Polycarbonate double walled liquid holding vessel

• US 7,270,244 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacific Cornetta Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pacific Cornetta Incorporated
• Inventors: Liu, Alex L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver; Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US10/763,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 215/12.1, 215/13.1, 215/306, 220/592.17, 220/592.35, 220/592.15, 220/592.16, 220/592.27, 220/62.18, 220/62.22, 220/375, 220/62.16
• US Class Current: 215/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/0011 the stopper being completely removed from the opening during dispensing

Abstract

A double walled polycarbonate liquid holding vessel. The vessel may have an inner wall and an outer wall that are coupled to each other in a manner that defines an air tight gap therebetween. A resealable unit may be provided with the vessel that permits resealable access to the interior of the inner wall. The outer wall may be multi-section or single section, and various techniques may be used to conceal joints used to mount the outer wall to the remainder of the vessel. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A double walled liquid holding vessel, comprising:

an inner wall having an attached bottom that is configured in such a manner as to define a cavity that holds liquid; and

an outer wall provided about and substantially spaced from said inner wall to define an insulative gap between the inner and outer walls;

wherein said inner wall and said outer wall are respectively coupled at top portions thereof to a base of a resealable unit, the coupling being by an air tight seal that renders said insulative gap air tight, said resealable unit including a threaded cap member that removably mounts to said base;

wherein said inner wall is comprised primarily of a substantially cylindrical region and also includes a tapered region, the inner wall tapered region being located between the substantially cylindrical region of the inner wall and the inner wall seal at the base and having a diameter that decreases or remains constant from the inner wall substantially cylindrical region to the inner wall seal at the base;

wherein said outer wall is comprised primarily of a substantially cylindrical region and also includes a tapered region, the outer wall tapered region being located between the substantially cylindrical region of the outer wall and the outer wall seal at the base and having a diameter that decreases or remains constant from the outer wall substantially cylindrical region to the outer wall seal at the base;

wherein said inner wall is formed integrally with said base and said outer wall is coupled to said base by a first weld; and

wherein said inner wall and said outer wall are both formed substantially of a polycarbonate material.

2. The vessel of claim 1, wherein said outer wall tapered region is configured with said base in such a manner as to define a circumferencial leash recess bounded above by said base and bounded on the inside and below by the outer wall, said vessel further comprising:

a leash member coupled on one end to said removable cap member and anchored on the other end in said leash recess.

3. The vessel of claim 1, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall are substantially transparent.

4. The vessel of claim 1, wherein said resealable unit comprises a seal extension member formed integrally with said base that extends outward from said inner wall;

wherein said outer wall is joined to an underside of said seal extension member by said first weld.

5. The vessel of claim 1, wherein said outer wall is formed of at least a top section and a bottom section, said top section being joined to said base and said bottom section being joined to said top section at a mid region of said outer wall vertically between said base and a bottom portion of said outer wall.

6. The vessel of claim 1, further comprising a supplemental surface member comprised at least in part of an elastomeric material provided on an exterior surface of said outer wall.

7. The vessel of claim 6, wherein said outer wall is configured to define a recess that receives at least in part said supplemental surface member.

8. The vessel of claim 6, wherein said outer wall is formed of at least a top section and a bottom section, said top section being joined by said first weld proximate said top portion of said inner wall and said bottom section being joined to said top section by a second weld;

said second weld being substantially hidden from said exterior of said outer wall by said supplemental surface member.

9. The vessel of claim 1, wherein said insulative gap is substantially continuous proximate said inner wall.

10. A double walled liquid holding vessel, comprising:

an inner wall having a contiguous bottom that is configured in such a manner as to define a cavity that holds liquid, said inner wall being comprised substantially of a polycarbonate material; and

an outer wall provided about and substantially spaced from said inner wall to define an insulative gap between said inner wall and said outer wall, said outer wall being comprised substantially of a polycarbonate material and being coupled to said inner wall in such a manner that said insulative gap is air tight;

a supplemental surface member provided on an exterior surface of said outer wall that is comprised at least in part of an elastomeric material; and

a resealable mechanism coupled to said inner wall at a top portion thereof that provides resealable access to said cavity, said resealable mechanism including a resealable cover member that is removably coupled to a base;

wherein said outer wall is comprised of at least a top section and a bottom section, and said top section is coupled via a first weld to said base and said bottom section is coupled to said top section via a second weld; and

wherein said supplemental surface member is provided over said second weld to obscure said second weld from view.

11. The vessel of claim 10, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall are substantially transparent.

12. The vessel of claim 10, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall are substantially cylindrical in shape with a pronounced taper inward at the respective top portions thereof.

13. The vessel of claim 12, wherein said base and said pronounced taper of said outer wall are configured to define a circumferencial leash recess bounded above by said base and bounded on the inside and below by the outer wall, said vessel further comprising:

a leash member coupled on one end to said resealable cover member and anchored on the other end in said leash recess.

14. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the top section and the bottom section are two separately formed sections that are joined together at a mid region of said outer wall vertically between said resealable mechanism and a bottom portion of said outer wall.

15. The vessel of claim 10, wherein said outer wall is configured to define a weld recess proximate said second weld and said supplemental surface member is provided in said weld recess.

16. The vessel of claim 10, wherein said top section of the outer wall extends substantially the vertical length of the outer wall, the bottom section of the outer wall including a horizontally disposed and integrally formed outer wall bottom.

17. The vessel of claim 10, wherein said insulative gap between said inner wall and said outer wall is substantially continuous.

18. A double walled liquid holding vessel, comprising:

an inner wall with a contiguous bottom that is configured in such a manner as to define a cavity that holds liquid, said inner wall being comprised substantially of a polycarbonate resin material;

an outer wall provided about and substantially spaced from said inner wall to define an insulative gap between said inner wall and said outer wall, said outer wall being comprised substantially of a polycarbonate resin material and being coupled to said inner wall in such a manner that said insulative gap is air tight; and

a resealable mechanism coupled to said inner wall at a top portion thereof that provides resealable access to said cavity;

wherein said insulative gap between said inner wall and said outer wall is substantially continuous;

wherein said outer wall is formed of at least a top section and a bottom section, said top section being joined proximate said top portion of said inner wall to said resealable mechanism and said bottom section being joined to said top section at a mid region of said outer wall vertically between said resealable mechanism and the contiguous bottom of said inner wall; and

wherein the top and bottom sections of said outer wall are joined together by a weld, said weld being obscured by a supplemental surface member.

19. The vessel of claim 18, wherein said supplemental surface member is comprised at least in part of an elastomeric material.

20. The vessel of claim 18, wherein said polycarbonate material includes polycarbonate resin.