Multi-chamber container and cap therefor

• US 20060118435A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seismic Solutions, LLC (Keller Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Viz Enterprises LLC
• Inventors: Cronin, Jerry, Kroll, Russell J., Moise, Vlad, McMennamy, Stephen, Bell, Richard, Hisata, Suzuko, Palermo, Phil, Henshaw, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/25 Non-metallic tear-off strips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/243 moving linearly, i.e. without rotational motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2892 the element, e.g. a valve, opening an aperture of the auxiliary container B65D51/2864, B65D51/2878 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/08 Mixing

Abstract

A dispenser comprises a housing that has a removable tamper proof protective cap and tamper proof ring and is threaded to a container. The container, which is the main package, holds the supplemental component. The housing holds the first component into a plunger type chamber in a fully retracted position and is sealed from the supplemental component. The chamber has a delivery end that is closed before use. When pushed all the way in, the chamber'"'"'s delivery end becomes open and delivers the first component into the main package.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a container main body providing a first chamber for holding a liquid and having an opening;

a container cap mounted at the opening of the container main body,

the cap including a plunger having an open end and a closed end and a second chamber formed therebetween for holding a component, the closed end formed by a lid, the plunger having a locking member wherein the plunger, lid and locking member are all formed of one piece;

a cap body having a bore formed by an inner wall having a first structure and the plunger mounted within the bore and movable from a storage condition to an activated condition so that in the storage condition the locking member engages the first structure; and

a dispensing tip mounted in the bore adjacent the plunger and the plunger activates the dispensing tip to move from a closed position to an open position allowing the component in the second chamber to be dispensed into the first chamber.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the open end of the plunger abuts against the cylindrical collar of the dispensing tip and upon actuation of the plunger from the storage condition to the activated condition the open end abuts against the collar and pushes the dispensing tip from the closed to the open position in order to break the seal of the dispensing tip and allow for the component to be dispensed from the second chamber to the first chamber of the main body.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the container cap includes a tear strip which provides for both a compression barrier in order to maintain the lid in the storage condition when the tear strip is attached to the cap and a tamper evident component that provides for a visible indication once the tear strip is removed.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the tear strip is formed as one piece with the plunger and includes a perforated area adjacent an edge of the cap to allow for removal of the tear strip.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein the container main body is formed of a single walled material and a 20 ounce container having a weight of less than approximately 40 grams is filled at room temperature or below.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the component includes granules having at least two different weights, the granules contained within the second chamber when the plunger is in the storage condition.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein the lid is a solid member that permanently encloses the second chamber and is integrally formed with the plunger.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein the lid includes a pour spout and allows for liquid from the first chamber to be dispensed through the spout.

9. The container of claim 1 wherein the locking member includes an annular flange protruding from the plunger and the first structure being an annular groove formed in the inner wall and for receiving the annular flange in the storage condition.

10. The container of claim 1 wherein the inner wall includes a second structure having an annular groove formed in the inner wall below the first structure and for receiving the annular flange when the plunger is moved to the activated condition in order to lock the plunger in the activated condition.

11. The container of claim 1 wherein the locking member includes a first tapered wall formed on an outer plunger wall and the first structure including a second tapered wall of the cap body and upon moving of the plunger to the activated condition, the first tapered wall engaging the second tapered wall in order to provide a luer lock in order to lock the plunger in the activated position.

12. The container of claim 11 wherein the first tapered wall of the cap body has a slope equal to the slope of the second tapered wall of the plunger.

13. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing tip includes a cylindrical collar having an annular flange protruding therefrom and reciprocating within the bore of the cap body between the open and closed positions and the annular flange engaging an annular lip formed at the open end in order to lock the dispensing tip in the open position.

14. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing tip includes apertures formed therein for dispensing of the component from the second chamber to the first chamber.

15. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing tip includes a transverse base member having a generally conical shaped upper surface to allow for the component to be dispensed easily through the open end of the cap.

16. The container of claim 1 wherein the cap body includes an outer collar forming a threaded receptacle for mounting the cap onto the container main body.

17. The container of claim 1 wherein the cap body includes threads having vents formed therein.

18. The container of claim 1 wherein the storage condition provides for an air tight seal for the second chamber.

19. The container of claim 1 wherein the plunger includes a locking lug and the cap body includes a key way for engaging the locking lug in order to prevent axial rotation of the plunger.

20. The container of claim 1 wherein the lid forms a soft shaped target surface.

21. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing tip includes a labyrinth seal that restricts air and moisture from passing into the second chamber.

22. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing tip includes a dielectric seal in the storage condition.

