Patent Application
20130112649
Bottles are ubiquitously used as vessels for storing and transporting liquids. The bottles commonly include a single interior chamber for storing a single type of liquid, and are typically provided with seals such as corks, stoppers, caps, or the like so as to maintain the liquid within the bottle. Such seals are predominantly utilitarian and do not provide chambers for separate storage of additional liquids.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a bottle including a hollow removable closure is disclosed. The bottle can include a base portion enclosing a substantially hollow interior and a removable closure enclosing a substantially hollow reservoir. The base portion can include a mouth in fluid communication with the interior, and the removable closure can include an opening in fluid communication with the reservoir and a stopper removably sealing the opening. A portion of the closure can be receivable within the mouth of the base portion such that the opening of the closure is received through the mouth and a liquid-tight seal is formed between the base portion and a portion of the closure.
Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:
a is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a bottle including a hollow removable closure.
b is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a hollow removable closure for a bottle.
a is an cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a bottle including a hollow removable closure.
b is a partial cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a bottle including a hollow removable closure.
c is a partial cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a bottle including a hollow removable closure.
Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiment are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
Generally referring to
Base portion 102 may include a substantially hollow interior 103 wherein a liquid may be disposed, for example a potable liquid such as liquor, or any other desired liquid or matter with liquid or fluid traits. Thus, it is envisioned that any type of material, solid, liquid, or gas, may be housed in bottle 100. For example, solid materials such as, but not limited to, sand, pieces of candy and the like may be housed within bottle 100 as desired. Base portion 102 may further include a mouth 104 through which the liquid may be input or withdrawn. In some embodiments, base portion 102 may include a neck 106, with mouth 104 being disposed at an end of neck 106.
Hollow closure 150 may include a reservoir 152 and a neck 156. Both reservoir 152 and neck 156 may be substantially hollow and in communication with each other, and any desired liquid may be disposed within the reservoir and neck of hollow closure 150. The liquid disposed within hollow closure 150, may also be a potable liquid, and may be diverse from the liquid disposed within base portion 102. Alternatively, any other material, solid, liquid or gas, may be housed in hollow closure, as desired. Hollow closure 150 may further include an opening 154 through which the liquid may be input or withdrawn. In some embodiments, opening 154 may be disposed at an end of neck 156.
Neck 156 of hollow closure 150 may be sized and shaped to fit within mouth 104 of base portion 102. To that end, the outer perimeter of neck 156 may be substantially similar to the inner perimeter of mouth 104. In some exemplary embodiments, a liquid-tight seal or a gas-tight seal, for example, via a friction coupling, may be created between neck 156 and mouth 104 when neck 156 is disposed within mouth 104, as shown in
As shown in
In some exemplary embodiments, hollow closure 150 may include secondary openings 162 in the surface thereof, the secondary openings being in communication with reservoir 152. Secondary openings 162 may also be provided with secondary stoppers 164. Secondary stoppers 164 may be any suitable type of seal, for example a stopper, bung, cap, cork, or the like, or a combination thereof, and may be formed from any suitable material. Secondary openings 162 may provide alternative paths for emptying or filling hollow closure 150 with liquid. In some exemplary embodiments, secondary stoppers 164 may be formed as decorative or simulative elements as part of the overall design of hollow closure 150. Secondary stoppers 164 may alternatively be formed from any desired material, for example the material of bottle 100, base 102 or closure 150, and additional sealing elements 166, such as sealing rings or the like may be provided to form or enhance the liquid-tight seal between secondary openings 162 and secondary stoppers 164.
In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in
In operation, the user may separate hollow closure 150 from base portion 102 so as to allow the liquid disposed within base portion 102 to be withdrawn via mouth 104, or for a liquid to be input into base portion 102. Subsequently, the user may withdraw stopper 160 from opening 154 of hollow closure 150, so as to allow the liquid disposed within hollow closure 150 to be withdrawn, or for a liquid to be input into reservoir 152 of hollow closure 150. The user may also remove secondary seals 164 from secondary openings 162 so as to provide an alternate path for the transfer of liquid into or out of hollow closure 150.
In some exemplary embodiments, hollow closure 150 may be disposed within mouth 104 of base portion 102 with the stopper 160 absent from opening 154 of hollow closure 150. In such an arrangement, the interior 103 of base portion 102 may be in fluid communication with reservoir 152 of hollow closure 150, with the liquid-tight seal between neck 156 and mouth 104 being maintained. As shown in
The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
