Substance containment apparatus and method

• US 5,678,709 A
• Filed: 06/26/1996
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Technology Licensing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Insta-Mix Partners
• Inventors: Kajita, Kirk B., Holley, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascua, Jes F.
• Application Number:
  US08/671,032
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 220/714, 220/715, 220/717, 220/253, 220/502, 215/6, 215/11.1, 215/11.4, 215/43, 215/44, 215/45, 215/235, 215/307, 215/311, 215/313, 222/554
• US Class Current: 215/11.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/27 for mixing drinks; Hand-held shakers mechanically driven A47J43/042
• 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: A61J 9/00 Feeding-bottles in general
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/30 with plug valves , i.e. valves that open and close a passageway by turning a cylindrical or conical plug without axial passageways
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/305 provided with a spout, e.g. "escargot"-type valve
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3211 coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A multi-chamber substance containment apparatus including a bottle, a spherical hollow member and a housing. The bottle includes an opening surrounded by a flange which has a spherical inner surface formed to receive the hollow member. The hollow member includes a lower opening and an upper opening. The housing is adjustably connected to the bottle to bias the hollow member against the spherical inner surface of the flange, thereby creating a seal around the opening of the bottle. In a closed position, a portion of the hollow member blocks the opening of the bottle. In an open position, the hollow member is rotated into an upright position such that the opening of the bottle and the lower opening of the hollow member are aligned to form a passage between an interior of the bottle and an interior of the hollow member. A method for storing and mixing a liquid and a substance using the apparatus includes disposing an amount of liquid in the bottle, adjusting the hollow member to block the opening of the bottle, and disposing an amount of substance in the hollow member. At a desired time, the hollow member is rotated into the open position and the apparatus is shaken to mix the liquid and the substance.

Claims

1. A containment apparatus comprising:

a bottle for storing a first substance, the bottle defining a first opening, and

a hollow member for storing a second substance, the hollow member including a curved wall and having a second opening and a selectively sealable third opening,

wherein the curved wall of the hollow member is moveable between a first position in which a portion of the curved wall is disposed to block the first opening such that the first stored substance is separated from the second stored substance, and a second position in which the first opening aligns with the second opening to form a passage between the interior of the bottle and the interior of the hollow member such that said first substance forms a mixture with said second substance, and

wherein the second substance is insertable through the third selectively sealable opening into the hollow member when the curved wall of the hollow member is in the first position.

2. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hollow member comprises a housing defining a fourth opening, and the curved wall comprises a ball member rotatably disposed in the housing, and wherein the housing is connected to the bottle such that the first opening is aligned with the fourth opening.

3. An apparatus of claim 2 wherein the housing further comprises a lower casing connected to the bottle, an upper casing disposed on the lower casing, and means for connecting the lower casing to the upper casing.

4. An apparatus of claim 3 wherein the ball member includes and outer spherical surface and a cam follower formed on the outer surface, and wherein one of the lower casing and the upper casing includes an inner spherical surface defining a cam groove into which is disposed the cam follower, the cam groove being formed such that when the hollow member is in the first position, the cam follower is disposed in a first location in the cam groove, and when the hollow member is in the second position, the cam follower is disposed in a second location in the cam groove.

5. An apparatus of claim 4 wherein the upper casing is movable relative to the lower casing when the connecting means is in a loosened position, and movement of the upper casing relative to the lower casing causes the cam follower to slide in the cam groove, thereby causing rotation of the ball member.

6. An apparatus of claim 5 wherein the ball member includes a fifth opening and the upper casing includes the third opening, and wherein when the hollow member is in the second position, the third and fifth openings align to form a second passage into the interior of the hollow member.

7. An apparatus of claim 6 wherein the upper casing includes a neck surrounding the fifth opening, and the apparatus further comprises a nipple assembly removably connected to the neck.

8. An apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing adjustably connected to the bottle, the housing defining an interior portion, wherein the hollow member is rotatably disposed in the interior portion when the housing is loosely connected the bottle, and wherein the hollow member is fixedly disposed in the interior portion when the housing is tightly connected to the bottle.

