Patent Publication Number: US-6669048-B2

Title: Neck apparatus and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to bottles and, more particularly, to a neck apparatus/outlet design and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     Agricultural chemicals such as, for example, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or the like, or other end use products such as, for example, detergents, cleaning aids, or the like, may commonly be provided in a liquid form for end use. Such liquid form products may also comprise two or more component liquids which must, in some instances, be combined according to a certain ratio in order to be effective for a specific purpose. In addition, for various reasons such as, for example, limited shelf life or compatibility, such two or more component liquid products cannot be combined until just prior to actual use. However, it may often be inconvenient or messy for the component liquids to be provided in separate bottles, wherein the component liquids must be manually measured and combined for the product to be used. 
     One solution for simplifying the use of two or more component liquid products has been to provide a multi-compartment bottle or container having a separate defined compartment for containing each of the respective liquid components, with the bottle being comprised of a material compatible with the liquid components. Such multi-compartment bottles may be configured to have, for example, a discrete capped outlet for each compartment or a single outlet having openings from the individual compartments extending therethrough, the openings from the individual compartments being encloseable under a single cap. Where a single compartment or a multi-compartment bottle uses a single neck configuration for the openings from the individual compartments each containing a liquid, the openings are typically sealed by a foil induction seal after the compartments have been filled with the respective liquids. Such induction seals are usually provided inside a cap configured to engage the outlet of the bottle. When the cap is installed on the bottle and subjected to microwave heating, the induction seal is released from the cap and sealed to the outlet of the bottle. The cap, such as a screw-type or snap-type cap, is thus engaged with the neck (otherwise referred to herein as an “outlet”) so as to protect the induction seal and provide a mechanism for reclosing the bottle. However, such a closure configuration for the bottle may not be desirable for several reasons. For example, once the induction seal is removed from the neck, the liquid and air tight seal at the neck is broken since the cap, by itself, is typically not configured to provide such a seal. Accordingly, bottles sealed in this manner may be prone to leakage or evaporation of the compartment contents after the induction seal is removed. In some instances, oxygen-sensitive compartment contents may also be adversely affected by the lack of a suitably tight seal for the bottle. 
     The production of a multi-compartment bottle having a neck sealed with an induction seal may also be undesirable for several reasons. For example, in one process, the induction seal may be configured so as to have an activatable adhesive or other suitable material applied to the seal on the surface interacting with the neck of the bottle. An adhesive or other mechanism may then be applied to the opposite surface of the seal to secure the seal in the cap. Once the cap is applied to the neck of the bottle so as to engage the seal with the openings, the cap and the area of the bottle about the neck are heated by, for example, microwaves, so as to detach the seal from the cap. The heat also activates the adhesive to secure the seal to the neck and provide the liquid and air tight seal. However, such a process may be difficult to set up, operate, and maintain with consistency. For instance, if the heat is not sufficient, the adhesive may not properly secure the seal to the neck. In other instances, if the compartment contents spill on the neck during the compartment filling process, the adhesive may also fail to properly secure the seal to the neck. In still other instances, removal of the cap for inspection of the seal may also damage the seal if there is residual adherence between the seal and the cap. 
     Multi-compartment bottle employing a single neck configuration often have the neck configured such that the openings for the respective compartment are defined by a single flat surface comprising the liquid outlet surface of the neck. In this manner, the induction seal may be adhered to the flat surface about each opening such that a single sealing process is sufficient for sealing each of the openings. Once the seal is removed, the chemicals in the respective compartments can be poured out of the bottle. However, once the pouring process is completed, spillage may remain on the flat liquid outlet surface of the neck, wherein the spillage may drain into one or more of the openings and cause undesirable cross-contamination of the remaining chemicals in the respective compartments. Such a situation may also result in a safety hazard, for example, if a combination of insufficient quantities of two chemicals results in the release of excessive heat sufficient to damage the bottle and cause leakage. The described neck configuration may also be undesirable, for example, if the seal is removed and the user only desires to pour one of the chemicals from the container, since such containers typically do not include a provision for maintaining a liquid tight seal over some outlets while allowing liquid to be poured from other outlets. 
     Thus, there exists a need for a multi-compartment bottle having a single neck configured so as to minimize the risk of cross-contamination between compartments when the liquids are poured from the bottle. Further, such single-neck bottle should desirably include a closure system for providing a reusable liquid and/or air tight seal for each of the openings for the respective compartments, wherein the seal should also be readily and reliably applied in a simple operation during the bottle-filling process, as well as following each use of the bottle. In addition, such a closure system should desirably be configured so that, in some instances, liquid may be poured from one or more openings while other openings remained sealed with a liquid tight seal. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, in one embodiment, provides a multi-compartment bottle comprising a body defining a plurality of compartments, with each compartment being adapted to contain an amount of a liquid. A neck finish, integral with the body, has an outer surface which defines an opening for and in communication with each respective compartment. Each opening is adapted to allow dispensing of the respective liquid therethrough. The outer surface of the neck finish defines a groove configured to discretely separate the openings such that the groove prevents liquid dispensed from one opening from entering another opening. 
     Another advantageous aspect of the present invention comprises a closure system adapted to be operably engaged with a bottle having a body defining multiple compartments. Such a closure system comprises a neck finish operably engaged with the body, the neck finish having an outer surface defining an opening for and in communicate with each respective compartment. Each opening is adapted to allow dispensing of the respective liquid therethrough. The closure system further comprises a plug for and configured to be separably engageable with each respective opening. The closure system also comprises a cap configured to be separably engageable with the neck finish so as to secure the plugs in engagement with the respective openings and prevent dispensing of the liquid through the openings. 
     Still another advantageous aspect of the present invention comprises a neck apparatus adapted to operably engage a bottle having a body defining multiple compartments. Such an apparatus comprises a neck finish operably engaged with the body and having an outer surface defining an opening for and in communication with each respective compartment. Each opening is adapted to allow dispensing of the liquid therethrough. The outer surface of the neck finish further defines a groove configured to discretely separate the openings such that the groove prevents liquid dispensed from one opening from entering another opening. 
     Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide a neck apparatus and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle configured so as to have a groove discretely separating the liquid outlet openings in order to minimize the risk of cross-contamination between compartments when the liquids are poured from the bottle. Further, embodiments of the present invention include a closure system providing a reusable liquid and/or air tight seal for each of the openings for the respective compartments. The plugs forming the seals may be readily and reliably applied in a simple operation during the bottle-filling process, as well as following each use of the bottle. In addition, embodiments of the present invention provide that the plugs may be configured to be selectively engageable with the desired openings such that liquid may be poured from one or more openings while other openings remain sealed with a liquid tight seal. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide distinct advantages as detailed herein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
     Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-compartment bottle incorporating a neck and closure system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of a multi-compartment bottle incorporating a neck and closure system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of a multi-compartment bottle incorporating a neck and closure system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4A is an exploded partial view of a neck and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention illustrating the plugs configured to separably engage the respective openings and the cap configured to secure the plugs in engagements with the openings. 
     FIG. 4B is an exploded partial view of a neck and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention illustrating the plugs secured in the respective openings by the cap. 
