Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
This invention relates to containers and more
particularly to containers of the type holding material in solid
form into which fiuid is added to form a liquid preparation.
Such containers are useful for making beverages, such as coffee,
tea and soup, and also for mixing pharmaceutical products.
; 20 Containers of this general type are known in the art
` in which a material in a solid form to be mixed with a liquid is
located in the bottom of the container and then sealed with a
cover. For example, United States Patents Nos. 3,407,922 to
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Palmer and 1,709,168 to Eppenson, describe containers in which
the cover is of cardboard or paper and it is removed by pulling
on a tab,which is accessible from the open top of the container.
In the containers of these patents, and other similar prior art,
` after the cover for the material is removed and the liquid is
added, it is usually necessary to stir the contents of the
container to dissolve the solid material. The ~ixed preparation
is then extracted through the container's open top. Usually,
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the open top is of relatively wide diameter making it
comparatively easy for the mixed preparation to spill out
where the container is used in moving vehicles, such as
aircraft, cars, trains and buses. Further, the prior art
containers generally have a bottom of smaller diameter than
the top. This also makes the container susceptible to
tipping over when used in moving vehicles.
The present invention relates to a novel and improved
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container of the type holding solid material which is to be
- 10 dissolved upon the addition of a liquid and which does not
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require the removal of a paper or cardboard type seal to
expose the material to be dissolved. Further, an arrangement
is provided wherein the mixed contents are taken out of the
bottom of the container instead of the top.
In one embodiment of the invention, the material is
located in the bottom portion of the container and held by a
member. An opening is formed in the bottom of the container
and this opening is closed off by a seal which can be taken
off. A lid is also provided and, in use, liquid is poured
into the container through its open top which is then sealed
by the lid. The liquid in the container dissolves the material
and the container is inverted. After the container is inverted,
the seal on the bottom wall is removed to expose the opening
and the mixed contents are extracted through the opening. The
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container can now be rested on the lid which can be constructed
to provide a firm base. Since the opening at the bottom of
the container is preferably made small, the container contents
are prevented from spilling out if the container is moved.
Particular features of embodiments of the present
invention are:
a) to provide a novel container holding material which is to
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be mixed with a liquid with the contents of the container
being extracted through an opening in the bottom of the
container after the top has been covered with a lid;
b) to provide a container holding material to be mixed with
a liquid in which the mixing can take place without the
use of a mixing implement;
c) to provide a container in which the material to be mixed
, is held adjacent the container bottom wall by a soluble
- sealing membrane;
~) to provide a container having an opening in its bottom
wall which is sealed, the container being provided with
a lid which permits it to be inverted and the contents
extracted through the opening in the bottom wall after
the seal has been removed; and
e) to provide a container which can be rested in an inverted
position on its lid and the contents extracted through
an opening in the bottom wall.
According to one aspect of the present invention there
is provided in combination a container having a bottom wall
and a side wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall
having an upper edge forming a normally open top for the
: container through which liquid can be placed into the
container, a quantity of a liquid dissolvable material
within said container, a lid for covering the open top of
the container to permit the material to be dissolved by the
; liquid and mixed when the container is inverted, an opening
formed in the container bottom wall through which the liquid
and dissolved material can be extracted, and removable means
for sealing said bottom wall opening.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become more apparenk upon reference to the following
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specification and annexed drawings, in which:
! Fig. 1 is an exploded view, in cross-section, of the
container and lid according to a preferred embodiment of
. the invention;
. Fig. lA is a view of another type of member for holding
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the dissolvable material;
Fig. 2 is an elevational view in cross-section showing
the lid assembled to the container;
Fig. 3 is an elevational view in cross-section showing
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the container inverted;
Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the container showing the
seal;
Fig. 5 shows the container in drinking position;
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~ig. 6 is a cross-scc~iOnal view showing a further
embodiment of a container acco~din~ to the invention;
Fig. 7 is an elevatiOn~l view in cross-sectiOn showing
the container of Fig. 6 with its lid assembledi
Fig. ~ shows the container of Fig. 6 in the inverted
pOSition and the bottom wall seal member removed;
Fig. 9 is a view showing the stacking of several
containers;and
Fig. 10 is an elevational view, partly in cross-section
showing the container stacked on a serving plate.
