Reusable container housing assembly

Abstract

A reusable container housing. The housing includes a hollow shell that receives a recyclable cup, e.g., filled with powdered detergent, and holds it sealed and secure. A lid of the housing, when placed on top of the shell to seal its top opening, causes the cup within to be pressed downward past a set of detents and locked thereby. The hollow shell includes an open bottom sealed with a flexible diaphragm. To eject the cup from the housing (e.g., when it is empty), the lid is removed, and the flexible diaphragm is pushed upward thereby forcing the cup upward and past the detents. The cup may then be removed and replaced.

1 . A container holder, the container holder comprising:
 a housing including an housing open first end, an housing open second end opposite the housing open first end, and housing inner sidewalls extending between the housing open first end and the housing open second end defining a housing inner volume;   at least one detent configured with the housing inner sidewalls;   a ledge configured with the housing inner sidewalls below the at least one detent;   a container within the housing inner volume and including an open top defined by a container outer circumferential rim, the container adapted to transition from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration, the unlocked configuration including the container outer circumferential rim positioned above the at least one detent and the locked configuration including the container outer circumferential rim positioned between the at least one detent and the ledge;   a lid for closing the housing open first end, the lid including a lid lower rim that corresponds to the container outer circumferential rim;   wherein closing the housing open first end with the lid causes the container to transition from its unlocked configuration to its locked configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The container holder of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a diaphragm configured to close the housing open second end. 
 
     
     
         3 . The container holder of  claim 2  wherein the housing open second end is defined by an inner circumferential rim and the diaphragm includes an outer diaphragm circumferential gap adapted to receive at least a portion of the inner circumferential rim and to be secured to the inner circumferential rim thereby. 
     
     
         4 . The container holder of  claim 2  wherein flexing of the diaphragm upward causes the diaphragm to engage the container and to cause the container to transition from its locked configuration to its unlocked configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The container holder of  claim 2  wherein the diaphragm includes a lip configured to extend upward within the housing inner volume and adjacent to a lower portion of the container, wherein the lip is adapted to provide lateral support to the container when the container is in its locked configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The container holder of  claim 2  wherein the diaphragm includes an upward curvature between outer diaphragm circumferential gap and a center point of the diaphragm. 
     
     
         7 . The container holder of  claim 1  wherein the lid further comprises an outer circumferential ledge that engages the housing open first end when the lid closes the housing open first end and the container is in its locked configuration.