Patent Publication Number: US-2023138818-A1

Title: Container accessory

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Various container accessories are removably attached to a container to allow for dispensing of fluids from container. Some portable shower accessories may attach to a bottle and dispense fluids, such as water, from the bottle. However, such portable shower accessories either don&#39;t have a vent, leading to irregular dispensing rates and requiring physical manipulation (e.g., squeezing) the bottle, or have long vent tubes that are detachable and easily lost or damaged. Additionally, prior portable shower accessories are unable to sealingly engage with the bottle for storage and transportation of the bottle without dispensing the fluid contained therein. 
     SUMMARY 
     An aspect of the disclosure includes a container accessory comprising a first container attachment, a dispensing head, a body with a fluid pathway extending from the first container attachment to the dispensing head, and a second container attachment attached to the body and comprising a lid. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, the second container attachment is positioned on the body between the first container attachment and the dispensing head. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, the first container attachment and the second container attachment are threaded collars. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, the dispensing head comprises a plurality of dispensing holes. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, the dispensing head further comprises a vent opening. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, the container accessory further comprises a vent tube attached at a first end to the vent opening and extending through the body and the first container attachment. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, the vent tube comprises a check valve on a second end of the vent tube opposite to the first end, the check valve is oriented to allow fluid flow from the vent opening to the second end of the vent tube. 
     In some implementations of the first aspect of the disclosure, a diameter of the dispensing head is greater than a diameter of the body. 
     These and other features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a container accessory attached to a bottle in a dispensing configuration according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates the container accessory of  FIG.  1    dispensing fluid from the bottle according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates the container accessory of  FIG.  1    releasably attached to the bottle according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates the container accessory in a stowed configuration according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates the container accessory of  FIG.  4    being transported by a handle according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a first perspective view of a container accessory according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a second perspective viewof a container accessory according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description of certain examples of the inventive concepts should not be used to limit the scope of the claims. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. As will be realized, the device and/or methods are capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the inventive concepts. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
     For purposes of this description, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the aspects of this disclosure are described herein, The described methods, systems, and apparatus should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed aspects, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus are not limited to any specific aspect, feature, or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved. 
     Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect or example of the present disclosure are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The present disclosure is not restricted to the details of any foregoing aspects. The present disclosure extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 
     It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material. 
     As used in this application and in the claims, the singular forms “a,” “a” and “the” include the plural forms unless the context dearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, the term “includes” means “comprises.” Further, the terms “coupled” and “associated” generally means electrically, electromagnetically, and/or physically (e.g., mechanically or chemically) coupled or linked and does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between the coupled or associated items. 
     Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” means “including but not limited to,” and is not intended to exclude, for example, other additives, components, integers or steps. “Exemplary” means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal aspect. “Such as” is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes. 
     Use of the phrase “and/or” indicates that any one or any combination of a list of options can be used. For example, “A, B, and/or C” means “A”, or “B”, or “C”, or “A and B”, or “A and C” or “B and C”, or “A and B and C”. 
       FIGS.  1 - 7    illustrate various view of a container accessory  100 . The container accessory  100  disclosed herein facilitates even dispensing of fluid from a container. The container accessory comprises  100  a first container attachment  110 , a body  120 , a dispensing head  130  (valveless dispensing head), and a second container attachment  140 . The container accessory  100  has a fluid pathway  102  from the first container attachment  110  through the body  120  to the dispensing head  130 . Upon attaching an outlet of a container to the first container attachment  110 , fluid may flow by gravity from the container through the fluid pathway  102  and be dispensed by the dispensing head  130  (e.g.,  FIGS.  1 - 2   ). Upon attaching an outlet of a container to the second attachment  140 , fluid is prevented from flowing through the fluid pathway  102  and is maintained within the container. Therefore, during delivery and storage of a container, the container accessory  100  may be attached to the second attachment  140  to prevent spilling fluid from the container. 
     The first container attachment  110  comprises threads  112  for releasably attaching the container accessor  100  to a container. For example, the threads  112  may engage with a threaded mouth of a container outlet for sealingly attaching the container accessory  100  to the container. In the example shown, the first container attachment  110  is integrally formed with the body  120 . That is, the threads  112  may be formed in the straight walled tube of the body  120 . Other configurations are contemplated by this disclosure. 
