Beverage Container

Abstract

The invention relates to a drinking container with an interior space for receiving a liquid with a container opening that is arranged preferably at the top side, in which a mixing device is mounted, which consists of a movable wire element. The invention is characterized in that the wire element is embodied as a flat elastic spiral (3), which is mounted with one end on the drinking container (7) or the closure element thereof, while the other end of the spiral (3) ends freely in the container space. Thereby the spiral (3) is embodied so that it is freely swingingly movable at least in a linear direction in the container interior space due to a container motion and its self-weight.

Description

The invention relates to a drinking or beverage container according to the preamble of the patent claim 1.

Presently there are numerous shakers, mixing cups and bottles that are provided for the intermixing of various different ingredients. These ingredients are usually powder and liquid. These shakers or mixing cups are supposed to make possible or improve the intermixing of these ingredients. For this, one fills the substances to be intermixed into the mixing container and closes it with a lid element. Through a shaking motion that is preferably carried out with the hand, the substances in the mixing container are intermixed with one another.

In order to make possible an improved intermixing, these mixing cups/shakers are offered with various different auxiliary elements and/or with a special shape or form design.

Presently various different ones of these devices are known. A current popular model would be the shaker with insertable beating screen. This screen is fixed on or inserted in the container opening preferably before the intermixing and after filling the mixing container with the substances that are to be intermixed.

Thereafter the mixing container is closed with the lid element. Thereafter the filled-in substances, usually liquid and powder, are moved through the screen by the shaking motion. Thereby an improved intermixing takes place. These insertable screen elements are mostly arranged in a grid or turbine shape.

A further device for improving the intermixing process are specially shaped, curved or oscillating inner walls in the mixing container. These special walls are preferably provided on the inner area of the lid element or on the floor of the cup element.

During the shaking process, these stated walls cause a certain determined motion or progression of the substances. Due to this swirling or whirlpool-like motion of the substances, the liquid and powder or liquid and liquid intermix better.

A further device is known from a U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,032. A freely movable, non-fixed, grid-shaped produced metal ball optimizes the intermixing of the filled-in substances, in that it moves in the inner area through the interior space of the mixing container during the shaking motion. Due to its smaller shape and its own self-weight, it moves further in the interior space of the mixing container in the direction of the shaking motion being carried out, even if the substances (liquid/powder) to be intermixed are stopped by the wall boundary, and it improves the intermixing of the substances due to its grid-like fine-meshed body. The variant actually produced as a product is known as BlenderBottle (www.blenderbottle.com).

All of these devices have their advantages, but also weaknesses. For example, the screen to be inserted is quickly gummed-up with hard-to-mix substances, due to a lack of a self-motion. However, in the intermixing under normal conditions the screen guarantees an optimal mixing behavior due to its very tightly spaced meshes.

The BlenderBall from the known US patent provides a good result even with hard-to-intermix substances, and a gumming-up is prevented by its self-motion in the mixing container. However, the BlenderBall is not so fine-meshed as a grid screen, and due to its small size it is not as surfacially covering as a screen.

Therefore, it is the underlying object of the invention, to combine the advantages of both devices in one element.

This object is achieved by the invention set forth in patent claim 1. Further advantageous example embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

The invention has the advantage that the intermixing is optimized due to the movability of the spiral-shaped insertable auxiliary element, in that it avoids a gumming-up due to the motion in the interior space during the shaking process, but acts like a screen upon the return motion.

Advantageously, the spiral shape becomes smaller in diameter in the condition pulled out toward the cup bottom, and thus fits optimally to the shape of the most common present shaker models, and thus guarantees an optimal surface coverage.

Additionally, the spiral is easy to clean and to insert. For the same mixing result, normally two auxiliary elements (screen/ball) would have to be inserted and cleaned.

The invention will be described in further detail in connection with an example embodiment, which is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1: shows a spiral-shaped device for the improvement of the mixing result with device for fixing;

FIG. 1 a: shows a spiral-shaped device for the improvement of the mixing result with device for insertion;

FIG. 1 b: shows material agglomerations preferably centrally arranged (A cone/B half-sphere/C screen or grid/D spider shape);

FIG. 2: shows a cup element/container;

FIG. 3: shows a spiral motion during the shaking process in the direction toward the cup bottom;

FIG. 4: shows the spiral motion/condition during the shaking process in the direction toward the lid element.

