SOLUTE-DISPENSING CLOSURE
First Claim
1. A solute-dispensing closure comprisinga cartridge-support body including a tubular inner guide formed to include a cartridge-guiding passageway and a guide mount coupled to the tubular inner guide and adapted to be coupled to a container to hold the tubular inner guide in a stationary position relative to the container placing the cartridge-guiding passageway in fluid communication with an interior solvent-storage region formed in the container, the tubular inner guide being formed to include a top aperture opening into the cartridge-guiding passageway and a bottom aperture opening into the cartridge-guiding passageway and communicating with the interior solvent-storage region of a container coupled to the guide mount,a cartridge-piercing unit associated with the bottom aperture formed in the tubular inner guide,a solute-carrier cartridge mounted for movement in the tubular inner guide toward the cartridge-piercing unit, anda cartridge retainer coupled to the tubular inner guide and configured to provide means for normally retaining the solute-carrier cartridge in a raised solute-storage position lying in spaced-apart relation to the cartridge-piercing unit and extending outwardly through the top aperture formed in the tubular inner guide to cause an exposed portion of the solute-carrier cartridge to lie outside of the cartridge-guiding passageway until an external impact force is applied to the exposed portion to cause the solute-carrier cartridge to move in the cartridge-guiding passageway to engage the cartridge-piercing unit and cause the cartridge-piercing unit to puncture the solute-carrier cartridge and establish a solute-discharge opening in the solute-carrier cartridge freeing any solute carried in the solute-carrier cartridge to flow out of the solute-carrier cartridge into any solvent stored in an interior solvent-storage region formed in a container coupled to the guide mount.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solute-dispensing closure is configured to mount on a filler neck of a container. Solute-dispensing closure can be operated by a user to discharge solute into solvent stored in a solvent reservoir provided in the container.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A solute-dispensing closure comprising
a cartridge-support body including a tubular inner guide formed to include a cartridge-guiding passageway and a guide mount coupled to the tubular inner guide and adapted to be coupled to a container to hold the tubular inner guide in a stationary position relative to the container placing the cartridge-guiding passageway in fluid communication with an interior solvent-storage region formed in the container, the tubular inner guide being formed to include a top aperture opening into the cartridge-guiding passageway and a bottom aperture opening into the cartridge-guiding passageway and communicating with the interior solvent-storage region of a container coupled to the guide mount, a cartridge-piercing unit associated with the bottom aperture formed in the tubular inner guide, a solute-carrier cartridge mounted for movement in the tubular inner guide toward the cartridge-piercing unit, and a cartridge retainer coupled to the tubular inner guide and configured to provide means for normally retaining the solute-carrier cartridge in a raised solute-storage position lying in spaced-apart relation to the cartridge-piercing unit and extending outwardly through the top aperture formed in the tubular inner guide to cause an exposed portion of the solute-carrier cartridge to lie outside of the cartridge-guiding passageway until an external impact force is applied to the exposed portion to cause the solute-carrier cartridge to move in the cartridge-guiding passageway to engage the cartridge-piercing unit and cause the cartridge-piercing unit to puncture the solute-carrier cartridge and establish a solute-discharge opening in the solute-carrier cartridge freeing any solute carried in the solute-carrier cartridge to flow out of the solute-carrier cartridge into any solvent stored in an interior solvent-storage region formed in a container coupled to the guide mount.
Specification