Abstract:
A mixing container wherein two or more chamber members each contain a material to be mixed. A first chamber member has a threaded port. A second chamber member has a threaded neck which is threadedly receivable in the port to threadedly connect the chamber members. The neck has a terminal opening. A sealing member covers the opening. The first chamber member has a frangible portion which sealingly closes an inner end of the port and which is broken is as the neck bears there against as the neck is threadedly received in the port. A blade on the first chamber member punctures the neck sealing member as the neck sealing member bears against the blade as the neck is threadedly received in the port. This allows the materials in the chamber members to flow between the chamber members to be mixed. The container may also have an opening for dispensing the substance mixed therein.

Description:
The present invention relates generally to bottles or containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a container which allows ingredients to be mixed to form a product, which is then dispensed from the container or otherwise suitably used. For example, such a container may be used to allow a customer to mix ingredients such as peroxide/activator and dye to form a hair coloring and then dispense the hair coloring through an opening in the container. 
   An example of a current container system for mixing and dispensing hair coloring is one which contains in two bottles the dye and peroxide/activator respectively. To use, a customer opens both bottles and pours the dye from one bottle into the bottle containing the peroxide/activator. He or she then recaps the peroxide bottle, shakes it to mix the ingredients, then pours the mixed hair coloring onto his or her hair. 
   It is considered desirable to keep the hair coloring components separate until time of use but which require no assembly by the consumer. There have been many attempts to provide such a container. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,641 discloses a cartridge which includes two end-to-end cylindrical housings the end of one having a membrane over a reduced diameter outlet at the inward end of the outlet, and the end of the other housing having a hollow needle which is received in the outlet to puncture the membrane and allow communication of liquids between the housings when they are slid relatively toward each other. A seal is fitted in an outer peripheral zone between the housings to prevent the housings from closing on each other, whereby the membrane cannot be broken by such sliding movement until after the seal is removed. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,726 discloses a mixing and dispensing container (which may be used for hair colorants) in which a can unit, which includes a bottle-receiving threaded collar, is filled with contents and sealed by use of a frangible plug, which has a score line. The bottle is screwed or locked in a fixed position in the collar to seal the bottle, and the contents of the can and bottle are separated from each other by the plug. Upon further rotation of the bottle relative to the can, a neck extension or nose on the bottle pushes a knock-out portion of the plug into the can, allowing mixing of the contents of the can and bottle. The mixed contents may then be dispensed through an opening in the bottle. A sealing tape covers portions of the can seam and bottle neck to display a twisted or fractured appearance to a consumer if the can and bottle have been rotated with respect to each other after packaging thereof. Both the can and bottle may be made from plastic. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,946. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,034 discloses a distributing device for liquid preparation which is composed of a receptacle and reservoir each containing a liquid and joined by a bellows. The bellows has arranged within it two impervious membranes which separate the liquids and which is separated by a perforation device which is perpendicular to the membranes and has two sharpened extremities to puncture the membranes to allow mixing of the liquids when pressure is exerted on the bellows. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,366 discloses packaging comprising a container and cap each containing a product to be mixed with the other at the time of use and separated from each other by two diaphragms fixed to the cap, which has a stopper. In order to provide communication between and mix the contents, the stopper is removed and replaced with a perforator cap, which has a cutter blade. When the perforator is positioned on the cap, the blade slashes the diaphragms to allow mixing of the products. The mixed product may then be released through a nozzle in the perforator cap. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,445 discloses a dual container system to effect intermixing of the contents of two containers by external manipulation after the containers are joined by means of threads. Ratchet teeth are provided to allow relative rotational movement in one direction of rotation only during which the ratchet teeth of one peripheral surface slide over the ratchet teeth of the other. 
   Additional examples of mixing and dispensing containers may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,347,410; 3,349,966; 3,548,562; 3,610,586; 4,177,938; 4,244,467; 4,638,927; 4,682,689; 4,785,931; 5,152,965; 5,277,303; 5,647,481; 5,884,759 (reissued as Re38,067); 6,068,396; 6,073,803; 6,135,275 and U.S. patent application publication 2002/0104766. 
