This invention relates to receptacles, such as beverage receptacles, which are constructed substantially of an elastomeric material such that the receptacles are fully eversible and resilient.
Beverage receptacles can be difficult to clean, as an inherent consequence of the basic shape requirements. In particular, the beverage contacting surface is not amenable to manual washing, as the interior surface is recessed and difficult to contact. This is particularly the case for beverage receptacles which often contain powdered drinks, such as baby formula or protein powder. Nursing bottles, for example, often need to be washed with an extended scrubbing brush which is capable of accessing the inner recesses of the receptacle. Failure to properly clean the inner portion of a beverage receptacle can result in microbiotic growth, and illness for subsequent users of the receptacle.
Various solutions to these problems have been proposed by those skilled in the art. For example, see U.S. Published Application No. 2009/0108009; Japanese Published Application No. JP200393477; PCT Published Application No. WO2012/115491; Korean Publication No. 1020110024959; U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,271; U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,110; PCT Published Application No. WO2010/121800; and a commercialized product sold under the name of TIGEX (http://www.tigex.com/uk/content/reversible-cup). While each of these products appears suitable for its intended purpose, none of these configurations provide a satisfactory solution to the need for a simple and effective way to expose an interior surface of a container for cleaning and drying purposes. Thus, there has been a long felt, unresolved need for a receptacle which provides facile access to, washability and drying of, the inner, or beverage-contacting, surface.
A beverage receptacle for easy cleaning and drying can include at least one sidewall contoured to define an open end. The sidewall can be manufactured substantially of an elastomeric material, such that the receptacle can be fully eversible as well as resilient. The receptacle can be transformed, via eversion, between two stable conformations. The first stable conformation can be suitable for containing a beverage, or other substance, and the second stable conformation can expose the beverage contacting surface, thereby facilitating cleaning and drying. The receptacle can be resilient, having the capability of maintaining shape in either stable conformation. When in the first stable conformation, the receptacle can be capable of standing upright without assistance.
A receptacle for containing a substance can include at least one sidewall defining a container with a predetermined volume for housing the substance to be contained. The at least one sidewall can include a first substance-contacting surface. The container can be reversibly eversible, such that the container reversibly transforms between a first stable conformation with the substance-contacting surface facing inward and a second stable conformation with the substance-contacting surface facing outward. A rigid sleeve can at least partially sheath the container and have at least one sidewall-pull-down cutout removing a portion of the sleeve allowing for a second surface of the sidewall to be exposed when in the first stable conformation. The at least one sidewall can be accessed during eversion to facilitate interaction of the at least one sidewall with respect to the sleeve.
A receptacle for containing a substance can include at least one elastomeric sidewall defining a container having a first surface. The container can be reversibly eversible between first and second stable conformations. The first stable conformation can be defined by the first surface facing inward and the second stable conformation can be defined by the first surface facing outward. The at least one elastomeric sidewall can have resilience and sufficient yield strain to prevent permanent deformation and fatigue failure of the elastomeric sidewall after repeated eversions. A rigid sleeve can at least partially sheath the container and have at least one eversion cutout created in the sleeve allowing for a second surface of the sidewall to be exposed when in the first stable conformation. Pressure can be directly applied to the at least one elastomeric sidewall to additionally facilitate removal from the sleeve and eversion of the container.
A receptacle for containing a substance can include a container including a contiguous containment wall defining an open end. The contiguous containment wall can have a first surface. The containment wall can be composed substantially of an elastomeric material. The containment wall can be reversibly eversible to transform between a normal stable conformation with the first surface facing inward and an everted stable conformation with the first surface facing outward. A buckle region of the containment wall can extend at least partially along a periphery of the container adjacent a lower portion of the container allowing the buckle region to strategically deform making eversion of the container easier. A rigid sleeve can at least partially sheath the container.
The buckle region (26a) can include a decoupling point defined by at least one protrusion extending outward from the second surface when the container is in the first stable conformation. A decoupling ledge can be formed on the sleeve mating with the at least one protrusion when the container is in the first stable conformation.
The sleeve can include at least one eversion cutout created in the sleeve allowing for a second surface of the containment wall to be exposed. Pressure can be directly applied to the containment wall to additionally facilitate in eversion. At least one containment-wall-pull-down cutout can remove at least a portion of the sleeve allowing for the second surface of the containment wall to be exposed. The at least one containment-wall-pull-down cutout allows the containment wall to be accessed through the sleeve during assembly and disassembly of the containment wall with respect to the sleeve during eversion to facilitate interaction of the containment wall with respect to the sleeve.
