiving portion 163. Specifically, the projection 162 may extend from the second main surface 166 of the receiving portion 163. The projection 162 may be designed to engage with the continuous side wall 147 (shown in Figure 4A) of the grooved track 145 and move along the grooved track 145 during relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 (for example, the projection 162 may have an appropriate width). As shown in Figure 5B, the projection 162 may have a substantially cylindrical shape. However, the projection 162 may have any preferred shape and dimensions based on the cross-sectional shape and dimensions of the grooved track 145.

[0070] The engaging portion 164 may extend from the receiving portion 163. Specifically, the engaging portion 164 may extend from the first main surface 165 of the receiving portion 163. The engaging portion 164 may also be inclined with respect to the receiving portion 163. As shown in Figure 5C, the engaging portion 164 may define an angle θ with respect to the first main surface 165 of the receiving portion 163. In some embodiments, the angle θ may be about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees. In some embodiments, the engaging portion 164 may be substantially perpendicular to the receiving portion 163, i.e., the angle θ may be about 90 degrees.

[0071] The engaging portion 164 may be configured to engage with the bottom article 10A (shown in Figure 1B) and move the bottom article 10A toward the distribution opening 106 (shown in Figure 1A). For example, the engaging portion 164 may be configured to move only the bottom article 10A toward the distribution opening 106. While the engaging portion 164 moves the bottom article 10A, the next article 10 from a plurality of articles 10 positioned above the bottom article 10A may come into contact with the top of the engaging portion 164. In some use cases, the engaging portion 164 may be configured to move two, three, four, or five of the plurality of articles 10 toward the distribution opening 106.

[0072] Referring to Figures 3A to 5C, the cam arm 160 may further include a curved portion 168 extending distally from the engaging portion 164 to the receiving portion 163. The curved portion 168 may engage with the inner surface 129 (shown in Figure 3B) of the hollow member 120.

[0073] The cam arm 160 may further comprise a connecting element 170. The connecting element 170 may be received at least partially through the connecting feature 132 (shown in Figure 3B) to pivotably connect the cam arm 160 to the connecting feature 132. In other words, the cam arm 160 can pivot around the connecting feature 132 if the connecting element 170 is received at least partially through the connecting feature 132. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the connecting element 170 of the cam arm 160 may include a narrow portion 172 and a wide portion 174. The connecting element 170 will be described further below with reference to Figure 6.

[0074] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of container 100 along line 1-1 in Figure 1.

[0075] As described above, the connecting element 170 may be received at least partially through the connecting feature portion 132 of the hollow member 120 in order to pivotably connect the cam arm 160 to the connecting feature portion 132. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the narrow portion 172 may be pivotably received at least partially within the narrow opening 134. The wide portion 174 may be pivotably received at least partially within the wide opening 136. Furthermore, the wide portion 174 may engage with the shoulder portion 135. In other words, the cam arm 160 may be pivotably connected to the connecting feature portion 132 via the pivotal connection of the narrow portion 172 to the narrow opening 134 and the pivotal connection of the wide portion 174 to the wide opening 136. Furthermore, the cam arm 160 may be at least partially positioned on the first main surface 144 and may move along the first main surface 144. The engagement between the broad portion 174 of the connecting element 170 and the shoulder portion 135 of the connecting feature portion 132 may ensure that the cam arm 160 is positioned on the first main surface 144 of the base portion 142 and moves along it.

[0076] Furthermore, the protrusion 123 may engage with the main body 110 and the cup member 140, respectively, so that the protrusion 123 can be positioned between the main body 110 and the cup member 140 along the longitudinal axis 111.

[0077] The first connecting portion 122 may be fixedly connected to the main body 110. Specifically, the molded portion 125 may engage with the main body 110 to fix the main body 110 and the hollow member 120 relative to each other in the rotational and / or axial directions.

[0078] The second connecting portion 124 may be rotatably connected to the cup member 140. Specifically, the groove 130 may at least partially receive the lip-shaped portion 143 of the cup member 140 inside so that the lip-shaped portion 143 may be rotatable relative to the groove 130. The lip-shaped portion 143 of the cup member 140 may engage with the groove 130 of the hollow member 120 so that the cup member 140 may be rotatable relative to the hollow member 120. Furthermore, the angled slot 151 may movably engage with the angled projection 127 of the hollow member 120 to allow relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140.

[0079] Figures 7A to 9B show the container 100 in different configurations of the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140. Some elements of the container 100, including the main body 110, are not shown in Figures 7A to 9B for illustrative purposes. Furthermore, some of the articles 10 are shown by dashed lines in Figures 7A, 7B, and 8A to 9B. Some of the articles 10 are not shown in Figure 7C.

[0080] Specifically, Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C show a plan view, a plan perspective view, and a front perspective view of the container 100 in a closed configuration 190 of the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140, respectively. Furthermore, Figures 8A and 8B show a plan view and a plan perspective view of the container 100 in an intermediate configuration 191 of the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140, respectively. Furthermore, Figures 9A and 9B show a plan view and a plan perspective view of the container 100 in an open configuration 192 of the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140, respectively. For illustrative purposes, the grooved track 145 of the cup member 140 and the projection 162 of the cam arm 160 are shown by dashed lines in Figures 7A, 8A, and 9A.

[0081] For illustrative purposes, the cup member 140 may be rotated relative to the hollow member 120 in Figures 7A to 9B. Therefore, the rotation directions described below correspond to the rotation of the cup member 140 relative to the hollow member 120. Alternatively, the hollow member 120 may be rotated relative to the cup member 140. The hollow member 120 may also be rotated relative to the cup member 140 by rotating the main body 110 (shown in Figure 1) relative to the cup member 140. Furthermore, the cup member 140 and the hollow member 120 may be rotated in opposite directions. Note that the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 to achieve the open configuration 192 is opposite to the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 to achieve the closed configuration 190.

[0082] The hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 are rotatable relative to each other between an open configuration 192 (shown in Figures 9A and 9B) and a closed configuration 190 (shown in Figures 7A to 7C). Therefore, the cam arm 160 moves between an engagement position 195 (shown in Figure 7A) corresponding to the closed configuration 190 and a distribution position 197 (shown in Figures 9A and 9B) corresponding to the open configuration 192, due to the relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140.

[0083] Referring to Figures 7A to 7C, in the closed configuration 190, the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 are not aligned with each other in order to close the distribution opening 106 (shown in Figure 1) (as shown in Figure 7C). Furthermore, in the closed configuration 190, the cam arm 160 may be in the engagement position 195.

[0084] Specifically, in the closed configuration 190, the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 may be completely offset from each other with a 0-degree overlap. For example, in the closed configuration 190, the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 may be offset from each other at an angle of approximately 180 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis 111 (shown in Figure 1).

[0085] As shown in Figure 7B, at the engagement position 195, the cam arm 160 may be configured to engage with the bottom article 10A from a plurality of articles 10. Furthermore, at the engagement position 195, the curved portion 168 may engage with the inner surface 129 of the hollow member 120. Furthermore, at the engagement position 195, the projection 162 of the cam arm 160 may engage with the first groove end 145A (shown in Figure 7A) of the grooved track 145. The bottom article 10A is received on the receiving portion 163 of the cam arm 160.

[0086] The cup member 140 may be rotated relative to the hollow member 120 in a first direction D1 (also shown in Figure 1) about the longitudinal axis 111. When the cup member 140 is rotated relative to the hollow member 120 in the first direction D1, the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 can achieve an intermediate configuration 191 (shown in Figures 8A and 8B).

[0087] Referring to Figures 8A and 8B, in the intermediate configuration 191, the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 are at least partially aligned. As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, in some cases, the curved portion 168 of the cam arm 160 may engage with the inner surface 129 of the hollow member 120 in the intermediate configuration 191. In some other cases, the curved portion 168 of the cam arm 160 may not engage with the inner surface 129 of the hollow member 120 in the intermediate configuration 191. In the intermediate configuration 191, the projection 162 of the cam arm 160 may engage with the grooved track 145 between the first groove end 145A and the second groove end 145B of the grooved track 145.

[0088] The cup member 140 may be rotated relative to the hollow member 120 in a second direction D2 (also shown in Figure 1) opposite to the first direction D1 from the intermediate form 191, thereby achieving the closed form 190 as shown in Figures 7A to 7C and described above.