   The above mixing and dispensing containers are either complex or difficult to manufacture, difficult for the customer to use, expensive to manufacture, or are otherwise less than desirable. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mixing container which is assembled at the place of manufacture so that it has the appearance to the consumer of a single bottle. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a container which is simple and foolproof to manipulate in accordance with easy to understand instructions for mixing the ingredients. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a container which may be made cost effectively on standard plastic molding machinery. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide such a container which provides a positive indication that the container ingredients have been activated. 
   In order to provide such a container, in accordance with the present invention, the container has two (or more) chamber members each of which has a frangible seal. The chamber members are provided to the customer in position for threadedly connecting thereof. The chamber members are threadedly connected, by twisting one relative to the other by the customer, with the seals thereof in position relative to each other so that materials may flow between the chamber members for mixing when the seals are broken. As the chamber members are threadedly connected, the seals are broken to allow passage of the ingredients between the chamber members. The customer may then mix the ingredients by shaking the container. After mixing, the product may then be dispensed by the customer through an opening in one of the chamber members or otherwise suitably used. 
   The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein the same reference numerals depict the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a container which embodies the present invention, illustrated in condition for sale to a customer. 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional exploded view of a pair of chambers for the container. 
       FIG. 3  is a partial exploded enlarged view, partly elevational and partly sectional, illustrating the interface between the chambers. 
       FIG. 4  is a detail view of threads for the chambers. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial schematic view illustrating the chambers in position for sale of the container, inactivated, to customers. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial view similar to that of  FIG. 5  illustrating the container after activation thereof. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are schematic illustrations of alternative embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the container taken along lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 3 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6  and  9 , there is shown generally at  10  a container in the form or appearance of a bottle having a pair of upper and lower chamber members  12  and  14  each containing a liquid (or other suitable material), illustrated at  16  and  18  respectively, to be mixed and the resultant mixture dispensed through outlet  20  in the upper end of upper chamber member  12 . For example, the liquids  16  and  18  may be peroxide/activator and dye respectively which, when mixed, form a hair coloring to be dispensed (poured or accessed) through opening  20  onto a customer&#39;s hair. The outlet  20  is conventionally in the form of a neck  22  having external threads, illustrated at  24 , which threadedly receive an internally threaded screw cap  26 , which is desirably of a construction which allows it to be applied inexpensively by standard capping machinery, for closing thereof. However, the outlet  20  may be closed by any other suitable closure, such as, but not limited to, a plug, snap cap, membrane, or metal lid. 
   In accordance with the present invention, it is not required that the mixture be dispensed from the container. Thus, there are applications of the present invention which do not require dispensing, for example, heating or cooling packs or light sticks. 
   The chamber members  12  and  14  are shown to each be cylindrical with a cylindrical vertical wall  28  and  30  respectively, a generally flat upper roof or ceiling portion  32  and  34  respectively, and a generally flat lower floor  36  and  38  respectively, the wall extending vertically between the respective roof and floor. The vertical wall  30  is desirably normal to the upper chamber roof  32  and the lower chamber floor  38 , which are accordingly horizontal. The diameters of the walls  28  and  30  are desirably equal so as to provide the pleasing bottle appearance shown in  FIG. 1  when the chamber members  12  and  14  are connected as discussed hereinafter. However, the chambers  12  and  14  may be of any other suitable size and shape. 
   The chamber members  12  and  14  may desirably be composed of molded plastic material which allows them to be cost effectively manufactured on standard plastic molding machinery, and the bottle  10  may be filled and assembled cost effectively, as discussed hereinafter, on generally standard packaging machinery. The small number of bottle parts also helps to keep the manufacturing cost low. The chambers  12  and  14  may however be fabricated from any other suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, glass, composite materials such as carbon fiber, or flexible materials such as flexible bags. 
