EP0534909A1

EP0534909A1 - Dispenser for liquid substances for bottles or similar containers

Info

Publication number: EP0534909A1
Application number: EP92830195A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonino Ricciardi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-08-27
Filing date: 1992-04-27
Publication date: 1993-03-31
Also published as: ITCT910018A0

Abstract

A dispenser of liquid substances (11) for a bottle (1) or similar container for mixing said substance (11) with the liquid contained in the bottle (1) during its pouring. The dispenser comprises a cylindrical capsule (2) which can engage with the neck (1a) of the bottle (1), and has a bottom wall (3) from which an inner tube (4) coaxially extends with an open bottom end (5) and a top end closed by a pierceable wall (6). The capsule is filled with the substance (11) and closed by a cap (7) pierceable by a pointed peg (10) protruding internally from the plug (9) of the bottle (1). Removing the plug (9) the peg (10) frees the holes (7a, 6a) produced in the cap (7) and the pierceable wall (6) of the capsule (2) thus allowing the flow of the contents (12) of the bottle (1) through the tube (4) and their mixing during pouring with the liquid substance (11) contained in the capsule (2).

Description

The present invention relates to liquid substances dispenser for a mottle or similar container.
In the field of the preparation and conservation of liquids, for example alimentary ones, sometimes the problem rises for liquid substances which are rapidly perishable when mixed together but conservable for long periods separately.
In many cases it is necessary to forgo mixing such substances substituting one of them with another more compatible substance. In other cases it is necessary to add preservatives in order to allow two substances to coexist thus lowering the quality of the final product.
As an example, a typical case of this problem is to preserve the natural aroma in citrus fruit juices which at the time of squeezing contain small quantities of essential oils which determine their aroma. If these juices are not consumed at that moment, in a short time they deteriorate as a result of those same oils which oxidize due to the acidity of the juice. In order to avoid this incovenience, the oil is removed from the juice at the time of the juice's extraction. Nevertheless, in order not to deprive the juice of its natural aroma, it is possible to add an essential oil to the citrus fruit juice at the time of its use.
This however calls for the provision of the two liquids in two separate containers with the result of higher production and distribution costs and of increased inconvenience for the consumer, with respect to other liquids already mixed in a single container.
Besides the above-cited example, many other cases are well-known, which for the sake of simplicity will not be described, in which it is necessary to provide two separate liquids to be mixed at the time of use, thus creating the already described inconveniences.
The object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for liquid substances able to maintain two liquids separate within the same container and to allow their mixing during pouring by the user.
This object is achieved by the dispenser according to the invention characterized in that it comprises a substantially cylindrical capsule, engageable in the neck of a bottle and containing a liquid substance to be mixed with the liquid contained in the bottle itself. The capsule has a bottom wall and an inner tube extending coaxially to the capsule, with an open bottom end and a top end closed by a pierceable wall. The capsule is closed by a pierceable cap engaged therein and forcing against the internal faces of the capsule's side walls. The bottle is closed by a plug provided with an inwardly protruding pointed peg for piercing the cap and the pierceable wall until engaging with the tube. When opening the bottle by removing the plug, the peg frees the top end of the tube through which the liquid contained in the bottle can flow and mix with the substance contained in the capsule.
Other characteristics and advantages of the dispenser according to the invention will be made clearer in the following description of one of its possible embodiments, given as an example, but not limitative with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a cut-away view of the dispenser according to the invention applied to the neck of a bottle;
Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the dispenser of figure 1 before application into the bottle;
Figure 3 shows an elevated side view of one possible embodiment of the capsule of the dispenser according to the invention.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, a dispenser for liquid substances applied to the neck 1a of a bottle 1 comprises a substantially cylindrical capsule 2 able to be inserted by pressure into the neck 1a. The capsule 2 has a bottom wall 3 and an inner tube 4 extending coaxially to the capsule 2, with an open bottom end 5 and a top end closed by a pierceable wall 6. The capsule 2 is closed by a pierceable cap 7 engaged therein and forcing against the internal faces of the capsule's side walls. The capsule 2 has an upper edge protruding outwards so as to abut against the edge of the neck 1a.
The bottle 1 is closed by a plug 9 which screws onto the neck 1a and has an internally protruding pointed peg 10.
According to the invention the capsule 2 is filled with a liquid substance 11 to be mixed with the contents 12 of the bottle 1 at the time of pouring by the user. The capsule 2, filled with the substance 11 and closed with the cap 7, is inserted in the neck 1a of the bottle 1. The bottle is closed with the plug 9 the peg of which 10 pierces first the cap 7 and then the wall 6 until engaging with the tube 4 thus preventing the substance 11 from mixing with the contents 12 of the bottle. At the time of pouring the contents of the bottle, the plug is removed from the neck 1a freeing the tube 4 from the peg 10. The contents 12 of the bottle flow through the opening 5 into the tube 4 and through the hole 6a of wall 6. Before leaving the bottle through the hole 7a produced in the cap 7 by the peg 10, the contents 12 mix with the liquid substance 11, contained in the capsule 2, also flowing towards the hole 7a.
In this way the contents 12 of the bottle 1 and the substance 11 are kept separate until the time of use avoiding the above described inconveniences. The dosage of the substance 11 which mixes with the contents 12 of the bottle is regulated as a function of the distance between the capsule 2 and the upper end of the tube 4 and depends also on the density of the substance 11 as well as on the concentration which it must have in the resulting liquid. Once pouring is terminated by closing the plug 9 onto the neck 1a the peg 10 is inserted into the holes 7a and 6a and therefore the liquids remain separated.
The walls of the capsule 2 which engage in the neck 1a are advantageously tapered to assure a sufficient pressure which creates a seal and will not allow the capsule 2 to come off the neck of the bottle during its use.
With reference to figure 3, according to a different embodiment of the capsule 2, on its external walls circumferential bands 13 are provided for, in order to improve the seal with the walls of the bottle neck and to provide greater pressure against the walls.
Alternatively, the cap 7 and the capsule 2 can be made as a single piece whenever for constructive needs this is more convenient.

Claims

Liquid substances (11) dispenser for a bottle (1) or similar container, characterized in that it comprises a substantially cylindrical capsule (2) which can engage with the neck (1a) of said bottle (1) and closed below a bottom (3) from which extends a tube (4) which has a bottom wall (3) from which extends an inner tube (4) coaxially to the capsule (2) with an open bottom end (5) and a top end closed by a pierceable wall (6), said capsule (2) being filled with said substance (11) and closed by a pierceable cap (7) engaged therein and forcing against the internal faces of the capsule's side walls, a pointed peg (10) being provided internally protruding from a plug (9) closing said bottle (1) able to pierce said cap (7) and said pierceable wall (6) until engaging with said tube (4), whereby with the removal of said plug (9) said peg (10) frees the top end of said tube (4) through which the contents (12) of the bottle can flow and be poured while mixing with the substance (11) contained in said capsule (2).
Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said capsule (2) has an upper edge (8) protruding outwards to sealingly abut against the edge of the neck (1a) of said bottle (1).
Dispenser according to claims 1 and 2, wherein said capsule (2) has external sidewalls with protruding circumferential bands (13) for sealing with the internal walls of the neck (1a) of said bottle (1).