Dispensing Tube For A Powdered Drink Mix

Abstract

An assembly for adding powder to a bottle of liquid product is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a section of bellows extending along an axis between a first end and a second end. The section of bellows is operable to collapse along the axis in response to an axially-directed force. The assembly also includes a top neck portion unitary and integrally-formed with the section of bellows at the first end and defining a first opening. The assembly also includes a cap releasable engageable with the top neck portion to selectively close the first opening. The assembly also includes a bottom neck portion unitary and integrally-formed with the section of bellows at the second end and defining a second opening. The bottom neck portion defines inwardly-facing threads for engaging outwardly-facing threads on the neck of a bottle. The assembly also includes a membrane disposed across the axis between the bottom neck portion and the section of bellows. The assembly also includes a first product disposed in the section of bellows between the membrane and the cap for mixing with a liquid product in the bottle. The membrane is burstable in response to the collapse of the section of bellows to release the first product through the bottom portion. The first and second openings are substantially the same size.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/869,293 for a DISPENSING TUBE FOR A POWDERED DRINK MIX, filed on Dec. 8, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject invention relates to an assembly for adding a powder such as flavoring or nutritional enhancements to a bottle of liquid product.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,410 to Schwartzman discloses a mixing assembly having a tubular body defining a bellows extending between a first end and a second end. The first end is secured to the neck of a bottle either by snap-fit, threads, or other means. The second end includes a top having holes therethrough. A membrane is secured to the tubular body at the first end. A stem or plunger extends downwardly from the top of the first end for causing the membrane to be opened by piercing upon compression of the top of the tubular body. A first product such as powder is stored in the tubular body and a second liquid product such as water is stored in the container whereby the powder product mixes with the liquid product upon depression of the top. A safety cap snap fits over the entire tubular body for protecting the bellows from prematurely compressing.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,523 to Story discloses a tubular body defining a bellows extending between a first end and a second end. The first end has a threaded female section and is secured to the neck of a bottle having outwardly facing or male threads. A safety cap extends over the entire tubular body including the first threaded end and frictionally engages the exterior of the first end of the tubular member. Story teaches bursting of the membrane by gas pressure exerted by the bellows when compressed or by a mechanical plunger.

U.S. Patent Application 2005/0218015 to Spector teaches a mixing assembly including a first end having inwardly facing or female threads and a second end with a membrane disposed between the ends in the threaded section. The membrane is perforated when the assembly is threaded onto the neck of a bottle. Alternatively, the membrane is perforated by a hollow plunger which when compressed breaks the member and opens the fluid in the bottle to the outside environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In summary, the invention is an assembly for adding powder to a bottle of liquid product. The assembly includes a section of bellows extending along an axis between a first end and a second end. The section of bellows is operable to collapse along the axis in response to an axially-directed force. The assembly also includes a top neck portion unitary and integrally-formed with the section of bellows at the first end and defining a first opening. The assembly also includes a cap releasable engageable with the top neck portion to selectively close the first opening. The assembly also includes a bottom neck portion unitary and integrally-formed with the section of bellows at the second end and defining a second opening. The bottom neck portion defines inwardly-facing threads for engaging outwardly-facing threads on the neck of a bottle. The assembly also includes a membrane disposed across the axis between the bottom neck portion and the section of bellows. The assembly also includes a first product disposed in the section of bellows between the membrane and the cap for mixing with a liquid product in the bottle. The membrane is burstable in response to the collapse of the section of bellows to release the first product through the bottom portion. The first and second openings are substantially the same size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment subsequent to the application of an axial force on the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment taken along a longitudinal axis of the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a membrane for use with the exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a membrane for use with the exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

An assembly 20 according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown for adding flavor to a bottle 22 of liquid product. A main body 24 of the assembly 20 has a generally tubular shape and extend along an axis A. The main body 24 includes a bellows section 26 for collapsing along the axis A in response to an axially-directed force (represented by an arrow in FIG. 3). The bellows section 26 is a flexible and extends between a first end 28 and a second end 30. The cross section of the bellows section 26 has a zig-zag shape as shown in FIG. 2.

The main body 24 includes a bottom neck portion 32 that defines a second opening 34. The neck portion 32 is unitary and integrally-formed with the end 30 of the bellows section 26. The neck portion 32 is operable to receive a threaded neck 36 of the bottle 22 or other drinking container. The main body 24 also includes a top neck portion 38 that defines a first opening 40. The top neck portion 38 is unitary and integrally-formed with the end 28 of the bellows section 26. The bottom neck portion 32 has inwardly facing or female threads 42 and the exemplary top neck portion 38 has outwardly facing or male threads 44. The bottom neck portion 32 can be configured to be operable for engagement with more than one thread configuration in order to be usable with more than one configuration of bottle.

