Combination Bottle and System

Abstract

A combination bottle and system for devising combination bottles for the retention of liquids and other pliable items is provided. A base container unit with an open mouth is configured to retain liquids and exhibits a base unit perimeter lip with an attachment configuration and the base container unit may be combined with various capacity-adding units which have perimeter lips with a variety of attachment configurations that allow attachment between the base unit and the capacity-adding unit(s). The base container unit may be combined either alone or with various numbers of capacity adding units with one or more top units that have top unit perimeter lips with top unit attachment configurations mateable with the various constituent members of the combination bottle system. Various top units are provided which exhibit functional end selected from the group of: sippy cup functional end, straw functional end, and nipple functional end. By varying the size of perimeter lips and projection aspect, necks may be created in constituted bottles providing convenient hand-holds.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to combination bottle systems that provide flexible capacity and function for containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of styles and configurations of bottles and containers are used to hold liquids and foods ranging, for example, from baby formula and milk to consumables oriented for more adult tastes such as, for example, nutritional or energy drinks consumed on long commutes, vacation shores or the high vistas of the Rocky Mountains.

Millions of bottles are discarded each year. For example, of the large variety of bottles used in tending growing babies and children, approximately 70 million end in landfills across the US each year. A part of this disposal load results when babies “outgrow” both the size and function of their bottles. For example, they outgrow their nipple-topped bottles and move up the maturity ladder to what are often called “sippy cups” and then finally to bottles topped by lids configured to securely include a straw.

Fixed capacities also reduce the utility of bottles and containers. Small babies can more readily hold a smaller bottle while the grasp as well as appetite of large children is better suited to bottles of greater capacity.

Hikers sometimes include a mix of bottles in their equipment to allow adaptation to the dry conditions of desert hiking with 1500 cc water bottles while in cooler mountain environments they may employ standard 1 liter bottles. Yet, for some foods and recreational drinks, a 1 liter capacity bottle may be too much and a separate smaller bottle is required for smaller amounts of drink and food if valuable pack space is to be conserved.

Further, many bottles are still constructed from potentially mutagenic materials that may raise the risk of some cancers and birth defects.

What is needed, therefore, is a bottle and container system that provides capacity and function flexibility in an integrated system constructed from safe materials and which adapts to the age, abilities and interests of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A base unit is combined with various capacity-adding units and/or top units having various functional ends to provide a combination bottle and system of wide flexibility and use. Various capacities may be devised by combining one or multiple capacity-adding units to a base unit while various functions for the combined bottle may be implemented through various functional ends for the employed top unit. In some embodiments, combinations of attachment configurations of various perimeter lips of the constituent bottle units create neck features in devised combination bottles. Various configurations of attachment configurations may be combined to impose particular stacking or combination rules on constituted combination bottles devised from various embodiments of the combination bottle systems provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts an exemplar base unit employed in a combination bottle system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 1B-1F each depict various example configurations for functional ends of top units that may be employed with various embodiments of a combination bottle system in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C each depict various example attachment configurations employed in a top unit embodiment for use with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment from a combination bottle system employing multiple capacity adding units and a coffee style top unit.

FIG. 4 depicts another embodiment from a combination bottle system employing an open lip top unit.

FIG. 5 depicts another embodiment from a combination bottle system.

FIG. 6 depicts another embodiment from a combination bottle system employing a sippy cup top unit.

FIG. 7 illustrates a few example attachment configurations employed in an embodiment of a combination bottle.

FIG. 8 depicts yet another embodiment of a combination bottle.

FIG. 9 depicts a combination bottle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in which a double walled construction is employed by various units of the combination bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLAR EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A depicts aspects of an exemplar bottle system 10. As shown in FIG. 1A, base unit 20 is a container having capacity 21 and an open end 22 with a perimeter lip 24 configured with an attachment configuration 26_X. Base unit 20 may be any of a variety of configurations, such as, for example, round, square, faceted or oval. Attachment configuration 26_X is preferably, although not necessarily, round.

Various exemplar top units are shown in FIGS. 1B-1F with each being depicted with a functional end 28. FIG. 1B shows top unit 30₁ having, for example, a functional end 28 that is a nipple end 32. In these Figs, reference 28 refers to any functional end while particular types of functional ends are identified by their own unique reference.

