Abstract:
A dispensing bottle has a spout formed integrally with a neck that extends to a body of the bottle. The spout comprises first and second passages oriented at an angle to the neck. A partition inside the neck forms an extension of the second passage. The partition extends at least to a base of the neck such that air entering the second passage is carried through the neck and released into the body of the bottle. The bottle may have first and second parts detachably affixed together.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates to bottles suitable for dispensing beverages. Bottles according to the invention may be used by a bartender to dispense beverages such as mixers, juices, and the like. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    This invention has various aspects as discussed below. One aspect provides bar bottles that can be used for dispensing beverages. Specific aspects of the invention provide: 
         [0003]    Bar bottles; 
         [0004]    Components for bar bottles comprising integrated pour spouts. 
         [0005]    One aspect provides a dispensing bottle comprising a neck and a body joined to a base of the neck. The body is larger in cross-section than the neck. A spout at an end of the neck remote from the body comprises at least a first passage and a second passage parallel to the first passage and smaller in cross-section than the first passage. The first and second passages are oriented at an angle to a longitudinal centerline of the neck. A partition is integrally formed with the neck and the spout. The partition is connected to the spout between the first and second passages and extends continuously along the neck from the spout to an opening at the base of the neck. The partition forms a continuation of the second passage. 
         [0006]    The partition may be tapered in thickness such that parts of the partition closer to the spout are thicker than parts of the partition closer to the body and/or the extension of the second passage formed by the partition may be tapered such that a cross-section area of the portion of the extension of the second passage closer to the body is larger than a cross section area of the extension of the second passage closer to the spout. 
         [0007]    A wall of the body of the bottle adjacent to the opening formed by the partition at the base of the neck may be oriented generally parallel to the first and second passages of the spout. 
         [0008]    In some embodiments, in a cross-section of the neck and partition the pa Con is arcuate and joined along opposing edges to a wall of the neck. 
         [0009]    An outer surface of the neck may be textured at least in a portion near the end of the neck remote from the body. The texture may be provided by features such as: circumferential grooves, roughness, points, bumps, indentations or the like. For example, the outer surface of the neck may be textured by a pattern of grooves extending circumferentially around the neck. 
         [0010]    An enlarged-diameter portion may he provided at the end of the neck remote from. the body. 
         [0011]    Some embodiments include an elastomeric sleeve at least partially covering the textured portion of the neck. The elastomeric sleeve may comprise a colored silicone material. 
         [0012]    Some embodiments provide a bottle according to any described embodiment in combination with a set comprising a plurality of colored elastic sleeves. The plurality of elastic sleeves comprises elastic sleeves of a plurality of colors, each of the sleeves being dimensioned to resiliently slip over the neck of the bottle and to securely engage around the neck. Where the neck has an enlarged-diameter portion at or near its end the sleeves may be dimensioned to slip over the enlarged diameter portion and to engage the neck below the enlarged diameter portion. The elastic sleeves may comprise a colored silicone material, for example. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments the body of the bottle comprises first and second detachable parts. The first part may be formed integrally with the neck and spout. The first and second parts may be detachably coupled together at a threaded coupling in a cylindrical portion of the body. In some embodiments all or part of the second portion of the body is transparent or translucent. 
         [0014]    Some embodiments comprise a cover having a diameter larger than the body. The cover may be detachably affixed to a bottom end of the body. The cover may, for example, snap, grippingly receive and/or screw onto the bottom end of the body. 
         [0015]    In any of the above embodiments the outer surfaces of the body and neck may be circularly symmetrical about a common axis coincident with the longitudinal centerline of the neck. 
         [0016]    In an example embodiment the first part of the body, the neck and the spout are formed of injection-molded plastic. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments the angle between the first and second passages and the longitudinal centerline of the neck is in the range of 20 to 60 degrees, about 45 degrees plus or minus 6 degrees in some embodiments. 
