Packaged bottle beverage having an ingredient release closure with improved additive release and method and apparatus thereof

• US 8,541,037 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Crown Distributing Co.
• Original Assignee: Georgia Crown Distributing Co.
• Inventors: Bell, James Clayton
• Primary Examiner(s): Becker, Drew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, LUANA ZHANG
• Application Number:
  US12/988,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 426/111, 426/115, 426/120, 426/119, 426/392, 426/394, 426/397, 426/413, 426/404, 426/118, 426/131, 426590-599, 426/395, 426/410, 206219-222, 206/807, 534/32, 534/86, 532/87, 533/00, 53302-303, 53317-319, 533/315, 534/85, 534/90, 533/14, 533/29, 534/39, 535/30, 532/89, 534/03, 534/05, 534/08, 53/79, 534/67, 215/262
• US Class Current: 426/115
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2835 applying and rotating preformed threaded caps for bottles or jars B67B3/20
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2821 said element being a blister, a capsule or like sealed container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2835 ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2864 the element being a plug or like element closing a passage between the auxiliary container and the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2871 the plug falling into the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2878 the element being a lid or cover seated on a passage between the auxiliary container and the main container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/2015 in an at least partially rigid container B65D81/2038 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/24 Special measures for applying and securing caps under vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A packaged bottle beverage has a base component of the beverage in a container wider vacuum separate from an additive in a sealed compartment of an ingredient release closure. Upon opening the sealed compartment, suction is created forcing the additive to quickly and thoroughly exit the ingredient release closure, a region of relatively higher pressure, and flow into the base component in the container, a region of relatively lower pressure.

Claims

1. A packaged bottled beverage comprising:

a beverage comprising a base component and an additive;

a container comprising an opening for receiving a closure and a vessel containing said base component;

an ingredient release closure comprising a sealed compartment containing said additive, a release mechanism for dispensing the additive, and attaching means for attachment to said opening of said container;

said attaching means of said ingredient release closure being attached to said opening of said container,

wherein said base component is contained under vacuum in said container and separated from said additive in said sealed compartment, and a cross-sectional shape of said vessel in a label panel area of said vessel is intentionally altered by vacuum pressure forces exerted on said vessel.

2. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein upon releasing said additive from said ingredient release closure using said release mechanism and prior to opening said packaged bottle beverage, suction is created pulling said additive from said ingredient release closure into said base component in said container.

3. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein said vacuum is formed by applying compression to an outer surface of said vessel.

4. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein said vessel of said container comprises a flexible plastic.

5. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 4, wherein said flexible plastic comprises polyethylene terephthalate.

6. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein said ingredient release closure comprises a sports closure.

7. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein said ingredient release closure is sanitized.

8. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 7, wherein said ingredient release closure comprises a metered dose of sanitizer therein.

9. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 8, wherein said sanitizer comprises peracetic acid.

10. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein while said base component is contained under vacuum, a circular cross-sectional shape of said vessel in said label panel area of said vessel is altered by vacuum pressure forces exerted on said vessel so as to transform the circular cross-sectional shape of said vessel into a square or oval cross-sectional shape.

11. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 10, wherein the vacuum pressure forces exerted on said vessel transforms the circular cross-sectional shape of said vessel into a square cross-sectional shape.

12. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein a diameter of said vessel is 95% to 65% of an original size diameter of said vessel prior to attaching said ingredient release closure to said container.

13. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, wherein said base component comprises water, tea, juice, or an energy drink;

and said additive comprises one or more additives selected from flavors, vitamins, energy enhancements, or natural ingredients.

14. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 13, wherein said base component comprises water, and said additive comprises a flavor.

15. A method of making the packaged bottled beverage of claim 1, said method comprising:

applying compression to an outer surface of the vessel during a capping step, said capping step comprising attaching the ingredient release closure to the container via the attaching means of the ingredient release closure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the compression is applied to the outer surface of the vessel by an adjustable rail having a decreasing arc from a point of initial contact with the container to a point of final contact with the container.

17. A container closing apparatus in a filling plant configured to carry out the method of claim 15, said container closing apparatus comprising:

an inlet being configured and disposed to permit the container to enter the container closing apparatus;

at least one capper mechanism being configured to attach the ingredient release closure onto the container to form a sealed container;

a container holding apparatus being configured and disposed to receive and hold the container to permit the ingredient release closure to be attached onto the container by said at least one capper mechanism;

a means for creating a vacuum in the space inside the container during attachment of the ingredient release closure onto the container, said means for creating the vacuum is an adjustable rail having an arc of decreasing radius from a point of initial contact with the container at said inlet to a point of final contact with the container at said outlet; and

an outlet being configured and disposed to permit the sealed container to exit said container closing apparatus.

18. A packaged bottled beverage comprising:

a beverage comprising a base component and an additive;

a container comprising an opening for receiving a closure and a vessel containing said base component;

an ingredient release closure comprising a sealed compartment containing said additive, a release mechanism for dispensing the additive, and attaching means for attachment to said opening of said container;

said attaching means of said ingredient release closure being attached to said opening of said container,

wherein said base component (i) comprises water, (ii) is contained under vacuum in said container, and (iii) is separated from said additive in said sealed compartment, and a cross-sectional shape of said vessel in a label panel area of said vessel is intentionally altered by vacuum pressure forces exerted on said vessel.

19. The packaged bottled beverage of claim 18, wherein said additive comprises one or more additives selected from flavors, vitamins, energy enhancements, or natural ingredients.

20. A packaged bottled beverage comprising:

a beverage comprising a base component and an additive;

a container comprising an opening for receiving a closure and a vessel containing said base component;

an ingredient release closure comprising a sports closure comprising a sealed compartment containing said additive, a release mechanism for dispensing the additive, and attaching means for attachment to said opening of said container;

said attaching means of said ingredient release closure being attached to said opening of said container,

wherein said base component (i) comprises water, (ii) is contained under vacuum in said container, and (iii) is separated from said additive in said sealed compartment, and a cross-sectional shape of said vessel in a label panel area of said vessel is intentionally altered by vacuum pressure forces exerted on said vessel.