Material mixing container

• US 4,779,722 A
• Filed: 08/28/1987
• Issued: 10/25/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John E. Hall
• Original Assignee: John E. Hall
• Inventors: Hall, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William
• Application Number:
  US07/090,757
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 206/219, 206/221, 215/DIG. 8
• US Class Current: 206/221
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2031 having openings brought into alignment
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2093 Containers having several compartments for products to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/713 comprising breaking packages or parts thereof, e.g. piercing or opening sealing elements between compartments or cartridges containers or packages per se B65D
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7161 the containers being connected coaxially before contacting the contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/265 between planar parts B65D47/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/002 Closures to be pierced by an extracting-device for the contents and fixed on the container by separate retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/06 Deformable or tearable wires, strings, or strips containers specially constructed to be opened by tear-strips, strings or the like B65D17/00; caps or cap-like closures with tear-strips B65D41/32; Use of seals , e.g. destructible locking pins B65D55/022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3211 coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/08 Mixing

Abstract

A container adapted to contain a number of ingredients separated until intermixture thereof is desired, consisting of a bottle having a plurality of sections each adapted to carry one of the ingredients, successive pairs of sections being separated by partitions each carrying a normally closed valve which when opened establishes communication between the associated bottle sections. The valves are individually operable manually, so that if three or more materials are to be intermixed, the order of intermixture may be controlled, and also may be closely regulated as to the degree of opening, whereby to control the rate on intermixture. A lock is also provided to prevent accidental opening of any of the valves until intermixture is desired.

Claims

1. A material mixing container comprising:

a. a bottle having an opening through which its contents may be removed, and having a partition dividing its interior into a pair of compartments each adapted to contain a different material, the materials contained in the compartments being intended for eventual intermixture with each other,

b. a normally closed valve disposed in said partition to maintain said materials separated,

c. operating means operable from externally of the container to open said valve to establish communication between said compartments, whereby said materials may be intermixed,

d. said bottle comprising a pair of bottle sections which are generally cylindrical in form and disposed in end-to-end relation, and which are assembled to be relativly rotatable about the cylindrical axis, each of the bottle sections having a planar end wall at the end thereof adjoining the other bottle section, disposed normally to the cylindrical axis, said end walls forming said partition, and having apertures formed therethrough operable to be moved into or out of registry by the relative rotation of said end walls about the cylindrical axis, said apertured end walls, and the relative rotatability thereof, constituting said valve,

e. a sealing disc of soft, compressible material disposed between said end walls, in contact with both, and

f. assembly means joining said bottle sections firmly together but permitting manual relative rotation thereof about said cylindrical axis, and also being operable to urge said end walls toward each other to compress said sealing disc therebetween to provide an effective sealing against said end walls.

2. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein said sealing disc is provided with apertures disposed in coinciding registry with the apertures of one of said end walls, and with the addition of means preventing relative rotation between said sealing disc and said one end wall.

10. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the bottle opening through which its contents may be removed is provided with a closure comprising:

a. a rubber stopper capable of being pierced by a hypodermic needle inserted snugly into said opening, and

b. a rigid cap applied over said stopper and having an aperture overlying said stopper through which a hypodermic needle may be inserted.

3. A material mixing container comprising:

a. a bottle having an opening through which its contents may be removed, and having a partition dividing its interior into a pair of compartments each adpted to contain a different material, the materials contained in the compartments being intended for eventual intermixture with each other,

b. a normally closed valve disposed in said partition to maintain said materials separated,

c. operating means operable from externally of the container to open said valve to establish communication between said compartments, whereby said materials may be intermixed,

d. said bottle comprising a pair of bottle sections which are generally cylindrical in form and disposed in end-to-end relation, and which are assembled to be relatively rotatable about the cylindrical axis, each of the bottle sections having a planar end wall at the end thereof adjoining the other bottle section, disposed normally to the cylindrical axis, said end walls forming said partition, and having apertures formed therethrough operable to be moved into or out of registry by the relative rotation of said end walls about the cylindrical axis, said apertured end walls, and the relative rotatability thereof, constituting said valve, and

e. assembly means joining said bottle sections firmly together, but allowing manual relative rotation thereof about said cylindrical axis,

f. said assembly means comprising a snap ring of elastic material operable when tensioned to surround said bottle at the juncture of said bottle sections, said snap ring having a pair of spaced apart grooves formed in the surface thereof engaging said bottle and engaging a pair of peripheral ribs formed respectively on the two bottle sections.

4. A container as recited in claim 3 with the addition of a sealing disc of soft, compressible material interposed betweed said end walls, and wherein the grooves of said snap ring are so spaced apart that their engagement with said ribs causes compression of said sealing disc.

9. A container as recited in claim 3 with the addition of a band of easily torn but inelastic material surrounding said snap ring at the juncture of said bottle sections, said band having tabs along both of its longitudinal edges engaged in sockets formed therefor in the outer surfaces of the respective bottle sections to lock said bottle sections against relative rotation, said band also enclosing said snap ring to hold it in firm engagement with the rids of said bottle sections, and means whereby said band may be manually torn to free it from the bottle, wheredy to permit relative rotation of the bottle sections.

5. A material mixing container comprising:

a. a bottle having an opening through which its contents may be removed, and having a partititon dividing its interior into a pair of compartments each adapted to contain a different material, the materials contained in the compartments being intended for eventual intermixture with each other,

b. a normally closed valve disposed in said partition to maintain said materials separated,

c. operating means operable from externally of the container to open said valve to establish communication between said compartments, whereby said materials may be intermixed,

d. said bottle comprising a pair of bottle sections which are generally cylindrical in form and disposed in end-to-end relation, and which are assembled to be relatively rotatable about the cylindrical axis, each of the bottle sections having a planar end wall at the end thereof adjoining the other bottle section, disposed normally to the cylindrical axis, said end walls forming said partition, and having apertures formed therethrough operable to be moved into or out of registry by the relative rotation of said end walls about the cylindrical axis, said apertured end walls, and the relative rotatability thereof, constituting said valve, and

e. assembly means joining said bottle sections firmly together, but allowing manual relative rotation thereof about raid cylindrical axis,

f. said assembly means comprising a snap ring of elastic material operable when tensioned to surround said bottle at the juncture of said bottle sections, said snap ring having a single peripheral groove formed in the surface thereof engaging said bottle, said groove being of sufficient width to bridge and engage both of a pair of peripheral ribs formed respectively on two bottle sections.

6. A container as recited in claim 5 with the addition of a sealing disc of soft, compressible material interposed between said end walls, and wherein the width of said groove of said snap ring is such that said snap ring maintains a compressive force on said sealing disc.

7. A material mixing container comprising:

a. a bottle having an opening through which its contents may be removed, and having a partition dividing its interior into a pair of compartments each adapted to contain a different material, the materials contained in the compartments being intended for eventual intermixture with each other,

b. a normally closed valve disposed in said partition to maintain said materials separated,

c. operating means operable from externally of the container to open said valve to establish conmmunication between said compartments, whereby said materials may be intermixed,

d. said bottle comprising a pair of bottle sections which are generally cylindrical in form and disposed in end-to-end relation, and which are assembled to be relatively rotatable about the cylindrical axis, each of the bottle sections having a planar end wall at the end thereof adjoining the other bottle section, disposed normally to the cylindrical axis, said end walls forming said partition, and having apertures formed therethrough operable to be moved into or out of registry by the relative rotation of said end walls about the cylindrical axis, said apertured end walls, and the relative rotatability thereof, constituting said valve, and

e. assembly means joining said bottle sections firmly together, but allowing manual relative rotation thereof about said cylindrical axis,

f. said assembly means comprising a band of thin, non-elastic material surrounding said bottle at the juncture of said bottle sections, the longitudinal edges being shaped to bridge and engage the distal surfaces of a pair of pedripheral ribs formed respectively on the two bottle sections.

8. A material mixing container comprising:

a. a bottle having an opening through which its contents may be removed, and having a partition dividing its interior into a pair of compartments each adapted to contain a different material, the materials contained in the compartments being intended for eventual intermixture with each other,

b. a normally closed valve disposed in said partition to maintain said materials separated,

c. operating means operable from externally of the container to open said valve to establish communication between said compartments, whereby said nmaterials may be intermixed,

d. said bottle comprising a pair of bottle sections which are generally cylindrical in form and disposed in end-to-end relation, and which are assembled to be relatively rotatable about the cylindrical axis, each of the bottle sections having a planar end wall at the end thereof adjoining the other bottle section, disposed normally to the cylindrical axis, said end walls forming said partition, and having apertures formed therethrough operable to be moved into or out of registry by the relative rotation of said end walls about the cylindrical axis, said apertured end walls, and the relative rotatability thereof, constituting said valve, and

e. assembly means joining said bottle sections firmly together, but allowing manual relative rotation thereof about said cylindrical axis, and

f. locking means operable to lock said bottle sections against relative rotation until it is released, said locking means comprising a band of inelastic material surrounding said bottle at the juncture of said bottle sections, said band having tabs along both of its longitudinal edges, said tabs being engaged in sockets formed therefor in the outer surfaces of the respective bottle sections, and means whereby said band may be manually torn to free it from said bottle to permit relative rotation of the bottle sections.