Beverage Container

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to beverage container (10) that includes a lower vessel (12) having a lower vessel neck (16), an upper vessel (22) that is attached to the lower vessel neck (16) and is sized and shaped to hold a liquid therein, a removable cap (40) that is attached to the upper vessel (22), a vessel seal (42) that serves as a liquid- tight barrier between the interior of the upper vessel (22) and the interior of the lower vessel (12), and a tether (44) attached to the vessel seal (42) at one end and the removable cap (40) at the other end. When the removable cap (40) is twisted or removed, it pulls on the tether (44), which pulls and releases the vessel seal (42), thereby allowing liquid from inside the upper vessel (22) to enter the interior of the lower vessel (12).

1 . A container comprising:
 a vessel including a first end, a second end distal to the first end, and a vessel wall extending from the first end to the second end, the first end, second end, and vessel wall defining an internal volume of the vessel;   a cap secured to the first end of the vessel; and   a seal removably-secured to the vessel wall, the seal being sized and positioned to span the internal volume when secured to the vessel wall and to separate the internal volume into a first portion and a second portion, the seal including a tether having a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the first end of the tether being attached to the seal and the second end of the tether being attached to the cap,   wherein the cap, the seal, and the tether are adapted to (a) allow the seal to remain secured to the vessel wall when the cap is in a first position at the first end of the vessel, (b) to cause the seal to at least partially separate from the vessel wall when the cap is moved to a second position, and (c) to allow the tether to remain attached to the seal and the cap when the cap is moved to the second position.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises an upper vessel located proximate to the first end of the vessel and a lower vessel located proximate to the second end of the vessel, the upper vessel including an upper vessel wall formed from a portion of the vessel wall that defines the first portion of the internal volume, the lower vessel including a lower vessel wall formed from a portion of the vessel wall that defines the second portion of the internal volume, and the upper vessel being removably coupled to the lower vessel. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the upper vessel includes a sealing lip extending inwardly from the upper vessel wall and downwardly into the lower vessel, and the seal is configured to adhere to the sealing lip. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a clamping element abutting a bottom surface of the cap, the second end of the tether being disposed in a friction fit between the cap and the clamping element. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the vessel includes at least one support element that extends inwardly from the vessel wall, and the clamping element is positioned between the cap and the at least one support element. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one support element is sized and shaped to urge the clamping element toward a center axis of the vessel. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the clamping element includes a splined surface and the cap includes a splined surface, and the splined surfaces of the clamping element and the cap are sized and shaped to interlock when in abutment. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the upper end of the vessel includes a rotational stop having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and the cap includes at least one rib extending from one of a bottom surface of the cap and an inner surface of the cap, the at least one rib being sized and shaped to abut the second side of the rotational stop of the vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one rib of the cap is located proximate to the first side of the rotational stop when the cap is located in the first position and the at least one rib of the cap abuts the second side of the rotational stop when the cap is located in the second position. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein the cap and the vessel are coaxially aligned about a center axis and the cap is configured to rotate about the center axis and move relative to the vessel. 
     
     
         11 . A container comprising:
 a first vessel including a lower surface, an upper end distal to the lower surface, and a first vessel wall extending from the upper end to the lower surface, the upper end, lower end, and first vessel wall defining a first internal volume of the first vessel, the upper end defining a first opening through which a substance may enter the first internal volume;   a second vessel including a lower end, an upper end distal to the lower end, and a second vessel wall extending from the upper end to the lower end, the upper end, lower end, and second vessel wall defining a second internal volume of the second vessel, the lower end defining an opening through which a substance may exit the internal volume of the second vessel, the second vessel including an attachment interface that detachably connects to the upper end of the first vessel;   a cap secured to the upper end of the second vessel; and   a seal removably-secured to the lower end of the second vessel, the seal being sized and shaped to cover the second opening and create a barrier preventing fluid-flow communication through the second opening, the seal including a tether that is attached to the cap;   wherein the cap, the seal, and the tether are adapted to (a) allow the seal to remain secured to the lower end of the second vessel when the cap is in a first position at the upper end of the second vessel and (b) cause the seal to at least partially separate from the lower end of the second vessel when the cap is moved to a second position.   
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the upper end of the second vessel includes a rotational stop having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and the cap includes at least one rib extending from one of a bottom surface of the cap and an inner surface of the cap, the at least one rib being sized and shaped to abut the second side of the rotational stop of the second vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one rib of the cap is located proximate to the first side of the rotational stop when the cap is located in the first position and the at least one rib of the cap abuts the second side of the rotational stop when the cap is located in the second position. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the second vessel includes a retaining detent extending from the upper end of the second vessel toward the at least one rib of the cap, the retaining detent being positioned between the at least one rib of the cap and the second side of the rotational stop when the cap is in the first position. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the cap and the vessel are coaxially aligned about a center axis and the cap is configured to rotate about the center axis and move relative to the second vessel. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one rib of the cap is sized and shaped to push the rotational stop and rotate the second vessel about the center axis relative to the first vessel when the cap is moved from the second position to a third position. 
     
     
         17 - 26 . (canceled)