Container and container engaging member suitable for vacuum assisted filtration
View Patent ↗A container and a container engaging member. The container engaging member may include a sample holder or reservoir, a filtration element and collar. In the assembled condition, the sample holder or reservoir is upstream of the filtration element, the container is downstream of the filtration element, and the sample holder or reservoir is attached to the container. The container engagement member is engageable and disengageable from the bottle or container in a quick attach, quick release manner, such as with only a 90 degree, ¼ turn. A tactile and/or audible indication that the engagement is complete is provided.
1. An assembly comprising a container, a container engaging member and a seal member, said container having a container body and an open neck, said open neck comprising a plurality of spaced, discontinuous open neck tabs extending radially from said neck; said container engaging member comprising a body having a neck engaging member, said neck engaging member comprising a plurality of spaced, discontinuous threads configured to engage with said spaced, discontinuous open neck tabs upon relative rotation of said neck and said neck engaging member; said container further comprising a circumferential flange extending radially outwardly from said neck, said flange comprising a plurality of spaced flange tabs; wherein said neck engaging member comprises a raised snap bead, a notch, and a raised stop member that are annularly aligned and cooperate with said flange tabs to create a snap fit engagement between said neck and said neck engaging member, said notch being positioned between said raised snap bead and said raised stop member, and wherein said seal member is positioned to engage said neck and compress upon relative rotation of said neck and said neck engaging member.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said open neck tabs are positioned in plurality of stacked pairs, each stacked pair being equally spaced from another stacked pair.
3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein each said stacked pair comprises an upper open neck tab and a lower open neck tab, said lower open neck tab being parallel to, aligned with, and positioned just below said upper open neck tab.
4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein each open neck tab comprises a downwardly sloping ramp portion that transitions to a vertical portion.
5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said container engaging member comprises a cap for closing said container.
6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each said flange tab comprises a radially extending top portion that extends upwardly from said flange and radially outwardly from said neck, and a radially extending bottom portion that extends radially outwardly from said flange and terminates in a free end.
7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said neck engaging member comprises at least one rotational limiting member that extends axially from said neck engaging member and abuts against said flange tabs on said flange to prevent relative rotation in one direction of said neck engaging member and container.
8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said neck engaging member comprises a cantilever snap lock member and a raised stop member, said cantilever snap lock member being positioned radially outwardly from said raised stop member.
9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said seal member comprises a foam gasket.
10. The assembly at claim 1 , wherein said seal member comprises an annular ring extending from said container engaging member.
11. A method of engaging an engaging member with a container, comprising:
providing a container having a container body and an open neck, said open neck comprising a plurality of spaced, discontinuous tabs extending radially from said neck;
providing a container engaging member comprising a body having a neck engaging member, said neck engaging member comprising a plurality of spaced, discontinuous threads configured to engage with said spaced, discontinuous tabs upon relative rotation of said neck and said neck engaging member, said container further comprising a circumferential flange extending radially outwardly from said neck, said flange comprising a plurality of spaced flange tabs, and comprising at least one rotational limiting member extending axially from said neck engaging member, a raised snap bead, a notch, and a raised stop member that are annularly aligned and cooperate with said flange tabs to create a snap fit engagement between said neck and said neck engaging member, said notch being positioned between said raised snap bead and said raised stop member;
providing a seal member;
positioning said container engaging member over said container such that said at least one rotational limiting member is positioned in a region between said spaced, discontinuous tabs of said neck;
rotating said container with respect to said neck engaging member 90° to engage said tabs of said container with said threads of said neck engaging member and compress said seal member to seal said container to said container engaging member.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said rotating of said container with respect to said neck engaging member is carried out with one hand by a user.