[0089] The cup member 140 may be further rotated relative to the hollow member 120 in the first direction D1 from the intermediate configuration 191. When the cup member 140 is further rotated relative to the hollow member 120 in the first direction D1, the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 can achieve an open configuration 192 (shown in Figures 9A and 9B).

[0090] Although the bottom article 10A and the article 10 above the bottom article 10A are shown substantially aligned in Figures 8A and 8B, the bottom article 10A may extend outward relative to the upper article 10 based on the intermediate configuration 191.

[0091] Referring to Figures 9A and 9B, in the open configuration 192, the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 are at least partially aligned with each other to define the distribution opening 106. In the open configuration 192, the degree of alignment between the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 may be at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or at least 95%. In some cases, the first opening 121 and the second opening 141 may be perfectly aligned with each other (i.e., 100% aligned) in the open configuration 192. Furthermore, in the open configuration 192, the cam arm 160 may be in the distribution position 197.

[0092] The cam arm 160 may be further configured to move the bottom article 10A due to relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140, so that at the distribution position 197 of the cam arm 160, the bottom article 10A extends at least partially through the distribution opening 106 and can be removed from the container 100. That is, the cam arm 160 moves the bottom article 10 so that the bottom article 10 can be removed from the container 100, at least partially through the distribution opening 106. Specifically, at the distribution position 197 of the cam arm 160, the bottom article 10A extends at least partially through the distribution opening 106, making it easier to manually remove the bottom article 10A from the container 100.

[0093] Therefore, as the cam arm 160 moves from the engagement position 195 to the distribution position 197, the bottom article 10A may extend outward relative to the uppermost article 10 at the distribution position 197 of the cam arm 160. The engagement portion 164 of the cam arm 160 may engage with the bottom article 10A during the movement of the cam arm 160 from the engagement position 195 to the distribution position 197, pushing the bottom article 10A toward the distribution opening 106. Furthermore, at the distribution position 197, the projection 162 of the cam arm 160 may engage with the second groove end 145B of the grooved track 145.

[0094] Relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 in a first direction D1 about the longitudinal axis 111, from a closed configuration 190 to an open configuration 193, may move the cam arm 160 from the engagement position 195 to the distribution position 197. After removing the bottom article 10A from the container 100, relative rotation between the hollow member 120 and the cup member 140 in a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1, from an open configuration 192 to a closed configuration 190, may move the cam arm 160 from the distribution position 197 to the engagement position 195, and engage with a continuous bottom article 10 from a plurality of articles 10 (i.e., an article 10 above the bottom article 10A). Thus, the continuous bottom article 10 can become the bottom article 10A after the bottom article 10A has been removed from the container 100. The consecutive bottom articles 10 may be received on the receiving portion 163 of the cam arm 160, or they may be engaged with the engaging portion 164 of the cam arm 160. In this way, the container 100 may enable the sequential distribution of consecutive bottom articles 10A from a stack of multiple articles 10. Thus, the container 100 may provide an easy-to-use distribution mechanism for distributing bottom articles 10A from the container 100.

[0095] Figures 10A and 10B show a front perspective view and a bottom perspective view of a container 200 for a plurality of arranged articles 10 (shown in Figures 12A and 12B) according to a second aspect of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, Figure 11 shows an exploded perspective view of the container 200.

[0096] Referring to Figures 10A, 10B, and 11, the container 200 comprises a body 210 having a hollow tubular shape. The hollow tubular shape may allow the body 210 to accommodate at least some of a plurality of articles 10 (shown in Figures 12A and 12B) inside.

[0097] The main body 210 comprises a first open end 212 and a second open end 214 facing the first open end 212. In other words, the second open end 214 may be on the opposite side of the first open end 212. The main body 210 extends along the longitudinal axis 211. Specifically, the main body 210 may extend along the longitudinal axis 211 between the first open end 212 and the second open end 214.

[0098] The container 200 further comprises an upper member 220. The upper member 220 may be at least partially received within the main body 210. In other words, at least a portion of the upper member 220 may be received within the main body 210. The upper member 220 may be fixedly connected to the main body 210 at a first open end 212. Furthermore, the upper member 220 defines an upper opening 221 that communicates with the first open end 212.

[0099] The upper opening 221 is configured to be selectively opened and closed. For example, the container 200 may further include a cap 230 for selectively opening and closing the upper opening 221. As shown in Figure 10A, the cap 230 is removed from or may be removed from the body 210 to selectively open the first open end 212 of the upper member 220 and the upper opening 221. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10B, the cap 230 may be removably connected to the body 210 and configured to selectively close the first open end 212 of the upper member 220 and the upper opening 221. The cap 230 may define the closed upper end 202 of the container 200.

[0100] The upper member 220 may include a portion 222 which may be an annular portion fixedly connected to the first open end 212 of the main body 210. The portion 222 may define an upper opening 221 aligned with the first open end 212. The upper member 220 may further include an engaging portion 224 connected to the portion 222. In some embodiments, the engaging portion 224 may be integral with the portion 222. The engaging portion 224 may extend at least partially into the upper opening 221. Specifically, the engaging portion 224 may extend from the inner surface 223 of the portion 222 and extend at least partially into the upper opening 221.

[0101] The engaging portion 224 may include an inclined plane 225 that is inclined at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 211. The inclined plane 225 may be configured to engage with the upper article 10B (shown in Figures 12A and 12B) and separate the upper article 10B from the rest of the plurality of articles 10. The inclined plane 225 may define an angle α (shown in Figures 12A and 12B) with respect to the longitudinal axis 211. In some embodiments, the angle α may be about 10 degrees to about 60 degrees.

[0102] The container 200 further comprises a pusher 240 slidably received within the body 210. The pusher 240 may slidably engage with the inner surface of the body 210. The pusher 240 may be movable along the longitudinal axis 211. The pusher 240 defines a movable closed bottom end 204 (shown in Figure 10B) of the container 200. The body 210 may have any preferred features for holding the pusher 240 inside. For example, the body 210 may have one or more stopping features 216 (shown in Figures 12A and 12B) extending within the body 210 and proximal to the second open end 214. The one or more stopping features 216 may comprise a continuous wall, such as an annular wall, extending within the body 210. The pusher 240 may engage with one or more stop feature portions 216 so that the pusher 240 can be held within the main body 210.

[0103] The main body 210 may be configured to provide the container 200 with compression resistance and moisture resistance. In other words, the main body 210 may protect the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figures 12A and 12B) from compression (for example, by external forces the container 200 is subjected to during transport or use), and may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 200 and moisture present in the external environment (e.g., a shower) in which the container 200 is placed. Thus, the container 200 may reduce or prevent external moisture from being absorbed by the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 200.

[0104] The main body 210 may be made primarily of paper material and may not contain any plastic. Specifically, the main body 210 may contain 0% to 5% by weight of plastic. The main body 210 made of paper material may include a barrier material to protect the main body 210 from, for example, moisture, grease / oil, oxygen, etc. Furthermore, the cap 230 may be made of formed pulp, and the barrier material is applied to the formed pulp. Furthermore, the upper member 220 may be made of plastic. Alternatively, the upper member 220 may be made from injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Similarly, the pusher 240 may be made from plastic, injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Furthermore, the container 200 may be made substantially of paper and / or aluminum. In some embodiments, the container 200 may contain less plastic than a current liquid shampoo bottle. In some embodiments, the container 200 may contain less than 60% plastic, less than 55% plastic, or less than 50% plastic.

[0105] Figures 12A and 12B show a cross-sectional view of the container 200 along line 3-3 in Figure 10A. The cap 230 (shown in Figure 11) may be removed from the body 210 and is not shown in Figures 12A and 12B. The pusher 240 is in the first position 242 in Figure 12A and the pusher 240 is in the second position 244 in Figure 12B.

[0106] As shown in Figure 12A, the multiple articles 10 may be received within the main body 210 adjacent to the pusher 240. In this embodiment, the multiple articles 10 are stacked on top of the pusher 240. At the first position 242 of the pusher 240, the multiple articles 10 may be arranged along the longitudinal axis 211 between the upper opening 221 of the upper member 220 and the pusher 240. Furthermore, the multiple articles 10 include the upper article 10B.

[0107] As described above, the pusher 240 is in the first position 242 in Figure 12A. The first position 242 may correspond to a storage configuration of the container 200. In the storage configuration of the container 200, the pusher 240 may be placed near the second open end 214 of the main body 210. For example, in the first position 242, the pusher 240 may engage with one or more stop feature portions 216 of the main body 210 and rest on them.

