WO2009031167A1

WO2009031167A1 - A capsule for closing containers, comprising a reservoir for a mixable component

Info

Publication number: WO2009031167A1
Application number: PCT/IT2007/000608
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leonardo Puggelli
Original assignee: Freeplast S.R.L.
Priority date: 2007-09-04
Filing date: 2007-09-04
Publication date: 2009-03-12

Abstract

The capsule includes a reservoir (11) for a substance, having an axial cavity enclosed by a side wall and closed at the bottom with a cuttable partition (11 B), and an opening opposite the bottom partition. The capsule includes also a closure cap (13), with threading that engages the container, and a cut- ting element (15) made in a single piece with the cap. The cutting element includes on its outside surface at least a first projection (15E) that co-acts with at least a second projection (11 E) located on the inside surface of the reservoir. The first and second projections are positioned to co-act together when the cutting element and the reservoir are inserted one inside the other in the packaged state and with the cuttable bottom partition unbroken.

Description

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A CAPSULE FOR CLOSING CONTAINERS, COMPRISING A RESERVOIR FOR A MIXABLE COMPONENT

Description Technical Field The present invention regards a capsule for closing containers, for example, small medicine bottles. More specifically, the invention concerns improvements to capsules of the type including: a reservoir for containing a component that has to be stored separately from the contents of container, and having a cavity closed at the bottom by a bottom wall that can be cut and having an opening a the top; a closing cap with a thread for engagement with the container and fitted with a cutting element, made in one piece with the cap and extending along the axis of the cap, provided with a cutting edge; when assembled, the cutting element being inserted axially into the cavity of reservoir. State of the Art A capsule of this type is described, for example, in DE-A-4410323. In this known capsule, the bottom of the reservoir consists of a cuttable partition and has an extension generally orthogonal to the axis of the reservoir and of the cutting element. To cut the bottom partition of the reservoir, the cutting element has a sharp edge with a helicoid form. Cutters of this type are very difficult to manufacture: they require highly complex moulds, they are extremely difficult to extract from the moulds and the helicoid cutting edge can easily be damaged when the part is extracted from the injection mould.

However, the capsule described in DE-A-4410323, compared to other known capsules, has the advantage that it is made up of only two parts. In fact, other similar capsules exist, made for the same purpose, where the cutting element is manufactured as a separate unit, not part of the cap. In this case, the capsule consists of three separate parts; the reservoir, the cutting element, which acts also as the upper closure of the reservoir, and the top cap, normally fitted with a safety ring. Capsules of this second type are described, for example, in WO-A-

9838104, US-A-3840136, and these are the types most commonly found today on the market.

In the capsules of this second type, the cutter unit has a cutting edge inclined to its own axis, while the bottom partition of the reservoir is still generally orthogonal to the axis of the reservoir as in DE-A-4410323. In this case, the cutting element is separate from the cap that closes the capsule; therefore, there are no problems to extract the cutting element from the injection mould where it is produced. The cutting edge, though inclined, is not damaged in the extraction stage.

The capsule described in DE-A-4410323 also has an annular flange on the generally cylindrical outside surface of the cutter, said flange fits into a cavity, also generally annular-shaped, provided on the generally cylindrical inside surface of the reservoir in which the cutter is inserted. This arrangement serves to seal in the contents of the additive reservoir.

IT-B-1.307.797 describes a cap of the type mentioned above, in which the cutting edge of the cutting element extends on a plane generally orthogonal to the axis of the said cap, and the bottom partition of the reservoir is inclined to the axis of said reservoir at an angle different from 90°. These capsules have some problems, which arise particularly in the packaging phases of the product, that is, when filling the container, for example, a bottle, to which the capsule is subsequently applied, and when filling the reservoir of the capsule itself. Specifically, the compound, usually in powder form, which is dispensed into the reservoir, tends to flow out of the reservoir during the manufacturing processes that follow its introduction into the reservoir. Moreover, once the reservoir has been fitted onto the neck of the bottle, or other container, and has been filled with the compound that must be stored in the reservoir separate from the product contained in the bottle or other container to which the capsule is fitted, the top closure cap must be fitted onto the bottle or container and fastened to it, and the cutting element must be inserted axially into the reservoir without damaging the bottom partition of said reservoir. This closing operation is critical and requires particular care to prevent the cutting element from penetrating too far into the reservoir, with the risk that its lower tip could cut into the bottom partition of the capsule. Summary of the Invention

