TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates in general to fluid containers, and, more specifically, to a dual mouth shotgun can.

COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK NOTICE

[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent application may contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

[0003] Certain marks referenced herein may be common law or registered trademarks of third parties affiliated or unaffiliated with the applicant or the assignee. Use of these marks is by way of example and should not be construed as descriptive or to limit the scope of this invention to material associated only with such marks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A beverage can is a, usually, metal container designed to hold a volume of volatile fluids such as carbonated soft drinks, beers, sparkling waters, sparkling wine coolers, and energy drinks. Such cans aid in keeping the fluids contained within carbonated until they are opened for drinking. Beverage cans are generally made available in metals such as aluminum or tin-plated steel for ease of manufacturing and recycling.

[0005] Most beverage cans have a single-use opening on their top surface that provides a mechanism to aid a user in opening the can. One very common type of opening is the stay-tab opening mechanism, which provides a lever arm riveted to the top of the can, and which can be lifted to press against a mouth lid having a relatively thin connection to the rest of the top. The mouth lid can be popped down into the can using the lever arm, and a user can then drink from the can. Another type of opening in use is the pop-tab or pull-tab mechanism, by which a user pulled up on the lever arm and removed the mouth lid from the top of the can.

[0006] All such mechanisms roughly employ the basic principles of fluid displacement, namely that for fluid to come out of the can it must be replaced with air. A common modification to cans in recent history was to use a wider mouth design, which allowed more air into the can for a higher rate of flow.

[0007] Another common method for increasing the air flow into a can and, thus, the fluid flow out of the can, is to puncture the can somewhere other than the mouth. The larger the opening, of course, the more fluid will flow out of the can. The act of shotgunning a beer, for example, involves a user punching a large hole into the side of a can, and then opening the can mouth to rapidly draw air into the can while expelling the beer at a very high rate of flow.

[0008] No solution exists, though, to provide a beverage can that comes pre-installed with two mouth openings and two opening mechanisms.

[0009] Thus, there is a need in the art for a dual mouth shotgun can that may provide a user with a single opening mechanism on its top surface for normal drinking, and a second opening mechanism on its bottom or lower side surface for drinks shotgunning. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] To minimize the limitations in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention describes a dual mouth shotgun can.

[0011] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a beverage can.

[0012] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise an aluminum can.

[0013] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a top opening mechanism.

[0014] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a side opening mechanism.

[0015] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a stay -tab opening mechanism.

[0016] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a pop-tab opening mechanism.

[0017] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a wide mouth opening.

[0018] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a resilient material of construction. [0019] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a water-proof material of construction.

[0020] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a reusable material of construction.

[0021] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise a washable material of construction.

[0022] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise an antimicrobial layer.

[0023] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dual mouth shotgun can that may comprise an antimicrobial material of construction.

[0024] These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described herein with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art, both with respect to how to practice the present invention and how to make the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a front isometric perspective view of a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure; [0027] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a rear plan view of a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 7 is a front isometric perspective view of a dual mouth shotgun can with its side mouth opened, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 8 is a front plan view of a dual mouth shotgun can with its side mouth opened, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 9 is a right side elevation view of a dual mouth shotgun can with its side mouth opened, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 10 is a left side elevation view of a dual mouth shotgun can with its side mouth opened, as contemplated by the present disclosure; and

[0036] FIG. 11 is a front three-quarters plan view of a dual mouth shotgun can with its side mouth opened, as contemplated by the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0037] Certain terminology is used in the following description for reference only and is not limiting. The words “front,” “rear,” “anterior,” “posterior,” “lateral,” “medial,” “upper,” “lower,” “outer,” “inner,” and “interior” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the invention, and designated parts thereof, in accordance with the present disclosure. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are not limited to one element, but instead should be read as meaning “at least one.” The terminology includes the words noted above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

[0038] The dual mouth shotgun can may combine the advantages of a standard aluminum beverage can with a second opening to allow for a high rate of air flow and displacement resulting in a high rate of fluid flow from the can. The can may implement a stay-tab mechanism, or any other appropriate mechanism, for ease of use and familiarity, on the standard top opening, and may further implement a stay-tab mechanism, or other appropriate mechanism on the bottom or lower side of the can for shotgunning the fluid in the can.

[0039] The illustrations of FIGS. 1 - 11 illustrate a dual mouth shotgun can, as contemplated by the present disclosure. The device may comprise, generally, a main body 100 having two openable mouths for drinking or air flow. The main body 100 may comprise, generally, a substantially cylindrical beverage can having a top surface 102, a bottom surface 104, and a perimeter wall 106. The top surface 102 and bottom surface 104 may be orientated substantially parallel to one another, and the perimeter wall 106 may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the top surface and bottom surface.

[0040] The openable mouths may each comprise, generally, an inlet or outlet for air or fluids, respectively. A first of the openable mouths, which may be known as a top mouth 108, may be located on or within the top surface 102 of the main body 100, and the second of the openable mouths, which may be known as a side mouth 110, may be located on or within the bottom surface 104 of the main body 100 or near a lower edge of the perimeter wall 106.

[0041] To begin using the device a user may hold the dual mouth shotgun can in a substantially horizontal position with the side mouth facing upwards 110. The user may open the side mouth 110 and place their own mouth to it. The user may then orient the dual mouth shotgun can vertically and open the top mouth 108 at the top of the device. The opening of the top mouth 108 then allows air to rush in and displace the fluid in the container, allowing it to rush out of the dual mouth shotgun can at a maximum rate.

[0042] The dual mouth shotgun can may vary in size and capacity as desired. By way of example, a beverage can in Australia may be standardized to hold 375 milliliters (ml) of fluid. A beverage can in China, on the other hand, may be standardized to hold 330 ml of fluid. In the United States the most common sizes of beverage cans are approximately 355 ml and 4.83 inches in height and 2.6 inches in diameter.

[0043] The dual mouth shotgun can may vary in materials composition and combinations as desired. By way of example, most beverage cans manufactured in the United States are made of aluminum, whereas in some parts of Europe and Asia approximately 55 percent of beverage cans are made of steel and 45 percent are aluminum alloy. Steel cans often have a top surface made of aluminum. The aluminum used in the United States and Canada are alloys containing 92.5% to 97% aluminum, <5.5% magnesium, <1.6% manganese, <0.15% chromium, and some trace amounts of iron, silicon, and copper.

[0044] The dual mouth shotgun can may be manufactured in any appropriate manner. By way of example, most beverage cans may be generally produced through a mechanical cold forming process that starts with punching a flat blank from very stiff cold-rolled metal sheet. This sheet may be an aluminum alloy with about 1% manganese and 1% magnesium to give it strength and formability. The flat blank may be first formed into a cup about three inches in diameter. This cup may then then pushed through a different forming process called ironing which forms the can. The bottom of the can may also be shaped at this time. The malleable metal may deform into the shape of an open-top can.

[0045] Plain top surfaces may be stamped from a coil of aluminum alloy and transferred to another press that converts them to easy-open ends. This press is known as a conversion press and may form an integral rivet button in the lid and score the opening, while concurrently forming the tabs in another die from a separate strip of aluminum. The second openable mouth in the bottom surface or side of the can may be formed in the same manner.

[0046] The opening mechanism of the two openable mouths may be any appropriate opening mechanism. By way of example, the two opening mechanisms may be pop-tabs, which have a ring attached to the rivet and the scored mouth lid for pulling off. The two opening mechanism may be stay-tabs, which have a lever arm attached to the rivet and the scored mouth lid for pressing inwards. The two opening mechanism may include a wide mouth opening, which allows for a higher rate of flow of both air and fluids through the mouths. The two opening mechanisms may be resealable inasmuch as the mechanisms incorporate a press- fit or screw-on mouth lid.

[0047] The dual mouth shotgun can may be substantially constructed of any suitable material or combination of materials, but typically is constructed of a resilient material or combination of materials such that the device is resistant to damage as a result of compression, twisting, heating, or submersion in water. As an example, and without limiting the scope of the present invention, various exemplary embodiments of the dual mouth shotgun can may be substantially constructed of one or more materials of silicone, plastic, acrylic, polycarbonate, steel, aluminum, brass, fiberglass, carbon fiber, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments the various components of the device may be coated, lined, or otherwise insulated to prevent contamination of the device. In one embodiment the material of construction may vary from one component to the next within the system.

[0048] In one embodiment the dual mouth shotgun can may comprise a resilient material of construction that either comprises a material having antimicrobial properties or comprises a layering of antimicrobial material or coating. Antimicrobial properties comprise the characteristic of being antibacterial, biocidal, microbicidal, anti-fungal, anti-viral, or other similar characteristics, and the oligodynamic effect, which is possessed by copper, brass, silver, gold, and several other metals and alloys, is one such characteristic. Copper and its alloys, in particular, have exceptional self-sanitizing effects. Silver also has this effect, and is less toxic to users than copper. Some materials, such as silver in its metallic form, may require the presence of moisture to activate the antimicrobial properties.

[0049] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.