Patent Publication Number: US-2021171239-A1

Title: Portable reusable beverage bottle with drinking cup

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/446,455, filed Jun. 19, 2019, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments of the invention relates generally to beverage containers. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable, reusable beverage bottle, such as a water bottle, having a drinking cup that stores nested with the beverage bottle and is readily deployed and stowed as needed. 
     2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information 
     The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. 
     Conventionally, if a user purchases a beverage, such as coffee, they use a paper cup with a plastic lid. Such containers are extremely convenient and inexpensive, so their use can be determined at over 100 million of them every day in the United States. Almost all of these cups are coated in plastic, and 98% of them end up in landfills. Most people would prefer to use a reusable cup whenever practical, but they just do not find it convenient to carry one around. 
     Reusable water bottles have become increasingly popular. In efforts to reduce plastic bottle waste, people have converted to using such water bottles and often carry them around. However, when a person wants to purchase a beverage, such as coffee, they now have to carry around both their coffee cups as well as their water bottles in two separate containers. 
     In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a water bottle that can include a beverage cup in a single combined unit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide a container system comprising a vessel configured to contain a first fluid therein; a shell removably attached about an exterior of the vessel; a vessel lid removably attached to an open end of the vessel, the open end extending outside of the shell; a cup movable between a nested position and a removed position, the cup being at least partially nested with a lower portion of the vessel, removably attached to the vessel, and within the shell when in the nested position; and a cup lid removably fitting on an open end of the cup, the cup lid removably engaged with the vessel lid when the cup is in the nested position. 
     Embodiments of the present invention further provide a container system comprising a vessel configured to contain a first fluid therein; a shell removably attached about an exterior of the vessel; a vessel lid removably attached to an open end of the vessel, the open end extending outside of the shell; a cup movable between a nested position and a removed position, the cup being at least partially nested with a lower portion of the vessel, removably attached to the vessel, and within the shell when in the nested position; a cup lid removably fitting on an open end of the cup, the cup lid removably engaged with the vessel lid when the cup is in the nested position; cup engaging male threads about an external surface thereof, the cup engaging male threads mating with female threads of the cup when the cup is in the nested configuration; vessel end male threads at the open end of the vessel, the vessel end male threads mating with female threads on the vessel lid to removably engage the vessel lid to the open end of the vessel; and cup lid male threads about a portion of the external periphery of the cup lid, the cup lid male threads engaging with female threads of the cup to removably engage the cup lid on the cup, the cup lid male threads having the same size and pitch as the cup engaging male threads. 
     Embodiments of the present invention also provide a container system comprising a vessel configured to contain a first fluid therein; a shell removably attached about an exterior of the vessel; a vessel lid removably attached to an open end of the vessel, the open end extending outside of the shell; a cup movable between a nested position and a removed position, the cup being at least partially nested with a lower portion of the vessel, removably attached to the vessel, and within the shell when in the nested position; a cup lid removably fitting on an open end of the cup, the cup lid removably engaged with the vessel lid when the cup is in the nested position; cup engaging male threads about an external surface thereof, the cup engaging male threads mating with female threads of the cup when the cup is in the nested configuration; vessel end male threads at the open end of the vessel, the vessel end male threads mating with female threads on the vessel lid to removably engage the vessel lid to the open end of the vessel; cup lid male threads about a portion of the external periphery of the cup lid, the cup lid male threads engaging with female threads of the cup to removably engage the cup lid on the cup, the cup lid male threads having the same size and pitch as the cup engaging male threads; a cup lid crossbar extending from an underside of the cup lid, the cup lid crossbar engaging a cross cutout formed in the vessel lid to removably engage the cup lid to the vessel lid; a cup base crossbar extending from a base of the cup, the cup base crossbar engaging the cross cutout formed in the vessel lid to removably engage the cup to the vessel lid; and a resiliently depressible ball on an inside surface of the shell, the ball engaging with a depression in the vessel, wherein the depression communicates with a slot in the vessel, the ball aligning with the slot to engage the depression with the vessel is moved inside the shell. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a reusable beverage bottle and cup set, with the cup in a deployed state, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a bottom view of the beverage bottle, showing a space for receiving the cup therein; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the beverage bottle of  FIG. 1 , removed from its sleeve and bottle cap; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the beverage bottle of  FIG. 1 , removed from its sleeve and bottle cap; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the beverage bottle of  FIG. 1 , having a reduced diameter upper opening, removed from its sleeve and bottle cap; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of the beverage bottle of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a bottle cap configured to fit over an upper opening of the beverage bottle of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a bottle cap configured to fit over an upper opening of the beverage bottle of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the bottle cap of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of a sleeve adapted to fit over a portion of the beverage bottle; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of the sleeve of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a perspective view of a collet at least partially rotatable about a bottom of the sleeve of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates another perspective view of the collet of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14A  is a side view of the cup partially removed from the beverage bottle; 
         FIG. 14B  is a cross-sectional side view of the cup nested about the beverage bottle; 
         FIG. 14C  is a detailed view taken along section XIV of  FIG. 14A , showing the tongue of the sleeve spaced apart from the cup when the collet is turned in a cup release position; 
         FIG. 15A  is a side view of a sleeve of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 15B  is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve taken along line XV-XV of  FIG. 15A , illustrating the tongue in a cup release position; 
         FIG. 15C  is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve taken along line XV-XV of  FIG. 15A , illustrating the tongue in a cup partially-secured position; 
         FIG. 15D  is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve taken along line XV-XV of  FIG. 15A , illustrating the tongue in a cup secured position; 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a perspective view of the cup of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the cup of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a perspective view of a base member configured to fit onto a bottom of the cup of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a perspective view of a cup lid configured to fit onto a top of both the cup and the top of the beverage bottle caps of  FIGS. 7 and 8 ; 
         FIG. 20  illustrates a perspective view of a lid movable to permit access to fluid in the cup; 
         FIG. 21A  is a side view showing the cup disposed on a top end of the beverage bottle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 21B  is a cross-sectional view of the cup top-mounted configuration of  FIG. 21A ; 
         FIG. 22A  is a side view showing the cup disposed on a bottom end of the beverage bottle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 22B  is a cross-sectional view of the cup bottom-mounted configuration of  FIG. 22A ; 
         FIG. 23  is an exploded view of a container system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 24A and 24B  illustrate one configuration of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIGS. 25A and 25B  illustrate another configuration of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIGS. 26A and 26B  illustrate another configuration of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIGS. 27 and 28  illustrates a shell to vessel engagement of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 29  illustrates a cup to vessel engagement of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIGS. 30 and 31  illustrate a cup lid to cup engagement of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 32  illustrates an engagement between the vessel and the vessel lid of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIGS. 33 and 34  illustrate a cup lid to vessel lid engagement of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 35  illustrates a cup to vessel lid engagement of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIGS. 36 and 37  illustrate a plug to shell and a plug to vessel lid of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 38  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the cup of the container system of  FIG. 23 ; and 
         FIG. 39  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the shell of the container system of  FIG. 23 . 
     
    
    
     Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE OF INVENTION 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims. 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. 
     The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below. 
     As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal configuration of a commercial implementation of any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application. 
     Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a beverage container system that includes a reusable beverage bottle, such as a water bottle, and a reusable beverage cup that can nest with the beverage bottle, inside a sleeve that attaches to the beverage bottle, when not in use. A beverage bottle cap can include a storage region for storing a cup cap that fits onto the beverage cup when it is removed from its nested, or stowed, configuration. From the stowed configuration, the user can twist a collet to permit removal of the beverage cup. After filled, the cup cap may be placed over the cup to prevent leakage or spillage and permit the user to access the contents. The cup may be placed, bottom side first, into the sleeve and the collet activated to connect the cup with the bottle, where a user may access each container by accessing either end of the assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the cup may be placed onto the top of the bottle cap to secure the cup and bottle as a single unit, permitting the user to drink from the cup through the cup lid, or drink from the bottle after removing the bottle cap. 
