Oxygen-impereable, fillable closure with a push button for triggering

• US 8,960,423 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bevaswiss AG
• Original Assignee: Bevaswiss AG
• Inventors: Seelhofer, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEINERTH, GIDEON R
• Application Number:
  US14/225,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20140216958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 206/219, 206/222, 206/221, 220/521, 220/277, 220/258.3, 220/259.1, 220/254.3, 220/835, 220/703, 220/258.1, 215/228, 215/252, 215/301, 215235-237, 215/297, 215/311, 215/387, 215/DIG.8, 222/80, 222/83, 222/494, 222/556, 222/541.1, 222/145.1, 222/145.5, 622/93, 622/94, 623/72
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/15 Tearable part of the closure B65D2401/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2835 ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/24 Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants with thermal insulation B65D81/38
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture

Abstract

A fillable closure is used to initiate emptying of a separately fillable capsule molded into this closure. The capsule is made oxygen-impermeable on the inside or outside with a vapor-deposited layer of silicon dioxide or metal. The volume of the capsule can be reduced through pressurization from the top, through deformation of its side walls, for cutting or rupturing a sealing foil. The capsule has an asymmetric push button with a pusher surface, a deformable front and side wall and a stable rear wall. The upper end of the rear wall forms a stationary edge, on which the pusher surface can be pivoted downward through deformation of the front and side wall. On the bottom of the pusher surface, a triangle-shaped blade is formed, which ends in a tip, and its triangle edge forming a cutting edge for piercing and cutting the sealing foil on the bottom of the capsule.

Claims

1. A fillable closure comprising:

a fillable capsule (2) moulded into the closure that is in a form of a cap and configured to connect to a bottle neck, the capsule filling up an inside of the closure in a form of a dome, and the capsule having a coating of metal or silicon dioxide on either an inside or an outside, or on both sides thereof, the capsule (2) comprising;

an open bottom sealed by an oxygen-impermeable sealing foil (6) after filling the capsule;

a top positioned at an upper end of the closure forming a pusher surface (7) functioning as a push-button of the closure to initiate emptying the capsule;

a protruding element (8, 27, 30) formed on an underside of the pusher surface (7) configured to open the sealing foil (6) on the bottom of the capsule;

a deformable front and side wall (11) and a rigid rear wall (13) that is not deformable;

an upper edge (10) of the rigid rear wall forming a stationary pivot hinge on which the pusher surface (7) can be pivoted downward through deformation of the front and side wall (11);

wherein under pressurization on the pusher surface (7), the front and side wall deform below the upper edge of the rigid rear wall, causing opening the sealing foil (6) by the protruding element.

2. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the pusher surface (7) has a drop shape with a cut-off rear end at the upper edge of the rigid rear wall of the capsule.

3. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the rigid rear wall (13) is connected to an inner wall (14) of the closure through a bar (12) such that the rear wall (13) is not deformable.

4. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the protruding element is a triangle-shaped blade (8) with a sharp tip (16) and a cutting edge (17) for piercing and cutting the sealing foil (6) on the bottom of the capsule (2).

5. The fillable closure according to claim 4, wherein a punch (9) is formed on both sides of the triangle-shaped blade (8) at the underside of the pusher surface (7) for pressing down two halves of cut sealing foil (6) and thereby ensuring the capsule (2) is emptied completely.

6. The fillable closure according to claim 5, wherein the punch (9) extends downwards lesser than the tip (16) of the triangle-shaped blade (8).

7. The fillable closure according to claim 4, wherein a reinforcing wall (5) is formed on a front end of the triangle-shaped blade (8), connecting along a curved line (26) to the pusher surface (7), for ensuring the triangle-shaped blade not bending laterally when the pusher surface is pressed down.

8. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the protruding element is a recess (29) on the pusher surface protruding downward and forming a punch (27) on the underside of the pusher surface for pushing open the sealing foil (6) on the bottom of the capsule (2).

9. The fillable closure according to claim 8, wherein the recess (29) extends through the length of the pusher surface, and is reinforced therein with a bridge (28).

10. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the protruding element is a wedge (30) that forms a cutting edge.

11. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the front and side wall of the capsule is soft and a volume of the capsule (2) can be reduced through pressurization on top of the capsule by deformation of the front and side wall of the capsule (2).

12. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the front wall is foldable in a section lower than the upper edge (10) of the rigid rear wall.

13. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the sealing foil is provided with at least one continuous weakening line (25) so that when an internal pressure in the capsule (2) increases, the sealing foil (6) closing the capsule (2) ruptures along ruptures along the at least one weakening line (25).

14. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the sealing foil comprises one or more continuous, non-intersecting weakening lines (25) in a form of fillets.

15. The fillable closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure further comprises a lid (18) formed on a hinge (19) on an edge of the closure to provide a tamper-proof seal, and a latch (20) is moulded to an opposite side of the hinge (19) as a snap fit element;

when the lid (18) is closed, the latch (20) engages with a window (22) formed in a strip (21) on an edge of the closure.