Multiple chamber fluid container

Abstract

A multiple chamber stackable cup or bottle has an air space separation between the chambers. A rotatable cap with a single sealable spout pivots to access each chamber individually. Alternately, a stationary cap has multiple sealable openings, one for each chamber, which communicate one chamber at a time or can be placed to bridge both chambers to allow access to both chambers at the same time. Tapered bodies enable the multiple chamber bodies to be stacked in a nested array.

Claims

1. A multiple chamber fluid container comprising: a multiple fluid container body comprising two separate fluid chambers each comprising separate surrounding walls and a separate bottom, each enclosing a separate interior space for containing a fluid; a top chamber opening for accessing the interior spaces; each fluid chamber comprising a separate body portion spaced apart from each other by an air space between adjacent wall portions; each of the body portions having rigid surrounding walls and a rigid bottom to prevent contact between body portions to insulate each body portion to allow a fluid of one temperature to be contained in one of the two separate fluid chambers and a fluid of a different temperature to be contained in the other at least two separate chambers; the two separate fluid chambers interconnected at the top chamber opening by an interconnecting ridge between the adjacent wall portions and a common top lip at a top edge of non-adjacent wall portions to form a larger shared fluid container body opening accessing the top chamber openings of each of the two separate fluid chambers; said interconnecting ridge between the adjacent wall portions has a curved top surface; each of the two separate fluid chambers configured with tapering wall surfaces narrower at the bottom to stack a plurality of fluid container bodies together in a nested array for storing or shipping empty containers; a stackable cap comprising a planar portion and a downwardly facing channel surrounding an outer edge of the planar portion, the channel removably mating with the common top lip to seal the multiple fluid container opening and the planar portion of said cap sealing with the curved top surface of said interconnecting ridge so that said cap is configured for sealing each of the two fluid chambers to retain a fluid therein separately from at least a second fluid in any other fluid chamber; two fluid access openings formed in the planar portion of said cap for accessing each of the interior spaces of the two separated fluid chambers; at least one of said two fluid access openings has a butterfly sealing flap including two independently hinged wings, wherein said two independently hinged wings are connected to a both section of said butterfly sealing flap; and said cap is removed to change orientation of said cap thereby changing a location of said two fluid access openings on said two fluid chamber container, whereby said cap is removed and repositioned at any rotational position on said multiple fluid container body to provide access to one or both of said two separate fluid chambers simultaneously to access one or both of the two fluid access openings at a time to access both of the two separated fluid chambers from each of said two fluid access openings through said cap whereby said cap is positionable on said multiple fluid container body such that said two fluid access openings bridge said interconnecting ridge to allow access to each of the two fluid chambers through a single fluid access opening.

2. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 1 wherein the sealing of each of the two fluid chambers comprises a planar flat portion of the cap contacting across all of the interconnecting ridge between the interior wall portions to separate the top chamber openings of the two fluid chambers.

3. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 1 wherein the two separate fluid chambers are fabricated of a thermally insulating material.

4. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 1 wherein said two independently hinged wings are hinged to said stackable cap.

5. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 1 wherein said body section is hinged to the edge of said at least one fluid access opening.

6. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 5 wherein said body section retains said two independent wings to said stackable cap.

7. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 1 wherein said air space between adjacent wall portions is with angled wall portions with a triangular land between said two fluid chambers where said land provides a seal to one of said cap openings.

8. The multiple chamber fluid container of claim 7 wherein said land has an area that is larger in a width than a width of said two fluid access opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable cup embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container of the present invention showing the cap with multiple fluid access openings with closeable tabs elevated above the multiple chamber body aligned for installation thereon.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the multiple chamber fluid container of FIG. 1 showing the cap installed on the multiple chamber body.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a re-usable bottle embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container of the present invention showing the rotatable cap with a single fluid access spout installed on the multiple chamber body.

(4) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a disposable cup embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container of FIG. 1 showing the cap in dashed lines installed on the multiple chamber body with the cap resting on the interconnecting ridge between the chambers to seal both chambers with the peripheral channel snapped over the rim.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view through a plurality of the multiple chamber bodies in a nested stack.

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a four chamber embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container of the present invention showing the cap elevated above the multiple chamber body aligned for installation thereon with four closable tabs over four access openings on the cap to align with the four chambers.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a two chamber embodiment showing the openings placed to allow access to both chambers.

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a two chamber embodiment showing the lid installed and a split mixing straw shown that draws fluid from both chambers into a single pipe.

(9) FIG. 9 is an outside perspective of a lid with a butterfly closure opening.

(10) FIG. 10 is an inside perspective of a lid with a butterfly closure opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) FIGS. 1-5, a multiple chamber fluid container 10 and 10A comprises a multiple fluid container body 30 and 30A having plural separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B, and a cap 20 and 20A with fluid access openings 26, 26A and 26B.

(12) The multiple fluid container body 30 and 30A comprises a plurality of separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B, with at least two as shown in the drawings. Each fluid chamber 34A and 34B comprising surrounding walls 38A and 38B and a connected bottom 39A and 39B, enclosing an interior space 37A and 37B for containing fluids, and a top chamber opening 31A and 31B for accessing the interior space, as best seen in FIG. 4. A first fluid chamber 34A is spaced apart from the second fluid chamber 34B by an air space 36 between adjacent wall portions 35A and 35B. The separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B are interconnected at the top chamber opening by an interconnecting ridge 32 between the adjacent wall portions 35A and 35B and a common top lip 33 at a top edge of non-adjacent wall portions to form a larger shared fluid container body opening defined by the top lip 33 accessing the top chamber openings 31A and 31B of each of the separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B respectively. Each of the separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B is configured with tapering wall surfaces narrower at the bottom to allow the multiple chamber bodies 30 to be stacked in a nested array for storing or shipping empty containers, is seen in FIG. 5.

