AU2009313081A1

AU2009313081A1 - Beverage container

Info

Publication number: AU2009313081A1
Application number: AU2009313081A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Florian Enghard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-11-04
Filing date: 2009-11-03
Publication date: 2011-06-23
Also published as: ES2402714T3; CN102223830A; EP2341807B1; CA2742236C; BRPI0921481B1; BRPI0921481A2; CA2742236A1; DE102008055787A1; HK1159970A1; EP2341807A1; WO2010051965A1; CN102223830B; US20110210132A1; AU2016222432A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a beverage container having an interior space for accommodating a fluid, having a container opening preferably attached to the top side, a mixing device comprising a movable wire element being attached in the container. The invention is characterized in that the wire element is designed as a flat, elastic spiral (3), one end of which is attached to the beverage container (7) or the closure element thereof, while the other end of the spiral (3) ends freely in the container space. The spiral (3) is designed so that it can be moved free-swinging in the container interior, at least in a linear direction, by movement of the container and the weight of the spiral.

Description

WO 2010/051965 PCT/EP2009/007861 Beverage container The invention relates to a beverage container according to the preamble of claim 1. Currently, numerous shakers, mixing cups and bottles designed for mixing different ingredients together are available on the market. These ingredients are usually powders and liquids. Said shakers or mixing cups are meant to facilitate or improve the mixing of such ingredients. The substances to be mixed must be filled into the mixing container, which is then closed with a lid element. The substances in the mixing container are mixed by a shaking movement, preferably carried out with the hand. To improve the mixing process, these mixing cups or shakers are offered with various auxiliary elements and/or with a special shape design. Currently, different types of these devices are known. A common model is a shaker with an insertable strainer. Before the mixing process, this strainer is preferably fixed to the container opening or inserted in it after the substances to be mixed have been filled into the container. Then, the mixing container is closed with the lid element. The filled in substances, usually liquids and powders, are then driven through the strainer by carrying out the shaking movement. Thus, the blending process is improved. These insertable strainers are designed, in most cases, as grid-like or turbine-like constructions. A further device to improve the blending process comprises specially shaped, curved interior walls in the mixing container. These special walls are preferably attached to the interior area of the lid element or to the bottom of the cup element. Said walls cause the substances to flow in a specific way during the shaking process. As a result of this vortex-like motion, the blending of liquid and powder or liquid and liquid will be improved. A further device is known from a US patent (6 379 032). A freely movable, physically independent, lattice-like metal ball optimizes the mixing of the filled in substances by moving through the interior of the mixing container during the shaking process. Due to its smaller dimensions and its own weight, it keeps moving in the interior of the mixing container in the direction of the shaking movement while this is being carried out, even if the substances to be mixed together (liquid and powder) are stopped by the restricting walls; thus the ball improves the mixing of the substances due to its grid-like, fine meshed body. The described embodiment is known as "Blender Bottle" (www.blenderbottle.com). All these devices have advantages, but also flaws. E. g., the insertable strainer, due to the fact that it does not move itself, will get clogged quite quickly if the substances do not mix easily. However, when mixing in normal conditions, the strainer's very close-knit mesh structure guarantees an optimum mixing ratio.

