Selectable Volume Container

Abstract

A selectable volume container for dispensing an article includes a surrounding sidewall with a first end portion and an opposing second end portion with the sidewall having an interior. Further included is an element having an outer periphery, wherein the outer periphery is slidably engaged to the sidewall interior inner surface such that the element dispenses the article form the interior. Also included in the selectable volume container is a planar member that is affixed to the outer periphery on one end and extends outside the interior on the other end. Operationally on the selectable volume container the article is disposed within the interior and in contact with the element, wherein a manual pulling of the planar member results in the element moving with the article being transported from the interior toward an external environment.

1 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article, comprising:
 (a) a surrounding sidewall that is about a longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall including a first end portion and an opposing second end portion along said longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, said first end portion terminating in a first aperture defining a first margin and said second end portion terminating in a second aperture defining a second margin, said surrounding sidewall inner surface, said first aperture, and said second aperture defining a sidewall interior of said surrounding sidewall, as differentiated from an external environment outside of said sidewall interior,   (b) an element having an outer periphery, wherein said outer periphery is slidably engaged to said surrounding sidewall inner surface such that said element having movement along said longitudinal axis within said sidewall interior; and   (c) a planar member having a lengthwise axis, said planar member having a primary end portion and an opposing secondary end portion along said lengthwise axis, said planar member primary end portion is affixed to said outer periphery, and said secondary end portion extends toward said second margin, wherein operationally the article is disposed within said sidewall interior and in contact with said element, with the article facing said second margin, a manual pulling of said planar member toward said second margin results in said element moving toward said second margin with the article being transported from said sidewall interior toward the external environment.   
     
     
         2 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 1  wherein said planar member is flexible, wherein said flexible planar member is slidably in contact with said surrounding sidewall inner surface, further said flexible planar member secondary end portion is in slidable contact with an edge that is affixed adjacent to said second margin at said inner surface, said edge to facilitate said manual pulling of said flexible planar member toward said first margin in a direction opposite of said element movement toward said second margin wherein said flexible planar member is slidably in contact with said first margin and said flexible planar member outward from said longitudinal axis in a perpendicular manner. 
     
     
         3 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 1  wherein said planar member is flexible, wherein said flexible planar member is slidably in contact with said surrounding sidewall inner surface, further said flexible planar member secondary end portion is in slidable contact with said second margin to facilitate said manual pulling of said flexible planar member toward said first margin in a direction opposite of said element movement toward said second margin. 
     
     
         4 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 3  further comprising a band having a boundary, said band is slidably engaged to said surrounding sidewall outer surface, further said flexible planar member is in slidable contact with said surrounding sidewall outer surface wherein said secondary end portion is affixed to said band, wherein operationally said band is manually slid along said longitudinal axis away from said second margin to move said element along said longitudinal axis toward said second margin, wherein said element moves the article from said sidewall interior to the external environment, further said element movement is able to hold a position along said longitudinal axis without manual holding of said band while said element is supporting a weight of the article due to a frictional contact of said outer periphery to said inner surface, a frictional contact of said flexible planar member to said inner surface, said second margin, and said outer surface, and a frictional contact of said band to said outer surface. 
     
     
         5 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 4  further comprising a plurality of said flexible planar members that are positioned equidistant from one another about said outer periphery and are positioned equidistant from one another along said band boundary, to operationally help facilitate said element movement. 
     
     
         6 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article, comprising:
 (a) a surrounding sidewall that is about a longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall including a first end portion and an opposing second end portion along said longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, said first end portion terminating in a first aperture defining a first margin and said second end portion terminating in a second aperture defining a second margin, said surrounding sidewall inner surface, said first aperture, and said second aperture defining a sidewall interior of said surrounding sidewall, as differentiated from an external environment outside of said sidewall interior,   (b) an element having an outer periphery, wherein said outer periphery is slidably engaged to said surrounding sidewall inner surface such that said element having movement along said longitudinal axis within said sidewall interior, said outer periphery further comprising a shoulder protrusion;   (c) a planar member having a lengthwise axis, said planar member having a primary end portion and an opposing secondary end portion along said lengthwise axis, said planar member primary end portion is affixed to said outer periphery being adjacent to said shoulder protrusion, and said secondary end portion extends toward said second margin; and   (d) a flexible channel chute having a long axis wherein said channel chute has a base end portion and an opposing opening end portion along said long axis, said channel chute having a proximal end portion and an opposing distal end portion that are both positioned about said long axis, said proximal end portion is affixed to said inner surface such that said long axis and said longitudinal axis are parallel to one another, said proximal end portion and said distal end portion form a channel wall that is about said long axis wherein said channel wall defines a channel interior with said planar member disposed within said channel interior with said long axis and said lengthwise axis being positioned parallel to one another, wherein said planar member slides within said channel interior with movement along said lengthwise axis, wherein operationally when said planar member and said element are moving along said longitudinal axis toward said second margin via a manual pulling of said planar member, said shoulder protrusion impinges upon said distal end portion to split through said channel wall to effect communication as between said channel interior and said sidewall interior in a first portion of said sidewall interior that is defined as being between said element and said first margin thereby exposing said planar member to said first portion of said sidewall interior, wherein said planar member is isolated from a second portion of said sidewall interior that is defined as being between said element and said second margin that the article is disposed within, with an operational result being that the article is transported from said sidewall interior toward the external environment with the planar member being isolated from the article.   
     
