A CAP FOR PACKING CONTAINERS, INCLUDING AN INTEGRAL POWDER OR LIQUID, ADAPTED FOR STERILISATION

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cap adapted to be sealingly attached to a container having an opening and a neck, the container holding a liquid food. The cap includes a spout sealed at one end by a lid and at the other end by another foil or rupturing material and includes a component to be added to the liquid food at the time of consumption. The cap further includes a skirt to engage the inside of the neck to seal the container as well as an outside wall that engages to neck of the container in a screw type arrangement.

Claims

1. A moulded cap adapted to be sealingly attached to a container of the type having a neck with outer threads and adapted to hold a liquid food; the cap including an outer circular wall with internal threads that engage the outer threads of the neck; the cap extending initially over the neck and including a skirt adapted to sealingly engage the inside of the container outer circular wall; the cap then configured mainly within the neck to define a chamber that is spaced apart from the skirt and including an internal needle adapted to pierce a film extending across the bottom of the chamber to seal a component therein; wherein the space between the chamber and the skirt is large enough to enable for effective sterilisation thereof of the cap.

2. The moulded cap as in claim 1 further including a pealable lid to enable access to the top of the chamber.

3. The moulded cap as in claim 1 wherein the chamber is made of a flexible material to allow for it to be pressed to force the needle through the film so as to pierce it allowing the component to fall into the container.

4. The moulded cap as in claim 1 including a tamper proof ring below the cap to ensure that the cap can only be removed after the removal of the tamper proof ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to the present invention where the cap is of a single moulded configuration including a skirt that engages sealingly the inside neck of a bottle and defines the blister back mainly housed within the bottleneck;

[0041] extend beyond the bottle neck but still allowing for effective sterilisation and where the blister is moulded as part of the cap;

[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates a cap including the dust cap whereby the blister is over moulded to the cap in a different material to seal all-around;

[0043] FIG. 6 illustrates a cap including the dust cap allowing the blister pack to extend beyond the bottle neck but still allowing for effective sterilisation and where the blister is moulded as part of the cap and further including a blister burst disc where the contents of the container may be pressurised; and

[0044] FIG. 7 illustrates a cap including a peel mould instead of a dust cap allowing the blister pack to extend beyond the bottle neck but still allowing for effective sterilisation and where the blister is moulded as part of the cap and further including a blister burst disc where the contents of the container may be pressurised.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration.

[0046] In relation to the Figures, FIGS. 1 to 3 relate to a first embodiment where there is an integrally moulded cap including a skirt to engage the inside of a bottle and where the blister pack basically sits within the bottle neck yet leaving sufficient space for effective sterilisation.

[0047] FIGS. 4 and 5 also teach an effective configuration where the cap can be sterilised but also including a dust cap that enables the blister pack to extend beyond the bottle neck.

[0048] FIGS. 6 and 7 include a burst disc that enables the moulded cap to be used where the liquid in the container may be pressurised to ensure that the blister pack does not burst under pressure.

[0049] Referring to the Figures generally there is a cap 10 adapted to be attached to a bottle neck 12. A dust cap 14 protects a blister 16 from the elements. A film 18 extends across the bottom of the blister, or across the bottle neck to seal the contents of the blister. A circumferential skirt 20 extends inside the cap to engage the inner surface of the bottle neck to provide for a seal.

[0050] The blister 16 includes an integral pin 24 that can be pressed downwards to penetrate film 18 to allow for any contents or component 32 within the blister 16 to be dispensed into the bottle.

[0051] Temper ring 22 is well known that ensures that the cap is not tempered with and is removed before consumption.

[0052] The cap includes a horizontal flange 26 that, as shown in the various embodiments either supports the blister or is used not only to support the blister but also the film that seals the blister. In some embodiments a burst disc 28 is used and whose main purpose is to protect the film 18 against any external pressure that it may be under if the fluid within the bottle is for example carbonated.

[0053] The gap between the cap and its skirt is wide enough to enable effective sterilisations using well known methods such as hydrogen peroxide at 50 degrees Celsius. Typical dimensions are illustrated in FIG. 3 in mm but it is by way of guide only.

[0054] In some instances instead of a dust cap there may be provide a peel lid 30.

[0055] The following description more specifically refers to the drawings in the Figures that are slightly different embodiments but relating to the use of effectively the same components but in different configurations.

[0056] Turning now to FIGS. 1 to 3 there is shown a cap having an integral blister that effectively sits within the bottle neck (however it may extend, somewhat beyond it), the blister including a component 32 to be mixed with the fluid in the bottle or container.

[0057] In FIG. 4 the blister is also moulded as part of the cap and includes a wall 34 to support a dust cap. The blister is filled through the cap, and then a burst disc is fitted before the blister foil is attached.

[0058] In FIG. 5 the blister is over-moulded to the cap in a different material to seal it all around and also includes a dust cap.

[0059] In FIGS. 6 and 7 whilst the blister is moulded as part of the cap, a burst disc is fitted before the blister foil is attached. A peel lid is attached to the cap. The burst disc ensures that of the liquid within the container is under pressure it does not burst the blister pack.

[0060] It is to be understood that whilst the above embodiments illustrate the foil of the cap as extending beyond the bottom opening of the spout it is not intended to limit the extent of the foil to any size. All that is required is for the foil of the cap to seal it and different design solutions will achieve this.

[0061] Also whilst we refer to foil it is also to be understood that it may be made of any other suitable material that can seal and also be perforated such as epoxy coated foil, plastics as examples only.

[0062] The reader will now appreciate that in a manufacturing line a pre-filled cap may be used to be attached to liquid food containers that are not sealed. This gives the manufacturer options into what type of component may be attached to the container greatly increasing consumer choice and alleviating the need to post-manufacture try and to fill the cap with a desirable component. This is able to be achieved given that the cap itself is sterilised and of a configuration that allows for effective sterilisation.

[0063] Thus in its simplest form the invention teaches a dispensing cap including a top, spout and base that attaches to the container that stores liquid food and that contains a component to be mixed with the liquid food at the time of consumption. In some instances the cap can also be used to seal the container after it has been activated enabling the liquid food to be consumed over several days.

[0064] Other standard features shown in the drawings will not be discussed such as bottle external threads and cap internal threads that enables the cap to be screwed onto the bottle. Such engineering elements would be well understood by the person skilled in the art.

[0065] The features of the present invention in most instances are that the cap allows for:

[0066] (a) a typical dose volume of some 3 ml of the component

[0067] (b) An integral blister and cap being generally of a one piece design

[0068] (c) designed for effective sterilisation typically using hydrogen peroxide minimal internal cap detail

[0069] (d) reduced crevices for allow for bath cleaning

[0070] (f) internal moisture resistant seal

[0071] (g) external peel able seal (that can be accommodated for written instructions)

[0072] (h) the blister can store powder or liquid

LIST OF COMPONENTS

[0073]

TABLE-US-00001 Cap 10 Bottle Neck 12 Blister 16 Film 18 Skirt 20 Temper ring 22 Pin 24 Flange 26 Burst Disc 28 Peel lid 30 Component 32 Wall 34 Gap 36

[0074] Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.

[0075] The reader should now appreciate the invention. The feature of all the sterilisation processes summarised (i.e. UV or pulsed light, electron beam, steam and chemicals), is they all need access to shine, reach or diffuse across the entire surface of the closure being exposed to the liquid in the packaging. It should be noticed that the cap anatomy as presently claimed should allow for this all to work. Of course, the light and electron beams heads can move through many angles to achieve this provided there is enough gap between the bottle and the inner blister structure but this is a much more complicated structure.

[0076] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word comprising and its derivatives including comprises and comprise include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.