[0108] The pusher 240 may move to a second position 244 (shown in Figure 12B) when a force is applied in direction D3 to the movable closed bottom end 204 of the container 200 defined by the pusher 240. Direction D3 may be along the longitudinal axis 211, from the second open end 214 of the body 210 toward the first open end 212 and the upper opening 221 of the upper member 220. In some embodiments, the pusher 240 may be biased toward a first position 242. A biasing member such as a spring may bias the pusher 240 toward the first position 242.

[0109] As shown in Figure 12B, when a force is applied to the pusher 240 in direction D3, the pusher 240 may move to a second position 244. The second position 244 may be a position in which at least one of the multiple articles 10 (for example, the upper article 10B) may be removable from the upper opening 221. Specifically, the pusher 240 may be movable along the longitudinal axis 211 toward the upper opening 221 so that the upper article 10B of the multiple articles 10 may be removable from the upper opening 221. The upper article 10B may engage with the inclined plane 225 of the engaging portion 224 when the pusher 240 is in the second position 244. The inclined plane 225 may engage with the upper article 10B to separate the upper article 10B from the rest of the multiple articles 10. The upper article 10B may tilt outward from the upper opening 221 when engaged with the inclined plane 225, and may be removed from the container 200. Similarly, consecutive articles 10 may be removed from the stack. In this way, the container 200 may enable the sequential distribution of consecutive upper articles 10B from a stack of multiple articles 10. Therefore, the container 200 may provide an easy-to-use distribution mechanism for distributing upper articles 10B from the container 200.

[0110] Figures 13A, 13B, and 13C show a front perspective view, a bottom perspective view, and another front perspective view of a container 300 for a plurality of arranged articles 10 (shown in Figures 16A and 16B) according to a third aspect of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, Figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view of the container 300.

[0111] Referring to Figures 13A to 13C and Figure 14, the container 300 comprises a body 310 having a hollow tubular shape. The hollow tubular shape may allow the body 310 to accommodate at least some of the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figures 16A and 16B) inside.

[0112] The main body 310 comprises a first open end 312 and a second open end 314 facing the first open end 312. In other words, the second open end 314 may be on the opposite side of the first open end 312. The main body 310 extends along the longitudinal axis 311. Specifically, the main body 310 may extend along the longitudinal axis 311 between the first open end 312 and the second open end 314.

[0113] The container 300 further comprises an upper member 320 (clearly shown in Figure 14). The upper member 320 may be at least partially received within the main body 310. In other words, at least a portion of the upper member 320 may be received within the main body 310. The upper member 320 may be fixedly connected to the main body 310 at a first open end 312. Furthermore, the upper member 320 defines an upper opening 321 that communicates with the first open end 312.

[0114] The container 300 may further include a movable member 330 rotatably connected to the upper member 320 such that the movable member 330 may be rotatable relative to the upper member 320 about a longitudinal axis 311. The movable member 330 may define the closed upper end 302 of the container 300.

[0115] The movable member 330 may further define a movable opening 331 through which it passes. The movable opening 331 may or may not be selectively aligned with the upper opening 321. The movable member 330 can be rotated about the longitudinal axis 311 along direction D4 to align or not align the movable opening 331 with the upper opening 321 (for example, the movable opening 331 and the upper opening 321 may not be aligned). The movable member 330 can also be rotated about the longitudinal axis 311 in the opposite direction to direction D4 to align or not align the movable opening 331 with the upper opening 321 (for example, the movable opening 331 and the upper opening 321 may be aligned).

[0116] As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the movable opening 331 of the movable member 330 may be aligned with the upper opening 321 of the upper member 320. The movable opening 331 may be selectively and at least partially aligned with the upper opening 321 of the upper member 320 to allow the removal of the upper article 10B (shown in Figures 16A and 16B) from the container 300. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13C, the movable member 330 may close the upper opening 321 if the movable opening 331 is misaligned with the upper opening 321 (shown by a dashed line in Figure 13C).

[0117] The container 300 further includes a pusher 340 that is slidably received within the body 310 and movable along the longitudinal axis 311. The pusher 340 may be slidably engaged with the inner surface of the body 310. The pusher 340 defines a movable closed bottom end 304 (shown in Figure 13B) of the container 300. The body 310 may have any preferred features for holding the pusher 340 inside it. For example, the body 310 may include one or more stopping features 316 (shown in Figures 16A and 16B) that extend within the body 310 and are located proximal to the second open end 314. One or more stopping features 316 may include a continuous wall that extends within the body 310. The pusher 340 may engage with one or more stopping features 316 so that the pusher 340 can be held within the body 310.

[0118] The main body 310 may be configured to provide the container 300 with compression resistance and moisture resistance. In other words, the main body 310 may protect the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figures 16A and 16B) from compression (for example, by external forces the container 300 is subjected to during transport or use), and may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 300 and moisture present in the external environment (e.g., a shower) in which the container 300 is placed. Thus, the container 300 may reduce or prevent external moisture from being absorbed by the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 300.

[0119] The main body 310 may be made primarily of paper material and may not contain any plastic. Specifically, the main body 310 may contain 0% to 5% by weight of plastic. The main body 310 made of paper material may include a barrier material to protect the main body 310 from, for example, moisture, grease / oil, oxygen, etc. Furthermore, the movable member 330 may be made of formed pulp, and the barrier material is applied to the formed pulp. Furthermore, the upper member 320 may be made of plastic. Alternatively, the upper member 320 may be made from injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Similarly, the pusher 340 may be made from plastic, injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Furthermore, the container 300 may be made substantially of paper and / or aluminum. In some embodiments, the container 300 may contain less plastic than a current liquid shampoo bottle. In some embodiments, the container 300 may contain less than 60% plastic, less than 55% plastic, or less than 50% plastic.

[0120] Figure 15A shows a partial front view of container 300. Some elements of container 300 are not shown in Figure 15A for illustrative purposes. Figure 15B shows a cross-sectional view of container 300 along line 5-5 in Figure 15A.

[0121] Referring to Figures 15A and 15B, the upper opening 321 may comprise two symmetrical portions 351A and 351B around a central axis 350. Each symmetrical portion 351A and 351B may extend from the central axis 350 to a concave end 352. Each symmetrical portion 351A and 351B may have a minimum width W1 at the central axis 350 and a maximum width W2 defined by the concave end 352. In some embodiments, the maximum width W2 may be greater than twice the minimum width W1.

[0122] Similarly, the movable opening 331 may comprise two symmetrical portions 354A, 354B around a central axis 353. Each symmetrical portion 354A, 354B may extend from the central axis 353 to a concave end 355. Each symmetrical portion 354A, 354B may have a minimum width W3 at the central axis 353 and a maximum width W4 defined by the concave end 355. In some embodiments, the maximum width W4 may be greater than twice the minimum width W3.

[0123] Therefore, each of the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 may have two symmetrical portions around their respective central axes 350, 353 (i.e., symmetrical portions 351A, 351B of the upper opening 321 and symmetrical portions 354A, 354B of the movable opening 331). Furthermore, each of the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 may extend at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 311. In some embodiments, each of the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 may define a total angle β of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis 311. In some embodiments, the total angle β may be about 150 degrees to about 180 degrees.

[0124] The upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 are shown aligned with each other in Figures 15A and 15B, and therefore the corresponding central axes 350 and 353 are also aligned with each other. Furthermore, the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 may have substantially similar shapes. In some embodiments, the minimum width W1 of the upper opening 321 may be equal to the minimum width W3 of the movable opening 331. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the maximum width W2 of the upper opening 321 may be equal to the maximum width W4 of the movable opening 331.

[0125] Figures 16A and 16B show a cross-sectional view of the container 300 along line 4-4 in Figure 13A. The upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 are aligned in Figures 16A and 16B. Pusher 340 is in the first position 342 in Figure 16A and in the second position 344 in Figure 16B.

[0126] As shown in Figure 16A, the multiple articles 10 may be received within the main body 310 and stacked on top of the pusher 340. The multiple articles 10 may be positioned between the movable member 330 and the pusher 340 along the longitudinal axis 311. Furthermore, the multiple articles 10 include the upper article 10B.

