US20110024311A1

US20110024311A1 - Liquid container with storage compartment

Info

Publication number: US20110024311A1
Application number: US12/728,999
Authority: US
Inventors: Karen Swinford; Traci Chapple; David Starr; Emily Carlson; Jeffrey Chiu; Mason Umholtz
Original assignee: Wilton Industries Inc
Current assignee: Wilton Industries Inc
Priority date: 2009-03-20
Filing date: 2010-03-22
Publication date: 2011-02-03
Also published as: US20110062168A1

Abstract

A liquid container includes the first compartment configured to hold a liquid, the second compartment separated from the first compartment, the first wall structure surrounding the first compartment, the second wall structure separating the second compartment from the first compartment, the first opening formed at a top portion of the liquid container and exposing the first compartment, the second opening formed at a bottom portion of the liquid container and exposing the second compartment, the first cap configured to engage the top portion of the liquid container to seal the first opening and the first compartment, and the second cap configured to engage the bottom portion of the liquid container to seal the second opening and the second opening.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit thereof from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/161,967 titled “CUP AND BOTTLES” filed Mar. 20, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to containers in general. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a liquid container having a separate storage compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Medicines, nutritional supplements, sports supplements, drink flavorings and/or the like are frequently manufactured and sold in the form of a powdered mix. In particular, they are sold in convenient packets or containers. Sometimes as single use packets or containers. The use of these powdered mix products requires a liquid (e.g., water, juice, milk, beverage and/or the like) and a mixing/drinking vessel (e.g., a cup, a bottle and/or the like). Moreover, typically the mix products are kept separate from the liquid until the user is ready consume. Thus, powdered mix products are not particularly convenient for situations for a user as the powdered mix must be carried separately from the liquid and/or a drink vessel. This is bothersome when a user wants to workout, hike, and/or exercise and desires not to be encumbered with many items to carry. Similarly, it is bothersome when a user wants to workout, hike, and/or exercise, and desires not to be encumbered with many items to carry, yet needs to carry a beverage and some personal items (e.g., keys, identification, money, and the like.).
Accordingly, there is a need for a storage compartment in a drinking vessel for storing personal items, powdered or non-powdered mixes and/or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a liquid container includes the first compartment configured to hold a liquid, the second compartment separated from the first compartment, the first wall structure surrounding the first compartment, the second wall structure separating the second compartment from the first compartment, the first opening formed at a top portion of the liquid container and exposing the first compartment, the second opening formed at a bottom portion of the liquid container and exposing the second compartment, the first cap configured to engage the top portion of the liquid container to seal the first opening and the first compartment, and the second cap configured to engage the bottom portion of the liquid container to seal the second opening and the second opening.
At least one of the first and second caps may be re-sealable. Each of the first and second caps may be a tab, a crown cork, a screw cap, a pull-off cap, flip-top cap or a snap-fit cap. The second compartment may be configured to store one or more pouches containing powdered mix.
The first wall structure may include a bottom wall, and the second opening may be formed at the bottom wall. The second wall structure may be connected to the first wall structure at the bottom wall around the second opening. The bottom wall may be recessed. The second cap may substantially entirely cover the bottom wall of the liquid container.
The second opening may have a triangular, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, circular or elliptical shape. The second wall structure may have a spherical, cubical, prism, cylindrical, conical or pyramid shape.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a liquid container includes an outer wall structure having the first opening and the second opening, an inner wall structure connected to the outer wall structure at the second opening, a liquid compartment surrounded by an inner surface of the outer wall structure and an outer surface of the inner wall structure and exposed by the first opening, and a storage compartment surrounded by an inner surface of the inner wall structure and exposed by the second opening.
The first opening may be formed at a top portion of the outer wall structure and the second opening is formed at a bottom portion of the outer wall structure. The liquid container may further include the first cap configured to engage the top portion of the outer wall structure to seal the first opening, and the second cap configured to engage the bottom portion of the outer wall structure to seal the second opening. At least one of the first and second caps may be re-sealable. The storage compartment may be configured to store one or more pouches containing powdered mix.
The bottom portion of the outer wall structure may include a bottom wall, and the second opening may be formed at the bottom wall. The bottom wall may be recessed. The second cap may substantially entirely cover the bottom wall. The inner wall structure may be connected to the outer wall structure at the bottom wall around the second opening. The inner wall structure may be spaced apart from the outer wall structure except for the connection therebetween at the bottom wall around the second opening.
Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosure may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following attached detailed description and drawings. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the disclosure and the following attached detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. No attempt is made to show structural details of the disclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure and the various ways in which it may be practiced.