     A base of the cup may include electronics that may be used, for example, as an external battery charger for electronic devices. 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention are discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a beverage container system  10  (also referred to as system  10 ) can include a cup  12  (also referred to as a mug  12 ) having a cup cap  14  with a lid  16 . The lid  16  may be movable to permit the user to access to contents within the cup  12 . A bottom member  88 , as discussed in greater detail below, may fit onto a bottom portion of the cup  12 . 
     The system  10  can further include a beverage bottle  22 ,  22 A (also referred to as water bottle  22 ,  22 A or simply bottle  22 ,  22 A) having a bottle cap  24 ,  24 A disposed over an open end thereof. A sleeve  20  may fit over an outside of the bottle  22 ,  22 A and an attachment mechanism  18 , such as a collet, may be disposed about the bottom of the sleeve  20 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , at least a lower portion of the bottle  22 ,  22 A may have an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the sleeve  20  such that a space  26  is formed therebetween. Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a depth  28  may be present between the bottom  36  of the bottle  22 ,  22 A and the bottom of the sleeve  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the bottle  22  is shown in detail. The bottle  22  can include an upper portion  30  having an outer diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of a lower portion  32  thereof. The bottle  22  can have an open top  38  and a closed bottom  36 . Male threads  34  may be disposed on a lower, first end of the upper portion  30 , where female threads  40  may be disposed in an upper, second end of the upper portion  30 . As discussed in greater detail below, the male threads  34  may permit engagement of the bottle  20  to the sleeve  20 . The female threads  40  may permit engagement of the bottle  20  with a bottle cap  24 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an alternate embodiment of the bottle  22 A is shown. The bottle  22 A may be similar to the bottle  22 , except that the upper, second end of an upper portion  30 A thereof, may included a sloped surface  42  that reduces the diameter of the bottle  22 A to terminate in male threads  44  formed about a top opening  38 A of the bottle  22 A. Similar to bottle  22 , the bottle  22 A can include male threads  34 A at a lower, first end of the upper portion  30 A and a lower portion  32 A having a reduced diameter as compared to the upper portion  30 A. 
     For both bottle  22  and bottle  22 A, the lower portion  32 ,  32 A may have a reduced diameter configured to receive the cup  12  in a nesting configuration. In other words, as discussed in greater detail below, the lower portion  32 ,  32 A may be inserted into the open end of the cup  12  for storage thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a bottle cap  24  can include male threads  50  that can mate with the female threads  40  of the bottle  22 , where the bottle cap  24  can prevent leakage of contents from within the bottle  22  when the bottle cap  24  is disposed on the bottle  22 . The bottle cap  24  can include an interior surface  54  that can seal over the open top  38  of the bottle  22 . While the interior surface  54  is shown as a flat sealing surface, in some embodiments, a fluid access mechanism may be employed as part of the bottle cap  24 . For example, a flip spout may be disposed in the interior surface  54  to permit a user to flip up the spout to access contents of the bottle  22  without having to remove the bottle cap  24 . 
     The bottle cap  24  can include female threads  52  configured to receive a cup cap  14  therein, as discussed in greater detail below. An exterior  48  of the bottle cap  24  may be sized to match the exterior size of the upper portion  30  of the bottle  22  (which is exposed when the system  10  is assembled) as well as the exterior size of the sleeve  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , where a continuous, uniform outer diameter may be provided for the system  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a bottle cap  24 A may be used with the bottle  22 A, where the bottle cap includes lower female threads  60  that can mate with the male threads  44  about the open top  38 A of the bottle  22 A. Thus, the bottle cap  24 A may be threaded onto the top of the bottle  22 A to prevent leakage of contents from the bottle  22 A. The bottle cap  24 A can include an interior surface  54 A that can seal over the open top  38 A of the bottle  22 A. While the interior surface  54 A is shown as a flat sealing surface, in some embodiments, a fluid access mechanism may be employed as part of the bottle cap  24 A. For example, a flip spout may be disposed in the interior surface  54 A to permit a user to flip up the spout to access contents of the bottle  22 A without having to remove the bottle cap  24 A. A bottom surface  58  of the bottle cap  24 A may be sloped to match the sloped surface  42  of the bottle  22 A. 
