EP1824740B1 - Method for placing a capsule onto the neck of a plastic bottle when filling the bottle - Google Patents

Abstract

A container with a corresponding bottle neck having a capsule inside of which a substance is placed that is to be released into the bottle contents. This invention avoids having to sterilize the contents again after the container has been aseptically filled, even though the substance in the capsule often does not endure these temperatures. Thus, this invention provides a method with the following steps: a) aseptic filling of the plastic bottle; b) welding a first membrane onto the container neck; c) placing the substance, which is to be released into the plastic bottle, on the first membrane that is already welded on; d) covering the substance, which is to be released, by a second membrane and welding the second membrane to the first membrane. Lastly, a closure with a secured tamper-evident layer is placed over the capsule and onto the bottle neck.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for filling a plastic bottle with neck and the attachment of a capsule with at least one enclosed therein, to be dispensed into the plastic bottle material according to the preamble of claim 1, and a plastic bottle with attached to the bottle neck capsule according to the preamble of claim 11 ,

As is well known, there are many mixed products which, after a certain time, separate, decompose or otherwise change and thus become unusable. This can be done by, for example, storing certain slightly decomposing substances separately and leaving it to the consumer to assemble the components before actually using them. In particular, this applies to various drugs in which a liquid portion of a powdery substance or a tablet must be added and then these two parts are taken together. However, this concept is also becoming more and more common in the food industry. So be offered, for example, fruit yoghurts, which are housed in a two-piece cup, wherein in a cup of yogurt and the other cup the Crunchy cereal is housed and wherein after removing a covering membrane of Müslibecher can be moved hingedly and empty the content in the yogurt cups. Since the two components are also consumable without any problems, it is also unproblematic if the consumer can have both parts accessible to himself. In the case of milk mix products in which, for example, the liquid fraction obtained from milk with other substances such as, for example, various vitamins, trace elements or other health-promoting components are in solid form, it makes no sense if the consumer can have these two parts separately.

Accordingly, plastic bottles are available on the market for a few years, which are combined with a capsule in which a substance to be applied in the plastic bottle is kept. A particularly well-known embodiment is known from WO 98/40289 known. Here, a first version is described in which a tablet is located in a cavity of a closure which is closed by a lid. During the initial opening of this lid is pierced and the tablet falls into the container. This solution is in terms of durability claims and hygiene insufficient because the tablet is not in a separate capsule In a second variant, the tablet is in a capsule and is removed therefrom by means of a piercer and falls into the liquid portion underneath. Since the capsule remains in the spout area of the closure, the closure must be unscrewed after the initial opening and the capsule removed. This is cumbersome for the consumer and is hardly understood. The consumer will be annoyed at most about the poor pouring properties of the closure.

In addition to these mentioned prior art documents, there have been further disclosed all sorts of thoughts, which practically all show a chamber in a closure in which the tablet is housed directly or in a puncture-resistant envelope. Such documents are for example the GB-A-2'321'231 or the GB-A-2'364'699 the latter document provides for the possibility of placing a capsule on a sealing disc or to clamp the capsule onto the neck of the bottle.

A completely different approach shows the GB-A-2'210'014 by showing a water cup filled with water to take tablets which are in a blister pack placed over the cup. Ultimately, even the shows EP-0'857'662 a somewhat unusual solution, in which a container or its lid has a second closure which can be used by a filling machine for the cold aseptic filling of a container.

The solutions of closures and containers shown so far, wherein a capsule is held with a substance on the container neck, previously assume that these capsules must be removed after their emptying to bring the container with the closure in a state of use. The Applicant has departed from this idea and is aware that the concept of a capsule with a substance accommodated therein, which is to be introduced into the liquid of the container, in itself represents a huge potential, but that this potential can only be used, if the capsule can be applied during production to the container during the filling process. A previously filed by the applicant solution was based on the fact that a finished capsule welded directly to the bottle neck, while the dimensions of capsule and bottleneck interpreted accordingly. However, it has been found that such a solution is logistically hardly feasible in the bottling plants for various applications, especially when working with very high filling speeds.

Another problem is that in many cases the liquid contained in the container, if this is a drink, even after aseptic filling still needs to be sterilized. During sterilization, however, occur temperatures that might destroy the contents of the already on the bottle capsule. However, since the container is closed with the capsule, it is not possible to perform the sterilization before applying the capsule. This problem is especially true when it comes to fruit juices or milk-based drinks.

