US20110303561A1 - Cap for drinking container - Google Patents

Abstract

A container cap is adapted for use with a drinking container. The container cap has a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid in the drinking container, a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion and removably coupled to the open mouth of the drinking container, a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion, a cap removably coupled to the second connector, and a commercial message provided on the container portion

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to the field of beverages, and more specifically, to beverages contained in bottles with removal caps. The present invention provides a container cap that can be retrofittedly placed upon the bottle after removing its original cap, in a manner that dispenses materials into the bottle. Commercial or other written indicia are carried on the external surfaces of the container cap.
• 2. Description of the Prior Art
• The beverage world today is largely possessed by bottled water contained in plastic bottles having virtually identical removable caps. Such caps are removed by twistable action, leaving a band or collar behind as the cap is removed, while simultaneously providing access for drinking to the top of the bottle. Beverages also comprise pre-mixed drinks with a plurality of different designs, requiring, among other things, refrigeration, dates of expiration and other indicators related to the shelf-life of the beverage.
• Also well known in the art are water-soluble drink mixes that are sold in solid form. The consumer measures quantities of the dry material, adds the quantities in the proper ratio to water, and creates a flavored beverage. In these embodiments, the consumer is required to modulate the quantities, and mistakes result in under- or over-flavored mixtures.
• In addition, it is important to maintain freshness of fluid-based products. This is particularly important when the material to be dispensed is vitamin-based, since it is known that water-miscible vitamins can lose their potency over time when in a fluid environment, through changes in temperature, pressure, and light. In addition, fluid-based products can interact with plastic bottles, causing an unpleasant taste and compromising the health of the user. Glass bottles are thereby required for some applications, which are more expensive and much heavier.
• To address these concerns, efforts have been made to provide a universal cap design that contains dry or concentrated materials (e.g., vitamins, drink mixes and other flavors), such that the cap can be used with any number of fluid containers without the need for modifying the existing, standard, plastic bottle design. In other words, once the pre-existing cap for the bottle is removed, the new cap, containing the materials, can be retrofittedly installed on the top of the bottle, dispensing the materials into the fluid. The bottle can be shaken and the completed beverage created moments before consumption.
• Many of these cap designs are embodied in the form of a simple container that holds the material to be dispensed. The contents of the container cap are often not identified, and the user often has no way of knowing if the materials contained in the particular container cap are intended for his/her consumption, or for someone else's consumption.
• It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a universal, single-use cap containing materials for attachment to pre-existing fluid containers to permit dispensation of materials thereby maintaining the freshness of the beverage.
• It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal single-use cap that provides a commercial message or indicia on, or associated with, the cap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• To accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides a container cap that is adapted for use with a drinking container, the container cap having a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid in the drinking container, a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion and removably coupled to the open mouth of the drinking container, a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion, a cap removably coupled to the second connector, and a commercial message provided on the container portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to one embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container cap ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle.
• FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the container cap ofFIG. 3A shown in use with a conventional water bottle.
• FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to yet another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle.
• FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to yet a further embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 5B illustrates the paper support of the container cap ofFIG. 5A.
• FIGS. 6-12 illustrate other embodiments of container caps according to the present invention.
• FIG. 13A is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle.
• FIG. 13B is a perspective view of the container cap ofFIG. 13A shown in use with a conventional water bottle.
• FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to yet a further embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional glass beer bottle.
• FIGS. 16A and 16B are exploded perspective views showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional beer can.
• FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate other embodiments of container caps according to the present invention that can be used with a conventional beer can.
• FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate other embodiments of container caps according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