   The lower chamber  14  has a cylindrical neck or spout or nozzle  42  which extends from its roof  34  and which is receivable in a cylindrical port or recess  40  in the upper chamber floor  36 . It should however be understood that, alternatively, the neck may be on the upper chamber  12  while the port may be in the lower chamber  14 . The port  40  is shown recessed into the upper chamber  12 . However, in the event that drainage of the upper chamber  36  into the lower chamber  14  is desired or if otherwise desired, the port  40  may be located externally. The diameters of the neck  42  and the port  40  are substantially equal (the neck diameter being slightly less than the port diameter) to afford a desirably generally tight or snug slip or press or friction fit therebetween which allows the chambers  14  and  16  to be held together prior to connecting the chambers as discussed hereinafter with respect to  FIG. 6  but which allows manipulation of the chambers for such connection. 
   A thread, illustrated at  44 , is molded or otherwise suitably provided on the port  40 , and a mating thread, illustrated at  46 , is molded or otherwise suitably provided on the neck  42  for threadedly connecting the chamber members  12  and  14 , as seen in  FIG. 6 . 
   The inner end of the port  40  is sealingly closed by a frangible wall  48 , i.e., the wall  48  has a frangible or breakaway disc  52  defined by a score line, illustrated at  50  in  FIG. 9 , or formed by other suitable means such as angling. The score line  50  does not extend entirely around the disc  52  thereby leaving a hinge portion, illustrated at  54 , so that the disc can remain attached, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , to prevent it from floating free in the chamber  12 . The breakaway may be otherwise suitably constructed. For example, the score line may be extended entirely around the disc when it is desirable to break the disc completely loose from the port. The breakaway disc  52  is slanted slightly relative to the cylindrical wall  56  of the port  40  so that the wall  56  is desirably lowest or shortest at the point, illustrated at  58 , opposite the hinge portion  54  thereby allowing initial contact with the disc  52  at the point  58  opposite the hinge portion  54  for effective breaking and lifting of the disc  52 . 
   The neck  42  is molded to have an open terminal end, which is thereafter covered, to keep the chamber  14  sealed until the time of activation, by a sealing but easily pierceable frangible membrane  60  such as, for example, plastic or aluminum foil. The membrane  60  is suitably attached to the neck  42  such as by an adhesive. A pointed member or knife or blade  62  is molded into the outer surface of the breakaway member  52  for piercing the seal  60  to allow the release of the fluid  18  from chamber  14  as the neck  42  is screwed into contact with the blade  62 . If desired, the blade  62  may be a separate member suitably attached to the disc  52 . The blade  62  is shown as a pointed member located at the position  50 , but it may be otherwise suitably positioned and shaped, for example, it may extend a substantial distance around the circumstance of the breakaway disc  52  to provide more effective tearing away of the membrane  60 . 
   A bead ring  64  is molded around the outer surface of the port cylindrical wall  56  to seal the connection of the chambers  12  and  14  to prevent leakage. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a plurality of ratchet members  66  are molded into the thread  44 , and a plurality of mating ratchet members  68  are molded into the thread  46 . Altrnatively, the ratchet members  66  and  68  may be molded onto the port  40  and neck  42  respectively. The ratchet members  66  interlock with the ratchet members  68  to enforce one-way movement and thus to resist unscrewing or prevent unintentional unscrewing of the threaded connection. Thus, as the thread  46  is screwed relative to thread  44 , the slanted engaging surfaces  70  and  72  thereof respectively allow the screwing to occur. However, the substantially squared surfaces  74  and  76  respectively thereof, which engage during attempted unscrewing, are provided to prevent unscrewing of the connection. Alternatively, the port lug or thread  44  may be suitably provided with a detent so that, when rotation is complete, the neck lug or thread  46  will snap into or beyond the detent to prevent accidental disassembly as well as to provide an indication that the chamber members have been completely screwed together. 
