US20130341443A1

US20130341443A1 - Modular supplement beverage container

Info

Publication number: US20130341443A1
Application number: US13/530,816
Authority: US
Inventors: Zach Stephenson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-06-22
Filing date: 2012-06-22
Publication date: 2013-12-26

Abstract

A modular supplement beverage container for storing and mixing a powder supplement and a liquid includes a lid that is removably connected to an upper chamber, and a filter that is removably disposed between the upper chamber and a lower chamber. The filter including a plurality of cutters for breaking clumps of supplements into a fine powder, and the lid including a spout. Each of the lid, upper chamber, filter and lower chamber including threaded elements for securing the elements together in a removable and watertight manner.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to beverage containers, and more particularly to a modular container for mixing and storing nutritional supplements.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Nutritional supplements such as protein shakes, creatine shakes, meal replacement shakes and the like are useful tools for health minded individuals such as athletes, bodybuilders and casual gym members. These supplements are advertised to provide users with building blocks necessary to increase muscle tissue, boost the immune system, and/or enhance hormonal and cellular responses, for example. Currently, the most popular way to consume these supplements is in a powder form which must be mixed with a liquid such as water or milk, in order to create a blended beverage.
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a conventional supplement beverage container 10. As shown, the container includes a main body 11 for storing and mixing the beverage contents, and a removable lid 12 having a spout 13 and an articulating cap 14. As shown, the cap 14 includes a plug end 14 a that acts to cover the spout 13 in order to allow a user to shake the beverage contents without spilling. Unfortunately, this design suffers from several drawbacks.
As shown, the powder supplement 5 often forms clumps 5 a that do not break up in order to be fully blended with the liquid 6. As a result, the clumps remain intact and/or form a slurry mixture that is either consumed by the user, or becomes stuck to the bottom of the container when the user shakes the container in a vain attempt to dissolve the clumps.
When the clumpy mixture is consumed by the user, it does not have the opportunity to be adequately broken down by the user's body, thus rendering the consumed mixture less effective. Likewise, when the clumpy mixture sticks to the bottom of the container 5, it can be extremely difficult to remove, which often results in the user simply discarding the soiled container, thus increasing the burden on our landfills and other natural resources.
Secondly, the articulating cap 14 typically swings upward as shown by arrow a. To this end, the plug portion of the cap 14 a which had previously been inserted into the spout 13 will often retain liquid 6 that often makes direct contact with the forehead and/or face of the user when they are attempting to drink from the container. Moreover, as these caps are often constructed from lightweight materials, it is not uncommon for the articulating cap 14 to break off of the lid, which can allow the contents to spill from the cup and/or allow contaminants to enter the beverage.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a supplement beverage container capable of dissolving supplements into a supplied liquid that does not suffer from the drawbacks of the devices described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a modular supplement beverage container for storing and mixing a powder supplement and a liquid.
One embodiment of the present invention can include a lid that is removably connected to an upper chamber, the lid including a spout for removing a blended mixture from the container. The container also includes a filter that is removably disposed between the upper chamber and a lower chamber. The filter including a plurality of cutters for breaking clumps of supplements into a fine powder.
Another embodiment of the present invention can include a tethered cap that can cover the spout, and a cap holder capable of retaining the cap when it is not in use.
This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a supplement beverage container in accordance with background information.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper chamber of the modular supplement beverage container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lid of the modular supplement beverage container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a filter of the modular supplement beverage container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lower chamber of the modular supplement beverage container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded parts view of the modular supplement beverage container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the modular supplement beverage container in operation, and in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
As described throughout this document, a mixture, beverage and/or shake, can include virtually any type of liquid substance intended to be consumed by a user. Additionally, although described herein as a supplement powder, one of skill in the art will recognize that the inventive concepts disclosed herein can apply equally to any number of different substances where a blended mixture between solids and liquids is desired. Accordingly, the presently claimed invention is not to be limited to the health care or physical fitness arenas. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 7.
As illustrated in FIGS. 2-7, a modular supplement beverage container 100 can include an upper chamber 20, a lid 30, a filter 40 and a lower chamber 50.
As shown in FIG. 2, the upper chamber 20 can act as a vessel for containing the beverage, and will preferably include an elongated hollow tubular main body 21 having an open top end 21 a and an open bottom end 21 b. In one preferred embodiment, the upper chamber can be constructed from injection molded plastic; however, other materials and construction techniques such as stainless steel, or aluminum, for example, can also be utilized.
As shown, a plurality of embedded elements forming a screw thread 29 a can be located along the top end 21 a, and another plurality of embedded elements forming a screw thread 29 b can be located along the bottom end 21 b. In one preferred embodiment, threads 29 a can be located along the outside periphery of the top end, and threads 29 b can be located along the inside periphery of the bottom end. As will be described below, threaded elements 29 a and 29 b can act to removably connect the upper chamber to the lid 30 and filter 40, respectively, in a secure and waterproof manner. Threaded elements having lands and grooves for securing complementary objects together via a twisting motion are extremely well known. Accordingly, no further description will be provided.
One or more optional cap holders 25 can be secured to the outside of the upper chamber 20 and/or the lid 30, in order to retain the cap 35 when the container is in use. Although illustrated as a single flexible shaft, one of skill in the art will recognize that the cap holder 25 can include any number of known items capable of securing the cap 35 against the container in a removable manner. Several non-limiting examples include strips of hook and loop material (i.e., Velcro®), opposing magnetic elements, and compression fittings such as snaps and clips, for example.
The lid 30 can enclose the top portion of the upper chamber and, as shown in FIG. 3, can include outer surface 31 and an inner surface 32. A spout 33 is positioned along the upper portion of the lid to facilitate the flow of a beverage from the container 20 to a user. A plurality of embedded threads 39 can be located along the inner surface 32 of the lid 30 in order to mate with the embedded threads 29 a of the upper chamber. Accordingly, the lid 30 may be screwed onto the container 20 to secure the lid 30 to the container 20, and similarly may be screwed off to permit washing of the components or refilling of a liquid in the container 20.
The lid can further include a cap 35 having a top surface 35 a and a bottom surface 35 b. The bottom surface of the cap 35 b can include a size and shape approximating that of the spout 33, and can further include a rubber grommet 35 c for creating an airtight and waterproof seal when secured within the spout 33. A tether 36 can be secured to the cap 35 via a pair of anchors 37. The tether can act to prevent the cap from being separated from the container 100 during use and can preferably be constructed from a sturdy piece of coiled wire and/or other conventional materials. Anchors 37 can include any number of conventional hardware components capable of securing two objects together, such as compression fittings, for example.
The lid 30 and the cap 35 can preferably be constructed from a semi-rigid material, such as polypropylene, by a method such as injection molding or blow molding, but other materials such as stainless steel and hard plastic, for example, are also contemplated.
When in operation, the cap 35 can be secured to the cap holder 25 of the upper chamber, in order to prevent the cap from making contact with the face of the user when in operation.
The filter 40 can include a hollow tubular main body 41 having an open top end 41 a and an open bottom end 41 b. A series of narrow cross mounted and/or overlapping cutters 45 having sharp sides/edges can be disposed across the middle portion of the filter main body at a location between the top end and the bottom end. These cutters 45 can form a lattice-like network of obstacles and openings for breaking up clumps of supplements into fine powder that can be easily blended with a supplied liquid. Additionally, these cutters can be shaped to form a wire mesh capable of breaking the clumps into a fine powder. In one preferred embodiment, the main filter body 41 can be constructed from injection molded plastic, and each of the cutters can be constructed from thin pieces of stainless steel or plastic. Of course, any number of other suitable materials and construction techniques can also be utilized.
Although described above as cutters, one of skill in the art will recognize that other contemporary devices for separating powder clumps can also be utilized. For example, alternate embodiments can substitute a plastic or metal strainer, for example, each being capable of functioning as the cutters.
A plurality of embedded threads 49 a and 49 b can be located along the outer surfaces of filter body at the top end 41 a and 41 b, respectively. Embedded threads 49 a and 49 b, being configured to mate with threads 29 b and 59 of the upper chamber and the lower chamber, respectively, in a secure and waterproof manner. To this end, the filter 40 may be screwed into the upper chamber 20 and the lower chamber 50 for use, and similarly may be screwed off to permit washing of the components.
The lower chamber 50 can include a generally tubular main body 51 having an open top end 51 a and a closed bottom end 51 b. The top end including a plurality of threaded elements 59 for mating with the threads 49 b of the filter 40. The lower chamber will act as the bottom of the container 100 and will preferably include a flat surface along the outside of the bottom end 51 b in order to allow the container to stand upright. In one preferred embodiment, the lower chamber can be constructed from injection molded plastic; however, other materials and construction techniques such as stainless steel, for example, can also be utilized.
FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded parts view of the modular supplement beverage container 100 that includes the lid 30, the upper chamber 20, the filter 40 and the lower chamber 50 described above. As shown, each of these components can be removably secured together via threaded elements 29, 39, 49 and 59, to form a watertight supplement container capable storing liquids and supplements, and further capable of breaking clumps of powdered supplements into fine powder that can be easily blended with the supplied liquid.
Although described above as including threads 29 a, 49 a, and 49 b as being located on the outside periphery, and threads 29 b, 39 and 59 being located on the inside periphery, this is for illustrative purposes only, as one of skill in the art will recognize that other configurations for mating outer periphery and inner periphery threads can be accomplished without undue experimentation. Additionally, one of skill will recognize that any number of conventional methods of mating the above described components together in a removable fashion can be accomplished without deviating from the scope and spirit of the inventive concepts described herein. To this end, the cap, upper chamber, filter and lower chamber, or any combination thereof can be friction fitted to an adjacent component and/or may also be provided with a variety of mating surfaces to otherwise couple the components in accordance with known devices and construction methodologies. Additionally, one or more of the lid 30, upper chamber 20, filter 40 and/or the lower chamber 50 may be provided as a paired set, or can be manufactured separately to form any number of different sizes i.e., length, width and volume of contents, which can be separately purchased or owned by the user.
FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of the container 100 in operation. As shown, when the powdered supplement 5 is deposited into the lower chamber 50, and subsequently liquid 6 is added to the container, any clumps 5 a are broken up via the cutters 45 of the filter, before they can reach the spout 33 and be consumed by the user. Moreover, by providing a container where each of the components are capable of being separated, any powder and/or clumps that may become stuck to the bottom of the container can be easily reached and cleaned by a user, thus reducing the likelihood of the container being disposed before the expiration of its useful lifetime. Finally, by including the cap holder 25, the device can advantageously prevent the cap from becoming separated from the container, even in the event of a failure by the tether 36, and can also act to prevent the cap from making contact with the face of a user when drinking from the container.
As described herein, one or more elements of the modular supplement beverage container 100 can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, compression fittings and welds, among others. Moreover, although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are not so limiting. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individual elements such as the lid 30, the upper chamber 20, the filter 40 and/or the lower chamber 50, including all sub components, for example, may be formed together as one continuous element, or a plurality of continuous elements comprising two or more of the above mentioned components joined together in either a removable or permanent fashion. This process can be performed either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of singular pieces of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof.
As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A modular supplement beverage container for storing and mixing a powder supplement and a liquid, said container comprising:

an elongated generally tubular upper chamber having an open top end and an open bottom end;

a lid configured to be removably secured to the top end of the upper chamber, said lid including an inner surface, an outer surface and a spout;

a cap secured to the outside surface of the lid via a tether, said cap having a shape that approximates a shape of the spout, and said cap being configured to be removably inserted to the spout;

an elongated generally tubular lower chamber having an open top end and a closed bottom end; and

a generally tubular filter having an open top end that is configured to mate with the bottom end of the upper chamber, an open bottom end that is configured to mate with the top end of the lower chamber, and a plurality of cutters interposed therebetween, said cutters being configured to break a clump of powdered supplement into a fine powder.

2. The modular beverage container of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of threaded elements located on each of the top end of the upper chamber, the bottom end of the upper chamber, the inner surface of the lid, the top end of the lower chamber, the top end of the filter, and the bottom end of the filter; and

said threads being configured to removably secure the lid to the top end of the upper chamber, the top end of the filter to the bottom end of the upper chamber, and the bottom end of the filter to the top end of the lower chamber in a secure and waterproof manner.

3. The modular beverage container of claim 2, wherein each of the lid, upper chamber, filter lower chamber and plurality of threaded elements are constructed from injected molded plastic.

4. The modular beverage container of claim 2, wherein each of the lid, upper chamber, filter lower chamber and plurality of threaded elements are constructed from aluminum.

5. The modular beverage container of claim 1, further comprising:

a cap holder secured to an outside portion of the upper chamber, said cap holder being configured to removably secure the cap to the upper chamber.

6. The modular beverage container of claim 5, wherein the cap holder is constructed from at least one of a single flexible shaft, strips of hook and loop material, opposing magnetic elements, and compression fittings.

7. The modular beverage container of claim 1, wherein said tether is constructed from an elongated strand of coiled wire.

8. The modular beverage container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of cutters includes a series of cross mounted narrow strips of stainless steel.

9. The modular beverage container of claim 8, wherein said plurality of cutters includes a lattice design.

10. The modular beverage container of claim 1, wherein said plurality of cutters includes a series of cross mounted narrow strips of plastic.

11. The modular beverage container of claim 10, wherein said plurality of cutters includes a lattice design.