Water container cap for holding additives to water

• US 8,464,633 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US13/440,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20120261283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 993/23, 993/22, 992/95, 206/219, 206/220, 206/0.5, 215/6, 215/DIG.8, 220/501, 220/212, 220/705, 426/112, 426/115, 426/519, 426/590
• 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 portion and a liquid flow pathway extending through the supplement retention portion, the liquid flow pathway being configured to guide a liquid exiting the container through the outlet through the supplement retention portion when the closure is coupled to the container, the supplement retention portion comprising an open upper portion and a perforated supplement support platform that are together configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body as the liquid flows through the supplement retention portion and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body, and an open lower portion including a filter retainer projection, the open lower portion comprising a first connector portion and the open upper portion comprising a second connector portion, the first connector portion being couplable to the outlet of the container;

a cap portion selectively couplable to and removable from the second connector portion, the cap portion including an open lower portion;

a first filter selectively attachable to the supplement retention portion by pressing the first filter upward into the open lower portion and forcing the first filter onto the filter retainer projection; and

a second filter receivable inside the open lower portion of the cap portion.

2. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the first filter comprises a screen filter.

3. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the

second filter is disposed within a portion of the liquid flow pathway downstream from the supplement retention portion, the second filter being operable to filter a liquid with a dissolved portion of the dissolvable supplement body dissolved therein after the liquid has flowed through the supplement retention portion.

4. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the supplement retention portion comprises:

a supplement stop portion disposed downstream from the open upper portion of the supplement retention portion configured to retain the dissolvable supplement body in the supplement retention portion, the supplement stop portion including an exit aperture positioned such that a liquid dissolving the dissolvable supplement body flows through the supplement retention portion and out the exit aperture of the supplement stop portion.

5. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 4, wherein the second filter is located adjacent to the exit aperture of the supplement stop portion.

6. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 4, wherein the supplement stop portion is located wherein the cap portion.

7. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the filter retainer projection comprises a circumferential projection disposed on an inner wall of the open lower portion.

8. 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 first open end comprising a filter retainer projection;

a first filter selectively attachable to the filter retainer projection;

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, the cap including an open lower portion; and

a second filter receivable inside the open lower portion of the cap.

9. The kit of claim 8, further comprising a container having an outlet portion couplable to the first connector portion of the supplement housing.

10. The kit of claim 8, wherein the first filter is selectively attachable to the filter retainer projection by pressing the first filter upward into the first open end and forcing the first filter onto the filter retainer projection.

11. A kit comprising:

an open ended threaded supplement housing threadably attachable to a threaded outlet portion of a container, the supplement housing including at least one supplement chamber disposed between the open ends of the supplement housing configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body as it dissolves in a liquid poured from the threaded outlet portion of the container into one of the open ends of the supplement housing through the at least one supplement chamber and out the other of the open ends of the supplement housing, the supplement housing further including a filter retainer projection;

a cap portion selectively couplable to and removable from the supplement housing, the cap portion including an open lower portion;

a first filter selectively attachable to the filter retainer projection;

a second filter receivable inside the open lower portion of the cap portion; and

at least one dissolvable supplement body.

12. The kit of claim 11, wherein the first filter is selectively attachable to the filter retainer projection by forcing the first filter onto the filter retainer projection.

13. A supplement dispensing closure couplable to an outlet of a container housing a liquid, the closure comprising:

a supplement retention portion and a liquid flow pathway extending through the supplement retention portion, the liquid flow pathway being configured to guide a liquid exiting the container through the outlet through the supplement retention portion when the closure is coupled to the container, the supplement retention portion comprising an open upper portion and a perforated supplement support platform that are together configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body as the liquid flows through the supplement retention portion and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body, the supplement retention portion also comprising a plurality of elongated raised portions extending upwardly from the perforated supplement support platform configured to at least partially separate two or more dissolvable supplement bodies as a liquid flows through the supplement retention area and dissolves the separated dissolvable supplement bodies, and an open lower portion including a filter retainer projection; and

a first filter selectively attachable to the supplement retention portion by pressing the first filter upward into the open lower portion and forcing the first filter onto the filter retainer projection.

14. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 13, wherein the plurality of elongated raised portions comprises three raised portions extending upwardly from the perforated supplement support platform, each raised portion having a first end adjacent an inner wall of the open upper portion and a second end adjacent the second end of the other two raised portions.

15. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 13, wherein the plurality of elongated raised portions extend upwardly from the perforated supplement platform to a height that is less than the height of the open upper portion.

16. A supplement dispensing closure couplable to an outlet of a container housing a liquid, the closure comprising:

a supplement retention chamber and a liquid flow pathway extending through the supplement retention chamber, the liquid flow pathway being configured to guide a liquid exiting the container through the outlet through the supplement retention chamber when the closure is coupled to the container, the supplement retention chamber being configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body as the liquid flows therethrough and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body;

a cap portion selectively couplable to and removable from the supplement retension chamber, the cap portion including an open lower portion;

a selectively removable first filter disposed within a portion of the liquid flow pathway before the supplement retention chamber, the first filter being operable to filter a liquid guided by the liquid flow pathway before the liquid flows through the supplement retention chamber; and

a second filter positioned inside the open lower portion of the cap portion.

17. The supplement dispensing closure of claim 16, wherein the first filter is a filter assembly comprising a single molded piece.