Ingredient Release Spout

• US 20080223485A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Original Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: Seelhofer, Fritz, Nyambi, Samuel Ombaku
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/351
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2835 ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer

Abstract

A spout for an associated container for dispensing a substance into the container. The spout may include a cap, a capsule that can be filled and sealed with a sealing layer, and a nozzle that can be screwed onto the container and carries a piercing device protruding therein such that the sealing layer of the capsule is pierced by the piercing device upon the turning of the cap.

Claims

1. A spout for an associated container for dispensing a substance into the container, comprising:

a cap;

a capsule that can be filled and sealed with a sealing layer; and

a nozzle that can be screwed onto the container and carries a piercing device protruding therein;

wherein the sealing layer of the capsule is pierced by the piercing device upon the turning of the cap.

2. The spout of claim 1, wherein the spout comprises a plastic spout.

3. The spout of claim 1, wherein the capsule is aligned downwards within the cap.

4. The spout of claim 1, wherein the capsule is aligned downwards within the nozzle.

5. The spout of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises an opening sleeve that stretches inside the container.

6. The spout of claim 5, wherein the opening sleeve comprises the piercing device.

7. The spout of claim 1, wherein the piercing device comprises a piercing and cutting tooth.

8. The spout of claim 1, wherein the piercing device comprises a cutting tooth.

9. The spout of claim 1, wherein in the cap and the capsule comprises a plurality of cooperating force transmission components.

10. The spout of claim 9, wherein the plurality of force transmission components comprise a helical collar positioned about the capsule and a helical margin positioned about the cap.

11. The spout of claim 5, wherein the capsule comprises a plurality of straight sections and the opening sleeve comprises a plurality of plane sides such that the capsule can be inserted in the opening sleeve only from the top.

12. The spout of claim 11, wherein the cap comprises a groove and the nozzle comprises a collar on which a plurality of snap-on cams or continuous snap-on beads are formed such that the cap cannot be displaced in an axial direction vis-à

-vis the nozzle.

13. The spout of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a plurality of barbs and the cap comprises a handle such that the plurality of barbs and the handle cooperate as a ratchet such that the cap can only be rotated in one direction.

14. The spout of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a bulge thereon from which a shear pin protrudes and wherein the nozzle comprises an opening to cooperate therewith.

15. The spout of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a counter-clockwise rotating thread and the cap is screwed on in a counter-clockwise direction until a guarantee tape is reached and such that after the guarantee tape is removed, the cap can be screwed completely on to the nozzle while piercing the sealing layer of the capsule.

16. The spout of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a guarantee tape with a longitudinal window therein.

17. The spout of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a drink nozzle that is turned up through a coaxial stopper such that the capsule is pierced by the piercing device when the stopper is pressed downwards.

18. The spout of claim 17, wherein the stopper completely seals the opening of the drink spout in an initial pull-out position and in a second, completely pulled-out position of the cap, the opening of the drink spout lies above the stopper and the cap is sealed by a mountable protective cap.

19. The spout of claim 17, further comprising a clearance about the stopper for a liquid to flow therethrough.

20. A plastic spout for a container nozzle of a container for automatically dispensing a separate substance into the container through an opening of the plastic spout, comprising:

a cap;

a capsule that can be filled separately and sealed with a foil or else sealed after filling;

a screw-on nozzle that can be screwed onto the container nozzle;

wherein the capsule with its sealing foil can be fixed within the cap or in the screw-on nozzle, and that the screw-on nozzle carries an opening sleeve that stretches inside the container nozzle when the screw-on nozzle is set and includes a piercing and cutting device with a piercing and cutting tooth or a cutting tooth; and

a plurality of force transmission components such that the capsule can be displaced upon the loosening of the cap and the opening sleeve with piercing and cutting of its sealing foil via the piercing and cutting teeth or the cutting tooth.