CAPSULA THAT INCORPORATES A DOSING AND SAFETY LAYER THAT CAN BE OPEN, IN PARTICULAR FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSAGE PACKAGES
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to the field of individual dose containers, in particular frequently used to contain carbonated beverages.
PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE
For some time there has been a great demand in the market for mainly water-based beverages containing flavors, energy-enhancing substances, mineral integrators and other substances whose main objective is to give the drink a particularly pleasant taste in addition to special benefits, such as as additional energy, replacements of mineral salts, etc., which are considered beneficial for the human organism. These beverages are often presented to the public in individual dose containers, so that once the container is opened, the contents are immediately consumed and as a result no reclosing device is needed. The following refers to this type of beverage, although it is true that the same modus operandi is used for some medicinal products. The PCT applications WO 03/093128, and WO 98/38104, both from the same applicant, present the preparation of the beverages immediately before use by insertion in water, provided in a container (normally a plastic container), of the substances desired provided in special capsules, such as those described, for example in the aforementioned applications. EP 356 758 discloses a closure in plastic material for bottles of a dose having a reservoir with a breakable bottom, a cylindrical element with the lateral cut of the lower end inserted in the reservoir and also including a sealing cap folded around the neck of the bottle wherein a rupture line is provided, which extends over the entire height of the layer, interconnected with a circular section separating said cover from the upper flat wall. US RE 38 067 describes a device that allows at least two substances to be stored separately to be mixed together and for the resulting mixture to be stocked. The device comprises a receptacle and at least one removable plug suitable for separating, within the receptacle, two chambers for respectively containing said substances before the first use of the device, the device further includes a contact button for movement in the first use to make that said shutter be removed or detached and place the two cameras in communication with each other. The device comprises a package including a portion fixed to the receptacle and a deformable portion made of an elastically deformable material suitable for deformation when the contact button is depressed in order to accompany its movement and simultaneously constituting a sealed barrier between the interior of the receptacle and the contact button. FR 2 077 188 discloses a bottle that allows at least two substances to be stored separately to be mixed together and for the resulting mixture to be stocked. The device comprises a receptacle and at least one removable plug suitable for separating, within the receptacle, two chambers for respectively containing said substances before the first use of the device, the device further includes a contact button for movement in the first use to make that said shutter be removed or detached and place the two cameras in communication with each other. GB 1 403 274 discloses an assembly for separately storing and mixing two constituents. The assembly comprises a bottle having a threaded neck, an auxiliary container consisting of a first vessel-shaped element sealingly fitted to the bottle neck and a second vessel-shaped element having a sliding adjustment of inverted light at the first element and adapted to break the weakened base of the first element when manually depressed to allow one constituent in the container to mix with the other in the bottle, and a screw cap having an internal tubular extension that serves firstly to limit the initial downward screwing of the cap by engagement with a flange of the first member, and second, to sealingly seal the bottle neck afterwards. of the mixture of the constituents and the material removal of the auxiliary container. The second element has a lower diameter portion terminating at an oblique cutting edge and an elongated upper closed end for making a tight but sliding fit with an internal ridge or rib on the first element. The screw cap, which is injection molded from a plastic material, may be provided with an alteration-proof collar, connected to the cap body by brittle bands and having elastic internal projections which cooperate with a The serrated ring in the neck of the bottle so that the cap can be screwed down in the neck but can not be unscrewed without breaking the fragile bands. The capsules used for this purpose guarantee the safety of the containers but present the problem of having an opening system that is slightly complex and uncomfortable, particularly if it is necessary to use both hands for the shortest time possible, as many people do, such as runners or cyclists who drink these drinks during their sporting activity. To open these containers it is necessary to hold the container and screw the lid with a certain force to break the safety strip, and press the device containing the product in order to tear the capsule and cause the product to fall into the underlying liquid. Only at this point can the capsule be easily unscrewed in order to access the contents of the container. The main objective of the present invention is to produce a capsule which, in addition to offering the same degree of security to demonstrate the previous opening of the container and the same system for producing the beverage immediately before consumption, also allows the opening operations to be perform in a simple and fast way. A further objective is to provide a capsule whose opening, with respect to the capsules of the prior art, is more modern and pleasing to the user. Another objective of the invention is to provide a capsule constructed in a relatively simple manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will arise from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the capsule of the invention, illustrated simply by way of non-limiting example in the attached figures of the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a section in enlarged scale in vertical elevation of the capsule of the invention, inserted in a container and with the upper part closed; and Figure 2 shows the capsule of the invention, partially sectioned and inserted in a container, with the upper part open. In the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes a container having a nozzle, located at one end of the neck 2, which is closed by a capsule 3 according to the invention. The capsule 3 comprises a lower part 4 having an internal thread 7a, by means of which the lower part 4 can be threaded on a thread 7 provided in the neck 2 of the container 1. A safety strip
12 is provided in the lower part 4 of the capsule 3, which when the capsule 3 is unscrewed is detached from it and indicates that the container
1 has been open for the first time. The security strip 12 in the embodiment is a ring, connected to the lower part 4 of the capsule 3 by means of easily breakable ribs, which are coupled against an annular projection on the neck 2 of the container 1 and detach from the capsule 3 when the lower part 4 thereof rises after unscrewing. Strip 12, whose function is completely similar to those of other strips used for numerous types of capsules for packaging, may however be made differently than what was described above. The lower part 4 of the capsule 3 is open at the upper level towards the outside, and is closed at the upper level through an upper part
5 of the capsule. The lower part 4 and the upper part 5 have a circular section and are connected to one another along external circumferential circumferences thereof, through an easily breakable rib 13. Substantially, the upper part 5 and the lower part 4, generally made in one piece, constitute the whole capsule 3 and before reciprocal detachment they are integral, which guarantees the safety of the closure of the container. Unlike the capsules of the prior art, where there is no possibility of removing the upper part of the capsule, the upper part 5 and lower part 4 are easily removable from each other, since they are only joined by an easily breakable rib 13 A hollow 4a is provided to facilitate detachment, the hollow 4a is provided in the lower part 4 of the capsule 3; another gap 5a is provided in the upper part 5 of the capsule 3, and the two recesses 4a and 5a are arranged when the capsule 3 is closed, that is to say when the upper part 5 is on the lower part 4, so that they look one to the other and together they create a slit 6, which is configured as the tip of a human finger. The user, by inserting the tip of a finger into this slit 6 (using a finger of the same hand that is holding the package) and pushing up, easily breaks the easily breakable rib 13 and detaches the upper part 5 of the capsule 3 of the lower part 4. A reservoir 8 is located internally in the capsule 3 and has a breakable bottom 8a. A cutting element is internally included in the reservoir 8, and the reservoir 8 is sealedly inserted in the neck 2 of the container 1.
The substance that will be dissolved in the beverage (this will be better explained later) is contained internally in the reservoir 8, or internally in the cutting element 9 if the latter is hollow (as illustrated in Figure 1) and occupies the space internal in the tank 8. The substance has the function of dissolving in the water contained in the container to prepare the drink, and therefore preferably it will be soluble in water and will include all the desired ingredients to make the final drink. Coupling means are included, which solidly couple the reservoir 8 and the lower part 4 of the capsule 3 in an upward axial translation. The coupling means comprise an outer ring 16, which is solidly clamped to the reservoir 8 and created in an upper external part thereof. The coupling means have a hook-shaped section, with the hooked part facing downwards; an inner annular projection 17 is also provided on the internal surface of the lower part 4 of the capsule 3. When the capsule is screwed into the neck 2 of the container 1, the projection 17 is inserted under the ring 16 and makes the deposit 8 solid. and the lower part 4 of the capsule 3 in ascending translation. When the capsule 3 is assembled, the cutting element 9 projects at an upper level from the lower part 4 of the capsule 3 and the projecting part of the cutting element 9 is internally contained in the upper part 5 of the capsule 3. When the two parts 4 and 5 of the capsule 3 are detached from one another, the upper part of the cutting element 9 projects and the user, using the same tip of the finger that broke the easily breakable rib 13, can push the cutting 9 downwards and causing the rupture of the breakable bottom 8a and the descent of the substance contained in the container to the container 1. The reservoir 8 containing the substances, the cutting element 9, its conformation and mode of use are known. The capsule described is preferably used in packages 1 of individual doses, usually small (of a few deciliters) and made of plastic. This is because it is normally the size of the container which is used for the opening with only one hand; but the capsule can be used in any type of container, bottle or other container that has a neck. When the drink is prepared to be taken, the container 1 is held in one hand, the tip of a finger of the same hand (usually the thumb) is inserted in the groove 6 and with a slight upward pressure fractures and the rib is removed of easy break 13, or the top 5 of the capsule is lifted if the detachment of the bottom part 4 is not complete. By using the same thumb or finger, a part of the cutting element 9 projecting from the lower part 4 is pressed, forcing the cutting element 9 to lower and break the breakable bottom 8a of the tank 8 and cause the substance in the tank 8 fall towards the container.
Subsequently, by unscrewing the lower part 4 of the capsule 3 of the neck 2 of the container 1, a quick operation can be carried out, which requires little time and a little practice, using two fingers of the same hand (for example, thumb and forefinger). ) supporting the container 1, the safety strip 12 is detached and the reservoir 8 and cutting element 9 are lifted, with a consequent opening of the container 1 to have access to its contents. In this way, with this one-piece capsule, in addition to having a double security that neither the container nor the deposit had had access before the capsule itself was opened, using only one hand (the hand that supports the container), the content can be mixed and taken very easily, a great advantage especially for some categories of consumers. The capsule can be used for the preparation of various types of drinks, and with containers of different sizes. Obviously, a smaller type of container is referred to herein due to the fact that the capsule can not be closed again and also because the opening with one hand is possible only if the container is not heavy.