An object of one embodiment of the invention is to alleviate or eliminate at least some of the above problems.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the capsule includes a reservoir for a first component that has to be mixed at the moment of use with the second component contained in the container, which is closed by the capsule. The reservoir has an axial cavity, enclosed by a side wall which is closed inferiorly by a cuttable bottom partition and having an upper aperture opposite said bottom partition. The capsule also includes a closure cap, with threading that engages the neck of the container, and fitted with a cutting element made in a single piece with the cap, projecting axially therein and provided with a cutting edge. The cutting element includes, on its outside surface, preferably generally cylindrical or slightly cone-shaped, at least one first projection cooperating with at least a second projection located on the inside surface of the reservoir, said surface, too, preferably generally cylindrical or slightly cone-shaped. The first and the second projections are positioned so they co-act when the cutting element and the reservoir are inserted one inside the other in the packaged configuration with the cuttable bottom partition unbroken, so that the projections define an end-insertion position, that is, a position of complete and correct in- sertion of the cutter into the reservoir in the packaging phase. Preferably, in this completely inserted position, the cutting edge of the cutter is adjacent to the bottom cuttable partition of the reservoir, but does not nick it. In this way, the integrity of the reservoir is preserved and at the same time, the cutter is positioned, in the packaging phase, as close as possible to the bottom partition to be cut of the reservoir, so that the successive partition-cutting operation by the user will be easy and effective. The entire travel of the cutter into the container to which the closure capsule is fitted will cut the bottom partition of the reservoir and push this partition to the side, completely opening the reservoir and assuring the discharge of the product contained in the capsule into the container un- derneath.

The projections establish the position that must be reached by the cutting element inside the reservoir for the correct packaging, so that the reservoir is closed by the cutting element cap, but the cutting edge of the element does not reach and cannot damage the bottom cuttable partition of the reservoir. This configuration allows the packaging operations to be reliably automated, and ensures that the reservoir bottom is not accidentally cut.

The first and second projections are preferably ring-shaped. In this way, they can form a seal that precludes the loss of the compound from the reservoir. In an alternative modified embodiment of the invention, one or the other, or both of the projections can have a different shape, not continuous. For example, they can be shaped like projecting teeth. In this case, they will still serve the purpose of determining the assembly position of the cutting element in the reservoir, even without performing a sealing function or performing it in a less efficient way than the continuous annular projections both on the inside wall o'f the reservoir and on the outside wall of the cutting element.

To obtain a particularly effective seal, the first projection can include at least two annular ridges, between which an annular ridge fits which forms or is part of the second projection. In this way, a sort of labyrinth-type seal is achieved, which very effectively prevents the product from leaking from the reservoir during packaging. There is no reason why a similar type of seal cannot be made with two annular ridges on the inside wall of the reservoir engaging with a single annular ridge on the outside wall of the cutting element. In a modified embodiment, one, the other, or both projections could be provided with a plurality of annular ridges all fitting into each other to form a labyrinth seal.

In one embodiment of the invention, the projection on the outside surface of the cutting element includes two annular ridges arranged in a sequence along the axial extension of the cutting element, the annular ridge closest to the cutting edge of the cutting element having a smaller diameter than the adjacent annular ridge. In this way, an efficient labyrinth seal is formed, and at the same time, the annular flange with the larger diameter acts as an end-run stop for the cutting element in the packaging phases, which reliably ensures that the cutting element cannot accidentally penetrate too far into the reservoir.

Further features and embodiments of the invention are set forth in the at- tached, dependent claims.

Furthermore, the invention also concerns a package including a container (for example, a bottle) and a capsule of the type described above that forms the closure of the container. Brief Description of the Drawings The invention can be better understood following the description and the accompanying drawings, which show one practical, but not limiting, embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 - shows a longitudinal section of a bottle and a capsule in an intermediate assembly stage; Figures 2A to 2C - show a longitudinal section of a package complete with the bottle and the capsule in three steps of the opening operation of the package by the user;

Figure 3 - shows a longitudinal section of a bottle with the capsule assem- bled in a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 - shows a longitudinal section of the capsule of Figure 3 forming the cap and the cutting element;

Figure 5 - shows an enlargement of the area indicated by V in Figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 - show two side views, from two different points of obser- vation at 90°, of the outside of the portion of the cap of the capsule of Figures 3 to 5. Detailed Description of an Embodiment of the Invention:

Referring first to Figure 1 , in one embodiment, a package is provided, gen- erically indicated with 1 , which includes a closure capsule 3 and a container in the form of a bottle 5.