The sleeve can define an interstitial space between the sleeve and a second surface of the containment wall allowing stagnant air to be trapped therebetween to provide insulation.
A capping element can be provided to reversibly cover an open end of the receptacle. The capping element can be reversibly joined to the open end of the receptacle by an attachment joint to create a fluid tight seal between the open end of the receptacle and the capping element. The receptacle can sometimes be referred to herein as a “container” or a “containment element”.
The receptacle can define an easily cleanable nursing bottle, including an eversible sidewall forming the receptacle, a nipple shaped capping element, and an attachment member. The receptacle, when in the first stable conformation, can be filled with a fluid or liquid such as milk or baby formula, and the nipple can be reversibly attached to the receptacle for drinking. When the receptacle is emptied of fluid or liquid contents, the nipple can be removed from the receptacle and the receptacle can be everted to the second stable conformation. The beverage contacting surface can then be easily and thoroughly cleaned, e.g. with a soapy sponge.
The containment element can also define an easily cleaned or dried general use beverage receptacle, such as can be used for a sports drink or a protein shake. The beverage receptacle can include an eversible receptacle, a rigid cap with a drinking opening, and an attachment member. Additional features can be included on the attachment member, bottle, or both to increase the ease of eversion. These features can be applied to all bottle types inclusively.
Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of a possible mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
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The term “receptacle”, as used herein, can refer to a container including at least one sidewall 12 defining at least one open end 14. The container or receptacle 10 can be capable of partly surrounding and thereby containing a material or substance. The material or substance so contained can be a liquid, such as a beverage or other liquid, a solid, a gas, or any mixture or other combination of solid, liquid, and/or gas, or any intermediate states thereof. The receptacle 10 can be eversible. When a substance contacts the first surface 12a of the receptacle 10 when the receptacle 10 is in the first stable state 10a, the receptacle can be said to be containing the substance or housing the substance.
The term “eversible” as used herein, can be defined as the receptacle being completely “turned inside out”. The term “eversible” as used herein, can be further defined as the receptacle 10 being reversibly transformable between two stable conformations, wherein an interior surface and an exterior surface are reversed with respect to one another. In the first stable conformation 10a, the receptacle can have a material contacting surface 12a facing inward, and a second surface 12b facing outward. In the second stable conformation, the material contacting surface 12a faces outward, and the second surface 12b faces inward. Any transformation of the receptacle 10 from the first stable state 10a to the second stable state 10b, or vice versa, can be referred to as an eversion. Any multiplicity of such eversions can be referred to as repeated eversions.
The receptacle 10 can also be resilient. The term “resilient”, as used herein, can be defined as the receptacle 10 being resistant to permanent deformation. The term “resilient” as used herein can be further defined as the receptacle 10 having a tendency to return to one of the two stable conformations, if deformed. The term “resilient” as used herein can further be defined as the receptacle 10 having a tendency to resist deformation, permanently or transiently, due to a weight of the receptacle 10. The resilience of the receptacle 10 can be described in terms of yield strain, which as used herein can be defined as the stress or force at which the sidewall 12 begins to deform.
Specifically, the sidewall material can be described in terms of fatigue failure. In such cases, the term “fatigue failure of the sidewall material” can refer to the situation where eversion, or repeated eversions, results in permanent deformation of the sidewall material. The receptacle 10 can also be described in terms of fatigue failure. The term “fatigue failure” as used herein, can refer to the situation where eversion, or repeated eversions, results in permanent deformation of the receptacle 10.
The term “capping element” 16, as used herein, can be defined as a physical structure reversibly engageable with the open end 14 of the receptacle 10. The capping element 16 at least partially covers the open end 14 of the receptacle 10, and at least partially inhibits the exit of any contained material from the receptacle 10. The capping element 16 can comprise at least one surface, wherein the surface is capable of being attached to the open end 14 of the receptacle. Such a surface can be referred to as an “attachable surface”. When attachment of the capping element 16 to the open end 14 of the receptacle 10 results in formation of a fluid tight seal, it can be said that the receptacle is “sealingly engaging” the capping element.
The term “attachment member” 30, as used herein, is defined as at least one physical structure facilitating engagement of the capping element 16 to the open end 14 of the receptacle 10, or tending to inhibit disengagement of the capping element 16 from the engagement member 30.
The receptacle 10 can include a sidewall 12 made substantially of an elastomeric material. The term “elastomeric” is well known to those skilled in the art. As used herein, “elastomeric” or “elastomers” can include resilient polymeric materials having a Young's modulus of between approximately 1 megapascal (MPa) to approximately 7 megapascal (MPa), inclusive. Young's modulus, also known as tensile modulus or elastic modulus, also sometimes referred to as the modulus of elasticity, is a measure of stiffness of an elastic material. Young's modulus is defined as the ratio of the uniaxial stress over the uniaxial strain in the range of stress in which Hooke's law holds, which states that the displacement of a spring is in direct proportion with a load applied to the spring as long as the load does not exceed an elastic limit of the material. Young's modulus can be experimentally determined from the initial, linear slope portion of a stress-strain curve created during tensile tests conducted on a sample of the material. By way of example and not limitation, suitable elastomeric materials can include varieties of silicone, or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or latex rubber. Suitable varieties of silicone can include silicone rubber, liquid silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone-modified ethylene propylene rubber, silicone polyester resin, silicone alkyd resin, silicone epoxy resin, and any combinations thereof. When the sidewall 12 is made of an elastomeric material, this can be referred to as an elastomeric sidewall.
A capping element 16 can be made substantially of an elastomeric material. Alternatively, the capping element 16 can be made substantially of a rigid material. The term “rigid”, as used herein, can be defined to refer to a material which does not deform during typical use, and can possess, but need not necessarily possess, a Young's modulus of greater than approximately 1 gigapascal (GPa), inclusive. The receptacle 10 as disclosed herein can be made substantially of an elastomeric material, and can include inserts 45, as best seen in
The receptacle 10 can include a sidewall 12 defining an open end 14, and an end wall 20 opposite the open end 14. Typically, the sidewall will be contiguous to, or directly adjoining the open end. If an end wall is present, it will typically be contiguous to, or directly adjoining the sidewall. The phrase “containment wall” can be used to refer to either the sidewall, or to the sidewall and the end wall together. The end wall 20 can include an indentation 22 in the end wall 20. The indentation 22 can extend inwardly with a conical shape or can include any other shape, by way of example and not limitation, such as semi-spherical, cylindrical, pyramidal, or trapezoidal. When the shape of the indentation is conical, it can be referred to as a “conical indentation”. The end wall 20 can include an eversion handle 24. The term “eversion handle” 24, as used herein, is defined to refer to areas 24a of the sidewall 12 or end wall 20 possessing localized increased thickness relative to other portions of the sidewall 12 or end wall 20, and can be used for facilitating manual eversion of the receptacle 10.
The receptacle 10 can include one or more buckle points 26, as best seen in
The receptacle 10 can include stability lip 54, as best seen in
The receptacle 10 can include an annular engagement lip 28, as best seen in
The receptacle 10 can include an open end 14 defined by one or more sidewalls 12, and an end wall 20, wherein a thickness of the end wall 20 is greater than a thickness of the sidewall 12. By way of example and not limitation, a thickness of the end wall 20 can be approximately 2 millimeters (mm) and a thickness of the sidewall can be approximately 1.5 millimeters (mm). In other words, the buckle point 26 or region 26a can include a first wall thickness of approximately 1.5 millimeter (mm), and other portions of the containment walls include a second wall thickness of at least approximately 2 millimeter (mm). Alternatively, the buckle point 26 or area 26a can be defined by a region of the containment wall having a first Young's modulus less than a second Young's modulus of other portions of the containment wall.
The receptacle 10 can be configured to enclose a beverage. When in a first stable conformation 10a, a first surface 12a of the receptacle 10 can face inwardly toward an interior of the receptacle 10. When in a second stable conformation 10b, the first surface 12a can face outwardly toward an exterior of the receptacle 10 to be particularly amenable to cleaning and drying after eversion of the receptacle 10 from the first stable conformation 10a (as best seen in
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While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.
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Tlgex—Reversible Cup (http://www.tigex.com/uk/content/reversible-cup) web site page printed Jan. 17, 2012. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13751092 | Jan 2013 | US |
Child | 14313961 | US |