Patent Publication Number: US-2022218153-A1

Title: Beverage blender system disinfection

Description:
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTS AND TRADE DRESS 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     This disclosure relates generally to portable blenders. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Different types of available stationary and portable blenders allow consumers to blend whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, milks and other ingredients to create nutrition smoothies. However, the process of buying and preparing these ingredients can be inconvenient and costly. Existing portable blenders still require bulky and messy ingredients to be purchased, carried, and prepared to blend a smoothie. A portable blender that can be used to conveniently make nutrition smoothies and other foods is desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the present application pertains to a blender system including a blender comprising a bottle having a chamber, and a lid configured to couple with the bottle, the lid defining a container receiver. A container provides a nutrient receptacle cup sized and shaped to receive contents with a closed end and having a receptacle opening opposite the closed end. The receptacle cup terminates in an inner lip surrounded by an outer lip at the receptacle opening and a cover is fixed to the outer lip across the receptacle opening to enclose the ingredients therein. The cover has at least one and preferably two flaps each coupled to the nutrient receptacle cup via a flap hinge and positioned in a closed position to cover a portion of the receptacle opening. The container receiver is configured to position the container such that coupling the lid to the bottle with the container in the container receiver causes the inner lip to advance toward the chamber relative to the outer lip so that the inner lip pushes the at least one flap to rotate on the flap hinge to an open position and discharge the contents into the chamber. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded cross-sectional side view of a container in an upright closed position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  in an upright closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the container of  FIG. 1  in an upright open position. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  in an upright open position. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  in an upright closed position with a seal. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a blender in an upright position. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the blender of  FIG. 6  in an upright position. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded cross-sectional view of the blender of  FIG. 6  and the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the blender of  FIG. 6  and the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart showing a method of using the blender of  FIG. 6  and the container of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     Throughout this description, elements appearing in figures are assigned three-digit reference designators, where the most significant digit is the figure number and the two least significant digits are specific to the element. An element that is not described in conjunction with a figure may be presumed to have the same characteristics and function as a previously-described element having a reference designator with the same least significant digits. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A portable blender that uses a container (e.g., pod) to easily and conveniently make a smoothly blended beverage or food (hereinafter referred to as a “smoothie”) is disclosed herein. The containers contain nutrients, such as powdered fruits and vegetables or other foods, and are convenient for a consumer to transport along with the blender. The container can be placed in the blender and its contents discharged into a blending chamber. The container contents can be blended with a pourable fluid, suspension or mixture, such as water, juice, milk, soy milk, or almond milk, to form a rich, nutrient-dense smoothie. A blending assembly in the blender properly blends the ingredients to eliminate clumps and achieve desired viscosity and aeration, providing a superior product to protein shaker bottles (i.e., bottles with the metal-wire whisk balls for agitation). Power is provided to the blending assembly via a battery. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an exploded cross-sectional side view of a container  100  in an upright closed position is shown.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container  100  of  FIG. 1  in an upright closed position,  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the container  100  of  FIG. 1  in an upright open position, and  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the container  100  of  FIG. 1  in an upright open position. The container  100  has a cup-shaped nutrient receptacle  101  with side walls and a bottom that can receive and hold nutrients. The container  100  is sized and shaped to provide a nutrient receptacle cup capable of receiving contents with a closed end  109  and having a receptacle opening  112  opposite the closed end. The cup-shaped nutrient receptacle  101  can have a truncated conical shape (as shown) with conical side walls and a flat bottom. Other suitable shapes can be cylindrical, cubical, or prismatic shapes with an opening at one end that can receive and hold nutrients. 
     An inner lip  106  is at a perimeter of the opening  112 . An outer lip  107  is positioned outside the inner lip  106  and coupled to the nutrient receptacle  101  at the inner lip  106  via a lip hinge  108 , such that a slot  111  is between the outer lip  107  and the inner lip  106 . The outer lip  107  may further include a ledge or widening of the outer lip  107  extending away from the opening  112  at an end of the outer lip  107  opposite the closed end  109 . 
     A separate cover  102  includes an apron  110  configured to fit in the slot  111 , e.g., via a snap-fit, press-fit, or friction-fit. The apron  110  may include a ridge  113  that is configured to complement a groove  114  on the outer lip  107  in the slot  111  to further fix the cover  102  to the outer lip  107 . Alternatively, the apron  110  may include a groove that is configured to complement a ridge on the outer lip  107  in the slot. 
