Patent Publication Number: US-9408778-B2

Title: Chambered mixing bottle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/034,139, filed 6 Aug. 2014, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to baby bottles and, more particularly, to a baby bottle that simultaneously and separately stores wet and dry ingredients for subsequent mixing. 
     Currently available baby bottles have a significant disadvantage: their design doesn&#39;t allow consumers to fix the bottle now (add water and powdered milk separately) and combine the wet and dry ingredients later. According to current design, the ingredients (water and powdered drink mixes) of the bottle have to be mixed together when being added into the bottle which means spoilage is a concern if the mixed bottle is not used immediately, because the ingredients cannot be kept separated for subsequent mixing when the consumer needs to use the resulting mixture. Some newer baby bottles tried to solve this problem but are inconvenient to use or difficult to clean. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a baby bottle that simultaneously and separately stores wet and dry ingredients for subsequent mixing, whereby the device is convenient to use and easy to clean. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a chambered bottle for separately storing wet and dry ingredients for subsequent mixing includes: a wet chamber forming a wet cavity for receiving wet ingredients, wherein the wet chamber defines a neck end opening and an opposing base end opening; a domed-shaped diaphragm extending from a periphery of the base end opening into the wet cavity, wherein the diaphragm provides a depression and a generally diametrically opposed diaphragm aperture; a regulator having a dome shape substantially the same as the dome-shaped diaphragm, wherein the regulator provides a protrusion and a generally diametrically opposed regulator aperture, wherein the regulator aperture, the diaphragm aperture, the regulator aperture, and the protrusion each define substantially the same shape; and a dial system configured to removably attached to the periphery of the base end opening, wherein the regulator is rotably mounted to a portion of the dial system, forming a dry cavity for receiving dry ingredients, whereby the chambered bottle is positionable in an opened configuration and a closed configuration when the protrusion engages the diaphragm aperture. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a chambered bottle for separately storing wet and dry ingredients for subsequent mixing includes a wet chamber forming a wet cavity for receiving wet ingredients, wherein the wet chamber defines a neck end opening and an opposing base end opening, and wherein a periphery of the base end provides threading, a domed-shaped diaphragm extending from the periphery of the base end opening into the wet cavity, wherein the diaphragm provides a depression and a generally diametrically opposed diaphragm aperture; a regulator having a dome shape substantially the same as the dome-shaped diaphragm, wherein the regulator provides a protrusion and a generally diametrically opposed regulator aperture, wherein the regulator aperture, the diaphragm aperture, the regulator aperture, and the protrusion define shapes that are each substantially the same, and wherein the protrusion and the depression each have a substantially similar depth and similar rounded corners; a seal bracket disposed along the periphery of the regulator; and a dial system including: a sheath having a base plate; and an annular sidewall perpendicularly extending from a periphery of the base plate, wherein the annular sidewalls forms a slot along a portion thereof, wherein the annular sidewall provide threading complementary of the periphery of the base end; and a dial plate rotably mounted to the base plate, wherein the dial plate having a tab flange disposed along a periphery the dial plate, wherein the tab flange is dimensioned and adapted to protrude through the slot; and a concentric annular lip disposed inward from the periphery, wherein the annular lip is dimensioned and adapted to removably affix to a periphery of the domed-shape regulator, forming a leak proof seal. 
     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 
         FIG. 1  is perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an opened configuration; 
         FIG. 3  an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  a detailed perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a regulator of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  a detailed perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the regulator of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  a sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in the closed configuration; and 
         FIG. 8  a sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in the opened configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a chambered bottle for separately storing wet and dry ingredients for subsequent mixing. The chambered bottle may include a wet chamber, a dry chamber, a dome-shaped regulator and a drinking spout. The wet chamber and the dry chamber are coupled by the regulator so as to be positionable in a closed configuration, for storing separated wet and dry contents, and an opened configuration whereby the wet and dry contents are mixable. The regulator provides a protrusion and a similarly shaped aperture. The wet chamber engages the regulator with a similarly dimensioned domed diaphragm providing a depression and a similarly shaped aperture. When the diaphragm and regulator apertures align, then the wet and dry contents of the wet and dry chambers, respectively, are mixed into a desired solution in the opened configuration. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 8 , the present invention may provide a chambered bottle  100 . The chambered bottle  100  may include a wet chamber  10 , a dry chamber  50 , a regulator  20  and a drinking spout. The wet chamber  10  and the dry chamber  50  are coupled by the regulator  20  so as to be positionable in a closed configuration for storing separated wet and dry contents, and an opened configuration, whereby the wet and dry contents are mixable. 
     The wet chamber  10  is generally cylindrical body that forms a cavity for receiving wet ingredients, such as fluid, liquids, water and the like. The wet chamber  10  may terminate in a neck end and an opposing base end  18 , each end providing threads or similar means of facilitating a leak-proof, detachable connection. The neck end is open and may have threads dimensioned and adapted to connect the wet chamber  10  to the drinking spout so that a user may engage the chambered bottle  100  to extract its contents. In certain embodiments, the drinking spout may include a nipple and collar. In some embodiments, the nipple may be made of medical grade silicone. In an alternative embodiment, the neck end may be closed by a cap with cooperating threads. 
     The base end  18  may be partially closed off by a diaphragm  12 . The diaphragm  12  may be a dome-shaped structure of flexible material that separates the wet chamber  10  and the dry chamber  50 . The diaphragm  12  may be made of BPA-free plastic of other suitable materials with a predetermined degree of flexibility. The diaphragm  12  dome curves upwards toward the neck end so that its superior surface forms the floor of the wet chamber  10 , and the inferior surface what would be the roof of the dry chamber  50 . The diaphragm  12  forms an aperture  14  and a depression  16 . The depression  16  does not penetrate the diaphragm  12  material, but rather protrudes a portion of the diaphragm  12  material further into the wet chamber  10  cavity. The aperture  14  allows the wet ingredients in the wet chamber  10  cavity to pass into the dry chamber  50  with the powdered contents at the time of mixing. The aperture  14  may start near an apex of the diaphragm  12  and extend down along the diaphragm  12  material to near a periphery of the diaphragm  12  so as to be disposed over approximately 40 percent of surface area of the diaphragm  12 . The depression  16  and the aperture  14  have substantially the same dimensions and are disposed diametrically opposed on the diaphragm  12 . 
     The dry chamber  50  may be formed by the engagement of the regulator  20  and a base plate  28 , thereby defining a cavity for receiving dry ingredients such as powders, granular ingredients and the like. The regulator  20  may provide a seal bracket  26  along a periphery for engaging the base plate  28 . The regulator  20  may be domed and have the substantially same dimensions as the diaphragm  12 . The regulator  20  may be made of BPA-free plastic of other suitable materials with the predetermined degree of flexibility. The surface of the regulator  20  may provide an aperture  22  and a protrusion  24 , whereby the protrusion  24  is a raised element. The protrusion  24  is dimensioned and adapted to selectively fit into and seal off the aperture  14  on the diaphragm  12  when the chambered bottle  100  is in the closed configuration. The protrusion  24  and the aperture  14  aligned engagement is designed to maintain a leak-proof seal. The protrusion  24  is dimensioned and adapted to nest into the depression  16  of the diaphragm  12  when the chambered bottled is positioned in the open configuration. The protrusion  24 , the depression  16 , the aperture  22  and the aperture  14  are disposed so that when the depression  16  is nested in the protrusion  24 , the apertures  14 ,  22  align. 
     The chambered bottle  100  provides a dial system  34  that attaches along a periphery of the base end  18 . The dial system  34  may include a dial plate  28  rotably mounted in a dish-shaped sheath. The sheath may include a base plate  35  and an annular sidewall  37  extending perpendicularly from a periphery thereof, as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The annular sidewall  37  may define a circumferential slot  38  along a portion thereof. The annular sidewall  37  may provide mating threads  36  dimensioned and adapted to cooperatively engage the threads of the base end  18  to form a liquid-tight seal between the base plate  38  and the wet chamber  10 . 
     The dial plate  28  may include a concentric annular lip  30  inset from its periphery, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 7, 8 . The annular lip  30  is dimensioned and adapted to be encircled by the seal bracket  26  so as to (“positively snap”) removably affix the regulator  20  into operative engagement with the base plate  28  when forming the dry chamber  50 . When the regulator  20  is rotating relative to the wet chamber  10  to position the chambered bottle  100  in its closed and opened configurations, the seal bracket  26  may be removably affixed in a groove formed by the annular lip  30  so that the dial plate  28  and regulator  20  rotate together, maintaining a liquid-tight. 
     The periphery of the seal plate  28  may include a tab flange  32  having a diameter greater than the annular sidewalls  28  so as to protrude through the slot  38 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8 . Since the protruding tab flange  32  is affixed to the regulator dial plate  28 , which in turn is (removably) affixed to the regulator  20  by way of the seal bracket  26 , as the flange manually rides the slot  38 , it acts as a “dial” allowing the regulator  20  to rotate relative to the diaphragm  12  to and from the opened and the closed configurations without breaking the water-tight seal along the base end  18 . 
     A method of using the present invention may include the following. The chambered bottle  100  disclosed above may be provided. A user may insert the regulator  20  so as to engage the diaphragm  12  so that the protrusion  24  nests into the apertures  14 , the apertures  22  and depression  16  align, and so positioned in the closed configuration. With the base end  18  in an upwardly orientation, the user may place dry ingredients within the dry chamber  50 . Then the user may form a seal between the annular lip  30  and the seal bracket  26  closing off the dry chamber  50 . With the base end  18  in a downwardly orientation, the user may fill the wet chamber  10  with desired wet ingredients. With the neck end closed by the drinking spout or some other cap, the wet and dry contents are thereby separately stored for subsequent use, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . When interested in mixing the wet and dry contents, the user may manipulate the dial system  34  to position the chambered bottle  100  into the opened configuration. In the opened configuration, the fluid from the wet chamber  10  flows with the aid of gravity into the dry chamber  50  through the aligned apertures  14 ,  22 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The chambered bottle may be shaken to create a desired homogeneous solution. Then the user may extract the desired homogeneous solution through the drinking spout. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.