SOURCE SELECTING CAP AND CLOSURE FOR MULTIPLE CHAMBER BOTTLES
A source selecting cap and closure for multiple cavity bottles incorporates a first element sealingly engaging a first opening in a first cavity of a bottle and a second opening in a second cavity of the bottle. A second element is movably engaged by the first element and provides an outlet and one or more channels connected to the outlet for selectively communicating with the first cavity of the bottle in a first position and communicating with the second cavity of the bottle in a second position.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/942,332 filed on Sep. 15, 2004 entitled MULTIPLE CAVITY BOTTLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME which claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/502,892 filed Sep. 15, 2003 entitled “BOTTLE HAVING MULTIPLE CAVITIES” and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/551,166 filed Mar. 08, 2004 entitled MULTIPLE CAVITY BOTTLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. This application is co-pending with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/163,464 having attorney docket no. Y002 100179 filed Oct. 20, 2005 and entitled MULTIPLE CHAMBER BOTTLE AND METHOD OF FILLING AND ASSEMBLING SAME which claims the priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/627877 filed on Nov. 15, 2004 entitled COAXIAL DUAL CAVITY BOTTLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME having a common inventor with the present application, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims priority of that provisional application. This application is also co-pending with U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/229152 filed on May 4, 2005 entitled A NECK AND CAP ARRANGEMENT AND ASSOCIATED NESTED BOTTLE BOTTOM FOR A BOTTLE IN A BOTTLE and having a common inventor with the present application, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to liquids containers, and more specifically to a cap for selective communication with multiple chambers in a common container for different commodities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid storage containers have been provided in numerous sizes and shapes for various liquid commodities. The most ubiquitous containers are presently plastic and provide multiple sizes and shapes with mass production capability and recyclable materials.
In many endeavors, individuals use multiple commodities in combination. Sports enthusiasts are typically becoming aware of the benefits of combining the use of electrolyte replacing sports drinks with water for ultimate performance enhancement and refreshment. Children often desire to purchase more than a single flavor of soft drink or juices or combine a soft drink or juice with other liquid refreshment such as water or milk.
Beverage companies frequently launch new product flavors and have the need to inform customers that the new flavors are associated with their existing well-known brand and comprise part of their product portfolio. Currently, these companies are limited to arranging single-cavity bottles containing the new flavors in close proximity to other single-cavity bottles containing the well-known brand at the point of purchase.
Having multiple beverages or other commodities contained within a single bottle requires means for selective access to one or more of the commodities and a sealing arrangement for closure of the bottle. In the current state of the art, multiple chamber bottles are generally only dual-chambered and are limited to either having a single closure covering both openings with no ability to select between the openings, or two separate closures covering both openings with no common output or variable selection means.
It is therefore desirable to provide a cap and selection system for integrated containers having multiple cavities or chambers for storage of different commodities. It is further desirable that such a cap be easily manufactured and applicable to various multiple chamber bottle configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA source selecting cap and closure for multiple cavity bottles incorporates a first element sealingly engaging a first opening in a first cavity of a bottle and a second opening in a second cavity of the bottle. A second element is movably engaged by the first element and provides an outlet and means connected to the outlet for selectively communicating with the first cavity of the bottle in a first position and communicating with the second cavity of the bottle in a second position.
In one embodiment, the first element includes a wall covering the first and second opening, the wall including a first orifice in communication with the first cavity and a second orifice in communication with the second cavity. The second element incorporates a sealing face adjacently opposed to the wall and at least one channel in the second element extending from the outlet to an aperture in the sealing face, said aperture in alignment with the first orifice in said first position and in alignment with the second orifice in a second position for selectively communicating with the cavities.
