WO2003051744A1

WO2003051744A1 - A package for keeping a liquid and another substance separate prior to use

Info

Publication number: WO2003051744A1
Application number: PCT/AU2002/001568
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Rere Barnett
Original assignee: Charles Rere Barnett
Priority date: 2001-11-20
Filing date: 2002-11-19
Publication date: 2003-06-26

Abstract

A package for keeping two substances separate prior to use is described. The package includes a primary container (12) for storing a first substance and having an opening, a secondary container (14) for storing a second substance (3) and having an opening, the secondary container (14) is integrally formed and its opening is sealed by a breakable seal (4), the secondary container (14) is arranged to be removably engaged with the first container (12) so that the breakable seal (4) keeps the contents of the primary and secondary containers (12, 14) separate; and the secondary container (14) may be deformed to cause the seal to burst and allow the two substances to mix.

Description

A PACKAGE FOR KEEPING A LIQUID AND ANOTHER SUBSTANCE

SEPARATE PRIOR TO USE Technical Field

This invention relates to a package for keeping a liquid and another substance separate prior to use.

Background to the Invention

It is sometimes important to package a liquid and another substance so that they are kept separate prior to use. For instance, the shelf life of a drink containing vitamins depends upon the speed with which vitamins in the drink become denatured. Vitamins become denatured at a much slower rate if they are stored in a dry form compared with storing in solution. Thus, the shelf life of a vitamin drink is longer if the vitamins are kept separate from the liquid prior to use.

Further, there are high regulatory health standards for packaging or bottling plants that package drinks with certain constituents such as vitamins . It can become costly to maintain and operate such a plant whilst adhering to these health standards. However, if the regulated constituents are kept separate from the liquid being handled at the plant then the plant is not subject to these regulations and the cost of operation of the plant is decreased.

There exist packages for keeping a liquid and another substance separate, however, these have been of complex construction with various moving parts and some include plungers and cutters to effect mixing of the liquid and the other substance which results in a high production cost for these packages.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect the present invention provides a package for keeping two substances separate prior to use, the package including a primary container for storing a first substance and having an opening; a secondary container for storing a second substance and having an opening; the secondary container is integrally formed and its opening is sealed by a breakable seal; the secondary container is arranged to be removably engaged with the first container so that the breakable seal keeps the contents of the primary and secondary containers separate; and the secondary container may be deformed to cause the seal to burst and allow the two substances to mix.

The invention thus provides a package with two compartments for keeping two substances separate prior to use. The seal bursts when the secondary container is deformed thus obviating the need for a cutting element to break the seal. The package is of simplified construction and thus is more economical to produce than prior art packages with two compartments.

The secondary container may be deformed by applying finger pressure directly to an outside surface of the secondary container. With no intermediate parts between a finger and the secondary container, not only is construction of the package simplified, but improved control over the deformation operation is achieved. The first substance may be a liquid. The liquid may be water. The second substance may be a solid. The second substance may be in powder, granular or tablet form.

The second substance may include vitamins. The second substance may be milk powder or formula food. The breakable seal may be a foil seal.

The secondary container may be a blister. The secondary container may be removably engaged with the primary container by being adhered to the first container. The secondary container may be removably engaged with the primary container by clamp means .

The clamp means may include a tubular member having an upper portion and a lower portion, the portions being separable to allow deformation of the secondary container.

The secondary container may be protected from unintentional deformation by a hard protective cover. The package may include a mouthpiece suitable for use by a baby or infant .

The mouthpiece may be a teat or sipper spout.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective cross section view of a lid for an embodiment of a package according to the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the lid of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of an alternative lid; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a further alternative lid;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lid of Figure 4 with the protective cover in the open position;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lid of Figure 4 applied to a bottle;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lid of Figure 4 applied to a bottle and clamping a blister pack to the bottle and showing the exposed blister pack being deformed; Figure 8 is an elevation view of an alternative embodiment of a lid;

Figure 9 is an elevation view of the blister pack of Figure 7 ;

Figure 10 is an exploded cross sectional view of the lid of Figure 8 and the blister pack of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the blister pack of Figure 7 ; Figure 12 is an alternative perspective view of the blister pack of Figure 7;

Figure 13 is a plan view of the blister pack of Figure 7 ; Figure 14 is a cross sectional view along the line A- A of Figure 13 ;

Figure 15 is a cross sectional view of the lid and blister pack of Figure 19 applied to a bottle;

Figure 16 shows the arrangement of Figure 15 being deformed by a finger;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of an alternative lid;

Figure 17A is a perspective view of the lid of Figure 17 in an open position; Figure 18 is an elevation view and partly in cross section of the lid .of Figure 17 ;

Figure 19 is a cross sectional and exploded view of the lid of Figure 17 and the blister pack of Figure 9;

Figure 20 is a perspective and exploded view of the lid of Figure 19;

Figure 21 is a perspective view of an alternative lid;

Figure 21A is a cross section view of the lid of Figure 21. Figure 22 is a perspective view of the blister pack of Figure 9 adhered to a bottle and being- deformed by a finger;

Figure 23 is a perspective view of the blister pack of Figure 22 being removed from the bottle after actuation;

Figure 24 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a package according to the invention;

Figure 25 is a partly cross sectional view of figure 24; Figure 26 is an exploded view of the upper components of the baby's bottle of Figure 24;

Figure 27 is a partly cross sectional view of the tubular member of Figure 26;

Figure 28 is an exploded view of the baby's bottle of Figure 24;

Figure 29 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a package according to the present invention;

Figure 30 is a partly cross sectional view of the tubular member of Figure 29;

Figure 31 is an exploded view of the upper components of the package of Figure 29;

Figure 32 is a perspective and exploded view of a cup containing powdered milk or formula food used in the package of Figures 24 and 29; /

Figure 33 is a perspective view of the cup of Figure 32;

Figure 34 is a partly cut away view of the cup of Figure 32;

Figure 35 is a perspective view of a group of six cups of Figure 32; Figures 36A to 36G illustrate operation of the package of Figure 29.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a lid 1 is shown for engagement with a primary container in the form of a bottle (not shown) by way of screw thread 6. Lid 1 includes a secondary container defined by cylindrical recess 5, push button 2 and opening 8. Opening 8 of cylindrical recess 5 is sealed by foil seal 4. The secondary container stores a substance in the form of tablet 3 which can contain flavourings or vitamins for addition to a drink. The bottle (not shown) contains a first substance in the form of a drink such as still water. The package formed by the combination of lid 1 and bottle thus maintains tablet 3 separate from the drink. Prior to consumption, a user deforms the secondary container by pressing down with a finger on push button 2. This causes a rise in air pressure within the secondary container and also causes tablet 3 to press against foil seal 4. Sufficient finger pressure results in bursting of foil seal 4 thus allowing tablet 3 to drop into the drink. Tablet 3 subsequently dissolves . Push button 2 remains depressed to indicate that the tablet has been released into the drink. Lid 1 is removed and the drink may then be consumed. Lid 1 may be formed from LDPE or TPE or similar material . Referring to Figure 3 , an alternative lid 10 is shown. This embodiment differs from the lid shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that it does not have a cylindrical recess. In this embodiment, the secondary container is defined by push button 2 and opening 8. Sealing ring 15 is also provided to seal the opening of a bottle (not shown) to which lid 10 is to be attached. Operation of lid 10 is the same as described above. Lid 10 may be formed from LDPE or TPE or similar material.

Referring to Figures 4 to 7 , a further alternative lid 11 is shown engaged by a screw thread to a primary container in the form of bottle 12. Lid 11 removably engages a secondary container in the form of blister 16 of blister pack 23 (see Figures 11 to 14) over the opening of bottle 12 by clamping the periphery of blister 16. Lid 11 includes a protective hard cover in the form of flip top 13 which protects blister 16 from unintentional deformation (See Fig 13) . Flip top 13 must be moved away from covering blister 16 in order to deform blister 16 to release tablet 3 (See Fig 7) . Lid 11 is removed from bottle 12 to allow removal of blister 16. The drink may then be consumed or re-sealed with lid ll-. Lid 11 may be formed from LDPE, HDPE, polypropylene or similar material.

Referring now to Figures 11 to 14, blister pack 23 is shown in detail. Blister 16 is formed from PVDC, Triplex or similar. Blister 16 may be transparent to allow viewing of the contents of blister pack 23.

Alternatively, blister may be formed from foil. Blister 16 is formed in a hat shape and receives tablet 3. Blister 16 is sealed with foil seal 4. A projection of foil seal 4 folds over the periphery of blister 16 to form pull up tab 30. Referring now to Figures 8,9, 10, 15 and 16 a further alternative lid 14 is shown. Lid 14 includes a thin upper portion 18. Lid 14 receives and retains blister pack 23 by way of detents 17. A sturdy leak proof seal 19 is applied to the opening of bottle 12. Lid 14 is applied to bottle by way of screw thread 6.

Leak proof seal 19 prevents accidental breakage of foil seal 4 during transit as a result of unintentional downward pressure on weakened portion 18.

To .mix the contents of the two containers, lid 14 is temporarily removed to allow removal of leak proof seal 19. Lid 14 is then reapplied to bottle 12 and finger pressure is applied to weakened section 18. This causes^' weakened section 18 to deform and thus causes deformation of blister 16 and the release of tablet 3. Lid 14 and blister 16 are removed to allow consumption of the drink. Lid 14 may be formed from LDPE or TPE or similar.

Referring to Figures 17 to 20 a further alternative lid 20 is shown. This lid is provided with a push-pull closure 21 and includes a recess 22 for receiving blister pack 23.

Referring to Figures 21 and 21A a further alternative lid 20a is shown. This lid includes recess 22a for receiving blister pack 23.

Referring to Figures 22 and 23, in a package including either of lids 20 or 20a, blister pack 23 is removably adhered to the opening of bottle 12. Lid 20 or 20a protects blister 16 from unintentional deformation during transit. To release the contents of blister pack 23, lid 20 or 20a is removed from bottle 12 by being unscrewed. Finger pressure may then be applied to blister 16 to release tablet 3. Blister pack 23 may then be peeled away from the opening of bottle 12 by grasping and pulling pull up tab 30 to allow the contents of bottle 12 to be consumed. Lid 20 or 20a may be replaced to reseal bottle 12. The contents of bottle 12 may be consumed through lid 20 by opening push-pull closure 21. Lid 20 may be formed from LDPE, HDPE, Polypropylene or similar material. Lid 20a may be formed from HDPE or Polypropylene or similar material.

The above described embodiments of packages that keep two substances separate prior to use are useful for packaging sports drinks or health drinks or the like. For instance, certain substances, such as vitamins, have an extended shelf life if stored in a dry format.

The substance stored in the secondary container was described above as being a solid tablet. Similarly, this substance could be stored in powder, granular, paste or liquid form depending upon the particular second substance being used.

Referring to Figures 24 to 28, a further alternative package is shown. This package is useful for packaging a powdered milk drink or formula food for consumption by a baby or infant. The package includes a primary container in the form of bottle 41 and a secondary container in the form of cup 42. Cup 42 is made from deformable plastic such as PVDC and its opening is sealed by a breakable seal in the form of foil seal 43. Cup 42 contains a known quantity of milk powder 44. Bottle 41 contains a suitable quantity of water 45 that when mixed with the known quantity of milk powder 44 yields a milk drink of a desired composition. Cup 42 includes a flange 46. Clamp means in the form of tubular member 47 fits to bottle 41 by way of a screw thread and engages cup 42 to the bottle by clamping flange 46 against the lip of the opening of bottle 41. Tubular member 47 includes an upper portion 48 and a lower portion 49 which may be separated by removing tear strip 50.

Upper portion 48 retains a teat 51 which is protected by cap 52. Lower portion 49 includes a tamper evident band 56 which engages under flange 57 provided on bottle 41. Unscrewing of lower portion 49 from bottle 41 results tamper evident band 56 coming away from lower portion 49 by action of flange 57.

Referring to Figures 29 to 31 an alternative tubular member 53 is shown including upper portion 54 and lower portion 55. The upper and lower portions are' attached by a screw thread arrangement and may be separated by unscrewing upper portion 54. Tubular members 47 and 53 may be formed from LDPE, HDPE, Polypropylene or similar material .

Referring to Figures 36A to 36G operation of this embodiment of the invention will be described. Figure 36 A illustrates the package in the form in which it is purchased. To prepare the milk drink the upper portion 54 of tubular member 53 is unscrewed (see Fig 36B) to allow access to cup 42. The top of cup 42 is pressed by a . finger (see Fig 36C) which results in bursting of seal 43 to allow milk powder 44 to fall into bottle 41 to mix with water 45 to yield milk drink 58. Lower portion is then unscrewed from bottle 41 and is removed along with cup 42 (see Fig 36E) . Upper portion 54 is then attached to bottle 41 (see Fig 36F) . After removal of cap 52, the milk drink may be consumed (see Fig 36G) .

If tubular member 47 is used then operation differs to that described above only in that upper portion 48 is removed from lower portion 49 by removing tear strip 50. The above described embodiments of packages that include a teat are useful for packaging milk drinks for consumption by a baby or toddler. A parent or carer of a baby does not need to locate separate sources of clean water and milk powder. Further, it is not necessary to measure amounts of clean water and milk powder, the amounts are pre-measured. Even further, the operation of mixing milk powder and water can be carried out without loss of either milk powder or water such as by spilling as can occur in the traditional method of preparing milk drinks which involves spooning powder into the narrow opening of a baby's bottle.

Any reference to prior art contained herein is not to be taken as an admission that the information is common general knowledge, unless otherwise indicated.

Finally, it is to be appreciated that various alterations or additions may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A package for keeping two substances separate prior to use, the package including: a primary container for storing a first substance and having an opening; a secondary container for storing a second substance and having an opening; the secondary container is integrally formed and its opening is sealed by a breakable seal; the secondary container is arranged to be removably engaged with the first container so that the breakable seal keeps the contents of the primary and secondary containers separate; and the secondary container may be deformed to cause the seal to burst and allow the two substances to mix. -

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein the secondary container may be deformed by applying finger pressure directly to an outside surface of the secondary container.

3. A package according to either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first substance is a liquid.

4. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the liquid is water.

5. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second substance is a solid.

6. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second substance is in powder, granular or tablet form.

7. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second substance includes vitamins .

8. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second substance is milk powder or formula food. .

9. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the breakable seal is a foil seal.

10. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary container is a blister.

11. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary container is removably engaged with the primary container by being adhered to the primary container .

12. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary container is removably engaged with the primary container by clamp means.

13. A package according to claim 12 wherein the clamp means includes a tubular member having an upper portion and a lower portion, the portions being separable to allow deformation of the secondary container .

14. A package according to claim 12 wherein the clamp means includes a lid.

15. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the secondary container is protected from unintentional deformation by a hard protective cover.

16. A package according to any one of the preceding claims further including a mouthpiece suitable for use by a baby or infant.

17. A package according to claim 16 wherein the mouthpiece is a teat or sipper spout.

Dated this 14th day of November 2002 Charles Rere Barnett By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK