Beverage container

• US 6,053,401 A
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: J & M Coffee Container Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: J & M Coffee Container Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Andrews, Jared P. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/105,815
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.3, 229/117.35, 229/120.03, 229/120.32, 229/120.35, 229/122, 229/125.15, 229/117.14, 229/117.15, 229/117, 220/495.03, 220/503, 220/504, 220/505, 220/506, 220/553, 220/554, 220/555, 220/FOR 120, 220/FOR 122, 220/FOR 174, 220/FOR 177, 222/129
• US Class Current: 229/117.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/065 Spouts, pouring necks or discharging tubes fixed to or integral with the flexible container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3261 Flexible containers having several compartments

Abstract

A container is disclosed, including an outer shell with an integral handle and two flexible bags within the outer shell. The outer shell has a top, a bottom and sidewalls. The outer shell also defines two openings on opposing walls. Each of the bags within the outer shell defines an aperture sealed to and surrounded by a mouth, which defines a fluid passageway from the interior of the corresponding mouth to the outside of the container. The mouth is sized and shaped such that fluid can be poured through the mouth from a source having an outlet spaced above the mouth. The handle extends outwardly from the top of the outer shell and has sufficient strength to provide essentially all support for the container when the bags are filled with liquid in either of two positions: in the first position, one of the openings is facing upwards; in the second position, each of the openings is facing sideward. Desirably, the mouth and opening are sized and shaped such that, when the opening is facing upwards, the human eye can detect when a level of fluid in the container is approaching the mouth.

Claims

1. A liquid container comprising:

an outer shell having a top, a bottom and sidewalls extending between the top and bottom, the outer shell having a first opening in one of the sidewalls and a second opening in another of the sidewalls;

a first flexible bag within the outer shell defining a first aperture;

a first mouth secured to the first flexible bag surrounding the first aperture and defining a first fluid passageway, the first mouth configured to be secured within the first opening of the outer shell;

a second flexible bag within the outer shell defining a second aperture;

a second mouth secured to the second flexible bag surrounding the second aperture and defining a second fluid passageway, the second mouth configured to be secured within the second opening of the outer shell; and

a handle extending outwardly from the outer shell.

2. The container of claim 1, further comprising a divider separating the first flexible bag from the second flexible bag within the outer shell.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the divider comprises a thermally insulating material.

4. The container of claim 2, wherein the divider extends from one sidewall to another sidewall at an angle with respect to the bottom.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein a hot fluid is housed within the first flexible bag above the divider and a cold fluid is housed within the second flexible bag below the divider.

6. The container of claim 4, wherein the top is sloped relative to the bottom.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the handle extends from the top.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second mouths is sized and shaped such that when the corresponding opening is facing upwards a human eye can detect when a level of fluid in the container is approaching the mouth.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second mouths define an aperture having a span of at least one inch.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the first mouth is sized and shaped such that a first fluid can be poured through the first fluid passageway from a source having an outlet spaced above the first mouth in a first fill position, and the second mouth is sized and shaped such that a second fluid can be poured through the second fluid passageway from a source having an outlet spaced above the second mouth in a second fill position.

11. The container of claim 10, further comprising a first spout removably coupled to the first mouth, the spout in fluid communication with the inside of the first bag for pouring the first fluid from the container.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein the bags and the outer shell are sized and shaped such that when the first and second bags are substantially full of liquid, the center of gravity of the container is located at least one-half inch below the center of the container.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the outer shell is collapsible.

14. The container of claim 13, wherein the outer shell is formed of cardboard.

15. A foldable liquid container, comprising:

an outer shell comprising a first pair of side walls aligned generally in parallel to one another and a second pair of side walls aligned generally parallel to one another, the outer shell defining a first opening in the first pair of side walls and a second opening in the other of the first pair of the side walls;

a first flexible bag within the outer shell defining, a first aperture;

a first mouth secured to the first bag surrounding the first aperture and define a first fluid passageway;

a plurality of upper end flaps secured to the first pair of side walls and the second pair of side walls;

a plurality of lower end flaps secured to the first pair of side walls and the second pair of side walls and a second flexible bag within the outer shell defining a second aperture and a second mouth secured to the second bag surrounding the second aperture and defining a second fluid passageway.

