US20150344203A1 - Single piece button actuated dispensing cap - Google Patents

Abstract

A single piece molded dispensing cap for a primary container, said dispensing cap used to dispense an ingredient into a primary container at the time of use in order to prolong shelf life of the combined materials and ingredients, having a cap body with an internal ingredient compartment, a flexible actuator for manually actuating the device, a seal bottom cover covering the internal compartment which is ruptured by the action of the flexible actuator which has a plunger attached on the inside to pierce and puncture the bottom cover. All of the components of the device constitute a single piece of manufacturing.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• NA
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
• N/A
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates generally to dosing and dispenser caps for primary containers to dispense various ingredients into a primary container at the time of use to prolong shelf life and more particularly to a single-piece molded dispensing cap for ingredient dispensing at the time of use into a primary container.
• 2. Description of Related Art
• Most if not all liquids, creams, gels and even certain powders and other substances are formulated and created for the longest shelf life and not necessarily for optimal performance and/or usefulness. There are many ingredients and/or combinations of ingredients that have reduced shelf life due to requiring combinations of liquid substances. In most cases when ingredients are exposed to one another, deterioration begins and the clock on the limited shelf life starts. Ambient air exposed to certain ingredients can also reduce product shelf life. In most products in any category, “Shelf Life” is the key factor with respect to expiration dates based on the product and category.
• Several attempts have been made to design capsules and containers to improve the shelf lives of compositions such as gels, liquids, powders and the like; however, the majority of the available devices rely on a plurality of interconnected parts which are not cost effective to manufacture and assemble. The present invention is designed to be inexpensive to mass produce, fill and seal and to be able to deliver an affordable dispensing capsule in virtually any application and category. This invention allows formulas and new products in many categories to be invented and made for desired end effects without rapid shelf life deterioration. The invention eliminates many unhealthy ingredients that are currently being used in most products as preservatives. The present invention, therefore, is useful for packaging ingredients such as enzymes, calcium and magnesium with bio flavinoids, vitamin C, probiotics, creatine and many more. The solution is to mix ingredients at the time of use to eliminate shelf life problems of deterioration.
• It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed. However, in view of the container and dispensing capsules and related devices in existence at the time of the present invention, it was not obvious to those persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art as to how the identified needs could be fulfilled in an advantageous manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• A dispensing cap for use with a primary container such as a water bottle comprising a one-piece rigid cylindrical body having an internal ingredient storage compartment, the internal compartment sealed at the top and by a flexible actuator wall. The storage compartment cylindrical body bottom is open until filled with ingredients at the factory. The flexible actuator is configured to deform downwardly under manual force, moving an internal plunger connected at one end to the bottom side of the flexible actuator. The cap body bottom compartment is sealed by a foil cover or a plastic cover having a line of weakening. When punctured, the storage compartment bottom end cover will be punctured, dispensing an ingredient stored in the internal compartment of the storage chamber. A plunger of the flexible actuator includes a beveled cutting surface configured to readily break the bottom cover seal.
• The cap body includes an annular exterior wall having internal threads configured to threadably engage a primary container such as a water bottle and is sized in diameter to fit in the neck opening of a water bottle. When the flexible actuator is depressed, the chamber bottom cover is ruptured, and the ingredients in the chamber fall by gravity into the primary container mixing with the ingredients in the primary container. In some embodiments, the flexible actuator comprises a flexible stair-step shaped sealed actuator.
• The dispensing cap can include a protective cover hinge and will be attached to the cap body. The cover prevents accidental activation.
• Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing cap and dosing cap that is a single molded piece when manufactured.
• It is another object of the invention to provide a versatile dispensing capsule that can be used in conjunction with a plurality of containers and dispense an ingredient contained therein in an easy and efficient manner to increase the shelf life of the combined ingredients being consumed.
• In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the dispensing cap of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is an bottom perspective view of the dispensing cap the of the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of one embodiment of the dispensing cap of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of one embodiment of the dispensing cap of the present invention used within a primary container such as a water bottle.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
• Referring toFIG. 1, the dispensing cap10 comprises acylindrical body12 having a manualexterior gripping area12a,a protective cover18 and a hollow substance storage chamber having aflexible actuator16 at its top portion. The dispensing cap10 is configured to threadably engage a primary container (SeeFIG. 4). Looking also atFIG. 2, thecap body12 includes a cylindrical hollowinternal compartment12 extending below themanual gripping area12adefining an internal substance and ingredient storage chamber.
• A frangible lower cover and seal (not shown) is attached to the bottom of the internal compartment12cannular surface of thecap body12, once the storage compartment is filled with an ingredient or substance. Storage chamber12cincludes aplunger element22 having an angle cut or beveled edge in the shape of aserrated arc24 that is configured to pierce, puncture, and/or break a bottom cover seal (not shown) upon activation of the dispensing cap10 as further described herein.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 show cap body cover18 integrally attached to the cap body12cby molded tab18a,all molded together in one plastic piece. The protective cover18 prevents premature or accidental dispensing of the stored substance or ingredient. The protective cover18 must be removed from the top of thecap body12 in order to expose the flexible manually activatedactuator16. However the protective cover18 can only be removed if the cover barrier14 has been first removed. (SeeFIG. 1).
• FIG. 3 shows the dosing cap10 that has been molded as a single piece except for the storage chamber cover andseal26.
• The top of thecap body12 includes a thin molded flexible sealed wall that constitutes theflexible actuator16 having deformable stair-step shapedwall portions16a,all of which is molded to thestorage chamber12bupper surface in conjunction with the annular cylindrical bottle cap threadedconnector12a.The storagechamber seal cover26 is added after the device is filled with ingredients. The cover has an annular protrusion around its periphery that is mounted within anannular groove12bbat the base of thestorage chamber wall12b.The attachment may also be heat sealed or sonically welded for a tight seal after the ingredients are added to the device.
• The single molded piece also includes asafety band20 removably attached to the base of the cylindrical threadedconnector12a.If thesafety band20 is removed, theentire cap body12 can be removed from a primary container so that the contents can be consumed directly from the primary container through the opening of the primary container.
• The bottom side surface of theflexible actuator16 has a plurality of elongated moldedplunger elements22 that also have serrated anarcuate cutting surface24 attached thereto which may be in the form of a 270° arc. The plunger andcutting surface24 are used to tear through the storagechamber bottom cover26 when theflexible actuator16 is depressed manually allowing theflexible actuator walls16 to be moved downwardly forcing thecutting surface24 into direct contact perforating or puncturingseal cover26 at the end of the storage chamber. This allows any ingredients and substances within the storage chamber to fall by gravity in the primary container attached to the cap body. Theplunger elements22 are separated from each other to allow ingredients to flow around them during dispensing.
• FIG. 4 shows the dispensing cap or dosing cap10 attached to and with in the neck of aprimary container28 which may be a bottle containing a liquid such as water that will be mixed with the ingredients in the dispensing cap10 at the time of use, to prolong the shelf life of the combined or mix ingredients.
• The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing capsule, comprising:

a cap body having an internal compartment, said internal compartment sealed by a seal disposed at a bottom portion thereof;

a flexible actuator molded to and disposed at the top of said internal compartment and having a plunger molded thereto and disposed within said internal compartment of said cap body, said plunger having a bottom end with a cutting edge;

wherein said flexible actuator is configured to deform downwardly under manual force, causing a bottom end of said plunger to puncture said seal, dispensing an ingredient stored in said internal compartment of said cap body.

2. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 1, wherein said cap body includes internal threads configured to threadably engage a container.

3. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 1, wherein said flexible actuator comprises a stair step shaped flexible material molded to the compartment.

4. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 1, further including a cover hingeably attached to said cap body.

5. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 1, wherein said bottom portion of said internal compartment includes at least one circumferentially disposed flexible rib.

6. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 1, wherein a bottom of said plunger comprises a beveled cutting surface configured to readily break said seal.

7. A dispensing capsule, comprising:

a cap body having an internal compartment, said internal compartment sealed by a seal cover disposed at a bottom portion thereof;

a flexible actuator molded and attached to a top portion of said cap body, wherein a plunger extends from an underside of said flexible actuator;

said plunger disposed within said internal compartment of said cap body and attached to said flexible actuator seal, said plunger configured to engage said cutting edge engages said bottom cover and

wherein said flexible actuator is configured to deform downward under manual force, causing said plunger to displace downward and detach said seal from said internal compartment, dispensing an ingredient stored in said internal compartment of said cap body.

8. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 7, wherein said cap body includes internal threads configured to threadably engage a container.

9. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 7, wherein said flexible actuator comprises a stairstep shape material.

10. The dispensing capsule ofclaim 7, further including a cover hingeably attached to said cap body.

Images