Liquid container having integrated auxiliary flask

A liquid container having an integrated flask is defined by an outer wall having a recess. A flask is configured to fit within the recess. Tabs for lips extend partially over the recess from the outer wall of the bottle and secure the flask with in the recess by a snap fit. The flask may be removed from the bottle and filled with a lesser amount of liquid and used when traveling.

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NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF THE MATERIAL

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container for liquids having an auxiliary flask. More particularly, the invention relates to a bottle for liquids such as shampoos having a detachable smaller container for containing a smaller portion of the liquid held in the bottle and sized to be convenient for use during short term travel.

Description of the Related Art

When traveling it is often desirable for a person to take his or her preferred type of shampoo. While hosts and hotels typically provide shampoos and conditioners for their guests, people often are very choosy about the type of hair products they use and therefore prefer their own. However, when traveling it is also desirable to carry as little as possible because there is usually limited space for all of a person's possessions within his or her luggage. Typically shampoo bottles are relatively large and contain enough shampoo to last several weeks or months. Thus, traveling with a full-sized shampoo bottle is typically both unnecessary and undesirable.

Many shampoo manufacturers offer shampoo and small travel sized bottles. However these are relatively expensive per unit volume compared to standard shampoo bottles. Purchasing special travel sized bottles also represents an added hassle when preparing for a trip. It is therefore common for a person to utilize a small reusable travel sized bottle. A person can simply fill one of these travel sized bottles with his or her preferred shampoo, conditioner or other liquid. This minimizes the space required within luggage for hair products and avoids the cost and hassle of purchasing smaller sized shampoo bottles.

However, reusable travel sized bottles have their own disadvantages. It is often difficult to pour liquid from a large bottle into a small bottle. Such liquid transfers often create a mess. Furthermore, these travel sized bottles often have leftover shampoo when a trip is concluded. People often forget to pour the leftover shampoo or conditioner back into the original bottle. As a result, the travel sized bottle may contain shampoo, conditioner or other products for the entire time between successive trips, which can be several months or more. By the time the travel sized bottle is reused, the leftover shampoo has often degraded.

Furthermore, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration often limits the size of a liquid bottle that may be brought onto an airplane or other vehicle. If a person wishes to carry conditioner, shampoo or other liquid in a carry-on bag, these rules preclude using a typical shampoo bottle.

The above-described deficiencies of today's systems are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.

In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a travel sized bottle for liquids that allows simple and efficient transfer to or from a larger bottle intended for at-home use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed is a liquid container having an integrated flask comprising a bottle having an outer wall, a lid, a recess in the outer wall. The recess is defined by a back wall, a bottom wall and a top wall. A flask is configured to fit within the recess. The flask has a front wall, a back wall, two sidewalls, a base and a cap. An upper lip extends downward from the top wall of the recess and partially covers the recess. A bottom lip extends upward from the bottom wall of the recess and partially covers the recess.

The top wall of the recess may include a check valve and the cap of the nested bottle includes a nozzle configured to impinge, and thereby open, the check valve of the top wall when the nested bottle is secured within the recess. The first side wall of the recess may include a concave gap.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. Moreover, articles “a” and “an” as used in the subject specification and annexed drawings should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. In addition, the term “continuous” generally refers to an object such as a panel or outer wall that has no openings, apertures or holes through it, preventing movement through the object from one side to the other.

Disclosed is a container for liquids having an incorporated smaller, travel sized bottle, or flask, that is removably attached to the outside. The bottles may optionally be configured to provide fluid communication between them when the travel sized bottle is nested in a recess in the larger bottle. For convenience, the liquid containers in this disclosure are often described in terms of shampoo bottles. However, it is to be understood that the liquid containers may also be used for conditioner, other hair products, liquid soap or any other liquid typically stored in a bottle or similar container. This may include particulate matter as well as liquids. Also for convenience, the uses of the bottles are generally described as use during travel. However, such descriptions are exemplary only and the compact flask may be used for other purposes, such as to provide a shampoo or other material for more than one bathroom at a single residence, overnight stays such as slumber parties, or other occasions. In addition, the smaller bottle is generally described as a flask having a flattened configuration. As used herein, the term “flask” is not intended to carry any connotations from the chemical arts or in regard to distilled liquors. The term refers merely to a relatively small bottle that is preferably configured to store easily.

