Abstract:
A closure for pouring selectively from one or both of two pour orifices of one or more fluid containers. The closure yokes the fluid containers together where more than one fluid container is provided. Alternatively, the closure may work with a single container incorporating plural fluid compartments. The closure may incorporate a movable valve and sufficient passages to enable fluids to be poured from a selected one pour orifice or from plural pour orifices, with proportions of the two fluids being selectable. The closure may incorporate a pouring spout to guide fluids being poured. The valve may be rotary or linearly acting, and have a manual operator.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to fluid containers, and more particularly to dispensing from one or more container receptacles either individually or simultaneously. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Liquids such as beverages may be distributed at the retail level in containers of capacity generally intended for consumption of the entire contents at once. However, consumer apetites differ, so that the “one size fits all” philosophy will not apply in some cases. Particularly in light of a historical trend of increasing retail portion size, a consumer may want to consume only part of the entire contents of a retail container. In the case of many beverages, this introduces the problem that the unused portion of the product will be susceptible to degradation. Exposure to ambient air, release of pressure, and other factors may degrade characteristics of the beverage in the eyes of the consumer. Therefore, even if the container is reclosable, it may be undesirable to open a container, consume part of the contents, and reclose the container. 
         [0003]    Some beverages are consumed as combinations of two beverages. Examples include concentrates in liquid form and water, alcoholic beverages and flavoring beverages such as the long popular rum and Coca-Cola (®) or whiskey and Coca-Cola (®), coffee and milk or cream, tea and lemonade or other fruit based beverage, and still others. In the case of such binary beverages, the consensus opinion is that it is usually the case that the best beverages result when the two components are freshly mixed. 
         [0004]    When a binary beverage is provided, there is also the possibility that the user will want only one of the two available beverages. 
         [0005]    There exists a need for a container capable of storing two or more different liquids in a manner such that they remain separated from one another, and allowing for either or both to be dispensed at one time. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a closure device for selectively opening and closing one or both of two container receptacles or orifices in a manner which enables a user to pour fluid contents from any selected one or both of the containers. The closure device may comprise a cap which closes and opens two compartments of a dual compartmented container, or alternatively, may span and yoke together two separate containers. 
         [0007]    The closure device may incorporate a valve which may be moved to a first position wherein all container orifices are closed, to a second position wherein the orifice of a first container is open, to a third position wherein the orifice of the second container is open, and optionally to a fourth position in which both orifices of both containers are open. 
         [0008]    The closure device may comprise pouring spouts to facilitate pouring from any open orifice. 
         [0009]    The invention may be thought of as a way of storing and dispensing selectively one fluid or two fluids using only one receptacle or assembly of receptacles. 
         [0010]    It is an object of the invention to provide a closure device which can selectively open or close a first orifice of a first fluid container, a second orifice of a second fluid container, or both the first and second orifices of both containers. 
         [0011]    It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
         [0012]    These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of two fluid containers and a closure device serving both of the containers, according to at least one aspect of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded detail view of the closure device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective detail view of an alternative to the closure device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective detail view of another alternative to the closure device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a side view of two fluid containers and a different closure device serving the two fluid containers. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged top perspective detail view of the closure device of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the closure device of  FIG. 1 , shown serving a dual compartment container. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of a dual compartment fluid container according to at least one aspect of the invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a side perspective view of another dual compartment fluid container according to at least one aspect of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , according to at least one aspect of the invention, there is shown a closure device  100  for controlling a plurality of pour orifices  2 ,  4  (see  FIG. 2 ) of two fluid containers  6 ,  8 . The closure device  100  spans and yokes together the fluid containers  6 ,  8  as well as controlling the pour orifices  2 ,  4 . As employed herein, controlling the pour orifices  2 ,  4  signifies that the closure device  100  serves as a valve which may selectively open and close the pour orifices  2 ,  4 , and further may control the degree to which the pour orifices  2 ,  4  are opened. Furthermore, the pour orifices  2 ,  4  will be understood to signify not only the openings thereof, but also the solid or structural portions of the containers  6 ,  8  which define the actual openings or passageways of the pour orifices  2 ,  4 . 
