Abstract:
A container cap is adapted for use with a drinking container. The container cap has a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid in the drinking container, a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion and removably coupled to the open mouth of the drinking container, a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion, a cap removably coupled to the second connector, and a commercial message provided on the container portion

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of beverages, and more specifically, to beverages contained in bottles with removal caps. The present invention provides a container cap that can be retrofittedly placed upon the bottle after removing its original cap, in a manner that dispenses materials into the bottle. Commercial or other written indicia are carried on the external surfaces of the container cap. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    The beverage world today is largely possessed by bottled water contained in plastic bottles having virtually identical removable caps. Such caps are removed by twistable action, leaving a band or collar behind as the cap is removed, while simultaneously providing access for drinking to the top of the bottle. Beverages also comprise pre-mixed drinks with a plurality of different designs, requiring, among other things, refrigeration, dates of expiration and other indicators related to the shelf-life of the beverage. 
         [0005]    Also well known in the art are water-soluble drink mixes that are sold in solid form. The consumer measures quantities of the dry material, adds the quantities in the proper ratio to water, and creates a flavored beverage. In these embodiments, the consumer is required to modulate the quantities, and mistakes result in under- or over-flavored mixtures. 
         [0006]    In addition, it is important to maintain freshness of fluid-based products. This is particularly important when the material to be dispensed is vitamin-based, since it is known that water-miscible vitamins can lose their potency over time when in a fluid environment, through changes in temperature, pressure, and light. In addition, fluid-based products can interact with plastic bottles, causing an unpleasant taste and compromising the health of the user. Glass bottles are thereby required for some applications, which are more expensive and much heavier. 
         [0007]    To address these concerns, efforts have been made to provide a universal cap design that contains dry or concentrated materials (e.g., vitamins, drink mixes and other flavors), such that the cap can be used with any number of fluid containers without the need for modifying the existing, standard, plastic bottle design. In other words, once the pre-existing cap for the bottle is removed, the new cap, containing the materials, can be retrofittedly installed on the top of the bottle, dispensing the materials into the fluid. The bottle can be shaken and the completed beverage created moments before consumption. 
         [0008]    Many of these cap designs are embodied in the form of a simple container that holds the material to be dispensed. The contents of the container cap are often not identified, and the user often has no way of knowing if the materials contained in the particular container cap are intended for his/her consumption, or for someone else&#39;s consumption. 
         [0009]    It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a universal, single-use cap containing materials for attachment to pre-existing fluid containers to permit dispensation of materials thereby maintaining the freshness of the beverage. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal single-use cap that provides a commercial message or indicia on, or associated with, the cap. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    To accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides a container cap that is adapted for use with a drinking container, the container cap having a container portion having an interior that holds a material for mixing with the liquid in the drinking container, a first connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion and removably coupled to the open mouth of the drinking container, a second connector fluidly communicating with the interior of the container portion, a cap removably coupled to the second connector, and a commercial message provided on the container portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to one embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container cap of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3A  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the container cap of  FIG. 3A  shown in use with a conventional water bottle. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to yet another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5A  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to yet a further embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5B  illustrates the paper support of the container cap of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0019]      FIGS. 6-12  illustrate other embodiments of container caps according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 13A  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional water bottle. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13B  is a perspective view of the container cap of  FIG. 13A  shown in use with a conventional water bottle. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to yet a further embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional glass beer bottle. 
           [0024]      FIGS. 16A and 16B  are exploded perspective views showing a container cap according to another embodiment of the present invention in use with a conventional beer can. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 17 and 18  illustrate other embodiments of container caps according to the present invention that can be used with a conventional beer can. 
           [0026]      FIGS. 19 and 20  illustrate other embodiments of container caps according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 1-2  illustrate a container cap  20  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The container cap  20  can be a plastic container having a container portion  22  that holds a material. The material can be a vitamin, supplement, medication, flavoring, fruit or other concentrate, tea, coffee, energy ingredient, powdered milk, or alcohol, and can be provided in liquid, powder, dissolvable tablet or capsule, real fruit (e.g., slice of lemon, or berry) or any similar form that allows for the material to be quickly and conveniently emptied from the container portion  22  to be mixed or dissolved. The container cap  20  further includes a bottom connector  24  and a top connector  26 . The bottom connector  24  is provided in the form of a female connector, in this case with inner threads  28  that are adapted to threadably engage the outer threads  30  on the neck  32  of a conventional water bottle  34 . The top connector  26  is provided in the form of a male connector, in this case with outer threads  36  that are adapted to threadably engage the inner threads  38  of a cap  40 . The cap  40  can be embodied in the form of a conventional water bottle cap. A peel-off seal  42  can be provided at the mouth of the bottom connector  24  to prevent the material inside the container portion  22  from escaping. 