FIGS. 1-3show a liquid container10having a nested compact bottle12removably attached in accordance with principles of the invention. In this embodiment, the liquid container10is a typical 16 ounce shampoo bottle. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the liquid container10may optionally be larger or smaller than 16 ounces. Similarly, the nested compact bottle12of this embodiment is 3 ounces and sized to allow a person to include the nested bottle12in a carry-on bag through airport security.

The liquid container10is defined by a flat base14, a sidewall16, a curved top18and a screw on lid20. In this embodiment, the liquid container10has an oval cross-section. The nested bottle12is removably retained within a recess22located on the sidewall16of the liquid container10. The recess22is configured to be complementary to the nested compact bottle12. The exterior wall24of the nested bottle12lies substantially flush with the sidewall16. The interior wall26lies flush with the back wall27of the recess22. This configuration provides maximized efficiency of space. The compact bottle's cap28abuts the top wall30of the recess22, and the bottle's base32abuts the bottom wall34of the recess22. In this embodiment, the nested compact bottle12has a curved shape. Optionally, other shapes are also suitable.

An upper lip36and a lower lip38extend partially over the recess22, thereby providing secure retention of the nested compact bottle12within the recess22. In this embodiment, the upper lip36and lower lip38are both convex. However, other geometries are also suitable. A first recess sidewall40and a second recess sidewall42are configured to lie substantially flush with the sides44of the nested bottle12. In this embodiment, the first recessed sidewall40has a concave gap46that allows an operator to use his or her finger or thumb to assist in dislodging the nested bottle12from the recess22. An additional concave gap46may be positioned on the opposite side of the recess22. In this embodiment, the lips36and38extend from the top wall30and bottom wall34, respectively. Optionally, lips may extend from the first recessed sidewall40and second recess sidewall42and the gap46may be positioned on the top wall30and/or bottom wall34.

FIG. 4shows an alternative embodiment of a recess50in accordance with principles of the invention. Recess50is defined by a back wall52, a top wall54and a bottom wall56. An upper lip58extends partially over the recess50from the top wall54and a lower lip60extends partially over the recess50from the bottom wall56. The top wall54includes a check valve64. In this embodiment, the check valve64is a duckbill valve.

FIG. 5shows an alternative embodiment of a nested bottle68in accordance with the principles of the invention. The nested bottle68has a body70configured to be complementary to the recess50shown inFIG. 4. The compact bottle68includes a nozzle72configured to engage and open the duckbill check valve64of the recess50shown inFIG. 4. The nested bottle68also includes a cap74affixed to the compact nested bottle by a tether76. The cap74may be used to cover the nozzle72when the nested bottle68is not secured in the recess50. The cap74may be secured over the nozzle72by engaging an annular rib78.

FIG. 6shows the compact bottle68nested within the recess50. When the nozzle72impinges upon the check valve64, the check valve64is held open. This allows liquid to flow between the nested bottle68and the container to which it is affixed.

In use, the compact bottle68is placed within the cavity50and the nozzle72holds the check valve64in the open position. To fill the compact bottle68, an operator need only ensure that the check valve64is at least partially submerged within the fluid in the bottle. Once the compact bottle68is filled with liquid, it may be removed and used as a travel sized bottle. When the compact bottle68is reinserted into the recess50, the open check valve64allows remaining fluid within the compact bottle to be returned to the container from which it came. In this embodiment, it is often preferable to have means of very firmly and securely affixing the compact bottle68within the cavity50.

