Multi-chamber container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409696-B2
Application number	US-201214443601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2012
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a multi-chamber container for dispensing flowable substances, comprising: a body having: a first storage chamber for storing a first flowable substance, a second storage chamber for storing a second flowable substance, a mixing chamber, a first inlet that fluidly connects the first storage chamber with a first portion of the mixing chamber, and a second inlet that fluidly connects the second storage chamber with a second portion of the mixing chamber; and a closure having a divider, wherein the closure is movable relative to the body between: (a) a first position, at which the divider isolates the first portion of the mixing chamber from the second portion of the mixing chamber and the closure is spaced from the first and second inlets, and (b) a second position, at which the first portion of the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the second portion of the mixing chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-chamber container for dispensing flowable substances, comprising:
a body having:
a first storage chamber for storing a first flowable substance,
a second storage chamber for storing a second flowable substance,
a mixing chamber,
a first inlet that fluidly connects the first storage chamber with a first portion of the mixing chamber, and
a second inlet that fluidly connects the second storage chamber with a second portion of the mixing chamber; and

a closure having a divider, wherein the closure is movable relative to the body between:
(a) a first position, at which the divider isolates the first portion of the mixing chamber from the second portion of the mixing chamber and the closure is spaced from the first and second inlets, and
(b) a second position, at which the first portion of the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the second portion of the mixing chamber.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the closure isolates the mixing chamber from an exterior of the container.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the exterior of the container.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein an interior wall of the mixing chamber has a groove for receiving a portion of the divider when the closure is at the first position.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the mixing chamber is free of the divider.

6. The container of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber is defined by a wall, and wherein each of the first and second inlets comprises a protrusion protruding into the mixing chamber, the protrusion having an internal passage in fluid communication with a respective one of the first and second storage chambers, which passage opens into the mixing chamber at an opening formed in the protrusion at a position spaced from the wall.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the closure is attached to the body.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the closure is attached to the body by a hinge.

9. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the closure is detached from the body.

10. The container of claim 1 , comprising a lock for locking the closure at the first position.

11. The container of claim 1 , comprising a first dip tube extending from the first inlet to the first storage chamber and a second dip tube extending from the second inlet to the second storage chamber.

12. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first and second storage chambers are defined by respective first and second vessels that are squeezable by a user to cause the first and second flowable substances to flow into the mixing chamber.

13. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first and second storage chambers are defined by respective non-unitary first and second vessels, and the mixing chamber is defined by a third vessel that is non-unitary with the first and second vessels and is attached to the first and second vessels.

14. The container of claim 13 , wherein the container comprises a base that is non-unitary with the first and second vessels, wherein the first and second vessels are disposed between the third vessel and the base.

15. The container of claim 14 , wherein the first and second vessels are disposed in parallel between the third vessel and the base.

16. The container of claim 1 , comprising a first member movable between a closed position, at which the first member seals the first inlet to isolate the first storage chamber from the mixing chamber, and an open position, at which the first storage chamber is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber,
a second member movable between a closed position, at which the second member seals the second inlet to isolate the second storage chamber from the mixing chamber, and an open position, at which the second storage chamber is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, and
wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the first and second members are prevented from moving to their respective closed positions.

17. The container of claim 16 , wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the closure contacts the first and second members to prevent the first and second members from moving to their respective closed positions.

18. The container of claim 16 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the first and second members are movable to their respective closed positions.

19. The container of claim 16 , wherein the first and second members are biased to their respective closed positions.

20. The container of claim 16 , wherein the first member comprises a first piston disposed in the first inlet and the second member comprises a second piston disposed in the second inlet.

21. The container of claim 1 , comprising a first apparatus configured, on operation thereof, to dispense from the first storage chamber via the first inlet into the first portion of the mixing chamber a first predetermined volume of the first flowable substance, and a second apparatus configured, on operation thereof, to dispense from the second storage chamber via the second inlet into the second portion of the mixing chamber a second predetermined volume of the second flowable substance.

22. The container of claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises a first cavity and a second cavity, and wherein the divider separates the first cavity from the second cavity.

23. The container of claim 22 wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the first portion of the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the first cavity of the closure and the second portion of the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the second cavity of the closure.

24. The container of claim 23 , wherein the first cavity has a first volume equal to or greater than the first predetermined volume, and the second cavity has a second volume equal to or greater than the second predetermined volume.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Carse Paul Donald

Classifications

• B65D81/325

  Containers having parallel or coaxial compartments, provided with a piston or a movable bottom for discharging contents · CPC title

• B65D35/242

  for mixing or discharging of two or more components · CPC title

• B65D43/16

  hinged for upward or downward movement · CPC title

• B65D51/24

  combined {or co-operating} with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes · CPC title

• B65D43/22

  Devices for holding in closed position, e.g. clips · CPC title