U.S. patent application number 13/127084 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-01 for beverage container.
Invention is credited to Florian Enghard.
Application Number | 20110210132 13/127084 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41611325 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110210132 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Enghard; Florian |
September 1, 2011 |
Beverage Container
Abstract
The invention relates to a drinking container with an interior
space for receiving a liquid with a container opening that is
arranged preferably at the top side, in which a mixing device is
mounted, which consists of a movable wire element. The invention is
characterized in that the wire element is embodied as a flat
elastic spiral (3), which is mounted with one end on the drinking
container (7) or the closure element thereof, while the other end
of the spiral (3) ends freely in the container space. Thereby the
spiral (3) is embodied so that it is freely swingingly movable at
least in a linear direction in the container interior space due to
a container motion and its self-weight.
Inventors: |
Enghard; Florian; (Sulzbach,
DE) |
Family ID: |
41611325 |
Appl. No.: |
13/127084 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
November 3, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP09/07861 |
371 Date: |
May 2, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/694 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F 15/00506 20130101;
B01F 11/0068 20130101; B01F 15/00512 20130101; B01F 13/002
20130101; A47J 43/27 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/694 |
International
Class: |
B65D 90/00 20060101
B65D090/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 4, 2008 |
DE |
10 2008 055 787.0 |
Claims
1. Drinking container with an interior space for receiving a liquid
with a container opening arranged preferably on a top side, in
which a mixing device is mounted, which consists of a movable wire
element, characterized in that the wire element is embodied as a
flat elastic spiral (3), which is mounted with one end on the
drinking container (7) or the closure element thereof, while the
other end of the spiral (3) ends freely in the container space,
whereby the spiral (3) is embodied so that it is freely swingingly
movable at least in a linear direction in the container interior
space due to a container motion and its self-weight.
2. Drinking container according to claim 1, characterized in that
the spiral (3) comprises a preferably centrally arranged material
agglomeration as a weight element.
3. Drinking container according to claim 2, characterized in that
the material agglomeration is constructed cone-shaped.
4. Drinking container according to claim 2, characterized in that
the material agglomeration is arranged spider-shaped.
5. Drinking container according to claim 2, characterized in that
the material agglomeration is constructed grid-shaped or
screen-shaped.
6-10. (canceled)
11. The drinking container according to claim 1, further comprising
at least one fixing element that is adapted to fixedly mount the
one end of the flat elastic spiral and that is applied on the
container at the container opening or in the closure element.
12. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the
container has a shape that tapers narrower toward a container
bottom of the container.
13. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the flat
elastic spiral exhibits a motion play of the other end thereof
which is embodied larger toward a container bottom of the container
than toward the closure element.
14. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the other
end of the flat elastic spiral is movable within a motion play
space in the container interior space, and the motion Play space is
limited by a flat extending portion of the closure element.
15. The drinking container according to claim 1, wherein the flat
elastic spiral consists of an elastic metal or a synthetic plastic.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a drinking or beverage container
according to the preamble of the patent claim 1.
[0002] Presently there are numerous shakers, mixing cups and
bottles that are provided for the intermixing of various different
ingredients. These ingredients are usually powder and liquid. These
shakers or mixing cups are supposed to make possible or improve the
intermixing of these ingredients. For this, one fills the
substances to be intermixed into the mixing container and closes it
with a lid element. Through a shaking motion that is preferably
carried out with the hand, the substances in the mixing container
are intermixed with one another.
[0003] In order to make possible an improved intermixing, these
mixing cups/shakers are offered with various different auxiliary
elements and/or with a special shape or form design.
[0004] Presently various different ones of these devices are known.
A current popular model would be the shaker with insertable beating
screen. This screen is fixed on or inserted in the container
opening preferably before the intermixing and after filling the
mixing container with the substances that are to be intermixed.
[0005] Thereafter the mixing container is closed with the lid
element. Thereafter the filled-in substances, usually liquid and
powder, are moved through the screen by the shaking motion. Thereby
an improved intermixing takes place. These insertable screen
elements are mostly arranged in a grid or turbine shape.
[0006] A further device for improving the intermixing process are
specially shaped, curved or oscillating inner walls in the mixing
container. These special walls are preferably provided on the inner
area of the lid element or on the floor of the cup element.
[0007] During the shaking process, these stated walls cause a
certain determined motion or progression of the substances. Due to
this swirling or whirlpool-like motion of the substances, the
liquid and powder or liquid and liquid intermix better.
[0008] A further device is known from a U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,032. A
freely movable, non-fixed, grid-shaped produced metal ball
optimizes the intermixing of the filled-in substances, in that it
moves in the inner area through the interior space of the mixing
container during the shaking motion. Due to its smaller shape and
its own self-weight, it moves further in the interior space of the
mixing container in the direction of the shaking motion being
carried out, even if the substances (liquid/powder) to be
intermixed are stopped by the wall boundary, and it improves the
intermixing of the substances due to its grid-like fine-meshed
body. The variant actually produced as a product is known as
BlenderBottle (www.blenderbottle.com).
