DUAL COMPARTMENT CONTAINER HAVING A ROTATING COVER

Abstract

A dual compartment container, such as a drink bottle, including a container body as a primary compartment for receiving and storing matter, having a mouth, a base and a side wall. The sidewall is substantially cylindrical except for a portion of the side wall that is indented into the container body that forms a recess on the outer surface of the container body. The dual compartment container also has an arcuate rotating cover structured and arranged to rotate from an open position, overlying an arcuate portion of the side wall, to a closed position, overlying the recessed portion of the side wall. The auxiliary side compartment is formed in the recess on the outside of the side wall between the side wall and the rotating cover. The rotating cover is guided in its rotation between the open and closed positions by a channel and following member. Preferably, a locking mechanism is included to lock the rotating cover in open and closed positions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to containers with dual compartments and, more specifically, to cylindrical containers having a primary compartment and an auxiliary side storage compartment accessed via a rotating cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many known containers having two separate compartments for independently storing two objects. Generally, these types of containers hold components that are related and are intended to eventually be combined or used in conjunction with each other. The prior art containers have any number of shapes, however, the present invention relates to containers that are cylindrical or at least substantially cylindrical. By substantially cylindrical, it is meant that much of the side wall of the container is curved around the longitudinal axis of the container, although the arcs formed by the curved side wall need not have radii of uniform length. That is, the shape of the container is generally cylindrical, however the width of the container may not be uniform along the entire length of the container. These containers are known and are commonly used in drinkware. Examples of substantially cylindrical containers are bottles, sports bottles, travel mugs, and thermoses.

Cylindrical containers having auxiliary storage compartments are also known in the art. However, a major drawback of the containers of the prior art is that the mechanisms whereby the auxiliary compartments are open and closed are deficient. For example, the cover for the auxiliary compartment in some prior art solutions snaps onto the container body. The snapping mechanism is prone to breaking. Furthermore, the cover may be lost while it is separated from the container when the auxiliary compartment is opened.

Other prior art solutions include accessing the auxiliary compartment from the underside of the container. The problem with this solution is that the container must be turned upside down in order to access auxiliary compartment. This poses a danger that the matter stored in the primary container may spill out, since the primary container is generally accessed from the top. Accordingly, there is a need for a cylindrical dual container that overcomes these shortcomings.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to advertising indicia. A common tool in the marketing industry is to place company names and slogans on drinkware. Drinkware used for marketing can include items such as sports bottles and travel mugs, however other types of drinking vessels can be used. Indicia, such as a company name, logo, and/or slogan is printed on the outside of the drinkware for both the owner of the drinkware to see, as well as for the general public. It is logical that the drinkware be of a variety that is used during travel so that a greater number of people may be exposed to the advertisement on the drinkware. In this manner, the company may promote its products. Often times, a unique or innovative drinkware item is used to catch the attention of the general public, as well as to associate the company with an innovative solution.

A shortcoming of the prior art marketing drinkware is that the degree of advertising is limited by space constraints on the drinkware. The content of the advertisement is limited to the surface area of the outside of the bottle. For example, a company may not have enough room on the bottle to place both its name and a reference to its new product. There is a need for drinkware that increases the amount of advertising space available on the drinkware.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide new and improved dual compartment containers that overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved dual compartment containers that substantially increase the amount of advertising space available on the containers.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved dual compartment containers that have an auxiliary compartment capable of storing matter separate from matter stored in a primary compartment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide new and improved dual compartment containers that have a secure compartment that can be locked in a closed and/or open position.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide new and improved dual compartment containers having an auxiliary compartment with a rotating cover.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide new and improved dual compartment containers that are at least substantially cylindrical.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a dual compartment container including a container body as a primary compartment for receiving and storing matter, having a mouth, a base and a side wall. The sidewall is substantially cylindrical except for a portion of the side wall that is indented into the container body that forms a recess on the outer surface of the container body. The dual compartment container also has an arcuate rotating cover structured and arranged to rotate from an open position, overlying an arcuate portion of the side wall, to a closed position, overlying the recessed portion of the side wall. The auxiliary side compartment is formed in the recess on the outside of the side wall between the side wall and the rotating cover. The rotating cover is guided in its rotation between the open and closed positions by a channel and following member. Preferably, a second channel is present on the container body having two indentations at its ends that catch a pin on the rotating cover, thereby locking the rotating cover in open and closed positions.

