Affixable dispensing capsule

• US 7,874,420 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Culture, LLC (Constellation Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Karma Culture, LLC (Constellation Brands Incorporated)
• Inventors: Coon, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman; Bryon P
• Application Number:
  US12/368,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20100200437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 206219-222, 215/6, 215/DIG.1, 222/129, 366/130
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/085 the partition being in the form of a plug or the like which is dislodged by means of a plunger rod or the like pushing the plug down B65D81/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A dispensing capsule and method for use thereof, wherein the dispensing capsule is preferably pre-loaded during time of manufacture with a selected dry or liquid ingredient to facilitate subsequent consumer use. The dispensing capsule comprises an apertured housing removably-engagable to the opening of a bottle or container containing a fluid. Preloaded ingredients contained within a cavity in the housing may be introduced or discharged into the bottle by simply depressing a button on the diaphragm of the housing, thereby actuating a breakaway plunger to open an aperture in the opposing base plate of the housing, permitting the contents to flow through the aperture and into the liquid contents of the bottle. The combined contents and liquid within the bottle may subsequently be agitated (e.g., shaken or mixed) without fear or risk of leakage or spillage. A hand held dispensing capsule is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A dispensing capsule for affixing to an opening of a receiving container where

the dispensing capsule comprises a housing having a cavity therein for separately hermetically storing preloaded contents within the cavity when the dispensing capsule is disposed in a closed position,

the housing of the dispensing capsule further comprises a breakaway plunger and a base plate having an aperture that cooperate to form a seal between the cavity and a liquid compartment of the receiving container,

the housing further comprises a diaphragm and a diaphragm button integral to the diaphragm and disposed in concentric axial alignment with the breakaway plunger and a shaft having a central axis that is fixedly connected at one end to the diaphragm button and at the opposing end to the breakaway plunger, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises a substantially circular periphery and the shaft is concentrically disposed with respect to the periphery such that the central axis of the shaft is substantially perpendicularly disposed to a plane formed by the periphery, and

an activating force applied to the diaphragm button causes the dispensing capsule to be disposed in an open position such that the breakaway plunger disengages symmetrically about the center of the plane from the base plate to break the seal along the periphery and the breakaway plunger is thrust toward the receiving container, thereby creating liquid communication between the fluid compartment and cavity such that the preloaded contents of the cavity are discharged through the aperture of the base plate into the communicating fluid compartment of the receiving container whereby the activating force allows the breakaway plunger and the shaft to remain attached to the diaphragm button and the activating force causes no relative movement between the diaphragm and the diaphragm button.

2. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 1, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises a conical shaped plunger having a plurality of blades disposed in a multitude of orientations configured to cause turbulence during agitation of the receiving container such that there is uniform mixing of the preloaded contents with a liquid in the receiving container.

3. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 1, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises a conical shaped plunger having a plurality of blades disposed in a multitude of orientations configured to cause turbulence during agitation of the receiving container such that there is rapider mixing of the preloaded contents with a liquid in the receiving container.

4. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 1, wherein the dispensing capsule further comprises a base plate that is adapted to be received by a receiving container in the form of a vehicle gasoline tank.

5. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 1, wherein the dispensing capsule further comprises a mounting flange that is adapted to be received by a receiving container in the form of an infant feeding bottle.

6. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 1, wherein the dispensing capsule further comprises a mounting flange that is adapted to be received by a mouth of a receiving container in the form of a bottle of drinking water.

7. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 1, wherein the dispensing capsule further comprises a mounting flange that is adapted to be received by a mouth of a receiving container in the form of a spray bottle.

8. A dispensing capsule for affixing to an opening of a receiving container having a liquid compartment therein, wherein the dispensing capsule comprises

a housing having a cavity therein for separately hermetically storing preloaded contents within the cavity when the dispensing capsule is disposed in a closed position, the housing further comprising:

a breakaway plunger, and

a base plate having an aperture, and a diaphragm including a diaphragm button

wherein

the breakaway plunger and base plate cooperate to form a seal between the cavity and the liquid compartment of the receiving container, and

the housing, base plate and breakaway plunger are all constructed from a single injection molding.

9. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 8, wherein the seal comprises a non-perforated uniform and hermetic seal at the periphery of the breakaway plunger.

10. A dispensing capsule for affixing to an opening of a receiving container where

the dispensing capsule comprises a housing having a cavity therein for separately hermetically storing preloaded contents within the cavity when the dispensing capsule is disposed in a closed position,

the housing of the dispensing capsule further comprises

a breakaway plunger and a base plate having an aperture that cooperate to form a seal between the cavity and a liquid compartment of the receiving container, and

a shaft that is connected at one end to the breakaway plunger and at an opposing second end to a diaphragm, and

an activating force applied to the shaft causes the dispensing capsule to be disposed in an open position such that

the breakaway plunger disengages from the base plate to break the seal,

the breakaway plunger fully detaches at its periphery while remaining attached to the shaft such that it does not fall into the liquid compartment, and

the breakaway plunger is thrust toward the receiving container, thereby creating liquid communication between the fluid compartment and cavity such that the preloaded contents of the cavity are discharged through the aperture of the base plate into the communicating liquid compartment of the receiving container and the breakaway plunger and the shaft remain connected to the diaphragm.

11. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 10, wherein the shaft is secured at the opposing second end to a diaphragm button such that the breakaway plunger is restricted to vertical movement along a central axis of the shaft and transmits an axially applied force to the diaphragm button to the seal such that it fully detaches the periphery of the breakaway plunger.

12. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 10, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises an inclined surface such that a gravitational force urges the preloaded contents of the cavity to discharge through the aperture of the base plate into the communicating fluid compartment of the receiving container.

13. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 10, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises a plurality of stress concentrators.

14. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of stress concentrators comprise a plurality of stress concentrators disposed along the periphery of the breakaway plunger such that when the breakaway plunger is activated, the plurality of stress concentrators cause the seal at the periphery of the breakaway plunger to detach according to the magnitude of stress generated at each stress concentrator.

15. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 10, wherein the plurality of stress concentrators comprise stress concentrators having varying geometry disposed along the periphery of the breakaway plunger such that when the breakaway plunger is activated, the stress concentrators cause a uniform seal at the periphery of the breakaway plunger to detach according to the magnitude of stress generated at each stress concentrator.

16. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of stress concentrators distribute a force applied axially along the breakaway plunger to predetermined portions of the seal equally disposed along the periphery of the breakaway plunger such that when the breakaway plunger is activated, the plurality of stress concentrators cause the uniform seal to rupture and detach at the predetermined portions of the seal where stress is generated by the plurality of stress concentrators followed by a progressive ripping on either side of the predetermined portions until the seal has been broken around the entire periphery of the breakaway plunger.

17. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of stress concentrators comprise a plurality of stress concentrating ribs disposed along the periphery such that when the breakaway plunger is activated, the plurality of stress concentrating ribs cause the seal at the periphery to detach according to the magnitude of stress generated at each stress concentrating rib.

18. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of stress concentrators concentrate an axially transmitted force and direct it to predetermined portions of the seal that are equally distributed around the periphery of the breakaway plunger such that a predictable breakaway pattern is created.

19. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises the diaphragm, thereby creating a flexible cavity volume such that an excessive pressure in the sealed cavity is relieved.

20. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 19, wherein the breakaway plunger is disposed concentrically to the diaphragm such that a non-axial force applied to a button on the diaphragm is transmitted axially through the breakaway plunger to create stress on the seal thereby causing it to break away.

21. A dispensing capsule for affixing to an opening of a receiving container where

the dispensing capsule comprises a housing having a cavity therein for separately hermetically storing preloaded contents within the cavity when the dispensing capsule is disposed in a closed position,

the housing of the dispensing capsule further comprises

a first portion comprising

a cup,

a breakaway plunger having a central axis and a base plate having an aperture that cooperate to form a seal between the cavity and a liquid compartment of the receiving container, and

a shaft that is connected at one end to the breakaway plunger,

a second portion comprising a lid having a diaphragm, a diaphragm button, a seal and a shaft guide such that the shaft guide guides the lid onto the shaft and removably affixes the lid to the shaft thereto,

wherein an activating force applied to the shaft causes the dispensing capsule to be disposed in an open position such that

the breakaway plunger disengages from the base plate to break the seal,

the breakaway plunger fully detaches at its periphery while remaining attached to the shaft such that it does not fall into the liquid compartment, and

the breakaway plunger is thrust toward the receiving container, thereby creating fluid communication between the liquid compartment and cavity such that the preloaded contents of the cavity are discharged through the aperture of the base plate into the communicating liquid compartment of the receiving container and the shaft remains affixed to the lid.

22. A dispensing capsule where the dispensing capsule comprises a housing having a cavity therein for hermetically storing preloaded contents within the cavity when the dispensing capsule is disposed in a closed position,

the housing of the dispensing capsule further comprises a breakaway plunger having a central axis and a base plate having an aperture that cooperate to form a seal that holds the preloaded contents in the cavity,

the housing further comprises a diaphragm and a diaphragm button integral to the diaphragm and disposed in concentric axial alignment with the breakaway plunger and a shaft having a central axis that is fixedly connected at one end to the diaphragm button and at the opposing end to the breakaway plunger, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises a substantially circular periphery and the shaft is concentrically disposed with respect to the periphery such that the central axis of the shaft is substantially perpendicularly disposed to a plane formed of the periphery,

the housing further comprises a plurality of stress concentrators symmetrically disposed about the central axis of the breakaway plunger, wherein each of the plurality of stress concentrators comprises a substantially planar structure disposed substantially perpendicularly to the plane formed by the periphery with the substantially planar structure structurally attached to the breakaway plunger and spanning at least a portion of the breakaway plunger and terminating at the periphery, and

an activating force applied to the diaphragm button causes the dispensing capsule to be disposed in an open position such that the breakaway plunger disengages from the base plate to break the seal and the breakaway plunger is thrust outwardly from the aperture, thereby creating an opening according to the magnitude of stress generated at each stress concentrator with a predictable breakaway pattern such that the preloaded contents of the cavity are discharged through the aperture of the base plate and there is no relative movement between the diaphragm and the diaphragm button and the diaphragm creates a flexible volume of the cavity such that an excessive pressure in the sealed cavity is relieved.

23. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 22, wherein the housing is pen-shaped.

24. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 22, wherein the housing is syringe-shaped.

25. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 22, wherein the breakaway plunger comprises a plurality of stress concentrators.

26. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 22, wherein the housing, base plate and breakaway plunger are constructed from a single injection molding.

27. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 26, wherein the seal comprises a non-perforated uniform and hermetic seal at the periphery of the breakaway plunger.

28. The dispensing capsule as recited in claim 22, wherein the base plate of the housing is configured to be received by a gasoline tank.