         [0029]    It is also possible to provide a conventional filter or water purifiying element inside the container portion  22 . The filter can function to filter the water from the water bottle  34 , and the purifying element can function to purify the water from the water bottle  34 . This allows the water bottle  34  to be re-used with different sources of water, even water (e.g., tap water) that may need to be purified and/or filtered before being drinkable. A container cap  20  that contains such a filter and/or purifying element can even be useful for soldiers who often need to refill their drinking containers with non-filtered and non-purified water. A soldier can then carry such a container cap  20  for use in purifying and filtering any water that the soldier might find in a battle environment. 
         [0030]    In use, the user can remove the conventional cap of a water bottle  34  that contains clear water or other beverage, then remove the seal  42 , and empty the material  44  (see  FIG. 3 ) from the container portion  22  through the open mouth of the neck  32  into the bottle  34  to allow the material  44  to mix with the liquid inside the bottle  34 . The user can then screw the bottom connector  24  onto the neck  32 , unscrew (open) the cap  40 , and then drink the liquid contents of the bottle  34  through the open mouth of the top connector  26 . The liquid contents would flow from the bottle  34 , through the container portion  22 , and then out via the top connector  26 . 
         [0031]    The present invention provides a commercial message  50  on the outer surfaces of the container portion  22 . The commercial message  50  can be a representation or description of the material contained in the container cap  20 , or it can be an advertisement message for another product or service or entity.  FIGS. 1-3  illustrate three different examples of commercial messages  50 . 
         [0032]    In addition to a commercial message  50 , other identification codes  52  (e.g., bar codes, SKUs), or even the name  54  of the user can also be provided on the outer surfaces of the container portion  22 . For example, a blank space  56  can be provided on part of the commercial message  50  where a user can write or otherwise inscribe his/her name, or write or inscribe an identification of the material  44  contained therein (e.g., “vitamins”, “fish oil”, “diabetes medication”). In this regard, the container cap  20  can be a re-useable container cap  20  which the user can use to hold vitamins, medication, flavoring, etc. In addition, the message  50  can be provided on a removable sheet  86  (see  FIG. 8 ) so that the sheet  86  can be replaced by other sheets, such as when a different name or identification (e.g., medication) is to be attached to the container cap  20 . 
         [0033]    The commercial message  50  does not need to be placed directly on the outer surface of the container portion  22 . For example, in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , a cardboard or paper support  60  can be used to display the message  50 . The support  60  can be comprised of four sides  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  and a top side  70 , with an opening  72  provided in the top side  70 . The top connector  26  of the container cap  20  can be inserted through the opening  72 , with the top side  70  seated on the container portion  22  to be supported on the container cap  20 . 
         [0034]    As another example,  FIG. 4  shows a cardboard or paper support  74  that is comprised of two sides  76 ,  78  that have opposing ends connected to each other to form a generally elliptical shape, and with an opening (not shown) in a top side (not shown) through which the top connector  26  of the container cap  20  can be inserted. 
         [0035]    As a further example,  FIGS. 5A and 5B  show a laminated paper support  80  which is laminated or glued directly onto the outer surface of a circular container cap  20 . The support  80  has end portions  82  and  84  that extend beyond the central portion of the support  80 . Messages  50  can be provided on these end portions  82 ,  84 , thereby providing more visibility or exposure for the message  50  because these end portions  82 ,  84  extend beyond the body of the container cap  20 . 
         [0036]    Although  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the container cap  20  as being made from a conventional plastic material, it is also possible to embody the container cap  20  in the form of other structures. For example,  FIG. 6  illustrates the container portion  22   a  of a container cap  20   a  embodied in the form of a pouch, with a bottom connector  24   a  and a top connector  26   a  that are the same as the bottom connector  24  and top connector  26  described above. The cap  40   a  can be embodied in the form of a conventional water bottle cap, and a peel-off seal  42   a  can be provided at the mouth of the bottom connector  24  to prevent the material inside the container portion  22   a  from escaping. The pouch can be made from a soft and flexible material similar to those used for the pouch-like beverages (e.g., children&#39;s drinks) that are available in the market today. 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  illustrates the container portion  22   c  made from a paper-like material similar to the material used for milk cartons. The container portion  22   c  can be a six-sided container comprising five sides  110 ,  112  (and two opposing sides and another side, all not shown in  FIG. 7 ), and a sixth side comprised of a plurality of flaps  114 ,  116  that can be folded to create the sixth side. The bottom connector  24   c,  the top connector  26   c,  the cap  40   c,  and the seal  42   c  can be the same as the bottom connector  24 , top connector  26 , cap  40  and seal  42 , respectively, described above. 