[0127] As described above, the pusher 340 is in the first position 342 in Figure 16A. The first position 342 may correspond to the storage configuration of the container 300. In the storage configuration of the container 300, the pusher 340 may be placed near the second open end 314 of the main body 310. For example, in the first position 342, the pusher 340 may engage with one or more stop feature portions 316 of the main body 310 and rest on them.

[0128] The pusher 340 may move to a second position 344 (shown in Figure 16B) when a force is applied in direction D5 to the movable closed bottom end 304 of the container 300 defined by the pusher 340. Direction D5 may be along the longitudinal axis 311, from the second open end 314 to the first open end 312 of the body 310. In some embodiments, the pusher 340 may be biased toward a first position 342. A biasing member, such as a spring, may bias the pusher 340 toward the first position 342.

[0129] As shown in Figure 16B, when a force is applied to the pusher 340 in direction D5, the pusher 340 may move to a second position 344. The second position 344 may be a position in which at least one of the multiple articles 10 may be removable from the upper opening 321. Specifically, the pusher 340 may be movable along the longitudinal axis 311 toward the upper opening 321 so that the upper article 10B of the multiple articles 10 may be removable from the upper opening 321. Furthermore, the upper article 10B from the multiple articles 10 may be removable from a movable opening 331 aligned with the upper opening 321.

[0130] The top article 10B may be removed manually by moving the pusher 340 to the second position 344, and then removing the top article 10B through the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331, respectively. The concave ends 352, 355 and the respective maximum widths W2, W4 (shown in Figure 15A) of the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331 can facilitate gripping the top article 10B in order to manually remove it through the upper opening 321 and the movable opening 331, respectively. The subsequent articles 10 may be removed from the stack in the same manner. In this way, the container 300 may enable the sequential distribution of the subsequent top articles 10B from the stack of articles 10. Thus, the container 300 may provide an easy-to-use distribution mechanism for distributing the top articles 10B from the container 300.

[0131] Figures 17A and 17B are front perspective views showing different configurations of a container 400 for a plurality of articles 10 (shown in Figure 20) stacked on top of each other, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, Figure 18 shows an exploded perspective view of the container 400.

[0132] Referring to Figures 17A, 17B, and 18, the container 400 comprises a body 410 having a hollow tubular shape. The hollow tubular shape may allow the body 410 to accommodate at least some of a plurality of articles 10 (shown in Figure 20) inside.

[0133] The main body 410 comprises a first closed end 412 and a second open end 414 opposite the first closed end 412. In other words, the second open end 414 may be on the opposite side of the first closed end 412. The main body 410 extends along the longitudinal axis 411. Specifically, the main body 410 may extend along the longitudinal axis 411 between the first closed end 412 and the second open end 414. The first closed end 412 may define the closed upper end 402 of the container 400.

[0134] The container 400 further comprises a bottom member 420 (clearly shown in Figure 18). The bottom member 420 may be at least partially received by the main body 410. In other words, at least a portion of the bottom member 420 may be received within the main body 410. The bottom member 420 may be fixedly connected to the main body 410 at a second open end 414. Furthermore, the bottom member 420 may define a bottom opening 421 that communicates with the second open end 414. The bottom opening 421 may extend at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 411.

[0135] The container 400 further comprises a movable member 430 movably connected to the bottom member 420, such that the movable member 430 may be movable relative to the bottom member 420 between a closed position 432 (shown in Figure 17B) and an open position 434 (shown in Figure 17A). The movable member 430 defines the closed bottom end 404 of the container 400.

[0136] The movable member 430 may be rotated along direction D6 around the longitudinal axis 411 in order to move the movable member 430 between a closed position 432 and an open position 434 (for example, from the open position 434 to the closed position 432). The movable member 430 may also be rotated in the opposite direction D6 around the longitudinal axis 411 in order to move the movable member 430 between a closed position 432 and an open position 434 (for example, from the closed position 432 to the open position 434).

[0137] In the closed position 432, the movable opening 431 may be closed. Specifically, in the closed position 432, the movable opening 431 may be offset from the bottom opening 421. In the open position 434, the movable opening 431 may be at least partially exposed to allow the removal of the bottom articles 10A (shown in Figure 20) from the container 400. Specifically, in the open position 434, the movable opening 431 may be at least partially aligned with the bottom opening 421.

[0138] The main body 410 may be configured to provide the container 400 with compression resistance and moisture resistance. In other words, the main body 410 may protect the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figure 20) from compression (for example, by external forces the container 400 is subjected to during transport or use), and may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles 10 and moisture present in the external environment (e.g., a shower) in which the container 400 is placed. Thus, the container 400 may reduce or prevent external moisture from being absorbed by the multiple articles 10 stored inside the container 400.

[0139] The main body 410 may be made primarily of paper material and may not contain any plastic. Specifically, the main body 410 may contain 0% to 5% by weight of plastic. The main body 410 made of paper material may include a barrier material to protect the main body 410 from, for example, moisture, grease / oil, oxygen, etc. Furthermore, the movable member 430 may be made of formed pulp, and the barrier material is applied to the formed pulp. Furthermore, the bottom member 420 may be made of plastic. Alternatively, the bottom member 420 may be made from injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Furthermore, the container 400 may be made substantially of paper and / or aluminum. In some embodiments, the container 400 may contain less plastic than a current liquid shampoo bottle. In some embodiments, the container 400 may contain less than 60% plastic, less than 55% plastic, or less than 50% plastic.

[0140] Figure 19A shows a partial front view of container 400. Some elements of container 400 are not shown in Figure 19A for illustrative purposes. Figure 19B shows a cross-sectional view of container 400 along line 7-7 in Figure 19A.

[0141] Referring to Figures 19A and 19B, the bottom opening 421 may comprise two symmetrical portions 451A and 451B around the central axis 450. Each symmetrical portion 451A and 451B may extend from the central axis 450 to the concave end 452. In some embodiments, each symmetrical portion 451A and 451B may have a minimum width W5 at the central axis 450 and a maximum width W6 defined by the concave end 452. In some embodiments, the maximum width W6 may be greater than twice the minimum width W5. Furthermore, the bottom opening 421 may define a total angle γ1 of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis 411. In some embodiments, the total angle γ1 may be approximately 150 degrees to approximately 180 degrees.

[0142] Furthermore, the movable opening 431 may comprise two symmetrical portions 451C, 451D around the central axis 460. As shown in Figure 19A, when the movable opening 431 and the bottom opening 421 are aligned with each other, the central axis 460 may coincide with the central axis 450. Each symmetrical portion 451C, 451D may extend from the central axis 460 to a concave end 454. Furthermore, each symmetrical portion 451C, 451D may have a minimum width W7 on the central axis and a maximum width W8 defined by the concave end 454. In some embodiments, the maximum width W8 may be greater than twice the minimum width W7. Furthermore, the movable opening 431 may define a total angle γ2 of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis 411. In some embodiments, the total angle γ2 may be about 150 degrees to about 180 degrees. In some cases, the movable opening 431 may have a shape substantially similar to that of the bottom opening 421.

[0143] Figure 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the container 400 along line 6-6 in Figure 17A. The movable member 430 is in the open position 434 in Figure 20, and the bottom opening 421 may be at least partially exposed, allowing the bottom articles 10A from a plurality of articles 10 to be removed from the container 400. The bottom articles 10A may be removed manually, for example, by gripping the bottom articles 10A through the bottom opening 421 and the movable opening 431. The concave ends 452, 453 and the maximum widths W4, W6 (shown in Figure 19A) may facilitate gripping the bottom articles 10A for manual removal through the bottom opening 421 and the movable opening 431, respectively. Alternatively, the bottom article 10A may be removed manually by shaking or tilting the container 400 so that at least the bottom article 10A moves through the bottom opening 421 and the movable opening 431 under gravity. Thus, the container 400 may provide an easy-to-use dispensing mechanism for dispensing the bottom article 10A from the container 400.

[0144] Figures 21A and 21B are front perspective views of different configurations of a container 500 for a plurality of articles 10 (shown in Figures 22A and 22B) stacked on top of each other, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, Figure 21C shows an exploded perspective view of the container 500.

[0145] Referring to Figures 21A to 21C, the container 500 comprises a body 510 having a hollow tubular shape. The hollow tubular shape may allow the body 510 to accommodate at least some of the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figures 22A and 22B) inside it.