In a preferred embodiment, the rotating cover is manufactured of a transparent material so that an object being stored in the recess can be viewed through the cover when the cover is in the closed position. Furthermore, indicia may be printed on the curved and recessed portions of the side wall, as well as on the rotating cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a drink bottle as an embodiment of the dual compartment container according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a container body of the drink bottle with rotating cover removed for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the drink bottle with the rotating cover in a closed position.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the drink bottle with the rotating cover in a closed position.

FIG. 7 illustrates a window of the rotating cover.

FIG. 8 illustrates the drink bottle with an open auxiliary side compartment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the drink bottle with the rotating cover open.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the drink bottle with the rotating cover open.

FIG. 11 illustrates a second channel with locking indentations on the base of the container body.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view along the line 12-12 in FIG. 11 illustrating how a pin is received within the second channel and indentation.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view along the line 13-13 in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a drink bottle according to the present invention, generally designated 10, is shown. Drinkware is one example of the invention and only functions to illustrate the broader inventive concept. It is understood that other cylindrical dual compartment containers may be used to practice the invention.

The drink bottle 10, has a container body 20 for receiving and storing liquids and a rotating cover 40 coupled to the outside of the container body 20. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the container body 20 is shown without the rotating cover 40 for clarity. The container body is indented to form a recess 14 in the outer wall of the container body 20. As best seen in FIG. 5, an auxiliary side compartment 12 is formed in the recess 14 of the container body 20 between the container body 20 and the rotating cover 40 when the cover 40 is in a closed position. The compartment is accessible for placement or removal of objects while the rotating cover 40 is in an open position, as shown in FIGS. 8-10.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the container body 20 has a mouth 22, a base 24 and a side wall 26. The primary function of the container body 20 is to serve as a drink bottle. Accordingly, fluid may be stored within the container body 20. The fluid is placed within and retrieved from the container body via the mouth 22. A cap 28 (shown in FIG. 1) may be utilized to secure the fluid in the container body and to dispense the fluid. It is understood that although a sports bottle is shown in the figures, other types of drinkware can be used as well. It is further understood that although the preferred embodiment of the invention is drinkware, any similarly shaped container, even non-drink related, may benefit from the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment, the side wall 26 of the container body 20 is cylindrical or substantially cylindrical. However, it is understood that the invention can be practiced as long as at least a portion of the side wall 26 is arcuate. A portion of the side wall 26 is recessed 14 into the container body 20. When the rotating cover 40 is moved to its closed position over the recess 14, as it is in FIG. 5, a storage compartment 12 is formed between the recessed portion of the side wall 26 and the inner surface of the rotating cover 40.

The recess 14 can have any number of sizes and shapes. In the preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the recess are approximately 126×75×33 mm. The recess 14 is fairly large so that the auxiliary side compartment 12 can accommodate a relatively large object, such as a digital music player. Furthermore, the recessed portion 14 of the side wall 26 is flat to facilitate the printing of indicia such as advertisements on the recessed portion of the sidewall. It is understood that the dimensions of the recess 14 may be larger or smaller than those of the preferred embodiment. The dimensions are determined based upon the overall size of the container body 20 and the size requirements for the primary compartment versus the auxiliary side compartment 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, the rotating panel 40 is curved with an arc slightly larger than the arcuate portion of the side wall 26. The arc of the rotating cover 40 must be large enough that the curved portion of the side wall 26 can fit closely within the arc of the cover and the cover 40 can easily rotate around the container body 20. The rotating cover 40 is coupled to the outer surface of the container body 20 such that it can be rotated from a closed position overlying the recessed portion 14 of the side wall 26, as shown in FIGS. 5-7 to an open position overlying the arcuate portion 16 of the side wall 26, as shown in FIGS. 8-10.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, in the preferred embodiment, the rotating cover 40 is cup shaped so that the container body 20 can fit closely within the cupped rotating cover 40. A window 42 is cut out of the cup shaped rotating cover 40. The window 42 provides access to the auxiliary side compartment 12 when the window 42 is aligned with the recess 14, as shown in FIGS. 8-10. A lip 44 is also shown extending from the bottom of the window 42 to assist in keeping objects inside the recess while the rotating cover 40 is open. The lip 44 covers the bottom portion of the recess 14 while the rotating cover 40 is in the open position. Additionally, the bottom of the cup-shaped rotating cover may be fitted with a rubber pad 46 for stability.

In an alternate embodiment, the rotating cover may simply be a curved panel. The panel should be large enough to cover the entire recess 14 when in the closed position. The curve of the arced portion 16 of the side wall 26 should fit closely within the arc of the panel. The panel is rotatably secured to the container body via a channel and follower mechanism discussed below.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 5, the rotating cover 40 is guided in its rotation between the open and closed positions by a channel 30 and following member 32. As best seen in FIG. 2, the channel 30 preferably runs horizontally around the circumference of an upper portion of the container body 20. FIG. 5 illustrates how the following member 32 protrudes from the inner surface of the rotating cover 40 and fits inside the channel 30 when the rotating cover 40 is placed over the container body 20. The following member 32 prevents the rotating cover 40 from sliding up and down the container body 20, while the walls of the rotating cover 40 itself prevent the rotating cover 40 from separating from the container body 20. In an embodiment where the rotating cover is a panel and does not have a cup shape, the following member 32 may lock onto a ridge in the channel 30 to prevent the rotating cover 40 from separating from the container body 20. It is understood that placing the channel on the inside of the rotating cover and placing the following member on the outside of the container body would also be acceptable. It is also understood that the channel could also be placed on a lower portion of the container body, however, having the channel around the upper portion is most effective. Similarly, two channels and corresponding following members may be used, one around an upper portion of the container body and one around a lower portion, for added stability.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, in the preferred embodiment, a second channel 34 runs in a semi-circle along the base 24 of the container body 20. Alternatively, the second channel 34 can run in a semi-circle around the side wall 26 of the container body. A pin 36, protruding from the inner surface of the rotating cover 40, is received within the second channel 34 when the rotating cover 40 is placed on the container body 20. The pin 36 is guided within the second channel 34 as the rotating cover 40 is moved between open and closed positions. The second channel 34 has two indentations 38a, 38b at each end of the semicircle to catch the pin 36 when the rotating cover 40 is in the open and closed positions, thereby locking the rotating cover 40 in its respective position. The pin 36 is locked in indentation 38a when the rotating cover 40 is in the open position, as shown in FIG. 10. The pin 36 is locked in indentation 38b when the rotating cover 40 is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 13. The indentations 38a, 38b are preferably sloped to facilitate guiding the pin 36 out of the indentations and into the second channel 34 where the pin 36 is guided to the other indentation. Extra force or slightly separating the rotating cover 40 from the container body 20 is required to remove the pin 36 from its locked position in the indentations 38a, 38b.

The semi-circle shape of the second channel 24 prevents the rotating cover 40 from rotating in a full circle, i.e. past the open and closed positions. For example, once the rotating cover 40 is open, it cannot be rotated any further. Rather, it must be rotated in the opposite direction to close the side compartment 12. It is understood that the second channel 34 may alternatively be a full circle. In this case, the indentations 38a, 38b are placed at opposite ends of the circle. The full circle second channel would allow the rotating cover to completely rotate in a full circle around the container body, but would continue to provide the locking functionality.

It is also understood that placing the second channel on the inside of the rotating panel and placing the pin on the outside of the container body would similarly accomplish the desired locking function. Furthermore, it is understood that the second channel may also be placed on the side wall 26 of the container body 20, rather than on the base 24. The placement of the second channel 24 on the side wall 26 is useful for embodiments where the rotating cover 40 is a panel and not cup-shaped. Finally, it is understood that a single channel may serve the function of both the first channel 30 and the second channel 34. This single channel would have the indentations 38a, 38b of the second channels 34 and a pin would serve the functions of both pin 36 and follower 32.

In a preferred embodiment, the rotating cover 40 is manufactured of a transparent material so that an object being stored in the cavity can be viewed through the cover when the cover is in the closed position. This also serves the purpose of making any indicia on the recessed portion of the side wall visible even when the rotating cover is closed.