         [0038]    The configuration of the container cap  20  can be varied as well. For example,  FIG. 8  shows a container cap  20   b  where the container portion  22   b  is configured as a stepped circular container having two steps  92  and  94  that transition from one circular section to another circular section. The bottom connector  24   b  can be the same as the bottom connector  24  described above, but a pivoting drinking lid  96  can be provided at the top instead of a combined top connector  26  and cap  40 . The pivoting drinking lid  96  can be pivotably coupled to an edge of the top surface  100  of the container portion  22   b,  with a raised drinking hole  98  provided in the top surface  100 . A stem  102  protruding from the center of the bottom surface of the drinking lid  96  is adapted to be inserted into the hole  98 . As described above, the message  50  can be provided on a removable layer of material or sheet  86  that can be attached to the surface of the container portion  22   b  by glue, heat shrink, stickers, or similar mechanisms. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the container cap  20   d  can be configured like a figure having arms, with the message  50   d  extending from the plane or surface of the container portion  22   d.  The message  50   d  can be molded as part of the container portion  22   d,  and extended outwardly to accentuate or highlight the contents of the message  50   d.  The bottom connector  24   d,  the top connector  26   d  and the cap  40   d  can be the same as the bottom connector  24 , top connector  26  and cap  40 , respectively, described above. As shown in  FIG. 9 , additional messages  50  can be provided on the surface of the container portion  22   d.    
         [0040]    By providing the container cap  20  in different configurations, it is also possible to provide the container cap  20  in the form of a toy or amusement item. For example,  FIG. 10  shows the container cap  20   e  having its container portion  22   e  configured as a toy truck which would itself be a commercial message, or would have a commercial message  50   e  carried thereon. The bottom connector  24   e,  the top connector  26   e  and the cap  40   e  can be the same as the bottom connector  24 , top connector  26  and cap  40 , respectively, described above. 
         [0041]    Extending this concept further,  FIG. 11  shows the container cap  20   f  having its container portion  22   f  configured as the body of a robot, with a commercial message  50   f  carried thereon. A plurality of detachable moving ligatures  130  can be pivotably coupled to the body (i.e., the container portion  22   f ) of the robot. The bottom connector  24   f  and the top connector  26   f  can be the same as the bottom connector  24  and top connector  26 , respectively, described above. 
         [0042]    The toy or amusement item can be separate from the container cap  20  and be removable therefrom. For example,  FIG. 12  shows a container cap  20   g  which can be the same as the container cap  20  described above, and a separate toy  120  that can be removably and threadably coupled to screws  122  provided on the outer surface of the container portion  22   g.  The toy  120  can be a miniature skateboard with a threaded opening  124  at the center of its board. Commercial messages  50   g  can be provided on the skateboard, and/or on the outer surface of the container portion  22   g.    
         [0043]    The separate sheet  86  from  FIG. 8  can be extended to cover more than the container cap  20 , including portions of the water bottle  34 . For example,  FIGS. 13A and 13B  show a sheet  86   h  that contains a commercial message  50   h,  with the sheet  86   h  being long enough to extend past the container cap  20   b.  The user can peel off the sheet  86   h  from a backing (not shown) and apply the sheet  86   h  to the container cap  20   b  and the shoulder portion of the water bottle  34  after the container cap  20   b  has been secured to the neck  32  of the water bottle  34 . As shown in  FIG. 13B , the container cap  20   b  would not be visible and the user can drink from the water bottle  34  via the container cap  20   b.    
         [0044]    Electronic features can even be incorporated into the container cap  20 .  FIG. 14  shows the container cap  20  of  FIG. 1  being modified to include an external panel  140  that carries a speaker  142 , an on/off switch  144 , and a lighted message  150 . Circuitry  146  can be provided on the housing of the container portion  22 , and a power slot  148  can be provided on the housing of the container portion  22  to receive a battery  152  that is coupled to the circuitry  146  to power the speaker  142  and the lighted message  150 . The user can turn on the speaker  142  and the lighted message  150  by turning on the switch  144 . The message can be illuminated by a flashing or constant light, and the speaker  142  can emit an accompanying verbal or musical message. 
