Reusable beverage container

Abstract

A beverage container has a body with a hollow interior. A spout is positioned at one end of the body and is configured to selectively dispense liquid from the interior of the body. The body also has a closed end opposite the one end. A seam is formed on the body between a first body section and a second body section and the two body sections are separable from one another along the seam. A liquid-tight seal is formed along the seam. Each body section is configured to define a part of the hollow interior of the body and to directly contact a liquid held in the hollow interior. A mechanism on the container can be manipulated to secure the body sections together sufficient to maintain the liquid-tight seal along the seam and to permit separation of the two body sections exposing their respective interior surfaces.

1 . A beverage container comprising:
 a body having an upper end, a lower end, a liquid containing hollow interior, and two body sections that can be separated from one another, each of the two body sections having an interior surface that defines a portion of the hollow interior of the body;   a seam formed between the two body sections when assembled;   a liquid-tight seal along the seam;   a drinking spout near the upper end of the body; and   a mechanism on the body that removably secures the two body sections together sufficient to maintain the liquid-tight seal and that can be manipulated to permit separation of the two body sections exposing their respective interior surfaces.   
   
   
       2 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the seam extends around a perimeter of the body from the upper end to the lower end. 
   
   
       3 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the two body sections is a male section and has a primary wall and a perimeter rim extending from an edge of the primary wall and the other of the two body sections is a female section and also has a primary wall and a perimeter rim extending from an edge of the primary wall, wherein the perimeter rim of the female section overlaps and is received over a portion of the perimeter rim of the male section when the body is assembled. 
   
   
       4 . A beverage container according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a gasket interposed between the perimeter rim of the female section and the perimeter rim of the male section to assist in creating the liquid-tight seal between the male and female sections when assembled.   
   
   
       5 . A beverage container according to  claim 4 , wherein the gasket creates a dual seal arrangement when the male and female sections are assembled. 
   
   
       6 . A beverage container according to  claim 4 , wherein the gasket comprises:
 a bead projecting from a surface of the gasket and extending around the gasket, wherein the bead interferingly wipes along a surface of the perimeter rim of one of the male or female sections as the body is assembled and remains pressed against the perimeter rim when the body is assembled; and   a shoulder exposed on another part of the gasket and extending around the gasket, wherein an exposed edge of the perimeter rim of the one male or female section bears against and compresses the shoulder when the body is assembled.   
   
   
       7 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the seam extends around a perimeter of the body from the upper end to the lower end, and wherein the mechanism includes at least one fastener installed through an opening in one of the two body sections and connects the two body sections together, and wherein the at least one fastener can be removed to either expose the opening through which the hollow interior of the body can be filled with a liquid or to permit separation of the two body sections. 
   
   
       8 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism further comprises:
 a pair of fasteners installed through a respective pair of openings in one of the two body sections and connecting the two body sections together, the pair of fasteners extending in a direction generally normal to the orientation of the seam, wherein the pair of fasteners can be removed to permit separation of the two body sections, and wherein at least one of the pair of fasteners can be removed to expose the corresponding opening through which the hollow interior of the body can be filled with a liquid.   
   
   
       9 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flexible strap having a pair of opposed ends, each end attachable to a side of the body, and wherein the strap can be attached to the body in a position extending over and spaced upward from the drinking spout near the upper end of the body and can be pivoted downward to provide access to the drinking spout.   
   
   
       10 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pair of strap connectors, one each carried on opposite sides of the body near the upper end;   a flexible strap having a pair of opposed ends; and   an opening provided in each of the opposed ends of the strap,   wherein the combination of the openings and the pair of connectors permits the strap to be installed in a plurality of different arrangements on the body, and wherein the plurality arrangements include 1) the pair of opposed ends each connected to a respective one of the connectors with the strap extending over and spaced upward from the drinking spout, 2) the pair of opposed ends each connected to a respective one of the connectors with the strap extending over and in contact with part of the drinking spout when in a closed position, and 3) the pair of opposed ends each connected to the same connector on one side of the bottle.   
   
   
       11 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein both of the two body sections are formed of a substantially rigid material and wherein one of the two body sections has a hole through a wall of the one body section below the drinking spout and above the lower end of the body, and wherein a flexible bellows is coupled to the one body section, covers the hole, and is configured to be squeezed inward toward the hollow interior of the body. 
   
   
       12 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the drinking spout is a push-pull spout received in a neck carried on only one of the two body sections. 
   
   
       13 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism comprises:
 at least one bolt with a hollow shaft, the at least one bolt removably securing the two body sections together, and wherein an interior of the hollow shaft is in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the body when the body is assembled.   
   
   
       14 . A beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism comprises:
 a pair of receivers carried on the interior surface of one of the two body sections, each receiver carrying helical threads;   a pair of openings in a wall of the other of the two body sections;   a pair of guide tubes projecting from the interior surface of the other body section, each one aligned with one of the pair of openings; and   a pair of bolts each received through a respective one of the pairs of openings and guide tubes, the pair of bolts each having helical threads that mechanically engage the helical threads of a respective one of the pair of receivers when the body is assembled.   
   
   
       15 . A beverage container according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the pair of receivers telescopically engages a respective one of the pair of guide tubes when the body is assembled. 
   
   
       16 . A beverage container comprising:
 a body having an upper end, a lower end, and a liquid containing hollow interior, wherein the majority of the body is formed of a substantially rigid material;   a push-pull spout at the upper end of the body configurable to dispense liquid from the hollow interior when pulled out;   a hole in the body between the push-pull spout and the lower end, the hole having a perimeter; and   a flexible bellows coupled to the body around the perimeter of the hole and covering the hole in the body, wherein the flexible bellows can be pushed into the body toward the hollow interior to dispense liquid from the push-pull spout when pulled out.   
   
   
       17 . A beverage container according to  claim 16 , wherein the flexible bellows is molded to the body around a perimeter of the hole. 
   
   
       18 . A beverage container according to  claim 16 , wherein the body has two body sections that can be separated from one another, each body section having an interior surface that defines a portion of the hollow interior of the body. 
   
   
       19 . A beverage container according to  claim 18 , wherein the body has a side-to-side width dimension and a height dimension from the upper end to the lower end, and wherein the body has a front-to-back depth between primary walls of the two body sections that is less than the width and height dimensions. 
   
   
       20 . A beverage container assembly comprising:
 a body having an upper end, a lower end, a pair of opposed sides, and a liquid containing hollow interior, the body having a profile depth between the pair of opposed sides that is thinner than a width across the pair of opposed sides and a length relative to the upper end and the lower end;   a drinking spout near the upper end of the body; and   at least one device removably installed in an opening in one of the opposed sides, wherein the device can be opened or removed to expose the opening through which the hollow interior of the body can be filled with a liquid with the body oriented generally horizontally.