     
         7 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 6  wherein said planar member is flexible, wherein said flexible planar member exits said channel interior at said opening end portion, further said flexible planar member secondary end portion is in slidable contact with said second margin to facilitate said manual pulling of said flexible planar member toward said first margin in a direction opposite of said element movement toward said second margin. 
     
     
         8 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 7  further comprising a band having a boundary, said band is slidably engaged to said surrounding sidewall outer surface, further said flexible planar member is in slidable contact with said surrounding sidewall outer surface wherein said secondary end portion is affixed to said band, wherein operationally said band is manually slid along said longitudinal axis away from said second margin to move said element along said longitudinal axis toward said second margin, wherein said element moves the article from said sidewall interior to the external environment, further said element movement is able to hold a position along said longitudinal axis without manual holding of said band while said element is supporting a weight of the article due to a frictional contact of said outer periphery to said inner surface, a frictional contact of said flexible planar member to said second margin and said outer surface, and a frictional contact of said band to said outer surface. 
     
     
         9 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 8  further comprising a plurality of said flexible planar members and said flexible channel chutes that are positioned equidistant from one another about said outer periphery and said flexible planar members are positioned equidistant from one another along said band boundary, to operationally help facilitate said element movement. 
     
     
         10 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article, comprising:
 (a) a surrounding sidewall having a perimeter that is about a longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall including a first end portion and an opposing second end portion along said longitudinal axis, said surrounding sidewall having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, said first end portion terminating in a first aperture defining a first margin and said second end portion terminating in a second aperture defining a second margin, said surrounding sidewall inner surface, said first aperture, and said second aperture defining a sidewall interior of said surrounding sidewall, as differentiated from an external environment outside of said sidewall interior, said sidewall further comprising a slot having an elongated axis that is positioned parallel to said longitudinal axis, said slot extending to be adjacent to said first margin and on an opposing end to be adjacent to said second margin;   (b) a resilient planar sheet that is disposed within said slot;   (c) an element having an outer periphery, wherein said outer periphery is slidably engaged to said surrounding sidewall inner surface such that said element having movement along said longitudinal axis within said sidewall interior; and   (c) a beam extension having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, said beam extension proximal end portion is affixed to said outer periphery and said beam extension distal end portion extends therethrough said resilient planar sheet and said slot into the external environment, wherein operationally said beam extension is manually moved from said first margin toward said second margin said element moves in conjunction with said beam extension wherein said beam extension distal end portion slices through said resilient planar sheet in being manually moved along said longitudinal axis from said first margin to said second margin with a result that to effect communication as between the external environment and said sidewall interior in a first portion of said sidewall interior that is defined as being between said element and said first margin and to prevent communication from the external environment and a second portion of said sidewall interior that is defined as being between said element and said second margin that the article is disposed within, with an operational result being that the article is transported from said sidewall interior toward the external environment wholly within said second portion of said sidewall interior, further said element movement is able to hold a position along said longitudinal axis without manual holding of said beam extension distal end portion while said element is supporting a weight of the article due to a frictional contact of said outer periphery to said inner surface.   
     
     
         11 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 10  wherein said surrounding sidewall has a plurality of said slots that are equidistant from one another along said perimeter and further a plurality of said resilient planar sheets that are equidistant from one another. 
     
     
         12 . A selectable volume container for dispensing an article according to  claim 11  further comprising a plurality of said beam extensions that are positioned equidistant from one another about said outer periphery, to operationally help facilitate said element movement.