Container Protection Apparatus

Abstract

A container protection apparatus comprises a protector and one or more flanges disposed along a circumference of the lower end of the protector. The flanges extend inwardly toward a central axis of the protector and flex about the lower end of the protector. An expandable longitudinal slot runs down the length of the protector from its upper end to its lower end. When the protector is coaxially positioned, force fitted, and moved down the length of the container having a wheel at its lower end, till the lower end of the protector projects beyond a lower edge of the wheel, the width of the longitudinal slot narrows, the inner surface of the protector snap-fits around the outer surface of the container, and the flanges engage with a cylindrical surface and a lower surface of the wheel, thereby preventing the wheel from being inadvertently turned.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A container protection apparatus for preventing a wheel of a container from being inadvertently turned, said container having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of said container provided with said wheel operable for one of moving a contained item towards and out of said upper end of said container and moving said contained item down and towards said lower end of said container, said container protection apparatus comprising:
 a flexible generally cylindrical protector, said protector having an upper end and a lower end, said protector coaxially positioned around said container;   one or more flanges disposed along a circumference of said lower end of said protector, said one or more flanges extending inwardly toward a central axis of said protector, wherein said one or more flanges flex about said circumference of said lower end of said protector;   a longitudinal slot running down a length of said protector from said upper end of said protector to said lower end of said protector, wherein width of said longitudinal slot is expandable when a pressure is applied to said longitudinal slot; and   said one or more flanges engaged with a surface of said wheel of said container, and an inner surface of said protector in contact with an outer surface of said container, when said protector is force fitted and moved down a length of said container till said lower end of said protector projects beyond a lower edge of said wheel, resulting in said width of said longitudinal slot narrowing and said inner surface of said protector positioned in a snap-fit orientation around said outer surface of said container, thereby preventing said wheel from being inadvertently turned.   
     
     
         2 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said surface of said wheel comprises a cylindrical surface on said wheel and a lower surface on said wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more flanges are formed by crimping said lower end of said protector along said circumference of said lower end of said protector. 
     
     
         4 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more flanges extend substantially parallel to a horizontal plane defined by a substantially circular opening at said lower end of said protector. 
     
     
         5 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more flanges are inclined in an upward direction at an angle from a horizontal plane defined by a substantially circular opening at said lower end of said protector. 
     
     
         6 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a protrusion disposed along said circumference of said lower end of said protector and approximately diametrically opposite to said one or more flanges, wherein said protrusion extends inwardly from said circumference of said lower end of said protector, and wherein said protrusion is configured to abut a cylindrical surface of said wheel of said container to urge said wheel towards said one or more flanges adjacent to said longitudinal slot when said protector is coaxially positioned around said container. 
     
     
         7 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a protrusion disposed along said circumference of said lower end of said protector and approximately diametrically opposite to said one or more flanges, said protrusion configured to contact a lower surface of said wheel of said container when said protector is coaxially positioned around said container. 
     
     
         8 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an application of an upward twisting force on said longitudinal slot of said protector causes said longitudinal slot to expand and said one or more flanges to flex outwardly and disengage from said surface of said wheel of said container, allowing movement of said protector in an upward direction along said length of said container and providing access to said wheel of said container. 
     
     
         9 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein edges at said upper end of said protector curvedly converge to an upper end of said longitudinal slot of said protector. 
     
     
         10 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein edges at said lower end of said protector extend horizontally to a lower end of said longitudinal slot of said protector. 
     
     
         11 . The container protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more flanges proximal to said longitudinal slot are configured to fold inwardly and engage a lower surface of said wheel of said container. 
     
     
         12 . A method for preventing a wheel of a container from being inadvertently turned, said container having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of said container provided with said wheel operable for one of moving a contained item towards and out of said upper end of said container and moving said contained item down and towards said lower end of said container, said method comprising:
 providing a container protection apparatus, comprising:
 a flexible generally cylindrical protector, said protector having an upper end and a lower end, said protector coaxially positioned around said container; 
 one or more flanges disposed along a circumference of said lower end of said protector, said one or more flanges extending inwardly toward a central axis of said protector, wherein said one or more flanges flex about said circumference of said lower end of said protector; and 
 a longitudinal slot running down a length of said protector from said upper end of said protector to said lower end of said protector, wherein width of said longitudinal slot is expandable when a pressure is applied to said longitudinal slot; and 
   force fitting said protector over said container and moving said protector down a length of said container till said lower end of said protector projects beyond a lower edge of said wheel of said container and said one or more flanges engage a surface of said wheel, resulting in said width of said longitudinal slot narrowing and an inner surface of said protector positioned in a snap-fit orientation around an outer surface of said container, thereby preventing said wheel from being inadvertently turned.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said one or more flanges extend substantially parallel to a horizontal plane defined by a substantially circular opening at said lower end of said protector. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said one or more flanges are inclined in an upward direction at an angle from a horizontal plane defined by a substantially circular opening at said lower end of said protector. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said inner surface of said protector is in contact with said outer surface of said container when said protector is force fitted and moved down said length of said container. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein edges at said upper end of said protector curvedly converge to an upper end of said longitudinal slot of said protector, and wherein edges at said lower end of said protector extend horizontally to a lower end of said longitudinal slot of said protector. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said container protection apparatus further comprises a protrusion disposed along said circumference of said lower end of said protector and approximately diametrically opposite to said one or more flanges, wherein said protrusion extends inwardly from said circumference of said lower end of said protector, and wherein said protrusion is configured to abut a cylindrical surface of said wheel to urge said wheel towards said one or more flanges adjacent to said longitudinal slot when said protector is coaxially positioned around said container. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising applying an upward twisting force on said longitudinal slot of said protector to cause said longitudinal slot to expand and said one or more flanges to flex outwardly and disengage from said surface of said wheel of said container, allowing movement of said protector in an upward direction along said length of said container and providing access to said wheel of said container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said outward flex of one of said flanges causes a protrusion that extends inwardly from said circumference of said lower end of said protector and approximately diametrically opposite to said one or more flanges to disengage from said wheel of said container, while said upward twisting force causes another one of said flanges to flex outwardly and disengage from said surface of said wheel of said container, allowing said movement of said protector in said upward direction along said length of said container and providing said access to said wheel of said container. 
     
     
         20 . A container protection apparatus for preventing a wheel of a container from being inadvertently turned, said container having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of said container provided with said wheel operable for one of moving a contained item towards and out of said upper end of said container and moving said contained item down and towards said lower end of said container, said container protection apparatus comprising:
 a flexible generally cylindrical protector, said protector having an upper end and a lower end, said protector coaxially positioned around said container;   a longitudinal slot running down a length of said protector from said upper end of said protector to said lower end of said protector, wherein width of said longitudinal slot is expandable when a pressure is applied to said longitudinal slot; and   an inner surface of said protector in contact with an outer surface of said container and a surface of said wheel, when said protector is force fitted and moved down a length of said container till said lower end of said protector projects beyond a lower edge of said wheel, resulting in said width of said longitudinal slot narrowing and said inner surface of said protector positioned in a snap-fit orientation around said outer surface of said container, thereby preventing said wheel from being inadvertently turned.