2 The blender ball from the known US patent yields good results even with substances which do not blend easily, and clogging is prevented by the ball's self-movement within the mixing container. However, the blender ball is not as close meshed as a grid strainer and, due to its smaller size, it does not provide the same area coverage as a strainer. Therefore, the invention is based on the task of combining the advantages of both devices in a single element. This task is solved by the invention described in patent claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the sub-claims. An advantage of the invention is that blending is optimized by the movability of the spirally shaped, insertable auxiliary element, since its movement in the interior of the container during the shaking process prevents clogging; while, in case of movement in the opposite direction, the auxiliary element acts as a strainer. Advantageously, when drawn out towards the container bottom, the spirally shaped element is getting smaller in diameter, thus adapting optimally to the shape of the most common shaker models, which ensures optimum area coverage. The inventive beverage container has the additional advantage that the spiral can be cleaned and inserted easily. To achieve the same mixing result without the invention, two auxiliary elements (strainer/ ball) would have to be inserted and cleaned. The invention will be explained with an exemplary embodiment, which is shown in the drawings. Brief description of the drawings: Fig. 1: shows a spiral-shaped device for improving the mixing result, provided with a fixing device Fig. 1a: shows a spiral-shaped device for improving the mixing result, provided with a device for inserting Fig. 1 b: shows material accumulations, preferably arranged in the center (A: cone, B: half cone, C: strainer or grid, D: spider shape) Fig. 2: Cup element/container Fig. 3: Spiral movement during the shaking process in the direction of the container bottom Fig. 4: Spiral movement/state during the shaking process in the direction of the lid element. In Fig. 1, a spiral-shaped device is shown, which may be fixed with the help of its fixing device (1) preferably to the lid element or to the container opening. Preferably, this can be done by plugging it 3 into place. Due to the spiral shape (3), a strainer-like structure is formed, which comprises mesh-like passages (4). Preferably in the center, a section of thickened material (2) is arranged, in order to intensify the spiral's self-movement towards the container bottom during the shaking process. Fig. 1a shows the same spiral-shaped device, with the difference that the fixing device is designed as a ring (5) to be put onto a corresponding device in the container element. A further difference in comparison with the model in Fig. 1 is the fact that no special section of thickened material is provided in the center of the spiral; however, the same effect of intensifying the spiral's self-movement is brought about by using thickened material over the entire course of the spiral arm or by specifically choosing a heavy material. In Fig. 1 b, various models of the material thickening section are shown. In Fig. A, a device resembling a pyramid is shown, which points towards the bottom in order to divide the water masses in the shaker itself. In Fig. B, a half cone is shown, which also points towards the bottom in order to bring about the same effect as the model in Fig. A. Fig. C shows a material thickening section designed as a strainer, in order to achieve further improvements in the mixing ratio. An advantage of this device is that it is a movable strainer, since it springs up and down during the shaking process. Fig. D shows a spider-shaped spiral. This design is meant to improve the optical appearance, giving the impression of a spider in its web. In Fig. 2, the container element is shown, which preferably retains its common, commercially available shape. Since the distances of the container walls (8, 9) are getting smaller towards the container bottom, the container shape adapts to the course of the spiral, which is also getting narrower towards the bottom. Preferably, the lid element is fixed at the top (7) of the container with the help of a thread or a mechanical plugging device. In Fig. 3, the course of the spiral (10) in the direction of the container bottom during the shaking process is shown. Due to the helical shape and the resulting narrowing of its diameter in the drawn-out state, the spiral adapts to the container shape, which is also getting narrower towards the bottom. In Fig. 4, the course of the spiral (11) in the direction of the lid element during the shaking process is shown. The spiral has the shape of a strainer now, since it is not drawn out. This may be achieved by arranging the lid element in such a way that it limits the spiral's margin of movement. Another possible option would be to design the spiral itself in such a way that it has a larger margin of movement towards the container bottom and a smaller margin of movement towards the lid element.

Claims

1. Beverage container with an interior space for accommodating a fluid, having a container opening preferably attached to the top side, in which a mixing device is attached, comprising a movable wire element, characterized in that the wire element is designed as a flat, elastic spiral (3), one end of which is attached to the beverage container (7) or to the closure element thereof, while the other end of the spiral (3) ends without attachment in the container space, the spiral being designed in such a way that it can be moved free-swinging in the container interior, at least in linear direction, by movement of the container and the weight of the spiral.

2. Beverage container according to claim 1, characterized in that the spiral (3) comprises a material accumulation as a weight element, preferably arranged in the center.

3. Beverage container according to claim 2, characterized in that the material accumulation is designed in the shape of a cone.

4. Beverage container according to claim 2, characterized in that the material accumulation is designed in the shape of a spider.

5. Beverage container according to claim 2, characterized in that the material accumulation is designed in the shape of a grid or a strainer.

6. Beverage container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elements for fixing are arranged at the container opening or in the closure element itself.

7. Beverage container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container is narrowing towards the container bottom.

8. Beverage container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the margin of movement of the spiral (3) itself is larger towards the container bottom than towards the lid element.

9. Beverage container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the margin of movement of the spiral (3) is limited by a flat-shaped closure element.

10. Beverage container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spiral (3) is preferably made of an elastic metal or plastic.