• FIGS. 1-2 illustrate acontainer cap20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Thecontainer cap20 can be a plastic container having acontainer portion22 that holds a material. The material can be a vitamin, supplement, medication, flavoring, fruit or other concentrate, tea, coffee, energy ingredient, powdered milk, or alcohol, and can be provided in liquid, powder, dissolvable tablet or capsule, real fruit (e.g., slice of lemon, or berry) or any similar form that allows for the material to be quickly and conveniently emptied from thecontainer portion22 to be mixed or dissolved. Thecontainer cap20 further includes abottom connector24 and atop connector26. Thebottom connector24 is provided in the form of a female connector, in this case withinner threads28 that are adapted to threadably engage theouter threads30 on theneck32 of aconventional water bottle34. Thetop connector26 is provided in the form of a male connector, in this case withouter threads36 that are adapted to threadably engage theinner threads38 of acap40. Thecap40 can be embodied in the form of a conventional water bottle cap. A peel-offseal42 can be provided at the mouth of thebottom connector24 to prevent the material inside thecontainer portion22 from escaping.
• It is also possible to provide a conventional filter or water purifiying element inside thecontainer portion22. The filter can function to filter the water from thewater bottle34, and the purifying element can function to purify the water from thewater bottle34. This allows thewater bottle34 to be re-used with different sources of water, even water (e.g., tap water) that may need to be purified and/or filtered before being drinkable. Acontainer cap20 that contains such a filter and/or purifying element can even be useful for soldiers who often need to refill their drinking containers with non-filtered and non-purified water. A soldier can then carry such acontainer cap20 for use in purifying and filtering any water that the soldier might find in a battle environment.
• In use, the user can remove the conventional cap of awater bottle34 that contains clear water or other beverage, then remove theseal42, and empty the material44 (seeFIG. 3) from thecontainer portion22 through the open mouth of theneck32 into thebottle34 to allow the material44 to mix with the liquid inside thebottle34. The user can then screw thebottom connector24 onto theneck32, unscrew (open) thecap40, and then drink the liquid contents of thebottle34 through the open mouth of thetop connector26. The liquid contents would flow from thebottle34, through thecontainer portion22, and then out via thetop connector26.
• The present invention provides acommercial message50 on the outer surfaces of thecontainer portion22. Thecommercial message50 can be a representation or description of the material contained in thecontainer cap20, or it can be an advertisement message for another product or service or entity.FIGS. 1-3 illustrate three different examples ofcommercial messages50.
• In addition to acommercial message50, other identification codes52 (e.g., bar codes, SKUs), or even the name54 of the user can also be provided on the outer surfaces of thecontainer portion22. For example, ablank space56 can be provided on part of thecommercial message50 where a user can write or otherwise inscribe his/her name, or write or inscribe an identification of the material44 contained therein (e.g., “vitamins”, “fish oil”, “diabetes medication”). In this regard, thecontainer cap20 can be are-useable container cap20 which the user can use to hold vitamins, medication, flavoring, etc. In addition, themessage50 can be provided on a removable sheet86 (seeFIG. 8) so that thesheet86 can be replaced by other sheets, such as when a different name or identification (e.g., medication) is to be attached to thecontainer cap20.
• Thecommercial message50 does not need to be placed directly on the outer surface of thecontainer portion22. For example, inFIGS. 3A and 3B, a cardboard orpaper support60 can be used to display themessage50. Thesupport60 can be comprised of foursides62,64,66,68 and atop side70, with anopening72 provided in thetop side70. Thetop connector26 of thecontainer cap20 can be inserted through theopening72, with thetop side70 seated on thecontainer portion22 to be supported on thecontainer cap20.
• As another example,FIG. 4 shows a cardboard orpaper support74 that is comprised of twosides76,78 that have opposing ends connected to each other to form a generally elliptical shape, and with an opening (not shown) in a top side (not shown) through which thetop connector26 of thecontainer cap20 can be inserted.
• As a further example,FIGS. 5A and 5B show alaminated paper support80 which is laminated or glued directly onto the outer surface of acircular container cap20. Thesupport80 hasend portions82 and84 that extend beyond the central portion of thesupport80.Messages50 can be provided on theseend portions82,84, thereby providing more visibility or exposure for themessage50 because theseend portions82,84 extend beyond the body of thecontainer cap20.
• AlthoughFIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate thecontainer cap20 as being made from a conventional plastic material, it is also possible to embody thecontainer cap20 in the form of other structures. For example,FIG. 6 illustrates the container portion22aof a container cap20aembodied in the form of a pouch, with abottom connector24aand a top connector26athat are the same as thebottom connector24 andtop connector26 described above. The cap40acan be embodied in the form of a conventional water bottle cap, and a peel-off seal42acan be provided at the mouth of thebottom connector24 to prevent the material inside the container portion22afrom escaping. The pouch can be made from a soft and flexible material similar to those used for the pouch-like beverages (e.g., children's drinks) that are available in the market today.