From US 5,888,759 a method is known in which a sleeve open on one side is placed on a container whose bottom is sealed with a film. The possibility of sterilization is not discussed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for filling a plastic bottle with neck and the attachment of a capsule with at least one enclosed therein, to be dispensed into the plastic bottle material, which is suitable for filling systems at very high speeds and is also suitable for Filling of liquids to be sterilized in the bottle.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of patent claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention has the object to show a plastic bottle with mounted on the bottle neck capsule, which can be realized by the method according to claim 1. This object is achieved by a plastic bottle with a cap attached to the neck of the bottle with the features of claim 11. From the dependent claims 2 to 10 show advantageous embodiments of the method, while the dependent claims 11 and show the following advantageous embodiments of the plastic bottle.

Figur 1

den Ablauf des Verfahrens in Teilschritten a) bis g);

Figur 2

zeigt eine nach dem Verfahren abgefüllte Kunststoffflasche mit darauf angebrachter Kapsel und über der Kapsel aufgesetztem Verschluss teilweise im Schnitt.

In the drawing, the inventive method is shown schematically as well as a bottled by the process and provided with a capsule plastic bottle. It shows:

FIG. 1

the sequence of the method in substeps a) to g);

FIG. 2

shows a filled according to the process plastic bottle with attached capsule and over the capsule attached closure partially in section.

The end product to be obtained consists of a filled plastic bottle with a bottleneck on which a capsule is placed. The capsule contains a substance to be dispensed, which may be present either in solid form, in tablet form, in powder form or even in liquid form.

The plastic bottle, which is generally designated 1, is preferably made of plastic and has a bottleneck 2. At the bottleneck 2 an outer surrounding collar 3 is formed. Of course, the existing here collar is not relevant to the actual process. On the bottleneck 2 is a capsule, the denoted overall by 4, welded. About the welded capsule 4, a closure 5 is placed. The closure 5 has a guarantee strip 6, which surrounds the collar 3. The closure 5 is provided with a drinking spout 7, which can be closed with a sealing cap 8. The closure 5 has a capping wall 9 with internal thread 10. From the warranty position shown here, the closure can be screwed into a position of use. In this case, the capsule 4 is pierced and its contents get into the existing in the plastic bottle 1 liquid. The more precise embodiment of the closure is not the subject of the present invention and its exact configuration will therefore not be described here.

With reference to the FIG. 1 The method according to the invention will now be explained below. The steps a) to c) are surrounded by a dot-dashed frame. This dot-dashed frame is intended to schematically represent that these steps take place in an aseptic chamber 20. The aseptic chamber 20 is in itself a closed chamber in a bottling plant and is thus integrated in this system. In a first step, which is designated in the figure with a), a filling line 11 is introduced into the plastic bottle 1 and this filled to the desired level with the liquid to be filled. In a next step, the plastic bottle 1 is conveyed to a welding station and there with a first membrane 12 sealed. In principle, both the terms are welded and sealed equivalent used. In the true sense, a welding of two thermoplastic layers takes place. Accordingly, the membrane is coated on both sides with a sealable layer. This layer is a thermoplastic weld with the container neck. The membrane itself, which is preferably made of aluminum, is attached by means of a seal on the bottle neck 2. For this purpose, according to schematically an electrically heated sealing or welding punch 13 is present, by means of which the connection of the membrane is effected with the container neck. After this sealing, the plastic bottle 1 is completely sealed by means of the first membrane 12. The electrically heated forming die 14 moves away and the first membrane 12 can then optionally be brought into its final form purely mechanically or thermally. Accordingly, the first membrane 12 may already be applied in its final form or in the subsequent step in the figure c) be brought, for example, with a heated punch 14 in the final form.

The plastic bottle 1 sealingly closed off by the first membrane 12 now leaves the aseptic chamber 20 and can now be sterilized as an optional intermediate step in the container itself. This intermediate step is in the FIG. 1 represented as d). After sterilization can, in principle Now the filled container, which is sealed tight, be stored before the next steps take place.

In a next step, the sealed container 1 is now introduced into a drying space 30. If appropriate, the drying space 30 can also be designed as a clean room at the same time. In this drying chamber 30, a substance 16 to be introduced into the container is now applied to the first membrane 12 already welded onto the neck of the bottle. As already mentioned, this substance 16 can be in tablet form as shown here, but it is quite possible that this substance 16 is applied in powder or in a liquid, pasty form on the first membrane 12. Depending on the consistency of the applied substance 16, the first membrane 12 is designed accordingly.

