BOTTLE HAVING INTERNAL MIXING COMPARTMENT

Abstract

A portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder with a liquid includes a portable drinking bottle housing a mixing compartment. The mixing compartment is formed from a rigid perforated material and extends upward into the drinking bottle from its base. The mixing compartment is accessible through an opening in the base of the bottle, and houses one or more agitators. In use, a particulate material is inserted into the mixing compartment chamber with the agitator and liquid is then added to the bottle. The bottle having an internal mixing compartment is shaken to dissolve the soluble components of the particulate material. The liquid is poured or consumed through the top of the bottle. Insoluble constituents of the particulate material are prevented from exiting the drinking bottle through the top. The agitator facilitates efficient dissolution of the soluble components of the particulate material.

Claims

1. A portable drinking bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid comprising: a portable drinking bottle defined by a sidewall extending from a base to a top, an opening in the top, and a removable upper lid sealing the opening; an internal mixing compartment defined by a cylindrical, rigid screen mesh sidewall extending into the bottle from the base of the bottle to a mixing compartment top, the internal mixing compartment having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the bottle; an opening to the mixing compartment in the base of the bottle; a removable bottom lid sealing the opening to the mixing compartment in the base of the bottle; and, at least one agitator in the mixing compartment.

2. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 1 wherein the internal mixing compartment is removable from the bottom through the opening in the base of the bottle.

3. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 2 wherein the drinking bottle and the mixing compartment are both substantially cylindrical and are coaxially aligned about a longitudinal axis.

4. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 3 wherein the at least one agitator is a free floating agitator.

5. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 4 wherein the at least one agitator is removable from the mixing compartment and is sized to fit through the opening in the base of the bottle.

6. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 4 wherein an annular lip around the opening in the base of the drinking bottle prevents the agitator from exiting the mixing compartment chamber.

7. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 5 wherein the at least one agitator comprises a spherical frame surrounding an internal weighted sphere.

8. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 7 wherein a width of the at least one agitator is substantially equal to a width of the mixing compartment.

9. The portable bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid of claim 8 wherein the at least one agitator has an ellipsoidal shape.

10. A method of mixing a powder and a liquid within a portable drinking bottle comprising the steps of: a) providing: a portable drinking bottle defined by a sidewall extending from a base to a top, an opening in the top, and a removable upper lid sealing the opening; an internal mixing compartment defined by a cylindrical, rigid screen mesh sidewall extending into the bottle from the base of the bottle to a mixing compartment top, the internal mixing compartment having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the bottle; an opening to the mixing compartment in the base of the bottle; a removable bottom lid sealing the opening to the mixing compartment in the base of the bottle; and, at least one agitator in the mixing compartment; b) adding a particulate material into the internal mixing compartment by inverting the drinking bottle, removing the bottom lid and pouring the particulate matter into the mixing compartment chamber, and resealing the bottom lid; c) adding a liquid to the bottle; and, d) manually vigorously shaking the bottle.

11. The method of mixing a powder and a liquid within a portable drinking bottle of claim 10 wherein the liquid is added by pouring the liquid through the opening in the base of the bottle such that it passes through the internal mixing compartment.

13. The method of mixing a powder and a liquid within a portable drinking bottle of claim 11 wherein a maximum width of the at least one agitator is substantially equal to the width of the mixing chamber.

14. The method of mixing a powder and a liquid within a portable drinking bottle of claim 13 wherein an annular lip around the opening in the base of the drinking bottle prevents the agitator from exiting the mixing compartment chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment with a top lid removed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a side view of an inverted bottle having an internal mixing compartment with the bottom lid removed in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment with the bottom lid removed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment with the bottom lid removed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an agitator for a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of an inverted bottle having an internal mixing compartment with particulate material being added to the mixing compartment in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of an inverted bottle having an internal mixing compartment with particulate matter and an agitator within the mixing compartment chamber in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment having particulate material within the mixing compartment chamber and liquid added to the drinking bottle with the top lid removed in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment tilted into a drinking position in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0031] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with principles of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with the principles of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 15 is a transverse cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment accordance with principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0035] The disclosed subject matter is described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the subject disclosure. It may be evident, however, that the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the various embodiments herein. Various embodiments of the disclosure could also include permutations of the various elements recited in the claims as if each dependent claim was a multiple dependent claim incorporating the limitations of each of the preceding dependent claims as well as the independent claims. Such permutations are expressly within the scope of this disclosure.

[0036] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, dimensions, reaction conditions and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. The term “a” or “an” as used herein means “at least one” unless specified otherwise. In this specification and the claims, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, use of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Moreover, the use of the term “including”, as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included”, is not limiting. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit unless specifically stated otherwise. The terms “width” and “diameter” are used throughout interchangeably unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Various components of the invention are shown as cylindrical or spherical in some exemplary embodiments, and in such case the width is equal to the diameter. However, it should be understood that the invention may be practiced with components that are not cylindrical or spherical, in which case the term “diameter” should be understood to mean “width” or “maximum width.” “Portable” as used herein generally refers to a bottle that that is suitable for use by an operator during, and may be held or stored by the operator during, running, biking, hiking, kayaking, exercising in a gym, or other situations where an operator preferably drinks from the bottle having an internal mixing compartment directly instead of pouring the contents of the bottle having an internal mixing compartment into an ancillary container.

[0037] Various embodiments of the disclosure could also include permutations of the various elements recited in the claims as if each dependent claim was a multiple dependent claim incorporating the limitations of each of the preceding dependent claims as well as the independent claims. That is, the combinations of the various components of the invention are not limited to those combinations expressly shown in the Figures. Unless expressly stated otherwise, components described in one embodiment may be interchanged with components of the same name found in other embodiments. Such permutations are expressly within the scope of this disclosure.

[0038] Disclosed is a bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid which includes a typically sized drinking bottle having an internal mixing compartment accessible through the bottom of the bottle and which contains one or more agitators, which are preferably free-floating. The devices disclosed herein are self-contained and secure, having no external moving parts. They allow an operator to dissolve solid materials into a liquid affectively by simply shaking the bottle while also preventing any free-floating particulate matter from mixing with the liquid to be consumed by the operator. Liquid is consumed directly from the bottle such that it is inverted when in use. As a result, any liquid remaining inside the mixing compartment drains automatically as the liquid is consumed.

[0039] FIGS. 1-7 show an exemplary embodiment of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment for mixing a powder and a liquid. The bottle having an internal mixing compartment 10 includes a drinking bottle 12 having a solid, continuous sidewall 14 that extends from a top 16 to a base 18. The drinking bottle 12 has a diameter and cross-sectional area defined by the sidewall 14. In this embodiment, the sidewall 14 is formed from a transparent plastic material and includes an optional cuff 15 around the center of the sidewall 14. The cuff 15 is made of an elastomeric or other nonslip material to assistant operator in tightly and securely grasping the bottle during use. The cuff 15 may optionally be removable and/or adjustable along the length of the drinking bottle 12. Typically however, the cuff 15 is positioned in the middle of the bottle 10 to facilitate firm gripping at approximately the center of gravity for full bottle being shaken.

[0040] A removable top lid 20 is removably attachable to the top 16 of the bottle 12 and forms a watertight seal when attached. In this embodiment, the top lid 20 also includes an annular gripping surface 22 similar to the cuff 15, in order to allow the top lid 20 to be detached and reattached more easily. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inside of the top lid 20 may include a gasket to facilitate watertight sealing between the lid 20 and the bottle 12. In this embodiment, the lid 20 engages the top 16 of the bottle 12 by means of threading and is screwed on and off. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the numerous other removable attachment mechanisms such as a friction fit, bayonet lock or the like may also be suitable. A bottom lid 24 removably attaches to the base 18 and a similar manner by which the lid 20 attaches to the top 16. That is, it forms a watertight seal and may be removed and attached by screwing and unscrewing or other mechanisms. The bottom lid 24 similarly includes an annular gripping surface 26. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the lids 20 and 24 may include a gasket or other component to facilitate watertight sealing of the lids to the bottle.