In FIG. 1, a spiral-shaped device is shown, which can be fixed with its fixing device (1) preferably on the lid element or on the container opening. That can preferably be achieved by insertion or plugging-in. Due to the spiral shape (3), a screen-like or sieve-like structure arises, which comprises mesh-like through openings (4). A material thickening (2) is located preferably arranged in the center, in order to strengthen the self-motion of the spiral in the direction toward the cup bottom during the shaking process.

FIG. 1 a illustrates the same spiral-shape device, with the difference, that the fixing device is now preferably designed as a collar or crown (5) for laying in contact on a device in the cup element. A further difference relative to the model in FIG. 1 is that the material thickening in the center of the spiral is omitted, but the same effect of the strengthened self-motion is achieved with a material thickening in the entire extent of the spiral arm or by a special selection of a heavier material.

In FIG. 1b, various different models of the material thickening. FIG. A shows pyramid-like device, which points downwardly and thus to separate or disperse the water masses in the shake itself.

In FIG. B, a half sphere is shown, which also points downwardly and shall achieve the same effect like FIG. A.

FIG. C shows a material thickening in the form of a screen or sieve, in order to achieve a further improvement in the mixing behavior. An advantage in this device is that it involves a moving screen, because it springs up and down during the shaking process.

In FIG. D, a spider-shaped spiral is shown. This is to improve the optical effect, and act or seem like a spider in the web.

In FIG. 2, the cup element is shown, which preferably maintains the shape that is typical in the market. Due to the spacing distances of the cup side walls (8/9) becoming smaller toward the bottom or floor, the shape of the cup is fitted or adapted to the tapering progression of the swung spiral. Preferably the lid element is fixed on the container opening at the top (7) by a threading or a plug-in device.

In FIG. 3, the course of the spiral (10) during the shaking process in the direction toward the cup bottom or floor is illustrated. Due to the spiral shape and the therefore ever-tapering or tightening course in the extended or pulled-out condition, the spiral is thus fitted or adapted to the downwardly tapering course of the container.

In FIG. 4, the course of the spiral (11) during the shaking process in the direction toward the lid element is illustrated. The spiral now has a screen or sieve shape, because it is not extended or pulled out. This can be achieved in that the lid element is arranged so that only a small motion play or clearance space is permitted. A further possibility would be that the character of the spiral is to be designed so that it has a larger motion play or clearance space toward the cup bottom and a smaller motion play or clearance space toward the lid element.

Claims

1. Drinking container with an interior space for receiving a liquid with a container opening arranged preferably on a top side, in which a mixing device is mounted, which consists of a movable wire element, characterized in that the wire element is embodied as a flat elastic spiral (3), which is mounted with one end on the drinking container (7) or the closure element thereof, while the other end of the spiral (3) ends freely in the container space, whereby the spiral (3) is embodied so that it is freely swingingly movable at least in a linear direction in the container interior space due to a container motion and its self-weight.

2. Drinking container according to claim 1, characterized in that the spiral (3) comprises a preferably centrally arranged material agglomeration as a weight element.

3. Drinking container according to claim 2, characterized in that the material agglomeration is constructed cone-shaped.

4. Drinking container according to claim 2, characterized in that the material agglomeration is arranged spider-shaped.

5. Drinking container according to claim 2, characterized in that the material agglomeration is constructed grid-shaped or screen-shaped.

6-10. (canceled)

11. The drinking container according to claim 1, further comprising at least one fixing element that is adapted to fixedly mount the one end of the flat elastic spiral and that is applied on the container at the container opening or in the closure element.

12. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the container has a shape that tapers narrower toward a container bottom of the container.

13. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the flat elastic spiral exhibits a motion play of the other end thereof which is embodied larger toward a container bottom of the container than toward the closure element.

14. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the flat elastic spiral is movable within a motion play space in the container interior space, and the motion Play space is limited by a flat extending portion of the closure element.

15. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the flat elastic spiral consists of an elastic metal or a synthetic plastic.