DISPENSING CAP FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINER

• US 20160083156A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: From The Earth Naturally Ltd.
• Original Assignee: From The Earth Naturally Ltd.
• Inventors: DYRBYE, Anita, DYRBYE, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 9,604,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2828 said element being a film or a foil B65D51/2821, B65D51/2842 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A dispensing cap sealingly mountable within the throat of a beverage container has an open-bottomed flow tube connected to a surrounding skirt by a resilient diaphragm, forming a reservoir surrounding the flow tube. A membrane attached to the periphery of the skirt seals off the bottom of the reservoir. The lower end of the flow tube extends into the reservoir and is adapted for piercing the membrane. A downward force applied to the flow tube will resiliently deform the diaphragm, causing the lower end of the flow tube to pierce the membrane, thus allowing the contents of the reservoir to flow into the container. The flow tube extends above the diaphragm and terminates in a flow assembly operable between a closed position and a “consume” position in which the contents of the container can flow through the flow tube and out an opening in the cap sleeve.

Claims

1. A dispensing cap sealingly mountable to a beverage container having a throat section, said dispensing cap comprising:

(a) an open-bottomed flow tube having an upper end, a lower end, and a sidewall, said sidewall having an outer perimeter;

(b) a skirt surrounding a lower region of the flow tube so as to form a reservoir between the flow tube and the skirt, with said reservoir having an upper end and a lower end, and with said skirt being adapted for disposition within the throat section of the beverage container;

(c) a resilient diaphragm, wherein said resilient diaphragm is a single piece with the flow tube sidewall and the skirt, and is sealingly connected to an upper perimeter region of the skirt and to an intermediate perimeter region of the flow tube; and

(d) a membrane sealingly attached to the periphery of the skirt at a lower end thereof;

wherein;

(e) the diaphragm sealingly closes off the upper end of the reservoir, and the membrane sealing closes off the lower end of the reservoir;

(f) the flow tube extends into the reservoir, with the lower end of the flow tube being disposed above the membrane; and

(g) the lower end of the flow tube is adapted to pierce the membrane upon being pressed against the membrane;

such that when the dispensing cap is mounted to the beverage container with the skirt disposed within the throat thereof and with the reservoir containing an additive substance, a downward force applied to the flow tube will resiliently deform the diaphragm, such that the lower end of the flow tube will move downward and pierce the membrane, thus allowing the contents of the reservoir to flow into the container.

2. A dispensing cap as in claim 1, further comprising a flow assembly having a cap sleeve, said cap sleeve comprising a top closure having a flow opening, and said cap sleeve being operable between:

(a) an open position allowing flow through the flow opening; and

(b) a closed position preventing flow through the flow opening.

3. A dispensing cap as in claim 1 wherein the upper end of the flow tube is closed, wherein an upper region of the wall of the flow tube has one or more perforations, and wherein the dispensing cap further comprises a flow assembly, said flow assembly comprising:

(a) a base flange sealingly and integrally connected, along its inner perimeter, to the outer perimeter of the flow tube at a point below said perforations;

(b) an open-topped perimeter retaining wall having a lower end sealingly connected to the base flange so as define a chamber between the perimeter wall and the flow tube; and

(c) a cap sleeve comprising a top closure and an open-bottomed perimeter sidewall extending downward from the top closure, wherein;

c.1 the top closure has a flow opening adapted for releasably sealing engagement with the upper end of the flow tube; and

c.2 the perimeter sidewall is sealingly slidable over said perimeter retaining wall, between a closed position in which the upper end of the flow tube is sealingly engaged within said flow opening in the top closure, and an open position in which liquid can flow through the flow opening.

4. A dispensing cap as in claim 1, further comprising a security tab disposable around the flow tube in a region between the base flange and the diaphragm.

5. A dispensing cap for a beverage container having a throat section, said dispensing cap comprising:

(a) a flow tube having a sidewall with an outer perimeter, an upper end closed off by an integral closure member, and an open lower end, with an upper region of said sidewall having one or more perforations;

(b) an annular base flange sealingly and integrally connected, along its inner circumference, to the outer perimeter of the flow tube at a point below said perforations;

(c) an open-topped perimeter retaining wall having a lower end sealingly connected to the base flange so as to define an annular flow chamber between the perimeter retaining wall and the flow tube;

(d) a cap member having a top closure and an open-bottomed perimeter sidewall extending downward from the top closure, wherein;

d.1 the top closure has a flow opening adapted for releasably sealing engagement with the upper end of the flow tube; and

d.2 the perimeter sidewall is sealingly slidable over said perimeter retaining wall, between a closed position in which the upper end of the flow tube is sealingly engaged within said flow opening in the top closure, and an open position in which liquid can flow through the flow opening;

(e) a cylindrical skirt surrounding a lower region of the flow tube and defining an annular reservoir therebetween, said skirt having an upper end and a lower end;

(f) a membrane sealing attached to the periphery of the skirt at a lower end thereof;

(g) an annular diaphragm, said diaphragm being a single piece with the flow tube sidewall and the skirt, and being sealingly connected;

g.1 along its inner circumference, to the outer perimeter of the flow tube sidewall at a point below the base flange; and

g.2 along its outer circumference, to the upper end of said skirt; and

(h) an annular collar extending outward from the upper end of the skirt, and adapted for sealing connection to a beverage container when the skirt is disposed within the throat section of the container;

wherein;

(i) the diaphragm sealingly closes off the upper end of the reservoir, and the membrane sealing closes off the lower end of the reservoir;

(j) the flow tube extends into the reservoir, with the lower end of the flow tube being disposed above the membrane; and

(k) the lower end of the flow tube is adapted to pierce the membrane upon being pressed against the membrane;

such that when the dispensing cap is mounted to the beverage container with the skirt disposed within the throat thereof and with the reservoir containing an additive substance, a downward force applied to the flow tube will resiliently deform the diaphragm, such that the lower end of the flow tube will move downward and pierce the membrane, thus allowing the contents of the reservoir to flow into the container.

6. A dispensing cap as in claim 5, further comprising a security tab disposable around the flow tube in a region between the base flange and the diaphragm.