US20060249473A1

US20060249473A1 - Bottle or container closure for the precise addition of a contents constituent

Info

Publication number: US20060249473A1
Application number: US11/403,540
Authority: US
Inventors: Armin Kunz
Original assignee: Medisize Schweiz AG
Current assignee: Medisize Schweiz AG
Priority date: 2005-04-14
Filing date: 2006-04-13
Publication date: 2006-11-09
Also published as: ES2340413T3; EP1712486A1; DE502006006019D1; ATE456520T1; EP1712486B1

Abstract

A bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent includes a lower part having internal threads for a leak-proof application for the bottle or container, in which the lower part of the closure includes, in a clearance area, a chamber that can be closed with a membrane liner opening toward the bottom of the closure, which has a dome-shaped top side that includes a penetrating pin projecting downwardly inside the dome-shaped top side. The dome-shaped top side can be pressed downwardly, via deformation, so that the projecting pin can be pressed through the membrane liner. A pouring spout is located adjacent the chamber on the lower part of the closure, which releases through suction, or pressure, on the bottle or container. A covering lid is hinged to the lower part of the closure and can be swung on the body of the closure, in which a plug or a sleeve is present on the bottom side of the covering lid, so that the pouring spout can be closed in a leak-proof manner by the swinging of the covering lide on the lower part of the closure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bottle or container closure, which enables the addition of a contents constituent to the bottle or container contents.
There are liquids to which an additional constituent, for example, a liquid, a powder or a granule, that is kept separately, is added before drinking. Alternatively, the additional constituent can also be, for example, an effervescent powder or a vitamin preparation, which must be kept separately and hermetically sealed before mixing in order not to lose its effectiveness. Synthetic or naturally extracted vitamins must be kept separately away from light and oxygen until consumed. However, other materials, such as, for examples, adhesives, dyes, pharmaceutically-active substances, e.g., certain anti-biotics and the like, can also be provided as two mixable constituents, in which these two constituents must be mixed at first in a small quantity before the product can be used.
The closure of the present invention refers to such applications for which an additional, separately kept constituent, for example, in the form of a liquid, a powder or a granule, is thus mixed. The mixing should take place in several cases directly before the drinking or the use of the contents of the bottle or container. The constituent, kept separately, need not necessarily be a solid, but can also be a liquid or some other fluid material. For the second constituent, even gaseous material, which can be mixed specifically with the first constituent before use, can be considered for an air- and pressure-tight closure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to produce a bottle or a container closure, which enables precisely the foregoing and, thus, permits the adding of a content constituent present in the container closure to the bottle or container contents. Since, in practice, very often two constituents of certain bottle contents or container contents must be kept separately until the usage, since the constituents initiate a desired reaction by the mixing and the mixture can develop its required effect. Such closures can be used for bottles and containers, not only for liquid foodstuffs like drinks, but also for dyes, chemicals, adhesives, lubricants, as well for cosmetic and pharmaceutical products like tinctures, pastes, creams, etc.
It is, therefore, a further object of the present invention that the bottle or a container closure also be useful for relatively viscous medium, which has to be dosed in.
Further, it is an additional object that the closure of the present invention should have a tamper-proof seal, be easily operable for the addition of the second constituent and, finally, be possible to be closed leak-proof again at any later time.
The foregoing and related objects are achieved by the bottle or container closure of the present invention for adding the contents constituent, which is comprised of a lower part with internal threads for assembling leak-proof to the bottle or container. The lower part of the closure contains a chamber in its clearance that can be closed with a membrane liner opening towards the bottom thereof and which has a dome-shaped top side with a penetrating pin projecting downwardly inside the dome. The dome can be pressed downwardly under deformation, whereby the pin can be pressed through the membrane liner and includes a pouring spout beside the chamber. A covering lid is hingedly formed on this lower part of the closure, which can be swung on the closure body. A plug or sleeve is formed on the bottom side of the covering lid, by means of which the pouring spout can be closed leak-proof by the swinging of the covering lid on the lower part of the closure.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when considered in combination with the accompanying drawing figures which illustrate certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should, however, be noted that the accompanying drawing figures are intended to illustrate only certain embodiments of the claimed invention and are not intended as a means for defining the limits and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

An advantageous embodiment of the closure the present invention is shown, as an example of the invention, in the drawing in different views. The closure is described individually and its function is clarified based on these representations.
The drawing figures show the following:
FIG. 1: Shows the closure with swinging-out covering lid in an oblique view from above, seen over the upper side of the lower part of the closure on the bottom side of the covering lid;
FIG. 2: Shows the closure with a swinging-out covering lid as in FIG. 1, however, the view of FIG. 2 is shown in a longitudinal section through its middle;
FIG. 3: Shows the closure of the present invention with a swinging-out covering lid seen vertically from below; and,
FIG. 4: Shows the closure of the present invention with a closed covering lid in an oblique view from above, seen over the upper side of the lidded cover shown in a longitudinal section through its middle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning to a detailed analysis of the drawing figures, FIG. 1 shows the closure of the present invention made of plastic in an open position, thus represented with a swinging-out covering lid 2 in an oblique view from above, screwed onto a bottle 19. The bottle spout of bottle 19, or such a container, is provided with an external thread, on which the plastic closure is screwed on, which, on its part, comprises a lower part of the closure 1 and a covering lid 2 fixed swinging on it. The lower part of the closure 1 has an inner thread and its clearance is covered above up to a small pouring spout 4 arranged on the side and forms, in the example shown, a dome-type arched dome 13 within the lidded cover 5. As a special feature, the lower part of the closure 1 has a piercing arrangement 6 with a snap fastener 8 for the piercing of the membrane liner fused to the lower circular rim of the arched dome 13. The structure and the function of this piercing arrangement 6 are made clearer in the description. At first, it is enough to mention here that this piercing arrangement 6 forms a dome-like projection or an arch-like dome 13 with a peripheral wall 29. Besides, this formation is shaped or deformed in such a manner that it can be pressed downwards from the position shown here and thereby springs to the pressed down position, in which it then projects downwards as dome-type depression or arch-type formation. The deformation from the initial position shown here to the pressed down condition can be irreversible or it can also be reversible if it is a resilient embodiment of the dome-type vault top 13. A fixing strap hinge 3 is arranged at the edge of the lower part of the closure 1, via which the covering lid 2 is formed in one piece.
The covering lid 2 forms a cap and its inner dimensions have to be dimensioned in such a way that it accommodates completely the pouring spout 4 within itself in the position when it is swung down on to the lower part of the closure 1 and, consequently, covers the lower part of the closure 1 all around. Moreover, a sleeve 10 is formed here within the covering lid 2 on the covering lid floor 31, which is placed leak-proof over the pouring spout 4 during the swinging in of the covering lid 2. Instead of such a sleeve 10, a plug can also be provided, which is then pressed into the pouring spout 4 correspondingly by the swinging in of the covering lid 2 and closes it leak-proof. One recognizes in FIG. 1 the fixing straps 28 on the two sides or the hinge 3. These fixing straps hold the covering lid 2 in the swung-out position. At the same time they also hold it in the closed condition after the striking over a dead point. At the dead point, the lower covering lid rim 30 of the covering lid 2 consequently comes to lie exactly on the external, top rim 32 of the lower part of the closure 1, whereby the covering lid 2 and the lower part of the closure 1 form a closed unit. The sleeve 10, provided inside the covering lid 2, has at its end a projecting bulge 11. This budge comes to lie in such a way on the pouring spout 4, with entry 7 at its inner side for closed covering lid 2, that the sleeve 10 engages on the pouring spout 4 and this is consequently closed tightly and leak-proof, whereby a leakage of the liquid in the bottle 19 is prevented.
FIG. 2 shows the closure with swung out covering lid 2, as represented in FIG. 1, however, with a view shown in longitudinal section through its middle. One recognizes in this representation especially the shape of the cut elements. At first, the dome-type arch 13 has to be mentioned, which forms in the lower part of the closure 1, the top cover of a vault chamber 16, which is open below, and forms a circular rim 27 projecting downwardly, on which a membrane liner 17 can be fused or glued, whereby liquid, solid or even gaseous material can be enclosed airtight and sealed from light in this chamber 16.
In FIG. 2, is further able to be observed that the dome 13 borders a chamber 16 lying below it, from which one sees here the peripheral wall 29, which forms an annular wall. As one sees in FIG. 1, this annular wall extends beyond the cover of the lower part of the closure 1 a little upward. A piercing pin 14 is formed on the bottom side of the dome 13. The dome 13 can be pressed downward by pressing on its topmost point, the snap fastener 8, whereby the dome wall is deformed elastically or rigidly. Thereby, the piercing pin 14, formed below at the dome peak, also moves downwardly and its tip travels thereby so much below that it passes or crosses the plane of the bottom rim 27 of the chamber 16. There are radial strengthening ribs 15 on the piercing pin 14. These both stabilize the piercing pin 14 and serve to cut through the membrane liner by the pressing down of the snap fastener and create a correspondingly sufficiently large hole, so that the material in the chamber 16 can fall, or flow, through this hole in the membrane liner into the bottle 19 and can consequently mix with the liquid constituent present in it, whereby the desired material mixture results.
The mixing of the constituents can be supported by shaking with closed covering lid 2, so that the effect of the newly resulted mixture develops quickly. The stabilizing flanks 12, which can be identified in FIG. 2, are arranged around the sleeve 10 and are fixed on the inner floor 32 of the covering lid 2. The stabilizing flanks 12 protect the sleeve 10 and serve for the closing of the covering lid as a guide, so that the sleeve 10 engages precisely and fits perfectly on the pouring spout 4. The internal thread 26 of the lower part of the closure 1 can be identified in FIG. 2, with the help of which the container closure is screwed on to a bottle or a container 19 with matching external thread 25.
FIG. 3 shows the closure with swung-out covering lid as seen vertically from below. One can identify the piercing pin 14, arranged centrally to the piercing device 6, with its strengthening ribs 15 on the bottom side of the arch-type dome 13 with its spiral-shaped stabilizing ribs 21, which form totally the piercing device.
In addition, the circular rim 27 of the chamber projecting downwardly can be clearly identified, on which a membrane liner is fused or glued with a corresponding material after the filling of the chamber 13. The filling of the chamber 13 thus occurs favorably by means of a dosing unit from above directly into the chamber, as is represented in FIG. 3, whereby the sealing of the chamber with the membrane liner 17 occurs after the filling as a further directly correlated operation. If the filling and sealing takes place in sterile environment, such a sealing can be used also for pharmaceutical applications, in addition to be of beneficial use in the food industry. There is a small grip 22 at the outer rim of the covering lid 2, which serves to open easily with a hand the cover snapped shut. The fixing straps 28 on the hinge 3 help to hold the covering lid 2, either in closed or in swung-out condition. The pouring spout 4, with its opening 9, is on the side of the piercing device 6, whereby the bottom opening is in level with the membrane liner.
Finally, FIG. 4 shows the closure with closed covering lid 2, in an oblique view, as seen above the upper side of the lid cover 1, shown in a longitudinal section through its middle. The central vaulted chamber 16 can be clearly seen with piercing device 6 comprising snap fastener 8, piercing pin 14 and strengthening ribs 15, with the chamber peripheral wall 29 and the membrane liner 17. The chamber thus formed can be filled with different materials whereby the volume available is unlimited, in principle, but depends on the selected geometry of the closure device, since the height of the peripheral wall 29 of the chamber can be made to different sizes, as required. Larger chamber volumes can also be realized by and determined according to the required mixing ratio of the constituents to be mixed. The piercing device 6 moves downwardly with piercing pin 14 and strengthening ribs 15 by the pressing down of the snap fastener 8 and pierces through the membrane liner 17, by which a sprocket hole arises in this film whereby the material in the chamber falls, or flows, through this hole into the screwed-on container.
The round pouring spout 4 is at the outer peripheral wall 29 of the chamber beside the vaulted chamber 16, whereby the upper rim of the spout reaches close to the covering lid floor 32. For closed covering lid 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the sleeve 10 fixed to the covering lid floor 32 clasps sufficiently from the upper rim of the pouring spout 4. Whereby the projecting bulge 11 of the sleeve 10 fastens in the inner bulge 7 of the pouring spout 4 in such a way that the covering lid 2 is fixed in this closed position and a leakage of the fluid is prevented even if the bottle is thrown about.
The stabilizing flanks 12 are present for the sleeve 10 on the covering lid floor 32, in addition to fixing the sleeve 10 in the pouring spout in the closed position, which fits exactly in the gap between the sleeve 10 and the stabilizing flanks 12. For closed covering lid 2, the covering lid rim 30 lies binding on the external, top rim 31 of the lidded cover 5, whereby the covering lid 2 is, additionally, stabilized on the lower part of the closure 1. The covering lid 2 can be opened by a simple upwards pressure at the grip 22, whereby the covering lid snaps out by 180° via fixing hinge 3 and swings to the open position.
The closure of the present invention is ready for the receiving of a constituent to be added in solid or liquid form in the open and overturned position in which the dome-type chamber 16, as shown in FIG. 3, is filled from above with a batcher. The closure is then sealed airtight and watertight with a membrane liner, which is glued or fused on the circular rim 27 of the chamber 16 opening downward.
The applications of the closure of the present invention are manifold. Thus, such closures that can be filled can fulfill an important function in the area of “Functional Food,” in which the closure is filled with soluble vitamins or minerals, which are then available to the user at the exactly desired point of time “freshly prepared”. Consequently, even the problem of the durability is greatly controlled or totally solved because of the durability of the closure, which is sealed airtight and, if required, under protective atmosphere, is markedly higher in comparison to a normal mixture of constituents, e.g., in the pharmaceutical field, for example, where antibiotics must be mixed with water in a particular ratio before use whereby the resulting mixture can be preserved for a limited period. The closure of the invention can be filled with a corresponding antibiotic that can be delivered to the user with a transparent bottle provided with volume indicators. The customer or patient must then only fill the bottle with water up to the marking and screw the closure again on the bottle. Through opening the covering lid, which is provided with a tamper-proof seal, the piercing device is punched downwardly through the membrane liner by the pressing down of the snap fastener 8, whereby the active agent flows into the liquid through the resultant hole. The patient can get the final mixture by shaking and take in the medicine by means of the pouring spout 4.
The inventive closure can have a pressure membrane at the pouring spout, which releases the solution into the bottle by pressure only. This device is advantageous for viscous liquids like, e.g., ketchup, dyes, shampoos, creams, yogurt, honey, jellies, etc., which can be pressed though the membrane through pressure on the flexible, soft container. Thus, salad sauces of consistent quality can be produced easily at home or in a restaurant. In such case, the container to be screwed on is at first filled with the desired liquid ingredients like oil, vinegar, milk and then, after screwing on of this closure, filled with various flavors of spices; the final mixture is achieved through pressing down of the piercing device 6.
Additionally, the bottle of the invention that can be filled belongs to an entire system and is provided with the corresponding markings for certain volumes and prepared transparently or with a transparent view window. The closure is also especially suitable for high-value and “sensitive to air” substances, which have to be stored over a long period of time and then have to be immediately available and in exactly weighed out quantities for a mixture without many handlings. The closure of the present invention is therefore suitable even for the very specific and rigid requirements of catering in air and space travel, in which fresh meals can be prepared easily and in contamination-free environment, since such water-filled bottles fitted with correspondingly filled closures have to be only heated with a heating device (for example, in a microwave.) After heating, the final mixture can be produced by pressing downwardly on the snap fastener, as described above, in which, here too, a pressure membrane in the pouring spout prevents any unwanted leakage for the opened covering lid.
Consequently, the inventive container closure has the advantage that the membrane liner can be opened with simple finger pressure on a snap fastener 8 and the mixture can be produced. The closure is very user-friendly and can include a tamper-proof seal device via a material breakage, which does not require any additional adhesive strips or other seals. The closure can still be injection-molded as one-piece part in very little time. Accordingly, the closure of the invention would not be costlier than a conventional hinge closure currently known to the art.
While only several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

LISTING OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Lower part of the closure with internal thread
2 Covering lid
3 Hinge
4 Pouring spout
5 Cap cover on the lower part of the closure
6 Piercing device
7 Internal bulge (entry) at the inner side of the pouring spout
8 Snap fastener
9 Opening/Mouth of the pouring spout
10 Sleeve/Plug/Cam on the bottom side of the covering lid
11 Bulge on the cam
12 Stabilizing flanks for the cam
13 Dome-type, arch-type dome
14 Piercing pin
15 Strengthening wing on the piercing pin
16 Chamber
17 Membrane liner
18 Bottle spout with external thread
19 Bottle with external thread
20 Central area of the formation
21 Spiral-shaped stabilizing ribs on dome 13
22 Grip
23 Covering lid wall
24 Internal thread on closure bottom part
25 External thread of the bottle or the container
26 Internal thread of the closure bottom part
27 Circular rim of the chamber 16 projecting downward
28 Fixing straps of the hinge 3
29 Peripheral wall of the chamber
30 Lower covering lid rim
31 External circular recess of the lidded cover 5
32 Covering lid floor

Claims

1. A bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent, comprising:

a pouring spout;

a covering lid;

a projecting pin; and,

a lower part having means for leak-proof assembly onto a bottle or container spout, said lower part further including a chamber within a clearance area closable with a membrane liner fused on an opening towards a bottom of said chamber with said chamber having a dome-shaped top side with said projecting pin projecting downwardly inside said dome-shaped top side of said chamber and with said dome-shaped top side being pressable downwardly under deformation through said membrane liner, said lower part having said pouring spout arranged adjacent said chamber with said covering lid being hinged to, and swingable on, said lower part.

2. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 1, wherein said dome-shaped top side of said chamber includes strengthening ribs.

3. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 1, further comprising a plug or sleeve on a bottom side of said covering lid and having stabilizing flanks for allowing said pouring spout to be closed in a leak-proof manner via swinging said cover lid on said lower part of said bottle or container closure.

4. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 1, wherein said pouring spout is located at a periphery of said lower part and lying opposite a hinge for allowing said covering lid to be swingable on said lower part and with an upper portion of said lower part of said bottle or container closure forming a covered cap having a circular recess at an outer rim of said circular cap for seating a rim of said covering lid for closing said covering lid.

5. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 4, wherein said pouring spout has an entry on an inner side for receiving a sleeve formed on a bottom side of said covering lid, said sleeve having a projecting bulge for a leak-proof closing of said covering lid.

6. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 5, wherein said sleeve comprises stabilizing flanks surrounding said pouring spout for aiding in said leak-proof closing of said covering lid.

7. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 1, wherein said projecting pin is part of a piercing device comprised of said dome-shaped top side in a lidded cover, or cap cover, that projects outwardly on said lower part of said bottle or container closure in a first position and is pressable into a second position via said deformation, said second position being an inward or lower projecting position, said piercing device having on its inner side, centrally located, said projecting pin, with strengthening ribs, projecting downwardly.

8. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 1, wherein said dome-shaped top side includes stabilizing ribs on its bottom side, said stabilizing ribs being spirally-arranged.

9. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 1, wherein said pouring spout has, on an inner side, a pressure membrane for preventing liquid constituent present in a bottle or container from leaking when said covering lid is open.

10. The bottle or container closure for a precise addition of a contents constituent according to claim 9, wherein said pressure membrane allows release of said liquid constituent to pass through said pouring spout upon external pressure of the bottle or container.