FIG. 1A shows a side view a liquid container with a storage compartment constructed according to the principles of the disclosure;

FIG. 1B shows an exploded perspective view of the liquid container of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A shows a side view of another liquid container with a storage compartment constructed according to the principles of the disclosure;

FIG. 2B shows an exploded perspective view of the liquid container of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of another liquid container with a storage compartment according to the principles of the disclosure;

FIG. 3B shows a side view of the liquid container of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C shows a side cut view of the liquid container of FIG. 3B;

FIG. 3D shows a perspective view of a main body of the liquid container of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3E shows a side view of the main body of FIG. 3D;

FIG. 3F shows a side cut view of the main body of FIG. 3E;

FIG. 3G shows a perspective view of a top cap of the liquid container of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3H shows a side view of the top cap of FIG. 3G;

FIG. 3I shows a side cut view of the top cap of FIG. 3H;

FIG. 3J shows a perspective view of a bottom cap of the liquid container of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3K shows a side view of the bottom cap of FIG. 3J

FIG. 3L shows a side cut view of the bottom cap of FIG. 3L; and

FIG. 3M shows a bottom view of the bottom cap of FIG. 3J.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The embodiments of the disclosure and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following attached description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
FIG. 1A shows a side view a liquid container 100 constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. FIG. 1B shows an exploded perspective view of the liquid container 100 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 concurrently, the liquid container 100 may be a reusable or disposable bottle. The liquid container 100 may be formed of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum, a synthetic material and/or the like. The liquid container 100 may have two or more compartments (e.g., a main compartment 110 and a storage compartment 120), an outer wall structure 130, an inner wall structure 140, a top cap 150, a bottom cap 160 and/or the like.
The main compartment 110 may be used to store a liquid, such as, e.g., water, milk, soft drinks, sports drink, beer, wine, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, ink, chemicals and/or the like. The main compartment 110 may also store a non-liquid material, such as, e.g., a gas, powder, flavors, vitamins, medicines, personal documents, keys and/or the like. The storage compartment 120 may be used to store one or more items, such as, e.g., one or more pouches 170A, a driver license 170B and/or the like, that may need to be separated from the content of the main compartment 110. For example, the liquid container 100 may be used as a container for a drink product, e.g., medicines, sport drinks, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and/or the like. A liquid may be contained in the main compartment 110. The storage compartment 120 may store one or more pouches 170A containing powdered mix. To serve the drink, a user may remove the bottom cap 160, take out one or more of the pouches 170A from the storage compartment 120, open the pouches 170A, remove the top cap 150, pour the powdered mix into the main compartment 110, close the top cap 150 and shake the container 100 to mix the powdered mix with the liquid in the main compartment 110. By storing the pouches 170A within the liquid container 100, the users may instantly access the powdered mix, the liquid and the mixing/drinking vessel, and the users may consume the powdered mix drink anywhere and anytime. Further, by storing the powdered mix in the pouches 170A, the powered mix may stay fresh for a longer period time and may be less susceptible to staleness, deterioration and/or the like.
Alternatively or additionally, the storage compartment 120 may be used to temporarily store one or more small items, such as, e.g., a driver license 180B, an ID card, a credit card, a ticket, cash and/or the like. This may be beneficial when the user goes running, hiking, swimming, tanning, exercising and/or the like and it is not desirable to carry an extra bag. For security reasons, at least one of the inner and outer wall structures 130, 140 may be translucent or opaque such that the contents of the storage compartment 120 may not be identifiable. Alternatively, both the inner and outer wall structures 130, 140 may be transparent such that a user can see through the inner and outer wall structures 130, 140 and identify the contents of the storage compartment 120.
The outer wall structure 130 may surround the main compartment 110 and have a top opening (not shown) at the top portion thereof to expose the main compartment 110. To seal the top opening, the top cap 150 may engage the top portion of the main compartment 110. The top cap 150 may be any type of resealable or non-resealable closure, such as, e.g., a tab, a crown cork, a screw cap, a pull-off cap, flip-top cap, a snap-fit cap and/or the like.
In addition to the top opening, the outer wall structure 130 may have a bottom opening 136 at the bottom portion thereof to expose the storage compartment 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, the outer wall structure 130 may have a bottom wall 132 and the bottom opening 136 may be formed at the bottom wall 132. The bottom wall 132 may be recessed as shown in FIG. 1B and surrounded by a rim 134, which protrudes downwardly from the circumference of the bottom wall 132 and encircles the bottom wall 132.
The bottom cap 160 may engage the bottom portion of the main compartment 110 to seal the bottom opening 136. The bottom cap 160 may be any type of resealable or non-resealable closure. For example, the bottom cap 160 may be configured to fit the rim 134 such that the bottom cap 160 may be pushed into and pulled from the space surrounded by the rim 134. Alternatively, the bottom cap 160 may be a tab, a screw cap, a flip-top cap and/or the like. The bottom cap 160 may substantially entirely cover the bottom wall 132, as shown in FIG. 1A.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the bottom opening 136 may be a rectangular shape and extends along the diameter of the bottom wall 132. Other shapes are contemplated for the bottom opening 136. For example, the bottom opening 136 may have a triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, circular or elliptical shape. The bottom opening 136 may be large enough to insert the contents, such as, e.g., the pouches 170A, the driver's license 170B and/or the like therethrough.
The inner wall structure 140 may separate the storage compartment 120 from the main compartment 110. As shown in FIG. 1B, the inner wall structure 140 may extend from the bottom wall 132 around the opening 136 towards the top portion of the liquid container 100. The inner wall structure 140 may be connected to the outer wall structure at the bottom wall 132 around the opening 136. The main compartment 110 may be surrounded by an inner surface of the outer wall structure 130 and the outer surface of the inner wall structure 140. The storage compartment 120 may be surrounded by the inner surface of the inner wall structure 140. The inner wall structure 140 may have a substantially cuboid (e.g., box) shape as shown in FIG. 1B. Other shapes are also contemplated, for example, a spherical, prism, cylindrical, conical or pyramid shape. The size and shape of the second opening 136 and the inner wall structure 140 may vary depending on the contents to be stored in the storage compartment 120. For example, the storage compartment 120 may be configured to be smaller or larger, thereby increasing or decreasing the capacity of the main compartment 110.
FIG. 2A shows a side view of another liquid container 200 with a storage compartment constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. FIG. 2B shows an exploded perspective view of the liquid container of FIG. 2A. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B concurrently, the liquid container 200 may have a similar construction to the liquid container 100 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. For example, the liquid container 200 may include two or more compartments (e.g., a main compartment 210 and a storage compartment 220), an outer wall structure 230, an inner wall structure 240, a top cap 250, a bottom cap 260 and/or the like. The main compartment 210 may be used to store a liquid and the storage compartment 220 may be used to store one or more items that may be need to be separated from the content of the main compartment 210.
The outer wall structure 230 may surround the main compartment 210 and have a top opening (not shown) at the top portion thereof to expose the main compartment 210. To seal the top opening, the top cap 250 may engage the top portion of the main compartment 210. Further, the outer wall structure 230 may have a bottom opening 236 at the bottom portion thereof to expose the storage compartment 220. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the outer wall structure 230 may have a bottom wall 232 and the bottom opening 236 may be formed at the bottom wall 232. The bottom wall 232 may be recessed and surrounded by a rim 234, which protrudes downwardly from the circumference of the bottom wall 234 and encircles the bottom wall 232. The bottom cap 260 may engage the bottom portion of the main compartment 210 to seal the bottom opening 236, as noted above. The top cap 250 and/or the bottom cap 260 may be any type of resealable or non-resealable closure.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the bottom opening 236 may be a circular shape and located at the center portion of the bottom wall 232. Other shapes and locations are contemplated, as noted above. The inner wall structure 240 may separate the storage compartment 220 from the main compartment 210. The inner wall structure 240 may extend from the bottom wall 232 around the opening 236 towards the top portion of the liquid container 200. The inner wall structure 240 may be connected to the outer wall structure 230 at the bottom wall 232 around the bottom opening 236. The main compartment 210 may be surrounded by an inner surface of the outer wall structure 230 and the outer surface of the inner wall structure 240. The storage compartment 220 may be surrounded by the inner surface of the inner wall structure 240. The inner wall structure 240 may have a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 1B, but other shapes are also contemplated as noted above.
FIG. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3J, 3K, 3L and 3M show various views of a liquid container 300 and its parts, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the liquid container 300. FIG. 3B is a side view of the liquid container 300 of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a side cut view of the liquid container 300 of FIG. 3B, cut along the line A-A′. Referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C concurrently, the liquid container 300 may include a main body 400, a top cap 500, a bottom cap 600 and/or the like. In FIG. 3C, the main body 400 of the liquid container 300 may have at least two separate compartments (e.g., a main compartment 410, a storage compartment 420 and/or the like), an outer wall structure 430, an inner wall structure 440 and/or the like. The main compartment 410 and the storage compartment 420 may be separated by the inner wall structure 440.