• FIG. 7 illustrates the container portion22cmade from a paper-like material similar to the material used for milk cartons. The container portion22ccan be a six-sided container comprising fivesides110,112 (and two opposing sides and another side, all not shown inFIG. 7), and a sixth side comprised of a plurality offlaps114,116 that can be folded to create the sixth side. Thebottom connector24c,the top connector26c,thecap40c,and theseal42ccan be the same as thebottom connector24,top connector26,cap40 andseal42, respectively, described above.
• The configuration of thecontainer cap20 can be varied as well. For example,FIG. 8 shows acontainer cap20bwhere the container portion22bis configured as a stepped circular container having twosteps92 and94 that transition from one circular section to another circular section. The bottom connector24bcan be the same as thebottom connector24 described above, but a pivoting drinking lid96 can be provided at the top instead of a combinedtop connector26 andcap40. The pivoting drinking lid96 can be pivotably coupled to an edge of thetop surface100 of the container portion22b,with a raiseddrinking hole98 provided in thetop surface100. Astem102 protruding from the center of the bottom surface of the drinking lid96 is adapted to be inserted into thehole98. As described above, themessage50 can be provided on a removable layer of material orsheet86 that can be attached to the surface of the container portion22bby glue, heat shrink, stickers, or similar mechanisms.
• Referring toFIG. 9, thecontainer cap20dcan be configured like a figure having arms, with the message50dextending from the plane or surface of thecontainer portion22d.The message50dcan be molded as part of thecontainer portion22d,and extended outwardly to accentuate or highlight the contents of the message50d.Thebottom connector24d,thetop connector26dand thecap40dcan be the same as thebottom connector24,top connector26 andcap40, respectively, described above. As shown inFIG. 9,additional messages50 can be provided on the surface of thecontainer portion22d.
• By providing thecontainer cap20 in different configurations, it is also possible to provide thecontainer cap20 in the form of a toy or amusement item. For example,FIG. 10 shows the container cap20ehaving its container portion22econfigured as a toy truck which would itself be a commercial message, or would have a commercial message50ecarried thereon. The bottom connector24e,thetop connector26eand thecap40ecan be the same as thebottom connector24,top connector26 andcap40, respectively, described above.
• Extending this concept further,FIG. 11 shows the container cap20fhaving its container portion22fconfigured as the body of a robot, with a commercial message50fcarried thereon. A plurality of detachable movingligatures130 can be pivotably coupled to the body (i.e., the container portion22f) of the robot. Thebottom connector24fand thetop connector26fcan be the same as thebottom connector24 andtop connector26, respectively, described above.
• The toy or amusement item can be separate from thecontainer cap20 and be removable therefrom. For example,FIG. 12 shows a container cap20gwhich can be the same as thecontainer cap20 described above, and aseparate toy120 that can be removably and threadably coupled toscrews122 provided on the outer surface of the container portion22g.Thetoy120 can be a miniature skateboard with a threadedopening124 at the center of its board. Commercial messages50gcan be provided on the skateboard, and/or on the outer surface of the container portion22g.
• Theseparate sheet86 fromFIG. 8 can be extended to cover more than thecontainer cap20, including portions of thewater bottle34. For example,FIGS. 13A and 13B show asheet86hthat contains a commercial message50h,with thesheet86hbeing long enough to extend past thecontainer cap20b.The user can peel off thesheet86hfrom a backing (not shown) and apply thesheet86hto thecontainer cap20band the shoulder portion of thewater bottle34 after thecontainer cap20bhas been secured to theneck32 of thewater bottle34. As shown inFIG. 13B, thecontainer cap20bwould not be visible and the user can drink from thewater bottle34 via thecontainer cap20b.
• Electronic features can even be incorporated into thecontainer cap20.FIG. 14 shows thecontainer cap20 ofFIG. 1 being modified to include anexternal panel140 that carries aspeaker142, an on/offswitch144, and a lighted message150.Circuitry146 can be provided on the housing of thecontainer portion22, and a power slot148 can be provided on the housing of thecontainer portion22 to receive abattery152 that is coupled to thecircuitry146 to power thespeaker142 and the lighted message150. The user can turn on thespeaker142 and the lighted message150 by turning on theswitch144. The message can be illuminated by a flashing or constant light, and thespeaker142 can emit an accompanying verbal or musical message.
• Thecontainer cap20 of the present invention is not limited to use with conventional water bottles. As shown inFIG. 15, the container cap20kcan be adapted to be secured to the open mouth162 of a conventionalglass beer bottle160. In this embodiment, thebottom connector24kcan be modified to allow it to be securely screwed on to the mouth162. For example, thebottom connector24kcan be cylindrical in nature with anannular band166 provided along its outer surface. Theconnector24kcan be inserted into the open mouth162 of thebottle160 until theband166 abuts the mouth162, thereby securing the container cap20kat the mouth162.
• Similarly, as shown inFIGS. 16A and 16B, thecontainer cap20 can be adapted to be secured to the top of a conventional aluminum beer can170. In this embodiment, the container portion22jcan have abottom wall176 that has aspout172 from thebottom wall176, with thespout172 having abottom opening174. A flaredannular wall175 extends from the container portion22jat the location of thebottom wall176, having a radius at its bottom edge173 that is greater than the radius of thebottom wall176. The flaredannular wall175 is sized and configured to be placed about the flanged annular upper edge177 of a conventional beer can170, and can be twisted to secure the flaredannular wall175 to the upper edge177. Aseal42jcan seal the bottom of the flaredannular wall175. In use, the user can remove theseal42j,push thespout172 through the opening178 at thetop wall180 of thebeer can170, and secure the flaredannular wall175 to the upper edge177. A message50jcan be provided on the outer surface of the container portion22j.
• It should be noted that the concepts shown in any of the drawings in this disclosure can be applied to any of the embodiments shown and described herein. For example,FIG. 17 shows the concepts ofFIGS. 9,16A and16B applied to a conventional beer can, andFIG. 18 shows the concepts ofFIGS. 6,16A and16B applied to a conventional beer can.
• In addition, there are many ways to dissolve, mix or otherwise release thematerial44 inside thecontainer cap20 to the liquid in thewater bottle34, beer can170, orbeer bottle160. The present invention describes the use of aseal42 that can be removed to release thematerial44, but other techniques can be used with the present invention as well. For example, thematerial44 can be retained inside thecontainer portion22 intermixed with the liquid as the liquid passes from thewater bottle34 through thecontainer portion22. As another example, mechanisms can be provided inside thecontainer cap20 that break a seal to release the material44 directly into thewater bottle34 when the user screws or otherwise engages thecontainer cap20 to theneck32 of thewater bottle34. Examples of these techniques and mechanisms are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,562,782 (Yorita), U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,109 (Schoo et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,497 (Dvorak et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,187 (Daniels et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,684 (Anderson), U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,369 (Bowes et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,095 (Marshall), U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,112 (Balazik) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,254 (Spector), among others, whose disclosures are incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein.
• FIG. 19 shows additional modifications that can be made to thecontainer cap20 ofFIG. 1. Thecontainer cap20minFIG. 19 can be the same as thecontainer cap20 inFIG. 1, except that athird connector25mis provided in a side of thecontainer body22m.Theconnectors24mand26mcan be the same as theconnectors24 and26, respectively, and thecap40mandflap42mcan be the same thecap40 andflap42, respectively. The provision of thethird connector25mallows the user with the option to add an additional material to the material mix inside thecontainer portion22m.Specifically, aseparate container portion23mcontaining the separate material can be provided, has aconnector27mthat can be removably connected to theconnector25mto allow the material from thecontainer portion23mto mix with the material in thecontainer portion22m.
• FIG. 20 illustrates a container cap20nthat can be same as thecontainer cap20mshown inFIG. 19, so the same elements are provided with the same numeral designations except that an “n” is used inFIG. 20 instead of an “m”. In the container cap20n,a fourth connector29nis provided in a side wall of thecontainer portion22n,and can be used to introduce yet another different material (as described below in connection withFIG. 19 for theconnector25m), or it can be used to receive a straw31nor other drinking mechanism so that the user can actually secure thecap40nto thetop connector26n,and drink through the fourth connector29n.
• While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. An assembly, comprising:

a drinking container having an open mouth, the drinking container holding a liquid; and

a container cap that is separable from the drinking container, comprising:

a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid;

a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion in a manner which defines an unimpeded fluid path between the container portion and the drinking container when the first connector connects the container cap to the drinking container, the first connector being removably connecting the container portion to the open mouth of the drinking container;

a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion;

a cap removably coupled to the second connector; and

a commercial message provided on the container portion.

2. (canceled)

3. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the commercial message is removably affixed to the container portion.

4. The assembly ofclaim 1, further including a support that is wider than, and extends outwardly of, the container portion, wherein the commercial message is provided on the support, and wherein the support is removably coupled to the container portion.

5. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the container portion is a solid plastic container.

6-13. (canceled)

14. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the drinking container is a water bottle.

15. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the drinking container is a beer bottle.

16-18. (canceled)

19. An assembly, comprising:

a drinking container having an open mouth, the drinking container holding a liquid; and

a container cap that is separable from the drinking container, comprising:

a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid;

a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion and removably connecting the container portion to the open mouth of the drinking container;

a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion;

a cap removably coupled to the second connector;

a support that is wider than, and extends outwardly of, the container portion; and

a commercial message that is provided on the support, and wherein the support is removably coupled to the container portion.

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