Top unit 30₁ is shown having a shell 31 and a separable nipple 32 as its functional end. Top units 30 that employ separable functional ends 28 are comprised from a shell 31 and a separable functional end. In FIG. 1C, top unit 30₂ is shown having a functional end 28 which in this particular embodiment, is a sippy cup lip functional end 34 while in FIG. 1D, top unit 30₃ exhibits a functional end 28 which is a straw functional end 36 with an optional ferrule or bulb 37 to retain straw 36 in top unit 30₃. Top unit 30₄ is shown with a functional end 28 which is a push-pull access sports type functional end 29 (FIG. 1E). In FIG. 1F another functional end 28 which is a sports type functional end 29 adapted for bicycling is shown. The nipple functional end 32, sippy cup functional end 34, integrated straw functional end 36, push-pull access sports functional end 29₁ and flip over sports type functional end 29₂ are just examples of various types of functional ends 28. These examples should not be considered limiting however. It should be appreciated that functional ends 28 may be either integrated, such as shown by an integrated sippy cup functional end 34 in FIG. 1C or separable from shell 31 of top unit 30 such as is shown in FIG. 1B. It should be appreciated that as with other various functional ends, nipple functional end 32 may be separable from shell 31 or integral with top unit 30. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1F, top units 30_X include an attachment configuration 26_Y that mates with an attachment configuration 26_X of base unit 20 or later shown capacity-adding unit 50. As will be appreciated, top unit 30 may have functional ends 28 that provide substantially covered tops to the combination bottle as shown in FIG. 3 for use with hot liquids while another type of functional end may merely be an open lipped functional end such as that shown in FIG. 4. It will be further appreciated that these are merely examples of a few of the many different types of top units that may be employed in a bottle system in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C depict from a top down view a base unit 20 with a semi-rectangular configuration devised for convenient stacking, shipment and use in suitcases or packs where space is at a premium. As those of skill will appreciate, base unit 20 as well as the capacity adding units 50 may display any of a variety of configurations such as circular or rectangular to name just a couple of examples.

Base unit 20 is depicted as configured with various exemplar types of attachment configurations 26_X provided to illustrate, without limiting, a variety of example types of attachment configurations employable with various units of the combination bottle and system 10. FIG. 2A illustrates an attachment configuration 26_XA in which a slot 40 is part of an attachment configuration 26_X that may be part of a base unit or a capacity-adding unit 50 such as those shown in later figures. Slot 40 is configured to accept a tab from attachment configuration 26_Y of a corresponding top unit 30 or capacity-adding unit 50 and a sloping channel 42 is provided to allow mating between various units of system 10. FIG. 2B depicts a screw thread attachment configuration 26_XB with threads 44 that are internal to the perimeter lip 24. FIG. 2C depicts a screw thread attachment configuration 26_XC having threads 46 that are external on perimeter lip 24. These are just a few exemplars of attachment configurations 26_X that may be used to provide one of the pair of attachment configurations 26_X and 26_Y that mate to provide attachment amongst base units 20, capacity-adding units 50, and top units 30.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplar combination bottle 60 with multiple capacity-adding units 50 each having capacity 52 and a first perimeter lip 24 with an upper attachment configuration 26_X and a second perimeter lip 24 with a lower attachment configuration 26_Y. It should be appreciated that the combination bottle 60 shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated with three capacity-adding units 50 and a base unit 20 and a top unit 30₅ shown configured as with “coffee top” functional end 28 useful for drinking liquids that may be spilled, but a variety of top units 30 as well as capacity-adding units 50 of a variety of configurations may be employed with the depicted embodiment. It should also be appreciated that the upper and lower attachment configurations 26_X and 26Y respectively, of a particular capacity-adding unit may be of the same type such as, for example, both screw configurations, or different types such as, for example, tab and slot connective configuration for upper attachment configuration 26_X and screw configuration for lower attachment configuration 26_Y, for example. Further, the upper and lower attachment configurations of a particular capacity-adding unit may both be of the same type (e.g., screw) yet one may exhibit internal threads while the other external threads or, both upper and lower attachment configurations may exhibit the same character of threads. Further, the perimeter lips 24 of a particular capacity-adding unit 50 or base unit 20 or top unit 30 may be of either “gender” (e.g., male or projecting) or in units having two perimeter lips such as, for example, exemplar capacity-adding units 50, the perimeter lips may be of different gender (e.g., one male and the other female or accepting) or the same gender.