The container 5 has an upper mouth 7 threaded on the outside at 7A.

The capsule 3 includes two components. The first component is a reservoir 11 inserted into the mouth 7 of container 5. The reservoir 11 has an internal cavity 11A closed at the bottom by a partition 11B inclined at an angle α to the axis A-A of reservoir 11 that coincides with the axis of the container 5. At the top, reservoir 11 has a circular opening 11 C, at a certain distance from which there is an annular groove 11 D. Inside the cavity 11A of the reservoir 11 , a compound is inserted that must be stored separately from the contents of container 5. For example, in reservoir 11 a powder can be stored, which at the moment of use must be mixed with a liquid contained in container 5. This type of situation is common in the field of medicine packaging, for example, for the oral administration of vitamin, dietetic and similar products.

Number 13 shows the second component of capsule 3, which is formed by a closure cap having an upper wall 13A and a cylindrical side wall 13B, which has an inner threading 13C that engages the threading 7A provided around the mouth 7 of container 5. Below the cover or cap 13, there is a safety ring 13D of a type already in use, attached with ties to cap 13, and fitted with an annular flange 13E that engages under an annular edge 7B provided around the mouth 7 of the container 5 and at a certain axial distance from the mouth, below the threads of the bottle neck 7A.

From the flat upper wall 13A of the cap 13, a cutting element 15 extends downwards, that is, towards the inside of the cap 13, said cutting element having a generally cylindrical shape with a relatively sharp cutting edge 15A. The edge 15A then, is the cutting element that cuts the bottom partition 11B of reservoir 11. The edge 15A extends in a plane generally orthogonal to the axis of the cutting element 15. When the capsule is assembled, the axis of the cutting element 15 coincides substantially with the axis A-A of container 5 and of reservoir 11. At the end opposite the lower cutting edge 15A, the cutting element 15 has an annular projection 15B, located near the upper wall 13A of cap 13 and that cooperates with the annular groove 11 D of reservoir 11 in a way and for the purposes that will be described below.

As can be seen in Figure 2A, when the substances have been dispensed into container 5 and into cavity 11 A of reservoir 11 , the cap or cover 13 is snap- fitted onto container 5 engaging the annular flange 13E onto the annular flange or edge 7B. In this position, the cutting element 15 is inserted inside the axial cavity 11A of reservoir 11 and is positioned with its cutting edge 15A corresponding to the highest point of the inclined bottom partition 11B of the reser- voir 11 , and preferably at a certain distance from said partition. The cutting element 15, then, also forms a closing element for the reservoir 11. In one form of use of the capsule according to the invention, the reservoir 11 is inserted into the mouth 7 of the container 5 before fitting the cap 11 , and after inserting the component into container 5. Subsequently the component is dispensed into cavity 11 A of reservoir 11 , and then the cavity is closed by applying the cap 15. In a modified embodiment of the invention, the threading 13C of cap 13 can extend downwards until it is near the separation line between the body of the cap 13 and the safety ring 13D. In this case, the cap or cover 13 is engaged to the bottle or container 5 screwing the threading 13C onto threading 7A. Characteristically, according to one embodiment of the invention, the cutting element 15 has a first annular projection 15C. In one embodiment, the first annular projection 15C includes a ridge 15D and a ridge or group of ridges 15 E, all annular and arranged in sequence along the axial extension of the cutting element 15. Specifically the annular ridge or ridges 15D are located in a posi- - - tion closer to the cutting edge 15A than the annular ridge 15E.

Moreover, in one embodiment, the annular ridge 15E has a greater diameter than the annular ridges 15D, that is, it extends radially from substantially cylindrical surface of the cutting element to a greater extent than the ridges 15D.

In a possible embodiment, the terminal part of cutting element 15 extending from the cutting edge 15A for a height H, has an outside cylindrical surface having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the outside generally cylindrical surface of the other portion of the cutting element 15. This reduc- tion in diameter has a purpose that will be explained later.

Inside reservoir 11 , from the inside surface of the approximately cylindrical or slightly cone-shaped side wall 11 L that forms cavity 11 A, extends an annular projection 11 E, positioned below the annular groove 11 D. Below the annular ridge forming the annular projection 11 E, the inside surface of the side wall 11L extends with a cylindrical or slight conical shape to a shoulder 11S lying on a plane preferably approx. orthogonal to axis A-A of reservoir 11. Below this shoulder the inside surface of the side wall has a slightly smaller diameter, so that the reservoir has, between the shoulder 11S and the bottom partition 11 B, a transversal section with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter (constant or slightly variable along the axial extension) of the portion of the reservoir extending between the shoulder 11S and the annular ridge forming the annular projection 11 E.

As can be seen especially in Figure 2A , when the capsule 3 is fitted into the container 5, the cap 13, and the cutting element 15 made in a single piece with the cap 13, are positioned so that the safety ring 13D is engaged below the flange 7B circling the neck of the bottle 5, while the cutting element 15 is partially inserted inside the space or cavity 11A of the reservoir 11 in a reciprocal axial position between the cutting element 15 and the reservoir 11 , such that the annular ridge 11 E projecting radially towards the inside of side wall 11L of the reservoir, is positioned across annular ridge 15E and the adjacent annular ridge 15D forming part of the annular projection 15C of the cutting element 15. This configuration provides a double benefit. On one hand the annular ridge 15E with a larger diameter forms a stop against annular projection or ridge 11 E, which effectively prevents an accidental excessive penetration of the cutting element 15 into reservoir 11 during the packaging phase. In fact, in the assembled configuration, illustrated in Figure 2A, the cutting edge 15A of the cutting element 15 is positioned a certain distance from the cuttable bottom partition 15B of the reservoir 11 , a distance that can guarantee that the bottom partition cannot be damaged by the cutting edge 15A. The second benefit is that the annular ridge 15E and the adjacent annular ridges 15 E, 15D form a sort of labyrinth seal that prevents or makes it very difficult for the component contained in reservoir 11 , generally a powder, to accidentally leak out.

The diameter of the lower portion, having a height H, of the cutting ele- ment 15 is such that it engages with a slight interference or in any case, without substantial clearance to the portion of the cylindrical surface with a minor transversal section of reservoir 11 , finding itself between the shoulder 11S and the bottom cuttable partition 11 B. This provides a guide for the cutting element 15 in the initial cutting phase when the product in package 1 is used. The sequence of Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show how the package 1 is opened. The user rotates capsule 3 engaging the threading 13C of the capsule 3 on the threading 7A of the bottle or container 5. Doing this, the safety ring 13D is broken, and at the same time, the cutting element 15 gradually moves down axially through reservoir 11 towards the cuttable bottom partition 11 B. The rotation of the cap 13 and the cutting element 15 with its cutting edge

15A, together with the pressure and the axial advancement movement provided by threading 7A engaging threading 13C causes the cutting of the bottom partition 11 B of the reservoir 11 , and thus opens the reservoir, allowing the substance stored therein to discharge into the bottle or container 5. With the axial movement of the cap 13 and the cutter 15 inside the reservoir 11 , the snap engagement of annular ridge 15B is also made inside the annular throat 11D of the reservoir, as can be seen in Figure 2B.

Unscrew then the cap 13, rotating it in the direction opposite that used to open the reservoir, the capsule is entirely removed from container 5, as the reservoir 11 remains attached with the annular groove 11 D and the annular ridge 15B to the cap 13 (Figure 2C).

Figures 3 to 7 show a modified embodiment of a capsule according to the invention. The same numbers indicate the same parts or parts equivalent to those of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 2C. In this embodiment, the cutting element 15 has, on its generally cylindrical outside surface, two annular projections 15E and 15F adjacent to each other, that form an intermediate annular seat, into which annular flange 11 E engages (see the detail of Figure 5) provided on the generally cylindrical inner surface of reservoir 11. The position shown in Figures 3 and 5 is taken when the cutting element 15 has been inserted into reservoir 11 until the cap is completely closed, without allowing the lower cutting edge 15A to come into contact with partition 11 B of the reservoir. In this way, the annular projections 11 E, 15E and 15F provide a reciprocal snap engagement between the cutting element 15 and the reservoir 11 , which corre- sponds to the correct position that the cutting element 15 must reach in the reservoir 11 when the cap 13 is screwed onto container 5.

In this embodiment of the invention, a safety or guarantee ring 13D with a special shape is also provided. As can be seen in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the safety ring 13D has, as in the previous embodiment, an annular projection that en- gages under the flange or annular edge 7B. Moreover, the ring 13D is made in two, generally semi-cylindrical, parts joined at the lower edge of the cap body 13 with ties 13F that extend approx. parallel to the axis of the capsule 3. The two halves of the safety ring 13D are joined together by a set of three transversal ties 13G and a set of two ties 13H, the ties 13 G and 13H being arranged in diametrically opposed positions. In this way, when the capsule is opened rotating it and screwing it onto the threaded top of the bottle or other container 5, beyond the packaging position (Figure 3), the safety ring 13 opens as the two ties 13H and some of the thinner ties 13F are broken, while at least one of the ties 13G and some of the ties 13F remain unbroken, so that the safety- guarantee ring 13 remains attached to the body of cap 13 and this remains engaged to reservoir 11 , thus facilitating the differentiated disposal of the packaging materials of package 1. The two sets of ties 13G and 13H are therefore ties, or connections, with differentiated breakage.

It is to be understood that the drawing shows only an example, given only as a practical demonstration of the invention, which can vary in its forms and layout without departing from the basic concept of the invention. The presence of reference numbers in the claims has only the purpose of facilitating the reading in light of the description above, and of the attached drawings, and does not limit in any way their range of protection.

Claims

CLAlMS

1. A capsule for closing containers, including:

- a reservoir for a component, having an axial cavity, enclosed by a side wall and closed inferiorly by a cuttable bottom partition, and an opening opposite said bottom partition;

- a closing cap, with threading for engaging the container, and having a cutting element made in one piece with said cap, projecting axially therein and having a cutting edge; in the assembled condition the cutting element being housed axially in said reservoir and forming a top closure of the res- ervoir; characterised in that said cutting element includes on its outside surface at least a first projection that cooperates with at least a second projection located on the inside surface of said reservoir; said first and second projections being positioned to co-act one with the other when said cutting element and said res- ervoir are inserted one inside the other in the packaged configuration with the bottom partition unbroken.

2. The capsule according to claim 1 , characterised in that said first and second projections define a position of complete insertion of the cutting element in said reservoir in the packaging phase.

3. The capsule according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that said first and second projections have an annular shape.

4. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first and second projections provide a seal to prevent the leak of said component from the reservoir.

5. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first projection includes at least two annular ridges, between which, when packaged, said at least one second projection is inserted, which includes at least one annular ridge.

6. The capsule according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said second projection includes at least two annular ridges, between which, when packaged, said at least one first projection is inserted, which includes at least one annular ridge.

7. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised that said cutting element has a substantially cylindrical shape with a distal portion, on which said cutting edge is located, having an outside diameter smaller than a proximal portion joined to said cap.

8. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cutting element and said reservoir include reciprocal con- nection members, arranged and designed to join the reservoir to the cutting element when said cutting element is in the position where it has cut the cuttable bottom partition of the reservoir.

9. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cutting edge is located on a plane generally orthogonal to the axis of the cutting element and said bottom cuttable partition is inclined with respect to the axis of the reservoir.

10. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said reservoir has a terminal portion with a smaller transversal cross section, said portion extending between an inside shoulder of the side wall of the reservoir and a junction edge between said side wall and said bottom cuttable partition of the reservoir.

11. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cutting element has a first portion, adjacent to the cutting edge, having an outside diameter smaller than a second portion, farther from said cutting edge.

12. The capsule according to claims 9 and 10, or 9 and 11 , characterised in that said shoulder is located on a plane generally orthogonal to the axis of the reservoir.

13. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, char- acterised in that said first projection includes two annular ridges arranged in sequence along the axial extension of the cutting element, the annular ridge closer to the cutting edge of the cutting element having a diameter smaller than the annular ridge.

14. The capsule according to one or more of the preceding claims, char- acterised by a safety-guarantee ring made in two substantially semi-cylindrical portions, joined together by ties with differentiated breakage and joined to the cap of the capsule.

15. A package including a container and a capsule as set forth in one or more of the preceding claims.