23. The container of claim 22 wherein the dielectric seal is adjustably securable so that during manufacture of the container the amount of energy directed toward the dispensing tip may be controlled in order to adjust the pull strength of the seal.

24. The container of claim 1 wherein the container and cap provide for a modular system that may be removed from the container main body without adjusting the plunger from the storage condition and preventing the dispensing tip to move from the closed position so that the cap may be shipped separate from the container main body and also so that the volume of the liquid in the first chamber can be adjusted while the cap is removed and without affecting the amount of component within the second chamber of the cap.

25. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing tip is attached to the plunger and form a unit that is movable as one component.

26. The container of claim 1 wherein the container cap includes a desiccant cylinder snap fit within the cap.

27. A cap comprising:

a cap body having an open end and a closed end formed by a lid;

a dispenser tip mounted at the open end and reciprocatable between an open and a closed position and in the closed position, in at least a first operation, the dispenser tip forming a seal at the open end and upon activation of the dispenser tip the seal being broken and providing a first audible sound indicative of the dispenser tip being in the open position.

28. The cap of claim 27 wherein the lid is moveable between a storage condition and an activated condition by pushing downward on the lid with an operator'"'"'s hand and the lid being hard and smooth in order to provide a resonant surface so that upon activation of the lid with the operator'"'"'s hand a second audible sound is provided indicative of the lid being moved to the activated condition.

29. The cap of claim 28 wherein the lid includes a transparent dome.

30. The cap of claim 28 wherein the lid includes indicia identifying the contents of the container.

31. The cap of claim 28 wherein the first and second audible sounds occur approximately simultaneously to provide a dual activation opening sound.

32. The cap of claim 28 wherein the seal is provided by a dielectric seal formed between an edge of the dispenser tip and the open end of the cap body.

33. The cap of claim 28 wherein the seal is provided by mechanically locking the dispenser tip against the open end of the cap body.

34. The cap of claim 28 wherein the dispenser tip is generally conical shaped and includes an annular edge forming a first flat, sealing surface and the cap body forming an annular rim at the open end and the rim forming a second flat, sealing surface for abuttingly receiving the first flat, sealing surface thereon in the closed position.

35. The cap of claim 34 wherein a dielectric seal is provided between the first and second flat, sealing surfaces that can withstand a pull force of about 250-1000 grams.

36. The cap of claim 34 wherein the dispenser tip includes an upper ring having an annular flange protruding in a direction parallel to the annular edge;

and

the cap body including an annular groove for receiving the annular flange in order to lock the dispensing tip in the closed position and seal the first flat sealing surface against the second flat sealing surface.

37. The cap of claim 36 wherein upon moving the dispenser tip from the closed position to the open position the annular flange is displaced from the annular groove and provides the first audible sound due to the compression and decompression of material forming the annular flange.

38. The cap of claim 37 wherein the dispenser tip is generally conical shaped and includes an annular edge forming a first flat, sealing surface and the cap body forming an annular rim at the open end and the rim forming a second, flat sealing surface for abuttingly receiving the first flat, sealing surface thereon in the closed position and the first audible sound is provided by both the breaking of the dielectric seal and the disengagement of the annular flange from the annular groove.

39. A method of providing effervescence in a container comprising the steps of:

providing a container having a first chamber for holding a liquid and second chamber holding a component;

filling the first chamber at least partially with liquid;

filling the second chamber at least partially with the component, wherein the component is formed of a first component having a first weight or shape and a supplemental component having a second weight or shape;

activating the container so that the first chamber is in communication with the second chamber; and

dispensing the component from the second chamber to the first chamber and the component being dispersed into the liquid so that the first component is dispersed to a first location in the liquid that is apart from a second location to which the supplemental component is dispersed, wherein the component is activated by the liquid and causes an effervescence within the first chamber at the first and second locations.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the first weight is between about 0.5 to 2 grams and the second weight is between about 2 to 5 grams.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the first shape is a sphere and the second shape is a cube.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein the component is a tablet including an ingredient including one of a Creatine, wolfberry, calcium, guarine, arginine, Vitamins B, B12, C, D, ibuprofen, electrolytes, niacin, folic acid, biotin, choline bitartate, inositol, manganese, calcium, Saint John'"'"'s wart, yohimbe, chromium polynicotinate, carnitine, taurine, astragulus, schizandra, kava kava, lemon grass, Echinacea, prolione, bee pollen, chitin oligomers, water soluble oral chitosan oligomers, amino acids and zinc.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein the first component includes an ingredient different than the supplemental component.

44. The method of claim 39 wherein the second chamber is provided by a cap that is securely attached to the container so that increase in pressure in the first chamber due to effervescence cannot cause the cap to pop-off the container.