Abstract:
A fluid dispensing container is provided having a telescoping reservoir where compressing the reservoir drives fluid from the container and through a tube, where it empties into another reservoir. The other reservoir is moveable where the opening at the top of the tube can be moved relative to the bottom of the other reservoir. When the compression is removed, fluid is pulled back down through the tube and stops when the fluid level in the other reservoir reaches the top of the tube.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/891,646 filed Oct. 16, 2013, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a bottle which dispenses measured amounts of liquid from a container. Previous bottles have been provided which measure a specific amount of liquid, but all are difficult to use. As such, an improved bottle is needed which accurately measures out liquid at a user-selected volume. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure describes a bottle having an upper reservoir. The upper reservoir is graduated; the reservoir includes markings identifying fluid volumes which a user can “dial in” to select a volume which the bottle will dispense to the reservoir. A straw connects the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir, and allows fluid communication therebetween. The straw includes an overflow inlet, such that if more liquid than is desired is dispensed from the bottle to the reservoir, the excess liquid will pass through the overflow inlet back to the bottle. 
     One advantage of the bottle of the present disclosure is that it provides for easy clean-up and quick error and spill free measurement. Another advantage of the bottle of the present disclosure is that the bottle is refillable and reusable. These and other advantages will be apparent in light of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A preferred embodiment of this invention has been chosen wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric side view of the device; 
         FIG. 2  is a side section view of the device; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial view of the device in  FIG. 2  showing a large dispense setting; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial view of the device in  FIG. 2  showing a small dispense setting; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded isometric view of the device in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded section view of the device in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An adjustable metered dispensing system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The system  10  has a bottle  12  as a first reservoir. The bottle  12  is for storing a fluid to be dispensed. The bottle  12  has a bottom  16 , an outside diameter  14 , and a top portion. In the top portion, there is a vertical wall terminating in an opening  20 ,  FIG. 5 . On the vertical wall and adjacent to the opening  20  is a threaded portion  22 . At the top of the opening  20  is an upper sealing surface  26 . The bottle  12  is formed of a resilient material and can be translucent. It is formed of a material that can tolerate being compressed or squeezed without cracking or breaking. The bottle  12  is shaped to sit upright with the opening  20  facing up to receive, store, and transport fluid. 
     A dry sleeve  24  has an outside diameter  30  and an inside diameter  36 ,  FIG. 6 . At the top of the sleeve is a threaded portion  34  that is designed to mate with the threaded portion  22 . Adjacent to the threaded portion  34  is a sealing surface  44 . The sealing surface  44  is designed to mate with a sealing surface  46  of a gasket  28 . The gasket  28  is also designed to mate with the sealing surface  26 . A good seal is necessary between the sealing surface  44 , the gasket  28 , and the sealing surface  26  to prevent leakage. On the inside diameter  36  of dry sleeve  24  are inwardly protruding threads  32 . At the bottom  38  of dry sleeve  24  is an opening  40 . The dry sleeve  24  has a top surface  42  with holes. The dry sleeve  24  has a knurl  18  that is directly opposite the threaded portion  32  and adjacent to the top surface  42 . The dry sleeve  24  is a dry reservoir but does not have any direct contact with fluid on the inside diameter. The inwardly protruding threads  32  are a reverse thread. The opening  40  in the dry sleeve  24  is sized smaller than a tube  50 . 
     The tube  50   FIG. 6 , has a bottom  54  that is designed to pickup fluid. The tube  50  has a wall with an outside diameter  56  and an inside diameter  58 . The tube  50  includes a top  52 , where fluid can exit. Inserted in the tube  50  is a diverter  60 . The diverter  60  has a barb  62  that is designed to press-fit into the tube  50 . The outside diameter of the barb  62  is larger than the inside diameter  58  of the tube and seals to the tube  50  when inserted. The diverter  60  has an internal bore  64  that extends up through the central diameter and terminates in a cross bore  66 . The cross bore  66  is designed to redirect fluid that is traveling through the tube  50 . The opening  40  in the dry sleeve  24  is sized smaller than a tube  50 . 
     As installed, the diverter  60  is carried at the opening of the top  52  of the tube  50 . The diverter  60  is generally cylindrical, having an inlet  64  and cross bore  66 . The diverter  60  is defined by a wall which defines an internal passage. The internal passage is generally T-shaped, having an oppositely directed cross bore  66  formed at the upper end of the internal passage. The oppositely cross bore  66  each have a lower surface. The internal passage extends to the bottom inlet  64  of the diverter  60 . The diverter  60  is defined by two portions, a lower plug and an upper head. The lower plug preferably includes a series of annular barbs  62 , such that when the diverter  60  is inserted in the tube  50 , the barbs  62  serve to hold the diverter  60  in a seated position in the tube  50 . The internal passage of the diverter  60  is in fluid communication with the hollow pathway of the tube  50 . The cross bore  66  is directed perpendicularly to the height of the bottle, such that when liquid is forced from the bottle  12  to the dispensing reservoir  80 , the liquid does not spray up and out of the dispensing reservoir  80 , but instead is directed toward the inside diameter  78 , whereby the orientation of the cross bore  66  prevents spillage of the liquid when dispensed from the bottle  12 . It is contemplated that the diverter  60  is integral to the top of the tube  50 , where the tube is closed off and a hole is created through the wall of the tube from the inside diameter  58  to the outside diameter  56 . 
     A dispensing reservoir  80  has an outside wall with a groove  84 ,  FIG. 6  cut into the wall. In the upper portion is an outside thread  82  that is adapted to receive a cap  90 . The groove  84  is cut reverse thread with respect to the outside thread  82  and is sized to mate with the inwardly protruding threads  32  on the dry sleeve  24 . Adjacent to the outside thread is a top surface  68  that encircles an opening. Graduated lines  85 ,  FIGS. 1 and 5 , are marked on the outside diameter  98 . The outside diameter  98  is sized to fit inside the dry sleeve  24 , specifically adjacent to the inside diameter  36 . At the bottom of the reservoir is a flat surface  86  that intersects another smaller diameter  88 . At the bottom of the smaller diameter  88  is a ledge with an opening  96 . The smaller diameter  88 , ledge, and opening  96  are adapted to mate with a seal  70 . The seal  70  has an internal diameter  74 , a lead-in  76  and an outside diameter with a cut-in  72 . The seal  70  has a top surface  79  that is flush with the flat surface  86  when it is installed into the dispensing reservoir  80 . The lead-in  76  is tapered to allow the diverter  60  and tube  50  to pass through during assembly of the assembly. The internal diameter  74  is sized to allow the dispensing reservoir  80  and seal  70  to slide along the tube  50  as the dispensing reservoir  80  is rotated and moved relative to the dry sleeve  24 . The internal diameter  74  seals to the outside diameter  56  of the tube. The cut-in  72  seals to the opening  96  when it is assembled to the dispensing reservoir  80 . Additionally, the cut-in  72  provides retention for the seal  70  in the dispensing reservoir  80 . 
     A cap  90  is adapted to mate and seal to the dispensing reservoir  80 . The cap  90  has internal threads  92  that are complimentary to the outside thread  82  and has a sealing surface  94 . When the cap  90  is affixed to the dispensing reservoir  80 , the sealing surface  94  is abutted and sealed to the top surface  68 . It is contemplated that the cap  90  is a dispensing nozzle to precisely direct the metered fluid instead of simply pouring it from the dispensing reservoir  80 . To use a dispensing nozzle, the user would compress the bottle  12  while holding the can inverted. This would place the fluid in the bottle away from the bottom  54  of the tube, allowing air to move through the tube  50 , driving the fluid out of the dispensing reservoir  80 . The dispensing nozzle would thread on similarly to the cap  90 , but would have a fluid outlet port. It is further contemplated that the dispensing reservoir  80  would have an integral nozzle and the cap  90  would be fitted over the nozzle tip. The nozzle could be opened or closed with a removable nozzle cap or a be a twist-on/twist-off style. 
     The bottom of the openings to the flat surface  86  is a depth  102 ,  FIG. 3 . The depth  102  is adjustable based on the position of the dispensing reservoir  80  inside the dry sleeve  24 ,  FIG. 2 . The depth  102  and inside diameter  78 , minus the volume consumed by the portion of the tube  50  that is inside the dispensing reservoir  80 ,  FIG. 3 , define the potential volume of fluid that will be dispensed. As the dispensing reservoir  80  is moved vertically with respect to the tube  50  and the dry sleeve  24 , the amount to be dispensed is lessened because the depth  102  is reduced. The maximum amount of fluid to be dispensed will occur when the dispensing reservoir  80  is fully seated inside the dry sleeve  24 . 
     The top surface  42  is used for a reference mark for the graduated lines  85  on the dispensing reservoir  80 . The user first rotates the dispensing reservoir  80  (moving it vertically) in relation to the dry sleeve  24  to select the desired metered amount. Because the tube  50  is fixed with relation to the dry sleeve  24 , movement of the dispensing reservoir  80  changes the potential volume to be dispensed. The graduated line that lines up with the top surface  42  represents the amount of fluid that will be dispensed. The user then compresses the bottle  12  to drive the fluid through the tube and diverter. The seals prevent leakage, thereby driving all fluid up through the tube  50 . The fluid travels vertically and then is diverted through the diverter  60  where it begins to fill the dispensing reservoir  80 . The user will continue to compress the bottle  12  until the fluid reaches above the bottom  104 ,  FIG. 3 , of the cross bore  66 . At that point in time, the user can release the compression on the bottle  12 , thereby drawing any excess fluid back down through the diverter  60  and tube  50 . The fluid level  100 ,  FIG. 3 , will reduce down to the same level as the depth  102 . At that point in time, the user can simply pour the contents of the dispensing reservoir  80  and repeat the process as many times as desired. 
     It is understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. No specific limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the following claims.