Mixing container and method of filling

• US 8,104,611 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosphere Spirits LLC
• Original Assignee: Biosphere Spirits LLC
• Inventors: Helou, Elie Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): REYNOLDS, STEVEN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/836,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20100018880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 206219-222, 206/568, 206/804, 220/506, 220/522, 220/521, 222/129, 222/142.5, 141/9, 215/DIG.8, 215/6
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A mixing container having an outer vessel with an open mouth and an inner vessel also with an open mouth separately stores two liquids for automatic mixing when the container is opened. Upon assembly, an interior seal between the open mouth of the inner vessel and the bottom of the outer vessel is effected through placement of a closure in the open mouth of the outer vessel. The inner vessel is received by a socket mounted in the closure which provides a resilient bias on the inner vessel to force the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom. A method for filling the mixing container includes a filling of the inner vessel, placement of the outer vessel over the inner vessel, immersing at least the open mouth of the outer vessel into a second liquid and evacuating the outer vessel. The mixing container may then be closed to resiliently bias the open mouth of the inner vessel against the bottom of the outer vessel to effect the interior seal.

Claims

1. A mixing container comprising:

an outer vessel having a bottom, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the open mouth and the bottom;

an inner vessel having an end, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the end and the open mouth;

a seal; and

a closure positionable to close the open mouth of the outer vessel and form an exterior seal between the closure and open mouth of the outer vessel, the closure being attached to the end of the inner vessel, the closure and inner vessel being rigidly fixed to one another;

wherein the open mouth of the inner vessel is biased against a portion of the seal that is disposed between the open mouth of the inner vessel and the bottom of the outer vessel to effectuate an interior seal between the inner and outer vessels when the closure is positioned to close the open mouth of the outer vessel; and

wherein breaking of the exterior seal between the closure and the open mouth of the outer vessel breaks the interior seal between the inner and outer vessels.

2. The mixing container of claim 1, the seal having a circular periphery and the open mouth on the inner vessel being circular and fitting about the circular periphery.

3. The mixing container of claim 1, wherein the seal is a resilient seal.

4. The mixing container of claim 1, the closure being positionable only to dose the open mouth of the outer vessel.

5. The mixing container of claim 4, the end of the inner vessel being a dosed end with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the inner vessel.

6. The mixing container of claim 5, the bottom of the outer vessel being a dosed bottom with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the outer vessel.

7. The mixing container of claim 1, the outer vessel being transparent and the inner vessel having light shielding.

8. The mixing container of claim 1 further comprising

a first liquid in the inner vessel;

a second liquid in the outer vessel, the second liquid being transparent or at least sufficiently translucent to allow the inner vessel to be seen.

9. The mixing container of claim 8, a mixture of the first liquid and the second liquid being opaque.

10. The mixing container of claim 1, wherein the seal is coupled to the bottom of the outer vessel.

11. The mixing container of claim 1, wherein the seal is coupled to the open mouth of the inner vessel.

12. A mixing container comprising:

an outer vessel having a bottom, an open mouth and a peripheral sidewall between the open mouth and the bottom;

an inner vessel having an end, an open mouth having an edge and a peripheral sidewall between the end and the open mouth; and

a closure positionable to close the open mouth of the outer vessel and form an exterior seal between the closure and the open mouth of the outer vessel;

wherein the open mouth of the inner vessel is resiliently biased downwardly towards the bottom of the outer vessel to effect an interior seal when the mixing container is assembled; and

wherein breaking of the exterior seal between the closure and the open mouth of the outer vessel breaks the interior seal between the inner and outer vessels.

13. The mixing container of claim 12, the closure being positionable only to close the open mouth of the outer container.

14. The mixing container of claim 13, the end of the inner vessel being a closed end with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the inner vessel.

15. The mixing container of claim 14, the bottom of the outer vessel being a closed bottom with access provided to the inner vessel only through the open mouth of the outer vessel.

16. The mixing container of claim 12, the outer vessel being transparent and the inner vessel having light shielding.

17. The mixing container of claim 12, further comprising a seal coupling the edge of the open mouth of the inner vessel and the bottom of the outer vessel.

18. The mixing container of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the seal is disposed between the edge of the open mouth of the inner vessel and the bottom of the outer vessel to effectuate the interior seal when the open mouth of the inner vessel is resiliently biased downwardly toward the bottom of the outer vessel.

19. The mixing container of claim 12, further comprising a first component in the inner vessel and a second component in the outer vessel, wherein removal of the closure from the open mouth of the outer vessel causes the first and second components to combine.

20. The mixing container of claim 12, further comprising a socket mounted in the closure, the end of the inner vessel being mountable in the socket.

21. The mixing container of claim 20, wherein the socket comprises a circular dished plate spring retained within the closure and a cavity centrally located on the circular dished plate and receiving the end of the inner vessel.