         [0045]    The container cap  20  of the present invention is not limited to use with conventional water bottles. As shown in  FIG. 15 , the container cap  20   k  can be adapted to be secured to the open mouth  162  of a conventional glass beer bottle  160 . In this embodiment, the bottom connector  24   k  can be modified to allow it to be securely screwed on to the mouth  162 . For example, the bottom connector  24   k  can be cylindrical in nature with an annular band  166  provided along its outer surface. The connector  24   k  can be inserted into the open mouth  162  of the bottle  160  until the band  166  abuts the mouth  162 , thereby securing the container cap  20   k  at the mouth  162 . 
         [0046]    Similarly, as shown in  FIGS. 16A and 16B , the container cap  20  can be adapted to be secured to the top of a conventional aluminum beer can  170 . In this embodiment, the container portion  22   j  can have a bottom wall  176  that has a spout  172  from the bottom wall  176 , with the spout  172  having a bottom opening  174 . A flared annular wall  175  extends from the container portion  22   j  at the location of the bottom wall  176 , having a radius at its bottom edge  173  that is greater than the radius of the bottom wall  176 . The flared annular wall  175  is sized and configured to be placed about the flanged annular upper edge  177  of a conventional beer can  170 , and can be twisted to secure the flared annular wall  175  to the upper edge  177 . A seal  42   j  can seal the bottom of the flared annular wall  175 . In use, the user can remove the seal  42   j,  push the spout  172  through the opening  178  at the top wall  180  of the beer can  170 , and secure the flared annular wall  175  to the upper edge  177 . A message  50   j  can be provided on the outer surface of the container portion  22   j.    
         [0047]    It should be noted that the concepts shown in any of the drawings in this disclosure can be applied to any of the embodiments shown and described herein. For example,  FIG. 17  shows the concepts of  FIGS. 9 ,  16 A and  16 B applied to a conventional beer can, and  FIG. 18  shows the concepts of  FIGS. 6 ,  16 A and  16 B applied to a conventional beer can. 
         [0048]    In addition, there are many ways to dissolve, mix or otherwise release the material  44  inside the container cap  20  to the liquid in the water bottle  34 , beer can  170 , or beer bottle  160 . The present invention describes the use of a seal  42  that can be removed to release the material  44 , but other techniques can be used with the present invention as well. For example, the material  44  can be retained inside the container portion  22  intermixed with the liquid as the liquid passes from the water bottle  34  through the container portion  22 . As another example, mechanisms can be provided inside the container cap  20  that break a seal to release the material  44  directly into the water bottle  34  when the user screws or otherwise engages the container cap  20  to the neck  32  of the water bottle  34 . Examples of these techniques and mechanisms are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,562,782 (Yorita), U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,109 (Schoo et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,497 (Dvorak et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,187 (Daniels et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,684 (Anderson), U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,369 (Bowes et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,095 (Marshall), U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,112 (Balazik) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,254 (Spector), among others, whose disclosures are incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein. 
         [0049]      FIG. 19  shows additional modifications that can be made to the container cap  20  of  FIG. 1 . The container cap  20   m  in  FIG. 19  can be the same as the container cap  20  in  FIG. 1 , except that a third connector  25   m  is provided in a side of the container body  22   m.  The connectors  24   m  and  26   m  can be the same as the connectors  24  and  26 , respectively, and the cap  40   m  and flap  42   m  can be the same the cap  40  and flap  42 , respectively. The provision of the third connector  25   m  allows the user with the option to add an additional material to the material mix inside the container portion  22   m.  Specifically, a separate container portion  23   m  containing the separate material can be provided, has a connector  27   m  that can be removably connected to the connector  25   m  to allow the material from the container portion  23   m  to mix with the material in the container portion  22   m.    
         [0050]      FIG. 20  illustrates a container cap  20   n  that can be same as the container cap  20   m  shown in  FIG. 19 , so the same elements are provided with the same numeral designations except that an “n” is used in  FIG. 20  instead of an “m”. In the container cap  20   n,  a fourth connector  29   n  is provided in a side wall of the container portion  22   n,  and can be used to introduce yet another different material (as described below in connection with  FIG. 19  for the connector  25   m ), or it can be used to receive a straw  31   n  or other drinking mechanism so that the user can actually secure the cap  40   n  to the top connector  26   n,  and drink through the fourth connector  29   n.    
         [0051]    While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.