     A rim  105  is at an edge of the apron  110  opposite the closed end  109 . Flaps  103  are broad flat projections that are coupled to the rim  105  via a flap hinge  104 , where the flap hinge  104  only extends along a portion of the flap  103 . The flaps  103  are positioned to cover the opening  112 , where each flap covers a portion of the opening  112 . Four flaps  103  are shown, but other suitable numbers of flaps that are shaped and positioned to cover the opening  112  can be used, such as two flaps, three flaps, five flaps, or six flaps. 
     To prepare the container  100  for consumer use, food ingredients (i.e., nutrients), such as fruits and vegetables, protein, vitamins and minerals, or supplements, are inserted into the nutrient receptacle  101  before the cover  102  is fixed into position. The ingredients may be or include one or more non-food items, such as acidity regulators, anticaking agents, antifoaming agents, antioxidants, bleaching agents, bulking agents, carbonating agents, carriers, colors and color agents, color retention agents, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, firming agents, flavor enhancers, flour treatment agents, foaming agents, gelling agents, glazing agents, humectants, packaging gasses, preservatives, propellants, raising agents, sequestrants, stabilizers, sweeteners, and thickeners. Ingredients may be whole, chopped or powdered, wet, moist or dry, active or inert. 
     Once the ingredients are loaded into the nutrient receptacle  101 , the cover  102  is positioned on the nutrient receptacle  101  so that the apron  110  slides into the slot  111  until the rim  105  is substantially flush with the outer lip  107  when the cover  102  is fixed to the nutrient receptacle  101 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this closed position, the flaps  103  cover the opening  112  and the nutrients are held in the closed container  100 . 
     The contents can be released from the closed container  100  for use and consumption. The flaps  103  are pushed open and away from the nutrient receptacle  101 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , by the inner lip  106  when the outer lip  107  and the rim  105  are pressed towards the closed end  109 . The lip hinge  108  allows the outer lip  107  to move or “collapse” with respect to inner lip  106 . The collapsing outer lip  107  pushes the rim  105  towards the closed end  109 . As the rim  105  moves towards the closed end  109 , the inner lip  106  presses the against the flaps  103 , which then rotate on their respective flap hinges  104  open and away from the nutrient receptacle  101 . With the flaps  103  open, the nutrient content can be discharged from the container  100  through the opening  112 . The container  100  should reliably discharge its contents without powder clinging, sticking or exploding. 
     Though a particular configuration of the container  100  has been described above, the container can have various other configurations. The container can have four flaps, two flaps, or other flap count variations. The container can have ribs for additional structural support. The flaps can be hingedly attached to the outer lip. The flaps can overlap or be coupled to each other with a membrane. The container can be constructed of only one piece or of multiple pieces. The container can include an inner knife mechanism, where pressure on the closed end of the nutrient receptacle causes the inner knife mechanism to push the flaps out or puncture a seal to allow the nutrient content to be discharged from the container. The closed end can be deformable from one configuration (e.g., convex) to another configuration (e.g., concave) to further aid in the discharging of the nutrient content. 
     The container can be formed of any suitable material, such as plastic, metal, compostable materials, waxed paperboard, bioplastic, etc. 
     The container  100  can also be sealed, which may prevent damage to the contents from humidity and contamination, lock in freshness (e.g., so that the contents do not clump or become hard) and otherwise secure and protect the contents.  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  in an upright closed position with a seal  150 . The seal  150  can be placed over the flaps and affixed to the outer lip  107 , e.g., via glue or heat sealing, to keep the nutrients from escaping between the flaps  103 , the flaps  103  clean, and moisture and other contaminants out. The seal can be paper, plastic, cellophane, and/or foil, or any other suitable material that is durable enough to provide protection and containment for the container  100 . The seal can also have a tab, ring, strip, or other graspable part that can facilitate removal of the seal by the consumer. A cover or lid (not shown) can also be used to lock in freshness and protect the seal  150 , or be used as a replacement for the seal, and can snap into place about the outer lip  107 . The consumer would first need to remove the seal  150  and/or cover to use the container  100 . 
