User Selectable Flavored Drink

Abstract

A multi-chamber container for a beverage is described. The container includes a center chamber that contains a first beverage constituent, and at least one resealable opening for dispensing the beverage. Also included is at least one peripheral compartment that contains at least one second beverage constituent, where the peripheral compartment is physically adjacent to the center chamber, and where the peripheral compartment and center chamber are separated by at least one initial seal. The at least one second beverage constituent is at least partially dissolved into the first beverage constituent upon an at least temporarily breaking of the at least one initial seal by a force that is applied by a consumer of the beverage. Also described is a method for mixing beverage components in the aforementioned multi-chamber container.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 209,365, filed on Mar. 4, 2009, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to fitness and flavored drinks available from vending machines and, more particularly, to a user selectable multi-flavored drink.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]A vending machine provides various snacks, beverages, and other products to consumers. The idea is to vend products without need of a cashier. After paying, a product may become available, for example, by: the machine releasing it, so that it falls in an open compartment accessible to the purchaser, or a machine-pour into a container, or placed into a container by the customer, such as by the unlocking of a door, drawer, turning of a knob, etc. Sometimes the product is not just released, but also prepared; this may...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a container for a beverage that has two chambers separated by a seal. The chambers can contain different beverage components that can be mixed together when the seal is broken by a consumer. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a convenient and easy way to mix different beverage components in one container."

Problems solved by technology

With the increase in healthy vending and specialized vending, as well as the safety features on many vending machines, these machines have become increasingly unwieldy and / or the number of selections in the machines has become very limited.

For example, vitamin-water takes up a great deal of space in a vending machine, but still presents limited options to a consumer.

Further, there is doubt as to whether the added vitamins actually stay stable after the bottles spend an extended amount of time on the shelves before customers drink them.

Images