DUAL CHAMBER STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20190352074A1
• Filed: 07/30/2019
• Published: 11/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bio-Techne Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bio-Techne Corporation
• Inventors: McGrath, Paul V., Pizza, Thomas M., Westwood, Jerry W., Hjelm, Steven L., Simeone, Keith M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3211 coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A dual chamber storage device includes a first chamber having a base and a hollow body for storing a first material. A second chamber within the hollow body of the first chamber has a base, a hollow body for storing a second material, and a neck portion. A dispenser housed within the second chamber has a hollow body, a dispensing tip, and a cutting edge. A cap surrounds the end of the dispenser with the cutting edge, is rotatingly connectable with the second chamber neck portion, and is non-rotatingly connectable with the first end of the dispenser. When the cap is rotated relative to the second chamber neck portion, the second end of the dispenser moves toward the base of the second chamber and the cutting edge pierces the base of the second chamber thereby allowing the second material to enter the hollow body of the first chamber.

Claims

1. A cap kit for a dual chamber storage device, the cap kit comprising:

a first cap for engaging with a first container having a first material, the first cap comprising;

a first cap base portion;

a first cap engagement portion; and

a piercing protrusion; and

a second cap for engaging with a second container having a second material, the second cap comprising;

a second cap base portion;

a second cap engagement portion; and

a protective surface that forms an outermost surface of the second cap, the protective surface being deformable relative to portions of at least one of the second cap base portion and the second cap engagement portion;

wherein the first cap and the second cap are positionable in a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position, the first cap base portion and the second cap base portion are opposite to each other, the protective surface is spaced apart from the piercing protrusion so as to protect the second material from mixing with the first material, and the second cap is immovable with respect to the first cap; and

wherein in the second position, the piercing protrusion deforms at least a portion of the protective surface, thereby permitting communication between the first container and the second container to mix the first material and the second material.

2. The cap kit of claim 1, wherein the second cap is configured to be received within the first cap.

3. The cap kit of claim 1, wherein the piercing protrusion protrudes outwardly from the first cap base portion and is housed within the first cap engagement portion.

4. The cap kit of claim 1, wherein:

the first cap comprises a first groove and a second groove, the first groove being axially spaced apart from the second groove; and

the second cap comprises a first rib and a second rib, the first rib being axially spaced apart from the second rib.

5. The cap kit of claim 4, wherein the first and second cap are configured such that in the first position, the first groove engages with the first rib, and in the second position, the first groove engages with the second rib, and the second groove engages with the first rib.

6. The cap kit of claim 1, wherein the first cap further comprises a first cap ring portion detachably coupled to the first cap engagement portion, wherein the second cap is movable with respect to the first cap when the first cap ring portion is detached from the first cap engagement portion.

7. The cap kit of claim 1,

wherein the first cap engagement portion comprises an outer edge and the second cap base portion comprises an outer edge;

wherein the first cap ring portion comprises an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the outer edge of the first cap ring portion is opposite to the inner edge of the first cap ring portion; and

wherein in the first position, the outer edge of the first cap ring portion abuts the outer edge of the second cap base portion and the inner edge of the first cap ring portion abuts the outer edge of the first cap engagement portion such that the first cap and the second cap are immovable with respect to each other.

8. The cap kit of claim 1, wherein the protective surface has an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion being positioned radially outward of the inner portion, and the outer portion has an outer portion thickness that is less than an inner portion thickness of the inner portion.

9. The cap kit of claim 2, wherein the outer portion extends over a first radial distance and the inner portion extends over a second radial distance, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance.

10. The cap kit of claim 9, wherein a portion of the piercing protrusion overlaps in a radial direction with the outer portion.

11. A method of delivering a homogenized mixture of two materials, comprising:

providing a cap kit according to claim 1;

deforming the protective surface with the piercing protrusion;

mixing the first material with the second material; and

inverting the storage device to deliver a homogenized mixture of the first material and the second material.

12. A storage device comprising:

a first container having a first material;

a second container having a second material, the second container being oriented opposite to the first container;

a first cap for engaging with the first container, the first cap comprising;

a first cap base portion;

a first cap engagement portion; and

a piercing protrusion; and

a second cap for engaging with the second container, the second cap comprising;

a second cap base portion;

a second cap engagement portion; and

a protective surface that forms an outermost surface of the second cap, the protective surface being deformable relative to portions of the second cap base portion and/or second cap engagement portion;

wherein the first cap and the second cap are positionable in a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position, the first cap base portion and the second cap base portion are opposite to each other, the protective surface is spaced apart from the piercing protrusion so as to protect the second material from mixing with the first material, and the second cap is immovable with respect to the first cap; and

wherein in the second position, the piercing protrusion deforms at least a portion of the protective surface, thereby permitting communication between the first container and the second container to mix the first material and the second material.

13. A method of delivering a homogenized mixture of two materials, comprising:

providing a storage device according to claim 12;

deforming the protective surface with the piercing protrusion;

mixing the first material with the second material; and

inverting the storage device to deliver a homogenized mixture of the first material and the second material.