         [0025]    The closure device  100  may comprise a stationary structural member and a relatively movable valve structure. The valve of the valve structure is contained or housed within the structural member, which structural member will be called a housing  102 . A valve operator in the form of a rotatable knob  104  which is accessible for manual manipulation from outside the housing  102 , as may be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The rotatable knob  104  may have ridges as shown or other texturing (not shown) to enhance finger grip to facilitate operation of the valve. Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the rotatable knob  104  may have a shaft  106  which passes through an opening  114  formed in the upper wall  108  of the housing  102  to engage and rotate a valve  110  about an axis of rotation  112 . Rotation of the valve  110  is indicated by an arrow A in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0026]    Clearly visible in  FIG. 3 , the housing  100  has a first engagement structure disposed to engage and hold the small end of the container  6  which terminates at the pour orifice  2  and a second engagement structure disposed to engage and hold the small end of the container  8  which terminates at the pour orifice  4 . The first and second engagement structures may comprise sockets  116 ,  118  each of which resilient grips a respect pour orifice  2  or  4 . The sockets  116 ,  118  may be molded integrally with the housing  102  or alternatively, may be formed separately and subsequently joined to the housing  102 . The sockets  116 ,  118  may engage the pour orifices  2 ,  4  by resilient contraction thereabout (as shown), by threading (not shown), by bayonet connection (not shown), by snap fit (not shown), or in any other suitable way. The sockets  116 ,  118  may be manually removable from the housing  102  such as by threading if desired (this option is not shown). 
         [0027]    The housing  102  defines passages  122 ,  124  which enable contents of each container  6  or  8  to be accessible or to be sealed from the environment. A valve assembly is disposed to open and close each of the pour orifices  2  or  4  selectively individually and collectively. As seen in  FIG. 3 , the valve assembly comprises a rotary valve  110  secured to the housing  102 . The rotary valve  110  may be secured by entrapment and close fit within the housing  102 . A groove  120  is formed inside the housing  102  to receive the rotary valve  110  and hold the rotary valve  110  in various positions as the latter reveals and obstructs the fluid passages  122 ,  124  formed in the housing  102 . The groove  120  may extend entirely about the circumference of the housing  102  to enable the valve  110  to be rotated continuously. The fluid passages  122 ,  124  are located above the pour orifices  2 ,  4 . As employed herein, the valve assembly will be understood to encompass the valve  110 , the housing  102  and especially the features of the latter which define flow passages enabling fluids to be poured from the containers  6  and  8  when the valve  110  is in any one of several open positions, and the valve operator  104 , and all other structure necessary for successful valve operation as described herein. 
         [0028]    When the valve  110  is rotated such that an opening  126  formed therein is aligned with the fluid passage  124  and with another opening  128  located out of alignment with the fluid passage  122 , fluid contents may flow or be poured from the fluid container  8 . When the opening  128  is aligned with the fluid passage  122 , fluid contents may be poured from the fluid container  6 . When the openings  126 ,  128  are aligned respectively with the fluid passages  122 ,  124 , fluids may be poured simultaneously from both fluid containers  6  and  8 . Fine adjustment of the valve  110  may be made to modify the degree of opening of the fluid passages  122 ,  124  when it is desired to have unequal flow from the fluid containers  6 ,  8 . Therefore, the valve assembly is disposed to selectively open the first passage  122 , the second passage  124 , or both the first passage  122  and the second passage  124  simultaneously. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing  102  may comprise a first pour spout  130  disposed to direct fluid being poured from the pour orifice  2  and a second pour spout  132  disposed to direct fluid being poured from the pour orifice  4 . Of course, the pour spout feature may be arranged in other ways. For example, and referring to  FIG. 4 , pour spouts  234 ,  236  may be siamesed, being joined at a common wall  238  which separates flows of fluid along the length of the two pour spouts  234 ,  236 . The pour spouts  234 ,  236  may be located in alignment with passages  222 ,  224  which may be formed as part of a closure device  200  which, apart from the details of the siamesed pour spouts  234 ,  236 , may be the structural and functional equivalent of the closure device  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0030]    In a further alternative shown in  FIG. 5 , a single pour spout  334  may span and receive fluid from the two passages  322 ,  324  of a closure device  300  which, apart from the details of the single pour spout  334 , may be the structural and functional equivalent of the closure device  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0031]    Thus far, the invention has been described in terms of rotary valve operation. It will be appreciated that other arrangements are possible. For example, a valve assembly may be linearly movable, as seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . A closure device  400  is seen to engage two fluid containers  6 ,  8  and to enable one passage  422 , a second passage  424 , or both passages  422 ,  424  simultaneously to be opened to flow. 
         [0032]    The closure device  400  may comprise a housing  402  having an internal channel (not shown) which receives a linearly movable slide valve  410  to be received in close cooperation therewithin such that the valve  410  may be slid linearly along the length of the housing  402 . The direction of slide of the valve  410  is indicated by an arrow B in  FIG. 7 . The valve  410  may comprise a valve operator in the form of a tab  404  which may be grasped by finger when sliding the valve  410  to its various operative positions. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the valve  410  has been moved to a position wherein an opening  426  formed in the valve  410  is in partial alignment with a fluid passage  424  formed in the housing  402 . It will be seen from  FIG. 6  that the fluid passage  422  is in alignment with a socket  416  which may engage and retain the fluid container  6  in the same way as that of the socket  116  of  FIG. 2 . Similarly, a socket  418  may engage and retain the fluid container  8  in the same way as that of the socket  118 . Hence in the example of  FIG. 7 , flow from the fluid container  8  may occur. The degree of opening of the fluid passage  424  may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the valve  410  along the housing  402 . 