If the substance 16 to be introduced is mounted on the first membrane 12, then a second membrane 17 is placed thereon. This second membrane 17 may already be preformed. This second membrane 17 may for example be an aluminum foil again. This aluminum foil can be printed, anodized or again have another coating that is to satisfy substantially aesthetically. Certainly, it is advantageous if this coating can prevent erosion of the film. Since, as already mentioned, the first membrane 12 is provided on both sides with a heat seal layer may be, the second membrane 17 no longer needs to carry a sealing layer. The second membrane 17 is now placed over the first membrane 12, wherein at least come to lie over the container neck surfaces of the first and second membrane congruent to each other. In the following step, which is shown in the drawing with f), the second membrane 17 is now welded onto the first membrane 12. Again, a corresponding electrical welding stamp 18 is provided. Preferably, the second membrane 17 will be designed approximately equal to the first membrane 12, so that the largest possible interior space is formed. In this case, as desired, the first membrane may be more deeply drawn than the second membrane or vice versa. This in turn depends essentially on the consistency of the substance to be housed in the capsule 4 to be filled. If this substance is a liquid, of course, the second membrane can also be designed absolutely plan.

The welding of the membranes 12 and 17 takes place at relatively low temperatures, which are harmless to the content. The temperatures to be selected depend essentially on the hot-seal coatings applied to the first membrane. In principle, the first membrane 12 can be provided on both sides with a heat seal layer which can be processed at approximately the same temperature. It is more advantageous, however, with the first membrane on one side a low-temperature-sealing layer and on the other side to be provided with a high-temperature-sealing layer. In this case, in the first step, the first membrane 12 with the low-temperature sealing layer will be welded onto the container or bottleneck. At this temperature, the second high-temperature sealing layer then remains uninvolved. Accordingly, the second membrane 17 is then welded onto the high-temperature sealing layer at a correspondingly higher temperature. As already mentioned, in this case, the second membrane 17 is not provided with a heat seal layer.

Alternatively, it is of course also possible to provide both membranes with a heat-sealable layer. In this case, however, it will be advantageous to attach heat-sealing layers with different temperature ranges on both membranes. In this case, the first membrane 12 is now provided with a heat seal layer which is welded at a higher temperature, while then the second membrane 17 is welded onto this first membrane at a lower temperature than before. Accordingly, the second membrane has a low-temperature-sealing layer.

More generally speaking, this results in a plastic bottle with a bottle neck with capsule mounted thereon, wherein at least the first membrane 12 a heat seal layer for a first temperature range for welding to the container neck and a second heat seal layer, which is arranged either on the second side of the first membrane 12 or on one side of the second membrane 17 and is suitable for a second temperature range.

The first membrane 12 as well as the second membrane 17 can of course be designed uni- or multilaminar. The materials from which these membranes can be made are extremely varied. For the deep-drawn or preformed membranes are of course most likely membranes made of aluminum or plastic or a mixture thereof. The same applies to the second diaphragm 17, if this is to have a likewise cambered shape. However, if it is a plane membrane, it goes without saying that aluminum-laminated paper foils are also suitable. Similarly, metal-coated plastic films are generally suitable for the membranes. The heat-sealing layer is however in any case the outermost coating.

Once the capsule is finished mounted on the container or on the bottle 1, you will immediately attach the closure 5 on it. As a result, the capsule is protected against mechanical effects.

A bottled according to this method bottle provides a high shelf life of the introduced product. Thanks to the relatively low temperatures with which the membranes can be attached thanks to the corresponding hot-seal coatings, the temperature influence on the substance 16 to be introduced is also extremely low. If necessary, the drying room can also be cooled accordingly.

As already mentioned, the first membrane can also be a plane membrane. This is particularly useful if then on this membrane in 'the bottle to be dispensed drug is already applied in encapsulated form and thus the second membrane is part of this capsule. Although this solution is somewhat more expensive in terms of cost, it can be necessary for logistical reasons. In this case, the first membrane may be double-sidedly provided with a heat seal layer, and it is convenient for the heat seal layer to be on the container neck to be a low temperature sealing layer, while for a sealing layer to be used with the second membrane which is part of a capsule designed higher temperature range. This procedure allows a logistical and storage technically particularly easy to handle product to achieve.

