U.S. patent application number 10/894571 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-26 for bottle assembly with removable container assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to DARD PRODUCTS, INC.. Invention is credited to Ray N. Paslawski, Bonni Shevin-Sandy.
Application Number | 20060016819 10/894571 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35656036 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060016819 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Paslawski; Ray N. ; et
al. |
January 26, 2006 |
Bottle assembly with removable container assembly
Abstract
A plastic bottle assembly includes a bottle having a bottom, a
generally cylindrical body extending from the bottom, and a top
opening opposite the bottom. A multi-compartment container assembly
is removably secured to a lower portion of the bottle.
Inventors: |
Paslawski; Ray N.; (St.
Louis, MO) ; Shevin-Sandy; Bonni; (Morton Grove,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREER, BURNS & CRAIN
300 S WACKER DR
25TH FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
DARD PRODUCTS, INC.
|
Family ID: |
35656036 |
Appl. No.: |
10/894571 |
Filed: |
July 20, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/666 ;
215/381; 215/6; 215/900; 215/DIG.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 23/001 20130101;
B65D 1/0292 20130101; B65D 23/12 20130101; B65D 55/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/666 ;
215/006; 215/381; 215/900; 215/DIG.003 |
International
Class: |
B65D 1/04 20060101
B65D001/04; B65D 90/02 20060101 B65D090/02; B65D 6/08 20060101
B65D006/08; B65D 6/10 20060101 B65D006/10 |
Claims
1. A plastic bottle assembly comprising: a bottle having a bottom,
a generally cylindrical body extending from said bottom, and a top
opening opposite said bottom; and a multi-compartment container
assembly removably secured to a lower portion of said bottle.
2. The assembly of claim 1 further including an upper shell secured
over an upper portion of said body, said shell comprising a neck
with a threaded top opening configured to surround said bottle top
opening.
3. The assembly of claim 2 further including a cap threadably
secured to said top opening of said shell.
4. The assembly of claim 3 further including a tether secured to
said cap, the tether secured to and extending transversely from an
upper perimeter of said cap.
5. The assembly of claim 1 further including a ring secured to said
bottle adjacent said bottom and wherein said multi-compartment
container assembly is removably secured to a lower perimeter edge
of said ring.
6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said ring is secured to a lower
perimeter edge of said bottle bottom either by at least one of a
chemical adhesive and sonic welding.
7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said body is configured to be
collapsible by axial compression when said bottle is empty of
liquid.
8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said collapsible body is
provided with a plurality of transverse fluting grooves.
9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of
transverse fluting grooves is substantially V-shaped.
10. The assembly of claim 8 further including a plurality of
outwardly projecting radiused edges formed at a bottom perimeter of
each said fluting groove, said edges configured for obscuring said
fluting grooves when said bottle is axially compressed.
11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said container assembly further
includes a cup with a bottom and a perimeter side wall extending
from an upper perimeter edge of said bottom, defining an upper
opening.
12. The assembly of claim 11 further including a ring secured to
said bottle adjacent said bottom wherein an inner perimeter of said
ring includes at least one of a complementary lug and groove
attachment configured for being secured to said cup.
13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said container assembly
comprises a container including a plurality of compartments and
being configured for insertion in said cup.
14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of
container compartments is radially displaced from a central portion
of said container.
15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein said assembly further includes
a container lid removably secured to cover said container, said
container lid having a plurality of individually openable covers
configured to correspond to the plurality of compartments in the
container.
16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein said pill container is
provided with a hole in a center of said container configured for
receiving a cylindrical protrusion extending from a bottom of said
container lid.
17. The assembly of claim 15 wherein an interior of each of the
plurality of pill container compartments includes at least one of a
complementary lug and groove attachment configured for being
secured to said container lid.
18. The assembly of claim 15 wherein each of said container lid
covers includes at least one of a complementary lug and groove
attachment configured for being secured to said container.
19. A pill container assembly configured for engaging a bottle,
comprising: a cup with a bottom and a perimeter side wall extending
from an upper perimeter edge of said bottom, defining an upper
opening, said cup being configured for attachment to a bottle
bottom; a container configured for insertion into said cup, and
including a plurality of compartments; and a container lid
configured to fit over said container, said container lid including
a plurality of covers, each of said covers being configured to
correspond with each of said compartments.