A variety of materials are preferably employed in the construction of preferred embodiments of combination bottle 60 including, for example, materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, PET, copolyester, glass, PS, AS, bio based polymers, PE, PP, PPSU, BPA, PES, acrylic, bamboo, melamine, or PA. As those of skill will recognize, these materials are typically less toxic and more inert than many other materials and therefore are recommended for use in bottles and containers for foods and liquids.

As shown in FIG. 3, attachment configuration 26_X and attachment configuration 26_Y are mateable with each other to combine the various units of combination bottle 60. There need not be uniformity between the first and second lip gender nor in the attachment configurations of said perimeter lips. In combination bottles devised from units 20, 50 and 30, for example, attachment configurations 26_X and 26_Y amongst each of the constituent units 20, 30 and 50 need not be of the same configurations and, in some embodiments, imposing particular types of attachment configurations 26_X and 26_Y will intentionally dictate the order such units are combined and that will impose a desired connection or stacking outcome in such embodiments where desired.

FIG. 4 depicts a combination bottle 60 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in which a base unit 20 is combined through the mating of attachment configuration 26_Y of perimeter lip 24 of base unit 20 with attachment configuration 26_Y exhibited by perimeter lip 24 of capacity-adding unit 50 and the mating of attachment configuration 26_Y of the perimeter lip 24 of top unit 30₆ with attachment configuration 26_X of capacity-adding unit 50 to create an open lipped cup variant combination bottle 60.

FIG. 4 depicts various exemplar units 20, 50 and 30 arranged to illustrate another exemplar embodiment of combination bottle 60. It should be understood that the illustrations of the present disclosure are merely exemplars and the combinations available are not in any way limited to those shown whether in combinations shown or in dimensions relative or absolute. As illustrated in FIG. 4, multiple units such as base unit 20 and capacity-adding units 50 with diameter A may be combined into a multi-piece bottle 60 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Various top units 30 may be chosen for employment in combination bottle 60 as those of skill will understand after appreciating this disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts a combination bottle 60 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in which a base unit 20 is combined through the mating of attachment configuration 26_X of perimeter lip 24 of base unit 20 with attachment configuration 26_Y exhibited by perimeter lip 24 of capacity-adding unit 50 and the mating of attachment configuration 26_Y of the perimeter lip 24 of top unit 30₂ with attachment configuration 26_X of upper perimeter lip 24 of capacity-adding unit 50 to create a larger sippy cup variant combination bottle 60 for extended car trips, for example.

FIG. 6 illustrates the combination of an exemplar base unit 20 having attachment configuration 26_X on a projecting (e.g., “male”) perimeter lip 24 configured for mating to an attachment configuration 26_Y configured on a corresponding lower projecting perimeter lip of a capacity adding unit 50. When the present disclosure refers to a perimeter lip without specifying that it is projecting or accepting/receiving it should be understood that such perimeter lip may be either.

In some of the provided views, attachment configuration 26_X is configured on a projecting perimeter lip 24 and attachment configuration 26y is configured on an accepting perimeter lip 24 but as those of skill will understand after appreciating this disclosure, some embodiments may exhibit attachment configurations 26_X and 26_Y with each found on projecting perimeter lips 24. It will be noted that upper perimeter lip 24 of capacity adding unit 50 creates a diameter A₂ in capacity adding unit 50 that is smaller than diameter A₁ of the body 55 of capacity adding unit 50.

As shown in FIG. 7, configured in the upper-most capacity-adding unit 50 of the figure is perimeter lip 24 configured with an attachment configuration exhibiting slot 40 and channel 42 to accept tab 54 on either another capacity-adding unit 50 or, as shown, a top unit 30 as shown in FIG. 7. Depicted top unit 30 includes a functional end 28 which is a sports top nozzle 29 and a finger ring 41 although no particular configuration should be implied as this should be understood to be merely an example of one of the many configurations of functional tops used with combination bottle 60.

