MIXING CONTAINER AND METHOD OF FILLING

• US 20100018880A1
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosphere Spirits LLC
• Original Assignee: Biosphere Spirits LLC
• Inventors: Helou, Elie JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A mixing container having an outer vessel with an open mouth and an inner vessel also with an open mouth separately stores two liquids for automatic mixing when the container is opened. Upon assembly, an interior seal between the open mouth of the inner vessel and the bottom of the outer vessel is effected through placement of a closure in the open mouth of the outer vessel. The inner vessel is received by a socket mounted in the closure which provides a resilient bias on the inner vessel to force the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom. A method for filling the mixing container includes a filling of the inner vessel, placement of the outer vessel over the inner vessel, immersing at least the open mouth of the outer vessel into a second liquid and evacuating the outer vessel. The mixing container may then be closed to resiliently bias the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel to effect the interior seal.

Claims

1. A mixing container comprising

an outer vessel having a bottom, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the open mouth and the bottom;

an inner vessel having an end, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the end and the open mouth;

an interior seal defined by the bottom of the outer vessel and the open mouth of the inner vessel with the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel;

a closure positionable to close the open mouth of the outer vessel;

a socket mounted in the closure, the end of the inner vessel being mountable in the socket with the open mouth of the inner vessel resiliently biased against the bottom of the outer vessel defining the interior seal.

2. The mixing container of claim 1, the interior seal including a raised surface on the interior of the bottom of the outer vessel having a circular periphery and the open mouth on the inner vessel being circular and fitting about the circular periphery.

3. The mixing container of claim 2, the interior seal further including a resilient seal on the circular open mouth of the inner vessel.

4. The mixing container of claim 1, the socket including a circular dished plate spring retained within the closure and a cavity centrally located on the circular dished plate and receiving the end of the inner vessel.

5. The mixing container of claim 1, the closure being positionable only to close the open mouth of the outer container.

6. The mixing container of claim 5, the ends of the inner vessel being a closed end with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the inner vessel.

7. The mixing container of claim 6, the bottom of the outer vessel being a closed bottom with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the outer vessel.

8. The mixing container of claim 1, the outer vessel being transparent and the inner vessel having light shielding.

9. The mixing container of claim 1 further comprising

a first liquid in the inner vessel;

a second liquid in the outer vessel, the second liquid being transparent or at least sufficiently translucent to allow the inner vessel to be seen.

10. The mixing container of claim 9, a mixture of the first liquid and the second liquid being opaque.

11. A mixing container comprising

an outer vessel having a bottom, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the open mouth and the bottom;

an inner vessel having a closed end, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the end and the open mouth;

an interior seal defined by the bottom of the outer vessel and the open mouth of the inner vessel with the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel;

a closure positionable to close the open mouth of the outer vessel;

a socket mounted in the closure, the end of the inner vessel being mountable in the socket with the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel defining the interior seal.

12. The mixing container of claim 11, the closure being positionable only to close the open mouth of the outer container.

13. The mixing container of claim 12, the end of the inner vessel being a closed end with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the inner vessel.

14. The mixing container of claim 13, the bottom of the outer vessel being a closed bottom with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the outer vessel.

15. The mixing container of claim 11, the outer vessel being transparent and the inner vessel having light shielding.

16. A method for filling a mixing container with two liquids, the mixing container comprising an outer vessel having a bottom, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the open mouth and the bottom;

an inner vessel having an end, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the end and the open mouth;

an interior seal defined by the bottom of the outer vessel and the open mouth of the inner vessel with the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel;

a closure positioriable to close the open mouth of the outer vessel; and

a socket mounted in the closure, the end of the inner vessel being mountable in the socket with the open mouth of the inner vessel resiliently biased against the bottom of the outer vessel defining the interior seal;

the method comprising

filling the inner vessel with a first of the two liquids;

placing the outer vessel over the filled inner vessel with the closure assembled with the inner vessel and not fully closing the mouth of the outer vessel;

immersing the inner and outer vessels with the closure not fully closing the mouth of the outer vessel into a second of the two liquids at least to cover the mouth of the outer vessel;

at least partially evacuating the outer vessel with the closure not fully closing the mouth of the outer vessel with the inner and outer vessels immersed at least to cover the mouth of the outer vessel;

closing the mouth of the outer vessel with the closure.

17. A method for filling a mixing container with two liquids, the mixing container comprising an outer vessel having a bottom, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the open mouth and the bottom;

an inner vessel having an end, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the end and the open mouth;

an interior seal defined by the bottom of the outer vessel and the open mouth of the inner vessel with the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel;

a closure positionable to close the open mouth of the outer vessel;

a socket mounted in the closure, the end of the inner vessel being mountable in the socket with the open mouth of the inner vessel resiliently biased against the bottom of the outer vessel defining the interior seal; and

a socket mounted in the closure, the end of the inner vessel being mountable in the socket with the open mouth of the inner vessel resiliently biased against the bottom of the outer vessel defining the interior seal;

the method comprising

filling the inner vessel with a first of the two liquids;

placing the outer vessel over the filled inner vessel with the closure assembled with the inner vessel and not fully closing the mouth of the outer vessel;

immersing the inner and outer vessels with the closure not fully closing the mouth of the outer vessel into a second of the two liquids at least to cover the mouth of the outer vessel;

at least partially evacuating the outer vessel with the closure not fully closing the mouth of the outer vessel with the inner and outer vessels immersed at least to cover the mouth of the outer vessel;

closing the mouth of the outer vessel with the closing including compressing the socket against the resilient bias.