DISPENSING CAPSULE

• US 20110174642A1
• Filed: 04/24/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Culture, LLC (Constellation Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesee Regional Bank (Greater Rochester Bancorp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coon, Darren
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/222
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2835 ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer

Abstract

A dispensing capsule has a diaphragm button, stake and frangible membrane for a system for selectively dispersing the contents of a cup into an attached bottle. A frangible membraned cup has a diaphragm button operably attached to a stake with the stake'"'"'s sharp point at one end and the diaphragm button on the opposing end. A cavity is disposed in the cup for consumable product defined by side walls and a base plate. Preloaded ingredients contained within the hermetically sealed cup are discharged from the dispensing capsule into a bottle by simply depressing a button disposed on the diaphragm of the cup, thereby actuating the stake to thrust forward and apply concentrated pressure abaxially to the frangible membrane. This concentrated pressure pierces substantially the center of the frangible membrane, causing it to rupture and progressively opening it. The diaphragm button locks in this downward position, holding the stake into the opened frangible membrane to maintain the opening, permitting the contents to flow through the frangible membrane and exit the cavity of the cup.

Claims

1. A dispensing capsule for affixing to a mouth of a receiving container where said dispensing capsule comprises a cup and a base jointed together and wherein

said base comprises a generally conical shaped base plate having a concentrically disposed frangible membrane having a reduced thickness, at least one tear line thereon, an upper surface and a lower surface;

said cup comprises a circular diaphragm functioning as a top wall, a shoulder disposed at a periphery of the diaphragm slightly protruding above a plane of said diaphragm and a cylindrical shaped side wall extending downwardly at right angle therefrom to create an opening at an opposing end thereof and define a cavity on an interior of the cup, and wherein a diaphragm button is concentrically disposed on said diaphragm and is operably connected to a stake having a stake base at which said stake is fixedly attached to said diaphragm and a tip opposingly disposed from said stake base such that said diaphragm button and stake are axially aligned;

said cup and the base are affixed to one another such that the frangible membrane is opposingly disposed from said diaphragm button and said base plate is in contacting engagement with said cylindrical shaped side wall of said cup to form an assembled dispensing capsule wherein said base plate forms a bottom wall to seal said cavity for storing preloaded contents within said cavity;

said assembled dispensing capsule has an open position and a closed position wherein the contents are sealed in said cavity when in the closed position; and

an activating force applied to said diaphragm button causes the seal of said cavity to break and dispose said dispensing capsule in an open position.

2. The dispensing capsule of claim 1, wherein the preloaded contents of said cavity are discharged into the receiving container by depressing said diaphragm button, thereby actuating said stake to thrust toward and apply concentrated pressure abaxially to said frangible membrane and flex said frangible membrane downwardly and outwardly to cause the at least one tear line in said base plate to rupture in a predictable tear pattern to create an opening.

3. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein the preloaded contents of said cavity comprise a consumable product that is preloaded into said cavity and hermetically sealed therein.

4. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said cup and said base are jointed together with a plastic weld.

5. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said base further comprises a cylindrical base mounting flange generally extending perpendicularly to said base plate along a periphery thereof having a receiving container receptacle disposed along a bottom periphery of said base mounting flange for receiving a receiving container, wherein said receiving container receptacle threadably connects to a mouth of the receiving container, thereby sealing liquid contents of the receiving container therein when said dispensing capsule is mounted for use on the receiving container.

6. The dispensing capsule of claim 5, wherein said receiving container receptacle comprises an inverted “

U”

shaped circular channel having an opening that receives the mouth of the receiving container and internal threading that cooperates with mating screw threading of the receiving container.

7. The dispensing capsule of claim 6, wherein said receiving container receptacle further comprises a wedge seal that comes in compression abutment with an upper periphery of the mouth of the receiving container and a bore seal disposed on a surface opposing the internal threading such that a seal is formed when the mouth and said receiving container receptacle are threadably engaged that seals liquid contents of the receiving container therein when said dispensing capsule is mounted for use on the receiving container.

8. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said cup further comprises a cylindrical cup mounting flange disposed along a bottom edge of said cylindrical shaped side wall, said cup mounting flange having a seal edge at its bottom periphery;

and said base further comprises a cylindrical base mounting flange disposed substantially perpendicular to and along an edge of said base plate, said base mounting flange having a seal edge at its top periphery configured to receive said seal edge of said cup mounting flange.

9. The dispensing capsule of claim 8, wherein said seal edges of said cup mounting flange and said base mounting flange comprise a tongue and groove combination wherein a groove is disposed on said seal edge of said cup mounting flange and a mating tongue is disposed on said seal edge of said base mounting flange such that when said cup and said base are jointed together, said seal edge of said cup mounting flange is positioned in abutment with said seal edge of said base mounting flange and said tongue of said base mounting flange is seated snugly in the groove of said cup mounting flange.

10. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said diaphragm button locks in a downward position after being actuated, holding said stake into said opened frangible membrane to maintain the opening such that the preloaded contents are discharged by flowing from said cavity through the opening in said frangible membrane and into the receiving container.

11. The dispensing capsule of claim 8, wherein an exterior peripheral surface of said cup mounting flange comprises ribbing.

12. The dispensing capsule of claim 8, wherein an exterior peripheral surface of said base mounting flange comprises ribbing.

13. The dispensing capsule of claim 8, wherein said dispensing capsule further comprises a drop band along the bottom edge of said base mounting flange that functions as a tamper evident seal.

14. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said diaphragm button is recessed below a horizontal plane of said diaphragm.

15. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said diaphragm creates a flexible cavity volume such that an excessive pressure in said sealed cavity is relieved.

16. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said stake comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed stress concentrating ribs which together define a diametric reach that is substantially constant throughout the entire stake but reduced at the opposing end of the diaphragm to a reduced diameter portion, wherein said stress concentrating ribs concentrate an axially transmitted force and direct it to said frangible membrane of said base plate via said reduced diameter portion.

17. The dispensing capsule of claim 16, wherein said stake is integrally formed with said diaphragm as a single injection molded unit.

18. The dispensing capsule of claim 16, wherein said stake further comprising a securing portion having increased diametric reach adjacent said diaphragm such that when said cup is inverted for filling operations, said securing portion causes said stake to be self standing and when an opening is fully formed in said frangible membrane, said securing portion prevents said stake from passing through the opening, thereby preventing a choking hazard from being deposited in the receiving container.

19. The dispensing capsule of claim 16, wherein said plurality of stress concentrating ribs are symmetrically disposed about the periphery of said stake.

20. The dispensing capsule of claim 16, wherein said plurality of stress concentrating ribs are asymmetrically disposed about the periphery of said stake.

21. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said at least one tear line comprises a segment having reduced thickness as compared to the remaining portion of said frangible membrane of said base plate, thereby facilitating rupture of said frangible membrane in a predictable tear pattern.

22. The dispensing capsule of claim 21, wherein said segment is disposed on the upper surface of said frangible membrane of said base plate inside said cavity of said dispensing capsule.

23. The dispensing capsule of claim 21, wherein said segment is disposed on the lower surface of said frangible membrane of said base plate outside said cavity of said dispensing capsule.

24. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said at least one tear line comprises both a first groove on the upper surface and a second parallelly disposed corresponding groove on the lower surface of said frangible membrane of said base plate.

25. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said frangible membrane comprises a downward sloping surface such that a gravitational force urges the preloaded contents of the cavity to discharge through an opening in said frangible membrane and into the receiving container.

26. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said frangible membrane of the base plate comprises a door style frangible membrane.

27. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said cylindrical shaped side wall has sufficient transparency for preloaded contents to be visible to a user.

28. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said receiving container is a water bottle having a 38 millimeter mouth opening.

29. The dispensing capsule of claim 2, wherein said frangible membrane is capable of withstanding a differential gauge pressure of greater than 14 psi (9.653 e+004 newtons/square meter).

30. The dispensing capsule of claim 1, wherein said base of said stake comprises a cone shaped surface having a cone base that is concentrically disposed on said base of said stake such that when said diaphragm button is depressed, materials coming in contacting engagement with the cone shaped surface are pushed sideways, away from said stake, thereby facilitating movement of said stake downwardly toward said frangible membrane.

31. A dispensing capsule for affixing to a mouth of a receiving container where said dispensing capsule comprises a cup and a base jointed together and wherein

said base comprises a generally conical shaped base plate having a concentrically disposed frangible membrane having a reduced thickness and at least one tear line thereon;

said cup comprises a circular diaphragm functioning as a top wall, a shoulder disposed at a periphery of the diaphragm slightly protruding above a plane of said diaphragm and a cylindrical side wall extending downwardly substantially at right angle therefrom to create an opening at an opposing end thereof and define a cavity on an interior of said cup, and wherein a diaphragm button is concentrically disposed on said diaphragm and is operably connected to a stake having a stake base at which said stake is fixedly attached to said diaphragm and a tip opposingly disposed from said stake base such that said diaphragm button and stake are axially aligned;

said cup and said base are affixed to one another such that said frangible membrane is opposingly disposed from said diaphragm button and said base plate is in contacting engagement with said cylindrical shaped side wall of said cup to form an assembled dispensing capsule wherein said base plate forms a bottom wall to seal said cavity for storing preloaded contents within said cavity;

said at least one tear line comprises a segment having reduced thickness as compared to the remaining portion of said frangible membrane, thereby facilitating rupture of said frangible membrane;

said stake comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed stress concentrating ribs disposed about a periphery of said stake and a cone shaped surface having a cone base that is centrically disposed on said base of said stake such that when said diaphragm button is activated, said stress concentrating ribs cause said frangible membrane to tear along said at least one tear line according to a magnitude of force transmitted by said stake;

said base of said stake comprises a cone shaped surface having a cone base that is concentrically disposed on said base of said stake such that when said diaphragm button is depressed, material coming in contacting engagement with said cone shaped surface is pushed sideways, away from said stake, thereby facilitating movement of said stake downwardly toward said frangible membrane;

said assembled dispensing capsule has an open position and a closed position wherein the preloaded contents are sealed in said cavity when in the closed position; and

the preloaded contents of said cavity are discharged into the receiving container by depressing the diaphragm button, thereby actuating the stake to thrust toward and apply concentrated pressure abaxially to said frangible membrane and flex said frangible membrane downwardly and outwardly to cause said at least one tear line in said base plate to rupture in a predictable tear pattern to create an opening and dispose said dispensing capsule in an open position.

32. The dispensing capsule of claim 31, wherein the number of stress concentrating ribs exceeds the number of tear lines.

33. The dispensing capsule of claim 31, wherein said plurality of stress concentrating ribs are disposed about the periphery of said stake in such a configuration at least one said stress concentrating rib contacts a portion of said frangible membrane that is not a tear line when said diaphragm button is actuated.

34. The dispensing capsule of claim 31, wherein said stake and diaphragm are integrally formed such that said frangible membrane is burst by said stake while remaining attached to said diaphragm such that it does not fall into the receiving container when said diaphragm button is actuated.

35. A dispensing capsule affixed to a mouth of a receiving container having a liquid compartment therein where the dispensing capsule comprises a cup and a base jointed together and wherein

said base comprises a generally conical shaped base plate having a centrically disposed frangible membrane with at least one tear line;

said cup comprises a circular diaphragm functioning as a top wall and affixed at its periphery to a substantially perpendicularly disposed cylindrical shaped sidewall to create an opening at an opposing end thereof and defining a cavity on an interior of the cup for separately storing preloaded contents within said cavity when the dispensing capsule is disposed in a closed position;

said base further comprises a cylindrical base mounting flange generally extending perpendicularly to said base plate along a periphery thereof having a receiving container receptacle disposed along a bottom periphery of said base mounting flange for receiving a receiving container, wherein said receiving container receptacle threadably connects to a mouth of the receiving container, thereby sealing liquid contents of the receiving container therein when said dispensing capsule is mounted for use on the receiving container;

a diaphragm button is concentrically disposed on said diaphragm and is operably connected to a stake having a stake base at which said stake is fixedly attached to said diaphragm and a tip opposingly disposed from said base of said stake such that said diaphragm button and stake are axially aligned;

said cup and the base are affixed to one another such that the frangible membrane is opposingly disposed from said diaphragm button and said base plate is in contacting engagement with the cylindrical shaped side wall of the cup to form an assembled dispensing capsule wherein said base plate forms a bottom wall to seal said cavity for storing preloaded contents within the cavity;

said at least one tear line comprises a segment having reduced thickness as compared to the remaining portion of said frangible membrane, thereby facilitating rupture of said frangible membrane in a predictable tear pattern;

said base of said stake comprises a cone shaped surface having a cone base that is concentrically disposed on said base of said stake such that when said diaphragm button is depressed, material coming in contacting engagement with the cone shaped surface is pushed sideways, away from said stake, thereby facilitating movement of said stake downwardly toward said frangible membrane;

the contents of said cavity comprise a consumable product that is preloaded into said cavity and hermetically sealed therein; and

the preloaded contents of said cavity are discharged into the receiving container by depressing said diaphragm button, thereby actuating the stake to thrust toward the receiving container and apply concentrated pressure to said frangible membrane to cause said at least one tear line in the base plate to rupture, thereby creating fluid communication between the fluid compartment of the receiving container and said cavity such that the contents of said cavity are discharged through said frangible membrane into the communicating fluid compartment of the receiving container.

36. The dispensing capsule of claim 35, wherein the receiving container is a water bottle or cardboard carton.