Packaged Bottle Beverage Having An Ingredient Release Closure With Improved Additive Release And Method And Apparatus Thereof

• US 20090260690A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Crown Distributing Co.
• Original Assignee: Georgia Crown Distributing Co.
• Inventors: BELL, JAMES CLAYTON
• Granted Patent: US 8,142,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2835 applying and rotating preformed threaded caps for bottles or jars B67B3/20
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2821 said element being a blister, a capsule or like sealed container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2835 ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2864 the element being a plug or like element closing a passage between the auxiliary container and the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2871 the plug falling into the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2878 the element being a lid or cover seated on a passage between the auxiliary container and the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/2015 in an at least partially rigid container B65D81/2038 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/24 Special measures for applying and securing caps under vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A packaged bottled beverage has a base component of the beverage in a container under vacuum separate from an additive in a sealed compartment of an ingredient release closure. Upon opening the sealed compartment, suction is created forcing the additive to quickly and thoroughly exit the ingredient release closure, a region of relatively higher pressure, and flow into the base component in the container, a region of relatively lower pressure.

Claims

1. A packaged bottled beverage comprising:

a. a beverage comprising a base component and an additive;

b. a container comprising an opening for receiving a closure and a vessel containing said base component;

c. an ingredient release closure comprising a sealed compartment containing said additive, a release mechanism for dispensing the additive, and attaching means for attachment to said opening of said container;

d. said attaching means of said ingredient release closure attached to said opening of said container to form a packaged bottled beverage,

wherein said base component is contained under vacuum in said container.

2. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein upon releasing said additive from said ingredient release closure using said release mechanism and prior to opening said packaged bottle beverage, suction is created pulling said additive from said ingredient release closure into said base component in said container.

3. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein said vacuum is formed by applying compression to an outer surface of said vessel.

4. A method for improving delivery of an additive contained within a sealed compartment of an ingredient release closure into a base component of a beverage contained within a vessel of a packaged bottled beverage comprising the steps of:

a. providing a container comprising (i) an opening for receiving a closure and (ii) a vessel containing a base component of a beverage;

b. providing a closure comprising (i) a sealed compartment containing an additive, (ii) a release mechanism for dispensing said additive, and (iii) attaching means for attachment to said opening of said container;

c. providing vacuum means; and

d. attaching said closure to said opening of said container and creating a vacuum with said vacuum means to form a packaged bottled beverage having said container under vacuum.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said container is a flexible container and said vacuum means is provided by applying compression to an outer surface of said vessel.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said compression is applied to said outer surface of said vessel by an adjustable rail having a decreasing arc from a point of initial contact with said container to a point of final contact with said container.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said vacuum means is provided by a vacuum pump.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said vacuum means is provided by a vacuum chamber.

9. A container closing apparatus in a filling plant configured to attach an ingredient release closure onto a container to provide for a sealed container under vacuum comprising:

a. an inlet being configured and disposed to permit containers to enter a container closing apparatus;

b. at least one capper mechanism being configured to attach an ingredient release closure onto a container to form a sealed container;

c. a container holding apparatus being configured and disposed to receive and hold said containers to permit ingredient release closures to be attached onto containers by said capper mechanism;

d. a means for creating a vacuum in the space inside said container during attachment of said ingredient release closure onto said container;

e. an outlet being configured and disposed to permit sealed containers to exit said container closing apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said means for creating vacuum is an adjustable rail having an arc of decreasing radius from a point of initial contact with said container at said inlet to a point of final contact with said container at said outlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for creating vacuum is a vacuum pump.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for creating vacuum is a vacuum chamber.