Abstract:
A drink container has a liquid-tight film pouch which is collapsible into a substantially flat condition. Drink ingredients in a solid or condensed liquid state can be stored in or added to the pouch through an opening in an upper portion of the pouch. A cover with a liquid tight seal closes the opening. A dispense opening with a straw may be provided, or the beverage can be dispensed through the fill opening. The openings, straws and cover are located and contoured to conform with the desired substantially flat storage condition.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to containers for beverages and more particularly concerns disposable containers for storing and mixing drink ingredients with water or other liquids and for dispensing the mixed beverage to the consumer.  
         [0002]     There are a variety of known disposable containers for carrying beverages in liquid form for consumption directly from the container. Some use straws, stored either inside or outside the container. There are also collapsible containers for carrying ingredients in a solid or concentrated liquid to be mixed with water or other liquids at the time of consumption. There are several problems and inconveniences inherent in the configuration of these known disposable and collapsible containers.  
         [0003]     The disposable containers store the beverage in a liquid, ready-to-drink state. Consequently, the container takes on the full weight and volume of the ready-to-drink beverage whether or not the consumer is ready to drink. This weight and volume may not pose a significant disadvantage if only one container is being transported but, for example, to a hiker or soldier on an extended trip with no source of flavored or fortified drinks along the way, the weight and volume of multiple containers becomes a burden. Furthermore, known disposable containers generally cannot be resealed and have no suitable access for adding liquid.  
         [0004]     Those disposable containers which require straws do not have straw-to-container accesses which satisfactorily minimize leakage during use. Those which do not require straws have drink dispensing ports which are not satisfactory in terms of spillage of beverage during drinking or which would make satisfactory collapse of the container difficult if not impossible.  
         [0005]     The collapsible containers for drink ingredients are generally intended for repeated use and are not intended to be disposable after a single use. While they are collapsible to some extent, they do not collapse sufficiently to make it feasible to carry many of them at the same time. Since they are reusable, they are generally made of too expensive and heavy materials and of too complex structural configuration for one-time-only use.  
         [0006]     It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which collapses to a substantially flat condition. Another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which stores beverage ingredients in a solid or condensed liquid state. Still another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container into which the consumer can add water or other liquids at the time of consumption. It is also an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container in which stored ingredients can be mixed with water or other liquids at the time of consumption. A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container from which the consumer can drink directly without a straw. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which includes a straw. Another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which has a leakage resistant straw-to-container access. Still another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which has a spillage resistant filling port. It is also an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which has a filling port which can be resealed. A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container with a straw that can be closed. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which is simply and inexpensively constructed. And it is an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which may be resealable for future use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In accordance with the invention, a drink has a liquid-tight film pouch which is collapsible into a substantially flat condition. Drink ingredients in a solid or condensed liquid state can be stored in or added to the pouch through an opening in an upper portion of the pouch. A cover with a liquid tight seal closes the opening. The opening is located and the cover contoured to conform with the desired substantially flat storage condition.  
         [0008]     Preferably, the pouch has opposed front and rear panels sealed together along their side edges and top and bottom panels with their perimeters sealed to the top and bottom perimeters of the front and rear panels. The top and bottom panels are foldable across their widths into the substantially flat condition and are preferably elliptical so the pouch assumes a substantially ovate horizontal cross-section condition as it is filled with liquid. In preferred embodiments, the fill opening may be approximately centered on and have a perimeter on one side of the major axis of the elliptical top panel or may be spaced away from the minor axis with its perimeter on one side of the major axis of the elliptical top panel.  
         [0009]     The fill opening has a resealable cover Which may be a plug insertable into the opening. In one embodiment, the plug and the opening have co-operable means on peripheral edges thereof for resisting inadvertent removal of the plug from the opening. For example, the cover may have a flat, thin, substantially rigid collar fixed around a perimeter of the opening and be hinged to a flat, thin, substantially rigid plug insertable into the collar. Alternatively, the fill opening can be covered with an adhesive strip. The pouch may also have a dispense opening in its top panel, preferably with its perimeter on one side of the major axis of the top panel. The dispense opening may have a straw extending through it. Preferably, the straw has a first tubular member with a closed bottom end and at least one aperture through a lower portion of its side wall and a second tubular member longer than and in reciprocally slidable abutment within the first tubular member. The second tubular member slides between a closed condition with an open bottom end of the second tubular member seated on the closed bottom end of the first tubular member and an open condition with the open bottom end of the second tubular member above an uppermost of the second tubular member apertures. Preferably, the tubular members have means on their abutting surfaces for sealing the annulus between them against flow of liquid into the bottom of the second tubular member when the bottom of the second tubular member is seated on the bottom of the first tubular member. The sealing means may, for example, be a mating annular ring and groove on the tubular members in the annulus below the lowermost aperture of the first tubular member or a conical protrusion in the bottom of the first tubular member for seating the open bottom of the second tubular in the closed condition. The straw may also include means on abutting surfaces of the tubular members for sealing the annulus against upward flow of liquid to a top of the first tubular member. This may also be accomplished by one or more sets of mating annular rings and grooves.  
