Container Having a Retained, Externally Displaceable Drain Insert

Abstract

The disclosure relates to containers for storing articles in a storage space within the container. The storage space is segregated from a reservoir within the interior of the container by a removable insert that prevents movement of the stored articles between the storage space and the reservoir, but does not prevent movement of, for example, gases or liquids therebetween. The insert is interposed between one or more overhangs which extend inwardly within the interior of the container and one or more shelf portions. The shelf portions maintain the patency of the reservoir, and the overhangs prevent the insert from simply falling out of the container. However, the insert can be displaced from the container by a user desiring to do so by grasping the container at its exterior and applying sufficient manual force to displace a flexible portion of the container body. Upon such displacement, the insert can be dumped or otherwise removed from the interior of the container (together with any sequestered liquid or absorbent material that may be present within the reservoir), without the need for the user to touch the interior of the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container for containing one or more articles, the container including a shaped thermoplastic body and an insert,
 the body having a shape including
 an exterior surface, 
 a peripheral rim, and 
 an interior surface within the rim, the interior surface defining
 a storage space, 
 a reservoir recessed away from the storage space at an opening between the storage space and the reservoir, 
 a shelf portion within the reservoir, and 
 an overhang extending into the storage space, wherein the overhang is distally spaced from the shelf, relative to the reservoir, 
 
   the insert being interposed between the shelf portion and the overhang at a position at which the shape and conformation of the insert are sufficient to segregate the interior of the reservoir from the storage space, other than at one or more channels having dimensions sufficient to occlude articles from passing from the storage space into the reservoir,   at least a portion of the body being sufficiently flexible that the insert can be displaced from the body by pressure manually applied to the exterior of the body by a person of ordinary strength who is holding the container at one or both of its rim and its exterior face.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body is sufficiently flexible at the reservoir that the insert can be displaced from the body by pressure manually applied to the exterior face of the body at the reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body is sufficiently flexible at its rim that the insert can be displaced from the body by flexing the rim sufficiently to deflect one or more shelf portions s or overhangs to a position at which the insert is no longer interposed between at least one shelf portion-overhang pair. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes a sufficient number of paired shelf portions and overhangs about the opening of the reservoir that the insert is not displaced from the body when the container is gently tumbled in space. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is a substantially flat plate having a shape that substantially covers the periphery of the reservoir, other than at at least one indentation at the peripheral edge of the insert. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is a substantially flat plate having a shape that substantially covers the periphery of the reservoir, the insert having at least one perforation extending therethrough. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes a support bearing the shelf portion that extends inwardly from the interior of the reservoir toward the insert. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the support is integral with the body and extends approximately to the insert. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the insert includes a support bearing the shelf portion that extends from the insert within the interior of the reservoir toward the body. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf portion abuts the reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes multiple shelf portions and wherein shelf portions abut the reservoir at at least two positions about the periphery of the reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes multiple shelf portions and shelf portions abut the reservoir at at least four positions about the periphery of the reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the shelf portion extends along substantially the entire periphery of the reservoir. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf portion is an integral part of the body. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least one overhang overlaps the shelf portion. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes multiple overhangs and the insert is interposed between the multiple overhangs and one or more shelf portions at at least two positions about the periphery of the reservoir. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes multiple overhangs and the insert is interposed between the multiple overhangs and one or more shelf portions at at least four positions about the periphery of the reservoir. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the overhang is an integral part of the body. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein the shelf portion is an integral part of the body. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body consists of a sheet of a thermoformable plastic. 
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a peelable liner adhered to the body and interposed between the body and the insert. 
     
     
         22 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising an absorbent material positioned within the reservoir. 
     
     
         23 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the absorbent material is a non-woven material. 
     
     
         24 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the absorbent material is in the form of an integral piece that is not fixedly attached to either of the body and the insert. 
     
     
         25 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the absorbent material is attached to the insert. 
     
     
         26 . The container of  claim 22 , wherein the absorbent material comprises a fibrous bag containing a superabsorbent polymer. 
     
     
         27 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the bag comprises a shell made from non-woven natural fibers. 
     
     
         28 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein each of the fibrous bag and the superabsorbent polymer are selected to be substantially clear when saturated with water. 
     
     
         29 . A container for containing one or more articles, the container including a shaped thermoplastic body and an insert,
 the body having a shape including
 an exterior surface, 
 a peripheral rim, and 
 an interior surface within the rim, the interior surface defining
 a storage space, 
 a reservoir recessed away from the storage space at an opening between the storage space and the reservoir, and 
 a shelf portion within the reservoir, 
 
   the insert being opposed against the shelf portion at a position at which the shape and conformation of the insert are sufficient to segregate the interior of the reservoir from the storage space, other than at one or more channels having dimensions sufficient to occlude articles from passing from the storage space into the reservoir,   at least a portion of the body being sufficiently flexible that the insert can be displaced from the body by pressure manually applied to the exterior of the body by a person of ordinary strength who is holding the container at one or both of its rim and its exterior face.   
     
     
         30 . The container of  claim 29 , wherein the insert is fixed to the shelf by way of at least one of an adhesive, a sonic weld, and a heat seal.