Abstract:
A protective cover that closely overlies an exterior surface of an upstanding container for holding liquid has integrally formed portions that are separately removable from the container. Each of two substantially adjacent removable cover portions preferably snugly wraps substantially adjacent surface areas of the container&#39;s exterior, and is releasably coupled by a narrow tear-off strip portion of the cover that also perimetrically wraps the container&#39;s exterior. One removable cover portion preferably helps to hold a cap in a closed orientation on the container&#39;s neck. Another removable cover portion preferably underlies a bottom part of the container&#39;s exterior surface, and thereby helps to hold the protective cover in place on the container. Yet another removable cover portion preferably wraps and grips a major part of the container&#39;s upstanding sidewall, and forms a disposable funnel when removed from the container&#39;s exterior.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/493,547 (Atty&#39;s Dkt. 7-130) filed Jul. 8, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0002]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of Design Application Serial No. 29/620,114 (Atty&#39;s Dkt. 7-131) filed Jul. 8, 2016, the disclosure of which also is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Many upstanding containers capable of receiving, containing, transporting and storing liquid are provided with protective covers that closely overlie some or all parts of the exterior surfaces of the associated containers to serve one of a wide a variety of purposes. 
         [0004]    These upstanding containers typically have centrally located interior chambers bordered by relatively flat bottom walls suitable to support the associated container atop a flat surface, as well as upwardly inclined top walls that join with upstanding sidewalls that extend between and connect peripheral parts of the bottom and top walls to cooperatively surround the centrally located interior chambers where liquids can be carried. 
         [0005]    The upstanding containers are often provided with reduced diameter necks that extend upwardly from central regions of the top walls to where removable or openable caps of a variety of types and configurations are provided that selectively permit liquids to be introduced into, and withdrawn from, the interior chambers of the containers. 
         [0006]    Protective covers carried by some of these upstanding containers help to retain removable caps on necks of the containers in closed and sealed positions until the caps are deliberately loosened and removed, or are pivoted from closed to open orientations. 
         [0007]    Some protective covers are provided simply to releasably attach and protectively enclose information-containing pamphlets, or various other objects or articles, to the associated containers that purchasers will find useful when liquids carried in the containers are put to use. Caps that include sprayer nozzles are sometimes removably attached to containers by protective covers of this type. 
         [0008]    Thermoplastic materials are sometimes used to form protective covers that can be heat shrunk to concurrently perform such dual tasks as 1) securely protectively surrounding an upstanding liquid-carrying container, while 2) gently releasably coupling to the protectively covered container some object of article that is intended to be removed and used by a purchaser of the liquid-carrying container just prior to when liquid from the container is to be dispensed and put to use. 
         [0009]    Still another reason why an upstanding container capable of containing liquid may be provided with a protective cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,870 issued Apr. 7, 1992 to Roy Farris—the disclosure of which patent is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0010]    The Farris patent discloses a small, squat funnel that is carried only atop the top wall of an associated container that is typically used to carry motor oil or other automotive fluids such as are often sold in auto parts stores in upstanding plastic containers capable of housing one-quart, one pint, one-liter, one gallon, or other similar relatively small quantities of liquid. 
         [0011]    The short, squat funnel of Farris overlies only the top walls of associated containers—which permits the funnels of Farris to protect only upper portions of associated containers before the funnels are removed from the associated containers, and then are used to duct motor oil or other automotive liquid that is poured from the associated containers and put to its intended use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention provides protective covers configured to closely continuously perimetrically wrap exterior surface areas of upstanding containers that are capable of receiving, retaining, transporting and storing relatively small quantities of liquid—such as a pint, a quart, a liter, and a gallon, or the like. 
         [0013]    The protective covers have separately removable portions that preferably include at least a pair of cover portions that perimetrically wrap and tightly grip substantially adjacent parts of exterior surfaces of the associated containers. 