         [0010]     A cap may be used to close the open upper end of the second tubular member against upward flow of liquid. If so, it is preferred that the cap is attached to the pouch by a flexible connector so that the cap can be mounted on and removed from the upper end of the second tubular member. Means is also provided for locking the tubular members in the closed condition, such as mating male and female threads on abutting surfaces of the tubular members.  
         [0011]     Whether the container has separate fill and dispense openings, has a common fill and dispense opening, or uses or does not use a straw, it will store the mixing ingredients in substantially flat packages which are easily stacked on each other for transport.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the container with a straw;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the container of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the container of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a flip-cap fill opening cover of the container of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of another embodiment of the container with an adhesive strip fill opening cover;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a typical straw for use with various embodiments of the container;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the container without a straw;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the container with a straw;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the inner tubular member of the straw of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the fill hole insert of the container of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the outer tubular member and screw cap of the container of  FIG. 8 ; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a conical seal embodiment of the straw. 
     
    
       [0025]     While the invention will be described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments or to the details of the construction or arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]     Turning to  FIGS. 1-3 , a disposable container  10  for mixing and drinking liquids made by dissolving powdered ingredients or drink mixing ingredients in other than powdered form in water or other liquid is formed from a liquid-tight film pouch  11  which is collapsible into a substantially flat condition. The powdered drink ingredients, or drink mixing ingredients in other than powdered form, may be packaged in the pouch  11  or added to the pouch at the time of mixing. As seen in  FIG. 3 , the pouch  11  has a fill opening  13  in its upper portion and a means for closing  15  the fill opening with a liquid tight seal. The fill opening  13  provides access to the pouch  11  for introduction of the ingredients and liquid into the pouch  11  for mixing and may also be used for dispensing the mixed drink from the pouch  11 . The location of the fill opening  13  and the contour of the closing means  15  are coordinated for conformance of the closing means  15  with the desired substantially flat condition of the pouch  11  in its storage condition.  
         [0027]     Continuing to look at  FIGS. 1-3 , the pouch  11  has opposed front and rear panels  21  and  23  which are sealed together along their side edges  25  and  27  and top and bottom panels  31  and  33  which are sealed along their perimeters to the top and bottom perimeters  35  and  37  of the front and rear panels  21  and  23 . As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the top and bottom panels  31  and  33  fold across their widths into the substantially flat condition. As seen in  FIG. 3 , the fill opening  13  is in the top panel  31 . The sealed top and bottom perimeters  35  and  37  of the pouch  11  are, as shown, preferably elliptical and fold along their major axes  29  and  39  so that the flat pouch  11  assumes a substantially ovate horizontal cross-section condition as it is being filled with liquid. As shown, the perimeter of the fill opening  13  is entirely on one side of the major axis  29  of the ovate cross-section. The fill opening  13  may, as seen in  FIG. 3 , be spaced from or, as seen in  FIG. 5 , be centered on, the minor axis  41  of the top panel  31 .  
         [0028]     As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a flip-cap closing means  43  for the fill opening  13  has a pair of flat, thin rigid panels  45  and  47  connected by a hinge  49 . One of the panels  45  has a plug  51  with a peripheral groove  53  and the other panel  47  has an opening  55  defining a collar  57  for co-operable engagement in the groove  53  of the plug  51  to resist inadvertent removal of the plug  51  from the fill opening  13 . The collar  57  is dimensioned to concur with the fill opening  13  and the collar panel  47  is fixed to the pouch top panel  31  with the fill opening  13  and collar  57  aligned. The collar panel  47  also has a latch  59  which engages the unhinged end  61  of the plug panel  45  when the collar  57  and the perimeter of the fill opening  13  are engaged in the plug groove  53 . The rigidity of the panels  45  and  47  facilitates manipulation of the flip-cap closure  43  and firm engagement of the plug  51  and latch  59 . The location and substantially flat contour of the plug  51  permit conformance of the plug  51  to the substantially flat storage condition of the pouch  11  in both the plug-inserted condition and the plug-removed condition.  
         [0029]     Looking at  FIG. 5 , the fill opening  13  may alternatively be covered by a flap  62  with a pull tab  63  having a base  65  permanently fixed to the container top panel  31 . The base  65  has an opening aligned with the fill hole  13 . The flap  62  initially closes the fill hole  13  by use of an outer adhesive seal  67 . Once opened, a peel-off flap  68  can be removed to expose an inner adhesive seal  69  under the flap  68  used to close the opened fill hole  13 . As shown, the fill opening  13  is disposed with its perimeter on one side of the major axis  29  of the pouch top panel  31  and centered on the minor axis  41  of the top panel  31 .  
         [0030]     As seen in  FIGS. 3, 5  and  7 , the same opening  13  can be used without a straw for both filling and dispensing and, for drinking without a straw, the top panel  31  may preferably be configured to provide a taper  71  to an opening-below the minor axis  41  of the top panel  31 . This facilitates manipulation of the pouch  11  during drinking and filling to an efficient flow configuration.  
         [0031]     Returning to  FIG. 3 , another opening  73  may be provided in the pouch  11 , as shown proximate one end of the top panel  31  with its perimeter on the major axis  29  of the panel  31 , for dispensing the mixed drink from the pouch  11 ; Looking at  FIG. 1 , a straw  81  extends through the dispense opening  73  to proximate the bottom panel  33  of the pouch  11 . The straw  81 , best seen in  FIGS. 6 and 8 - 11 , has an outer tubular member  83  with an open upper end  85  and a closed bottom end  87 . At least one aperture  89  through the lower portion of the side wall of the outer tubular member  83  admits liquid from the pouch  11  into the outer tubular member  83 . The straw  81  also has an inner tubular member  91  longer than the outer tubular member  83 . The inner member  91  slides reciprocally in abutment within the outer tubular member  83  between a closed condition in which the open bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91  is seated on the closed bottom  87  of the first tubular member  83  and an open condition in which the open bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91  is positioned above the uppermost aperture  89  in the outer tubular member  83 . In the closed condition, liquid cannot freely pass through the apertures  89  in the outer tubular member  83  into the annulus  95  between the tubular members  83  and  91  or into the bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91  from the annulus  95 . The resulting labyrinth effectively blocks flow of liquid into the inner tubular member  91 . In the open condition, liquid passes freely through every aperture  89  in the outer tubular member  83  and into the bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91 . Between the open and closed conditions, liquid flows through exposed portions of the apertures  89  in the outer tubular member  83  into the bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91 . To further assure a seal of the annulus  95 , means such as sets of mating annular rings and grooves  97  can be positioned on the abutting surfaces of the tubular members  83  and  91 . In the closed condition, at least one annular ring and groove set  97 , located below the lowermost aperture  89  in the outer tubular member  83 , mate at the same time that the bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91  seats on the bottom  87  of the outer tubular member  83 . In the open condition, at least one mating annular ring and groove set  97  is located above the uppermost aperture  89  in the outer tubular member  83 . Seal of the annulus  95  may be accomplished in other ways such as, for example as seen in  FIG. 12 , a conical protrusion  101  in the bottom  87  of the outer tubular member  83  can seat the open bottom  93  of the inner tubular member  91  in the closed condition. The open upper end  99  of the inner tubular member  91  can also be provided with a cap  103  to block-upward flow of liquid-through the inner tubular member  91 . The cap  103  can be attached by a flexible connector  105  to a mounting ring  107  on the straw  81 , as seen in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , or to the pouch  11 , so that the upper end  99  of the inner tubular member  91  can be opened and closed as needed.  
         [0032]     Going back to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the junction of the perimeter of the dispense opening  73  with the perimeter of the outer tubular member  83  of the straw  81  preferably has a liquid flow preventing seal  109 , perhaps accomplished by heat welding. Alternatively, as seen in  FIGS. 8-11 , an insert  111  with a threaded neck  113  aligned with the fill opening  13  of any embodiment and a base  115  fixed to the pouch  11  can be covered with a screw cap  117 . Such a closure can be used to cover either the fill or dispense openings  13  or  73 . In a straw type embodiment of the container  10 , either the screw cap  117  is provided with an opening  119  which snugly girts the outer tubular member  83  of the straw  81  or the screw cap  117  is integrally molded with the outer tubular member  83  of the straw  81 . The structure and operation of the tubular members  83  and  91  is otherwise substantially as hereinbefore described. The open upper end  99  of the inner tubular member  91  can also be covered with its own cap  103 , also as hereinbefore described.  
         [0033]     The tubular members  83  and  91  may also be locked in the closed condition, for example and as shown in  FIG. 6 , by use of mating male and female threads  121  and  123  on abutting surfaces of the tubular members  83  and  91  so that, in the closed condition, the inner tubular member  91  can be rotated into a sealed threaded engagement with the outer tubular member  83 .  
         [0034]     The locations of openings  13  and  73 , the use of a straw  81  and the types of opening covers  43  and  63  illustrated herein are interchangeable to achieve a variety of containers in keeping with the invention. The thickness, location and orientation of the straw  81  and the various covers  43  and  63  and caps  103  and  117  described above allow the container to maintain its desired substantially flat storage condition. In the screw cap straw embodiment of  FIG. 8 , it may be desirable to remove the tubular members  83  and  91  from the cap  117  for storage so that the base  115  of the insert  111  will follow the fold  29  of the top panel  31  of the pouch  11  into the storage condition.  
         [0035]     Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a disposable collapsible powdered drink mixing container that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit of the appended claims.