   The chamber wall  28  extends below the port wall  56  a distance equal substantially to the height of the neck  42  so that the bottle  10  may be sold and kept prior to activation with substantially no space between the chamber cylindrical walls  28  and  30 , as seen in  FIG. 5 . The chamber  12  has a collapsible dished bottom wall  78  extending between the bottoms of the cylindrical port and chamber walls  56  and  28  respectively, i.e., the bottom wall  78  extends at an angle between the port and chamber walls  56  and  28  respectively which gives it the appearance of a dish and is adapted to be collapsible into a generally flat configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The dished wall  78  is desirably corrugated, as illustrated by corrugations  80 , to provide such collapsibility and thus aid in pulldown when activating, as seen in  FIG. 6 . If desired, the bottoms of the chamber walls  56  and  28  may be in alignment horizontally, and the wall  78  (which need not then be collapsible or require pulldown) may accordingly be flat to provide a gap between the chambers prior to activation as a visual indication of integrity, i.e., that the bottle has not been activated. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , there is shown the bottle  10  inactivated and packaged for sale. The two chamber members  12  and  14  may be filled and closed on conventional filling lines. At the end of the line the chamber member  14  will be mounted to the chamber member  12 . The neck  42  of the lower chamber  14  is press or friction fit into the port  40  of the upper chamber  12  so that the neck thread  46  abuts the port thread  44 , the upper end of the neck  42  is within the sealing bead  64 , the upper end of the lower chamber cylindrical wall  30  engages the lower end of the upper chamber cylindrical wall  28  so that there is no gap therebetween, and the foil membrane  60  is just out of engagement with the blade  62 . The threads are located in accordance with principles commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains to prevent the blade  62  from engaging the membrane  60  prior to the act of screwing the neck  42  into the port  40 . The slip fit is provided to hold the chamber members  12  and  14  together temporarily until label  82  is applied, as hereinafter discussed, to securely hold them together until the time of activation. The thusly assembled container  10  is shipped and ultimately sold to the end user with the fluids  16  and  18  remaining segregated and unmixed. 
   The container  10  may, if desired, be provided with a skirt to allow the container  10  to be free-standing. The skirt may be molded into the container  10  or may be a separate piece attached thereto. 
   When the chambers  12  and  14  are assembled (with the container  10  inactivated) at the time of manufacture, the chamber  12  should normally provide protection against accidental puncture of the membrane  60 . In some cases such as for medical infusion products, it may be desirable to distribute the two chambers  12  and  14  separately. The thusly exposed membrane  60  may then be exposed to accidental puncture. In order to protect the exposed membrane  60 , an overcap of plastic or other suitable material may be provided on the neck  42  to protectively cover the membrane  60 . The neck  42  may be provided with threads or a lip to permit screwing or snapping of the overcap, which would be removed by the end user prior to assembly of the chambers  12  and  14 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the bottle  10  is easily and quickly activated by a customer by twisting the lower chamber  14  relative to the upper chamber  12  to screw the neck  42  further into the port  40 , as seen by the neck thread  46  being to the inside of the port thread  44  in  FIG. 6 . During this movement, the corrugated wall  78  is pulled down to the position shown in  FIG. 6 . This movement causes the foil membrane  60  to engage the blade  62  and thus become torn thereby allowing release of the fluid  18  from the lower chamber  14 . This movement also causes the neck  42  to ram into the breakaway portion  52  initially near point  58  to break the portion  52  along score line  50  causing the breakaway portion  52  to swing upwardly thereby allowing release of the fluid  16  from the upper chamber  12 . As seen in  FIG. 6 , the mere twisting of the lower chamber  14  relative to the upper chamber  12  thus effects the opening of the chambers to each other to easily and quickly allow the intermixing of the fluids  16  and  18  by the customer shaking the activated bottle  10 , which mixture can then be poured through upper opening  20 . The mating ratchet portions  66  and  68  on the threads  44  and  46  resist loosening or disconnection of the connection, and the seal  46  acts to prevent escape of the mixture from the bottle  10  except through opening  20 . 