[0009] All of these devices have their advantages, but also
weaknesses. For example, the screen to be inserted is quickly
gummed-up with hard-to-mix substances, due to a lack of a
self-motion. However, in the intermixing under normal conditions
the screen guarantees an optimal mixing behavior due to its very
tightly spaced meshes.
[0010] The BlenderBall from the known US patent provides a good
result even with hard-to-intermix substances, and a gumming-up is
prevented by its self-motion in the mixing container. However, the
BlenderBall is not so fine-meshed as a grid screen, and due to its
small size it is not as surfacially covering as a screen.
[0011] Therefore, it is the underlying object of the invention, to
combine the advantages of both devices in one element.
[0012] This object is achieved by the invention set forth in patent
claim 1. Further advantageous example embodiments of the invention
are set forth in the dependent claims.
[0013] The invention has the advantage that the intermixing is
optimized due to the movability of the spiral-shaped insertable
auxiliary element, in that it avoids a gumming-up due to the motion
in the interior space during the shaking process, but acts like a
screen upon the return motion.
[0014] Advantageously, the spiral shape becomes smaller in diameter
in the condition pulled out toward the cup bottom, and thus fits
optimally to the shape of the most common present shaker models,
and thus guarantees an optimal surface coverage.
[0015] Additionally, the spiral is easy to clean and to insert. For
the same mixing result, normally two auxiliary elements
(screen/ball) would have to be inserted and cleaned.
[0016] The invention will be described in further detail in
connection with an example embodiment, which is illustrated in the
drawings, wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1: shows a spiral-shaped device for the improvement of
the mixing result with device for fixing;
[0018] FIG. 1a: shows a spiral-shaped device for the improvement of
the mixing result with device for insertion;
[0019] FIG. 1b: shows material agglomerations preferably centrally
arranged (A cone/B half-sphere/C screen or grid/D spider
shape);
[0020] FIG. 2: shows a cup element/container;
[0021] FIG. 3: shows a spiral motion during the shaking process in
the direction toward the cup bottom;
[0022] FIG. 4: shows the spiral motion/condition during the shaking
process in the direction toward the lid element.
[0023] In FIG. 1, a spiral-shaped device is shown, which can be
fixed with its fixing device (1) preferably on the lid element or
on the container opening. That can preferably be achieved by
insertion or plugging-in. Due to the spiral shape (3), a
screen-like or sieve-like structure arises, which comprises
mesh-like through openings (4). A material thickening (2) is
located preferably arranged in the center, in order to strengthen
the self-motion of the spiral in the direction toward the cup
bottom during the shaking process.
[0024] FIG. 1a illustrates the same spiral-shape device, with the
difference, that the fixing device is now preferably designed as a
collar or crown (5) for laying in contact on a device in the cup
element. A further difference relative to the model in FIG. 1 is
that the material thickening in the center of the spiral is
omitted, but the same effect of the strengthened self-motion is
achieved with a material thickening in the entire extent of the
spiral arm or by a special selection of a heavier material.
[0025] In FIG. 1b, various different models of the material
thickening. FIG. A shows pyramid-like device, which points
downwardly and thus to separate or disperse the water masses in the
shake itself.
[0026] In FIG. B, a half sphere is shown, which also points
downwardly and shall achieve the same effect like FIG. A.
[0027] FIG. C shows a material thickening in the form of a screen
or sieve, in order to achieve a further improvement in the mixing
behavior. An advantage in this device is that it involves a moving
screen, because it springs up and down during the shaking
process.
[0028] In FIG. D, a spider-shaped spiral is shown. This is to
improve the optical effect, and act or seem like a spider in the
web.
[0029] In FIG. 2, the cup element is shown, which preferably
maintains the shape that is typical in the market. Due to the
spacing distances of the cup side walls (8/9) becoming smaller
toward the bottom or floor, the shape of the cup is fitted or
adapted to the tapering progression of the swung spiral. Preferably
the lid element is fixed on the container opening at the top (7) by
a threading or a plug-in device.
[0030] In FIG. 3, the course of the spiral (10) during the shaking
process in the direction toward the cup bottom or floor is
illustrated. Due to the spiral shape and the therefore
ever-tapering or tightening course in the extended or pulled-out
condition, the spiral is thus fitted or adapted to the downwardly
tapering course of the container.
[0031] In FIG. 4, the course of the spiral (11) during the shaking
process in the direction toward the lid element is illustrated. The
spiral now has a screen or sieve shape, because it is not extended
or pulled out. This can be achieved in that the lid element is
arranged so that only a small motion play or clearance space is
permitted. A further possibility would be that the character of the
spiral is to be designed so that it has a larger motion play or
clearance space toward the cup bottom and a smaller motion play or
clearance space toward the lid element.
* * * * *