9. An apparatus of claim 8 wherein the bottle includes a flange surrounding the first opening for receiving the hollow member.

10. An apparatus of claim 9 wherein the hollow member is integrally formed with the curved wall, at least a portion of an outer surface of the curved wall is spherical, and the flange includes a spherical surface formed to receive the hollow member such that when the housing is tightly connected to the bottle and the hollow member is in the first position, the hollow member is biased against the flange to seal the first opening of the bottle.

11. An apparatus of claim 9 wherein the curved wall defines the second opening, at least a portion of an outer surface of the curved wall is spherical, and the flange includes a spherical surface formed to receive the hollow member such that when the housing is tightly connected to the bottle and the hollow member is in the second position, the hollow member is biased toward the flange to form a seal around the passage formed by the first opening and the second opening.

12. An apparatus of claim 8 wherein the housing includes a slot, wherein the hollow member includes a neck protruding through the slot.

13. An apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a nipple assembly removably connected to the neck.

14. A substance containment apparatus comprising:

a bottle including a neck forming a first opening into an interior of the bottle, and a flange integrally molded around an end of the neck;

a hollow member supported on the flange over the first opening, the hollow member including a wall defining a second opening and a third opening; and

means for adjustably securing the hollow member to the bottle;

wherein the hollow member is slidable relative to the flange between a first position, in which a portion of the wall is disposed to block the first opening, and a second position in which the first and second openings align to define a passage between an interior of the bottle and an interior of the hollow member; and

wherein the entire hollow member is located outside of the interior of the bottle in both the first position and the second position.

15. The substance containment apparatus of claim 14, wherein the hollow member comprises:

a spherical wall defining the second and third openings; and

a neck integrally molded with the spherical wall and protruding from the spherical wall through an opening formed in the securing means, wherein the neck surrounds the third opening.

16. The substance containment apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a cap and nipple assembly connected to the neck of the hollow member.

17. A substance containment apparatus comprising:

a bottle having an interior and including a first opening into the interior;

a hollow member supported over the first opening, the hollow member including a wall defining second and a third openings, the hollow member also including a neck integrally molded on the wall around the third opening and extending from the wall; and

means for adjustably connecting the hollow member to the bottle such that the hollow member is slidably mounted over the first opening, the connecting means defining an upper opening;

wherein the hollow member is rotatable relative to the bottle between a first position, in which a portion of the wall is disposed to block the first opening, and a second position in which the first and second openings align to define a passage between an interior of the bottle and an interior of the hollow member;

wherein the neck of the hollow member protrudes through the upper opening of the connecting means; and

wherein the entire hollow member is located outside of the interior of the bottle in both the first position and the second position.

18. The substance containment apparatus of claim 17, wherein the bottle further comprises a neck and a curved flange integrally molded on the neck, the curved flange surrounding the first opening, and wherein the hollow member is supported on the curved flange.

19. The substance containment apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a cap and nipple assembly connected to the neck of the hollow member.

20. A containment apparatus comprising:

a bottle for storing a first substance, the bottle defining a first opening and a second selectively sealable opening, and

a hollow member for storing a second substance, the hollow member including a curved wall and having a third opening,

wherein the curved wall of the hollow member is moveable between a first position in which a portion of the curved wall is disposed to block the first opening such that the first stored substance is separated from the second stored substance, and a second position in which the first opening aligns with the third opening to form a passage between an interior of the bottle and an interior of the hollow member such that said first substance forms a mixture with said second substance, and

wherein the first substance is insertable through the second selectively sealable opening into the bottle when the curved wall of the hollow member is in the first position.

21. A method of containing a first substance and a second substance for mixing at a predetermined time, the method comprising the steps of:

disposing a first predetermined amount of the first substance in a bottle having a first opening;

rotating a curved wall to block the first opening;

storing a second predetermined amount of the second substance in a hollow member having a second opening;

at the predetermined time, rotating the curved wall away from the opening such that a passage is created between the first substance and the second substance thereby allowing the first and second substances to mix within at least one of the bottle and the hollow member; and

dispensing the mixed first and second substances through a third opening formed in one of the bottle and the hollow member.