Referring to Figs. 1 through 5, the container 10 of the
-~ preferred embodiment of the invention is generally barrel-shaped
having an upper end 14 which tapers down to a narrow bottom portion
terminating in a bottom wall 12. The container's upper end 14
is preferably of greater diameter than the bottom wall 12.
A locking rib 16 is formed around the upper end 14.
-~ The locking rib tapers from a minimum to a maximum thickness
going toward the bottom of the container. If desired, the
; bottom wall 17 of locking rib 16 can be undercut to provide a
more secure lock for a lid.
A step 18 is formed around the interior of the ~;
container wall at a point above bottom wall 12. Step 18 serves
two functions. First, it provides a stacking lug, or platform,
so that a number of containers 10 can be stacked, or nested,
one above the other. The stacking arrangement is conventional.
Second, the step 18 provides an area for peripheral sealing of
a disa 20. This is described in detail below.
The container 10 can be made of any suitable material, -
for example, plastic which is either injection-molded,
blow-molded, or thermoormed. Any conventional type of solid,
foamed or cellular plastic material can be used.
An opening 24 is formed in the container bottom wall
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12. This can bc done during or after the molaing of~the container. ~
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1 ~s seen in Fig. 4, thc opening 24 is generally oval, or
elliptical, in shape and is spaced inwardly from the
peripheral edge of the bottom wall. The opening 24 is
covered by a seal 26 which can be made of any suitable
material, such as, for example paper, metal foil, plastic,
etc. The seal 26 is attached to the bottom wall by any
suitable adhesive, preferably one which is approved for use
with foods. A tab 27 extends from the seal. The tab 27
preferably ~lears the outer edge of bottom wall 12 as shown in
- 10 Figs. 1 and 2.
The material 30 which is to be dissolved is located
in the bottom of the container and sealed therein by the disc -
20. The dissolvable material 30 can be of any suitable type,
for example, instant tea, instant coffee, boullion, soup,
; 15 sugar, cream, etc., or any combination thereof. Also, pharma-
ceutical products can be used. The various material can be in
their normal forms or they can be micro-encapsulated as is
known in the art. The ~aterial 30 can be in loose or cake form.
The sealing disc 20 is preferably made of a food
material which will dissolve when a liquid is placed in the
container. A suitable material is, for example, a starch base
material sold under the name EDIFLEX which is manufactured by the
~merican rlaize-Products Company, of New York, New York 10017.
;~ This material is a soluble, edible and digestible film made from
high amylose corn starch. Other suitable materials can be used.
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This material is shaped, such as by cutting it into a disc, and is
sealed to the step 18 by a combination of liquid, pressure and
heat. That is, the periphery of the disc, or the step 18, is
moistened. The disc is placed on the step and heat and pressure
is applied. The peripheral portion of the disc to which the
heat is applied fuses to the step 18. This can be done by
automatic packaging machinery. As an alternative to the type of
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1 sealing discus~ed above, where the solublc material formin~ the
disc 20 has sufficient strength to give adequate rigidity, the
disc can be friction fitted within the container.
A lid 34 for the container is of a complcmentary
shape to the container top 14. The lid has a central bellows
portion 3S in its top wall which extends downwardly in a generally
concave shape from a peripheral ring 39. A skirt wall 36
extends downwardly from the outer edge of ring 39 and has a
reverse bent leg 37 from which extends a locklng rim 38. As seen
in Fig. S, the height o the skirt wall 36 is made large enough to
accommodate one finger of the holder when the cup is in use. The
locking rim 38 terminates in an inwardly extending lip 41. The
lid is preferably made of plastic by any suitable process such
as molding or thermoforming.
When the lid 34 is placed over the open top end 14
of the container, the sealing rim 38 snaps over the rib 16 on
the container and ~he lip 41 locks under the rib bottom wall 17
~o form a first sealing area on the outside of the container.