[0146] The main body 510 comprises a first closed end 512 and a second open end 514 opposite the first closed end 512. In other words, the second open end 514 may be on the opposite side of the first closed end 512. The main body 510 extends along the longitudinal axis 511. Specifically, the main body 510 may extend along the longitudinal axis 511 between the first closed end 512 and the second open end 514. The first closed end 512 may define the closed upper end 502 of the container 500.

[0147] The container 500 further comprises a bottom member 520. The bottom member 520 may be at least partially received by the main body 510. In other words, at least a portion of the bottom member 520 may be received within the main body 510. The bottom member 520 may be fixedly connected to the main body 510 at the second open end 514. Furthermore, the bottom member 520 may define a bottom opening 521 (shown in Figures 21B and 21C) that communicates with the second open end 514. The bottom opening 521 may be aligned with the second open end 514 and offset from the second open end 514. The bottom member 520 may have a hollow tubular shape with the bottom opening 521 distal to the second open end 514.

[0148] The container 500 further includes a movable member 530 that is movably connected to the bottom member 520, such that the movable member 530 may be movable relative to the bottom member 520 between a closed position 532 (shown in Figure 21A) and an open position 534 (shown in Figure 21B). The movable member 530 defines the closed bottom end 504 of the container 500.

[0149] The movable member 530 further defines a movable opening 531 (shown in Figure 21B) through which it communicates with the second open end 514. The movable opening 531 extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 511. The movable opening 531 may have a similar shape to the movable opening 431 of the container 400 in Figure 19A. Thus, the movable opening 531 may define a range of angles of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis 511. Furthermore, the movable opening 531 may have two symmetrical portions (not shown) around a central axis (not shown). Each symmetrical portion may extend from the central axis to a concave end (not shown). Each symmetrical portion may have a minimum width at the central axis and a maximum width defined by the concave end.

[0150] The movable member 530 may be slidable between the closed position 532 and the open position 534 along the longitudinal axis 511 relative to the bottom member 520. The movable member 530 may be moved from the closed position 532 to the open position 534 by sliding it in direction D7 along the longitudinal axis 611. The movable member 530 may be moved from the open position 534 to the closed position 532 by sliding it in the opposite direction to D7 along the longitudinal axis 611.

[0151] In the closed position 532, the movable opening 531 may be closed. Specifically, in the closed position 532, the bottom member 520 may cover the movable opening 531. In the open position 534, the movable opening 531 may be at least partially exposed to allow the bottom articles 10A (shown in Figures 22A and 22B) from the plurality of articles 10 to be removed from the container 500. Specifically, in the open position 534, the movable opening 531 may be at least partially offset from the bottom member 520 with respect to the longitudinal axis 511. In other words, in the open position 534, at least a portion of the movable opening 531 may be axially offset from the bottom member 520 with respect to the longitudinal axis 511.

[0152] The main body 510 may be configured to provide the container 500 with compression resistance and moisture resistance. In other words, the main body 510 may protect the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figure 20) from compression (for example, by external forces the container 500 is subjected to during transport or use), and may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 500 and moisture from the external environment in which the container 500 is placed (for example, a shower). Thus, the container 500 may reduce or prevent external moisture from being absorbed by the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 500.

[0153] The main body 510 may be made primarily of paper material and may not contain any plastic at all. Specifically, the main body 510 may contain 0% to 5% by weight of plastic. The main body 510 made of paper material may include, for example, a barrier material to protect the main body 510 from moisture, grease / oil, oxygen, etc. Furthermore, the bottom member 520 and the movable member 530 may be made of plastic. Alternatively, the bottom member 520 and the movable member 530 may be made from injection-molded pulp or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Furthermore, the container 500 may be made substantially of paper and / or aluminum. In some embodiments, the container 500 may contain less plastic than a current liquid shampoo bottle. In some embodiments, the container 500 may contain less than 60% plastic, less than 55% plastic, or less than 50% plastic.

[0154] Figures 22A and 22B show cross-sectional views of the container 500 along line 8-8 in Figure 21A. The movable member 530 may be in the closed position 532 in Figure 22A, or it may be in the open position 534 in Figure 22B.

[0155] The movable member 530 may slide along the longitudinal axis 511 relative to the bottom member 520 from a closed position 532 to an open position 534, thereby allowing the movable opening 531 to be at least partially offset from the bottom member 520 with respect to the longitudinal axis 511, enabling the removal of bottom articles 10A from a plurality of articles 10 from the container 500. The bottom articles 10A may be removed manually, for example, by grasping the bottom articles 10A through the movable opening 531. Alternatively, the bottom articles 10A may be removed manually by shaking or tilting the container 500 with the movable member 530 in the open position 534, so that at least the bottom articles 10A move through the movable opening 531 under gravity. Thus, the container 500 may provide an easy-to-use dispensing mechanism for distributing bottom articles 10A from the container 500.

[0156] Figures 23A and 23B are front perspective views of different configurations of a container 600 for a plurality of articles 10 (shown in Figures 26A to 27B) stacked on top of each other, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, Figure 24 shows an exploded perspective view of the container 600.

[0157] Referring to Figures 23A, 23B, and 24, the container 600 comprises a body 610 having a hollow tubular shape. The hollow tubular shape may allow the body 610 to accommodate at least some of the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figures 26A to 27B) inside.

[0158] The main body 610 comprises a first closed end 612 and a second open end 614 opposite the first closed end 612. In other words, the second open end 614 may be on the opposite side of the first closed end 612. The main body 610 extends along the longitudinal axis 611. Specifically, the main body 610 may extend along the longitudinal axis 611 between the first closed end 612 and the second open end 614. The first closed end 612 may define the closed upper end 602 of the container 600.

[0159] The container 600 further comprises a bottom member 620. The bottom member 620 may be fixedly connected to the main body 610 at a second open end 614. Furthermore, the bottom member 620 may define a bottom opening 621 that communicates with the second open end 614. The bottom opening 621 may extend at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 611. The bottom opening 621 may be the same as the bottom opening 421 of the container 400 in Figure 19A. Therefore, the bottom opening 621 may define a range of angles of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis 611. Furthermore, the bottom opening 621 may comprise two symmetrical portions (not shown) around a central axis (not shown). Each symmetrical portion may extend from the central axis to a concave end (not shown). Each symmetrical portion may have a minimum width at the central axis and a maximum width defined by the concave end.

[0160] The container 600 further comprises a movable member 630 movably connected to the bottom member 620, such that the movable member 630 may be movable relative to the bottom member 620 between a closed position 632 (see Figure 23B) and an open position 634 (see Figure 23A). The movable member 630 defines the closed bottom end 604 of the container 600.

[0161] The movable member 630 further defines a movable opening 631 through which it communicates with the second open end 614. The movable opening 631 extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 611. The movable opening 631 may be similar to the movable opening 431 of the container 400 in Figure 19A. Thus, the movable opening 631 may define a range of angles of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis 611. Furthermore, the movable opening 631 may comprise two symmetrical portions (not shown) around a central axis (not shown). Each symmetrical portion may extend from the central axis to a concave end (not shown). Each symmetrical portion may have a minimum width at the central axis and a maximum width defined by the concave end.

[0162] The movable member 630 may be rotated along direction D8 around the longitudinal axis 611 in order to move the movable member 630 between the closed position 632 and the open position 634 (for example, from the open position 634 to the closed position 632). The movable member 630 may also be rotated in the opposite direction to direction D8 around the longitudinal axis 611 in order to move the movable member 630 between the closed position 632 and the open position 634 (for example, from the closed position 632 to the open position 634).

[0163] In the closed position 632, the movable opening 631 may be closed. Specifically, in the closed position 632, the movable opening 631 may be offset from the bottom opening 621. In the open position 634, the movable opening 631 may be at least partially exposed to allow the removal of the bottom articles 10A (shown in Figure 27B) from the container 600. Specifically, in the open position 634, the movable opening 631 may be at least partially aligned with the bottom opening 621.

[0164] The movable member 630 may further include a bottom portion 636 that defines the closed bottom end 604 of the container 600. The bottom portion 636 may define a slot 635 through which it passes. The container 600 may further include a slider 640. The slider 640 may be at least partially received through the slot 635.

[0165] The main body 610 may be configured to provide the container 600 with compression resistance and moisture resistance. In other words, the main body 610 may protect the multiple articles 10 (shown in Figures 27A to 28B) from compression (for example, by external forces that the container 600 is subjected to during transport or use), and may reduce or prevent contact between the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 600 and moisture from the external environment in which the container 600 is placed (for example, a shower). Thus, the container 600 may reduce or prevent the absorption of external moisture by the multiple articles 10 stored in the container 600.