         [0018]    Further aspects and example embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and/or described in the following description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    The accompanying drawings illustrate non-limiting example embodiments of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a bar bottle according to an example embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is an elevation cross-section through a top portion of the bar bottle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a transverse cross-section through a neck of the bar bottle shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C  are perspective top and bottom views of an integrally-formed top portion of the bottle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an example elastomeric sleeve. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive sense. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a bar bottle  10  according to an example embodiment of the invention. Bar bottle  10  includes an upper portion  12  removably attached to a lower portion  14  at a coupling  13 . Coupling  13  may, for example, comprise screw threads  13 A (see  FIG. 2 ). Coupling  13  is designed to avoid leakage of the contents of bottle  10 . For example, an angled surface  11  may be provided adjacent to the inner threads on top portion  12 . This angled surface may create a water-tight seal when top portion  12  and lower portion  14  are screwed together. The angled surface may sealingly contact an outer edge of the top of lower portion  14 . The angled surface may optionally also serve as a transition area between a thread area of top portion  12  which may have a wall that is thinner than a wall of an adjacent part of top portion  12 . The mating of an angled surface with an edge allows for robust sealing. Other sealing designs may be used (e.g. providing a V-seal, O-ring or the like). Threads  13 A are preferably multi-start threads (e.g. double-start threads). This allows top portion  12  and lower portion  14  to be screwed together quickly. As an example, dual-start threads may be provided such that the top portion  12  and lower portion  14  are fully coupled in approximately 1-2 turns (e.g. 1 ¼ turns). 
         [0027]    Lower portion  14  may be entirely or in part transparent so that a user can see how full bottle  10  is, as well as ascertain the nature of the fluid being contained by bottle  10 . In some embodiments lower portion  14  is made from a transparent grade of polypropylene (PP). 
         [0028]    An optional cover  16  is detachably provided on the lower end of bottle  10 . Cover  16  may provide a stable base for bottle  10  and may be removable to facilitate tightly stacking a plurality of bottles  10  for storage, either in a vertical or horizontal orientation. 
         [0029]    Top portion  12  includes a neck  12 A which joins an enlarged portion  12 B at a base  12 C of neck  12 A. 
         [0030]    In the illustrated embodiment, neck  12 A has a textured portion  12 B to facilitate gripping neck  12 A in order to pour contents from bottle  10 . An expanded diameter portion  12 E helps to prevent dropping bottle  10 . An elastomeric sleeve  30  (see  FIG. 5 ) may optionally be slipped over neck  12 A. The elastomeric sleeve may engage on textured portion  12 D and may abut against the lower side of enlarged diameter portion  12 E. 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, colour-coded silicone sleeves are provided such that different colours identify bottles  10  having different contents. A bottle  10  may be provided in combination with a set comprising a plurality of differently-coloured interchangeable elastomeric sleeves. The elastomeric sleeves may each be dimensioned to slip over enlarged diameter portion  12 E and to snuggly hold against textured portion  12 B. 
         [0032]    Bottle  10  includes a pour spout  20  which is integrated with upper part  12  of bottle  10 . Pour spout  20  includes a channel  20 A through which liquids may flow out of bottle  10  and an air channel  20 B which allows air to enter bottle  10  to make up for the loss of volume of fluid as fluid is being dispensed. Channel  20 A and channel  20 B may respectively be called first and second channels. Air channel  20 B helps to reduce or eliminate “glugging” as liquid is dispensed from bottle  10 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  shows in more detail the integration of pour spout  20  into bottle  10 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , passages  20 A and  20 B extend at an angle θ to a longitudinal centre line  15  of neck  12 A. In some embodiments, θ is in the range of 20° to 60°. For example, θ may be 45°±6°. A divider or partition  21  extends along neck  12 A to an inner opening  23  that is at least at base  12 C of neck  12 A. Partition  21  provides a continuation or extension of air passage  20 B that extends at least substantially all the way along neck  12 A. The remainder of the interior of the bore of neck  12 A provides a passage  22 A through which liquids can flow from body  12 B to passage  20 A. 