     FIG. 4C is an exploded cross-sectional view of a neck and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention taken along line  4 C— 4 C of FIG.  4 B and illustrating the cap securing the plugs in engagement with the respective openings. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded partial view of a neck and closure system for a multi-compartment bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention illustrating the plugs being selectively engaged with the desired openings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a multi-compartment bottle incorporating a neck and closure system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the bottle being indicated generally by the numeral  10 . Note that, though the bottle  10  will be described herein in terms of comprising a body portion  20  defining two separate compartments  100 ,  200 , it will be understood that the concepts described herein may also be readily applied in a similar manner to bottles defining more than two separate compartments. Accordingly, the configurations described herein are presented merely for the sake of example and are not intended to be limiting with respect to the range of configurations which are contemplated for embodiments of the present invention. Thus, as indicated, the bottle  10  comprises a body portion  20  defining separate compartments  100 ,  200  and includes a neck finish  300  in communication with the body portion  20  and each compartment  100 ,  200 . The bottle  10  may also include a handle  400  attached to or formed integrally with the body portion  20 . As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, such a bottle  10  may be comprised of a plastic material such as, for example, high density polyethylene, and formed, for example, in a blow molding process by pinching the mold to form the individual compartments  100 ,  200 . However, such a bottle  10  may be produced from a variety of other materials and processes depending on a number of factors such as, for example, the chemicals to be contained within the bottle  10 , service conditions or requirements, or production costs or constraints. In addition, though embodiments of the present invention refer to the containment of agricultural chemicals such as, for example, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or the like, it will be understood that configurations of the bottle  10 , as well as the neck and closure system associated therewith, may be applicable for any situation in which it is desirable to separately contain two or more liquids in a single bottle, wherein the liquids are intended for separate or combined use, such as, for example, end use products such as, for example, detergents, cleaning aids, or the like. 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, the compartments  100 ,  200  may be configured to hold equal amounts of the respective liquids or, in some instances, amounts of the respective liquids according to a ratio corresponding to the ideal mix of the liquids. For example, if the ideal mix ratio of two liquids is 2:1, one of the compartments  100 ,  200  may be configured to hold twice the amount of liquid as the other. According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the compartments  100 ,  200  may include a measure indicator  105 ,  205  such as, for example, a graduated scale, for indicating the amount of liquid in each compartment  100 ,  200 , wherein the implementation of such graduated scales will be appreciated by one skilled in the art. The compartments  100 ,  200  terminate at the neck finish  300 , wherein the neck finish  300  may be formed integrally with the compartments  100 ,  200  defined by the body  20  or otherwise attached thereto. For each compartment  100 ,  200  defined by the body  20 , the outer surface of the neck finish  300  defines a corresponding opening  110 ,  210  in communication with the respective compartment  100 ,  200 . The openings  110 ,  210  are configured to allow a liquid to be introduced into the respective compartments  100 ,  200 , as well as to allow the liquid to be dispensed therefrom. In some instances, the openings  110 ,  210  may be configured to dispense the liquids from the respective compartments  100 ,  200  according to a selected ratio such as, for example, according to flow rate. For example, the openings  110 ,  210  may be equally sized or one of the openings  110 ,  210  may be sized differently from the other so as to provide the desired dispensation ratio of the respective liquids. 
     FIGS. 4A-4C more particularly illustrate the neck finish  300  and a closure system  500  for the bottle  10 . As shown in FIG. 4A, the outer surface of the neck finish  300  terminates in a generally planar surface  310 , which defines the openings  110 ,  210  for the respective compartments  100 ,  200 , wherein the planar surface  310  is bounded by an outer periphery  320 . However, as previously discussed herein, when dispensing the liquids from the compartments  100 ,  200 , a flat surface between the openings  110 ,  210  increases the risk of cross-contamination since any spillage may run across the flat surface into one or more of the openings  110 ,  210 . Accordingly, the outer surface of the neck finish  300  further defines a groove  350  extending toward the compartments  100 ,  200  and discretely separating the openings  110 ,  210 . In instances where the outer surface of the neck finish  300  defines more than two openings, the groove  350  may be appropriately configured such that each opening is separated from the remaining openings by the groove  350 . The groove  350  may be further configured to deepen, or extend further toward the compartments  100 ,  200 , as the groove  350  approaches the outer periphery  320  such that any liquid entering the groove  350  will tend to run toward the outer periphery and drain along the sides of the body  20 , thereby lowering the risk of cross-contamination. 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, the groove  350  divides the outer surface of the neck finish  300  into discrete portions  120 ,  220 , each of which defines one of the openings  110 ,  210 . The discrete portions  120 ,  220  are further configured and arranged so as to define a generally circular outer periphery  320  for the neck finish  300 . As shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, the outer periphery  320  may be threaded so as to be capable of separably engaging a cap  600  having complementary threads so as to form one aspect of the closure system  500 . However, the relation of the cap  600  to the neck finish  300  may take many different forms in order to accomplish the purpose of the cap  600  as is described further herein. For example, the cap  600  may be engaged with the neck finish  300  or other portion of the body  20  via a hinge mechanism (not shown), wherein the cap  600  may be separably secured over neck finish  300  with, for instance, a snap mechanism, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art. 