     The container  100  can include identification information  151  to provide various information about the container and its contents, such as a unique identifier for a particular container, manufacture date, authenticity information, nutrient content, liquid temperature, and/or a blend profile/instructions. The identification information  151  can either be simply printed on the container  100  or on a label affixed to the container  100 . Alternatively, the identification information can be stored on the container  100  in the form of a near-field communication (NFC) tag, a printed memory tag, or a barcode. For example, an NFC tag can be affixed to the container  100 , such that an NFC reader and antenna, e.g., in the blender, can read the identification information from the container  100  when it is used to make a smoothie. In other examples, a barcode on the container can be read via a barcode reader or a camera in the blender. The identification information can be read when the container is inserted into the blender prior to implementing the blend cycle, during the blend cycle, and/or after the blend cycle. The blender can then use the identification information in a number of ways, including determining whether the container is authentic or counterfeit, and/or fresh or past an expiration date. For example, if the container  100  is expired or counterfeit, then the blender may not actuate the blending assembly. The blender can also implement the blend profile/instructions during blending. The identification information can be read so that it can be stored locally in the blender (e.g., in non-volatile memory) and then passed to cloud storage (i.e., accessible online) via a communication method such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) through a proxy device (e.g., a smart phone or tablet). 
     Identification information can be based on machine-generated Universally Unique Identifiers (“UUIDs”) (i.e., arbitrary alpha-numeric identifiers), or it can be based on well-defined encoding structures that contain one or multiple facts about the container  100 . The identification information can be encrypted (e.g., using Advanced Encryption Standard (“AES”)) so that decryption is required by the blender. The identification information may contain special characters or encoding structures that indicate that the container  100  is valid. The container may have a digital rights management (“DRM”) marking that uses a special ink that reflects a certain wavelength of light (e.g., in response to exposure to infrared light) that can be read to determine authenticity. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown a cross-sectional view of a blender  600  in an upright position.  FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the blender of  FIG. 6  in an upright position, and  FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional exploded view of the blender of  FIG. 6  and the container of  FIG. 1 . The blender  600  includes a bottle  620  and a lid  630 . The bottle has an exterior  621 , a blending chamber  622 , an outer wall  623 , a blending assembly  624  with at least one blade  625  driven by a motor  626 , an opening  627 , and a shoulder  628  and a bottle component  629  of a coupling mechanism about the opening  627 . The lid  630  has a container receiver  631 , a lid component  632  of the coupling mechanism about the container receiver  632 , a discharger  633 , and electronic devices  634 . 
     The blender  600  can also include a button  635  for controlling its operation. Though the button  635  is shown at the top of the lid  630  in  FIG. 6 , one or more buttons can be located in any suitable location that is accessible to a consumer, such as the bottom of the bottle  620  or the sides of either the bottle  620  or the lid  630 . The button  635  can also be positioned inside the bottle  620  or lid  630  such that it is actuated by closing of the lid. In one example, the button  635  can be actuated by mechanical depression of the button  635  (e.g., when the lid is rotated), which may or may not require the container  100  to be positioned in the blender  600 . In other examples, the blender  600  does not have a button, and the blender  600  is actuated electromechanically via a reed switch or hall sensor. 
     The exterior  621  of the bottle  620  and lid  630  can be formed of one or more of any suitable material that is durable and rigid, such as plastic, rubber, metal, a coated material, wood, foam, etc. The bottle  620  and the lid  630  can be formed of the same material or different materials. 
     The blending chamber  622  is in the interior of the bottle  620 . The blending chamber  622  is suitable for containing a fluid without leaking. The blending chamber  622  can be formed of any suitable material that is durable and rigid, such as metal, plastic, a coated material, glass, etc. The blending chamber includes the shoulder  628  at opening  627  to engage the container  100 . The opening  627  allows for fluids and nutrient content to be placed in the blending chamber  622 , and for the consumer to remove blended smoothie from the blending chamber  622 . The blending chamber  622  can be formed with a double wall construction, where the blending chamber  622  is within an outer wall  623 . Air or another insulative material can be positioned between the blending chamber  622  and the outer wall  623 , so that the double wall construction can provide an insulating effect to maintain a desired temperature of the fluid and smoothie. The blending chamber  622  can further include a fill line marker to indicate to a consumer how much fluid should be poured into the blending chamber  622 . 
     The blending assembly  624  is mounted in the blending chamber  622 . The blending assembly  624  is shown mounted at an end of the blending chamber  622  opposite the opening  627 . However, the blending assembly  624  can be mounted in any suitable position within the blending chamber  622  such that desirable blending of the nutrients and fluid is achieved. The blending assembly  624  can have any suitable number of blades  625 , such as one blade, two blades, three blades, four blades, etc., with any suitable shape such that desirable blending of the nutrients and fluid is achieved. The blades  625  can be formed of any suitable material that is rigid and durable, such as metal or plastic. The blending assembly  624  is driven by a motor  626 . The motor  626  can be any suitable motor that can achieve a torque and RPM such that desirable blending of the nutrients and fluid is achieved, such as brushed, brushless, 2-phase, 3-phase, with an internal controller board, or with no internal controller board. A motor controller (not shown) can be external to the motor or incorporated into the motor. 
     The blender  600  includes the bottle component  629  and lid component  632  of the coupling mechanism. The bottle component  629  and the lid component  632  together removably couple the bottle  620  and the lid  630 . For example, the components  629  and  632  can be complementary threads, a bayonet coupling, complementary slots and posts, or any other suitable type of coupling such that the lid  630  can be removably attached to the bottle  620 . For the complementary threads, the threads can be on an exterior surface of the lid  630  and an interior surface of the bottle  620 , or the threads can be on an interior surface of the lid  630  and an exterior surface of the bottle  620 . 
     The lid  630  includes a container receiver  631  configured to have a complementary shape to the container  100 . The lid  630  optionally may further include a discharger  633  that causes the container  100  to open and its contents to be discharged when the lid  630  is coupled to the bottle  620 . In one example, as a result of the lid  630  being coupled to the bottle  620 , the discharger  633  presses the container  100  towards the bottle  620  to discharge the nutrient content from the container  100 . The discharger  633  can operate in any suitable manner to cause the nutrients to be discharged from the container  100 , including via a spring mechanism and/or a screw mechanism. For example, coupling of the lid  630  to the bottle  620  can deploy a spring mechanism in the discharger  633  to press against the closed end  109  of the container  100 . In another example, coupling of the lid  630  to the bottle  620  can turn a screw mechanism in the discharger  633  that causes the discharger  633  to press against the closed end  109  of the container  100 . In yet another example, the discharger  633  may merely provide a firm fixed surface to apply pressure to the closed end  109  of the container  100 . 
     The blender  600  can also include various other electronic devices  634 . For example, the electronic devices  634  can include a battery  654  that powers the blender  600 , which could be chargeable via either a traditional wired charger or a wireless inductive charging base. For induction charging, a receiver and coil may be located in the blender  600  and a transmitter may be located in a separate charging pad. Alternatively, the battery can be charged via direct contact, e.g., via a charger with contact-based charger nodes and a charging ring located on the blender  600 . In other examples, the battery is replaceable once depleted, or the battery can be recharged using a charging cable that can be plugged into a power source, e.g., via a USB connector or wall plug. The battery can be located in the bottle  620  and/or the lid  630 . 
     The electronic devices  634  can also include communications equipment, such as a Bluetooth transceiver, to transmit and receive information. The Bluetooth transceiver can communicate with other Bluetooth-connected devices, such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones, to receive information, such as customer information, registration information, operating instructions and firmware updates, and to transmit information, such as blender operational status, blender and container usage, including information about nutrition consumed by a user. The information can come from cloud storage or the Internet. The communications equipment can be located in the bottle  620  and/or the lid  630 . 
     The electronic devices  634  can also include sensors for determining whether the lid  630  has been coupled to the bottle  620 . The sensors can include hall sensors, reed switches, or any other suitable sensor that can be used to determine whether the lid  630  has been properly attached to the bottle  620  and the blender  600  is ready to be actuated. 
     The electronic devices  634  can include electrical devices  652  for reading the identification information  151  from the container  100 . For example, reading of identification information  151  can be via an NFC tag reader, a camera, a barcode reader, a light-emitting diode (LED) or laser reader, or a printed memory tag reader. In other examples, the electronic devices for reading identification information can be located in the bottle  620  and/or the lid  630 . The blender  600  can store the identification information locally in the blender (e.g., in non-volatile memory), and/or transmit the identification information to cloud storage (i.e., accessible online) via a communication method such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) through a proxy device (e.g., a smart phone or tablet). Identification information transmitted to cloud storage can be used for nutrition consumption analysis for users. 
     The electronic devices  634  can further include a microcontroller unit, memory and firmware that enable control of the blender and storage of information, such as operating the blender (e.g., actuating the blender and controlling blend time and speed), determining freshness of a container based on date/time and container identification information, and controlling indicators regarding operation of the blender. For example, the microcontroller unit can be a single chip that contains a processor, non-volatile memory for a program (read-only memory or flash), volatile memory for input and output (e.g., random-access memory), a clock and an input/output (I/O) control unit. In another example, the memory can be a micro SD card. 
