Animal resistant container system and method

Abstract

An animal resistant container system is contemplated in which two separate storage volumes, each including its own connector portion that defines the opening into the interior of that storage volume, may be simultaneously connected to opposed interconnector portions of a single interconnector, with the interconnector including a cross-sectional structure that may serve to at least partially occlude the opening into the interior of either or both storage volume when that storage volume is connected to the interconnector. In this fashion, two separate interior volumes may be utilized in a modular way, which permits the simultaneous use of different types or sizes of storage volumes with a single interconnector portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An animal resistant container system, comprising:
 a first storage container, the first storage container including a first connector portion that defines a first aperture permitting access into an interior of the first storage container, the first storage container being generally cylindrical;   a second storage container, the second storage container including a second connector portion that defines a second aperture permitting access into an interior of the second storage container, the second storage container being generally cylindrical; and   an interconnector comprising a pair of opposed interconnection portions engageable respectively with the first and second connector portions.   
     
     
         2 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 1 , wherein the interconnector at least partially occludes the first and second apertures. 
     
     
         3 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 2 , wherein the interconnector fully occludes the first and second apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 1 , wherein the interiors of the first and second storage containers define different capacities. 
     
     
         5 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second storage containers is longer than the other. 
     
     
         6 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second storage containers is narrower than the other. 
     
     
         7 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second storage containers is formed of a rigid material. 
     
     
         8 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second storage containers is formed of a non-rigid material. 
     
     
         9 . An animal resistant container system, comprising:
 a first storage container, the first storage container including a first connector portion that defines a first aperture permitting access into an interior of the first storage container;   a second storage container, the second storage container including a second connector portion that defines a second aperture permitting access into an interior of the second storage container;   a third storage container, the third storage container including a third connector portion that defines a third aperture permitting access into an interior of the third storage container, the second and third storage containers being differently shaped; and   an interconnector that is usable in a first configuration of the animal resistant container system and in a second configuration of the animal resistant container system, the interconnector comprising a pair of opposed interconnection portions that are engageable respectively with the first and second connector portions to define the first configuration and engageable respectively with the first and third connector portions to define the second configuration.   
     
     
         10 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 9 , wherein the interconnector at least partially occludes the first aperture while one of the opposed interconnection portions is engaged with the first connector portion. 
     
     
         11 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 10 , wherein the interconnector fully occludes the first aperture while the one of the opposed interconnection portions is engaged with the first connector portion. 
     
     
         12 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 11 , wherein the interconnector is further usable in a third configuration of the animal resistant container system in which the interconnector functions as a cap for the first storage container, the one of the opposed interconnection portions being engageable with the first connector portion while the other of the opposed interconnection portions is unengaged to define the third configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 9 , wherein the interiors of the second and third storage containers define different capacities. 
     
     
         14 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 9 , wherein the second and third storage containers are generally cylindrical with one being longer than the other. 
     
     
         15 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 9 , wherein the second and third storage containers are generally cylindrical with one being narrower than the other. 
     
     
         16 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third storage containers is formed of a rigid material. 
     
     
         17 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third storage containers is formed of a non-rigid material. 
     
     
         18 . An animal resistant container system, comprising:
 a first storage container, the first storage container including a first connector portion that defines a first aperture permitting access into an interior of the first storage container;   a second storage container, the second storage container including a second connector portion that defines a second aperture permitting access into an interior of the second storage container; and   a third storage container, the third storage container including a third connector portion that defines a third aperture permitting access into an interior of the third storage container, the second and third storage containers being differently shaped and at least one of the first, second, and third storage containers being generally cylindrical, the first connector being engageable with the second connector to define a first configuration of the animal resistant container system and engageable with the third connector to define a second configuration of the animal resistant container system.   
     
     
         19 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 18 , wherein the interiors of the second and third storage containers define different capacities. 
     
     
         20 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 18 , wherein the second and third storage containers are generally cylindrical with one being longer than the other. 
     
     
         21 . The animal resistant container system of  claim 18 , wherein the second and third storage containers are generally cylindrical with one being narrower than the other.