Dispensing – Plural sources – compartment – containers and/or spaced jacket – With common discharge
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-05
2001-08-07
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Plural sources, compartment, containers and/or spaced jacket
With common discharge
C222S129000, C222S153060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269979
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging. More specifically, the invention relates to packaging that is designed to first segregate and then mix dissimilar ingredients within a chamber at a time of the user's choice. Even more specifically, it relates to a package having an inner, frangible container holding a first material and a second outer container surrounding the first container that holds a second material. When the first container is broken open, the user can simply shake the outer container to mix the materials together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many products on the market that have dissimilar ingredients or components that need to be mixed together prior to use. In many cases, there is a window of time subsequent to this mixing in which the product needs to be used. Examples of this type of product are in cosmetics, such as hair coloring or dye, epoxies, glues, resins and the like, soaps or lotions with fragrance or antibacterial ingredients, fiber supplements such as Metamucil™, feminine hygiene products, such as douches and the like, pharmaceuticals such as novocaine or penicillin, and various powdered vitamin or food supplements. In all these cases, separate elements or materials need to be mixed together prior to use. The present invention provides a simple, unitary device that allows for storage and transportation of disparate materials and an easy activation routine to mix these elements together at the desired time for dispensing or use. During a search at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a number of relevant patents were uncovered and they are discussed below.
First is U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,913 issued on Mar. 12, 1996 to Denny D. Baker. This describes a mixing bag and method. Unlike the present invention, there is no teaching of a frangible container disposed within another.
Next is U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,636 issued to Hiroki Fukuoka et al. on Nov. 26, 1996. This discloses a multi-tube container with breakable connections and is clearly dissimilar from the present invention. There is no teaching of the novel interiorly contained and anchored frangible tube required by the instant invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,712 issued on Oct. 5, 1993 to Jean-Pierre Lontrade et al. This is a package for altering the composition of a liquid. A lock chamber sliding in the neck of a bottle allows for the liquid carried inside to be purified and dispensed. This is clearly unlike the present invention by not having any mention of separate material containing chambers for mixing ingredients together at a desired time.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,548 issued on Jul. 7, 1992 to Michel Brunet et al. This describes a medicinal spray device with two compartments separated by a puncturable membrane. Unlike the present invention, the separating membrane is not broken by applying torque, but is punctured.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,142 issued to Elio and Josephine DiPalma on Sep. 21, 1993 discloses a device for storing a pair of products separately and subsequently mixing them. Referring to the embodiment described in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 the differences between DiPalma et al. and the present invention are:
1) In the instant invention, the frangible interiorly contained compartment is permanently anchored to the base of the larger compartment.
2) The novel engagement means between the interior of the cap and the top of the interiorly contained compartment is not taught by DiPalma et al.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container. In the preferred embodiment, the larger outer bottle surrounds and is attached to the inner compartment or chamber that is preferably a generally cylindrical enclosure having helically oriented scores or striations. This cylindrical inner enclosure is attached at its base to the outer bottle and is engaged and broken open by the closure assembly. The closure assembly consists of a threaded cap attached to an inner enclosure engagement arm. A removable security ring is initially located between the bottom of the threaded cap and the outer bottle shoulder. After this ring is removed, the user tightens the cap all the way down, bringing the inner enclosure engagement arm into contact with anchored cylindrical inner enclosure. As the cap is twisted, the inner enclosure breaks along the scored lines due to the torque, and the material contained within the inner enclosure is released into the outer bottle. The user may then shake or otherwise agitate the outer bottle to mix the different materials together.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container that segregates dissimilar materials that then need to be mixed together prior to use.
It is another object of the invention to provide a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container where the one of the materials to be mixed is contained in an inner compartment anchored to the bottom of a larger outer compartment.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container where the threaded cap of the larger outer container includes a safety strap located between the cap itself and the shoulder of the bottle, to prevent the inadvertent engagement of the inner compartment.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container where, when the safety strap is removed and the threaded cap is screwed down all the way to the shoulder of the outer container, engagement means on the cap transmits torque to the inner compartment, breaking it and releasing the material held therein into the outer container.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container where the inner compartment is cylindrical and frangible, having a helically shaped score or striation running around it.
It is again an object of the invention to provide a multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container where the engagement means between the screw cap and the inner compartment are a series of interlocking gear teeth brought into engagement with one another as the cap is tightened.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3255926 (1966-06-01), Modderno
patent: 3856138 (1974-12-01), Maekawa et al.
patent: 3964643 (1976-06-01), Morane et al.
patent: 4693366 (1987-09-01), Goncalves
patent: 5127548 (1992-07-01), Brunet et al.
patent: 5246142 (1993-09-01), DiPalma et al.
patent: 5249712 (1993-10-01), Lontrade et al.
patent: 5421483 (1995-06-01), Parise
patent: 5497913 (1996-03-01), Baker
patent: 5577636 (1996-11-01), Fukuoka et al.
patent: 3644483 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 8301936 (1983-06-01), None
Kaufman Joseph A.
Siemens Patent Services LC
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