GB2281895A

GB2281895A - Two compartment receptacle

Info

Publication number: GB2281895A
Application number: GB9319418A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Myers
Original assignee: KEELEANNE PROMOTIONS INTERNATI
Current assignee: KEELEANNE PROMOTIONS INTERNATI
Priority date: 1993-09-21
Filing date: 1993-09-21
Publication date: 1995-03-22
Also published as: GB9319418D0

Abstract

A receptacle of elongate form defines, within its interior, two chambers to contain different commodities. The two chambers are each open able separately to dispense the contents of each chamber. The receptacle may be a cylindrical metal can with the two chambers separated by a transverse partition and openable by a can opener (Figure 1), ring pull (13, Figure 2) or various reclosable elements. Alternatively the receptacle may be a sachet 30 or a deformable tube (40, Figure 5). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A RECEPTACLE The present invention relates to a receptacle, and more particularly relates to a receptacle in the form of a package or a container.

There is often a need to use two commodities simultaneously or in conjunction with each other. For example, when one is preparing a meal it may be appropriate to prepare two food items for consumption simultaneously, such as, for example, fruit and custard, or two vegetables such as peas and carrots. When preparing a drink it may be appropriate to utilize two components for a drink such as gin and tonic, lager and lime, etc. Condiments are often used simultaneously, such as salt and pepper. Many other items in day to day use are used at the same time, such as hair shampoo and conditioner, and sometimes two components have to be used simultaneously, such as the two components of a setting adhesive system.

At the present point in time many items that are used together, including each of the items identified above (and these are just given by way of example) are packaged separately, meaning that one or other package can become lost or mislaid, and also meaning that packaging costs are significant.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved receptacle.

According to this invention there is provided a receptacle, the receptacle being of substantially elongate form and defining, within its interior, two chambers to contain different commodities, the two chambers being openable separately to dispense the contents of the chambers.

Preferably the chambers are separated by a transverse partition.

Conveniently the chambers are of substantially the same size.

Alternatively the chambers are of different sizes, with one chamber being larger than the other chamber.

One embodiment of the invention comprises a cylindrical metal can, the can having a transverse internal partition dividing the interior of the can into two chambers.

Preferably the can is provided with two opposed ends, each adapted to be opened by means of a conventional can opener.

Alternatively the can is provided with two opposed ends, each provided with a "ring-pull" opening.

Alternatively an embodiment of the invention may comprise a drum, the drum being provided with two closed ends.

Preferably each closed end of the drum is provided with a closure.

Conveniently the closure comprises a hinged door or chute provided in the closed end of the drum.

Alternatively the closure comprises a rotatable element defining at least one aperture, the rotatable element being rotatable between positions in which the said at least one aperture is aligned with a further aperture that provides access to the associated chamber within the drum, or a position in which the rotatable element blocks off the aperture that provides access to the chamber within the interior of the drum.

In an alternative embodiment the closed ends of the drum are constituted by removable lids, which are movably connected to the drum.

Preferably each lid is a lid of plastics material or the like which snaps into position on the drum.

Alternatively each lid is a screw-on lid.

Another embodiment of the invention may be in the form of a sachet.

Another form of the invention may be a double-ended dispensing tube formed of a deformable material, each end of the dispensing tube being provided with a dispensing nozzle.

Preferably each nozzle is provided with a respective screw cap.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle in accordance with the invention in the form of a tin can, the interior of which is separated into two compartments by means of a transverse partition; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of another receptacle in accordance with the invention in the form of a can divided into two compartments by means of a transverse partition, and having ring-pulls provided at each end of the can;; FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another form of receptacle in accordance with the invention comprising a cylindrical drum having end closures with openings provided at the top and at the bottom, the drum being divided into two chambers by a transverse partition; FIGURE 4 is a view of another form of a receptacle in accordance with the invention in the form of a sachet having two compartments; FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another receptacle in accordance with the invention comprising two chambers defined by flexible walls, each having a respective outlet; and FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another receptacle in accordance with the invention comprising two chambers, each having a respective cover or lid.

Referring initially to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, in a simple embodiment of the invention a cylindrical metal can, or "tin can" 1 of conventional elongate forum, is provided with a transverse internal partition 2 which serves to divide the interior of the can into an upper chamber 3 and a lower chamber 4. The tin can has an upper end 5 and a lower end 6.

The tin can may be used to contain food items which are used in conjunction with each other. Thus the upper chamber 3 may contain an appropriate tinned fruit, such as pears or pineapples, and the lower chamber may contain a food item to be used simultaneously with the fruit, such as custard. Alternatively the upper chamber 3 may contain a first vegetable, such as peas and the lower chamber may contain a second vegetable such as carrots. In fact the two chambers may contain any two food products that are to be used at the same time or in the same meal. The chambers may also contain other products that are intended to be used at the same time.

The tin can 1 of Figure 1 can be opened using a conventional can opener, access initially being had to the upper chamber 3 by removing the upper end 5 of the can 1 and access subsequently being had to the lower chamber 4 by removing the lower end 6 of the can.

Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention in the form of an elongate can 10 having opposed ends 11,12, each end being provided with a conventional ring-pull opening 13,14. The interior of the can is provided with a transverse partition 15 which divides the can into an upper chamber 16 and a lower chamber 17. The partition 15 may be substantially centrally located, in which case the chambers 16 and 17 will be of approximately the same volume. One chamber may then be filled with, for example an orange drink, and the lower chamber may, for example, be filled with a lemon drink. However, the partition 15 may be off-set towards one end of the can so that, for example, the chamber 16 is much larger than the chamber 17. The chamber 16 may then contain, for example lager and the smaller chamber 17 may contain, for example, lime.Alternatively the larger chamber 16 may contain tonic and the smaller chamber 17 may contain gin. Of course other drinks may be packaged within the receptacle of Figure 2.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in the form of an elongate drum 20 which may be formed of any appropriate material, the drum having an upper closed end 21 and a lower closed end 22. The upper closed end 21 is provided with a closure 23 adapted to provide access to an upper chamber 24 defined within the drum by a transverse partition 25. The partition 25 also serves to define a lower chamber 26 within the drum, that lower chamber being associated with a closure 27 in the lower closed end 22. The closure 23 and the closure 27 may comprise any conventional closure used for drums which contain a flowable powder. The closure may therefore comprise a hinged door or chute, such as may be found on a drum of salt or may comprise a rotatable element defining a large hole, and a series of small holes, the rotatable element being rotatable between positions in which an aperture that provides access to the chamber within the drum is either aligned with the large hole or with the small holes or is totally blocked off. A closure of this type may be found conventionally on a container adapted specifically to contain parmesan cheese, for example.

It is envisaged that the drum 20 of Figure 3 may contain flowable powder materials which are to be used at the same time such as, for example, salt and pepper or parmesan cheese and paprika. The drum may contain other powdery products, such as dried herbs.

Figure 4 illustrates another receptacle 30 in accordance with the invention comprising a sachet formed of paper or other sheet material. The sachet is of rectangular elongate form but is provided with a central transversely extending region 31 where the opposed sheets of material forming the sachet are secured together, so that separate chambers 32,33 are formed at each end of the sachet. If the sachet is formed of ordinary paper these chambers 32,33 may contain, for example, salt and pepper, access to the interior of the chambers being attained simply by tearing the ends off the sachet. Alternatively the sachet may be made of a more robust material, such as plasticized paper, and the chambers of the sachet may contain, for example, hair shampoo and hair conditioner.

Figure 5 illustrates yet another receptacle in accordance with the invention in the form of a double-ended dispensing tube 40. The double-er.ded dispensing tube comprises an elongate substantially tubular element 41 which may be formed of an appropriate metal or plastics material, provided with a transverse substantially centrally located weld 42. Each end of the tubular element 41 is provided with a neck 43,44, each neck terminating in a nozzle 45,46, each nozzle having an exterior screwthread which receives a sealing cap 47,48. The receptacle thus effectively has two chambers 49 and 50, each resembling a conventional dispensing tube. The tubes may contain any appropriate material such as, for example, a hair shampoo and conditioner or the two component parts of a two-part adhesive system.

Figure 6 illustrates another receptacle 60 in accordance with the invention comprising a drum or jar of elongate cylindrical form having a side wall 61 defining an open upper end 62 which is closed by means of a lid 63 which can be connected to the otherwise open end of the jar. A transverse partition 64 divides the interior of the jar.into two chambers, namely an upper chamber 65 and a lower chamber 66. The lower chamber 66 is formed with an open mouth which is closed by means of a separate lid 67 of the same form as the lid 63. The lids may be plastic lids which snap into position, or screw-on lids. A jar of this type may, for example, contain English mustard and French mustard.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it is to be appreciated that receptacles in accordance with the invention may be used to contain a wide variety of products. The chambers in each embodiment may be of the same size, or of different sizes.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A receptacle, the receptacle being of substantially elongate form and defining, within its interior, two chambers to contain different commodities, the two chambers being openable separately to dispense the contents of the chambers.

2. A receptacle according to Claim 1, wherein the chambers are separated by a transverse partition.

3. A receptacle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the chambers are of substantially the same size.

4. A receptacle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the chambers are of different sizes, with one chamber being larger than the other chamber.

5. A receptacle according to any one of the preceding Claims in the form of a cylindrical metal can, the can having a transverse internal partition dividing the interior of the can into two chambers.

6. A receptacle according to Claim 5, wherein the can is provided with two opposed ends, each adapted to be opened by means of a conventional can opener.

7. A receptacle according to Claim 5, wherein the can is provided with two opposed ends, each provided with a "ring-pull" opening.

8. A receptacle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, comprising a drum, the drum being provided with two closed ends.

9. A receptacle according to Claim 8, wherein each closed end of the drum is provided with a closure.

10. A receptacle according to Claim 9, wherein the closure comprises a hinged door or chute provided in the closed end of the drum.

11. A receptacle according to Claim 9, wherein the closure comprises a rotatable element defining at least one aperture, the rotatable element being rotatable between positions in which the said at least one aperture is aligned with a further aperture that provides access to the associated chamber within the drum, or a position in which the rotatable element blocks off the aperture that provides access to the chamber within the interior of the drum.

12. A receptacle according to Claim 8, wherein the closed ends of the drum are constituted by removable lids, which are movably connected to the drum.

13. A receptacle according to Claim 12, wherein each lid is a lid of plastics material cr the like which snaps into position on the drum.

14. A receptacle according to Claim 12, wherein each lid is a screw-on lid.

15. A receptacle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 in the form of a sachet.

16. A receptacle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 in the form of a double-ended dispensing tube formed of a deformable material, each end of the dispensing tube being provided with a dispensing nozzle.

17. A receptacle according to Claim 16, wherein each nozzle is provided with a respective screw cap.

18. A receptacle substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A receptacle substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A receptacle substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A receptacle substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A receptacle substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A receptacle substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

24. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.