The sealing rim 38 also has an upper channel member 38a which
includes a part of the reverse bent leg 37. As seen in Fig. 2,
;~ the upper wall of the channel 38a engages the top edge of the
container while the channel side walls engage the inner and
outer walls of the container at its top and holds the container
material under compression in a pinching manner. When fully
fastened to the container, the lid sealing rim 38 conforms to
the shape of the container rib 16 and there are no projections
, extending outwardly from the lid. This forms a fluid tight
seal or liquid in the container.
~ The bottom of the concave bellows 35 terminates below
- 30 the channel 38a of the lid locking rim 38 so that the bellow's
- bottom would normally extend below the top edge of the container
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into its interior.
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- 1 In use, as sho~n in Fic~. 2, the lid bellows 35
expands outwardly to a convex shape when the lid is fastened
to the container due to the air captured in the container
between the top surface of the liquid and the lower surface of
the bellows~ In its expanded state the bellows 35 terminates
below the ring 39 on the top of the lid so that the inverted
container can be rested on the ring 39. The bellows 35 also
- gives a visible signal that the lid has been properly placed
on the container. That is, if the bellows does not change its
shape from concave to convex, the user will know that the lid is
not ully fastened down.
Figs. 2, 3 and 5 depict the use of the container.
Liquid is poured in through the open top 14 and it dissolves
~- the sealing disc 20 and also infuses with the material 30. The
lid 34 is then applied, as shown in Fig. 2, and the bellows
changes to a convex shape. The container is now sealed both
- on the top and bottom. Therefore, mixing of the container
contents can take place by shaking the container or, by inverting
it one or more times. When it is desired to remove the liquid
into which the material 30 is now infused, the container is
e2ther held in the inverted position or set down on the ring
39 of the lid. The user pulls on the tab 27 of the seal 26
to either take it off entirely or to peel it back sufficiently
to expose all or a portion of the opening 24. The seal 26 provides
' 25 a sanitary advantage in that the opening 24 is always covered
until the seal is removed.
- ~ The u~er extracts the contents of the container, as
shown in Fig. 5, by drinking through the opening 24. The
spacing of the opening 24 with respect to the container side
30 wall is made such that the mouth and nose of the user can be
accommodated whcn the containcr is held in a drinking position.
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1 The contents of thc con~ainer also can be c~tracted
by a straw. If desired, a part of the seal 26 can be weakened
so tha~ a straw can be inserted through it without taking off
the entire seal. This further aids in keeping contaminants
out of the liquid and, also, retards spilling. ~s Shown in
Fig. 5, the tapered container side wall permits the nose of
the user to clear the bottom wall.
When the container is in use and the seal 26 has
been peeled off, the container, with the contents therein, can
be rested on the rim 39 of the lid to provide a stable surface
for the container and its contents. Only the relatively small
opening 24 is now present so that even if the container is jostled
in a manner such that the liquid will slosh around, it will be
very ~ifficult for any of the contents to come out through the
opening 24. In addition to its self-mixing feature for the
- material 30, the mechanical arrangement described above makes
- the container particularly useful in applications where there
is move~ment, for example, trains, aircraft, cars and buses.
The material 30 can be packed and contained in the
same manner as previously described but using a perforated shield,
` which stays ridgidly fixed in place of the soluble disc 20. The
shield 20a, as shown in Fig. lA is of foraminous material and is
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flat, at least semi-rigid in form. It is made of metal, plastic
or woven wire, all with non-toxic properties wherein the holes in
25 the member are of lesser size than the granular or crystaline ~ -
materials 30 that are restrained by it.
~- The liquid to be mixed with the dissolvable material 30
passes freely through the perforated disc thereby causing the
; crystaline or granular dissolvable material to change its substance
30 and flow freely back into the main body of the container. The
shield can be pressed flat or otherwise adhered to the containcr.
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1 The perforations or weave of the shicld 20a arc such :~
as to permit the mixed fluid to pass frccly through it at a rate
- greater than the speed of consumption by the drlnker.
