Water container cap for holding additives to water

• US 8,230,777 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nutra-Life, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nutra-Life, Inc.
• Inventors: Anson, Ricky L., Anson, Rebecca, Jimenez, Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/427,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20100012193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 993/22, 993/23, 426/115, 426/590, 426/519, 206/219, 206/220, 220/501, 220/212, 215/6, 215/DIG.8
• US Class Current: 99/323
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/243 moving linearly, i.e. without rotational motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2807 the closure presenting means for placing the additional articles or materials in contact with the main contents by acting on a part of the closure without removing the closure, e.g. by pushing down, pulling up, rotating or turning a part of the closure, or upon initial opening of the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/685 with one product being located in a chamber within, or forming part of, the dispensing head, e.g. for admixture during dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/002 using small portable filters for producing potable water, e.g. personal travel or emergency equipment, survival kits, combat gear C02F1/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/68 by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water medicinal water A61K
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/688 Devices in which the water progressively dissolves a solid compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/026 Treating water for medical or cosmetic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/02 as part of a bottle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A supplement dispensing closure couplable to an outlet of a container, such as a water container. When the closure is coupled to the container, liquid exiting the container through the outlet flows through a supplement retention area that retains a dissolvable supplement body inside the closure as the liquid flows therethrough and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body. A user may select one or more dissolvable supplement bodies and insert them inside the supplement retention area for dissolution in the liquid as it flows through the supplement retention area. The closure may include a selectively openable and closable cap portion. Optionally, the closure includes a filter configured to filter one or more components from the liquid before or after it flows through the supplement retention area.

Claims

1. A supplement dispensing closure couplable to an outlet of a container housing a liquid, the closure comprising a supplement retention area and a liquid flow pathway extending through the supplement retention area, the liquid flow pathway being configured to guide a liquid exiting the container through the outlet through the supplement retention area when the closure is coupled to the container, the supplement retention area being configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body as the liquid flows therethrough and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body, wherein the supplement retention area comprises:

a supplement chamber having an aperture configured to accommodate the passage of the dissolvable supplement body therethrough, the supplement chamber being divided into a plurality of sub-chambers each configured to retain a separate dissolvable supplement body as a liquid flows through the supplement chamber and dissolves the retained dissolvable supplement bodies; and

a supplement stop portion adjacent the aperture of the supplement chamber configured to prevent the dissolvable supplement body from passing through the aperture of the supplement chamber, the supplement stop portion including an exit aperture positioned such that a liquid dissolving the dissolvable supplement body flows through the supplement chamber and out the exit aperture of the supplement stop portion.

2. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the supplement stop portion is selectively couplable to and removable from the supplement chamber to allow a dissolvable supplement body to be placed inside the supplement chamber.

3. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, further including a cap portion within which the supplement stop portion is located wherein the supplement chamber comprises a first connector portion and a second connector portion, the first connector portion being couplable to the outlet of the container, the cap portion being selectively couplable to and removable from the second connector portion of the supplement chamber.

4. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 3, wherein the cap portion is selectively openable and closable,

when open, the cap portion permitting a liquid exiting the container through the outlet and guided through the supplement retention area by the liquid flow pathway to thereafter exit through the closure, and

when closed, the cap portion preventing liquid from exiting the closure.

5. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the supplement chamber comprises a perforated support platform opposite the supplement stop portion, the perforated support platform being positioned along the liquid flow pathway before the supplement retention area such that a liquid exiting the container through the outlet flows through the perforated support platform and into the supplement retention area when the closure is coupled to the container.

6. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 5, wherein the perforated support platform comprises a coating operable to filter one or more components from a liquid as it flows through perforated support platform.

7. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the liquid flow pathway is configured to guide a liquid through the supplement retention area along a flow direction, and

the supplement chamber comprises at least one dividing wall extending along the flow direction and dividing the supplement chamber into the plurality of sub-chambers.

8. A supplement housing for use by a user having a mouth and for use with a dissolvable supplement body having a dissolve rate and a container housing a liquid, the container having an outlet portion through which the liquid may be poured from the container, the supplement housing comprising:

a first connector portion couplable to the outlet portion of the container housing the liquid; and

a supplement chamber configured to retain the dissolvable supplement body outside the container and apart from the liquid housed inside the container, the supplement chamber having at least one inlet aperture and at least one outlet aperture, the at least one inlet aperture being in fluid communication with the outlet portion of the container when the first connector portion is coupled thereto to receive liquid poured from the outlet portion of the container into the supplement chamber, the supplement chamber configured to limit the flow of liquid therethrough to a flow rate, the flow rate of the liquid received inside the supplement chamber selected to dissolve the dissolvable supplement body at the dissolve rate, the liquid and a dissolved portion of the dissolvable supplement body being receivable inside the mouth of the user via the at least one outlet aperture of the supplement chamber, the supplement chamber being divided into a plurality of sub-chambers each configured to retain a separate dissolvable supplement body.

9. The supplement housing of claim 8 for use with a selectively openable cap, the supplement housing further comprising:

a second connector portion couplable to the selectively openable cap, the selectively openable cap being adjacent the at least one outlet aperture of the supplement chamber when the selectively openable cap is coupled to the second connector portion,

when open, the selectively openable cap permitting the liquid and the portion of the dissolvable supplement body dissolved therein flowing through the at least one outlet aperture to flow into the mouth of the user, and

when closed, the selectively openable cap obstructing the flow of the liquid and the portion of the dissolvable supplement body dissolved therein, preventing it from flowing into the mouth of the user.

10. The supplement housing of claim 8, wherein the container houses a predetermined amount of liquid, and the supplement chamber is configured to limit the flow rate to completely dissolve the dissolvable supplement body at the dissolve rate in the predetermined amount of liquid as it is poured from the container.

11. A kit comprising:

an open ended supplement housing having a first open end, a second open end, a first connector portion at the first open end couplable to an outlet portion of a container, a second connector portion at the second open end, and at least one supplement chamber positioned between the first and second open ends the supplement chamber being divided into a plurality of sub-chambers each configured to retain a separate dissolvable supplement body; and

a cap having a connector portion couplable to the second connector portion at the second open end of the supplement housing, the cap being configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body inside the at least one supplement chamber as the dissolvable supplement body dissolves in a liquid flowing from the outlet portion of the container into the first open end of the supplement housing through the at least one supplement chamber and out the second open end of the supplement housing.

12. The kit of claim 11, wherein the cap is operable to selectively halt the flow of the liquid out the second open end of the supplement housing.

13. The kit of claim 11, further comprising at least one dissolvable supplement body.

14. The kit of claim 11, further comprising a container having an outlet portion couplable to the first connector portion of the supplement housing.

15. A method of producing a supplemented liquid, the method comprising:

inserting a dissolvable supplement body into a supplement receiving opening of each of a plurality of sub-chambers of a supplement housing which is divided into the plurality of sub-chambers with each sub-chamber configured to retain a separate dissolvable supplement body;

attaching the supplement housing to an outlet portion of a container storing a liquid operable to dissolve the dissolvable supplement bodies in the plurality of sub-chambers, the supplement housing being spaced apart from the liquid and having an inlet for receiving liquid poured from the container through its outlet portion;

attaching a cap having an exit aperture over the supplement receiving opening to retain the dissolvable supplement bodies inside the plurality of sub-chambers of the supplement housing; and

pouring the liquid from the container into the inlet of the supplement housing to cause the liquid to flow through the supplement housing and out the exit aperture of the cap with the cap retaining the dissolvable supplement bodies inside the plurality of sub-chambers of the supplement housing as the liquid is poured with the liquid at least partially dissolving the dissolvable supplement bodies inside the plurality of sub-chambers as the liquid flows through the supplement housing and out the exit aperture of cap to produce a supplemented liquid.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising drinking the supplemented liquid.

17. A method of producing a supplemented liquid, the method comprising:

selecting a plurality of dissolvable supplement bodies;

inserting each of the plurality of dissolvable supplement bodies into a supplement receiving opening of a different one of a plurality of sub-chambers into which a supplement chamber of a supplement housing is divided, each of the sub-chambers being configured to retain a separate dissolvable supplement body;

attaching the supplement housing to an outlet portion of a container storing a liquid operable to dissolve the plurality of dissolvable supplement bodies, the supplement housing being spaced apart from the liquid and having an inlet for each of the sub-chambers, each inlet receiving liquid poured from the container through its outlet portion into a corresponding one of the sub-chambers;

attaching a selectively openable cap over the supplement receiving openings to retain the plurality of dissolvable supplement bodies inside the sub-chambers of the supplement housing;

opening the cap; and

pouring the liquid from the container into the inlets of the sub-chambers of the supplement housing, the liquid flowing through the sub-chambers and out the open cap, the cap retaining the plurality of dissolvable supplement bodies inside the sub-chambers of the supplement housing as the liquid is poured, the liquid at least partially dissolving the plurality of dissolvable supplement bodies as the liquid flows through the sub-chambers of the supplement housing and out the open cap to produce a supplemented liquid.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising drinking the supplemented liquid.