         [0034]    Air channel  20 B may be smaller in diameter than main channel  20 A. Air channel  20 B is above main channel  20 A when bottle  10  is standing upright, as shown in  FIG. 1 . In the illustrated embodiment, both of air channel  20 B and main channel  20 A are round in cross-section. One or both of channels  20 A and  20 B may optionally have other cross-sectional shapes. 
         [0035]    In the illustrated embodiment, partition  21  and neck  12 A and dispensing spout  20  are all integrally formed, for example by a plastic injection moulding process. Partition  21  may be tapered in thickness such that its inner end at opening  23  is thinner than its upper end where passage  20 A turns to become passage  20 B. Passage  21 A may be generally tapered such that the cross-sectional area of passage  21 A increases slightly as one travels from the point of intersection with passage  20 B to opening  23 . 
         [0036]    In some embodiments, the entire upper portion  12  of bottle  10  is injection moulded as a single unitary piece. 
         [0037]    Apart from providing cost-effective constructions, injection moulding upper part  12  of bottle  10  provides a number of advantages. These include the absence of cracks or crevices in which pathogens could collect, as well as providing a lightweight construction. 
         [0038]    In some embodiments, all of bottle  10  is made of impact-resistant plastic materials. In some embodiments, bottle  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , is made of only three separate pieces: top part  12 , bottom part  14 , and optional cap portion  16 . 
         [0039]    In some embodiments, a ratio of the length to the diameter of neck  12 A is at least 2:1. In some embodiments, a ratio of the cross-section of expanded portion  12 B to neck  12 A is at least 4:1. 
         [0040]    In some embodiments, opening  23  lies at an inflection point on the surface of bottle  10  where the surface of bottle  10  forms an angle φ with a centre line of passage  21 A. φ may be approximately the same as θ such that, when bottle  10  is held to dispense a fluid with nozzle  20  oriented generally vertically, the wall of bottle  10  adjacent to opening  23  of passage  21 A is also approximately vertically oriented. 
         [0041]    Outer walls of the body and neck may follow surfaces of revolution about a common axis. 
       INTERPRETATION OF TERMS 
       [0042]    Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims: 
         [0043]    “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”; 
         [0044]    “connected”, “coupled”, or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof; 
         [0045]    “herein”, “above”, “below”, and words of similar import, when used to describe this specification, shall refer to this specification as a whole, and not to any particular portions of this specification; 
         [0046]    “or”, in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list; 
         [0047]    the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” also include the meaning of any appropriate plural forts. 
         [0048]    Words that indicate directions such as “vertical”, “transverse”, “horizontal”, “upward”, “downward”, “forward”, “backward”, “inward”, “outward”, “vertical”, “transverse”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “back”, “top”, “bottom”, “below”, “above”, “under”, and the like, used in this description and any accompanying claims (where present), depend on the specific orientation of the apparatus described and illustrated. The subject matter described herein may assume various alternative orientations. Accordingly, these directional terms are not strictly defined and should not be interpreted narrowly. 
         [0049]    Where a component (e.g. a passage, spout, cover assembly, device, etc.) is referred to above, unless otherwise indicated, reference to that component (including a reference to a “means”) should be interpreted as including as equivalents of that component any component which performs the function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), including components which are not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
         [0050]    Specific examples of systems, methods and apparatus have been described herein for purposes of illustration. These are only examples. The technology provided herein can be applied to systems other than the example systems described above. Many alterations, modifications, additions, omissions, and permutations are possible within the practice of this invention. This invention includes variations on described embodiments that would be apparent to the skilled addressee, including variations obtained by: replacing features, elements and/or acts with equivalent features, elements and/or acts; mixing and matching of features, elements and/or acts from different embodiments; combining features, elements and/or acts from embodiments as described herein with features, elements and/or acts of other technology; and/or omitting combining features, elements and/or acts from described embodiments. 
         [0051]    It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions, omissions, and sub-combinations as may reasonably be inferred. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.