FIG. 8 depicts a base unit 20 with capacity 21 having an attachment configuration 26_X exhibited on its perimeter lip 24. Depicted combination bottle 60 includes base unit 20 and capacity-adding unit 50 with capacity 51 and, as illustrated, top unit 30 having attachment configuration 26Y that mates with attachment configuration 26_X of unit 50. Top unit 30 is configured with a functional unit 28 which is an adult suction functional end 33 to provide a sealed container until suction is applied to top unit 30.

It will be appreciated that because diameter B is less than diameter A₁ this results in combination bottle 60 a neck of smaller diameter and shown height C which may provide a convenient hand-hold in bottle 60. Surface 54 of mid-level capacity-adding unit 50 of FIG. 8 is shown in a planar configuration which creates a bottom surface on that capacity-adding unit 50 which provides added stability between the constituent units. For added leak prevention, an optional washer may be employed to enhance the fit between capacity-adding unit 50 and base unit 20 or another capacity-adding unit 50 with which it is mated through the mating of respective attachment configurations 26_X and 26_Y.

FIG. 8 depicts a double-walled construction that may be employed in configurations employed with fluids that are preferably maintained in temperature. Space 51 between walls 53 is preferably air but may be partial vacuum or even filled with argon or other insulative gas as those of skill will appreciate. Thus, combination bottles that provide improved thermal stability with safe materials while offering flexible capacities and utility are provided by such embodiments.

Claims

1. A combination bottle system comprising:

a base container unit configured to retain liquids, the base container unit having an open mouth with a base unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration;

a capacity-adding unit configured to retain liquids, the capacity-adding unit having a first perimeter lip having a first attachment configuration, the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip and the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip being mateable with each other, the capacity-adding unit having a second perimeter lip having a second attachment configuration; and

a top unit having a top unit perimeter lip having a top unit attachment configuration mateable with the second attachment configuration of the second perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit.

2. The combination bottle system of clam 1 in which each of the top unit, the base container unit and the capacity adding unit are comprised from a group of materials including: stainless steel, aluminum, PET, copolyester, glass, PS, AS, bio based polymers, PE, PP, PPSU, BPA, PES, acrylic, bamboo, melamine, and PA.

3. The combination bottle system of claim 1 in which the top unit exhibits a functional end selected from the group of: sippy cup functional end, straw functional end, nipple functional end, sports functional end, coffee top functional end and open lipped functional end

4. The combination bottle system of any of claim 1 in which the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip, the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit and the second attachment configuration of the second perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit are each of the same type.

5. The combination bottle system of claim 2 in which the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip, the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit and the second attachment configuration of the second perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit are each of the same type.

6. The combination bottle system of claim 1 in which the top unit comprises a shell and said top unit exhibits a nipple functional end separable from the shell of the top unit.

7. The combination bottle system of claim 1 in which the top unit exhibits an integral nipple functional end.

8. The combination bottle system of claim 1 in which the first perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit and the base unit perimeter lip of the base unit are each configured with a projecting configuration so that when the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit and the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip are mated, the combination bottle exhibits a neck having a neck diameter smaller than the diameter of the base unit.

9. A combination bottle system comprising:

a base container unit configured to retain liquids, the base container unit having an open mouth with a base unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration; and

first and second top units, each of said first and second top units having a top unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration mateable with the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip, said first and second top units each exhibiting a different functional end, each of the

10. The combination bottle system of claim 8 in which the functional ends of the first and second units are selected from the group of: sippy cup functional end, straw functional end, nipple functional end, sports functional end, and open lipped functional end.

11. The combination bottle system of claim 8 in which the first top unit exhibits a nipple functional end that is separable from a shell of said first top unit.

12. A combination bottle system comprising:

a base container unit configured to retain liquids, the base container unit having an open mouth with a base unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration;

a first capacity-adding unit configured to retain liquids, the first capacity-adding unit having a first perimeter lip having a first attachment configuration and a second perimeter lip having a second attachment configuration, the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip being mateable with the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip or the second attachment configuration of the second attachment lip; and

a second capacity-adding unit configured to retain liquids, the second capacity-adding unit having a primary second capacity-adding unit perimeter lip having a third attachment configuration, the third attachment configuration being mateable with the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip or the first or second attachment configurations of the respective perimeter lips of the first capacity-adding unit.

