Bowl-in-one

• US 6,610,339 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kellogg Company
• Original Assignee: Kellogg Company
• Inventors: Borgerson, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinstein, Steve
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madsen, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/677,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 429/112, 429/115, 429/120, 429/124, 429/394, 206/219, 206/221, 206/222, 220/500, 220/501, 220/502, 220/506, 215/DIG.8, 215/250, 215/6, 215/10, 604/416, 426/398
• US Class Current: 426/120
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/246 provided with eating utensils or spatulas applicator rods or brushes B65D51/32
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/08 Mixing

Abstract

A portable container for storing an edible liquid separate from an edible dry component is disclosed. The container permits a user to easily mix the edible liquid with the dry component in a readily transportable container without spilling the contents. A portable container includes an outer vessel having a least one internal projection and an inner vessel received within the outer vessel. The inner vessel is rotatable within the outer vessel and includes a removable top and at least one opening covered by a frangible membrane. A sealing member seals the outer vessel to the inner vessel. When the inner vessel is rotated within the outer vessel the at least one internal projections ruptures the frangible membrane and provides communication between the inner vessel and the outer vessel. An edible liquid is stored within an inner space defined between the inner vessel and the outer vessel and a dry component is stored within the inner vessel. Thus, when the frangible membrane is ruptured the edible liquid is mixed with the edible dry component.

Claims

1. A portable container for transporting a solid and a liquid comprising:

an outer vessel having a sidewall and al least one internal projection disposed on said sidewall and extending radially inwardly therefrom;

an inner vessel supported by said outer vessel and having a removable top and a sidewall defining at least one opening;

a frangible membrane covering said at least one opening;

at least one projection disposed on said frangible membrane and extending radially outwardly therefrom for radially overlapping and contacting said at least one internal projection of said outer vessel when said inner vessel is rotated relative to said outer vessel to rupture said frangible membrane thereby providing communication between said inner vessel and said outer vessel; and

a sealing member sealing said outer vessel to said inner vessel.

2. A portable container as recited in claim 1 further including a rotatable connection between said inner vessel and said outer vessel.

3. A portable container as recited in claim 2, wherein said outer vessel includes a socket and said inner vessel includes a ball, received in said socket when said inner vessel is received in said outer vessel, whereby said ball and said socket form said rotatable connection.

4. A portable container as recited in claim 1 further comprising a removable lid, sealingly received on said sealing member.

5. A portable container as recited in claim 4 wherein one of said lid and said sealing member includes a rib and the other of said lid and said sealing member includes a groove, engaging said rib to seal said lid to said sealing member.

6. A portable container as recited in claim 1, wherein said inner vessel includes a first plurality of openings each covered by a frangible membrane and located adjacent first and second ends of said inner vessel with each of said frangible membranes having a projection disposed thereon and extending radially outwardly therefrom.

7. A portable container as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said sealing member and said outer vessel includes a rib and the other of said sealing member and said outer vessel includes a groove, engaging said rib to sealingly join said sealing member to said outer vessel.

8. A portable container as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said sealing member and said inner vessel includes a rib and the other of said sealing member and said inner vessel includes a groove, said groove engaging said rib to sealingly join said sealing member to said inner vessel.

9. A portable container as recited in claim 1 wherein said sealing member is sealingly compression fit onto said inner vessel to seal said sealing member to said inner vessel.

10. A portable container as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one internal projection extending radially inwardly from said sidewall of said outer vessel and said at least one projection extending radially outwardly from said frangible membrane are V-shaped fins.

11. A portable container as recited in claim 1 wherein said outer vessel has a first length and said inner vessel has a second length substantially the same as said first length and wherein the sidewalls of said inner vessel and said outer vessel define an inner space between said vessel such that said at least one internal projection extends radially inwardly into said inner space and said at least one projection extends radially outwardly into said inner space in an overlapping relationship to said at least one internal projection.

12. A portable container comprising:

an outer vessel having a sidewall and at least one internal projection disposed on said sidewall and extending radially inwardly therefrom;

an inner vessel supported by said outer vessel and having a removable top and a sidewall defining at least one opening;

a sealing member sealing said outer vessel to said inner vessel;

an inner space defined between said outer vessel and said inner vessel;

an edible liquid disposed in said inner space;

an edible solid disposed in said inner vessel;

a frangible membrane covering said at least one opening; and

at least one projection disposed on said frangible membrane and extending radially outwardly therefrom into said inner space for radially overlapping and contacting said at least one internal projection of said outer vessel when said inner vessel is rotated relative to said outer vessel to rupture said frangible membrane thereby providing communication between said inner vessel and said inner space and mixing said edible solid and said edible liquid.