US20120193316A1

US20120193316A1 - Beverage container with detachable compartment

Info

Publication number: US20120193316A1
Application number: US13/359,456
Authority: US
Inventors: Andre Starks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-01-28
Filing date: 2012-01-26
Publication date: 2012-08-02

Abstract

This is directed to systems, processes, machines, and other means that allow an individual to store food, liquid and medicine in a single container. The invention can provide safely segregated compartments such that there is no cross-contamination between the food, liquid and medicine.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional patent application number 61/437,637.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to beverage containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Beverage containers have existed for a long time. However, the number of people who require food, medicine and liquid at a single time in a convenient manner has posed new challenges to this field. A beverage container that can contain medication in a medically safe manner and food in such a way to prevent cross contamination between the food and liquid has been elusive as indicated in the background art.

BACKGROUND ART

The Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 7,798,346 teaches a bottle with a removable portion that can be used to carry a concentrate that can be combined with liquid to form a sports beverage. It does not teach a plurality of segregated compartments, and, to the contrary, teaches a manner of combining contents in compartments.
The Betras U.S. Pat. App. No. 2006/0102580 teaches a container that can contain both ice and liquid such that the ice keeps the liquid cool. The present invention avoids this teaching and seeks to avoid combining the contents in the segregated portions in any way.
The de Francesco U.S. Pat. App. No. 2006/0201900 teaches a bottle with segregated compartments. However, it teaches a method of storing promotional articles which fails to explain how to store medicine or food in a safe manner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods, systems, and other means are provided for a beverage container. In accordance with some embodiments a beverage container comprises a lid with a compartment such that medicine can be stored in the lid. The beverage container further comprises a compartment which can be easily screwed to a bottle such that the bottle can hold liquid segregated from the dry storage in the compartment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1: is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2: is an exploded view of the invention.

FIG. 3: is a section view of the invention taken about line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention overcome many of the obstacles associated with storing food, medicine and a beverage in a single bottle, and now will, be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show some, but not all embodiments of the claimed inventions. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
FIG. 1 shows the disclosed beverage container. On the top of the bottle 14 is a lid comprising a compartment, lid with compartment 12, which is mechanically coupled to lid pivot 10. Lid with compartment 12 is mechanically coupled to bottle 14 as shown in FIG. 2.
Bottle 14 comprises twist/lock receiver 18 which further comprises twist/lock tab 26. Container 24 comprises twist/lock groove 28. Twist/lock grove 28 can be joined with twist/lock tab 26 to mechanically couple bottle 14 to container 24 as shown in FIG. 2.
In other embodiments, lid pivot 10 is a spout, such that the beverage in bottle 14 can be consumed by uncapping as opposed to twisting lid with compartment 12.
FIG. 2 shows the disclosed invention in more detail. As noted above, lid with compartment 12 which is mechanically coupled to lid pivot 10 and comprises a first bottle thread can be mechanically coupled to bottle 14 with a first mechanical couple. Bottle 14 comprises second bottle thread 16 which forms the second mechanical couple when a user twists lid with compartment 12 (and thus the first bottle thread) onto second bottle thread 16.
Bottle 14 comprises twist/lock receiver 18 which further comprises twist/lock tab 26 as noted above. Bottle 14 can be mechanically coupled with container 24 by a second mechanical couple. The second mechanical couple requires twist/lock tab 26 can fit outside twist/lock groove 28 and turned until it is flush with twist/lock attachment 22 creating a water resistant seal as shown in FIG. 3.
Bottle 14 can be manufactured in a number of methods known in plastic working arts such as machine molding, (injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, etc.).
FIG. 3 shows a section view of the invention. Lid with compartment 12 is shown mechanically coupled to lid pivot 10 and bottle thread 16 is shown creating a tight seal between lid with compartment 12 and bottle 14. This tight seal is important since a user may use the lid to store medicine and the medicine much be completely segregated from the liquid. This can be done by making the lid from medical grade plastic of a sufficient thickness such that the liquid in bottle 14 cannot permeate into lid with compartment 12.
Bottle 14 comprises twist/lock receiver 18 which is used to mechanically couple bottle 14 with container 24 as noted above. Here, seal 20 is formed when twist/lock receiver 18 is flush with twist/lock attachment 22. Seal 20 prevents any liquid from entering container 24, thus solving the contamination problem explained above. Seal 20 can be any conventional method of complete separation between liquids and solids.
Variations on the embodiments shown here include alternate ways of designing twist/lock receiver 18, twist/lock attachment 22 and lock attachment 22 which make the device more aesthetic, economical or environmentally friendly. Users could also add lanyards, hooks and loops to make the device more portable.

Claims

1. A beverage container, comprising

a lid further comprising a compartment and mechanically coupled to a lid pivot;

a bottle mechanically coupled to the lid by a first mechanical couple;

the compartment mechanically coupled to the bottle by a second mechanical couple.

2. The beverage container of claim 1,

where the first mechanical couple comprises;

a first bottle thread mechanically coupled to the lid;

a second bottle thread mechanically coupled to the bottle;

such that the first bottle thread is mechanically coupled to the second bottle thread

3. The beverage container of claim 1,

where the second mechanical couple comprises;

a twist/lock receiver further comprising a twist/lock tab mechanically coupled to the bottle;

a twist/lock groove mechanically coupled to the compartment;

such that the twist/lock receiver is twisted into the twist/lock groove and forms a seal.

4. The beverage container of claim 1,

where the lid further comprises medical grade plastic.