MULTIPLE CHAMBER BOTTLE AND METHOD OF FILLING AND ASSEMBLING SAME
A multiple chamber bottle has an outer bottle having a body and a mouth and at least one inner bottle having a body contained within the body of the outer bottle with a mouth accessible within the circumference of the mouth of the outer bottle. The inner and outer bottle mouths are sealed with means for selectively accessing the contents of the inner bottle and outer bottle through the associated mouth.
This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/627,877 filed on Nov. 15, 2004 entitled COAXIAL DUAL CAVITY BOTTLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME. This application is co-pending with U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 10/942,332 filed on Sep. 15, 2004 entitled MULTIPLE CAVITY BOTTLE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME and U.S. Design patent application serial 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.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention generally relates to liquids containers, and more specifically to a bottle having multiple separated elements for containing different commodities.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTLiquid 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. Those who consume caffeinated energy drinks frequently purchase bottled water to compliment the energy drink in order to quench their thirst. Scientists are generally aware that one side effect of caffeine and sugar consumption is thirstiness and such consumers are predisposed to purchase an energy drink that is co-packaged with water.
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.
Connected bottles for containing common use or multipart commodities such as shampoo and conditioner, glue and hardener and similar products have been available. However, such connected bottles are not appropriate for consumable commodities and typically do not provide an integrated, visually pleasing container, which minimizes manufacturing complexity.
It is therefore desirable to provide a single container having multiple elements for storage of different commodities and a means for selecting between them during consumption. It is further desirable that such a container be easily manufactured, filled and assembled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA multiple chamber bottle embodying the present invention has an outer bottle having a body and a mouth and at least one inner bottle having a body contained within the body of the outer bottle with a mouth accessible within the circumference of the mouth of the outer bottle. The invention further provides means for sealing the inner and outer bottle mouths including means for selectively accessing the contents of the inner bottle and outer bottle through the associated mouth.
In one exemplary embodiment, a coaxial dual chamber bottle is created using an inner bottle element with a cavity having a generally round neck and outer dimension of any shape and an outer bottle element with a cavity having a generally round neck of a sufficiently large inside dimension that allows the outside dimension of the inner bottle element to pass through the neck to create a coaxial “bottle inside a bottle” assembly. Further, the outer bottle element can have an outer dimension of any shape. For an exemplary embodiment, the present invention is advantageous when compared to other modalities of dual cavity bottles in that both inner and outer bottle elements can be easily formed using injection molding and blow molding techniques that are well known to those skilled in the art of manufacturing bottles such as beverage bottles from the injection-stretch blow molding process. More precisely, there are no special requirements imposed on either the inner or outer bottle elements of the present invention other than the outside dimension of the inner bottle must fit through the inside dimension of the outer bottle's neck. The cap arrangement has the unique function of fastenably arranging both bottles in the correct relationship to each other while sealably containing both beverage commodities and simultaneously allowing a user to select between either bottle cavity or an “off” position by adjusting the cap.
In one embodiment, inner and outer bottle elements have round outer shapes and round necks. A bottle cap seals the necks of both inner and outer bottle elements. In one embodiment, the bottle cap is comprised of two portions, an intermediate cap portion that has two sets of female screw threads for receiving the male screw threads of the inner and outer bottle elements and an additional feature designed to receive a second portion such as a rotatable plug that allows one practicing the invention to switch between the contents of the inner or outer bottle elements or to select a closed “off” position.
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:
- the necks of the inner and outer bottles terminate in a common plane;
Referring to the drawings,
Inner bottle 14 has a top aperture 30, which is open for receiving contents such as a beverage, and a bottom 32, which is closed in order to contain the beverage and can be formed in a variety of shapes. Inner bottle 14 can be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes and the shape shown in
Outer bottle 12 has a top aperture 20, which is open for receiving contents such as a beverage, and a bottom 22, which is closed in order to contain the beverage. The outer bottle bottom provides a base for standing the bottle assembly 10 upright, and can be formed in a variety of shapes to serve these purposes. Mating indexing features 84a and 84b which will be described in greater detail with respect to
In an exemplary method for practicing the present invention inner bottle 14 is filled with a desired liquid to a desired level such as liquid fill line 58 and then cap assembly is fastened to inner bottle 14 by aligning and rotating the screw threads of inner bottle seal 42 to engage threads 34 until an inner sealing surface 52 becomes engaged with neck sealing surface 54 to a tightness sufficient to resist leakage of the contents of inner bottle 14.
Continuing with an exemplary method of filling the embodiment of the invention,
The shape and features of upper cap 18 and intermediate cap 16 as discussed in detail subsequently with respect to
Similarly, inner passageway 66(b), when rotatably aligned with inner orifice 72 of intermediate cap 16, allows a means of fluid communication between inner bottle 14 and drinking outlet 66 illustrated by inner flow arrow 68. In the bottle assembly shown in
In one embodiment shown in
The present invention also is embodied with multiple inner bottles as shown in
An embodiment with a simplified cap 108 is shown in
An alternative embodiment of the simplified cap arrangement is shown in
While 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 multiple chamber bottle comprising:
- an outer bottle having a body and a mouth;
- at least one inner bottle having a body contained within the body of the outer bottle and having a mouth accessible within the circumference of the mouth of the outer bottle;
- means for sealing the inner and outer bottle mouths for selectively accessing the contents of the inner bottle and outer bottle through the associated mouth.
2. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a support element for positioning of the inner bottle with respect to the outer bottle.
3. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 2 wherein the support element comprises flutes extending inwardly from the body of the outer bottle and closely receive the body of the inner bottle.
4. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 2 wherein the support element comprises a first indexing element integral to the bottom of the inner bottle and a second mating indexing element positioned on the bottom of the outer bottle to closely receive the first indexing element.
5. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 2 wherein the support element comprises a female indexing element integral to the bottom of the outer bottle and closely receiving the bottom of the inner bottle.
6. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one inner bottle is received through the mouth of the outer bottle.
7. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 1 wherein the body of the inner bottle is coaxial with the body of the outer bottle.
8. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one inner bottle comprises a plurality of inner bottles, the mouth of each inner bottle accessible through the circumference of the mouth of the outer bottle.
9. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 4 wherein the first indexing element is a conical moiety and the second indexing element is a mating conical moiety.
10. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 4 wherein the first indexing element is a hemispherical moiety and the second indexing element is a mating hemispherical moiety.
11. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 1 wherein the sealing means comprises a cap having pierceable areas for each chamber for insertion of at least one straw to communicate with a pierced chamber.
12. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 1 wherein the sealing means comprises a foil seal having pierceable areas for each chamber for insertion of at least one straw to communicate with a pierced chamber and a removable cap received over the mouth of the outer bottle covering the foil seal.
13. A multiple chamber bottle comprising:
- a first bottle having a body and a mouth;
- a second bottle having a body and a mouth, the second bottle mounted coaxially within the first bottle; and,
- means for sealing the mouth of the first bottle and mouth of the second bottle, for selectively accessing contents of the first and second bottle.
14. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 13 wherein the body of the second bottle has a diameter less than the mouth of the first bottle.
15. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 14 wherein the second bottle is inserted through the mouth of the first bottle.
16. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 13 wherein the first bottle includes a support element in contact with the second bottle.
17. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 16 wherein the support element comprises flutes extending inwardly from the body of the first bottle and engaging the body of the second bottle.
18. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 16 wherein the support element comprises a first indexing element integral to the bottom of the first bottle and a second mating indexing element positioned on the bottom of the second bottle to closely receive the first indexing element.
19. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 13 wherein the sealing means incorporates a first receptacle to receive the mouth of the first bottle and at least one second receptacle to receive the mouth of the at least one second bottle, the second receptacle contained within a circumference of the first receptacle.
20. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 18 wherein the first indexing element is a conical moiety and the second indexing element is a mating conical moiety.
21. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 18 wherein the first indexing element is a hemispherical moiety and the second indexing element is a mating hemispherical moiety.
22. A multiple chamber bottle comprising:
- a first bottle having a body and a mouth;
- a plurality of second bottles each having a body and a mouth, and the mouth of each of the second bottles accessible through the mouth of the first bottle;
- means for sealing the first bottle and plurality of second bottles, said sealing means including means for selectively accessing contents of the first bottle and each of the second bottles.
23. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 22 wherein the body of each of the second bottles has a diameter less than the mouth of the first bottle.
24. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 23 wherein the plurality of second bottles are inserted through the mouth of the first bottle.
25. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 22 wherein the first bottle includes a support element in contact with each of the second bottles.
26. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 25 wherein the support element comprises at least one first indexing element integral to the bottom of the first bottle and a second mating indexing element positioned on the bottom of each of the second bottles to closely receive the at least one first indexing element.
27. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 26 wherein the support element comprises a plurality of first indexing elements integral to the bottom of the first bottle and a second mating indexing element positioned on the bottom of each of the plurality of second bottles to closely receive a respective one of the plurality of first indexing elements.
28. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 22 wherein the sealing means incorporates a first receptacle to receive the mouth of the first bottle and a plurality of second receptacles to receive the mouths of the plurality of second bottles, the second receptacles contained within a circumference of the first receptacle.
29. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 22 wherein each of the plurality of second bottles contains a serving of a second commodity.
30. A multiple chamber bottle as defined in claim 22 wherein each of the plurality of second bottles contains one serving of a plurality of commodities.
31. A method for providing a single container with multiple commodity choice comprising the steps of:
- providing an outer bottle with a mouth;
- providing at least one inner bottle with a mouth;
- filling the at least one inner bottle with a commodity;
- sealing the at least one inner bottle:
- filling the outer bottle to a predetermined level with a second commodity;
- inserting the at least one inner bottle into the outer bottle; and,
- sealing the outer bottle.
32. A method as defined in claim 31 wherein the step of sealing the at least one inner bottle comprises:
- providing a sealing means having a first receptacle for receiving the mouth of the outer bottle and a second receptacle to seal the mouth of the at least one inner bottle contained within a circumference of the first receptacle;
- inserting the mouth of the at least one inner bottle into the second receptacle;
- and the step of sealing the outer bottle comprises:
- inserting the mouth of the outer bottle into the first receptacle in the sealing means.
33. A method as defined in claim 31 wherein the outer bottle incorporates a first indexing means and the at least one inner bottle incorporates a second indexing means adapted for mating with the first indexing means and the step of inserting the at least one inner bottle includes the step of engaging the second indexing means with the first indexing means.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 20, 2005
Publication Date: May 18, 2006
Inventor: William Yates (Ladera Ranch, CA)
Application Number: 11/163,464
International Classification: B65D 1/04 (20060101);