     In some instances, the cap  600  may cooperate with the neck finish  300  to provide a reusable liquid and/or air tight seal over openings  110 ,  210  to form the closure system  500 . However, such a configuration may be susceptible to the cap  600  being improperly applied such that the liquid and/or air tight seal is not attained. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention further provide a closure system  500  having plugs  130 ,  230  configured to be separably engageable with the respective openings  110 ,  210  so as to individually provide liquid and/or air tight seals for each of the openings  110 ,  210  independently of or in cooperation with the cap  600 , as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C. The plugs  130 ,  230  may be comprised of a polymeric material such as, for example, high density polyethylene, like the bottle  10 . However, the plugs  130 ,  230  may also be comprised of any material such as, for example, rubber, metal, or the like, suitable for providing the necessary liquid and/or air tight seal with the respective opening  110 ,  210 , while also being non-reactive with the contents of the respective compartments  100 ,  200 . The plugs  130 ,  230  may also have different forms such as, for example, hollow for reducing material amounts or weight, or solid for providing the necessary mechanical properties for providing a seal or for reusability. 
     In some instances, the plugs  130 ,  230  may be connected by one or more tethers (where two tethers  140 ,  240  are shown) formed integrally with or otherwise attached between the plugs  130 ,  230 . The tethers  140 ,  240  may serve, for example, to facilitate the removal of the plugs  130 ,  230  from the openings  110 ,  210  or to keep the plugs  130 ,  230  together when removed from engagement with the openings  110 ,  210 . As shown in FIG. 5, the tethers  140 ,  240  may also facilitate the selective removal of one plug  140  from the respective opening  110 , while the other plug  240  remains engaged with the other respective opening  210  so as to allow the selective dispensing of liquids from on or more of the compartments. The plugs  130 ,  230  may be readily applied to the openings  110 ,  210  so as to provide the necessary liquid and/or air tight seal for each of the openings  110 ,  210  during the manufacturing process or after each use of the bottle  10 . However, the use of the plugs  130 ,  230  alone may render the bottle  10  prone to, for example, tampering or accidental dislodgement of the plugs  130 ,  230 . Accordingly, as further shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the cap  600  may be further configured so as to secure the plugs  130 ,  230  in liquid and/or air tight engagement with the respective openings  110 ,  210 . For example, the cap  600  may be configured such that, when properly threadedly engaged with the neck finish  300 , the plugs  130 ,  230  are not capable of being dislodged from sealing engagement with the respective openings  110 ,  210 . The bottle  10  is thus less prone to leakage if the bottle  10  falls over, is compressed, or otherwise put in a position where the liquids may escape from the respective compartments  100 ,  200 . One skilled in that art will also appreciate that tamper evident measures may also be readily applied to or integrated with the closure system  500 . 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, the illustrated bottle  10  is shown with the openings  110 ,  210  and the respective compartments  100 ,  200  being oriented along the direction of the length of the handle  400 . However, in some instances, the bottle  10  may be partitioned along the direction of the length of the handle  400  such that the openings  110 ,  210  and the respective compartments  100 ,  200  are oriented transversely thereto. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.