16. The container of claim 15, further comprising a divider between the first and second bags within said outer shell.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the divider extends between the first pair of sidewalls.

18. A liquid container comprising:

an outer shell defining a first opening and a second opening;

a first flexible bag attached to and housed within the outer shell, the first bag including a tubular member extending through the first opening;

a second flexible bag attached to and housed within the outer shell, the second bag including a second tubular member extending through the second opening; and

a stiff divider within the outer shell, the divider separating the first bag from the second bag, wherein the outer shell comprises a bottom, a plurality of side walls extending perpendicularly from the bottom, and a top sloped relative to the bottom.

19. The container of claim 18, wherein at least one of said first bag and said second bag includes a flavor concentrate.

20. The container of claim 18, wherein the first opening is located in the front wall proximate the top and the second opening is located in the back wall proximate the top.

21. The container of claim 20, wherein the divider extends from the front wall to the back wall.

22. A liquid container comprising:

an outer shell defining a first opening and a second opening;

a first flexible bag attached to and housed within the outer shell, the first bag, including a tubular member extending through the second opening; and

a stiff divider within the outer shell, the divider separating the first bag from the second bag, wherein the first and second openings are located in opposing side walls of the outer shell and the divider extends between the opposing side walls.

23. The container of claim 22, wherein the first flexible bag houses a hot fluid above the divider and the second flexible bag houses a cold fluid below the divider.

24. The container of claim 23, wherein the divider slopes from below the first opening to above the second opening.

25. A collapsible container for storing and dispensing two separate materials, comprising

a front wall and an opposing back wall, the front wall defining a first opening and the back wall defining a second opening;

a pair of opposing side walls extending between the front wall and the back wall;

a plurality of top flaps extending from the front, back and side walls, the top flaps folding to form a container top;

and a plurality of bottom flaps extending from the front, back and side walls, the bottom flaps folding to form a container bottom;

a divider extending from the front wall below the first opening to the back wall above the second opening, the divider defining a first compartment and a second compartment within the front, back and side walls,

a first flexible bag defining a first aperture, the first bag housed within the first compartment, and a first mouth secured to the first flexible bag surrounding the first aperture, the first mouth further secured within the first opening; and

a second flexible bag defining a second aperture, the second bag housed within the second compartment, and a second mouth secured to the second flexible bag surrounding the second aperture, the second mouth further secured within the second opening.

26. The container of claim 25, further comprising a flavor concentrate in at least one of said first bag and said second bag.

27. A collapsible container for storing and dispensing two separate materials, comprising

a front wall and an opposing back wall, the front wall defining a first opening and the back wall defining a second opening;

a pair of opposing walls extending between the front wall and the back wall;

a plurality of top flaps extending from the front, back and side walls, the top flaps folding to form a container top; and

a plurality of bottom flaps, extending from the front, back and side walls, the bottom flaps folding to form a container bottom;

a divider extending from the front wall below the first opening to the back wall above the second opening, the divider defining a first compartment and a second compartment within the front, back and side walls, wherein the front wall is taller than the back wall and the container top is angled relative to the container bottom.

28. A collapsible container for storing, and dispensing two separate materials, comprising

a front wall and an opposing back wall, the front will defining a first opening and the back wall defining a second opening;

a pair of opposing walls extending between the front wall and the back wall;

a plurality of top flaps extending from the front, back and side walls, the top flaps folding to form a container top; and

a plurality of bottom flaps, extending from the front, back and side walls, the bottom flaps folding to form a container bottom;

a divider extending from the front wall below the first opening to the back wall above the second opening, the divider defining a first compartment and a second compartment within the front, back and side walls, wherein a hot fluid is stored within the first compartment above the divider and cold fluid is stored within the second compartment below the divider.