Locking cap device and methods

Abstract

A cap device and methods for use with a container are provided. The cap device can include a piercer cover and a shell for comprising a composition. The piercer cover has one or more side walls comprising one or more piercers attached to the top wall and disposed toward the bottom portion of the piercer cover for breaking a film covering the bottom portion of the shell.

Claims

1. A cap device adapted for use with a container comprising: a piercer cover comprising one or more side walls, a top wall, and a bottom portion, wherein the one or more side walls comprise one or more piercers attached to the top wall and disposed toward the bottom portion of the piercer cover; and a shell for containing a composition comprising one or more side walls, and a sloped bottom portion, wherein the sloped bottom portion forms an opening that is covered by a film wherein the piercer cover further comprises locks disposed on one or more side walls of the piercer cover, and the shell further comprises locks disposed on one or more side walls of the shell.

2. The cap device of claim 1, wherein the piercer cover further comprises two sets of locks disposed on one or more side walls of the piercer cover, and the shell further comprises one or more locks disposed on one or more side walls of the shell, wherein a first set of locks disposed on one or more side walls of the piercer cover is disposed closer to the top wall of the piercer cover than a second set of locks disposed on one or more side walls of the piercer cover.

3. A method of adding at least a portion of a composition to a container, comprising: providing a piercer cover comprising one or more side walls, a top wall, and a bottom portion, wherein the one or more side walls comprise one or more piercers attached to the top wall and the piercers are disposed toward the bottom portion of the piercer cover; providing a shell comprising a composition, one or more side walls, and a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion forms an opening that is covered by a film; and actuating the piercer cover so that the one or more piercers move toward the bottom portion of the shell and break the film, wherein the composition can move from the shell into the container; wherein the piercer cover further comprises beads disposed on the one or more side walls of the piercer cover, and the shell further comprises locks disposed on the one or more side walls of the shell, wherein by rotating the piercer cover, the beads on the piercer cover engage with the locks on the shell and the shell rotates when the piercer cover is rotated.

4. The method in claim 3, wherein the shell further comprises rotation locks disposed on the one or more side walls of the shell, and the one or more side walls of the piercer cover comprise rotation locks, wherein the rotation locks of the piercer cover engage with the rotation locks on the shell and the shell rotates when the piercer cover is rotated.

5. A cap device adapted for use with a container comprising: a piercer cover comprising one or more side walls, a top wall, and a bottom portion, wherein the piercer cover has one or more piercers attached to the top wall and disposed toward the bottom portion of the piercer cover, wherein the one or more of the side walls comprises locks and threads; and a shell for containing a composition, comprising one or more side walls, and a sloped bottom portion, wherein the sloped bottom portion forms an opening that is covered by a film, and the one or more of the side walls comprises locks and threads and wherein the locks on the piercer cover are adapted to engage with the locks on the shell, and the threads on the piercer cover are adapted to engage with the threads on the shell.

6. A method of adding at least a portion of a composition to the container in claim 5, wherein a first area of the sloped bottom portion is closer to the top wall of the piercer cover and a second area of the sloped bottom portion is further from the top wall of the piercer cover and wherein the one or more piercers cut a portion of the film covering the first area before a portion of the film covering the second area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the film covering the second area is not substantially cut, and the film stays connected to the shell after actuation of the piercer cover.

8. A method of adding at least a portion of a composition to the container in claim 5, wherein the piercer cover further comprises a first set of locks disposed closer to the top wall of the piercer cover than a second set of locks and the shell further comprises one or more locks disposed on the one or more side walls of the shell, wherein the vertical range of motion of the piercer cover is limited when the piercer cover is actuated and the first set of locks passes the one or more locks on the shell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The features and nature of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which reference characters identify corresponding items.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of an exemplary cap device 1 and a container 2;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exploded side view an exemplary cap device 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of an exemplary cap device 1;

(5) FIG. 3A shows a sectional side view of an exemplary cap device 1;

(6) FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view of an exemplary partially actuated cap device 1;

(7) FIG. 5 shows a sectional side view of an exemplary actuated cap device 1;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of an exemplary actuated locked cap device 1;

(9) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view an exemplary actuated locked cap device 1; being removed from a container 2; and

(10) FIG. 8 shows a sectional aerial view of the automatic bottling of an exemplary cap device 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) The disclosed methods and devices below may be described both generally as well as specifically. It should be noted that when the description is specific to an aspect, that aspect should in no way limit the scope of the methods and devices.

(12) FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary cap device 1. Cap device 1 comprises a piercer cover 3 and a shell 4. Shell 4 may be adapted to attach to the mouth of a container 2.

(13) FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of exemplary cap device 1. Piercer cover 3 comprises a top wall 5 and one or more side walls 6. Piercer cover 3 comprises a cover skirt 7. Shell 4 has threads 8 disposed on one or more side walls 9 for adaptably attaching to the mouth of a container 2. Shell 4 has one or more locks 10 disposed on one or more side walls 9. A bottom portion 11 of shell 4 may be covered by a film 12.

(14) FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of exemplary cap device 1. Piercer cover 3 has threads 13 disposed on one or more side walls 6. One or more side walls 6 of piercer cover 3 comprise one or more piercers 14. The distal ends of one or more piercers 14 comprise one or more cutting elements 15. Piercer cover 3 has locks 16 disposed on one or more side walls 6. Piercer cover 3 includes an upper set of locks 17 and a lower set of locks 18. Piercer cover 3 further comprises sealing rings 21, which can press or seal the one or more walls of piercer cover 3 from the one or more walls of shell 4. Piercer cover 3 has one or more beads (not shown), which may press or seal the one or more walls of piercer cover 3 from the one or more walls of shell 4.

(15) As shown in FIG. 3a, bottom portion 11 of shell 4 may be sloped, so that there is an area closer to top wall 5 of piercer cover 3, and an area furthest from top wall 5 of piercer cover 3. Shell 4 may have threads 8 disposed on one or more side walls 9 for engaging threads 13 of piercer cover 3. As shown in FIG. 3a, actuation has not yet occurredthreads 13 of piercer cover 3 have not yet engaged the threads 8 of shell 4. The lower set of locks 18 of the piercer cover 3 have passed locks 10 on shell 4, limiting the range of vertical motion made by piercer cover 3 with respect to shell 4. However, piercer cover 3 can still be moved up and down to a degree.

(16) FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a partially actuated exemplary cap device 1. As shown in FIG. 4, threads 13 on piercer cover 3 have engaged threads 8 on shell 4, and piercers 14 have moved down toward film 12 but have not yet broke the film 12. The lower set of locks 18 of piercer cover 3 have passed locks 10 on shell 4 but the upper set of locks 17 have not.

(17) FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of actuated exemplary cap device 1. As shown in FIG. 5, threads 13 on piercer cover 3 have engaged threads 8 on shell 4, piercers 14 have moved down toward film 12 and broken film 12. The upper set of locks 17 of piercer cover 3 are touching locks 10 on shell 4. The cut-away section of the film 12 is still attached to the bottom portion 11 of shell 4 by film 12 covering the area of bottom portion 11 furthest from top wall 5 of piercer cover 3.

(18) In FIG. 6, the upper set of locks 17 have passed locks 10 on shell 4, and because one or more side walls 9 of shell 4 are flush against top wall 5 of piercer cover 3, shell 4 and piercer cover 3 are now locked together and vertical motion is limited by one in relation to the other. Since such vertical relative motion is no longer possible, rotational motion now results in shell 4 and piercer cover 3 rotating as one locked unit, and cap device 1 as a whole can be screwed or unscrewed from the mouth of container 2.

(19) FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of actuated exemplary cap device 1. As shown in FIG. 7, upper set of locks 17 have passed locks 10 on shell 4, so that piercer cover 3 and shell 4 are locked vertically together. As shown in FIG. 7, cap device 1 is being unscrewed by disengaging threads 8 on shell 4 from the threads on container 2.

(20) FIG. 8 shows a sectional aerial view of the automatic bottling of exemplary cap device 1. One or more side walls 6 of piercer cover 3 comprise rotation locks 19, and one or more locks 10 on side walls 9 of shell 4 comprise rotation locks 20, and when piercer cover 3 is rotated, rotation locks 19 on the piercer cover 3 engage with rotation locks 20 on shell 4, so that no more rotational movement is possible by piercer cover 3 with respect to shell 4. Continued rotation will permit the cap device 1 as a whole to be tightened around the mouth of container 2. In another aspect, continued rotation will permit cap device 1 as a whole to be removed from the mouth of container 2.