Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D51/24—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
  • B65D51/28—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials
  • B65D51/2807—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials the closure presenting means for placing the additional articles or materials in contact with the main contents by acting on a part of the closure without removing the closure, e.g. by pushing down, pulling up, rotating or turning a part of the closure, or upon initial opening of the container
  • B65D51/2814—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials the closure presenting means for placing the additional articles or materials in contact with the main contents by acting on a part of the closure without removing the closure, e.g. by pushing down, pulling up, rotating or turning a part of the closure, or upon initial opening of the container the additional article or materials being released by piercing, cutting or tearing an element enclosing it
  • B65D51/2821—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials the closure presenting means for placing the additional articles or materials in contact with the main contents by acting on a part of the closure without removing the closure, e.g. by pushing down, pulling up, rotating or turning a part of the closure, or upon initial opening of the container the additional article or materials being released by piercing, cutting or tearing an element enclosing it said element being a blister, a capsule or like sealed container

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a closure cap for a container and, more particularly, to a bottle closure cap provided with a sealed dispensing chamber.
• Beverage additives introduced into a beverage only prior to consumption have become increasingly popular in recent years.
• the need for closure caps for beverage bottles has grown, which have a dispensing chamber with a sealed beverage additive and offer the consumer the opportunity to bring only just before consumption, the beverage additive in the drink, such as mineral water.
• the “Life Top TM Cap” marketed by the company BioGaia AB of Sweden, is a well-known cap for beverage bottles, which is a delivery chamber for beverage additives, in particular for probiotic cultures, for introduction into the beverage before consumption having.
• the cap is integrally formed with a ver pivotable, hinged lid covering the discharge chamber in the closed state.
• the consumer by exerting pressure on the flexible, deformable upper side of the dispensing chamber by means of his thumb, can cause the pressure exerted on the beverage additive in the dispensing chamber to be transmitted to the underside of the dispensing chamber and the underside of the dispensing chamber ruptures, thereby introducing the beverage additive into the beverage bottle or beverage contained within the dispensing chamber.
• a comparable closure cap is described in WO 03/002422. It has proven to be disadvantageous in such closure caps, inter alia, that the pivotally mounted lid can tear off. Furthermore, an exact reproducible pressure application is difficult and with the lid closed it is not clear to the consumer whether the beverage additive has already been introduced from an exhaust chamber into the beverage bottle, ie whether the closure cap has already been used.
• a cap having a dispensing chamber in a base body having a flexible, deformable top wall and a tearable bottom of a blister material, and a lid having a central pin.
• the cover is slidably disposed in the base body, so that the cover can be moved relative to this, by means of the pin the ceiling wall of the delivery chamber so press that the bottom of the discharge chamber from a blister material tears and the sealed beverage additive is released ,
• closure cap like the "Life Top TM Cap” described above, also has the disadvantage that such closure caps can not be used with the machines for conventional closure caps for bottles which are present in filling plants, since the closure caps described above, including their dispensing chambers, have a height which makes their processing impossible by means of machines for conventional bottle caps without dispensing chambers.
• the present invention is therefore based on the object to provide improved closure caps with dispensing chambers for beverage additives, which can be processed in particular by means of existing in existing filling machines for conventional sealing chambers without dispensing chambers.
• Figure Ia shows a sectional view of a closure cap according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
• Figure Ib shows a sectional view of the cap according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention of Figure Ia with a blister mounted therein.
• FIG. 1c shows a sectional view of the blister s of FIG. 1b without the closure cap.
• Figure 2 shows two perspective views of the blister of Figure Ic.
• Figure 3 shows two perspective views of the cap according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention of Figure Ia with blister.
• FIG. 4 a shows a sectional view of a closure cap according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 4b shows a sectional view of the closure cap according to the second preferred embodiment of the invention of Figure 4a with a blister mounted therein.
• FIG. 4c shows a sectional view of the blister of FIG. 4b without the closure cap.
• FIG. 5 shows two perspective views of the blister of FIG. 4c.
• FIG. 6 shows two perspective views of the closure cap according to the second preferred embodiment of the invention of FIG. 4a without blisters.
• FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 2, 3 show, in sectional and perspective views, a closure cap 10 for a bottle (not shown) and an associated blister 18 according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
• the cap 10 consists essentially of a cylindrical shell 12 and a ceiling wall 14.
• the cylindrical shell 12 defines a central axis or axis of symmetry A (shown in Figure Ib) of the cap 10 and has an upper and a lower, free end.
• the term upper and lower end is to be understood in each case the end of the cylindrical shell 12, which faces away from the latter when screwing the cap 10 onto a bottle or facing it.
• the cylindrical jacket 12 of the closure cap 10 is provided with an internal thread 13 which can cooperate in a known manner with an external thread arranged on the neck of a bottle.
• the closure cap 10 further comprises on the outside of the jacket 12 a surface corrugation 19 (see in particular Figure 3), which is to facilitate the application of a torque when gripping the cap 10 with the fingers.
• the corrugation 19 covers substantially the entire outside of the cylindrical shell 12 of the closure cap 10.
• the corrugation may cover only a part of the outside of the shell 12.
• the closure cap 10 i. the lower end of the shell 12, is integrally an annular revolving guarantee or tear strip 15, which is known to rupture by loosening the cap 10 of a bottle or tearing off of the lower end of the shell 12 of the cap 10 and thus a once opened bottle as such marks.
• the tear strip 15 may be connected, for example via a plurality of frangible connecting webs 17 with the lower end of the shell 12 of the cap 10, which tear when loosening the cap 10.
• the closure cap 10 integrally engages the first section 14a of the top wall 14 with its outer end.
• the first portion 14a of the ceiling wall 14 in the form of a circumferential annulus, which is arranged substantially radially.
• the outer end and the inner end of the first Section 14 a of the top wall 14 form two concentric circles with different radii about the axis of symmetry A of the closure cap 10.
• a second section 14b of the top wall 14 essentially has the shape of a peripheral cylinder whose center axis coincides with the axis of symmetry A of the closure cap 10.
• This second portion 14b of the ceiling wall 14 thus extends substantially parallel to the jacket 12 of the cap 10.
• the width of the first portion 14a of the ceiling wall 14, i. the radial distance between the outer and the inner end of the first portion 14a of the ceiling wall 14, and the height of the second portion 14b of the ceiling wall 14, i. the distance between the upper and the lower end of the second portion 14b of the ceiling wall 14, are chosen so that on the one hand by the jacket 12, the first portion 14a and the second portion 14b of the top wall 14 enclosed interior 17 is large enough to on the other hand, this space is not too large that there is still sufficient volume within the cap 10 to provide a flexible delivery chamber 16 for a beverage additive, as will be described in more detail below.
• a third section 14c of the cover wall 14 with its outer end forms the shape like the first section 14a of the top wall 14 a circumferential annulus which is arranged substantially radially.
• the outer end and the inner end of the third portion 14 c of the top wall 14 form two concentric circles with different radii about the axis of symmetry A of the cap 10.
• the fourth portion 14 d of the ceiling wall 14 has substantially the shape of a hemisphere whose vertex or meridian lies on the axis of symmetry A of the cap 10. Because of this configuration of the fourth portion 14d of the top wall 14, an interior or "cavity" 16 (see FIG. 1a) is formed within the closure cap 10 which serves to provide a flexible dispensing chamber for a beverage additive.
• FIGS. 1 c and 2 show that the sealed blister 18 consists of a chamber section 18 a, in which the beverage additive is accommodated, and a fastening section or flange section 18 b.
• the shape of the top of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 substantially corresponds to the shape of the fourth portion 14d of the top wall 14. In other words, the top surface of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 is hemispherical.
• the attachment portion or flange portion 18b of the blister 18 extends annularly around the circumference of the underside of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 and, as can be seen in Figure Ib, to the underside of the third circular-shaped portion 14c of the ceiling wall 14, for example by means Adhesive, be attached.
• a blister 18 may for example consist of two layers, namely a first partially hemispherical layer with an annular flange and a second planar, circular layer whose radius corresponds to the outer radius of the annular flange, wherein the two layers along the flange connected to each other, for example glued , are.
• the operation of these elements and their interaction will be described below.
• the cap 10 is screwed onto a bottle, then the interior 17 is filled by the upper edge of the bottle neck.
• the blister 18 attached via its attachment portion 18b to the underside of the third portion 14c of the ceiling wall 14 fills the wall 16 defined by the fourth portion 14d of the ceiling 14 with its chamber portion 18a.
• a beverage additive which may be present, for example, as a powder, tablet or liquid.
• the consumer presses, for example by means of his thumb, on top of the flexible fourth portion 14d of the top wall 14.
• the thickness of the flexible fourth portion 14 d of the ceiling wall 14 is less than the thickness of, for example, the shell 12 and the first 14 a, second 14 b and third 14 c portion of the top wall 14.
• the flexible fourth portion 14d of the top wall 14 When the consumer causes such deformation of the flexible fourth portion 14d of the top wall 14 into the cap 10 by means of his thumb, the flexible fourth portion 14d of the top wall 14 is pressed against the top of the chamber portion 18a of the sealed blister 18. *** " Since the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 is also made of a deformable material and filled with a beverage additive, a pressure is thus built up in the chamber portion 18a, which is greater the more pressure applied by the consumer, i. the further the flexible fourth section 14d of the ceiling wall 14 is pressed into the interior of the closure cap 10 and thus into the blister 18.
• the pressure generated thereby in the chamber portion 18a of the sealed blister 18 exceeds a certain value, which depends in particular on the nature of the beverage additive and the material of the underside of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18, then the underside of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 rupture and release the beverage additive contained in the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 so that it falls by gravity into the bottle or beverage therein.
• the attachment portion 18b of the blister 18 must be configured at the third portion 14c of the top wall 14 such that the blister mounting portion 18b does not contact the third portion 14c of the top wall 14 solves.
• the consumer can now bring about a better mixing of the beverage additive with the beverage in the bottle, for example by shaking the bottle with the cap 10 screwed thereon , If the cap 10 is properly screwed onto the bottle, which should be the case with an intact tear strip 15, he does not have to fear that the mixture of beverage and beverage additive could escape from the bottle or the cap 10, as despite the torn Bottom of Blister- chamber 18a, the cap 10 is a fluid-tight barrier.
• the top of the closure cap 10 i. the part that consists of a flat top wall or top plate in conventional caps without dispensing chambers, be provided with a tear-off (not shown) that the consumer must remove before using the cap 10.
• This tear-off is similar to the tear strip 15 serve to identify a once used cap as such. Instructions for using the closure cap 10 and for introducing the beverage additive contained therein into the bottle can also be given on the tear-off film.
• Preferred dimensions of the closure cap 10 and the blister 18 according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention are, as is also apparent from the figures Ia and Ic: width of the first portion 14a of the top wall 14 about 5.5 mm; Thickness of the second portion 14b of the ceiling wall 14 about 1 mm; Height of the second portion 14b of the ceiling wall 14 about 11 mm; Thickness of the flexible fourth portion 14d of the ceiling wall 14 about 0.4 to 0.6 mm; Height of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 about 9.6 mm; Diameter of the underside of the chamber portion 18a of the blister 18 about 14.6 mm; Diameter of the flange portion 18b of the blister 18 about 20.2 mm.
• the blister 18 in the sealed state may have, for example, a volume of about 2 ml.
• Figures 4a, 4b and 4c and 5 and 6 show in sectional view and perspective view of a cap 20 for a bottle (not shown) and an associated blister 28 according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.
• a cap 20 for a bottle not shown
• an associated blister 28 according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.
• the closure cap 20 differs from the closure cap 10 described above by the shape of the flexible fourth portion 24d of the top wall 24 and thus also by the shape of the blister 28 and the blister chamber 28a, respectively.
• the flexible fourth section 24 d of the ceiling wall 24 essentially has the shape of a truncated cone whose axis of symmetry coincides with the axis of symmetry A of the closure cap 10.
• the blister chamber 28a is configured in a substantially frusto-conical shape (see FIGS. 4b, 4c and 5).
• closure cap 20 i. in particular, the impressions of the flexible fourth portion 24d of the ceiling wall 24, the opening of the blister chamber 28a caused thereby and the release of the beverage additive are the same as in the first preferred embodiment of the invention described above and will therefore not be described in more detail.
• Preferred dimensions of the closure cap 20 and of the blister 28 according to the second preferred embodiment of the invention are, as also evident from FIGS. 4a and 4c: width of the first section 24a of the top wall 24 approx. 5.5 mm; Thickness of the second portion 24b of the ceiling wall 24 about 1 mm; Height of the second portion 24b of the ceiling wall 24 about 11 mm; Thickness of the flexible fourth portion 24d of the ceiling wall 24 about 0.4 to 0.6 mm; Height of the chamber portion 28a of the blister 28 about 9.6 mm; Diameter of the underside of the chamber portion 28a of the blister 28 about 14.5 mm; Diameter of the flange portion 28b of the blister 28 about 20.2 mm.
• the blister 28 in the sealed state may have, for example, a volume of about 2 ml.
• closure caps 10, 20 are made of a variety of suitable materials, in particular
• Plastics can be produced. When selecting suitable materials and wall thicknesses, it is essentially only necessary to ensure that, as described above, As already stated, the jacket 12, 22, the first 14a, 24a, the second 14b, 24b and the third 14c, 24c portion of the top wall 14, 24 are less deformable than their flexible fourth section 14d, 24d. Furthermore, the underside or the bottom of the chamber section 18a, 28a of the blister 18, 28 should tear at a certain pressure in the latter, in order to release the beverage additive contained in the blister 18. Of course, the materials used should be food safe, ie, not chemically interact with the beverage additive present in the chamber section 18a, 28a of the blister 18, 28. Particularly suitable materials have been found: HDPE Bormed HE7541 PH or PP Exxon Mobil PP1043H1 for the cap 10, 20 and PVC, thermoplastic PP or a thin aluminum foil for the blister 18, 28.
• Suitable beverage additives which are contained in the chamber section 18a, 28a of the blister 18, 28 of the closure caps 10, 20 according to the invention, e.g. can be stored in tablet form, sealed as a liquid or in the form of a powder to be mixed with the beverage immediately before consumption, include, for example: vitamins; Trace elements; Minerals, such as calcium and magnesium; phytochemicals such as carotenoids, phytoestrogens and flavonoids; Fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids; Amino acids as well as probiotics and prebiotics, such as inulin.
• closure cap and the blister can be produced separately and can not be connected to one another until they have been filled.
• the closure cap may be manufactured by a cap manufacturer using conventional injection molding techniques while the blister may be manufactured separately from the beverage additive manufacturer.
• the terms as used herein, such as “top” or “bottom”, “outside” and “the like” and the like, are not intended to encompass the orientation of the inventive elements specified in more detail herein Way, but merely to distinguish these elements from each other.
• the following list of reference numerals is part of the disclosure. List of reference numbers:

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2007
  • 2007-06-21 DE DE102007028707A patent/DE102007028707B3/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2008
  • 2008-04-09 DE DE502008002887T patent/DE502008002887D1/de active Active
  • 2008-04-09 WO PCT/EP2008/002799 patent/WO2008154974A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2008-04-09 AT AT08735112T patent/ATE501949T1/de active
  • 2008-04-09 EP EP08735112A patent/EP2160338B1/fr not_active Not-in-force

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