In an alternative embodiment, the first element incorporates a bore with a first channel communicating with the first opening and terminating at a first orifice in the bore and a second channel communicating with the second opening and terminating at a second orifice in the bore. The second element incorporates a hollow cylindrical stem, a portion of which is closely received within the bore with the outlet located adjacent a first end of the stem. An aperture in a side wall of the stem distal the outlet and aligned with the first orifice in a first angular orientation of the stem and with the second orifice in a second angular orientation of the stem provides the selective communication with the cavities and rotating the stem establishes the first and second angular orientation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThese and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the drawings,
An exploded isometric view of the bottle for the embodiment described is shown in
In the embodiment shown, mating surface 18 of each bottle half forms a generally flat plane with a helical twist or, alternatively described, the helical mating surface has a planar cross section. The flat shape is preferred because it allows both bottle halves to be manufactured as the same part. Alternately, the mating surface may be shapes other than flat, such as concave and convex and may have male and female joining features, but any such features or shapes that are not symmetrical require that the bottle halves are formed as two separate parts from different molds. When the bottle halves are seated together, their mating surfaces sit adjacently together along the flat twisted plane that is formed at the angle of helical rotation. This helical shaping, particularly if 180° of twist or greater, allows the contents of the two cavities of the combined bottle to be viewed from any aspect thereby enhancing the marketability of the products contained in the bottle by clearly demonstrating the presence to two distinct commodities in the single bottle.
As shown in the drawings, first bottle half 12 and second bottle half 14 each have two ends, a bottom end 20 and a top end 22. The bottom end is closed and is typically flat or concave, providing a base for standing the bottle upright. The top end of each bottle half has an opening 24a and 24b for individually dispensing the contents of each bottle half. While the opening can be any shape, the opening shown is “D” shaped. Top portion 22 may also have a threaded or unthreaded surface for receiving a cap mechanism for sealing the opening, as will be described in greater detail subsequently.
The combined bottle can incorporate more than two bottle cavities, but the embodiments shown for this embodiment provide two cavities. The separate cavities of the combined bottle can be used to contain any substance that a person practicing the invention desires. One anticipated embodiment is as a beverage container holding, for example, an electrolyte replacing sports drink in one cavity and water in the second cavity.
Since both first bottle half 12 and second bottle half 14 are separate containers, each capable of holding a liquid and keeping the liquid sealed and separate from the contents of the other bottle half, there is a separate opening, 24a and 24b, in each cavity. In the embodiment shown, the opening of each cavity is generally “D” shaped and when first bottle half 12 and second bottle half 14 are intertwined together, the combination of opening 24a from first bottle half 12 and opening 24b from second bottle half 14 creates a generally cylindrical threaded or unthreaded neck.
A side sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in
An upper element 58 is received within the cylindrical body of the lower element. The upper element has a substantially circular face 65 which sealingly engages the upper surface of wall 54 in the lower element. The wall in the lower element incorporates a first orifice 56a communicating with opening 24a of the first cavity of the bottle and a second orifice 56b communicating with opening 24b of the second cavity of the bottle. A channel 60 extending through the upper element to a dispensing opening 66 is positionable over a selected one of the orifices by rotation of the upper element. Rotation of the upper element to an intermediate position places the channel adjacent a blank portion of the wall while the circular face of the upper element seals the two orifices.
For bottles with a configuration similar to the coaxial bottle in bottle of
The upper element employs two channels 66a and 66b in communication with the outlet. As will be described with respect to
For the embodiment shown in
The embodiment of the invention disclosed in
The disk has sufficient thickness and flatness to maintain a rigid planar sealing surface 112 which interfaces with the wall of the lower element. The wall can incorporate multiple orifices for creating selective communication with either one or both of the containers created by the bottle as shown in
The features of the described embodiment are seen in perspective views of the various elements and assemblies in
Similarly, the bottom perspective of lower element 52 as seen in
Additional features for sealing of the disk and orifices in the wall are employed in alternative embodiments as shown in
As shown in
While the rotating closure mechanism provides closure for the separate cavities of the bottle, an alternative embodiment providing a positive closure on the outlet of the cap mechanism is shown in
Stem 150 is integrated into a shell 177 having sides received in an upwardly oriented mating boss 178 surrounding body 158. As describe in previous embodiments, a groove 76 in the mating boss receives a rib 78 on the shell for rotatable engagement, restraining the shell and stem in the body. Detents 109 in the mating boss receive and engage a dimple 111 in the shell for positive positioning of the shell and stem with the port aligned with one of the channels or an intermediate “off” position as shown in
In alternative embodiments two apertures on the stem at different elevations are alignable at predetermined rotational angles with the channels which are also arranged to terminate at different elevations and at different angles of rotation not horizontally opposed as shown in the drawings. In this configuration, plateaus added to the stem are also employed as previously described with respect to
Additional features to facilitate rotation of the cap mechanism such as the tabs employed in the embodiment described with respect to
Alternative container arrangements for separate cavities or commodity chambers are also accommodated by the present invention. As shown in
Having now described the invention in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications are within the scope and intent of the present invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims
1. A source selecting cap and closure for multiple cavity bottles comprising:
- a first element sealingly engaging a first opening in a first cavity of a bottle and a second opening in a second cavity of the bottle;
- a second element movably engaged by the first element and having a single outlet;
- means connected to the outlet for selectively communicating with the first cavity of the bottle in a first position and communicating with the second cavity of the bottle in a second position.
2. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for selectively communicating placed in a third position precludes communication from either cavity to the outlet.
3. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the first element includes a wall covering the first and second opening, the wall including a first orifice in communication with the first cavity and a second orifice in communication with the second cavity;
- the second element incorporates a sealing face adjacently opposed to the wall and
- the means for selectively communicating comprises at least one channel in the second element extending from the outlet to an aperture in the sealing face, said aperture in alignment with the first orifice in said first position and in alignment with the second orifice in a second position.
4. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 2 wherein the second element is rotatably engaged in the first element and the means for selectively communicating comprises:
- a first channel extending from the outlet to a first aperture at a first radius from a center of rotation of the second element, said first orifice located at a radius equal to the first radius and at a first angular orientation; and,
- a second channel extending from the outlet to a second aperture at a second radius from the center of rotation, said second orifice located at a radius equal to the second radius and at a second angular orientation.
5. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 4 wherein selective rotation of the upper element to a third angular orientation places the first aperture and second aperture adjacent the wall to create an “off” position.
6. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the multiple cavity bottle incorporates two cavities having a separating septum, said cavities and septum terminating in a common circular neck having a first substantially D-shaped opening formed by the septum and a first portion of a circumference of the neck and a second substantially D-shaped opening formed by the septum and a second portion of the circumference of the neck, the first element further comprising a substantially cylindrical body with a wall substantially bisecting the cylindrical body to sealingly cover the D-shaped openings.
7. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 6 wherein the wall includes
- a first orifice adjacent the first D-shaped opening and a second orifice adjacent the second D-shaped opening;
- the second element incorporates a sealing face adjacently opposed to the wall; and
- the means for selectively communicating comprises at least one channel in the second element extending from the outlet to an aperture in the sealing face, said aperture in alignment with the first orifice in said first position and in alignment with the second orifice in a second position.
8. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 6 wherein at least one mating groove on the neck and at least one rib on an inner circumference of the cylindrical body to capture the neck in the body.
9. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the multiple cavity bottle incorporates a first outer bottle forming a first cavity and a second inner bottle forming the second cavity, each bottle having a neck with an opening, the first element further comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical body sealingly receiving the neck of the first bottle;
- a wall substantially horizontally bisecting the cylindrical body;
- a substantially cylindrical receptacle depending from the wall and sealingly receiving the neck of the second bottle, the wall sealingly covering both openings.
10. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 9 wherein the wall includes
- a first orifice adjacent the opening of the first bottle and a second orifice adjacent the opening of the second bottle;
- the second element incorporates a sealing face adjacently opposed to the wall; and
- the means for selectively communicating comprises a first channel in the second element extending from the outlet to a first aperture in the sealing face, said first aperture in alignment with the first orifice in said first position and a second channel in the second element extending from the outlet to a second aperture in the sealing face in alignment with the second orifice in said second position.
11. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 9 wherein mating threads on the neck of the first bottle and an inner circumference of the cylindrical body provide the sealing engagement for the first bottle.
12. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 9 wherein mating threads on the neck of the second bottle and an inner circumference of the cylindrical receptacle provide the sealing engagement for the second bottle.
13. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 1 wherein
- the first element incorporates a bore and further comprises:
- a first channel communicating with the first opening and terminating at a first orifice in the bore and a second channel communicating with the second opening and terminating at a second orifice in the bore; and
- the second element further comprises:
- a hollow cylindrical stem, a portion of which is closely received within the bore, the outlet located proximate a first end of the stem; and
- means for rotating the stem; and
- the means for selectively communicating comprises an aperture in a side wall of the stem distal the outlet and aligned with the first orifice in a first angular orientation of the stem and with the second orifice in a second angular orientation of the stem.
14. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 13 further comprising means for sealing the stem and orifices.
15. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 14 wherein the sealing means comprises:
- a first seal mounted on the stem angled from above the aperture to a point diametrically distal and below the aperture to seal the aperture for interface with the orifices; and
- a second horizontal seal mounted on the stem spaced outboard from the first angled seal to seal the stem and bore.
16. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 14 wherein the sealing means comprises a first seal circumferentially surrounding the first orifice and a second seal circumferentially surrounding the second orifice.
17. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 16 wherein the first and second seals have a substantially triangular cross section.
18. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 13 further comprising means for sealing the outlet.
19. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 10 further comprising:
- a first seal operably surrounding the first orifice and a second seal operably surrounding the second orifice, the sealing face engaging the first and second seals.
20. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 19 further comprising:
- at least one plateau depending from the sealing face, said plateau oriented and sized to engage and hyper compress one of said seals with the second element in a “hard off” position.
21. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 10 wherein the second element comprises:
- a molded cover having a facing surface and a diametric web, said means for selectively communicating incorporating a keyway having a first cylindrical column and a second cylindrical column in said web, said keyway in communication with a third cylindrical column depending from said outlet; and
- said sealing surface comprises a sealing disk engaging said molded cover on the facing surface and having a first aperture aligned with said first cylindrical column and a second aperture aligned with said second cylindrical column.
22. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 21 wherein the second element further incorporates indexing indicia for indicating said first and second position.
23. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 21 wherein the second element further incorporates a dimple received in one of at least two detents in the cylindrical body of the first element, each detent positioned for engaging the dimple at one of said first or second positions.
24. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 21 wherein said sealing disk incorporates a raised lip surrounding said first and second aperture, said lip sealingly received in said keyway.
25. A source selecting cap and closure for a multiple cavity bottle incorporating a first outer bottle forming a first cavity and a second inner bottle forming a second cavity, each bottle having a neck with an opening, said cap and closure comprising:
- a first element having a substantially cylindrical body sealingly receiving the neck of the first bottle;
- a wall substantially horizontally bisecting the cylindrical body;
- a substantially cylindrical receptacle depending from the wall and sealingly receiving the neck of the second bottle, the wall sealingly covering both openings, said wall further having a first orifice communicating with the opening of the first bottle and a second orifice communicating with the opening of the second bottle; a second element movably engaged by the first element and having an outlet;
- a molded cover having a facing surface and a diametric web, a keyway having a first column and a second column in said web, said keyway in communication with a third column depending from said outlet;
- a sealing disk intermediate and engaging said molded cover on the facing surface and said wall, the disk having a first aperture aligned with said first column and a second aperture aligned with said second column; and
- said first aperture in alignment with the first orifice in a first position and said second aperture in alignment with the second orifice in a second position.
26. A source selecting cap and closure as defined in claim 10 wherein the wall includes a third orifice communicating with the first bottle and a forth orifice communicating with the second bottle, said third and forth orifices aligned with the first and second aperture in a third position.
27. A sealing system for a multiple cavity bottle comprising:
- a surface sealing a first cavity in the bottle;
- a first orifice in the surface communicating with a first cavity in the bottle;
- a seal surrounding the first orifice;
- a mating surface closely adjacent the sealing surface and having at least one aperture, the mating surface movable to align the first aperture with the first orifice in a first open position;
- a plateau extending from the mating surface, intermediate the mating surface and the sealing surface, said plateau alignable with the first orifice in a second hard off position, the pleateau hyper compressing the seal in the second hard off position.
28. A sealing system as defined in claim 27 wherein the mating surface engages the seal orientations other than the hard off position.
29. A sealing system as defined in claim 27 further wherein the sealing surface has a second orifice communicating with a second cavity in the bottle, said mating surface movable to a third position to align the aperture with the second orifice.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 14, 2005
Publication Date: May 25, 2006
Inventor: William Yates (Ladera Ranch, CA)
Application Number: 11/164,186
International Classification: B65D 1/04 (20060101); B65D 21/02 (20060101); B65D 51/18 (20060101); A47G 19/00 (20060101);