     In the example show, the body  120  is a straight walled tube with a same diameter as the first container attachment  110 . In some implementations, the body may have a smaller or larger diameter as the first container attachment  110 . In some embodiments, the body  120  may have a circuitous or otherwise non-linear path. Other modifications to the body  120  are contemplated by this disclosure. 
     The dispensing head  130  (sometimes referred to as a valveless dispensing nozzle) comprises a dispensing body  132  and a dispensing plate  134  (sometimes referred to as a diffuser plate). In the example shown, the dispensing plate  134  has a larger diameter than the body  120 . In other examples, the diameter of the dispensing plate  134  may be the same size as or smaller that the diameter of the body  120 . The dispensing body  132  is a tapered surface extending between the body  120  and the dispensing plate  134  with a gradually increasing diameter therebetween. At the connection with the body  120 , the tapered surface of the dispensing body  132  has a same diameter as the body  120 . At the connection with the dispensing plate  134 , the tapered surface of the dispensing body  132  has a same diameter as the dispensing plate  134 . In embodiments where the dispensing plate  134  is the same diameter as the body  120 , the dispensing body  132  may be omitted or be formed as a straight walled tube. 
     The dispensing plate  134  comprises a plurality of dispensing holes  136  and a vent opening  154 . The dispensing holes  136  extend through the dispensing plate  134  for dispensing fluid from the dispensing head  130 . The dispensing holes  136  may be arranged in any regular or irregular pattern on the dispensing plate  134 . In the example show, the dispensing holes  136  are arranged in linear arrays extending from a center of the dispensing plate  134 , with each linear array spaced apart radially around the dispensing plate  134 . In the example shown, each of the linear arrays comprises four dispensing holes  136  and is spaced apart from other linear arrays by 45°. Other numbers of dispensing holes  136 , radial spacing, or arrangement of dispensing holes are contemplated by this disclosure. 
     A vent tube  150  is attached to the vent opening  154  in the dispensing plate  134 . The vent opening  154  in combination with the vent tube  150  promote venting air into an attached container while dispensing fluid to equalize pressure internal and external to the container and promote a constant flow rate. The vent tube  150  includes a check valve  152  to prevent fluid flow from the container through the vent tube  150 . In other words, the check valve is oriented to allow fluid flow from the vent opening  154  through the vent tube  150  and prevent fluid flow from the vent tube  150  though the vent opening  154 . In the example shown, the check valve is a duckbill valve, though other check valves are contemplated by this disclosure. In the example shown, the vent opening  154  is in a center of the dispensing plate  134 , though other placements of the vent opening  154  anywhere on the dispensing plate  134  are contemplated. 
     The second container attachment  140  is affixed to the body  120  of the container accessory  100 . In the example shown, the second container attachment  140  is orthogonal to the first container attachment  110 . The second container attachment  140  is positioned at a mid-point along the body  120  so as to form a handle for carrying the container accessory  100  when attached to a container in a stowed configuration (e.g.,  FIGS.  4 - 5   ). 
     The second container attachment  140  comprises a collar  142  sized and shaped to engage with a mouth of a container. In the example shown, the collar  142  comprises threads  144  for engaging with a threaded mouth of a container outlet for sealingly attaching the container accessory  100  to the container. A lid  146  of the collar  142  provides a closed (sealed) surface to prevent liquid from escaping from a container when attached to the container accessory  100 . In some implementations, the lid  146  is formed by the body  120 . In some implementations, the lid  146  is a flat surface affixed to the body  120  so as to provide a flat sealing surface for attachment to a mouth of a container. In use, the second container attachment  140  may be releasably attached to a container in a stowed configuration of the container accessory  100  for transport and carrying of a container with fluid so as to prevent spilling the fluid from the container. 
     In the example shown, the first and second container attachments  110 ,  140  are threaded collars for engaging with a threaded mouth of a container (e.g., beverage container, such as a 2-liter bottle). Other connectors for attaching the container accessory  100  to a container are contemplated by this disclosure, including snap connectors for releasably attaching to neck ring of container, frictional connectors for frictional engagement with the mouth of container, tapered conical connectors for frictional fit with container opening (e.g., bottle stopper), or any other mechanism known by those skilled in the art for attaching an accessory to a container. 
     While the container is shown and described as a threaded container in various examples above (e.g., 2-liter plastic bottle), other types of containers are contemplated by this disclosure (e.g., milk jug, glass jar, etc.). 
     While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated in another system or certain features may be omitted or not implemented. 
     Also, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as directly coupled or communicating with each other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through some interface, device, or intermediate component, whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.