Linking structure and container assembly to facilitate liquid transfer from a donor container to a recipient container

Abstract

A container assembly to facilitate liquid transfer from a donor container to a recipient container that includes recipient container with a main body, a bottom sidewall member couplable to the main body, that has a lower surface to enable the recipient container to be placed in an erect orientation, and has a bottom aperture for receiving a selectively removable disc. The bottom sidewall member may include a flange member projecting from an inner surface thereon and that is configured to stop linear movement of a piston placed inside of the main body and moved with a stem that is insertable through the bottom aperture and attachable to the piston, wherein the user moves the piston with the stem to generate a negative pressure to induce liquid in a donor container to be transported to the recipient container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container assembly to facilitate liquid transfer from a donor container to a recipient container comprising:
 a recipient container having:
 a sidewall with an inner surface, a first sidewall end defining a first sidewall end opening, and a second sidewall end opposing the first sidewall end and defining a second sidewall end opening; 
 a bottom sidewall member disposed proximal to the first sidewall end, selectively removably coupled to the sidewall in a male-female coupling configuration, having a distal end defining a bottom aperture, with an inner surface, with a lower surface disposed on a distal end of the bottom sidewall member and configured to place the sidewall in a resting erect configuration, and having a flange member projecting from the inner surface of the bottom sidewall member; 
 defining a recipient container cavity separating the second sidewall end opening and the bottom aperture of the bottom sidewall member, the flange member radially extending into the recipient container cavity; and 
 a disc member disposed in the bottom aperture of the bottom sidewall member, interposed between the flange member and the distal end, and selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member in a male-female coupling and watertight configuration; 
   a piston shaped and sized to couple with the inner surface of the sidewall of the recipient container in a watertight configuration and operably configured to linearly translate along a piston translation path within the recipient container cavity, the flange member configured to stop linear translation of the piston along the piston translation path; and   a stem member selectively removably couplable to the piston in a male-female coupling configuration and having a grasping portion thereon.   
     
     
         2 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall end opening is enclosed by the sidewall and the second sidewall end opening is enclosed by the sidewall. 
     
     
         3 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a donor container having a bottom wall, a sidewall surrounding the bottom wall, defining a donor container cavity, and defining a donor container upper enclosed opening fluidly coupled to the donor container cavity.   
     
     
         4 . The container assembly according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a container linking structure selectively removably couplable to the donor and recipient containers in a watertight and male-female coupling configuration.   
     
     
         5 . The container assembly according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a straw member sized and shaped to be inserted within the donor container upper enclosed opening and defining an enclosed conduit extending from a distal end of the straw member to the container linking structure, the stem member operably configured to apply a force on the piston to linearly translate along the piston translation path to generate a negative pressure within the enclosed conduit for transportation of a liquid configured to be housed in the donor container cavity to the recipient container cavity.   
     
     
         6 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower surface surrounds the bottom aperture and defines a plane with portions of the lower surface flanking the bottom aperture configured to place the sidewall in the resting erect orientation. 
     
     
         7 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the disc member is completely recessed below the lower surface of the bottom sidewall member when selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member. 
     
     
         8 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the stem member further comprises:
 two cantilevered portions radially extending from a terminal end thereon and at least partially forming the grasping portion of the stem member.   
     
     
         9 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the disc member concentrically disposed in the bottom aperture and completely recessed below the lower surface of the bottom sidewall member when selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member. 
     
     
         10 . The container assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the disc member further comprising:
 a lower disc surface disposed in the recipient container cavity when selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member; and   an upper disc surface opposing the lower disc surface and with a grasping member disposed thereon, flanked by a two recesses defined by the disc member, and completely recessed below the lower surface of the bottom sidewall member when the disc member is selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member.   
     
     
         11 . The container assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the two recesses defined by the disc member are shaped and sized to receive fingers of a user therein. 
     
     
         12 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the disc member further comprising:
 a lower disc surface disposed in the recipient container cavity when selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member;   an upper disc surface opposing the lower disc surface;   a disc sidewall separating the lower and upper disc surfaces; and   a cavity defined by the disc member, accessible from the disc sidewall, and shaped and sized to receive the stem member therein for storage.   
     
     
         13 . The container assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the stem member further comprises:
 a plurality of telescopically connected stem members and operably configured to extend to an operational configuration and retract to a storage configuration, wherein the stem member is disposed in the cavity of the disc member when in the storage configuration.   
     
     
         14 . The container assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the stem member further comprises:
 two cantilevered portions radially extending from a terminal end thereon, at least partially forming the grasping portion of the stem member, rotatably coupled to at least one of the plurality of the telescopically connected stem member, and configured to receive the plurality of telescopically connected stem members in the storage configuration.   
     
     
         15 . The container assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the two cantilevered portions of the stem member define a U-shaped channel shaped and sized to receive the plurality of telescopically connected stem members in the storage configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The container assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the recipient container further comprises:
 an outer sidewall surrounding the sidewall to define a second container cavity interposed between the outer sidewall and the sidewall of the recipient container, the define a second container cavity surrounding the sidewall of the recipient container; and   an outer sidewall bottom wall selectively removably coupled to the outer sidewall to encapsulate the second container cavity.   
     
     
         17 . A container assembly to facilitate liquid transfer from a donor container to a recipient container comprising:
 a recipient container:
 having a sidewall with an inner surface, a first sidewall end defining a first sidewall end opening, and a second sidewall end opposing the first sidewall end and defining a second sidewall end opening; 
 having a bottom sidewall member disposed proximal to the first sidewall end, selectively removably coupled to the sidewall in a male-female coupling configuration, having a distal end defining a bottom aperture, and having a proximal end opposing the distal end of the bottom sidewall member; 
 defining a recipient container cavity separating the second sidewall end opening and the bottom aperture of the bottom sidewall member; 
 having an outer sidewall surrounding the sidewall to define a second container cavity interposed between the outer sidewall and the sidewall of the recipient container, the second container cavity surrounding the sidewall of the recipient container; 
 having an outer sidewall bottom wall selectively removably coupled to the outer sidewall to encapsulate the second container cavity; and 
 having a disc member disposed in the bottom aperture of the bottom sidewall member and selectively removably coupled to the bottom sidewall member in a male-female coupling and watertight configuration; 
   a piston shaped and sized to couple with the inner surface of the sidewall of the recipient container in a watertight configuration and operably configured to linearly translate along a piston translation path within the recipient container cavity; and   a stem member selectively removably couplable to the piston in a male-female coupling configuration and having a grasping portion thereon.   
     
     
         18 . The container assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the bottom sidewall member further comprises:
 an inner surface and a flange member projecting from the inner surface of the bottom sidewall member, the flange member radially extending into the recipient container cavity and the flange member configured to stop linear translation of the piston along the piston translation path.   
     
     
         19 . The container assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the disc member is interposed between the flange member and the distal end of the bottom sidewall member. 
     
     
         20 . The container assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the sidewall is selectively removably coupled to the outer sidewall in a male-female coupling configuration.