; Figs. 6-8 show a further em~odiment of the invention.
l~ere, instead of packing the material to be mixed directly in
contact with the bottom wall of a container 58, a thimble type
device 60 is used. The thimble 60 is made of a non-toxic
material acceptable for food use. The thimble has a flanged wall
62 at the bottom of a generally cylindrical wall 64 within which
the material 30 is located. The top of the cylinder 64 is sealed
, off by a disc 66 which can be of the same material as the disc 20
previously described. It is also possible for the entire thimble
to be made of the same material, The cylinder 64 extends in
through the opening 68 in the container bottom wall 12. The
. 15 opening 68 conforms to the shape of wall 64. Adhesive is prefer-
ably located on the flanged portion of bottom wall 62 to secure
- the thimble to the bottom wall.
In the embodiment of Figs. 6-8 a step, such as 18 of
Fig. 1, is not provided on the inner wall of container 58.
Stacking of the containers is accomplished merely by nesting the
containers one within the other. A bead 59 is formed around
the upper end of the container's side wall to hold a lid.
A lid 70 is provided which has a flat top wall 71
;~ from which depends a skirt wall 72. A reverse bent sealing lip
74 terminates the skirt wall. Lip 74 is designed to snap over
the sealing bead 59.
- The use of the container 58 is depicted in Figs. 7
and 8. Liquid is poured into the open top of the container
dissolving the seal 66 so that the material 30 is mixed with the
liquid. A shield of the type 20a discussed previously, also can
be used. The lid 70 is fastened over the open top of the con-
tainer which then can bc shakcn or invcrted scveral timcs to
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1 completely mix the fluid and the material. After the mixing
has taken place, the thimble 60 is pulled out of the opening 68
so that the contents may be extracted therethrough. As before,
the top wall 71 of lid 72 provides a stable surface for stand-
ing the container while it is inverted.
Fig. 9 shows another form of lid 70a for the containerhaving a depressed center section 71a. The depressed section 71a
corresponds to the shape of the bottom of the container so that
containers can be stac~ed one on top of the other. As the angle
of the bottom of the container is increassed, that is, the con-
tainer is made shorter, it will fit further into the lid. The
lid is shaped accordingly. This permits more containers to be
stacked in a smaller space. The containers can be stacked after
filling but before drinking.
The container of Figs. 6-8 has the same advantages
~- as that of Figs. 1-5. Both containers are relatively strong,
,
; are easy to hold due to their shape and provide rapid preparation
of any beverage or other preparation using pre-measured
quantities o~ material. Supplements can be added to any of the
beverages produced, i.e., additional sugar, cream, etc. The
containers are compatible for use with vending machines and -
reduce the cost of mechanisms for these machines since the
beverage materials are already in the container. The containers
are advantageously used in applications where there is movement
or in other situations such as in hospitals where the relatively ~;
small opening at the bottom of the container reduces the
possibility of spillage. The opening at the bottom of the
container also effectively strains ice and slush and prevents
it from entering the mouth where a cold beverage is mixed.
Fig. 10 shows the container of the subject invention
used in combination with a serving mcmber, such as a plate or
tray, 80, which can be of any size or shape. The serving mcmb~r
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1 80 is preferably made of plastic matcrial by any suitable process,
for example, molding or thermoforming, and includes a projection
82 of complementary shape to the depression in the lid. The
projection 82 is illustratively shown of a shapc cornplementary
to the lid depression 71a of the container of Fig. 9. It should
be understood, of course, that the projection can be made
complementary to the shape of the lid of Figs. 1-4. The pro-
jection 82 need not extend all of the way up into the lid de-
pression Also, it can be segmented or itself have a depressed
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;- 10 central portion.
` A~ter the contents of the container have been mixed,
the container is placed on the projection 82 as shown in Fig. 10
and it interlocks with the projection. The serving member 80 can
' hold any suitable articles such as food. The interlocking of the
lid to the projection provides a very high degree of stability
to the container since its base is now effectively the entire
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serving member. The container can be readily removed from and
replaced onto the projection on the serving member.
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