         [0014]    In preferred practice, each protective cover includes at least a pair of adjacently located, separately removable cover portions that are releasably connected by a tear strip that can be pulled or otherwise torn away to disconnect the tear strip from one or both of the adjacently located removable cover portions. 
         [0015]    In one preferred practice, each protective cover includes a removable cover portion that engages a cap of the container to prevent either removal of the cap from the associated container, or opening of the cap, or both. 
         [0016]    In one preferred practice, each protective cover includes a removable cover portion that assists in retaining a cap of the container in a closed position or orientation where the cap is preferably carried on a reduced diameter, upstanding neck of the container. 
         [0017]    In one preferred practice, prior to being removed from the container&#39;s exterior surface, one of the removable cover portions closely underlies a bottom part of the container&#39;s exterior surface to assist in holding the protective cover in place adjacent the exterior surface of the container. 
         [0018]    In one preferred practice, prior to being removed from the container&#39;s exterior surface, one of the removable cover portions snugly grips a selected major exterior surface area of an upstanding sidewall of the container, including a reduced diameter upstanding neck of the container, to thereby form an inverted, relatively tall funnel that can be used, after being removed from the container, to duct liquid poured from the container into an engine opening (or the like) having a diameter smaller than a maximum diameter of the internal chamber of the container. 
         [0019]    In one preferred practice, the removable cover portions are formed from a thermoplastic material that is heat shrunk to securely grip at least selected parts of associated container&#39;s exterior surface. 
         [0020]    In one preferred practice, the protective cover includes two substantially adjacent regions of thermoplastic material that perimetrically wrap substantially adjacent parts of the exterior surface of the container, with the substantially adjacent regions being releasably connected along substantially adjacent edges of the substantially adjacent regions by a relatively narrow tear-off strip of cover material. 
         [0021]    In one preferred embodiment, the protective cover is formed from thin, substantially transparent thermoplastic material that overlies and snugly wraps at least a major exterior surface area of the upstanding sidewall of the container, and protects information printed on the upstanding sidewall while permitting the information to be viewed legibly through the protective cover. 
         [0022]    In one preferred embodiment, the protective cover is formed from a puncture-resistant plastic material that serves as a liquid barrier to retain liquid from the internal chamber of the container in the event that the container, itself, should leak or be punctured. 
         [0023]    In one preferred embodiment, a protective cover for a liquid container, includes three integrally formed pieces of thermoplastic material that each perimetrically wraps an exterior part of the container&#39;s exterior surface, with the three pieces being configured to cooperatively extend perimetrically around adjacent regions of the exterior surface of the container, with each adjacent pair of the pieces of thermoplastic material being coupled by a separate, integrally formed tear strip that can be pulled to disconnect adjacent pairs of the pieces of thermoplastic material. 
         [0024]    Although the present invention is particularly well suited to provide a relatively thin, relatively tall funnel that is disposable, those who are skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can also be used to provide a relatively thick and relatively tall funnel that overlies at least a major part of the exterior of the upstanding sidewall of an associated container, and can be repeatedly reused, rather than being discarded after relatively short periods of use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and claims that follow, taken together with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0026]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view showing an elongate upstanding container typically formed from plastic material, with a relatively thin layer of transparent plastic material closely overlying the upstanding container to provide a protective cover that extends snugly around, so as to closely wrap, the perimeter parts of the upstanding container&#39;s exterior surface, with the protective cover including upper and lower tear strip or rip cord portions that perimetrically wrap the container to separate a lengthy upstanding central portion of the protective cover from relatively short bottom and top portions of the protective cover; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing the upstanding container of  FIG. 1 , with upper and lower tear strips or rip cords being removed from the protective cover, with a cylindrical top portion of the protective cover removed and shown above the container so a twist-on and twist-off cap of the container can be viewed, and with a bottom portion of the protective cover removed and shown extending partially beneath the upstanding container, by which arrangement the inverted funnel shape of the upstanding central portion of