The novel construction of the dual compartment container 10 described above provides increased surface area on which indicia may be printed. Prior to this invention, indicia could only be printed on the side wall of a container. However, the container of the present invention allows indicia to be printed on 1) the arcuate portion of the side wall; 2) the recessed portion of the side wall; and 3) on the outside of the rotating cover. In this manner the surface area for advertising is increased by approximately 33%. If the rotating cover is made of a transparent material all three areas for indicia may be utilized. If the rotating cover is not transparent, then when the rotating cover is in the closed position, only the indicia on the arcuate portion of the side wall and on the rotating cover can be seen. When the rotating cover is in an open position, only the indicia on the rotating cover and on the recessed portion can be seen. In this manner, a greater amount and variety of advertising may be placed on the container of the present invention.

The description above indicates that a great degree of flexibility is offered in terms of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A substantially cylindrical dual compartment container, comprising:

A container body having a mouth portion, a side wall, and a bottom, wherein a first compartment is formed within said container body, and wherein said container body is substantially cylindrical and a portion of said side wall is recessed toward the inside of the container body; and

an outer rotating cover, wherein said rotating cover is arced such that the arc is slightly greater than the arc of the substantially cylindrical container body, and wherein said rotating cover is rotatable coupled to said side wall of said container body such that said rotating cover can be rotated over said recessed portion of said side wall thereby forming an enclosed second compartment.

2. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, further comprising at least one channel on said side wall of said container body, wherein at least one following member on said rotating cover is received in said channel to slidably secure said rotating cover to said body.

3. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 2, wherein said channel is on an upper portion of said side wall.

4. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 3, further comprising an additional channel on a lower portion of said side wall, and wherein said rotating cover has a following member corresponding to each of said channels, respectively.

5. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, further comprising a channel on an inner side of said rotating cover and a following member on said side wall structured and arranged to be received in said channel on said rotating cover whereby said rotating cover is guided between said open and closed positions.

6. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, wherein said rotating cover is transparent.

7. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, wherein said rotating cover has a cup shape such that the container body is slidably secured within the cup-shaped rotating cover.

8. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 7, further comprising a window in said rotating cover structured and arranged to be aligned with said recess when said rotating cover is in an open position and aligned with an arcuate portion of said side wall when said rotating cover is in a closed position.

9. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, further comprising indicia on said rotating cover.

10. A dual compartment cylindrical container claim 9, further comprising indicia on said recessed portion of said side wall.

11. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 10, further comprising indicia on an arcuate portion of said side wall.

12. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, wherein said rotating cover further comprises a lip portion structured and arranged to overlie a bottom portion of said recess portion of said side wall when said rotating cover is in an open position.

13. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking channel on said container body, said locking channel having two indentations on opposite sides of said locking channel; and

a pin on said rotating cover, wherein said pin is received in said locking channel when said rotating cover is rotatably coupled to said container body, wherein said pin is guided along said locking channel as said rotating cover is rotated between open and closed positions, and wherein said pin is securely received in one indentation when said rotating cover is in an open position and received in the other indentation when said rotating cover is in a closed position, thereby locking the rotating cover in its respective open and closed position.

14. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 13, wherein said locking channel is a semi-circle.

15. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 13, wherein said locking channel is on said base of said container body.

16. A dual compartment cylindrical container according to claim 13, wherein said locking channel is on said rotating cover and said pin protrudes from said container body.

17. A drink bottle, comprising:

a mouth, a side wall and a base, wherein liquids may be stored within said drink bottle;

a recess in said side wall;

an arcuate rotating cover rotatably coupled to said side wall via a channel and following member, said rotating cover rotatable from a closed position overlying said recess and an open position whereby said recess is not obstructed by said rotating cover.

18. A drink bottle according to claim 17, further comprising a locking mechanism for locking said rotating cover in said open position and said closed position, respectively.

19. A drink bottle according to claim 17, wherein said recess has a height greater than 100 mm, a width greater than 60 mm, and a depth greater than 25 mm measured from the deepest portion of the recess to the rotating cover when said cover is in a closed position overlying the recess.

20. A drink bottle according to claim 17, wherein said rotating cover is transparent.