Multi-chamber container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611077-B2
Application number	US-201214443592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2012
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

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 first outlet zone, a second outlet zone, a first inlet that fluidly connects the first storage chamber with the first outlet zone, a second inlet that fluidly connects the second storage chamber with the second outlet zone, a first apparatus configured, on operation thereof to dispense from the first storage chamber via the first inlet into the first outlet zone 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 outlet zone a second predetermined volume of the second flowable substance; and a closure having a first cavity, a second cavity, and a divider isolating the first cavity from the second cavity, wherein the closure is movable relative to the body between (a) a first position, at which the closure isolates the first and second outlet zones from an exterior of the container, the first outlet zone is in fluid communication with the first cavity of the closure, and the second outlet zone is in fluid communication with the second cavity of the closure, and (b) a second position, at which the first and second outlet zones are in fluid communication with the exterior of the container.

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 comprising a first outlet zone and a second outlet zone,
a first inlet that fluidly connects the first storage chamber with the first outlet zone,
a second inlet that fluidly connects the second storage chamber with the second outlet zone,
a first apparatus configured, on operation thereof, to dispense from the first storage chamber via the first inlet into the first outlet zone 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 outlet zone a second predetermined volume of the second flowable substance; and

a closure comprising a divider, the divider configured to fit within the mixing chamber to define the first and second outlet zones, wherein the closure is movable relative to the body between:
(a) a first position, at which the divider isolates the first and second outlet zones from each other and from an exterior of the container, and at which the closure operates the first and second apparatus such that the first outlet zone is in fluid communication with the first cavity of the closure, and the second outlet zone is in fluid communication with the second cavity of the closure, and
(b) a second position, at which the divider does not isolate the first and second outlet zones such that the first and second outlet zones are in fluid communication with each other and the exterior of the container, and at which the closure does not operate the first and second apparatus, such that the first outlet zone is not in fluid communication with the first cavity of the closure, and the second outlet zone is not in fluid communication with the second cavity of the closure.

2. 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 first outlet zone, and an open position, at which the first storage chamber is in fluid communication with the first outlet zone, and
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 second outlet zone, and an open position, at which the second storage chamber is in fluid communication with the second outlet zone.

3. The container of claim 2 , wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the first and second members are prevented from moving to their respective closed positions.

4. The container of claim 3 , 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.

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

6. The container of claim 2 , wherein the first and second members are biased to their respective closed positions.

7. The container of claim 2 , 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.

8. The container of claim wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the closure is spaced from the first and second inlets.

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

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

11. The container of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second inlets comprises a protrusion protruding into a respective one of the first and second outlet zones, 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 respective one of the first and second outlet zones at an opening formed in the protrusion.

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

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

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

15. 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 flowable substance to flow into the first outlet zone and the second flowable substance to flow into the second outlet zone.

16. 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.

17. The container of claim 16 , 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.

18. The container of claim 17 , wherein the first and second vessels are disposed in parallel between the third vessel and the base.

19. The container of claim 1 , wherein, when in the first position, the first outlet zone has a first volume equal to or greater than the first predetermined volume, and the second outlet zone has a second volume equal to or greater than the second predetermined volume.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Kolb Matthew Lee
• Crawford John C

Classifications

• B65D35/22 Primary

  with two or more compartments · CPC title

• B65D35/44

  Closures (closure members of interest apart from this application B65D39/00 - B65D55/00; forming bottom closures after filling B65B7/14) · CPC title

• B65D81/3283 Primary

  Cylindrical or polygonal containers, e.g. bottles, with two or more substantially axially offset, side-by-side compartments for simultaneous dispensing (B65D35/22, B65D35/242, B65D81/3227, B65D81/325 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D35/242

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