     Similar to the bottle cap  24 , an exterior  48 A of the bottle cap  24 A may be sized to match the exterior size of the upper portion  30 A of the bottle  22 A (which is exposed when the system  10  is assembled) as well as the exterior size of the sleeve  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , where a continuous, uniform outer diameter may be provided for the system  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , an exemplary embodiment of the sleeve  20  is shown. The sleeve can include female threads  62  can mate with the male threads  34 ,  34 A on the bottle  22 ,  22 A, permitting removable attachment thereto. The outer surface  64  of the sleeve  20  may extend to cover the lower portion  32 ,  32 A of the bottle  22 ,  22 A when assembled therewith. 
     In some embodiments, a bottom portion of the sleeve  20  may be configured with a movable tongue  68 , separated from the remainder of the sleeve  20  by a channel  70 . Further, the bottom portion of the sleeve  20  can further include a channel  66  formed along a portion of an outer circumference thereof. A raised portion  72  may communicate the channel  66  with the bottom of the sleeve  20 . A collet  18 , as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , may fit onto the bottom of the sleeve  20 , where an inside surface of the collet  18  can include a protrusion  76  having an upper sloped surface  78  and a ramped region  79 . The protrusion  76  may be guided into the channel  66  by pressing the sloped surface  78  beyond the raised portion  72 . The collet  18  may then rotate with the protrusion  76  sliding along the channel  66  during rotation thereof. The ramped region  79  may engage with the tongue  68  to cause the tongue  68  to move onto and out of an inside surface of the sleeve  20 . 
     Thus, when the cup  12  is nested over the lower end  32 ,  32 A of the bottle  22 ,  22 A, and the sleeve  20  is assembled with the bottle  22 ,  22 A, turning the collet  18  can cause the tongue  68  to press against the cup  12 , holding the cup  12  in a stowed configuration. In should be understood that the collet may be optional and other mechanisms may be used to hold the cup  12  in the stowed position. Such mechanisms can include, for example, a bayonet lug, a twist lock, a friction fit, or the like. Regardless of specific mechanism, embodiments of the present invention permit storage of the cup so that the lower end  32 ,  32 A of the bottle  22 ,  22 A is disposed at least partially inside the cup  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 14A through 15D , the collet  18  may be turned with its protrusion  76  moving along the channel  66  to cause the tongue  68  to move between a cup-release position, where there is a space  69  between the cup  12  and the tongue  68  of the sleeve  20  as best illustrated in  FIG. 14C .  FIG. 15B  illustrates this cup-release position, where the cup  12  may be gravity-released from its nested position about the beverage bottle. In  FIG. 15C , the protrusion  76  may be in a middle position along the channel  66 , where the tongue  68  is moved to slightly reduce the inside diameter of the sleeve  20 . IN  FIG. 15D , the protrusion  76  may be at a distal end of the channel  66 , where the tongue  68  is depressed by the ramped region  79  of the collet  18  to cause the tongue  68  to press against the cup  12 , retaining the cup in the nested position as shown in  FIG. 15A . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the cup  12  can include an outer surface  80  having an outer diameter that is smaller than an inside diameter of the sleeve  20 . Female threads  82  may be disposed about an open top of the cup  12  to permit attachment of the cup cap  14 . A base  84  of the cup  12  may be spaced away from the bottom  86  of the cup  12  such that a space is partially enclosed by the sides of the cup  12  at the bottom end thereof. A base member  88 , as described in greater detail below, may be fit into this space at the bottom end of the cup  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 18 , the base member  88  of the cup  12  can include a reduced diameter portion  92  configured to fit into the space formed at the bottom of the cup  12 . A larger diameter portion  90  may be configured to match the diameter of the cup  12 , for example, and may extend below the bottom  86  of the cup  12  when assembled with the cup  12 . 
