WO2004099028A1

WO2004099028A1 - Flexible multichamber mixing container

Info

Publication number: WO2004099028A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/001444
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerhardus Stefanus Joubert
Original assignee: Gerhardus Stefanus Joubert
Priority date: 2003-05-08
Filing date: 2004-05-07
Publication date: 2004-11-18

Abstract

A container (10) comprises a container body (12) having an outer wall of flexible synthetic polymeric material which is peripherally heat sealed as shown at (15) to render the body (12) capable of withstanding internal pressure at least to a predetermined quantity. An internal joint (20) divides the container into compartments (16, 18), which are filled, at least one compartment containing a liquid, while the other compartment may contain a solid. The internal joint (20) is heat sealed to an integrity such that it can withstand an internal pressure at most less than said predetermined quantity. Prior to use, the compartment containing liquid is pressed to rupture the internal joint (20), while the outer wall end peripheral heat seal (15) remain intact. The compartments (16,18) are intercommunicated, their contents mixed, and a spout (22) is opened to pour out the contents for use.

Description

FLEXIBLE MULTICHAMBER MIXING CONTAINER

CONTAINER

This invention relates to a container. It relates also to a method of manufacturing a container, and to a method of mixing.

US Patent Number 6,247,586 discloses a two-compartment container including a connection formed between two chambers by ejecting a sealing plug. By screwing one container into a thread connected to another container the sealing plug which is provided with two stoppers is pressed out of its retaining members. Sealing takes place in a reliable manner by two separate stoppers of the sealing plug. When the container is screwed in, first the lower stopper is ejected by the upper stopper and then the upper stopper is ejected by an ejection member. The two-compartment container is suitable for holding peroxide and hair dye separately. After it has been ejected, the sealing plug assists in the mixing of the said two components.

A disadvantage of the above two-compartment container is that it is relatively very expensive and heavy and laborious to assemble and fill, as it has numerous components that are manufactured separately and later assembled.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a container including an outer wall of relatively high strength which is able to withstand internal pressure to at least more than a predetermined quantity; at least one internal joint dividing the container in correspondingly at least two isolated compartments, the internal joint being of relatively low strength which is able to withstand pressure to at most less than said predetermined quantity; internal pressure generating means for use in selectively generating internal pressure within the container to said predetermined quantity to rupture said at least one internal joint.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer wall may be flexible, said internal pressure generating means being provided by the flexibility of the outer wall. The outer wall may be formed of sheet material of synthetic polymeric material formed into an envelope or sleeve and peripherally closed by heat sealing to an integrity consistent with the relatively high strength of the outer wall. Said at least one internal joint may be formed between opposing inner surfaces of the outer wall by heat sealing to an integrity consistent with the relatively low strength of said at least one internal joint.

The sheet material may comprise two layers, respectively an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer may be of non-peelable polyethylene and the outer layer may be of NYLON.

By way of development, the outer layer may be covered on its operatively outer side by a layer of UV resistant material to protect the underlying layers and the contents against UV radiation.

Further by way of development, the container may include an outlet formation which is openable for dispensing contents of the container.

The outlet formation may be in the form of an openable spout internally intercommunicated with one compartment only. The outlet formation may be re-sealable or closable.

The compartments are filled with different substances, at least one of which may be a liquid. The liquid may be aqueous, e.g. purified water. The other compartment(s) may be filled with one or more solid substances, or liquid and solid substances, when the container has several compartments. At least one of the substances may be nutritional. Instead, or in addition, at least one of the substances may be a medicament.

When the container has several compartments, they may respectively contain the liquid, at least one nutritional substance, and at least one medicament.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a container of synthetic polymeric sheet material, including forming a sheet material into an envelope and closing a periphery of the envelope by means of heat sealing to a relatively high integrity appropriate to render the container of a strength able to withstand internal pressure to at least more than a predetermined quantity; dividing the container into at least two isolated compartments by means of correspondingly at least one internal joint formed by heat sealing opposing inner surfaces of the synthetic polymeric sheet material to a relatively lower integrity to render said internal joint rupturable at an internal pressure at most less than said predetermined quantity.

The compartments may initially be formed with open inlets to allow filling, the method including sealing said open inlets after filling, to said relatively higher integrity.

Heat sealing opposing inner surfaces of the synthetic polymeric material may include interposing a strip of material intermediate said opposing inner surfaces, and forming the internal joint along and incorporating said strip.

In accordance with a third aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of mixing substances contained in compartments of a container in accordance with the first aspect of this invention, including applying pressure to said outer wall to cause said at least one internal joint to rupture, to force the substances contained in respective compartments together.

The invention will now be described by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a container according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in open form, prior to being filled and sealed; Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 with the contained filled and sealed; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional end view, to a larger scale, of the container according to Figure 1 , prior to being formed, depicting the respective layers of walls of the container; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along arrows IV-IV in Figure 2.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, a container in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 1 0. In this embodiment, the container 1 0 is formed of flexible polymeric sheet material.

The sheet material is arranged in the form of an envelope i.e. to be double-walled, and is then closed along a peripheral region 1 5 by means of heat sealing in a particular way which will be described hereinafter to form a container body 1 2. In this embodiment, two separate, identical sheets of polymeric sheet material are superimposed and the edges are heat sealed to be of a predetermined strength or integrity, more specifically to be able to withstand at least an internal pressure of predetermined quantity.

Further, in accordance with the invention, the container 1 0 is divided into two compartments 1 6 and 1 8 by means of an intermediate internal joint generally indicated by reference numeral 20. The joint 20 extends along the length of the body 1 2 of the container. The internal joint 20 is formed by way of heat sealing, in a specific way such that the integrity or strength of the internal joint is such that it is at most less than being able to withstand an internal pressure of said predetermined quantity. More specifically, with reference to Figure 3, an internal strip 26 is positioned along the desired area of the internal joint, and the internal joint 20 is then formed by heat sealing opposed inner surface of the sheet material forming the outer wall to the internal strip 26 and to each other to incorporate the internal strip 26 as part of the internal joint.

In Figure 1 , the container 20 is shown in an intermediate condition prior to filling. Specifically the compartments 1 6 and 1 8 have been left with open inlets to allow filling. After filling, the periphery is fully sealed in accordance with the higher integrity. Filling will be with different substances, of which one will be a liquid, for example purified water. The other substance may be a solid.

By way of development, the blank sheet material forming the body 1 2 includes a projection 22 in the form of a spout. The spout is closed after filling when the end of the container is closed.

When the contents of the container are to be used, pressure is applied, for example by hand, to the compartment containing the liquid. At a predetermined pressure, the internal joint 20 ruptures thus intercommunicating the compartments 1 6 and 1 8. It is important to appreciate that the internal joint 20 will rupture while the heat seal 1 5 along the periphery of the container remains intact. Thus, the compartments 1 6 and 1 8 are intercommunicated, but are still enclosed within the peripheral seal. The contents are then mixed, for example by manipulation. The body 1 2 is then severed in the spout region 22 inwardly of the portion of the peripheral heat seal 1 5. Severing may be by means of cutting with a sharp object such as a pair of scissors, by providing a notch or a line of weakness to allow tearing, or the like. If desired, the spout may be formed such as to comprise a re-sealable closure. The contents, thoroughly mixed, can then be poured via the spout 22.

By way of development, each of the synthetic polymeric sheets forming the outer wall, may be a plural layer sheet. For example, as can readily be seen from Figure 3, it may comprise an inner layer 28 of a non-peelable polyethylene, an intermediate layer 30 which may be of NYLON and an outer layer 32 in the form of a UV resistant layer for protecting the layers 28 and 30 and also the contents of the container against UV radiation.

The Applicant foresees that the container 1 0 according to the invention is particularly suitable for containing and storing liquid and solid components of foodstuffs, pharmaceutical compounds and cosmetics separate from each other until just before use, when the compartments 1 6 and 1 8 are intercommunicated as hereinbefore described and the liquid and solid components mixed.

It was found that, in this fashion, the components are preserved for much longer periods, and the chemical composition thereof remains intact for extended periods of time, particularly when relatively lesser preservatives are required and the components frequently need not be subjected to irradiation or ulta high temperature pasteurisation.

It is further foreseen that foodstuffs that could conveniently be stored in the container are, for example, the components for baking confectionary, such as powdered eggs, flour, salt and sugar in one compartment, oil in another compartment, and water and vinegar in another compartment. Before the confectionary is baked, the insides of the compartments are intercommunicated and these components mixed into dough and dispensed from the container. A further application is the storage of fruit juice concentrate in one compartment and water in another.

A yet further application is the storage of water in one compartment and dry cereal or other foodstuff or drink components in the other compartment. It is further foreseen that this can find particular application in the case of infants' foodstuffs and milk powder and in the preparation of foodstuffs and food supplements for mineworkers or HIV/AIDS sufferers.

A container in accordance with the invention and its peripheral seal may be of sufficient integrity to provide hermetical sealing. It is possible to sterilize or pasteurize the contents after filling. This enables substances with a short shelf life, or which requires to be kept sterile or pasteurized, to be stored, even for long periods, in a container in accordance with the invention.

The Applicant believes that these advantages are of potential great benefit throughout society, but especially in rural or less developed areas. For example, it is currently a problem to provide sensitive or fragile people such as babies, old and sick people, with food, nutritional supplements, medicaments, medicinal substances, and the like in appropriate hygienic format. This invention allows those disadvantages to be overcome in an elegant, inexpensive manner. By way of further example, it has been found that people of the category named above, and especially also people suffering from HIV or AIDS, or malaria, or the like, can greatly benefit from an appropriate diet. Furthermore, it is important that such people receive nutrition, medicaments and medicine in hygienic format as their immune systems have been compromised.

It is yet a further advantage that by combining medicaments or medicine or nutritional supplements with foodstuffs that the medicaments, medicine and nutritional supplements are taken at least as regularly as the foodstuff by combining those substances with food in a sealed container. It is yet a further advantage that a balanced diet or balanced substances (for example appropriate dosages of medicaments, medicine and nutritional supplements) can be pre-prepared and can, with a great degree of certainty, be used by the recipients.

Naturally, the applications and advantages of the invention are not limited to lesser developed people or people in lesser developed areas, and the invention can, with huge success, also be implemented in highly developed areas amongst highly developed peoples because it provides an inexpensive, user-friendly, hygienic packaging for substances which need to be mixed only after packaging, for example shortly before use.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A container including an outer wall of relatively high strength which is able to withstand internal pressure to at least more than a predetermined quantity; at least one internal joint dividing the container in correspondingly at least two isolated compartments, the internal joint being of relatively low strength which is able to withstand pressure to at most less than said predetermined quantity; internal pressure generating means for use in selectively generating internal pressure within the container to said predetermined quantity to rupture said at least one internal joint.

2. A contained as claimed in Claim 1 in which the outer wall is flexible, said internal pressure generating means being provided by the flexibility of the outer wall.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 2 in which the outer wall is formed of sheet material of synthetic polymeric material formed into an envelope or sleeve and peripherally closed by heat sealing to an integrity consistent with the relatively high strength of the outer wall.

4. A container as claimed in Claim 3 in which said at least one internal joint is formed between opposing inner surfaces of the outer wall by heat sealing to an integrity consistent with the relatively low strength of said at least one internal joint.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 in which the sheet material comprises two layers, respectively an inner layer and an outer layer.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 5 in which the inner layer is non- peelable polyethylene and the outer layer is NYLON.

7. A container as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the outer layer is covered on its operatively outer side by a layer of UV resistant material.

8. A container as claimed in any one of Claim 2 to Claim 7 inclusive which includes an outlet formation which is openable for dispensing contents of the container.

9. A container as claimed in Claim 8 in which the outlet formation is in the form of an openable spout internally intercommunicated with one compartment only.

1 0. A container as claimed in any one of Claim 2 to Claim 9 inclusive in which the compartments are filled with different substances, at least one of which is a liquid.

1 1 . A container as claimed in Claim 1 0 in which the liquid is aqueous.

1 2. A container as claimed in Claim 1 0 or Claim 1 1 in which at least one of the substances is nutritional.

1 3. A container as claimed in Claim 1 0 or Claim 1 1 in which at least one of the substances is a medicament.

14. A container as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 1 1 which has several compartments, respectively containing the liquid, at least one nutritional substance, and at least one medicament.

1 5. A method of manufacturing a container of synthetic polymeric sheet material, including forming a sheet material into an envelope and closing a periphery of the envelope by means of heat sealing to a relatively high integrity appropriate to render the container of a strength able to withstand internal pressure to at least more than a predetermined quantity; dividing the container into at least two isolated compartments by means of correspondingly at least one internal joint formed by heat sealing opposing inner surfaces of the synthetic polymeric sheet material to a relatively lower integrity to render said internal joint rupturable at an internal pressure at most less than said predetermined quantity.

1 6. A method as claimed in Claim 1 5 in which the compartments are initially formed with open inlets to allow filling, the method including sealing said open inlets after filling, to said relatively higher integrity.

1 7. A method as claimed in Claim 1 5 or Claim 1 6 in which heat sealing opposing inner surfaces of the synthetic polymeric material includes interposing a strip of material intermediate said opposing inner surfaces, and forming the internal joint along and incorporating said strip.

1 8. A method of mixing substances contained in compartments of a container as claimed in Claim 2, including applying pressure to said outer wall to cause said at least one internal joint to rupture, to force the substances contained in respective compartments together.