20. A collapsible bottle assembly configured for receiving a
multi-compartment container assembly, comprising: a bottle having a
bottom, a generally cylindrical collapsible body extending from
said bottom, said collapsible body comprising a plurality of
transverse substantially V-shaped fluting grooves and a plurality
of outwardly projecting radiused edges formed at a bottom perimeter
of each said fluting groove, said edges configured for obscuring
said fluting grooves when said bottle is axially compressed, and a
top opening opposite said bottom; and a multi-compartment container
assembly removably secured to a lower portion of said bottle.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to plastic water
bottles, and specifically to a water bottle assembly having a
container removeably connected to a lower portion of the water
bottle.
[0002] The use of plastic water bottles for drinking is well known
in the art, and various structural configurations are known, the
main purpose of which is to provide a receptacle for containing
water or other beverages. It is also known in the art that these
bottles can either be collapsible or non-collapsible. Typically,
the former are collapsible by axial compression when the bottle is
empty of liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,339 discloses such a
collapsible bottle.
[0003] Many people take medication or vitamins to preserve weight,
beauty and/or health, among other reasons. Such pills must
sometimes be ingested at inconvenient times or when one is away
from a sink, drinking fountain, or other fixed source of drinking
water. Thus, many people travel with their pills and a water bottle
so that the medication can be taken at their leisure. However,
because the pills and bottle are typically located separately from
each other, it is sometimes difficult to handle both at once, or in
some cases, it is easy to misplace one or the other. It is easy to
imagine one dropping his or her medication while attempting to
unscrew the top of the water bottle, or leaving the medication at
home on the counter but remembering to pack a water bottle.
[0004] Thus, there is a need for a bottle assembly that includes a
container assembly that can be easily secured to and removed from
the bottle, especially where the container assembly is used for
storage purposes.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The above-identified needs are addressed by the present
bottle assembly. One feature of the present bottle assembly is a
bottle that is both suitable for retaining drinking water or other
beverage and is configured for removably engaging a preferably
multi-compartment container assembly. The present container
assembly includes a plurality of container compartments and
corresponding container compartment lids or covers. The container
compartments are configured for receiving items such as pills or
other medications that are taken with water or other beverage found
in the bottle. An optional feature of the present bottle assembly
is that the body of the bottle can be manufactured to be either
collapsible or non-collapsible, depending on the preference or
needs of the user.
[0006] More specifically, the present assembly provides a plastic
bottle assembly having a bottle and a multi-compartment container
assembly. The bottle has a bottom, a generally cylindrical body
that extends from the bottom, and a top opening that is located
opposite from the bottom. It is preferred that the container
assembly is removably secured to a lower portion of the bottle.
[0007] In a second embodiment, a pill container assembly is
configured for engaging a bottle. Included with the pill container
assembly are a cup, a container and a container lid. The cup has a
bottom and a perimeter side wall extending from an upper perimeter
edge of the bottom, defining an upper opening. It is contemplated
that the cup is configured for attachment to a bottle bottom. A
plurality of compartments are provided within the container, which
is configured for insertion into the cup. Finally, the container
lid is configured to fit over the container, and has a plurality of
covers. Each of the covers in the container lid is configured to
correspond with one of the compartments within the container.
[0008] The present bottle may also be collapsible and configured
for receiving a multi-compartment container assembly. It is
preferred that the container assembly is removably secured to a
lower portion of the bottle. The bottle has a bottom, a generally
cylindrical collapsible body extending from the bottom, and a top
opening that is opposite the bottom. The collapsible body includes
a plurality of transverse, substantially "V"-shaped fluting
grooves. A plurality of outwardly projecting radiused edges are
formed at the bottom of each of the fluting grooves and is
configured for obscuring the fluting grooves when the bottle is
axially compressed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the upper portion
of the present bottle assembly;
[0010] FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the present
bottle body and ring;
[0011] FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of the present
container assembly;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective of the assembly of FIG. 1
in a collapsed position; and
[0013] FIG. 3 is an enlarged inside view of the present container
assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1C, a plastic bottle assembly is
generally designated as 10. Included in the assembly 10 is a bottle
generally designated 12 suitable for retaining drinking water or
other beverage having a bottom 14. Extending from the bottom 14 is
a generally cylindrical body 16. Opposite the bottom 14 is a top
opening 18. The bottle assembly 10 further includes a
multi-compartment container assembly generally designated 20 that
is removably secured to a lower portion of the bottle 12. It is
contemplated that the bottle 12 is manufactured from a durable and
flexible thermoplastic, although it is contemplated that other
materials may be used, as are known in the art. Many suitable
techniques for making the bottle 12 are contemplated, including but
not limited to blow molding or injection molding. It is further
contemplated that the multi-compartment container assembly 20 is
manufactured from a rigid thermoplastic that will retain its shape,
as is known by those skilled in the art. The multi-compartment
container assembly 20 and its components can be manufactured
through a process such as injection molding, although other similar
conventional fabrication or production techniques are
contemplated.
[0015] An upper shell generally designated 22 is secured over an
upper portion of the body 16, and includes a threaded neck 24 with
a top opening 26 that is configured to surround the bottle top
opening 18. It is contemplated that the upper shell 22 can be
manufactured in a collapsible form if the bottle 12 is configured
to be axially compressed. If the upper shell 22 is manufactured in
this manner, it is contemplated that an upper portion 23a of the
upper shell 22 will collapse into the upper shell, as shown in FIG.
2. A lower portion 23b of the upper shell 22 retains its shape when
the upper shell is collapsed. The bottle assembly 10 further
includes a cap 28 that is preferably threadably secured to the top
opening 26 of the shell 22. Although the present bottle assembly 10
discloses a threaded top opening and cap, it is contemplated that
the cap 28 can be secured to the top opening 26 by a snap-fit or
other means of attachment as are known by those skilled in the art.
In addition, it is contemplated that the cap 28 optionally includes
a pop-up drinking spout or a pivoting spout (not shown). However,
the present assembly 10 is not limited to these types of caps or
spouts.
[0016] The present bottle assembly 10 further includes a tether 30
that has a first end 30a that is secured to and extends
transversely from a snap-fit tab 31 engageable on the cap 28. A
second end 30b of the tether 30 can be secured to the neck 24 of
the upper shell 22, underneath the cap 28, thus maintaining a
connection between the tether 30 and the bottle assembly 10. As is
known in the art, the purpose of the tether 30 is to maintain a
connection between the cap 28 and the bottle 12 when the cap 28 is
unfastened from the neck 24, as occurs when the user is drinking
from, or refilling the bottle 12. Because the cap is normally a
small component of a bottle assembly 10, it can easily be misplaced
or dropped when unfastening the cap from the bottle 12. Thus, the
tether 30 prevents the cap 28 from being entirely separated from
the bottle 12.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1B, the present bottle assembly 10 also
includes a ring 32 that is secured to the bottle 12 adjacent to the
bottom 14. The ring 32 is preferably secured to the bottle 12 by
means of either a chemical adhesive or sonic welding. However, it
is contemplated that other means of attachment are possible, as are
known in the art, and the present assembly is not limited to the
means disclosed. The multi-compartment container assembly 20 is
removably secured to a lower perimeter edge 34 of the ring 32.
[0018] As previously mentioned, the present bottle assembly 10
preferably includes either a non-collapsible or a collapsible body.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the collapsible body 36 is shown in its
fully collapsed form. The body 36 is configured to be collapsible
by axial compression when the bottle 12 is empty of liquid, or at
least is less than full. The collapsible body 36 is provided with a
plurality of transverse fluting grooves 38, best seen in FIG. 1B.
Each of the transverse fluting grooves 38 is substantially
"V"-shaped when viewed from the side. The collapsible body 36
further includes a plurality of outwardly projecting radiused edges
40 that are formed at a bottom perimeter of each fluting groove 38.