[0041] An internal mixing compartment 28 extends from the base 18 of the bottle 12 upward to a point about half way between the mixing compartment top 16 and the base 18 of the drinking bottle 12. The top 30 of the internal mixing compartment 28 in this embodiment is circular but may optionally be hemispherical. Both the mixing compartment's top 30 and the mixing compartment's sidewall 32 are formed from a permeable rigid material. This material may be a mesh screen of a desired gauge, or may simply be a solid material that has been perforated. The sidewall 32 in top 30 of the mixing compartment allow liquid to freely pass across them, but prevent particulate matter of a given size or larger from passing through. In this embodiment, the drinking bottle 12 in the mixing compartment 28 are substantially cylindrical and coaxial. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different geometric shapes may be used, but the cylindrical and coaxial design shown in FIGS. 1-7. The mesh screen prevents clumps of material from exiting the mixing compartment 28 while still allowing them to be agitated and further dissolved by additional shaking of the bottle even after the liquid has been partially consumed. This minimizes waste of the solid material and maximizes dissolution of the solid material into the liquid. Because any clumps of solid material remain in the mixing compartment with an agitator, an operator may optionally add more liquid after the original liquid is consumed, to further dissolve the remaining clumped solid material.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows the top lid 20 removed so that the gasket 36 and top opening 38 are visible. In this embodiment, the top 16 of the drinking bottle 12 has a cylindrical neck 40 extending upward from an annular, convex shoulder 42 of the drinking bottle 12. The opening 38 and the cylindrical neck 40 thus both have smaller diameters and cross-sectional areas than the drinking bottle 12. Similarly, the opening 38 and the cylindrical neck 40 have smaller width, i.e. diameters, than The top lid 30 similarly has a smaller diameter than that of the drinking bottle 12, which allows an operator to better grasp the top lid 30 when removing or attaching it. This configuration also makes the bottle having an internal mixing compartment more suitable for portable uses, such as when running, biking, hiking, kayaking, exercising in a gym, or other situations where an operator preferably drinks from the bottle having an internal mixing compartment directly instead of pouring the contents of the bottle having an internal mixing compartment into an ancillary container. This portability is one desirable advantage of the present invention. A narrow neck 40 and narrow opening 30 allows an operator to easily insert the neck into his or her mouth while drinking, preventing spilling while performing athletic activities.

[0043] FIGS. 4-6 show the drinking bottle 12 with the bottom lid 24 removed, revealing the base opening 44 defined by an annular lip 45 which connects the base 18 of the drinking bottle 12 to the mixing compartment sidewall 32. Only the mixing compartment chamber 46 is accessible through the base opening 44. Any materials introduced through the base opening 44 will enter the mixing compartment chamber 46 defined by the mixing compartment top 30 and the mixing compartment sidewall 32. In this embodiment, the annular lip 45 is detachable from the base 18 of the drinking bottle, allowing the mixing compartment 28 to be completely removed from inside the drinking bottle 12. This allows both the drinking bottle 12 and the mixing compartment 28 to be cleaned more easily than if the mixing compartment 28 were not removable. Optionally, the annular lip 45 may be permanently attached to the drinking bottle's base 18.

[0044] FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the bottle having an internal mixing compartment 10 along a longitudinal axis 60. The bottle having an internal mixing compartment 12 and the mixing compartment 28 are coaxial, i.e. centered about the longitudinal axis 60. An agitator 50 is located within the mixing compartment chamber 46 and can move freely about within the mixing compartment chamber 46. In this embodiment, the agitator 50 is free-floating. That is, it is not affixed, either directly or by a tether or string, and may therefore move and rotate freely. The agitator 50 is sized to have a diameter or width slightly less than the diameter or width of the mixing compartment chamber 46. Optionally, the agitator 50 may have a width or diameter that is substantially smaller than the width or diameter of the mixing compartment chamber 46.