     To ensure that containers  100  are not reused or refilled, unique identifiers in the identification information can be read and stored locally on the blender  600 . When identification information for a particular container is read, the unique identifier is checked against this list and the blender may not operate if the unique identifier is on the list. 
     The blender  600  can have indicators, including indicator lights and/or sounds, to notify a consumer about the state of the blender  600 . For example, different sounds, light colors, or light modulation can indicate different states, such as whether the container  100  is expired or counterfeit, whether the battery level is low or fully charged, whether there is problem with the alignment of the lid  630 , or whether the blending assembly is stuck, etc. In one example, an indicator light can emit a certain color to indicate a certain state, such as red for a stuck blending assembly, yellow to indicate a low battery, or green to indicate a fully charged battery. In another example, the blender can emit a certain sound to indicate a certain state, such as persistent beeping to indicate a stuck blending assembly or intermittent beeping to indicate a low battery. 
     The blender  600  may have firmware for tracking and communicating exceptions and unsafe conditions so that the consumer can be notified and/or appropriate responses can be made. The firmware can control indicators for exceptions and unsafe conditions. Indicators for exceptions and unsafe conditions may use a combination of LED color, intensity and pulsing. Exception and unsafe conditions may also be indicated via sounds. In another example, the blender  600  can transmit exceptions and unsafe conditions via a transceiver to a computer, table, or smart phone to alert the consumer. An exception is something that is not normal, but is also not unsafe. For example, “liquid level too low”, “counterfeit pod”, or “lid not closed” are exceptions. An unsafe condition could cause irreparable harm to the unit, or bodily harm to the consumer. Examples of unsafe conditions include “motor jammed” and “battery overheating”. The blender  600  can continuously monitor for exceptions and/or unsafe conditions. In the event of an unsafe condition, the blender will go into “failsafe mode”. If a consumer feels that the blender is not functioning properly, the consumer can manually turn it off and “reboot” it using a “panic mode”. Both “failsafe mode” and “panic mode” can put the device into “recovery mode”. 
     Exceptions and unsafe conditions can also include: Battery Requires Charging, Device Commissioning, Device Charging (may also be indicated by charging pad), Charging Pad, On Pad and Charging, Not on Pad Properly, Not Charging, Charging Done, Panic Mode, Factory Reset, Device Recovering, Unable to Read Container, Counterfeit Container, Motor Blade Jammed, Overheating, Water Level too Low/Add Water, Container Blending, Done Blending, Firmware Updating, Blender is on its Side (i.e., Bad Angle), Error. 
     Firmware can be pre-loaded onto the blender  600  during manufacturing. Firmware on the blender  600  may be uploaded later and/or updated, such as in the field. For example, firmware updates can be received wirelessly via BLE, e.g., via a proxy device such as a smart phone or tablet. Alternatively, firmware updates can be received via a wired method, such as USB. In an example, firmware can be stored in cloud storage (i.e., accessible online). Once a consumer is notified or becomes aware that a firmware update is available, the firmware can be updated on the blender. In one example, an over-the-air firmware update can be performed using the smartphone or tablet as a distribution proxy. Here, the update can be delivered to the blender, e.g., via BLE pairing with a smartphone or tablet, or direct connection to the Internet. 
     The blender  600  can have firmware-managed states for conserving battery power. The blender  600  can go into “sleep mode” after a certain period of inactivity. An accelerometer may be used to detect activity to wake up the blender  600  and put it in “active mode”. In another example, coupling of the lid  630  to the bottle  620  can wake up the blender. In yet another example, the blender  600  is woken up when the lid  630  is coupled to the bottle  620 , and the blender  600  remains in “active mode” until the lid  630  is removed. In “active mode”, the blender  600  detects activity, such as movement, button activation, or container insertion, so that the blender can respond accordingly. In another example, the blender  600  can be delivered to the consumer in “hybernation mode” so that minimal energy is consumed during transportation, distribution, fulfillment, etc. The blender  600  may be taken out of hybernation mode when the consumer first unboxes it and places it on a charging pad or plugs it in. 
     The blender  600  can have a fluid level sensor  653 . For example, the blending chamber can have a capacitive-based fluid level sensor. A rigid-flex circuit design allows sensors to be placed against the inside wall of the blending chamber  622 . Alternatively, a digital infrared LED sensor solution can be used to determine fluid level, where the infrared LED and a phototransistor are optically coupled when the sensor is in air and the optical coupling is altered when the sensing tip is immersed in liquid. The blender  600  can use the information from the sensors to determine whether the fluid level in the blending chamber  622  is within acceptable limits. If the fluid level is not within acceptable limits, the blending assembly  624  may not actuate and/or an unacceptable fluid level indicator may be initiated. 
     The blender  600  can have a disinfection device for killing microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and other pathogens in the lid  630 , container  100  and/or bottle  620 . The disinfection device may use germicidal ultraviolet (UV-C) light in the form of a small UV-C LED as a non-chemical means for disinfecting blender surfaces, container surfaces, container contents, liquid and air within the blender. The disinfection device may contain one or more UV LEDs  660 , which may be housed in the lid  630  and/or the bottle  620 , and may be activated by closing and turning the lid, by manually pressing a button, and/or by means of a sensor. For instance, a lid sensor located in either the lid  630  and/or the bottle  620  may be calibrated to determine when the lid is fully coupled to the bottle  620  at which time the LEDs  660  turn on, and/or the sensor may also be the fluid level sensor  653  so that the LEDs  660  only turn on when the fluid level is up to a threshold level AND/OR the lid is fully coupled to the bottle  620 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an exemplary array of twelve LEDs  660  evenly spaced around the opening  627 , just within the bottle  620 . Preferably the array of UV LEDs  660  is mounted just below the shoulder  628  in an inwardly angled portion of an inner wall of the blending chamber  622  so as to be slightly angled downward towards the fluid contents in the chamber. The LEDs  660  may be housed in a concentric space between the blending chamber  622  and outer wall  623 , and sealed to avoid any leakage from the blending chamber  622 . Electronics  662  such as switches and logic for the LEDs  660  in the concentric space may be wired in series and powered by the battery  654  in the lid  630 , or by a separate battery  664  in the bottle  620 , which may also power the motor  626 . As mentioned, there may be as few as a single LED  660  or an array as shown, such as 4, 6, 12 or more. 
     Another placement of an array of UV LEDs (not shown but similar or identical to the array of LEDs  660 ) may be around an inner wall of the lid  630  so that the LEDs illuminate the wall of container  100  to disinfect the contents within. The container  100  may have thin, opaque or transparent walls so that the UV radiation easily passes through to disinfect. The array of LEDs in the lid  630  may be in addition to the array  660  in the bottle  620  or the system may have one or the other. 
     The LEDs  660  may be activated prior to, during, or after blending of the contents within the blending chamber  622 . For example, when a user places a container  100  in the blender, closes the lid and twists, UV-C LEDs  660  may be activated to generate sufficient levels of UV-C radiation to damage the DNA of any microorganisms in the blending chamber  622  and destroy their ability to multiply and cause disease. The lid/blender interface may be such that the contents of the container  100  may first be emptied into the blending chamber  622  while at the same time activating the LEDs  660 , and then a second stage such as screwing the lid  630  further onto the bottle component  629  may activate the motor  626 . Alternatively, the LEDs  660  may remain on continually after a certain engagement of the lid  630  with the bottle component  629 . 
     In different examples of the blender  600 , electronic components can be located in different locations. For example, the microcontroller unit, memory, PCB boards, batteries, charging coils, transceivers, and sensors can be located in either the lid  630  and/or the bottle  620 . 
     In one example, electronic components are located in the lid  630  such that the bottle is dishwasher safe. For induction charging in this example, a wireless charging pad for the lid  630  can be configured to have a shape similar to a container  100 . The lid  630  receives the charging pad in a similar manner to reception of the container  100  so that the battery  654  in the lid  630  can be inductively charged via the charging pad. Further, electrical contacts can be positioned on the bottle component  629  and lid component  632  of the coupling mechanism so that electrical power can travel from the battery  654  in the lid  630  to the motor  626  to actuate the blending assembly  624 . In one example, at least a portion of the bottle component  629  and the lid component  632  is formed of a non-conductive material (e.g., plastic). The electrical contacts can then be positioned in the non-conductive material of the bottle component  629  and the lid component  632 , respectively, so that the electrical contacts align and conduct current when the lid  630  is coupled to the bottle  620 . In an example where the coupling mechanism includes threads, the electrical contacts of the bottle component  629  and the lid component  632  are aligned when the lid  630  is rotated to a certain orientation with respect to the bottle  620  during coupling. Further, one or more of the electrical contacts can include a spring to firmly press corresponding electrical contacts against each other and facilitate conduction of electrical power. 
     The blender  600  is configured to have a size and shape so that a consumer having a typical human hand can manipulate and consume smoothie from the blender. Further, the blender  600  is configured to have a size and shape that is portable, e.g., by hand or in a purse, backpack, or other bag. For example, the blender  600  can have a length of three inches to twelve inches, and a diameter of one inch to six inches. In one example, the blender  600  has a length of about eight inches and a diameter of about three inches. The blender  600  is configured to have weight that allows the blender  600  to be portable and easily manipulated by a typical human hand. For example, the blender  600  can have a weight of 4 ounces to three pounds. In one example, the blender  600  can have a weight of about 8 ounces. In one example, the bottle  620  is heavier than the lid  630  so that the blender is less likely to tip over. 
     The blender  600  is configured to have a blending chamber  622  with a capacity to make a smoothie having a desirable volume for human consumption. For example, the blending chamber  622  can have a capacity of six fluid ounces to thirty-two fluid ounces. In one example, the blending chamber  622  has a capacity of about ten fluid ounces. The container  100  is configured to have a size with a capacity for nutrients that is complementary to the fluid capacity of the blender, such that a smoothie with a desirable consistency and flavor can be blended. For example, the container  100  can have a capacity from one fluid ounce to eight fluid ounces. In one example where the blender has a capacity of ten fluid ounces, the container  100  may have a capacity of 2 fluid ounces. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a cross-sectional view of the blender of  FIG. 6  and the container of  FIG. 1 . Referring also to  FIG. 10 , there is shown a flow chart of a method  1000  of using the blender of  FIG. 6  and the container of  FIG. 1  to make a smoothie. 
     At step  1001 , a consumer adds fluid to the blending chamber  622 . The consumer can pour in a desired amount of a desired fluid. In one example, the blending chamber  622  includes a fill line to indicate to a consumer how much fluid should be added to the blending chamber  622 . While this step of adding fluid to the blending chamber  622  is described first here, fluid can be added to the blending chamber  622  at any point before the blending assembly  624  is actuated. 
     At step  1002 , a consumer prepares the container  100  for use with the blender  600  by first removing any seal  150 , cover/lid or other packaging. In one example, the seal can be removed by firmly pulling or peeling the seal from the outer lip  107 . 
     At step  1003 , the container  100  is then placed on the bottle  620 , so that the outer lip  107  is seated on the shoulder  628 . When the outer lip  107  is seated on the shoulder  628 , the flaps and inner lip  106  are positioned above the opening  627  of the bottle  620 . In one example, the rim  105  is also seated on the shoulder  628  when the container  100  is placed on the bottle  620 . In another example, the rim  105  is positioned above the opening  627  when the container  100  is placed on the bottle  620 . Alternatively, the container  100  can be placed in the lid  630 . In one example, the container  100  can be retained in the lid  630  so that it does not fall out when the lid  630  is right-side up. For example, the container  100  can be retained in the lid  630  by a friction fit, a snap fit between a part of the container  100  and a part of the lid  630 , or an adhesive surface. 
     At step  1004 , the lid  630  is then coupled to the bottle  620  via the lid component  629  and the bottle component  629  of the coupling mechanism. When the lid  630  is coupled to the bottle  620 , the outer lip  107  and rim  105  of the container  100  remain seated on the shoulder  628 , and the flaps  103  and inner lip  106  are positioned above the opening  627 . In one example where the discharger  633  includes a spring-loaded mechanism, schematically shown at  636  in  FIG. 6 , the spring-loaded mechanism deploys with enough force to push open the container  100  to discharge the contents into the blending chamber  622  when the lid  630  is coupled to the bottle  620 . In an alternative example, a fixed discharger applies pressure to the closed end  109  to discharge the nutrient content, where sufficient pressure is applied to the closed end  109  after a certain number of rotations of the lid  630 . The discharger  633  presses the closed end  109  towards the bottle  620 , while the shoulder  628  presses against the outer lip  107  and the rim  105 . As the closed end  109  moves towards the bottle  620 , the lip hinge  108  allows the outer lip  107  and the rim  105  to collapse or move back towards the closed end  109 . As a result, the inner lip  106  presses against the flaps  103 , which then rotate on their respective flap hinges  104  open and away from the nutrient receptacle  101 . With the flaps  103  open, the contents are expelled from the container  100  and into the bottle  620  through the opening  627  when the blender  600  is in an upright position via gravity and/or the force from the deployment of the discharger  633 . For fixed dischargers, the contents exit the container  100  because of gravity when the blender  600  is in an upright position. 
     The lid  630  can be coupled to the bottle  620  by pressing the lid  630  onto the bottle  620  so that the discharger  633  engages the container  100  and discharges the nutrient content. In an alternative configuration, the lid  630  can be coupled to the bottle  620  by rotating the lid  630  with respect to the bottle  620  to engage the coupling components  629  and  632  so that the discharger  633  engages the container  100  and discharges the nutrient content. In another alternative configuration, the lid  630  can be coupled to the bottle  620  by rotating the lid  630  with respect to the bottle  620  to engage the coupling components  629  and  632 , and then pressing the lid  630  and the bottle  620  together to engage the discharger  633  and discharge the nutrient content. The rotation can be any suitable number of rotations or a partial rotation such that the lid  630  can be removable coupled to the bottle, such as half a rotation, a full rotation, two rotations, etc. 
     In other examples, the lid  630  can be coupled to the bottle  620 , e.g., via rotation, enough to keep fluid from leaking from the blender  600 , but not discharge the contents of the container  100 . After the rotation to prevent leaking, the lid  630  could either be pressed down, further rotated, or both, to cause the contents to be discharged from the container  100 . 
     At step  1005 , the blender  600  reads identification information from the container  100 . While this step is shown as being after the lid  630  is coupled to the bottle  620  and before the blending assembly  624  is actuated, the identification information can be read at any point. For example, the identification information can be read when the container is positioned on the bottle or in the lid, or after the blending assembly  624  has been actuated. The battery  654  of the blender  600  must be sufficiently charged prior to operation of the identification information reader. In other examples, this step is skipped and there is no reading of identification information. 
     At step  1006 , the blending assembly  624  is actuated to blend the contents with the fluid. In one example, either pressing or further pressing the lid  630  towards the bottle  620  actuates the blending assembly  624 . In another example, rotating or further rotating the lid  630  with respect to the bottle  620  actuates the blending assembly  624 . Any combination of rotation and pressing can be employed to discharge the nutrients from the container  100  and actuate the blending assembly  624 . The blending assembly  624  can be actuated when sensors on the lid  630  and bottle  620  align to indicated that the contents have been discharged and the consumer is ready to blend the smoothie, or when an internal button is pressed (e.g., when the lid  630  rotated or pressed onto the bottle  620 ). In another example, the blending assembly  624  can be actuated by an external action, such as pressing a button, moving the blender  600  (which could be detected, e.g., via an accelerometer), or waving a hand or other object over a camera or other sensor. In an example, the blending assembly  624  will not actuate unless the blender  600  is in a substantially upright position. The battery  654  must be sufficiently charged prior to operation of the blending assembly  624 . 
     The blending process may take a number of forms. The blending process may be fixed, such as a single rotational speed and a single torque for a specific period of time. Alternatively, speed, torque and/or time may be varied during the blending process. Variation in the speed, torque, and/or time may be varied based upon the particular container contents and/or consumer preferences. In other examples, the blending process can be varied based on temperature of the content, bottle, container and/or outside air, humidity, and/or air pressure (e.g., either measured by a sensor on the blender  600  or input by the consumer). 
     The blend cycle performed by the blending assembly  624  can be based on a pre-determined RPM and duration. This information may be hard-coded into firmware or maintained in a local config file or in an database. For example, default blend cycles can be used, or new blend cycles can be downloaded. Alternatively, this information may be contained in identification information stored on the container  100 , and may be varied based on the contents of the container  100 . In another alternative, various blend cycles can be stored on the blender  600 , and a particular blend cycle can be implemented based on identification of the particular container  100 . The blend cycle may be based on a consumer-defined preference, where the consumer can set a desired RPM and duration for particular containers  100 . These settings can be received by the blender  600  and written to the local storage. 
     At step  1007 , the lid  630  is removed from the bottle  620  so that the smoothie can be removed from the bottle  630 . The consumer can either consume the smoothie directly from the bottle  620  or pour the smoothie into another container. The empty container  100  can be removed from either the lid  630  or the bottle  620 , and then discarded or recycled. 
     CLOSING COMMENTS 
     Throughout this description, the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus and procedures disclosed or claimed. Although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other embodiments. 
     As used herein, “plurality” means two or more. As used herein, a “set” of items may include one or more of such items. As used herein, whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”, respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. As used herein, “and/or” means that the listed items are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items.