(13) The cap 20 and 20A comprises a top surface 29 and 29A and a surrounding downwardly facing channel 23, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, or a threaded connector 18, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, around an outer edge of the top surface. The channel 23 or threaded connector 18 removably mating with the shared top lip 33 to seal the multiple fluid container opening.

(14) In FIG. 4, a means for sealing each of the at least two fluid chambers 34A and 34B to retain a fluid therein separately from a fluid in any other fluid chamber comprises a portion of the cap top surface 29 contacting the interconnecting ridge 32 between the adjacent wall portions to separate the top chamber openings 31A and 31B of the fluid chambers. The cap 20 is shown with a configurable bifurcated tab that is alterable to allow access to one or both chambers. In this figure, tabs 41 and 42 are shown bent into fluid chambers 37A and 37B respectively. The interior wall portions have an air space between adjacent wall portions is the angled wall portions form a triangular land between the fluid chambers where the land provides a seal to a cap opening.

(15) The top surface 29 and 29A of the cap 20 and 20A has a least one, fluid access opening 26, 26A and 26B formed in the top surface for accessing the interior spaces 37A and 37B each of the separated fluid chambers.

(16) Means are provided for accessing one of the access openings 26, 26A and 26B at a time to access one of the separated fluid chambers while maintaining the other of the separated fluid chambers sealed closed to retain a fluid therein. In FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a disposable cup embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container 10, the cap 20 has a separate fluid access opening 26A and 26B for each of the separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B, and the means for accessing one of the at least one fluid access opening at a time comprises a sealing tab 22A and 22B over each of the separate fluid access openings. In FIG. 3, showing a bottle embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container 10A, the cap 20A has a single fluid access opening 26 and the means for accessing one of the at least one fluid access opening at a time over a fluid chamber comprises a rotatable cap surface top 29A to rotate the single fluid access opening 26 over each of the separate fluid access openings one at a time and the cap further comprises a sealable fluid access spout 19 over the fluid 19 access opening.

(17) In the disposable cup embodiment of the multiple chamber fluid container 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the multiple fluid container body 30 is fabricated of a thermally insulating disposable synthetic material, such as STYROFOAM and the cap 20 is fabricated of molded plastic, and the sealing tabs 22A and 22B are molded into the cap with living hinges 28A and 28B to open and close the sealing tabs 22A and 22B. A flat portion 27A and 27B of each of the sealing tabs covers the fluid access opening 26A and 26B and the sealing tab hooks over the outer channel 23 with a bottom hook tab 21A and 21B hooked under the outer channel 23 and an outer face 24A and 24B resting against an outer face of the outer channel 23 and a top surface 25A and 25B resting on top of the outer channel 23, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(18) In FIG. 3, a reusable bottle embodiment the multiple chamber fluid container 10A the multiple fluid container body 20A is preferably fabricated of at least one material taken from the list of materials comprising glass, metal, plastic, synthetic foam or other fluid containing materials having durable waterproof qualities, which may have thermally insulated wall surfaces 35A, 35B, 38A and 38B fabricated with double layer wall surfaces having a thermally insulating substance between two surfaces of the double layer wall surfaces or fabricated of a thermally insulating material.

(19) In use, the cap 20 and 20A may be removed to fill each of the separate fluid chambers 34A and 34B with a different fluid. The cap 20 and 20A seals each of the chambers separately to prevent mixing the fluids together. To access the fluids, a fluid access opening 26, 26A or 26B is opened over the desired chamber containing the desired fluid.

(20) The multiple chamber container 10 and 10A of the present invention may be used for a variety of types of fluids which could include, but not limited to, different beverages including hot and cold beverages, consumer products such as a shampoo and a conditioner or liquid soap and hand lotion, a mixable adhesive requiring two separate liquid or gel components mixed together at the moment of application, or any other type of fluids including powders or granular substances, such as salt and pepper, as well as liquids where having multiple chambers to retain them in a single container.

(21) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a two-chamber embodiment showing the openings 26A and 26B placed to allow access to both chambers 31A and 31B from either opening 26A and or 26B. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a two-chamber embodiment showing the lid 20 installed on the cup 30 and a split mixing straw shown that draws fluid from two pipes 16A, 16B from both chambers 31A, and 31B into a single pipe 17. It is further contemplated that in this embodiment one of the openings 26A could be eliminated thereby still providing access to one or both chambers from the single opening 26B. The ridge 40 is shown having a narrow side and a wide side. This allows a lid with two openings to be positioned to seal one of the openings, as shown with the dashed line 45, where an opening sits on top of the wide side to provide some sealing of the opening 26A while leaving the opposing opening for the split straw 17 to enter both fluid chambers 37A and 31B. The cups remain stackable when properly clocked.

(22) FIG. 9 shows a top view of the lid 20 with a butterfly opening and FIG. 10 shows an underside view of the lid 20 with the butterfly lid. In these figures, each opening has separate wing portions 42A, 43A and/or 42B, 43B. These wings can be independently opened as shown with 42B in FIGS. 9 and 41B in FIG. 10. One or more connecting folds or ribs can be used to join the wings. A body section connects the wings to the lid. The use of two folds allows each independent wing to essentially fold over the interconnecting ridge 32 or 40 (shown in the cup). The use of two folds allows the tabs to be retained on the lid 20 when both wings 41A and 42A are folded and turned on the lid 20 as shown in FIG. 10 to allow complete access through the lid 20. It is further contemplated that a user can fold the wings back into their original position to reseal the opening(s).

(23) Thus, specific embodiments of a multiple chamber fluid container have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.