[0166] The main body 610 may be made primarily of paper material and may not contain any plastic. Specifically, the main body 610 may contain 0% to 10% by weight of plastic, or 0% to 5% by weight of plastic. The main body 610 made of paper material may include a barrier material to protect the main body 610 from, for example, moisture, grease / oil, oxygen, etc. Furthermore, the movable member 630 may be made of formed pulp, and the barrier material is applied to the formed pulp. Furthermore, the bottom member 620 and the slider 640 may be made of plastic. Alternatively, the bottom member 620 and the slider 640 may be made from injection-molded pulp, or a combination of injection-molded paper and plastic. Furthermore, the container 600 may be made substantially of paper and / or aluminum. In some embodiments, the container 600 may contain less plastic than a current liquid shampoo bottle. In some embodiments, the container 600 may contain less than 60% plastic, less than 55% plastic, or less than 50% plastic.

[0167] Figures 25A and 25B show the top and bottom perspective views of the movable member 630 and slider 640, respectively. Furthermore, Figures 26A and 26B show the front and bottom perspective views of the slider 640, respectively.

[0168] Referring to Figures 25A to 26B, the slider 640 may include a sliding portion 642 (shown in Figures 26A and 26B) that is slidably received through a slot 635. The slider 640 may further include an engaging portion 644 connected to the sliding portion 642. The engaging portion 644 may be located within a movable member 630. The engaging portion 644 may be configured to engage with the bottom article 10A (shown in Figure 27A) from a plurality of articles 10. The slider 640 may further include a gripping portion 646 connected to the sliding portion 642 on the opposite side of the engaging portion 644. The gripping portion 646 may be located outside the movable member 630. Each of the engaging portion 644 and the gripping portion 646 may be wider than the slot 635 in order to secure the sliding portion 642 within the slot 635. The sliding portion 642 may be narrower than the slot 635, or it may have substantially the same width as the slot 635.

[0169] The engaging portion 644 may have a substantially planar shape. The slider 640 further comprises an end 648 extending from the end of the engaging portion 644, which may be distal to the movable opening 631. The end 648 may be inclined with respect to the plane defined by the engaging portion 644. In some embodiments, the end 648 may be substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the engaging portion 644.

[0170] Figures 27A and 27B show a front perspective view and a top view, respectively, of a portion of the container 600. Furthermore, Figures 28A and 28B show a front perspective view and a top view, respectively, of a portion of the container 600 with a different configuration than that shown in Figures 27A and 27B. Some elements of the container 600 are not shown in Figures 27A to 28B for illustrative purposes. In addition, multiple articles 10 are shown with dashed lines in Figures 27A to 28B.

[0171] The movable member 630 may be in the open position 634 as shown in Figures 27A to 28B. In other words, the movable opening 631 may be at least partially aligned with the bottom opening 621 so as to allow removal of the bottom article 10A as shown in Figures 27A to 28B.

[0172] Referring to Figures 26A to 28B, in the open position 634 of the movable member 630, the gripping portion 646 may be moved toward the bottom opening 621, causing the sliding portion 642 (shown in Figures 26A and 26B) to slide along the slot 635 (shown in Figure 25B), and the engaging portion 644 may be configured to move the bottom article 10A toward the bottom opening 621, so that the bottom article 10A extends at least partially through the bottom opening 621 for removal from the container 600. In some embodiments, the slider 640 may be biased away from the bottom opening 621. Specifically, the slider 640 may be biased toward the end of the slot 635 (shown in Figure 25B), which may be distal to the bottom opening 621. The end 648 may engage with the bottom article 10A and push the bottom article 10A toward the bottom opening 621.

[0173] Furthermore, after removing the bottom article 10A from the container 600, the gripping portion 646 may be configured to move away from the bottom opening 621 so that the engaging portion 644 engages with a bottom article 10 that is continuous with the other articles 10. The continuous bottom articles 10 may be articles stacked on top of the bottom article 10A. As described above, the slider 640 may be biased to move away from the bottom opening 621. Therefore, in some embodiments, after removing the bottom article 10A from the container 600, the slider 640 may move to automatically move away from the bottom opening 621. Furthermore, the container 600 may allow for the sequential distribution of continuous bottom articles 10A from a stack of multiple articles 10. Therefore, the container 600 may provide an easy-to-use distribution mechanism for distributing bottom articles 10A from the container 600.

[0174] Referring to Figure 29, the container 700 may include a pile 710, which may be included as desired in any of the embodiments described herein. The pile 710 may be positioned through at least one opening in each soluble article to help keep the soluble article inline during distribution. The pile 710 may puncture the soluble article, thereby forming an opening, and / or may form an opening before the article is packaged. The pile 710 may have a smooth structure to avoid or minimize tearing of the soluble article. The pile 710 may be positioned inside the container and may extend along the length of the container from the upper end 702, for example, approximately in the center of the upper end 702, toward the bottom end 704. The distal end 715 of the pile does not have to be in contact with the bottom end 704. Instead, sufficient space may be required between the distal end 715 of the pile and the soluble article being distributed, so that one or more articles do not get stuck during distribution. Furthermore, the distal end 715 does not need to be too far from the bottom end 704, as this could cause the article to twist, bounce, or otherwise make distribution more difficult. The distal end may be positioned at a height that allows for smooth distribution without the article being distributed bouncing, twisting, or otherwise obstructing it, even when only one article remains in the container. In the case of fibrous articles, the distal end of the pile may be spaced away from the top surface of the next article to be distributed (e.g., the article at the bottom end of the dispenser), but in some embodiments, it has been found that the distal end of the pile may be spaced about 1.5 articles high from the top surface of the next article to be distributed.

[0175] Figures 30A and 30C to 30D show perspective views of the cup member 840, slider 850, and hollow member 820 in the closed position, the open position / ready to distribute position, and the bent position / position through which articles are distributed, respectively. A container such as container 100 described herein may further comprise a cup member 840 movably connected to a hollow member 820 via one or more hinges 860 such that the movable member is movable between the closed and open positions relative to the bottom member. The cup member may be movable along the longitudinal axis z and / or around the radial axis z. In the open or bent configuration, there is a space between the cup member 840 and the hollow member 820, defining an opening 841 through which articles can be distributed.

[0176] The slider 850, shown in Figures 30B and 30E, may be movably connected to the cup member 840 and positioned opposite the opening 841. The slider 850 may include an engaging portion 853 configured to engage with the bottom article from a plurality of articles. The engaging portion 853 may be positioned toward or toward the end of the slider 850, but may be positioned so that the engaging portion 853 extends into the hollow member 820. The slider 850 may also include a gripping portion 857 connected to the slider at the end of the slider 850 distal to the engaging portion 853. The gripping portion 857 may be positioned substantially coincident with the outer edge of the movable member 840, or the gripping portion 857 may be positioned outside the outer edge of the movable member 840. A spring may be connected to the slider 850 at the same but opposite end of the engaging portion 853. In some embodiments, the spring may be a leaf spring. In some embodiments, the spring may be made from the same material as the slider 850 and / or the cup member 840. In other embodiments, the spring may be made from a different material, such as metal, than the slider 850 and / or the cup member 840. In Figure 30B, the spring 855 of the slider 850 is relaxed, corresponding to the closed position in Figure 30A and the open position in Figure 30C. In Figure 30E, the spring 30E is bent, corresponding to the bent position in Figure 30D.

[0177] To dispense an article, the dispenser is opened, and then the slider 850 is moved along a defined path, generally toward the opening 841, along the diameter d of the cup member 840. The slide 850 can be moved by a user pressing the gripping portion 857 with one or more fingers. As the slider 850 moves, the engaging portion 853 moves radially toward the opening 841. As the engaging portion 853 moves, it carries the article toward the opening 841, as shown in Figure 30E, and pushes the spring 855 to the bent position. In the bent position, the spring pushes the shelf attached to the cup member, thereby bending the spring. In the bent position shown in Figures 30D and 30E, the user can easily grasp the article between two fingers, but the spring is gradually reset to the open position shown in Figures 30B and 30C. Next, the user can close the dispenser by rotating the cup member 120 around an axis h defined by the hinge 860 until the cup member 840 is connected to the hollow member 820.

[0178] combination A. A container for multiple articles, A body having a hollow tubular shape and extending along its longitudinal axis, comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, with at least the second end being open; A hollow member is fixedly connected to the main body at a second end, extending at an angle around the longitudinal axis, defining a first opening through which it passes; A cup member is rotatable relative to a hollow member about a longitudinal axis, and is rotatably connected to a hollow member such that the cup member defines a second opening extending through it at an angle about the longitudinal axis, and the cup member comprises a base that defines a closed bottom end of a container and a grooved track facing the second end of the body, A cam arm, which is received within a hollow member and a cup member, is movably connected to the hollow member and has a projection that is movably engaged with a grooved track, thereby causing the cam arm to move relative to the hollow member due to relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member, The main body, hollow member, and cup member are all capable of receiving multiple articles inside. The hollow member and the cup member are rotatable relative to each other between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and in the open configuration, the first opening and the second opening are at least partially aligned with each other to define a distribution opening, and in the closed configuration, the first opening and the second opening are not aligned with each other to close a distribution opening. A container wherein a cam arm moves between an engagement position corresponding to a closed configuration and a distribution position corresponding to an open configuration by relative rotation between a hollow member and a cup member, and in the engagement position, the cam arm is configured to engage with a bottom article among a plurality of articles, and the cam arm is further configured to move the bottom article by relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member such that, in the distribution position of the cam arm, the bottom article extends at least partially through the distribution opening and is removable from the container.

[0179] B. The container according to paragraph A, wherein relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member in a first direction about the longitudinal axis, from a closed configuration to an open configuration, moves the cam arm from the engagement position to the distribution position, and after removing the bottom article from the container, relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member in a second direction opposite to the first direction, from an open configuration to a closed configuration, moves the cam arm from the distribution position to the engagement position, and engages with a series of bottom articles from a plurality of articles.

[0180] C. The container according to paragraph A or B, further comprising a cap connected to the body at a first end, wherein the cap is configured to close the first end of the body and define the closed upper end of the container.

[0181] D. The container according to any one of paragraphs A to C, further comprising a follower configured to slidably receive and engage with a plurality of articles such that a plurality of articles are at least partially received between the follower and the cam arm with respect to the longitudinal axis.

[0182] E Hollow member, A first connecting part fixedly connected to the main body, A second connecting portion rotatably connected to the cup member, the second connecting portion defining the first opening as an angled cutout portion, A container according to any one of paragraphs A to D, comprising: a projection positioned between a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, which engages with the body and the cup member, respectively, so as to be positioned between the body and the cup member along the longitudinal axis.

[0183] The container according to paragraph E, wherein the hollow member further comprises a plurality of molded portions disposed on the outer surface of the first connecting portion, the molded portions engaging with the body to fix the body and the hollow member relative to each other in a rotational and / or axial direction.

[0184] The container according to any one of paragraphs A to F, wherein the hollow member further comprises an angled projection positioned at the end of the hollow member, and the cup member further defines an angled slot that movably engages with the angled projection of the hollow member, thereby enabling relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member.

[0185] The H cup component is A portion defining a second opening as an angled cutout, The base further comprises a connecting portion that connects the peripheral edge of the base to the said portion, The container according to paragraph G, wherein an angled slot is defined between the periphery of the base, the said portion, and the connecting portion.

[0186] The container according to any one of paragraphs A to H, wherein the cup member further comprises a lip-shaped portion located at the distal end relative to the base, and the hollow member further comprises a groove that at least partially receives the lip-shaped portion of the cup member so that the lip-shaped portion is rotatable relative to the groove.

[0187] The container according to any one of paragraphs A to I, wherein the hollow member further comprises a connecting feature portion extending from the inner surface of the hollow member, and the cam arm further comprises a connecting element at least partially received through the connecting feature portion for pivotably connecting the cam arm to the connecting feature portion.

[0188] The container according to paragraph J, wherein the K connecting feature comprises a narrow opening, a shoulder portion positioned adjacent to the narrow opening, and a wide opening positioned adjacent to the shoulder portion on the opposite side of the narrow opening, and the connecting element of the cam arm comprises a narrow portion that is at least partially pivotably received within the narrow opening, and a wide portion that is at least partially pivotably received within the wide opening and engages with the shoulder portion.

[0189] The container according to any one of paragraphs A to K, wherein the cam arm further comprises a receiving portion configured to receive a bottom article thereon, and an engaging portion extending from the receiving portion and inclined relative to the receiving portion, the engaging portion being configured to engage with the bottom article and move the bottom article toward a distribution opening, and the projection extending from the receiving portion.

[0190] The container according to paragraph L, wherein the M cam arm further comprises a curved portion extending distally from the engaging portion to the receiving portion, and in the engaging position, the curved portion engages with the inner surface of the hollow member.

[0191] The container according to paragraph L or M, wherein the receiving portion of the cam arm further defines a V-shaped notch spaced apart from the engaging portion.

[0192] The container according to any one of paragraphs A to N, wherein the grooved track extends from a first groove end to a second groove end, and in the engagement position, the projection of the cam arm engages with the first groove end of the grooved track, and in the distribution position, the projection of the cam arm engages with the second groove end of the grooved track.

[0193] The container according to any one of paragraphs A to O, wherein the base P comprises a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a grooved track extending from the first main surface, and a cam arm positioned at least partially on the first main surface and moving along the first main surface between an engagement position and a distribution position.

[0194] The container according to paragraph P, wherein the base further comprises a continuous side wall extending from a first main surface to a second main surface, and a bottom wall connected to the continuous side wall and distal to the first main surface, the continuous side wall and the bottom wall defining a grooved track between them.

[0195] The container according to paragraph Q, wherein the base R further comprises a plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions extending from a second main surface, and lip-shaped portions extending from the second main surface and surrounding the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions, the lip-shaped portions being connected to at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions, at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions defining a plurality of hexagonal shapes, and at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions being connected to a continuous side wall.

[0196] S A container according to any one of paragraphs A to R, wherein the main body contains 0% to 5% by weight of plastic.

[0197] T A container for multiple articles, A body having a hollow tubular shape and extending along its longitudinal axis, comprising a first open end and a second open end facing the first open end, An upper member fixedly connected to the main body at the first open end, defining an upper opening that communicates with the first open end, and configured so that the upper opening can be selectively opened and closed; A pusher slidably received within the main body and movable along its longitudinal axis, comprising a pusher that defines the movable closed bottom end of the container, A container in which multiple articles are received within the main body and stacked on top of a pusher, and the pusher is movable along its longitudinal axis toward the top opening such that the top articles of the multiple articles can be removed from the top opening.

[0198] The container according to paragraph T, further comprising a cap that is removably connected to the main body U and configured to selectively close the first open end and the upper opening of the upper member.

[0199] The upper part of V is A portion that is fixedly connected to the first open end of the main body and aligned with the first open end, defining the upper opening, The container according to paragraph T or U, comprising: an engaging portion connected to the portion and extending at least partially within the upper opening, the engaging portion having an inclined plane oblique to the longitudinal axis, the inclined plane being configured to engage with the upper article and separate the upper article from the rest of the plurality of articles.

[0200] The container according to paragraph T, further comprising a movable member rotatably connected to the upper member such that the movable member W is rotatable relative to the upper member about a longitudinal axis, wherein the movable member defines a movable opening through which an article can be selectively and at least partially aligned with the upper opening of the upper member to allow removal of the upper article from the container, and the movable member closes the upper opening when the movable opening is not aligned with the upper opening.

[0201] The container according to paragraph W, wherein each of the upper opening and the movable opening extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and over the entire angle of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis, each of the upper opening and the movable opening has two symmetrical portions around the central axis, each symmetrical portion extending from the central axis to a concave end, each symmetrical portion having a minimum width at the central axis and a maximum width defined by the concave end.

[0202] Y is a container for multiple articles, A body having a hollow tubular shape and extending along its longitudinal axis, comprising a first closed end and a second open end opposite to the first closed end, A bottom member fixedly connected to the main body at the second open end, A movable member is movably connected to the bottom member, and is movable between a closed position and an open position relative to the bottom member, defines a movable opening that communicates with a second open end, and extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, A container for multiple articles, wherein in the closed position, a movable opening is closed, and in the open position, the movable opening is at least partially exposed, allowing the bottom article of the multiple articles to be removed from the container, and a movable member defines the closed bottom end of the container.