A manufacturing technology particularly simple solution, which also requires little investment, is that the diameter of the capsule membranes are larger than that Diameter of the bottle neck 2. In this case, the second membrane, which is part of the capsule, centric placed on the first membrane and now the closure or a part of a multi-part closure pressed so that the capsule held in a form-fitting crimp on the bottle neck and from the Lock or a closure part is kept secured. In particular, for this type of mounting will advantageously manufacture all membranes made of aluminum or aluminum composite.

It should be noted here that the numbering of steps a) to g), shown in the FIG. 1 , does not match the numbering in the claims.

Without going into this explicitly, it should be mentioned that the membranes can be designed so that a plurality of chambers are formed and correspondingly different active ingredients can be delivered.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

container

2

bottleneck

3

collar

4

capsule

5

shutter

6

guarantee strip

7

spout

8th

cap

9

Union jacket wall

10

inner thread

11

filling line

12

first membrane

13

welding punch

14

heated shape stamp

20

aseptic chamber

16

material

17

another membrane

18

electric welding stamp

30

drying room

Claims (16)

1. Method for filling a plastic bottle with a neck and attaching a capsule with at least one substance enclosed therein, which is to be dispensed into the plastic bottle, characterised by the following sequence of steps:

   a) filling the plastic bottle aseptically

   b) sealing a first membrane onto the bottle neck

   c) directly or indirectly applying the substance to be dispensed into the plastic bottle onto the sealed-on membrane

   d) fixing the substance to be dispensed by means of a further membrane and binding the further membrane to the first membrane or to the bottle neck

   e) attaching a closure to the bottle neck in a secure tamper-evident layer over the capsule formed.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first membrane is attached as a deep drawn foil disc, which has an accommodating bowl for the substance to be applied thereon.
3. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first membrane is thermally deformed in such a manner after or during the sealing process that at least one accommodating bowl is formed for the substance to be applied thereon and dispensed into the bottle.
4. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the second membrane is applied as a preformed, domed membrane.
5. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first membrane is a flat membrane and the active substance is applied indirectly thereon in an encapsulated form, whereby the foil of the capsule, which comes to lie on the first, already attached membrane, is the second membrane for fixing the substance to be dispensed.
6. Method according to Claim 5, characterised in that the further membrane is a foil, which has a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the bottle neck and is retained on the latter in such a manner that it form-fittingly encompasses the bottle neck by pressing the closure on and is fixed on the bottle neck by means of the closure or closure part.
7. Method according to Claim 6, characterised in that the further membrane is one of the two foils for forming the capsule, and the foil is an aluminium foil or an aluminium-containing foil.
8. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that after step b) the contents of the sealed bottle are sterilised and then the further mentioned steps follow.
9. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that at least steps c) and d) are carried out in a dry room.
10. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that at least steps a) to d) are carried out in clean room conditions in accordance with food regulations.
11. Method according to Claim 1, wherein the first membrane is provided on one side with a low-temperature seal layer and on the other side with a high-temperature seal layer, characterised in that the first membrane is sealed onto the bottle neck with the low-temperature seal layer and then the second membrane is sealed onto the high-temperature layer of the first membrane.
12. Method according to Claim 1, wherein the first and the second membrane each have a seal layer, but for different temperature ranges, characterised in that the first membrane is sealed at a higher temperature, adapted to the attached seal layer, whereas the second membrane is sealed on the first membrane at a lower temperature than the first membrane previously.
13. Plastic bottle with a capsule attached to the bottle neck, fabricated according to at least one of Claims 1 to 10, characterised in that at least the first membrane has a hot seal layer for a first temperature range for sealing onto the bottle neck and additionally a second sealing coating, which is arranged on the second side of the first membrane and is suitable for a second temperature range.
14. Plastic bottle according to Claim 13, characterised in that at least the first membrane has two or more moulded depressions for different substances or substances to be dispensed consecutively.
15. Plastic bottle according to Claim 13, characterised in that the bottle neck has a securing collar, which is in form-fitting connection with a tamper-evident band, which is arranged at the lower end of the circumferential outer wall.
16. Plastic bottle according to Claim 13, characterised in that the first membrane is a flat membrane and the second membrane is a likewise flat membrane of a capsule in which the substance to be dispensed is already introduced.

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