Container having separate storage facilities for two materials

• US 4,195,730 A
• Filed: 06/20/1978
• Issued: 04/01/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Food Corporation (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Food Corporation (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunt, Guilbert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US05/917,324
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 128/272.1, 206/219-222, 206/568, 215/6, 215/208, 215/223, 215/227, 215/250, 215/DIG. 8, 215/260, 215/270, 220/258, 220/329, 220/23, 366/602
• US Class Current: 206/221
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2814 the additional article or materials being released by piercing, cutting or tearing an element enclosing it
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/08 Mixing

Abstract

A container providing for the separate storage of two materials and the automatic admixing of the materials upon opening of the container. A main container holds a quantity of a first material, such as carbonated water, and a separate compartment holds a small quantity of a second material, such as dipeptide flavoring. In a first embodiment of the invention, a compartmented closure of the twist-on, twist-off type is mounted on the neck of a bottle-shaped container. The closure includes a compartment extending into the container neck, having a hinged bottom closure with a lip which protrudes radially outwardly below the bottle neck. As the closure is unscrewed from the bottle, the lip engages the interior of the bottle neck, causing the hinged bottom to open and thereby release the second material into the main container. In a second embodiment of the invention, a bottle has a twist-on, twist-off type closure which has a compartment for the second material therein. The compartment is stationarily positioned in the neck of the bottle, and the closure includes a movable piercing element which, upon unscrewing of the closure, pierces the stationary compartment to cause the release of the second material into the bottle.

Claims

1. A container arrangement for separately storing at least first and second materials and for admixing said materials responsive to opening of said container arrangement, comprising:

a. a container for containing said first material, said container including a dispensing orifice defining an access aperture to the contents of the container, a threaded neck section extending about said access aperture, and an enlarged inner diameter section communicating with said neck section;

b. closure means for said access aperture, said closure means being a threaded closure cap engageable with said threaded neck section for screwing onto or off said container, a compartment associated with said closure means for containing said second material, said compartment extending through said neck section into the enlarged diameter section of said container, said compartment including a hinged end wall portion for normally closing an opening communicating the interior of said compartment with said container, and said closure means including means for releasing the second material from said compartment into the first material in the container responsive to rotational movement of said closure means relative to said container, including said hinged wall portion being located in said enlarged diameter container section and having a radially protruding extension projecting into said container section beyond the radial dimensions of the neck section thereof, said radially protruding extension comprising two resiliently yieldable lip portions having a gap therebetween, said lip portions being bendable towards each other into said gap to facilitate said compartment being inserted into the neck of the container and to spread apart in said enlarged diameter section thereof upon sealing of said container with said closure cap whereby, responsive to unscrewing of said closure cap from said container, said extension will engage the inner wall surface of said neck portion so as to pivot said hinged wall portion and release the material in said compartment into the material in said container.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, said compartment including a longitudinally extending vent slot formed in the outer cylindrical surface thereof along the length of said compartment, said vent slot facilitating equalization of the pressure within and externally of said container upon commencing the opening of said closure means and preceding opening of said compartment.

3. A container arrangement for separately storing at least first and second materials and for admixing said materials responsive to opening of said container arrangement, comprising:

a. a container for containing said first material, said container including a dispensing orifice defining an access aperture to the contents of the container, a threaded neck section extending about said access aperture, and an enlarged inner diameter section communicating with said neck section; and

b. closure means for said access aperture including a threaded closure cap engaging said threaded neck section for screwing onto or off said container, a substantially cylindrically shaped compartment associated with said closure means for containing said second material, said compartment being formed of a frangible material and depending into said container neck section, said compartment also having its upper edge fastened to the rim of said container neck section so as to be stationary relative to said container, said upper edge of the compartment being intermittently fastened to the rim of said container neck section to provide vent apertures equalizing the pressure within and externally of said container responsive to unscrewing of said closure means, the other end of said compartment within said container being an oblique end wall relative to said neck section, and said closure means including means for releasing the second material from said compartment into the first material in the container responsive to rotational movement of said closure means relative to said container, including a piercing element fastened to said closure cap for rotation therewith, said piercing element extending into said compartment and being eccentrically offset from the axis of rotation of said closure cap whereby rotation of said closure cap through a predetermined angle for opening said container causes said piercing member to rupture said oblique end wall of said compartment releasing the material contained therein into the material contained in said container.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, said closure cap and said piercing element being of a unitary integral structure.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, said piercing element comprising a plate member depending from said closure cap into said compartment, said plate member being generally arcuate in cross-section.