The main body 24 defines a throat 46 connecting the threaded bottom neck portion 32 and the bellows section 26. A membrane 48 is disposed across the axis A at the throat 46 for isolating the bottom neck portion 32 from the bellows section 26. The membrane 48 is hermetically and fixedly sealed to the main body 24 and has a plurality of score lines 50 intersecting one another at the axis A for weakening the membrane 48 to allow the membrane 48 to break at the score lines 50 in response to pressure resulting directly or indirectly from collapse of the bellows section 26. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the score lines 50 may not intersect a single axis. Also, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the membrane 48 may be broken using a plunger (not shown), such as a plunger that extends downwardly from the male section of the main body. The illustrated embodiment of the invention does not require a plunger to operate. FIG. 6 shows an alternative pattern having one score line 50 extending along a portion of the periphery of the membrane 48. The pattern and extent of the score lines 50 is based upon the amount of pressure desired to break the membrane 48. A large amount of pressure may make compression of the bellows section 26 difficult where as a small amount of pressure may result in clogging or blockage of the membrane 48.

An exemplary cap 52 having internal threads threadedly engages the threaded top neck portion 38 of the main body 24 to close the first opening 40 of the main body 24. The cap 52 is releasable engageable with the top neck portion 38 such that the cap 52 can be removed as desired to consume the beverage and then re-engaged to seal the bottle 22. In an embodiment having a plunger (not shown), the plunger may also be disposed on the cap 52 extending downwardly into the bellows section 26 of the main body 24.

A quantity of gas 54 is disposed in the main body 24 between the membrane 48 and the cap 52 for building internal pressure to burst the membrane 48 in response to the bellows section 26 being compressed. Specifically, the quantity of air 54 is disposed in the main body 24 for avoiding a obstruction or a clog in the membrane 48 and for providing excess space required for mixing.

A first product 56 is disposed in the main body 24 between the membrane 48 and the cap 52 and mixes with the liquid product through the membrane 48 in response to the bellows section 26 being compressed. The first product 56 may be a powder mix and the liquid product may be water that when combined form a juice or flavored water in the bottle 22.

The second opening 34 is substantially similar in shape and size to the first opening 40 in the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The openings 34, 40 are substantially the same size according to the invention; thus, the assembly 20 can remain engaged with the bottle 22 during consumption of the beverage and neither opening 34, 40 unduly restricts flow of beverage out of the bottle. The openings 34, 40 may have different shapes in alternative embodiments of the invention.

The internal threads of the cap 52 can be identical in shape and size to the threads of the bottom neck portion 32 of the main body 24. This allows for the cap 52 used in the assembly 20 to be identical to a standard bottle cap for use on the bottle 22 thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

In operation, a user secures the assembly 20 to the neck 36 of bottle 22 by threading the assembly 20 onto the threads of the bottle 22. The user then applies a downward force to the cap 52 of the assembly 20 which compresses the bellows section 26 causing an increase in pressure inside the main body 24 between the membrane 48 and the cap 52. The pressure causes the membrane 48 to burst along the score lines 50 releasing the first product 56 into the liquid product disposed in the bottle 22. Due to the air 54 provided in the main body 24 prior to breakage of the membrane 48, the user may mix the first product 56 into the liquid product by shaking or vibrating the bottle 22. The user is then able to consume the mixture without removing the entire assembly 20 from the bottle 22. The user can also extend the bellows section 26 to get more head space for mixing.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims. The use of the word “said” in the apparatus claims refers to an antecedent that is a positive recitation meant to be included in the coverage of the claims whereas the word “the” precedes a word not meant to be included in the coverage of the claims. In addition, the reference numerals in the claims are merely for convenience and are not to be read in any way as limiting.

Claims

1. An assembly for adding powder to a bottle of liquid product comprising:

a section of bellows extending along an axis between a first end and a second end, said section of bellows operable to collapse along said axis in response to an axially-directed force;

a top neck portion unitary and integrally-formed with said section of bellows at said first end and defining a first opening;

a cap releasable engageable with said top neck portion to selectively close said first opening;

a bottom neck portion unitary and integrally-formed with said section of bellows at said second end and defining a second opening, said bottom neck portion defining inwardly-facing threads for engaging outwardly-facing threads on the neck of a bottle;

a membrane disposed across said axis between said bottom neck portion and said section of bellows;

a first product disposed in said section of bellows between said membrane and said cap for mixing with a liquid product in the bottle, wherein said membrane being burstable in response to the collapse of said section of bellows to release said first product through said bottom portion; and

wherein said first and second openings are substantially the same size.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said membrane is further defined as including at least one score line for weakening said membrane to allow said membrane to tear at said score line in response to internal pressure generated by collapse of said section of bellows.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said at least one score line is further defined as comprising a plurality of said score lines intersecting one another at said axis.

4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said at least one score line is further defined as extending along a arcuate path.

5. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a quantity of gas disposed in said section of bellows with said first product for enhancing a build-up of internal burst pressure when said section of bellows collapses along said axis.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said cap includes inwardly-facing threads and said top neck portion includes outwardly-facing threads.