Floating Multi-Chambered Insert for Liquid Containers

• US 20080245801A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bernd Ullmann
• Original Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe GmbH
• Inventors: Ullmann, Bernd, Lieberz, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 8,469,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/528
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert for a pressurised liquid container, comprising a product chamber (9), for holding an additive and a pressure chamber (11), with at least one opening to the exterior of small diameter and a lid (3) for sealing both chambers (9,11), whereby the geometry of the pressure and product chambers are selected such that said opening lies above the fluid level on floating and viewed from the side of the lid, the product chamber (9) is surrounded on the lid side by the pressure chamber (11), characterised in that the lid (3) comprises sealing means (4,5), engaging with each of the side walls (1,2c) of both chambers (9,11) at a uniform separation from each wall end and a separation a, between a sealing line (5) of the lid (3) on the lateral wall (2c) of the pressure chamber and the end of said wall, is greater than a separation b between the or the furthest sealing line (4b) of the lid on the side wall (1) of the product chamber (9) and a line in the region of the upper end of said product chamber side wall (1), from which the seal no longer touches.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An insert for a pressurized fluid container comprising a product chamber for receiving an additive, said product chamber being laterally surrounded by a pressure chamber in at least the region of the pressure chamber proximate to the cover,

a pressure chamber which has an opening oriented toward the outside of the pressure chamber, said opening being located above the fluid level of the pressurized fluid container when the fluid chamber contains fluid and the insert is floating in the fluid chamber, and

a cover for closing the product and pressure chambers, said cover including seals which engage the side walls of the pressure and product chambers at a constant distance from a respective side wall end, said engagement creating one or more sealing lines on the respective side walls, wherein the spacing between the sealing line of the cover on the side wall of the pressure chamber and the end of the wall is greater than the spacing between a sealing line of the cover on the side wall of the product chamber and a line in the region of the upper end of the product chamber sidewall no longer engaged by the seal.

16. An insert according to claim 15, wherein the seals between the cover and the walls of the product chamber and the walls of the pressure chamber are each disposed on the interior of the walls.

17. An insert according to claim 16, wherein the seals between the cover and the product chamber wall and between the cover and the exterior wall of the pressure chamber extend in a circular fashion at a constant height around the respective walls.

18. An insert according to claim 17, wherein the seals are arranged concentrically with respect to one another.

19. An insert according to claim 15, wherein the seals are circumferential bulges.

20. An insert according to claim 19, wherein the seal between the cover and the exterior wall of the pressure chamber engages with a groove disposed in the exterior wall of the pressure chamber.

21. An insert according to claim 19, wherein the seal(s) between the cover and the product chamber wall are one or two circumferential barrel-shaped seals, between which optionally a sealing fluid is disposed.

22. An insert according to claim 15, wherein the product chamber wall has a region denoted by an inwardly rounded shape projecting towards the cover, wherein the spacing between the sealing line of the cover on the side wall of the pressure chamber and the end of the wall is greater than the sum of (a) the spacing between a sealing line of the cover on the side wall of the product chamber and a line in the region of the upper end of the product chamber sidewall no longer engaged by the seal, and (b) the region denoted by the inwardly rounded shape.

23. An insert according to claim 22, wherein the length of the region denoted by the inwardly rounded shape is approximately equal to the thickness of the product chamber wall.

24. An insert according to claim 22, wherein a spacing exists between the end of the product chamber wall and the cover.

25. An insert according to claim 24, wherein the spacing between the sealing line of the cover on the side wall of the pressure chamber and the end of the wall is greater than the sum of (a) the spacing between a sealing line of the cover on the side wall of the product chamber and a line in the region of the upper end of the product chamber sidewall no longer engaged by the seal, (b) the region denoted by the inwardly rounded shape, and (c) the spacing between the product cover wall and the cover.

26. An insert according to claim 15 wherein the product chamber is filled with an additive.

27. A fluid container comprising a fluid and floating thereon an insert according to claim 15.

28. The fluid container according to claim 27 which is a beverage can.