     In some embodiments, the base member  88  can include electronic components, such as a battery pack  96  that may be charged via charge port  95 . A cable (not shown) may connect the battery pack  96 , via power port  94 , to an electronic device to permit its charging. In some embodiments, a dongle  98  may be formed on an inner surface  97  of the base member  88 , with a connector  99  formed on its end. The connector  99  may be designed to connect to an electronic device for its charging from the battery pack  96 . 
     In some embodiments, the ports  94 ,  95  may be disposed on the inner surface  97  of the base member  88 , thereby protecting the ports. However, in other embodiments, the ports  94 ,  95  may be disposed on the outside of the base member  88 , thereby permitting electronic device charging without the need to remove the base member  88  from the cup  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 19 and 20 , the cup cap  14  can include male threads  100  that may engage with the female threads  82  of the cup  12 . A fluid port  102  may permit movement of fluid from the cup  12  to the user. A port cover  16  can have a sealing surface  108  that can selectively cover the fluid port  102  or be removed therefrom. In some embodiments, the port cover  16  can include pins  106  that engage with holes  104  in the cup cap  14  to permit pivoting of the port cover  16 . While the Figures show one exemplary embodiment of the port and cover, it should be understood that various covers may be used to selectively cover the fluid port in the cup cap. For example, the cover could be a slide cover or the like. 
     As discussed above, the cup  12  may be mounted at the top of the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A.  FIGS. 21A and 21B  shows an example of such a configuration. Various mechanisms may be used to secure the cup  12  into the top of the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A, including, but not limited to a friction fit, one or more magnets, a snap-fit, a twist lock, a tilt lock, a click-fit, or the like. Such a connection would be considered appropriate provided that the cup  12  may not readily fall out from the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A, while the user may be able to remove the cup  12  (for placement into the stored, nested position, for example) without undue effort. 
     As discussed above, the cup  12  may be mounted from the bottom of the sleeve  20 , typically retained by, for example, the action of the collet  18 , as discussed above. Such a configuration is shown in  FIGS. 22A and 22B . Other mechanisms for securing the cup  12  to the bottom of the sleeve  20  may be utilized, such as magnets, a twist lock, a friction fit, or the like. 
     It should be understood that while male and female threads have been described to provide connection between various members, other connection mechanisms may be used provided that the function remains. For example, the cup cap  14  may include a plurality of resilient sealing members that extend about its outer diameter (at a similar location of the male threads  100 ) that may be inserted into the cup  12  to frictionally sealingly engage therewith. In some embodiments, the threaded engagement between the sleeve  20  and the bottle  22 ,  22 A may be either a different type of connection or may be replaced with a permanent connection. 
     As shown in the Figures, the outer diameter of the cup  12  may be constant about its length. Thus, once removed via the collet  18 , the bottom of the cup  12  may be inserted into the sleeve  20  and the collet  18  tightened to attach the cup  12  to the bottom of the sleeve  20 , where a user may drink from the cup  12 , or close the port cover  16 , turn the system  10  over, remove the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A and drink from the bottle  22 ,  22 A. 
     In some embodiments, the base member  88  or the bottom end of the cup  12  may be designed to fit into the top of the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A once the cup cap  14  is removed therefrom and placed on the cup  12 . Various connection mechanisms may be used to connect the base member  88  and/or the bottom of the cup  12  with the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A, such as a friction fit, a threaded connection, a twist lock, a pin and slot, or the like. Regardless of the connection mechanism, once connected, a user can drink from the cup  12  by moving the cover  16  to reveal the fluid port  102  to permit fluid to pass from the cup  12 . Further, the user can drink from the bottle  22 ,  22 A by removing the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A therefrom and drinking from the open end of the bottle  22 ,  22 A. The bottle cap  24 ,  24 A may be removed with or without removing the cup  12  from the bottle cap  24 ,  24 A. 
     Referring to  FIG. 23 , an exploded view illustrating components of container system  200  is shown. Details of each component, as well as exemplary configurations of the components, are described in greater detail below. 
     The container system  200  can include an external shell  202 . A vessel  204  can be disposed within the shell  202 , with a male threaded end  260  (also referred to as male threads  260 ) can extend out of the shell  202  when the vessel  204  is assembled with the shell  202 . A vessel lid  210  can threadably engage the threads  260  of the vessel  202 . An o-ring  218  can be disposed between the vessel lid  210  and the vessel  202  for sealing the components. A cup lid  212 , with an o-ring  216 , can engage with the vessel lid  210 . A plug  214  can engage with the cup lid  212 . The plug  214  may retain a straw  224  thereunder. The straw  224  may be straightened and inserted in a hole in the cup lid  212  to permit drinking therethrough. 
     A cup  208  can at least partially nest with a lower portion  262  of the vessel  204 . Male threads  236  on the outside of the vessel  204  can engage with female thread  238  inside the open end of the cup  208  to engage the cup  208  with the vessel  204  in the nested/stored arrangement. An o-ring  220  can be used to seal the cup  208  to the vessel  204 . In some embodiments, the lower portion  262  of the vessel  204  can be encased with a sleeve, such as a silicone sleeve  206  to help guide the cup  208  onto the vessel  204  and to further prevent metal-on-metal sounds during removal or replacement of the cup  208  from or to the nested configuration. 
       FIGS. 24A and 24B  illustrate a top level assembly configuration  270 . This is typically the form in which the container assembly  200  is packaged for sale and where the container assembly may be carried. It should be noted that the shape of the shell  202  and the vessel lid  210  may form a concave shaped exterior for ease of one-handed carry. 
       FIGS. 25A and 25B  illustrate a configuration  280  where the vessel  204  and the cup  208  are separated for individual use. In this configuration, the cup lid  212  can be removed from the vessel lid  210 , as described in greater detail below, and placed on the cup  208 . Male threads  240  on the cup lid  212  can mate with the threads  238  of the cup  208  (which were previously engaged, in the configuration  270  of  FIGS. 24A and 24B , to the threads  236  of the vessel  204 ). The vessel lid  210  can remain on the vessel  204  and may be removed (unscrewed) for access inside the vessel  204 . In this embodiment, the plug  214  can be moved from the vessel lid  210  to the bottom of the shell  202 . In this configuration  280 , the vessel  204  can be used for one beverage and the cup  208  may be used for a second beverage. 
       FIGS. 26A and 26B  illustrate a configuration  290  where the cup  208  can be stored on top of the vessel lid  210 . Details of the engagement between the bottom of the cup  208  and the vessel lid  210  are described in detail below. In this embodiment, the plug  214  can be moved from the vessel lid  210  to the bottom of the shell  202 . Like the previous configuration  280 , in this configuration  290 , the vessel  204  can be used for one beverage and the cup  208  may be used for a second beverage, and the cup  208  and vessel  204  can be interconnected for ease of transport. 
       FIGS. 27 and 28  illustrate an exemplary connection mechanism for joining the vessel  204  with the shell  202 . The shell  202  can include a spring-loaded ball  230  that may partially extend outward from an inner wall of the shell  202 . The ball  230  can engage a slot  232  of the vessel  204  as the vessel is slid into the shell  202 . A pocket  234  may be disposed at the end of the slot  232  where the ball  230  can engage therein to hold the shell  202  and the vessel  204  together. This configuration can be strong enough to prevent inadvertent separation of the shell  202  and the vessel  204 , while permitting separation thereof for cleaning or the like. While one ball  230 /slot  232 /pocket  234  is shown, in some embodiments, such configurations may be disposed about the circumference of the shell  202  and vessel  204 . Thus, two, three, four, or more, of such assemblies may be used to provide the desired engagement. Typically, when more than one ball/slot/pocket assembly are used, they are spaced apart equally to permit assembly in different angular orientations. 
