MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT CONTAINER
The present invention provides a container suitable for the packaging and storage in separate compartments of at least two products, which need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. When the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired, the container of the present invention allows to easily combine the contents of said compartments and to evacuate the combined products from the container through a closable opening without dislodging any one of the compartments from one another. In case the container is used to package and store components of a ready-to-eat food product, it is preferred that the design of the container allows for the practical consumption of the prepared ready-to-eat food directly from the container.
The present invention relates to containers for storing items separately and mixing them such as a container suitable for the separate packaging and storage of at least two components, which need to be combined in the preparation of a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. The container of the present invention is further designed to facilitate the mixing of said components at the moment the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONUpon serving, many food products comprise a liquid or colloidal liquid phase wherein solid particulate matter is mixed or suspended. In the preparation of such foods, the particulate solids are added to the liquid or colloidal liquid phase shortly before or at the moment of serving. In many cases it is impossible to maintain the desired organoleptic and texture properties of these foods when the solid and fluid component are mixed prior to prolonged storage. For instance, when breakfast cereals are combined with milk a substantial period of time before serving, their texture and mouthfeel become unpleasant. In consequence, the respective components of such foods are typically separately packaged and distributed and it is left to the consumer to combine them as part of the preparation of a meal. On the other hand, there is a growing demand for tasteful, convenient food products suitable for on-the-go consumption. From the above it is clear that for certain food products this requires dedicated packaging, allowing the separate storage and distribution of two components of a food product in a single package until the moment of consumption. This led to a continued interest of the food and packaging industry in the design and manufacture of containers that provide for the separate storage of two or more components of a food product, while allowing an easy mixing of these components just prior to the consumption of the food. When these containers are used in an on-the-go context, it is an additional advantage that such containers are conceived to permit the consumption of the food while holding the container with a single hand and with a minimal risk of spilling, even when the consumer performs other activities such as walking, running, travelling, cycling, or driving.
Furthermore, containers meant for on-the-go consumption are preferably disposable. Moreover, the implementation of the industrial production of such containers requires that their manufacture relies as much as possible on procedures and components that are standard in the food, beverage and packaging industries, thus lowering the cost and complexity of production.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,888, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,244, U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,394, FR2670750, FR2831140 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,858 disclose containers, which are divided in at least two compartments by a divider that can be ruptured or removed in order to mix the respective contents of said compartments. However, the design of the containers disclosed in these patent applications is such that the consumption of the mixed contents requires the use of a spoon or a similar utensil, making these containers not suitable for on-the-go consumption of convenience foods. Moreover, in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,888, FR2670750, FR2831140 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,858, part of the divider that separates the contents of the two compartments has to be pulled out of the container, increasing the risk of spilling, for instance when inappropriate force is exerted when pulling out the divider. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,394 the rupture of the divider is caused by compression of one of the containers, entailing the risk of an unintentional rupture of the divider during transport. Furthermore, the manufacture of these containers requires sealing techniques that are not customary to the food and beverage industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,229 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,068 describe two-compartment containers, wherein one compartment contains a dry particulate material and the other a liquid. Each compartment of these containers has a closable opening at the top of the container, whereby said openings are adjacent to one another. Through these openings a consumer can simultaneously pour the respective contents of said compartments into his mouth. In consequence, the contents of the compartments are kept separate until they are mixed in the mouth. Disadvantageously, consumption of food and beverage products using such containers requires special attention from the consumer to control the dual supply of the contents of each compartment. WO200053507, U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,134, U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,685 U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,072, and WO2010057452 describe multi-compartment containers whereby the separation between the compartments can be partially ruptured by a rupturing means. Disadvantageously, however, the rupturing means is conceived such that, after its actuation, the very own structure of the rupturing means or components thereof hampers the flow of contents from one compartment to the other. Therefore, containers according to WO200053507, U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,134, U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,685 U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,072, and WO2010057452 are not suitable for mixing and consuming single handed a mixture of the contents of the two compartments, in particular in case one of the two compartments comprises particulate solid material.
EP1710169 describes a two-compartment container, which allows single-handed on-the-go consumption of its contents. This container comprises an upper compartment consisting of a blister with a piercable bottom membrane that can be ruptured by exerting pressure on the top of the blister, causing the content of the blister to mix with the content of the lower compartment. Before the consumer can consume the mixed contents of the blister and the lower compartment, the blister has to be removed after its rupturing, which is not convenient. Moreover, by exerting pressure on the blister, the contents of the blister are at risk to be crushed or otherwise damaged. This problem is also inherent to the containers disclosed in DE29907740, which comprise two compartments that are separated by a piercable membrane, and in which the piercing of this membrane requires the compression of one of the compartments. The containers disclosed in DE29907740 have the further disadvantage that the entire top compartment as well as the pierced membrane have to be removed before the mixed contents of the two compartments can be accessed.
WO2003050033 describes a two-compartment bottle, which allows single-handed on-the-go consumption of its contents. Said bottle comprises an upper compartment contained in a plastic cap and a lower compartment formed by the bottle interior, said compartments being separated by an intercompartment membrane. The upper compartment further comprises three members: a base cap, a rotatable spout and a central stem with a membrane piercing structure at its bottom edge. Upon rotation of the spout, the central stem is longitudinally moved downwards such that it partially pierces the intercompartment membrane. Disadvantageously, the upper compartment comprises three circumferential walls going from top to bottom of the upper compartment, which requires a significant amount of plastic material, in particular when the dimensions of the upper compartment are considerably larger than those of a traditional bottle cap. Moreover, the cap comprising the upper compartment of the container comprises 3 members, which increases the costs of production and assembly of the cap. Moreover, the evacuation of material from the upper compartment is further hampered by said central stem, in particular in case such material comprises particulate solids.
WO200108996 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 both describe a cap for a two-compartment bottle, which allows single-handed on-the-go consumption of its contents, of which the compartments are separated from one another by a plastic membrane that is an integral part of the cap structure. Said membrane has a weakening line, along which it can be cut by the movement of a cutting means. In the embodiments of WO200108996 the membrane is positioned perpendicular to the long axis of the container, while in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 it has an inclined position with respect to the plane that is perpendicular to the long axis of the container. Disadvantageously, the caps of WO200108996 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 comprising the upper compartment of the container have two circumferential walls going from top to bottom of the upper compartment, which requires a significant amount of plastic material, in particular when the dimensions of the upper compartment are considerably larger than those of a traditional bottle cap. The caps according to WO200108996 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 are not suitable for piercing a discrete sealing membrane sealed on the bottle compartment below the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,760 discloses a two-compartment container comprising a cap with a piercing means mounted above a blister, which provides a first compartment, whereby said blister is fixed to a piercable membrane above the lower compartment of said container. Disadvantageously, the cap of U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,760 situated above the blister has two circumferential walls going from top to bottom of the upper compartment, which requires a significant amount of plastic material, in particular when the dimensions of the upper compartment are considerably larger than those of a traditional bottle cap.
WO2011030173 discloses a two-compartment container comprising a cap, wherein said cap can comprise a substance to be discharged in the lower compartment of the container. The appearance of said cap remains the same before and after its activation, giving cap designers much more freedom in designing the outer parts of the cap. However, the cap disclosed in WO2011030173 comprises a high number of members. Such high number of members disadvantageously increases the cost of production and assembly of the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONEmbodiments of the present invention provide in a container suitable for the packaging and storage in separate compartments of at least two products, which need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. Embodiments are described in more detail which relate to claims 1 to 38 or alternatively to claims 39 to 49 both sets describing embodiments of the present invention. When the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired, the container of the present invention allows to easily combine the contents of said compartments and to evacuate the combined products from the container through a closable opening without dislodging any one of the compartments from one another. In case the container is used to package and store components of a ready-to-eat food product, it is preferred that the design of the container allows for the practical consumption of the prepared ready-to-eat food directly from the container, preferably without the use of separate utensils such as spoons.
In general the present invention relates to a container, comprising a first compartment for keeping a first content, and a second compartment for keeping a second content, whereby said second compartment is connected to said first compartment, and wherein at least part of the first compartment can be moved relative to the second compartment. Preferably, said moveable part of the first compartment is a portion of the wall of said first compartment. The container further comprises a membrane that is connected in between said compartments to separate those. The container further comprises a piercing means that is connected to the first compartment and has an initial position and is so oriented with respect to said membrane that movement in a first direction of the moveable part of the first compartment, relative to the second compartment, causes a movement in said first direction of the piercing means such that the piercing means can partially pierce the membrane. It is preferred that said piercing means and the membrane are so designed and oriented that after movement in said first direction a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the container. Typically, the container is designed to provide that said movement in said first direction of the first compartment causes the traversal of at least part of the piercing means beyond the plane defined by the membrane in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane in said first direction. More preferably, the container is arranged to at least partly prevent folding of the pierced membrane in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, by confining at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and the wall of said second compartment. Preferably, said piercing means is statically connected to said moveable part of the first compartment. Further, it is preferred that said intercompartment membrane, connected in between said compartments, is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The container of the present invention, preferably comprises a first blocking means, which after piercing of the membrane prevents the movement in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, of said moveable part of the first compartment relative to the second compartment, as to maintain the piercing means in a position providing said confinement of at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and part of said second compartment, wherein said part is preferably a wall of said second compartment. It is also preferred that said container comprises a second blocking means for preventing a movement in said second direction of said moveable part of the first compartment relative to the second compartment, in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part of the first compartment. Said first and second blocking means may be the same means. In a preferred embodiment the container according to the present invention, comprises a piercing means comprising a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge. Preferably, said movement in said first direction of the moveable part of the first compartment causes a movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall pierces the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane.
More particularly the present invention provides a container for keeping contents in separate compartments before use. This container typically comprises an upper compartment for keeping a first content, said upper compartment being connected to a lower compartment for keeping a second content. The said upper compartment and lower compartment are separated from each other by an intercompartment membrane that is connected or adhered to the circumferential enclosure of the container. Further, it is preferred that said intercompartment membrane, connected in between said compartments, is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. A part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment is moveable and can be moved downwards relative to the lower compartment. The container further comprises a piercing means, which preferably comprises a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge. This piercing means is mounted in the upper compartment above the intercompartment membrane and is operationally, preferably statically, connected to said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. The downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment can cause a downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall pierces the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential enclosure of the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane. It is preferred that said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment further can cause the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall and the inner side of the circumferential wall of the lower compartment. In a preferred embodiment, the container further comprises one or more upward blocking means for preventing an upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment. After piercing of the intercompartment membrane such upward blocking means preferably prevents the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment, in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, thus maintaining said confinement of at least a part of the pierced membrane. Further, it is advantageous that any one of such upward blocking means also prevents an upward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment that could result in the dislodging of said moveable part.
Typically, the container according to the present invention comprises one or more closable openings within the enclosure of either or both the upper compartment or lower compartment. After piercing of the intercompartment membrane the contents of the upper compartment and the lower compartment can be mixed within the interior space provided by the combined compartments and can be evacuated through said opened closable opening.
In a preferred embodiment, the circumferential enclosure of a container according to the present invention comprises at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. Preferably, engaging guidance means for guiding the downward movement of said moveable part of the wall of the upper compartment are mounted between such pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments. It is preferred that the container according to this embodiment further comprises dynamic sealing structures for minimizing the risk or preventing the leakage from or entering of fluids into the container. These dynamic sealing structures are typically mounted between such pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments.
In any configuration of the container of the present invention wherein the closable opening is situated in the upper compartment, it is advantageous that, after piercing of the membrane, a user wishing to evacuate the combined content of the container through said closable opening, is incited by the design of the container to tilt the container such that the pierced membrane only minimally interferes with the flow of said content. This can be achieved through the design of said container inciting the user, when evacuating the content of the container through said closable opening, to tilt the container, in its assembled pierced state and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, such that the midpoint of the non-pierced segment of the membrane is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. The completion of the downward movement occurs when the downward movement of the moveable part of the upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment cannot be continued as a result of the construction of the container. It may be advantageous for a practical use of a container according to the present invention that any one of said upward blocking means prevent the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment upon occurrence of said completion of the downward movement. Such blocking fixes the position of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment completion of said downward movement.
The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the appended drawings.