13. The combination bottle system of claim 12 in which the first and second capacity adding units are comprised from materials from a group of materials: stainless steel, aluminum, PET, copolyester, glass, PS, AS, bio based polymers, PE, PP, PPSU, BPA, PES, acrylic, bamboo, melamine, and PA.

14. The combination bottle system of claim 13 further comprising

a top unit, the top unit having a top unit perimeter lip, said top unit having a top unit attachment configuration mateable with the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip or the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip or the second attachment configuration of the second perimeter lip of the first capacity-adding unit.

15. The combination bottle system of claim 14 in which the top unit exhibits a functional end, said functional end being selected from the group of: sippy cup functional end, nipple functional end, and straw functional end.

16. The combination bottle system of claim 14 in which the top unit comprises a shell and a separable functional end.

17. The combination bottle system of claim 12 further comprising:

first and second top units, the first top unit having a first top unit perimeter lip having a first top unit attachment configuration mateable with the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip or the first, second, or third attachment configurations and said second top unit having a second top unit perimeter lip having a second top unit attachment configuration said first and second top units each exhibiting a functional end.

18. The combination bottle system of claim 17 in which said first and second top units each have a functional end selected from the group of functional ends including sippy cup functional end, straw cup functional end and nipple cup functional end.

19. The combination bottle system of claim 18 in which the functional ends of the respective first and second top units each exhibit a different function.

20. A combination bottle system comprising:

a base container unit configured to retain liquids, the base container unit having an open mouth with a base unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration; and

first and second top units, the first top unit having a first top unit perimeter lip having a first top unit attachment configuration mateable with the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip and said second top unit having a second top unit perimeter lip having a second top unit attachment configuration, said first and second top units each exhibiting a functional end selected from the group of: nipple functional end and sippy cup functional end and straw cup functional end, the base container unit and the first and second top units each being comprised from materials selected from: stainless steel, aluminum, PET, copolyester, glass, PS, AS, bio based polymers, PE, PP, PPSU, BPA, PES, acrylic, bamboo, melamine, PA.

21. A combination bottle system comprising:

a base container unit configured to retain liquids, the base container unit having an open mouth with a base unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration; and

a first capacity-adding unit configured to retain liquids, the first capacity-adding unit having a first perimeter lip having a first attachment configuration and a second perimeter lip having a second attachment configuration, the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip being mateable with the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip or the second attachment configuration of the second attachment lip, the first perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit and the base unit perimeter lip of the base unit being each configured with a projecting configuration so that when the first attachment configuration of the first perimeter lip of the capacity-adding unit and the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip are mated, the combination bottle exhibits a neck.

22. The combination bottle of claim 19 further comprising a top unit having a functional end.

23. The combination bottle of claim 19 in which the base unit has a base unit diameter and the neck has a neck diameter and the base unit diameter is larger than the neck diameter.

24. The combination bottle of claim 20 in which the capacity-adding unit exhibits a flat floor surface.

25. A combination bottle system comprising:

a base container unit configured to retain liquids, the base container unit having an open mouth with a base unit perimeter lip having an attachment configuration;

a capacity adding unit configured with first and second attachment configurations, the first attachment configuration being mateable with the attachment configuration of the base container unit;

a first top unit having a functional end and a first top unit perimeter lip having a first top unit attachment configuration mateable with the attachment configuration of the base unit perimeter lip and the second attachment configuration of the capacity adding unit, each of the capacity adding unit and the base container unit having double walled construction.

26. The combination bottle system of claim 25 further comprising a second top unit having a function end that provides a function distinct from the function provided by the first top unit.

27. The combination bottle system of claim 25 in which the capacity adding unit and the base container unit are each comprised from materials selected from the list of: stainless steel, aluminum, PET, copolyester, glass, PS, AS, bio based polymers, PE, PP, PPSU, BPA, PES, acrylic, bamboo, melamine, and PA.