[0203] The container according to paragraph Y, wherein the bottom member Z defines a bottom opening that communicates with a second open end, the bottom opening extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the movable member is rotatable with respect to the bottom member about the longitudinal axis between a closed position and an open position, the movable opening is not aligned with the bottom opening in the closed position, and the movable opening is at least partially aligned with the bottom opening in the open position.

[0204] The container according to paragraph Z, wherein the bottom opening has two symmetrical portions around a central axis over the entire angle of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis, each symmetrical portion extending from the central axis to a concave end, each symmetrical portion having a minimum width at the central axis and a maximum width defined by the concave end.

[0205] AB A movable member comprises a bottom portion defining the closed bottom end of the container, the bottom portion defining a slot through which the container further comprises a slider, the slider is A sliding part that is slidably received through a slot, An engaging portion connected to a sliding portion and located within a movable member, configured to engage with the bottom article among a plurality of articles, It comprises a gripping portion connected to a sliding portion on the opposite side of the engaging portion and positioned on the outside of the movable member, Each of the engaging portion and gripping portion is wider than the slot in order to secure the sliding portion within the slot. In the open position of the movable member, the gripping portion is configured to move toward the bottom opening so that the bottom article extends at least partially through the bottom opening for removal from the container, the sliding portion slides along the slot, and the engaging portion moves the bottom article toward the bottom opening. The container according to paragraph Z, wherein, after removing the bottom article from the container, the gripping portion is configured to move away from the bottom opening so that the engaging portion engages with a series of bottom articles from the multiple articles.

[0206] The container according to paragraph Y, wherein a movable member is slidable with respect to a bottom member along the longitudinal axis between a closed position and an open position, the bottom member covers the movable opening in the closed position, and the movable opening is at least partially offset from the bottom member with respect to the longitudinal axis in the open position.

[0207] The container according to any one of paragraphs Y, Z, AA, and AB, wherein the movable opening comprises two symmetrical portions around a central axis over the entire angle of at least 150 degrees around the longitudinal axis, each symmetrical portion extending from the central axis to a concave end, and each symmetrical portion having a minimum width at the central axis and a maximum width defined by the concave end.

[0208] All documents referenced herein, including any patents or patent applications that are cross-referenced or related, and any patent applications or patents on which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety unless explicitly stated to be excluded or limited. No reference to any document shall be deemed prior art to any invention disclosed or claimed herein, nor shall it be deemed to teach, suggest or disclose any such invention, either alone or in combination with any other reference. Furthermore, if any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in any document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition given to the term in this document shall apply.

[0209] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that all such changes and modifications within the scope of the invention be covered in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container for multiple items, A body having a hollow tubular shape and extending along its longitudinal axis, comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, with at least the second end being open; A hollow member is fixedly connected to the main body at the second end, extending at an angle around the longitudinal axis, defining a first opening through which it passes; A cup member is rotatable relative to a hollow member about a longitudinal axis, and is rotatably connected to the hollow member such that the cup member defines a second opening extending through it at an angle about the longitudinal axis, and the cup member comprises a base that defines a closed bottom end of a container and defines a grooved track facing the second end of the body, A cam arm, which is received within a hollow member and a cup member, is movably connected to the hollow member and has a projection that is movably engaged with a grooved track, thereby causing the cam arm to move relative to the hollow member due to relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member, The main body, hollow member, and cup member are all capable of receiving multiple articles inside. The hollow member and the cup member are rotatable relative to each other between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and in the open configuration, the first opening and the second opening are at least partially aligned with each other to define a distribution opening, and in the closed configuration, the first opening and the second opening are not aligned with each other to close the distribution opening. A container wherein a cam arm moves between an engagement position corresponding to a closed configuration and a distribution position corresponding to an open configuration by relative rotation between a hollow member and a cup member, and in the engagement position, the cam arm is configured to engage with a bottom article among a plurality of articles, and the cam arm is further configured to move the bottom article by relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member such that, in the distribution position of the cam arm, the bottom article extends at least partially through the distribution opening and is removable from the container.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member in a first direction about the longitudinal axis, from a closed configuration to an open configuration, moves the cam arm from an engagement position to a distribution position, and after removing the bottom article from the container, relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member in a second direction opposite to the first direction, from an open configuration to a closed configuration, moves the cam arm from the distribution position to an engagement position, and engages with a series of bottom articles from a plurality of articles.

3. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a cap connected to the main body at a first end, wherein the cap is configured to close the first end of the main body and define the closed upper end of the container.

4. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a follower configured to slidably receive within the body such that a plurality of articles are at least partially received between the follower and the cam arm with respect to the longitudinal axis, and to engage with the inner surface of the body.

5. The hollow member is A first connecting part fixedly connected to the main body, A second connecting portion rotatably connected to the cup member, the second connecting portion defining the first opening as a cutout portion extending at an angle around the longitudinal axis, The container according to claim 1, comprising: a projection disposed between a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, which engages with the main body and the cup member, respectively, so as to be positioned between the main body and the cup member along the longitudinal axis.

6. The container according to claim 5, wherein the hollow member further comprises a plurality of molded portions arranged on the outer surface of the first connecting portion, the molded portions engaging with the main body to fix the main body and the hollow member relative to each other in the rotational and / or axial direction.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the hollow member further comprises a projection positioned at the end of the hollow member and extending at an angle around a longitudinal axis, and the cup member further defines a slot that extends at an angle around a longitudinal axis and movably engages with the projection of the hollow member, thereby enabling relative rotation between the hollow member and the cup member.

8. The cup component is A portion defining a second opening as a cutout extending at an angle around the longitudinal axis, The base further comprises a connecting portion that connects the peripheral edge of the base to the said portion, The container according to claim 7, wherein the slot is defined between the peripheral edge of the base, the portion, and the connecting portion.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cup member further comprises a lip-shaped portion positioned at an end distal to the base, and the hollow member further comprises a groove that at least partially receives the lip-shaped portion of the cup member so that the lip-shaped portion is rotatable relative to the groove.

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the hollow member further comprises a connecting feature portion extending from the inner surface of the hollow member, and the cam arm further comprises a connecting element at least partially received through the connecting feature portion for pivotally connecting the cam arm to the connecting feature portion.

11. The container according to claim 10, wherein the connecting feature portion comprises a narrow opening, a shoulder portion disposed adjacent to the narrow opening, and a wide opening disposed adjacent to the shoulder portion on the opposite side of the narrow opening, and the connecting element of the cam arm comprises a narrow portion at least partially pivotably received within the narrow opening, and a wide portion at least partially pivotably received within the wide opening and engaging with the shoulder portion.

12. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a cam arm having a receiving portion configured to receive an article at the bottom thereon, and an engaging portion extending from the receiving portion and inclined with respect to the receiving portion, wherein the engaging portion is configured to engage with the article at the bottom and move the article at the bottom toward a distribution opening, and the protruding portion extends from the receiving portion.

13. The container according to claim 12, wherein the cam arm further comprises a curved portion extending distally from the engaging portion to the receiving portion, and in the engaging position, the curved portion engages with the inner surface of the hollow member.

14. The container according to claim 12, wherein the receiving portion of the cam arm further defines a V-shaped notch spaced apart from the engaging portion.

15. The container according to claim 1, wherein the grooved track extends from a first groove end to a second groove end, and in the engagement position, the projection of the cam arm engages with the first groove end of the grooved track, and in the distribution position, the projection of the cam arm engages with the second groove end of the grooved track.

16. The container according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a grooved track extending from the first main surface, and a cam arm positioned at least partially on the first main surface and moving along the first main surface between an engagement position and a distribution position.

17. The container according to claim 16, wherein the base further comprises a continuous side wall extending from a first main surface beyond a second main surface, and a bottom wall connected to the continuous side wall and distal to the first main surface, the continuous side wall and the bottom wall defining a grooved track between them.

18. The container according to claim 17, wherein the base further comprises a plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions extending from a second main surface, and a lip-shaped portion extending from the second main surface and surrounding the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions, the lip-shaped portions being connected to at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions, at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions defining a plurality of hexagonal shapes, and at least some of the plurality of interconnected lip-shaped portions being connected to a continuous side wall.

19. The container according to claim 1, wherein the main body contains 0% to 5% by weight of plastic.

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