FIG. 3D shows a perspective view of the main body 400 show in FIGS. A, 3B and 3C. FIG. 3E is a side view of the main body 400 shown in FIG. 3D, and FIG. 3F is a side cut view of the main body 400 of FIG. 3E, cut along the line B-B′. Referring to FIGS. 3D, 3E and 3F concurrently, the main body 400 may further include a top opening 450, a bottom opening 460, a group of horizontal grooves 432, screw threads 434 for engaging the top cap 500, a horizontal groove 438 for engaging the bottom cap 600, and/or the like. The group of horizontal grooves 432 may be provided for easier grip. In FIG. 3F, the outer wall structure 430 may have an outer surface 430A and an inner surface 430B, and the inner wall structure 440 may have an outer surface 440A and an inner surface 440B. The screw threads 434 may be formed on the outer surface 430A of the outer wall structure 430 at a top portion thereof near the top opening 450. The bottom opening 460 may be formed at a bottom wall 436 of the external wall structure 436.
The inner wall structure 440 may be connected to the bottom wall 436 around the bottom opening 460 and extend upwardly towards the top opening 450. A portion of the inner wall structure 440 near the bottom opening 460 may be larger than the rest of the inner wall structure 440 to engage the bottom cap 600. The main compartment 410 may be surrounded by the inner surface 430B of the outer wall structure 430 and the outer surface 440A of the inner wall structure 440 and exposed by the top opening 450. The storage compartment 420 may surrounded by the inner surface 440B of the inner wall structure 440 and exposed by the bottom opening 460.
FIG. 3G shows the top cap 500 of the liquid container 300 shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C. FIG. 3H is a side view of the top cap 500 shown in FIG. 3G, and FIG. 3I is a side cut view of the top cap 500 of FIG. 3H, cut along the line C-C′. Referring to FIGS. 3G, 3H and 3I concurrently, the top cap 500 may include a base ring 510, a screw cap 520 and a tether 530 and/or the like. The tether 530 may extend from the base 510 and pivotally connected to the screw cap 530 at the top center portion thereof by a rivet 532 such that the screw cap 530 may freely rotate to engage or disengage the main body 400. The base ring 510 may be attached to main body 400 to surround the top portion thereof near the top opening 450 and to keep the screw cap 520 near the top opening 450 when the screw cap 520 is disengaged from the main body 400. The screw cap 520 may have screw threads 522 at the inside surface thereof to engage the screw threads 434 of the main body 400.
FIG. 3J shows the bottom cap 600 of the liquid container 300 shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. FIG. 3K is a side view of the bottom cap 600 shown in FIG. 3J. FIG. 3L is a side cut view of the bottom cap 600 of FIG. 3 k, cut along the line D-D′. FIG. 3M is a bottom view of the bottom cap 600 shown in FIG. 3J. Referring to FIGS. 3J, 3K, 3L and 3M concurrently, the bottom cap 600 may include a bottom wall 610, an outer wall 620 extending upwardly from the outer circumference of the bottom wall 610, an inner wall 630 extending upwardly from the inner circumference of the bottom wall 610 to encircle an opening 640 formed at a center portion of the bottom wall 610. As shown in FIG. 3M, the bottom cap 600 may further include a lid 650 for covering the opening 640. The lid 650 may be connected to the bottom wall 610 via a tether 652. The bottom wall 610 may further have a recess 654 at a portion adjoining the lid 650 such that a user may remove the lid 650 with his or her finger tip.
The bottom cap 600 may configured to engage the bottom portion of the main body 400. For example, the bottom wall 436 of the main body 400 and the bottom cap 600 may be configured such that the bottom portion of the main body 400 may be fixed in a space between the outer wall 620 and the inner wall 630 of the bottom cap 600. Further, the outer wall 620 may have a rim 622 protruding inwardly from a top end portion thereof. The rim 622 may be formed to engage the horizontal groove 438 (see FIG. 3F) formed on the outer wall structure 430 such that the bottom cap 600 may not come off easily from the main body 400. The inner wall 630 may be configured to be inserted into the bottom opening 460 of the main body 400 and to surround the bottom opening 460 (see FIGS. 3C and 3F).
Accordingly, the liquid container of the disclosure may provide an instant access to powdered mix, a liquid and a drink vessel. Also, by using one or more pouches to store the powdered mix, the powdered mix may stay fresh for an extended period of time and may be less susceptible to staleness and/or deterioration. Further, the liquid container of the disclosure may be advantageous when it is necessary to store two or more items in a single container and the two or more items need to be separated for a certain period of time. Since the users may use the extra storage compartment to temporarily store necessary items, the users may not need to carry an extra bag in addition to the liquid container. By configuring at least one of the inner and outer wall structures to be translucent or opaque, the liquid container of the disclosure may be used as a temporary safe for small items.
While the disclosure has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure can be practiced with modifications in the spirit and scope of the appended claims. These examples given above are merely illustrative and are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all possible designs, embodiments, applications or modifications of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A liquid container comprising:

a first compartment configured to hold a liquid;

a second compartment separated from the first compartment;

a first wall structure surrounding the first compartment;

a second wall structure separating the second compartment from the first compartment;

a first opening formed at a top portion of the liquid container and exposing the first compartment;

a second opening formed at a bottom portion of the liquid container and exposing the second compartment;

a first cap configured to engage the top portion of the liquid container to seal the first opening and the first compartment; and

a second cap configured to engage the bottom portion of the liquid container to seal the second opening and the second opening.

2. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second caps is re-sealable.

3. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second caps is a tab, a crown cork, a screw cap, a pull-off cap, flip-top cap or a snap-fit cap.

4. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the first wall structure comprises a bottom wall, wherein the second opening is formed at the bottom wall.

5. The liquid container of claim 4, wherein the second wall structure is connected to the first wall structure at the bottom wall around the second opening.

6. The liquid container of claim 4, wherein the bottom wall is recessed.

7. The liquid container of claim 4, wherein the second cap substantially entirely covers the bottom wall of the liquid container.

8. The liquid container of claim 4, wherein the second opening has a triangular, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, circular or elliptical shape.

9. The liquid container of claim 4, wherein the second wall structure has a spherical, cubical, prism, cylindrical, conical or pyramid shape.

10. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the second compartment is configured to store one or more pouches containing powdered mix.

11. A liquid container comprising:

an outer wall structure having a first opening and a second opening;

an inner wall structure connected to the outer wall structure at the second opening;

a liquid compartment surrounded by an inner surface of the outer wall structure and an outer surface of the inner wall structure and exposed by the first opening; and

a storage compartment surrounded by an inner surface of the inner wall structure and exposed by the second opening.

12. The liquid container of claim 11, wherein the first opening is formed at a top portion of the outer wall structure and the second opening is formed at a bottom portion of the outer wall structure.

13. The liquid container of claim 12, further comprises:

a first cap configured to engage the top portion of the outer wall structure to seal the first opening; and

a second cap configured to engage the bottom portion of the outer wall structure to seal the second opening.

14. The liquid container of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second caps is re-sealable.

15. The liquid container of claim 13, wherein the bottom portion of the outer wall structure comprises a bottom wall, wherein the second opening is formed at the bottom wall.

16. The liquid container of claim 15, wherein the bottom wall is recessed.

17. The liquid container of the claim 15, wherein the second cap substantially entirely covers the bottom wall.

18. The liquid container of claim 15, wherein the inner wall structure is connected to the outer wall structure at the bottom wall around the second opening.

19. The liquid container of claim 18, wherein the inner wall structure is spaced apart from the outer wall structure except for the connection therebetween at the bottom wall around the second opening.

20. The liquid container of claim 11, wherein the storage compartment is configured to store one or more pouches containing powdered mix.