Dual cavity sports bottle with source selecting closure

Abstract

A dual cavity sports bottle employs two complementary bottle elements which mate together to form a generally cylindrical assembled container with a neck portion for dispensing the contacts. A closure holds the two bottle elements together forming a substantially cylindrical container and allows a user to select between consuming the contents of the first or the second bottle elements through two caps, each cap communicating with one bottle element, the caps extending at an angle from the closure.

1 . A sports bottle comprising: 
 a first bottle element;    a second bottle element complementary to the first bottle element and matingly engaging the first bottle element to form a substantially cylindrical container;    a closure engaging the first and second bottle elements and having two caps, each cap extending at an angle from the closure and communicating with an interior of one of said first and second bottle elements.    
   
   
       2 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein a web extends intermediate the two caps.  
   
   
       3 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 2  wherein the web is substantially perpendicular to the closure.  
   
   
       4 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 2  wherein the web incorporates an aperture.  
   
   
       5 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein the angles of extension of the two caps are coplanar.  
   
   
       6 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein the angles of extension of the two caps are compound.  
   
   
       7 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein the two caps are each rotatable to a desired angle.  
   
   
       8 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein the closure incorporates a first boss communicating with the first bottle element and a second boss communicating with the second bottle elements, the two caps each including a dispensing tube mountable in the first and second boss, respectively.  
   
   
       9 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein the first and second bottle elements each incorporating a first diameter body portion when engaged and a reduced diameter bottom portion, said first diameter body portion sized to be received in a first retention apparatus and the reduced diameter bottom portion sized to be received in a second retention apparatus.  
   
   
       10 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  wherein the first and second bottle elements are a first and second color and the two caps have a corresponding color for the element with which they communicate.  
   
   
       11 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 symmetrical indexing features proximate a neck portion of each element.    
   
   
       12 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 symmetrical indexing features proximate a bottom portion of each element.    
   
   
       13 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 11  wherein the neck portion of each element is threaded for engagement with the closure, said indexing features aligning said neck portions.  
   
   
       14 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 13  wherein the threaded neck portion incorporates a double start thread.  
   
   
       15 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a lanyard extending between a first engagement means proximate the closure and a second engagement means proximate the bottom of the mated matingly engaged elements.    
   
   
       16 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 15  wherein the first engagement means comprises a band having a tab with an aperture to receive a first end of the lanyard.  
   
   
       17 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 1  further comprising a bottom cap received over a bottom portion of the mated first and second elements.  
   
   
       18 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 17  wherein the bottom cap includes a tab with an aperture to receive a second end of a lanyard.  
   
   
       19 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 5  wherein in the angled caps extend within the circumferential profile of the cylindrical container formed by the mated first and second elements.  
   
   
       20 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 6  wherein in the angled caps extend within the circumferential profile of the cylindrical container formed by the mated first and second elements.  
   
   
       21 . A sports bottle comprising: 
 a first bottle element;    a second bottle element complementary to the first bottle element and matingly engaging the first bottle element;    the first and second bottle elements secured in mating engagement by a circumferential band.    
   
   
       22 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 21  wherein the first and second bottle elements each incorporate an indentation forming a reduced diameter waist in mated engagement and the circumferential band encircles the waist.  
   
   
       23 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 21  wherein the band is resilient and extendible over a nominal diameter section of the mated bottle elements.  
   
   
       24 . The sports bottle defined in  claim 22  wherein the band is resilient and extendible over a nominal diameter section of the mated bottle elements to be received in the waist.  
   
   
       25 . A sports bottle comprising: 
 a first bottle element;    a second bottle element complementary to the first bottle element and matingly engaging the first bottle element;    the first and second bottle elements each incorporating a first diameter body portion when engaged and a reduced diameter bottom portion, said first diameter body portion sized to be received in a first retention apparatus and the reduced diameter bottom portion sized to be received in a second retention apparatus.    
   
   
       26 . A sports bottle comprising: 
 a first bottle element of a first color having a pair of alignment features symmetrically displaced from a vertical centerline of the element and a double start threaded neck portion;    a second bottle element of a second color symmetrical with the first bottle element and matingly engaging the first bottle element, the first and second bottle elements each incorporating an indentation forming a reduced diameter waist in mated engagement;    a closure threadedly engaging the mated neck portions of the first and second elements, said closure having a first cap of the first color and a second cap of the second color, each cap extending at a compound angle from the closure and communicating within an interior of said first and second bottle elements having the corresponding color, the angled caps extending within the circumferential profile of the cylindrical container formed by the mated first and second elements; and,    a resilient circumferential band encircling the waist of the mated bottle elements    
   
   
       27 . A method for forming a closure for a sports bottle having a first bottle element; a second bottle element symmetrical with the first bottle element and matingly engaging the first bottle element comprising the steps of: 
 molding a closure element to be received over a neck portion of the mated first and second elements, said molded closure element having two bosses, each boss having an aperture and each aperture surrounded by a securing means;    molding two dispensing tubes, each tube having a mating securing means for engagement within the securing means surrounding one aperture.    
   
   
       28 . A method as defined in  claim 27  wherein the securing means surrounding each aperture comprises a snap ledge and the mating securing means comprises a snap groove.  
   
   
       29 . A method as defined in  claim 27  wherein the securing means surrounding each aperture comprises socket portion and the mating securing means comprises a ball portion for rotatable engagement.