the protective cover can be seen to still be in place on a central upstanding portion of the exterior surface of the container, with the view including two loops formed by broken lines which designate typical locations where the bottom and top portions of the protective cover can terminate while extending radially inwardly without fully underlying and/or without fully overlying the bottom wall and/or the cap of the associated container, respectively; 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the protectively covered upstanding container of  FIG. 2  with a twist-on/twist-off cap that can be removed without any need to pull or otherwise remove an upper tear strip or rip cord to access the twist-on/twist-off cap—hence any protective-covers that provide inverted funnels (that are present on a sequence of containers of this type) need not all be removed from the associated containers once a first funnel has been removed from a first of the liquid-carrying containers and has been put in position to duct liquid poured from a sequence of all of the liquid-carrying containers into an engine&#39;s reservoir, or the like; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of a different form of upstanding container such as is in wide use to contain measured quantities of household or automotive liquids such as motor oil or window-washer fluid, or other liquids for cleaning, coating, lubricating and treating selected surfaces of various objects, with the view showing a protective cover formed by a relatively thin layer of transparent plastic material that closely overlies, wraps and grips the upstanding container to provide a protective cover that extends around the perimeter of the upstanding container (but may not reach farther radially inwardly than is designated by broken-line loops that are shown in  FIG. 5  beneath a bottom wall and atop a cap of the container; and, 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the upstanding container of  FIG. 4 , with the tear strips or rip cords being removed from other portions of the protective cover, with the cylindrical top portion of the protective cover removed and shown above the container so a conventional screw-on or a snap-on cap of the container can be viewed, and with a bottom portion of the protective cover removed and shown beneath the upstanding container, whereby the inverted funnel shape of the central portion of the protective cover can be seen where it is still in place on a central portion of the container. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    Shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is a conventional, commercially available, upstanding, container  100  capable of receiving, retaining, transporting and storing common household and automotive liquids having a viscosity that permits the liquids to be easily poured when at room temperature—such as transmission fluid, motor oil, and the like. 
         [0032]    The container  100  has 1) a relatively small diameter, upstanding, neck or neck part  109 ; 2) a tall, upstanding, relatively more sizeable central part  102  that has a more lengthy perimeter than does the neck or neck part  109  of the container  100 ; and, 3) a bottom part  103  of the container  100  that has a perimeter that matches and joins smoothly with the lowermost perimeter of the upstanding central part  102  of the container  100 . 
         [0033]    The material from which the commercially available container  100  is formed is often an opaque plastic material that provides an external surface  77  onto which information (indicated by the numeral  88  in  FIG. 1 ) can be directly printed (or onto a label, not shown, that is adhered to an upstanding region of the exterior surface  77  of the container  100 ). 
         [0034]    Also shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is a relatively thin protective cover  150  that closely overlies and preferably snugly grips the exterior surface  77  of the upstanding container  100 . 
         [0035]    As is best shown in  FIG. 2 , a removable cap  101  (preferably of the twist-on/twist-off type) closes (or can be removed or moved to open) the upstanding, upwardly opening neck  109  of the container  100 . As those who are skilled in the art will readily understand, the cap  101  is often provided with internal threads that engage external threads formed on an exterior surface of the upstanding neck  109  of the container  100 . 
         [0036]    The type of cap  101  that may be provided on the neck  109  of the upstanding container  100  is of little concern to the present invention, except that whatever type of cap  101  is chosen for selectively opening and closing an upwardly-facing opening of the container&#39;s neck  109  is preferably of a type having an exterior surface that can be gripped by the upper portion  151  of a protective cover  150  that surrounds the cap  101 —so a gripping action of the container&#39;s upper portion  151  can help to hold the cap  101  in a position or orientation that closes an upwardly facing opening of the neck  109  of the container  100 . 
         [0037]    The protective cover  150  is preferably formed from transparent plastic material—for instance from a tear resistant and puncture resistant thermoplastic material such as cellophane, or a more sophisticated sun-resistant and perhaps even more durable film or layer of plastics material that has preferably been annealed to enhance its tear and puncture resistance as well as it pliability. 
         [0038]    Although a wide range of thermoplastic materials can be used to form the protective layer or cover  150 , materials that are suggested (without limiting the materials that can be selected) include 1) high density polyethylene (also known as “HDPE”), 2) low density polyethylene (also known as “LDPE”), 3) Polypropylene (also known as “PP”) and 4) Polyethylene Terephthalate, or the like. 
         [0039]    Although a wide range of material thicknesses can be used to form the protective layer  150 , material thicknesses that are suggested (without limiting the material thicknesses that can be selected) include materials within a thickness range of 0.002 inches (i.e., 2 mils) to 0.010 inches (i.e., 10 mils), or the like. 
         [0040]    Many features of the container&#39;s protective cover  150  are symmetrical about an imaginary upstanding central axis  95  shown in  FIG. 1 . However, the upstanding tubular neck portion  109  of the container  100 , and an upstanding tubular portion  159  of the protective cover  150 , concentrically encircle a different upstanding axis  96  that is offset from the upstanding central axis  95 , as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 1 , the upper portion  151 , a central portion  152 , and a lower portion  153  of the protective cover  150  are broken away to permit the cap  101 , the central part  102  of the container  100 , and the lower part  103  of the container  100 , respectively, to be seen. The components  151 ,  152  and  153  extend one adjacent the other, in series, and cooperate to form major portions of the protective cover  150 . 
         [0042]    In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the protective cover  150  is shown to be provided with an upper tear strip, rip cord or the like, indicated by the numeral  160 . Likewise, the protective cover  150  is also provided with a lower tear strip, rip cord or the like, indicated by the numeral  170 . Each of the tear strips or rip cords  160 ,  170  can be pulled away from, removed from, or otherwise released from where they extend perimetrically around upper and lower portions  101  and  103  of the container  100 , respectively, as is shown in  FIG. 2 . Moreover, the pulling, removal or release of each of the tear strips or rip cords  160 ,  170  can take place independently of the pulling, removal or release of the protective cover&#39;s other portions  151 ,  152  and  153  from the exterior surface  77  of the container  100 . 
         [0043]    As is shown in  FIG. 2 , the pulling, removal or release of the upper tear strip or rip cord  160  will separate the upper portion  151  of the protective cover  150  from the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150 . When the upper tear strip or rip cord  160  is pulled, removed or released, the central region  152  of the protective cover will have an open upper end region  155  that has a relatively small circumference. 
         [0044]    Likewise, the pulling, removal or release of the lower tear strip or rip cord  170  will separate the lower portion  153  of the protective cover  150  from the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150 —which will leave the central region  152  of the protective cover  150  with a bottom opening  156  ( FIG. 2 ) that has a relatively large perimeter in comparison to the relatively small circumference of the upper opening  155  ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0045]    As is shown in  FIG. 2 , the protective cover  150  can have a top wall portion  154  that is upwardly inclined as the top wall portion extends generally away from the axis  95  toward the offset axis  96 . 
         [0046]    As is also shown in  FIG. 2 , the lower portion  153  of the protective cover  150  can have a bottom wall portion  55  that extends radially inwardly toward the axis  95  to at least partially underlie a perimetrically extending portion of the bottom wall  66  of the container  100 . 
         [0047]    A broken line  157  (seen only in  FIG. 2  as forming an endless loop) designates one of many possible locations of an interior perimeter along which the bottom wall portion of the protective cover  150  can terminate if the bottom wall portion of the protective cover  150  is to stop short of fully protectively underlying the bottom wall  66  of the container  100 . 
         [0048]    Similarly, a broken line  158  (seen only in  FIG. 2  as forming an endless loop) designates one of many possible locations of an interior perimeter along which a top wall portion of the protective cover  150  can terminate if the top wall portion of the protective cover  150  is to stop short of fully protectively overlying the top wall of the cap  101  of the container  100 . 
         [0049]    One preferred feature of the protective cover  150  is its see-through transparency which permits information printed directly onto the container  100  to be clearly viewed through the protective cover. 
         [0050]    Another preferred feature of the protective cover  150  is that, even when the tear strips or rip cords  160 ,  170  are pulled, removed or otherwise caused to release the connections of the central portion  152  from the upper and lower portions  151 ,  153 , respectively, of the protective cover  150 , the upstanding central portion  152  of the cover  150  still tends to closely hug the central portion  102  of the container  100 . By this arrangement, one can usually grip the protectively covered container  100  without receiving the sensation that the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  is so loose as to be ready to fall off of the container  100 . 
         [0051]    Another preferred feature of the protective cover  150  is that its central portion  152  is intended to be removed from the container by sliding the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  off of the exterior surface of the container  100  after the tear strips or rip cords  160 ,  170  are pulled, removed or otherwise released, so that the top portion  151  and the bottom portion  153  of the protective cover  150  are no longer connected to, nor do they serve to retain, the central portion  152  of the protective cover in place surrounding the central portion  102  of the container  100 . 
         [0052]    The “how” and “why” (that explain exactly how and exactly why the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  can preferably be relatively easily slided off of the central portion  102  of the container  100 ) can be explained in a variety of ways that result from different approaches that may be taken to make it possible to slide the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  off of the central portion  102  of the container  100 . 
         [0053]    Since the upper portion  151  of the protective cover  150  and the lower portion  153  of the protective cover  150  preferably overlie and underlie at least parts of opposite end regions of the container  100 , the protective cover  150  can have an effectively invisible film of lubricant dispersed between at least the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150 , and the container  100 —without permitting leakage of the lubricant from top or bottom ends of the protectively covered container  100 . 
         [0054]    Another approach that can be taken to help make it possible for the central cover portion  152  to be removed from the central container portion  102  is to form the protective cover  150  from a somewhat flexible film or layer of plastics material that can stretch slightly (if need be) to permit the central cover portion  152  to be sliced off of the central container portion  102 . 
         [0055]    Since the protective cover  150  is preferably formed from a thin film or layer of transparent plastics material that is preferably stretchable to at least some small extent, the central region  152  of the protective cover  150  should be capable of being pulled off the container  100  once the upper end portion  151  and the lower end portion  153  of the protective cover  150  have been removed. 
         [0056]    Another alternative (not shown in the drawings hereof) is to modify the configuration of the container  100  so that the exterior of the central portion  102  of the container  100  has a perimeter that steadily diminishes as it extends away from the vicinity of the relatively large perimeter end region  156  of the protective cover  150  toward the relatively small circumference end region  155 . Tapering the exterior of the central portion  102  of the container  100  in this manner will cause the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  to also taper in a corresponding manner—which will mean that the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  can essentially be lifted off of the central portion  102  of the container  100 . 
         [0057]    What needs to be noted in  FIG. 2  is that the central portion  152  of the protective cover  150  has a configuration that, when withdrawn from the container  100  and inverted, can serve nicely as a, relatively tall, high capacity funnel that is certainly not equalled by the low capacity of the short, squat, shallow funnel shown in the Farris patent. 
         [0058]    Stated in another way, once the tear strips  160  and  170  are pulled or removed from extending perimetrically around the container  100 , the central portion  152  of the protective cover actually becomes what is occasionally referred to as “the tall funnel  152 ” in the text that follows. 
         [0059]    When the upper tear strip or rip cord  160  is removed from the tall funnel  152  (as is shown in  FIG. 2 ), the end of the tall funnel  152  that was previously attached to the tear strip or rip cord  160  constitutes the smaller end of the tall funnel  152 . Likewise, when the lower tear strip or rip cord  170  is removed from the tall funnel  152 , the end of the tall funnel  152  that was previously attached to the tear strip or rip cord  170  constitutes the larger end of the tall funnel  152 . When the tall funnel  152  is inverted (from the orientation shown in  FIG. 2  hereof), the funnel&#39;s larger end region  156  opens upwardly, and its smaller end region  155  opens downwardly, whereby the tall funnel  152  is ready to be positioned near an inlet opening of an engine&#39;s reservoir or the like, so motor oil can be poured into and through the tall funnel  152 , and through the inlet opening of the engine&#39;s reservoir. 
         [0060]    A significant advantage of using the tall funnel  152  is the much greater liquid containing capacity of the tall funnel  152  as compared to the minimal liquid containing capacity of the short, squat, shallow funnel disclosed in the aforementioned Farris patent. 
         [0061]    Moreover, the tall funnel  152  is much easier to grasp and grip than is the short, squat, shallow funnel of Farris. Losing one&#39;s grip on a funnel full of liquid such as oil is destined to create spillage when that is exactly what the provision of a funnel  152  is intended to minimize. 
         [0062]    Still another advantage is that the tall funnel  152  can be made thin enough and flexible enough to permit its being squeezed or compressed so the tall funnel  152  can take whatever shape may be needed to permit liquid to be fed downwardly past components within a crowded engine compartment of a vehicle to snake around or to squeeze around various components within the engine compartment; yet, even if compressed or squeezed, the liquid-carrying capacity of the tall funnel  152  will still be significantly greater than that of the Farris funnel, and will be sufficient to retain liquid that is poured into the tall funnel  152  at a considerably faster flow rate than the short, squat, shallow funnel of Farris could receive without overflow. 
         [0063]    Still other features of the tall funnel  152  will occur to those who are skilled in the art and are in a position to see and evaluate how the tall funnel  152  can best be used in ways that are better than is possible with the funnel of Farris. 
         [0064]    What is shown in  FIG. 3  is an alternative embodiment that is a simplification of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , in that no tear strip or rip cord (such as is indicated in  FIG. 2  by the numeral  160 ) needs to be removed in order for the cap  101  to be grasped and twisted off of the container  100  to open the container  100 . 
         [0065]    What is particularly desirable about the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  is that, when an entire volume of engine oil is to be drained from, and replaced in, an engine (not shown), all that needs to be done to prepare to efficiently fill an oil-drained engine is to replace the engine&#39;s drain plug (not shown), and then to proceed with engine oil replenishment by removing only one of the funnels  152  from a first of a sequence of the containers  100 , wherefores the one removed funnel  152  is positioned (as is needed to duct liquid into an inlet of the engine), so the capless containers  100  can each be emptied in sequence into the properly positioned funnel  152 —while all of the other funnels  152  are simply left in place on their associated containers  100 . 
         [0066]    Turning now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a differently configured container  1100  is shown that has a protective cover  1150  that preferably closely hugs the differently configured container  1100 . The container  1100  can be manufactured in a variety of sizes having a variety of capacities for containing a variety of quantities of many of the same liquids or fluids that are contained by the containers  100  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0067]    Rather than to repeat some of the explanations presented above regarding features of the container  1100  that “correspond” to features of the container  100 , most of the reference numerals that are used in  FIGS. 4 and 5  have a magnitude greater by a factor of one-thousand to the reference numerals that are appear in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . What this means is that, for example, just as the protective cover  150  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  has a central portion  152 , the protective cover  1150  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  also has a central portion that is designated by the reference numeral  1152 . And, just as the center portion  152  is occasionally referred to as the “tall funnel  152 ,” so too, is the central portion  1152  occasionally referred to as a “tall funnel  1152 ”). 
         [0068]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the upstanding container  1100  may be formed from plastic material or from other materials including metal and coated paper products. However, the protective cover  1150  is preferably formed from a thin layer or film of see-through plastic material that is sufficiently transparent as to not shroud, cloud or to render unreadable such information as may be printed directly onto the exterior of the container  1100  by use of an adhesively attached printed label (not shown). 
         [0069]    Many features of the container  1100  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and of the protective cover  1150  are symmetrical about an imaginary upstanding central axis  1095  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Even the neck  1109  of the container  1100  concentrically encircles the axis  1095 . 
         [0070]    In  FIG. 4 , an upper portion  1151 , a central portion  1152 , and a lower portion  1153  of the protective cover  1150  are broken away to permit the numerals  1101 ,  1102 ,  1103  to designate an upper part  1101 , a central part  1102  and a lower part  1103 , respectively, of the upstanding container  1100 .  FIG. 5  also has a broken away portion that permits a small region of the container  1100  to be seen. 
         [0071]    In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the protective cover  1150  is provided with an upper tear strip, rip cord or the like, indicated by the numeral  1160 . Likewise, the protective cover  1150  is also provided with a lower tear strip, rip cord or the like, indicated by the numeral  1170 . Each of the tear strips or rip cords  1160 ,  1170  can be pulled independently of the other, to selectively disconnect the cover portions  1151 ,  1152 ,  1153  from each other. 
         [0072]    As is shown in  FIG. 5 , pulling, removing or otherwise releasing the upper tear strip  1160  will separate the upper portion  1151  of the protective cover  1150  from the central portion  1152  of the protective cover  1150 . Likewise, pulling, removing or otherwise releasing the lower tear strip  1170  will separate the central portion of the protective cover  1150  from the lower portion  1153  of the protective cover  1150 . 
         [0073]    As is best shown in  FIG. 5 , the upper part of the container  1100  constitutes a removable cap (designated by the numeral  1101 ) that is preferably of the common snap-on/snap-off or screw-on/screw-off type such as is commonly found on cans of power steering fluid and fuel treatment fluids, and the like. 
         [0074]    It will be understood, however, that the type of cap  1101  that may be provided on the upstanding container  1100  is of little concern to the present invention, except that whatever type of cap  1101  is chosen for selectively opening and closing an upwardly-facing opening (not shown) of the container  1100  is preferably of a type having an exterior surface that can be gripped by the upper portion  1151  of the protective cover  1150  that surrounds the cap  1101 —to assist in holding the cap  1101  on the container  1100  in a closed position. 
         [0075]    What is significant about the protective cover  1150  is that its central portion  1152  can be slided off the exterior wall of the container  1100  once the tear strips or rip cords  1160  and  1170  (or the like) are pulled, removed or otherwise released so that the top portion  1151  and the bottom portion  1153  of the protective cover  1150  no longer are connected to, and no longer function to retain the relatively tall, funnel-shaped, central portion  1152  of the protective cover  1150  on the central portion  1102  of the container  1000 . 
         [0076]    Just as is the situation with the container  100  and the protective cover  150  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the “how” and “why” (that explain the exactly how and exactly why the central portion  1152  of the protective cover  1150  preferably serves to snugly protectively cover the central portion  1102  of the container  1100  until the upper portion  1151  and the lower portion  1153  of the are detached from the central portion  1152  of the protective cover  1150 ) can be dealt with in many different ways. The possibilities discussed previously in conjunction with the central portion  152  of the cover  150  being removable from the container portion  102  are also applicable to explain how the tall central portion  1152  of the cover  1150  is removable from the container portion  1102 . 
         [0077]    In  FIG. 2 , broken lines  157  and  158  indicate possible locations where bottom portions and top portions of the protective cover  150  can terminate if the bottom and top portions of the protective cover  150  are not to extend completely across the bottom and top portions, respectively, of the container  150  (i.e., are not to fully underlie the bottom wall  66  of the container  150 , and are not to completely overlie the top wall of the cap  101  of the container  150 ). 
         [0078]    Similarly, in  FIG. 5 , broken lines  1157  and  1158  indicate possible locations where bottom portions and top portions of the protective cover  1150  can terminate if the bottom and top portions of the protective cover  1150  are not to extend completely across the bottom and top portions, respectively, of the container  1150  are not to fully underlie the bottom wall  1066  of the container  1150  and are not to fully overlie the top wall of the cap  1101  of the container  1150 . 
         [0079]    Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts and the manner of operation may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended to protect whatever features of patentable novelty that exist in the invention disclosed herein.