   After the bottle  10  is assembled as shown in  FIG. 5 , a label  82  is suitably placed about the bottle  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , so that it is attached to both the lower and upper chambers  12  and  14  respectively to aid in holding the chambers  12  and  14  in the desired unactivated position during shipment and handling to thereby prevent accidental activation as well as to prevent separation of the chambers  12  and  14 . The label  82  also serves as an indicator or evidence of whether the bottle  10  has been activated, i.e., if the label  80  is torn or broken, it indicates that the lower chamber  14  has been twisted relative to the upper chamber  12  and that the bottle  10  may have been activated. The label is preferably scored or perforated, as illustrated at  84 , along the intersection or junction of the chambers  12  and  14  to allow the tearing of the label  80  along the score line  84  (the offset upper and lower portions of the label  82  serving as an activation indicator) to facilitate activation and for a more pleasing activated bottle appearance. Arrows may be included on the parts of the label  80  on opposite sides of the score line  84  (or junction between chambers) which align when activated as a further indicator that the container  10  has become activated. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is illustrated generally at  100  a container, activated, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The container  100  includes a lower chamber member  102  having an opening  104  for dispensing therefrom a mixture mixed in the container  100 . The opening  104  may have a screw-style or other suitable closure  106 . The container  100  also has a plurality (two shown) of ports  108 , which may be similar to port  40 , which receive the necks  110 , which may be similar to necks  42 , of upper chamber members  112 . Thus, container  100  with a chamber member  102  having multiple ports  108  (located on the top, side, and/or top of the member  102 ) is provided to mix any number of liquids or other substances for dispensing of the mixed product out the opening  104 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , there is illustrated generally at  120  a combination of a disposable plastic cereal bowl  122  and a disposable plastic chamber or bottle  138  containing milk, illustrated at  140 , in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The milk may be UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk to thus eliminate the need for refrigerated storage. The bowl  122  has a bottom wall  124  and a circular side wall  126  extending upwardly therefrom to an upper opening, illustrated at  128 . The bowl  122  may be otherwise suitably shaped such as with 4 side walls instead of the circular wall. The bowl  122  may alternatively have a spout so the cereal can be slurped from the bowl thus eliminating the need for a spoon and perhaps also a wrapper (i.e., less packaging components so that the product may be less expensive) and allows one-handed use, facilitating eating on-the-go. The bowl  122  contains cereal, illustrated at  130 , and its upper opening  128  is covered with foil, illustrated at  132 , or other suitable protective membrane or sheet. The bowl  122  has in its side wall  126  a port  134 , which may be similar to port  40 , which receives the neck  136 , which may be similar to neck  42 , of chamber member  138 . This allows milk to be mixed with cereal and eaten while on-the-go by commuters, travelers, and students easily and quickly, without fear of spilling, by twisting the chamber member  138  to activate the container  120  and turning the container  120  on its side to allow the milk  140  to be mixed with the cereal  130 , then removing the foil  132 , then eating. The milk bottle  138  may remain in place to act as a handle for ease in handling. Soups, stews, and the like may similarly be provided for eating on-the-go, perhaps adapting technologies such as used for military rations. 
   In addition to hair coloring and breakfast cereals, examples of other uses for such a container include, but are not limited to, products such as fiberglass wherein an activator is added to and mixed with a resin prior to use (perhaps with the incorporation of a brush, roller, or other applicator in the container so that the resin can be activated, mixed, and applied without the need to remove product from the container for application), medical pharmaceutical products such as dry products requiring reconstitution with water prior to use or infusion therapies such as wherein an active compound is added to an IV bag, paint color mixing wherein a neutral base is mixed with a color or tint, heating or cooling packs, and light sticks. 
   It should be understood that, while the present invention has been described in detail herein, the invention can be embodied otherwise without departing from the principles thereof. For example, the chamber members can be made in varied shapes and sizes and of varied materials. Such other embodiments are meant to come within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.