         [0034]    The housing  402  is sufficiently long as to enable the valve  410  to be moved such that the opening  426  may be aligned with the fluid passage  424  of the housing  402 , and also so that the opening  428  may be aligned with the fluid passage  422 , or such that the openings  426 ,  428  may be simultaneously aligned with the fluid passages  422 ,  424  to enable simultaneous opening of and flow from both fluid containers  6  and  8 . 
         [0035]    The closure devices  100  and  400  may be utilized both with separate fluid containers such as the fluid containers  6  and  8 , or alternatively, with a single fluid container divided into dual compartments.  FIG. 8  shows how the closure device  100  may be utilized with a dual compartment container  60  having a first compartment  62  and a second compartment  64  separated by an internal wall  66 . Apart from connection in common of the first compartment  62  and the second compartment  64 , the dual compartment container may have pour orifices which are structural and functional equivalents of the pour orifices  2 ,  4 . Therefore, the invention may be thought of as a dual compartment container such as the dual compartment container  60  and a closure device such as the closure devices  100  or  400  for controlling a plurality of pour orifices of the dual compartment container. Obviously, the closure devices  100  and  400  may be provided with any of the pour spout arrangements shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5  when utilized with separate fluid containers such as the fluid containers  6  and  8 , or with a dual compartment container such as the dual compartment container  60 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  shows a variation on the dual compartment container of  FIG. 8 . Notably, a dual compartment container  160  may have a first compartment  162  and a second compartment  164  separated by a common internal wall  166 . Each compartment  162 ,  164  may have a respective pour orifice  168  or  169 . The pour orifices  168 ,  170  are separate from one another, and can be closed by separate caps or by a common cap having accommodation of two spaced apart pour orifices (neither cap arrangement is shown). 
         [0037]      FIG. 10  shows a further variation wherein a dual compartment container  170  has a first compartment  172  and a second compartment  174  separated by a common internal wall  176 . Respective pour spouts  178 ,  180  of the first and second compartments  172 ,  174  are siamesed along their full extent by the common internal wall  176 . The pour spouts  178 ,  180  could be closed by a common cap  182 . The cap  182  could be rotatable about the pour spouts  178 , 180  so as to vary the proportion of the cross sectional area of an outlet opening  184  of the cap  182  which is exposed to each of the pour spouts  178 ,  180 . 
         [0038]    The dual compartment containers  160  and  170  both enables the user to vary the proportion of two fluids being poured simultaneously from the respective dual compartment containers  160  or  170  at his or her discretion. The invention may therefore be thought of as a method of dispensing a fluid having two discrete fluid components, one stored within each of the compartments of the dual compartment container, or as a method of controlling constituency of the mixed fluids. Controlling constituency would of course include the step of adjusting a cap so as to establish desired proportions of the two fluids. The novel apparatus enables this proportioning to be accomplished while still requiring fluid containers which bear characteristics of ordinary consumer receptacles. Moreover, the method may be thought of in terms of storing two fluids separately and subsequently selectively dispensing one fluid or two fluids in predetermined ratio. 
         [0039]    The invention may also be thought of as an assembly of a plurality of fluid containers in combination with a closure device for holding the plurality of fluid containers together and controlling the pour orifices of the fluid containers. The combination may comprise for example either of the closure devices  100  or  400 , together with fluid containers such as the fluid containers  6  and  8 . 
         [0040]    The present invention has been described in terms of one closure device such as the closure devices  100  and  400 , operating in conjunction with two fluid containers such as the fluid containers  6  and  8 . It would be possible to modify a closure device of the present invention to accommodate working with more than two fluid containers (this option is not shown). For example, a closure device could be increased in dimensions and provided with additional sockets such as the sockets  116  and  118 , and with additional passages such as the passages  122  and  124 . The valve of a closure device could be provided with only two openings such as the openings  126  and  128 , or may have a number of openings equal to the number of passages of its associated housing. 
         [0041]    The present invention is susceptible to other modifications and variations which may be introduced thereto without departing from the inventive concepts. For example, sizes of the various valve openings may be varied so as to be unequal, to enable that fluids be poured in ratios other than one-to-one. 
         [0042]    In addition, configuration of the housing, such as the housing  102 , may depart from the circular and straight designs shown and described herein. A housing may be arcuate, with the valve being operated by a tab to move arcuately rather than linearly, for example. 
         [0043]    Also, while the fluid containers have been depicted as glass bottles, the invention contemplates other types of containers. For example, containers may be fabricated from metal, plastic, waxed paper, and others. Pour orifices formed in containers may project in directions other than straight along the axis of the container. For example, many waxed paper containers have integrated plastic pour orifices disposed on an inclined upper panel of the container. The present invention may be adapted to work with any of these types of containers. 
         [0044]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible