GB2457503A - Male and female coupling device for connecting mixing containers - Google Patents

Abstract

An upper mixing bottle 1 may have a female connector 5, a base 3 and an extended skirt 4. A lower bottle 20 may have a male connector 13 and be connected to said upper bottle via said male and female connectors thereby allowing the contents of both bottles to mix together. A plurality of spring biased locking latches 11 may be provided to engage with grooves 18 and notches 19 Fig 7 on said male coupler. A pre weakened membrane or diaphragm seal 10 may be fitted over an aperture on the lower container. In operation a lever and knob shaped means 9 may be aligned with a corresponding guidance groove 18 and rotated to engage the male and female halves of the connecting device together. As said devices rotate, a male sealing face 17 seals against a corresponding female face. Further rotation causes hooks 6 and 14 to engage with catches 11 which are in turn affixed to the membrane seal. As the hooks and catches engage then the pre-weakened section of said seal ruptures and the contents of the two bottles mixes together.

Description

* 2457503 Dual Flow Beverage Bottle.

This invention relates to beverage bottles which can be coupled together, allowing the liquids contained to freely mix.

Mixed flavoured drinks have proven popular with consumers and a variety of bottles with separate compartments contained within a single bottle have been developed.

These compartments may contain powders or liquids which can be mixed together just before consumption or compartments the consumer may or may not choose to open, depending on their preference for mixing the liquids together or not.

All prior art claim advantage over the readily recognised single compartment beverage bottle.

Hoever prior art is disadvantaged by only offering the consumer a choice of flavours predetermined by the manufacturer in a single unified bottle.

To overcome this restriction of consumer choice the present invention proposes the use of a coupling device fitted to the single bottles the consumer has chosen to mix together.

In a simple operation the bottles are locked together, sealed and the apertures simultaneously opened by the couplers inner mechanism allowing the liquids to blend.

In this activated position the couplers are obscured by the extended skirt of the upper beverage bottle wall and the coupled bottles take the shape of a single unified bottle.

Those experienced in the art will be able to see the flexibility of bottle shape design this feature offers.

There now follows a detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig I Sectional side view upper beverage bottle with female coupler.

Fig 2 Sectional side view of lower beverage bottle with male coupler.

Fig 3 Side view of bottles and couplers together in pre activated position.

Fig 4 Sectional view of male/female couplers together in pre activated position.

Fig 5 Soft shaped preweekend membrane with moulded catches.

Fig 6 Female Coupler from underneath and inside.

Fig 7 Male Coupler.

Fig 1. Depicts the upper embodimerk of the invention. A beverage container [1] of blow moulded construction and made from a suitable material for the containment of liquids, such as Polyester (PET) but not solely confined to this.

The container is open ended with a threaded pouring spout [2] which can be fitted with an industry standard cap, familiar to consumers and determined by the manufacturer's market preference.

The base of the upper container [3] is recessed behind the extended skirt [4] of the container wall.

The upper containers skirting [4] enables the activated male & female [5] coupler to be obscured and aligns the walls of the upper and lower containers forming a smooth, continuous line.

This feature will enable bottle designers to maximise the aesthetic appeal of the unified bottles shape without hindrance to the designs market potential.

The recessed base [3] of the upper container [1] has a large circular aperture, smaller than the female coupler diameter at its centre.

The recessed base [3} forms a natural space between the liquids contained in the upper [1] and lower bottles which on activation of the male & female [5] couplers allows the liquid contained in the up most bottle to fall into the liquids of the lower most bottle, contributing to the mixing efficiency of the liquids.

Over the aperture a soft preweekend membrane [10] is fitted. (Further description appears in Fig 5). The membrane acts as a seal and is overlaid with the female part of the coupling device. (Further description appears Fig 6).

The female part of the coupling device is attached to the base of the upper container by threaded or welded means and supports the membranes weight bearing capability.

The inventors envisage the membrane [10] and female coupler [5] will be fitted to the upper container [1] prior to filling. The container can then be filled by standard bottle filling machines.

Fig 2. Depicts the lower embodiment of the invention. The beverage container [20] is of blow moulded construction and made from a suitable material for the containment of liquids, such as Polyester (PET) but not solely confined to this.

The container is open ended with a closed base. At the top centre of the bottle is a large aperture which is sealed by the soft membrane(10J and the male coupler [13] is overlaid and secured by threaded or welded means. 3.

The inventors envisage the lower container [20] filled by conventional filling means, sealed and capped off with pre weakened membrane [101 and the male coupling device [13].

Fig 6. Depicts the female coupler [5]. Of injection moulded construction, produced from a suitable material such as plastic but not solely confined to this.

The couplers outer wall [21] houses a sprung lever and knob [9]. ((Look at Fig 7) This feature when aligned with the male couplers (13) alignment groove(18) is pushed over the male coupler (131 and twisted. This action brings the lever and knob (91 into contact with the latches (19) of the male couplers alignment grove (181 The levers natural spring, locking the lever knob behind each latch in succession).

This feature locks the two parts of the coupler together in an unopenable position. Ensuring the unified bathes can not be accidentally opened.

The top of the coupler [23] abuts the soft membrane seal [10] and acts as reinforcement for the seal while the couplers cross support [7], supports the membranes weight baring capacity.

On the inside ceiling of the female coupler [51 a series of hooks [6] are strategically placed which when brought together with the mate coupler [13] align with the catches [11] of the opposing bottles soft pre weekend membranefl 0].

Fg7 Depicts the male coupler[1 3]. 01 injection moulded construction, made of a suitable material such as plastic but not solely confined to this.

The circular walls (16] of the male coupler is of a smaller diameter than the female circular inner wall.

Within the outer circular wall [16] of the male coupler[1 3] is a guidance grove [18], which directs the female couplers [5] lever and knob [9] down and through a succession of locking latches (19] as previously described.

When in this aligned position the wall of the male rs snugly within the female and the bulbous tip [17] of the male wall [16] forms a seal between the outside wall of the male and the inside wall of the female. (Look at Fig 3 & 4) The out most base of the coupler abuts the soft membrane seal and further holds the seal into position.

On the inner base of the. coupler a series of hooks [14] are strategically placed which when in unison with the female coupler [5] align with the catches [11] of the opposing bottles soft membrane [10].

Fig 3 & 4.Depicts the aligned couplers and arrows demonstrates the direction of movement for activation of the couplers.

Along this directional line a series of events occur.

1... The lever and knob [9] is aligned with the guidance grove [18] and guided through the locking process.

2... The bulbous tip [17] of the male outer wall seals against the inner wall of the female 3...The hooks [6 & 14] align with the soft membrane catches [11] 4.. .The hooks [6 & 14] are guided through the catches [11] and the pre weekend membrane (10] begins to tear along the pre shaped membrane Tears [12].

5.. .The liquid of the upper most container falls through the apertures and blends with the fluids of the lower most bottle.

The large apertures can facilitate the flow of liquids between the conjoined bottles with no hindrance to the user.

Fig 5. Depicts the circular pre weekend membrane.

Of injection moulded construction made from a soft plastic material or any such material which is free from the formation of debris when torn.

The outer side surface of the membrane features three pre shaped tears [12] which fit within the centre segments of the couplers cross section support [7 & 15].

Moulded catches[1 1] protrude rigidly from the tears[1 2} and are strategically placed next to the aligned hooks when the couplers are in the pre active position.

The tears (12] edge diametrically opposite the catch is not pre weekend and designed to fix the tears in place when open and centrally twisted in the activated coupler.

The inside edge of the membrane is adhered to the rim of the beverage bottles aperture with standard co-polymer resign suitable for use within the beverage industry.

Claims (8)

1. Claims 1. A male and female coupling device fitted to adapted beverage bottles which in a joined activated position operate the couplers inner mechanism allowing the liquids to mix in a leak proof and locked unified bottle shape.
2. 2. A male and female coupling device according to claim 1, in which the locking mechanism is provided by a guidance grove containing notches and a sprung lever and latch which locks behind each notch in turn.
3. 3. A male and female coupling device according to claim 1, in which the seal is provided by a pre shaped and weakened diaphragm.
4. 4. A female coupling device according to claim 1, in which a further seal is provided by a bulbous tip of the inner wall.
5. 5. A male and female coupling device according to claim 1, in which the inner mechanism is provided by a series of hooks and catches which open the diaphragm and locks the containers together in a simultaneous pre guided movement
6. 6. An adapted beverage container according to claim 1, in which a unified bottle shape is achieved by an extended skirt.
7. 7. An adapted beverage bottle according to claim 1, in which a male coupler can be fitted.
8. 8. An adapted beverage bottle according to claim I, in which a female coupler can be fitted.