[0045] FIG. 8 shows an agitator 50 in accordance with principles of the invention. The agitator 50 includes an open frame 52 and then internal weighted sphere 54. In this embodiment, the open frame 52 is formed by a single wire in the shape of a spherical helix. The internal weighted sphere 54 is formed from a relatively heavy material and is configured to move around inside the open frame 52 without passing through it.

[0046] FIGS. 9-12 illustrate the stages of a method of mixing solid and liquid contents within a bottle having an internal mixing compartment in accordance with principles of the invention utilizing the bottle having an internal mixing compartment 10 shown in FIGS. 1-8.

[0047] FIG. 9 illustrates a first step, in which the bottle having an internal mixing compartment 10 is inverted and the bottom lid 24 is removed. The agitator 50 is also removed from the mixing compartment chamber 46. Optionally, the agitator 50 is not removed. A particulate material 60 is poured into the mixing compartment chamber 46. FIG. 10 shows the second step where the agitator 50 is placed back into the mixing compartment chamber and the bottom lid 24 is secured in place to seal the base of the bottle having an internal mixing compartment 12.

[0048] In the next step, shown in FIG. 11, the bottle having an internal mixing compartment 10 is again rotated so that it is in the upright position. The top lid 20 is removed, and a liquid 62 is then poured into the drinking bottle 12 through the opening 38. The drinking bottle 12 is substantially filled. However, it may be desirable to not completely fill the bottle in order to better facilitate mixing. The liquid 62 will also permeate the mixing compartment chamber 46. The top lid 20 is then again secured in place on the top 16 of the drinking bottle 12, and the bottle is shaken repeatedly and vigorously. This causes the particulate material 60 to move about and dispersed within the mixing compartment chamber 46. The agitator 50 increases turbulence and mixing of both the particulate material 60 and the liquid 62, substantially contributing to the mixing of the particulate material 60 with the liquid 62 as it passes through the mixing compartment chamber 46. Optionally, the liquid 62 may be poured into the mixing compartment chamber 46 in the first step shown in FIG. 9. This may be desirable if the agitator 50 is not removed, because addition of the liquid will assist the particulate material 60 in entering the frame of the agitator, and also initiates dissolution of the soluble material.

[0049] In the last step, shown in FIG. 12, an operator drinks the liquid 62 which now includes the soluble, dissolved constituents of the particulate material 60 through the top opening 38. The mixing compartment 28 prevents any of the insoluble constituents of the particulate matter 60 from exiting through the top opening 38.

[0050] FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment 68 in accordance with principles of the invention. In this embodiment, the coaxial mixing compartment 70 has a curved top 72. In addition, the mixing compartment's annular lip 74 extends partially into the base opening 76, thereby preventing the agitator 78 from exiting the mixing compartment chamber 80. The agitator 78 may optionally be somewhat flexible, thereby allowing it to be removed from the mixing compartment chamber, but only when force is applied to squeeze it through the annular lip 74. The annular lips may still be detachable from the bottle having an internal mixing compartment 82. This embodiment retains the agitator 78 within the mixing compartment chamber, preventing it from being misplaced or accidentally dropped to the ground.

[0051] FIGS. 14 and 15 shows another alternative embodiment of a bottle having an internal mixing compartment 90 in accordance with principles of the invention. In this embodiment, both the drinking bottle 92 and the mixing compartment 94 having elliptical, not circular, cross-sections, and are still coaxial along a longitudinal axis 91. In addition, the mixing compartment chamber 96 includes two separate agitators 98. The use of two agitators instead of one may enhance and better facilitate mixing of particulate matter with a liquid. The agitators of this embodiment are comprised of solid, weighted elliptical objects which are substantially heavier than a commonly with or particulate matter. This embodiment illustrates that the bottle having an internal mixing compartment, mixing compartment and agitators need not be radially symmetric or have any particular shape. A plurality of agitators may also be used.

[0052] Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Descriptions of the embodiments shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting or defining the ordinary and plain meanings of the terms of the claims unless such is explicitly indicated. The claims should be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.