FIG. 7shows three identical bottles80having recess82in their outer walls84for storing a flask86. The recess82and the flask86are complementary; that is, the flask86is configured to fit snugly within the recess82. This maximizes efficient use of space and includes the ease with which the flask86may be snapped into place within the recess82. At the bottom of each recess82is finger gap88which allows an operator to use his or her finger to impinge on the base90of the flask86and pop it out of the recess82. At the top of the recess82are two shoulders92that defined a head region94in the recess configured to be complementary to the cap96of the flask86. Each of the shoulders92have a shoulder lip98that extends partially downward over the recess82. Two lower lips100extend upward over the recess82from either side of the access recess88. The shoulder lips98and the lower lips100together hold the flask86securely within the recess82. In this embodiment, both the bottle80in the flask86are self-contained. The wall102of the recess82is continuous with the outer wall of the bottle80. The bottle80has only a single opening located underneath its cap108. Similarly, the flask86is defined by a wall106that is continuous such that the flask86has only one opening directly underneath its cap96. In use, an operator may fill the flask86with liquid from the bottle80in order to use the flask86to transport a smaller portion of the liquid. For example, an operator may have a relatively large bottle of shampoo. When the operator goes on a vacation, it is undesirable to use precious storage space within his or her luggage to carry far more shampoo than will be required on the trip. Thus, the operator may fill the flask86with shampoo and take only the flask86on a trip inside of the entire bottle80.

FIGS. 8-11show another alternative embodiment of a liquid container120having an integrated flask in accordance with the principles of the invention. In this embodiment, the liquid container, or bottle,121has a substantially cylindrical body and domed top defined by an outer wall124and a base125. The outer wall124is continuous and the only opening is underneath the cap126. As with other embodiments, the outer wall124of the liquid container120includes a recess128complementary to an integrated flask122. The recess128has a back wall132, two concave side walls134and two lateral lips136extending partially over the recess130. In this embodiment, the recess128is accessible both from the side and from the base125.

The flask122has a curved body defined by outer wall140. The flask122has a back wall142that lies flush against the back wall132of the recess130when the flask122is retained within the recess128. The front wall143of the flask122faces outward and is visible when the flask122is attached to the liquid container120. Both sides144of the flask122have a vertical groove146complementary to the lateral lips136. The back wall142, the sides144and the grooves146form a friction fit with the back wall132, the sidewalls134and the lateral lips136of the recess128to secure the flask122in place. To remove the flask122, an operator slides the flask122downward relative to the bottle121. Conversely, to affix the flask122, an operator aligns the grooves146with the lips136and slides the flask122upward relative to the bottle121.

FIGS. 12 and 13show another alternative embodiment of a liquid container having an integrated flask150in accordance with the principles of the invention. A bottle152of this embodiment has an elliptical cross-section defined by a continuous outer wall154. A recess156extends from the base158of the bottle152partially up a first side159of the outer wall154, and is defined by a back wall160, two sidewalls162and a top wall164. Two tabs168extend partially over the recess from the base158of the bottle152. In this embodiment, the tabs168are coplanar with the base158. Optionally, the tabs168may be positioned at a different location within the recess156. An upper lip170extends from the outer wall154downward from the top wall164and partially over the recess156.

A flask176is configured to be complementary to and fit snugly within recess156. The flask176has a continuous outer wall178defined by a back wall180, a base182, and a front wall184. A cap186on the top of the flask176covers the only opening into the flask. Two pockets190are located where the back wall180meets the base182. The pockets190are configured to be complementary to the tabs168of the bottle152. When the flask176is located within the recess156, the tabs168extend into the pockets190and together with the upper lip170retain the flask176within the cavity156. In this embodiment, the bottle152has two tabs168that are complementary to the two pockets190. Optionally, only one tab could be used. Similarly, additional tabs may also be used to secure the flask176within the cavity156.

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.