The radiused edges 40 facilitate manufacturing of the bottle 12 and
are configured for obscuring the fluting grooves 38 when the bottle
12 is axially compressed. It is contemplated that because the
"V"-shaped fluting grooves and the radiused edges 40 are in the
immediate vicinity of each other, the rigidity of the rounded edges
of the empty bottle is reduced. Therefore, the bottle can be
collapsed by applying a relatively small axial compression. It is
submitted that the collapsible bottle assembly 10 is more compact
and easily transportable compared to the embodiment where the
bottle 12 is non-collapsible.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1C, an enlarged exploded perspective
view of the container assembly 20 is depicted. The generally
annular container assembly 20 includes a cup 42 with a bottom 43
and a perimeter side wall 44. The perimeter side wall 44 extends
from an upper perimeter edge of the cup bottom 43 and defines an
upper opening 46. The cup 42 is configured for being secured to the
bottle 12 by attaching to an inner perimeter of the ring 32. As
shown in FIG. 1B, the ring 32 is secured to the bottle 12 adjacent
to the bottom 14. An inner perimeter of the ring 32 includes at
least one of a complementary bayonet-style, "push-and-twist" lug
and groove attachment mechanism 47 that is configured for being
secured to the cup 42.
[0020] The lug and groove attachment mechanism 47 can best be seen
in FIGS. 1B-1C. It is contemplated that the lugs 47a are located on
either the ring 32 or the cup 42, and the complementary grooves 47b
are located on the corresponding cup 42 or the ring 32. It is
submitted that this system for attachment of the cup 42 to the
bottle 12 allows the cup 42 to be easily removed from and inserted
into the ring 32, while at the same time maintaining a secure
connection between the two components. Although a lug and groove
attachment method is disclosed in the present bottle assembly, it
is contemplated that the cup 42 can be secured to the ring 32 by
other means, as are known by those skilled in the art.
[0021] The container assembly 20 further includes a container 48
that is configured for removable insertion in the cup 42. The
container 48 includes a plurality of preferably equally sized
compartments 50, each of which is radially displaced from a central
portion of the container 48. It is contemplated that the number,
size and configuration of the compartments 50 may vary to suit the
application. Included on the container assembly 20 is a container
lid 52 that is removably secured to the container 48. A prime
function of the lid 52 is to cover each of the compartments 50. As
such, the container lid 52 has a plurality of individually openable
covers 54 that are configured to correspond to the plurality of
compartments 50 within the container 48. It is preferred that each
of the covers 54 is equal in shape, and that the size, shape and
number of each of the covers is configured to correspond to each of
the respective compartments 50. Each of the covers 54 has a hinge
55 that allows the covers 54 to be independently opened or closed.
The hinge 55 is preferably the "living hinge" type and integrally
manufactured from the same rigid thermoplastic as the rest of the
container lid 52. However, the living hinge 55 is of a lesser
thickness than the rest of the container lid 52 so that the hinge
is flexible enough to facilitate opening and closing of the covers
54.
[0022] Also provided on the container 48 is at least one locating
hole 56 preferably disposed within its center. The hole 56 is
configured for receiving a depending cylindrical lug portion 58
that extends from a bottom 60 of the container lid 52. As seen in
FIG. 3, the container lid 52 is attached to the container 48 by
pressing the cylindrical portion 58 into the hole 56. It is
contemplated that this connection can be made by means of a
snap-fit, friction fit or other type of attachment as is known by
those skilled in the art.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 3, the interior of each of the
plurality of compartments 50 includes at least one of a
complementary lug and groove attachment 62 that is configured for
being secured to the container lid 52. While seven compartments 50
are preferred, the number may vary to suit the application. It is
contemplated that lugs 64 are located on either each of the
compartments 50 or the lid 52, and that complementary grooves 66
are located on the corresponding compartment 50 or the lid 52.
These individual lug and groove attachments 62 secure the lid
covers 54 to the compartments 50 and allow the container lid covers
54 to be opened independently of the others, enabling access to one
of the plurality of container compartments 50 at a time. Also, the
container lid 52 remains securely attached to the container 48 when
one or more of the container lid covers 54 are opened because of
the insertion of the extending cylindrical portion 58 into the hole
56. The two separate connection means between the container lid 52
and the container 48 prevent the container lid covers 54 from
opening inadvertently when the container assembly 20 is removed
from the bottle 12. Although specific methods of attachment are
disclosed in the present bottle assembly 10, it is contemplated
that other means of attachment are possible, as are known by those
in the art.
[0024] While particular embodiments of the present bottle assembly
have been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled
in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto
without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as
set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *