Container cap with liquid-dissolvable additive

• US 20020189956A1
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cynthia S. Levy, Mullins J. Craig, Sheryl A. Mulne, Stephanie S. King, William W. Schoo
• Original Assignee: Cynthia S. Levy, Mullins J. Craig, Sheryl A. Mulne, Stephanie S. King, William W. Schoo
• Inventors: Schoo, William W., King, Stephanie S., Mullins, J. Craig, Levy, Cynthia S., Mulne, Sheryl A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,527,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2807 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
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/32 for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture containers with removable or destructible partitions B65D25/08 ; closures combined with auxiliary containers B65D51/28; in aerosol containers B65D83/682; amalgam capsules A61C5/66; containers for pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/20, A61M5/19; medical syringes A61M3/005, resin cartridges for grouting anchoring-bolts in mines E21D20/026

Abstract

A cap for a water bottle or other liquid container. The cap has a liquid-dissolvable disk in it that dissolves in the water when the bottle is shaken. The preferred cap also has an annular cavity between inner and outer walls in the sidewall of the cap into which the liquid can flow through fluid passageways once the disk is at least partially dissolved.

Claims

1. A cap for mounting on a liquid container, the cap comprising:

(a) a sidewall having an inwardly facing surface defining an interior chamber, the cap sidewall also having an outwardly facing surface;

(b) a receiving end of the sidewall adapted to receive a portion of the liquid container, said receiving end having an opening to the chamber for placing the chamber in fluid communication with liquid in the liquid container;

(c) a top end of the sidewall opposite the receiving end; and

(d) a liquid-dissolvable body rigidly mounted to the sidewall within the chamber between the receiving end and the top end, wherein at least part of said body is in fluid communication with said chamber for contacting liquid in the chamber from said liquid container and thereby at least partially dissolving in the liquid.

2. The cap in accordance with claim 1 wherein the body is mounted to the sidewall between facing substantially parallel surfaces that are transverse to a cap axis, which substantially parallel surfaces restrict axial movement of the body, thereby retaining the body in the chamber.

3. The cap in accordance with claim 2, wherein the cap sidewall further comprises an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart forming at least one cavity therebetween.

4. The cap in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cap sidewall further comprises an inner wall and an outer wall spaced apart forming at least one cavity therebetween.

5. The cap in accordance with claim 4, wherein said liquid-dissolvable body abuts said inner wall and is interposed between said chamber and said at least one cavity.

6. The cap in accordance with claim 4, further comprising at least two fluid passageways extending through the inner wall, said at least two fluid passageways being at least partially blocked by the liquid-dissolvable body which abuts the inner wall at the fluid passageways for restricting fluid flow through the fluid passageways from the chamber to said at least one cavity until after at least a passageway-blocking portion of the liquid-dissolvable body is dissolved.

7. The cap in accordance with claim 4, further comprising at least two fluid passageways extending through the inner wall between said at least one cavity and said chamber for permitting fluid flow from the chamber to said at least one cavity.

8. The cap in accordance with claim 7, wherein said cavity extends circumferentially around the cap sidewall.

9. The cap in accordance with claim 8, wherein said cavity is annular.

10. The cap in accordance with claim 7, wherein said outer wall has a translucent region, thereby permitting light to pass through said translucent region into said cavity for illuminating said cavity.

11. The cap in accordance with claim 10, further comprising substantially opaque indicia on predetermined regions of the outer wall of the cap for preventing light striking the substantially opaque indicia from illuminating said cavity.

12. The cap in accordance with claim 1, further comprising indicia on the outer wall of the cap.

13. The cap in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an aperture formed in said top end of the cap for permitting liquid to flow therethrough from the chamber, and wherein said liquid-dissolvable body is annular and is mounted with a peripheral edge seated against the inwardly facing surface of the cap sidewall, and an aperture formed through the body for permitting the passage of liquid therethrough from the chamber out of the aperture.

14. The cap in accordance with claim 1, wherein the liquid-dissolvable body is made of a material selected from the group of flavoring, vitamins, infant formula, coloring, water-purification chemicals, nutrients, fluoride and electrolyte-affecting chemicals.

15. A cap for mounting on a liquid container, the cap comprising:

(a) a sidewall having an inner wall with an inwardly facing surface defining an interior chamber and an outer wall having an outwardly facing surface, said inner and outer walls being spaced apart in at least one circumferential section of the sidewall, thereby forming at least one cavity therebetween;

(b) a receiving end of the sidewall adapted to receive a portion of the liquid container, said receiving end having an opening to the chamber for placing the chamber in fluid communication with liquid in the liquid container;

(c) a top end of the sidewall opposite the receiving end;

(d) at least two fluid passageways extending through the inner wall between said at least one cavity and said chamber for permitting fluid flow from the chamber to said at least one cavity; and

(e) at least one liquid-dissolvable body within said cavity.

16. A cap for mounting on a liquid container, the cap comprising:

(a) a sidewall having an inner wall with an inwardly facing surface defining an interior chamber and an outer wall having an outwardly facing surface, said inner and outer walls being spaced apart in at least one circumferential section of the sidewall, thereby forming at least one cavity therebetween;

(b) a receiving end of the sidewall adapted to receive a portion of the liquid container, said receiving end having an opening to the chamber for placing the chamber in fluid communication with liquid in the liquid container;

(c) a top end of the sidewall opposite the receiving end;

(d) at least two fluid passageways extending through the inner wall between said at least one cavity and said chamber for permitting fluid flow from the chamber to said at least one cavity; and

(e) a liquid-dissolvable body rigidly mounted to the sidewall within the chamber between the receiving end and the top end, wherein at least part of said body is in fluid communication with said chamber for contacting liquid in the chamber from said liquid container and thereby at least partially dissolving in the liquid.

17. A drinking apparatus comprising:

(a) a liquid container having a spout and a reservoir containing a human-consumable liquid;

(b) a cap mounted on the spout of said liquid container, said cap comprising;

(i) a sidewall having an inner wall with an inwardly facing surface defining an interior chamber and an outer wall having an outwardly facing surface, said inner and outer walls being spaced apart in at least one circumferential section of the sidewall, thereby forming at least one cavity therebetween;

(ii) a receiving end of the sidewall mounted to the spout of the liquid container, said receiving end having an opening to the chamber thereby placing the chamber in fluid communication with the liquid in the liquid container'"'"'s reservoir;

(iii) a top end of the sidewall opposite the receiving end;

(iv) at least two fluid passageways extending through the inner wall of the cap between said at least one cavity and said chamber for permitting fluid flow from the chamber to said at least one cavity; and

(v) a liquid-dissolvable body rigidly mounted to the sidewall within the chamber between the receiving end and the top end, wherein at least part of said body is in fluid communication with said chamber and the liquid container'"'"'s reservoir for at least partially dissolving the body in the liquid.