       FIG. 29  illustrates a detailed view of the assembly between the cup  208  and the vessel  204 . As discussed above, threads  236  on the vessel  208  can engage with female threads  238  inside the open end of the cup to join the two components together. An o-ring  220  can be used to provide a seal for this engagement. 
       FIGS. 30 and 31  illustrate the engagement between the cup lid  212  and the cup  208 . The cup lid  212  can include male threads  240 , which are the same as the threads  236  on the vessel  208 , described above. These threads  240  can engage the female threads  238  of the cup. The cup lid  212  can include a mechanism, such as a slide  242 , to open and close a beverage drinking hole  244  formed in the cup lid  212 . A seal, such as an o-ring, may be used to seal the slide  242  with the hole  242  when the slide  242  is in a closed configuration. A vent hole  246  may also be present on the cup lid  212 , which may also seal closed to prevent leakage when not needed to vent steam, for example. 
       FIG. 32  illustrates the engagement between the vessel  204  (inside shell  202 ) and the vessel lid  210 . The vessel lid  210  can include female threads (not shown) that can engage the male threads  260  of the vessel  204 . An o-ring  218 , or the like, can be used to provide a seal between the vessel lid  210  and the vessel  204 . 
       FIGS. 33 and 34  illustrate an engagement between the cup lid  212  and the vessel lid  210 . In some embodiments, the vessel lid  210  can include female threads (not shown) to engage the male threads  240  of the cup lid  212 . In an alternate embodiment, the cup lid  212  can include a crossbar  246 , which is disposed as a flattened elongated member, attached at a center to the underside of the cup lid  212  and separated a distance from the underside of the cup lid  212 . A cross cutout  248  may be formed on an inner surface of the vessel lid  210  so that the crossbar  246  can fit into the cross cutout  248  and where turning the vessel lid  210  relative the cup lid  212  can lock the crossbar  246  at least partially into the cutout  248 . Typically, a turn of 45 degrees may fully provide this engagement. In some embodiments, a stop  250  may be disposed inside the cutout  248  to stop the ability to twist the connection beyond a 45 degree twist, thus ensuring proper connection between the components. 
       FIG. 35  illustrates an engagement between the bottom of the cup  208  to the vessel lid  210 . As discussed above, the vessel lid  210  can include the cutout  248  with an optional 45 degree stop  250 . A crossbar  252 , like crossbar  246 , discussed above, can be disposed on the bottom of the cup  208 . Thus, a simple 45 degree twist of the cup  208  with the vessel lid  210  can provide an engagement therebetween. As can be seen in  FIG. 35 , the shape of the base of the cup  208  can fit with the inside shape of the vessel lid  210  to provide the interconnection as shown in the configuration  290  described above with respect to  FIGS. 26A and 26B . 
       FIGS. 36 and 37  illustrate an engagement between the plug  214  and the vessel lid  210  ( FIG. 36 ) or the shell  202  ( FIG. 37 ). Typically, an interference fit may be used to engage the plug  214  with either the vessel lid  210  of the shell  202 . A recessed finger hold  266  may be provided to assist with placement and removal of the plug  214 . 
       FIG. 38  illustrates the cup  208  having a cup foot  254  formed on the base thereof. The cup foot  254  can include the crossbar  252  and a base  254 , such as a rubber, silicone, or the like type of base. The base can help prevent excess sounds from the cup  208  when placed on a surface and can also help prevent inadvertent sliding of the cup  208  on a surface. 
       FIG. 39  illustrates a base  222  of the shell  202  that can, like the base  254 , be formed from rubber, silicone, or the like, to help prevent excess sounds during placement of the shell/vessel onto a surface and to prevent inadvertent sliding thereof. 
     All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims. 
     Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements. 
     The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species. 
     The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
     Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
     The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.