In general the present invention provides a container, comprising a first compartment (2) for keeping a first content, and a second compartment (3) for keeping a second content, whereby said second compartment (3) is connected to said first compartment (2), and wherein at least a part (5) of the first compartment (2) can be moved relative to the second compartment (3). Preferably, said moveable part (5) of the first compartment is a portion of the wall of the first compartment (2). More preferably, at least part of the most external wall of said first compartment is provided by said moveable part (5). The container further comprises a membrane ((8) and/or (9)) that is connected in between said compartments ((2), (3)) to separate those. The container further comprises a piercing means (10) that is connected to the first compartment (2) and has an initial position and is so oriented with respect to said membrane ((8) and/or (9)) that movement in a first direction of the moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2), relative to the second compartment (3), causes a movement in said first direction of the piercing means (10) such that the piercing means can partially pierce the membrane ((8) and/or (9)). It is preferred that said piercing means (10) and the membrane ((8) and/or (9)) are so designed and oriented that after movement in said first direction a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane ((8) and/or (9)) and the container. Typically, the container is designed to provide that said movement in said first direction of the first compartment (2) causes the traversal of at least part of the piercing means beyond the plane defined by the membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane in said first direction. More preferably, the container is arranged to at least partly prevent folding of the pierced membrane in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, by confining at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and the wall of said second compartment. Preferably, said piercing means is statically connected to said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2). Further, it is preferred that said intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), connected in between said compartments ((2), (3)), is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The container of the present invention, preferably comprises a first blocking means (14), which after piercing of the membrane ((8) and/or (9)) prevents the movement in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) relative to the second compartment (3), as to maintain the piercing means in a position providing said confinement of at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and a part of said second compartment, wherein said part is preferably a wall of said second compartment. It is also preferred that said container comprises a second blocking means (14) for preventing a movement in said second direction of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) relative to the second compartment (3), in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment. Said first and second blocking means (14) may be the same means.
In a preferred embodiment the circumferential enclosure (4) of said container comprises two or more overlapping parallel wall segments (12, 13) of which at least one (12) is part of or is statically connected to the second compartment (3) and at least one (13) other is part of or is statically connected to said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2). Typically, said overlapping parallel wall segment (12), that is part of or is statically connected to the second compartment (3), is statically connected to the circumferential wall (6) of the second compartment (3). In order to guide said movement of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) in a first direction relative to the second compartment (3) it is further preferred that the container comprises guidance means (18) connected between a portion of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) and a portion statically connected to the second compartment (3). More preferably, said guidance means (18) are mounted between an adjoining pair of said overlapping parallel wall segments ((12),(13)), whereby one (12) of said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the second compartment (3) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential wall of the first compartment (2). To mount said membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in the container according to the present invention in a further preferred embodiment the container comprises a circumferential rim ((11) and/or (32) and/or (36)) along the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container to which said membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered.
The container may further comprise a closable opening (60) through which, after piercing of the membrane, the combined contents of said compartments ((2), (3)) can be evacuated. Preferably, the container is designed to incite the user to tilt the container, after piercing of the membrane, in a position wherein the relative positions of the opened closeable opening (60) and the connection of the pierced membrane with the container provide for a reduced interference of the pierced membrane when evacuating the combined content from the container.
In an embodiment the container according to the present invention as described above, comprises a piercing means (10) comprising a circumferential piercing means wall (100) with one or more sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge. Preferably, said movement in said first direction of the moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) causes a movement of the piercing means (10) such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) pierces the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) along a partially circumferential piercing path (105), whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the container through a non-pierced segment (106) of the membrane. Within said embodiment the incitement of the user to tilt the container, after piercing of the membrane, in a position wherein the relative positions of the opened closeable opening (60) and the connection of the pierced membrane with the container provide for a minimal interference of the pierced membrane when evacuating the combined content from the container, can be achieved by positioning the closable opening (60) in the first compartment (2) such that the centroid of said closable opening (60) is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100).
More particularly and with reference to
The container further comprises a piercing means (10) for piercing the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)). The piercing means typically comprises a circumferential piercing means wall (100), which at its bottom edge preferably comprises one or more sharp-edged structures (102) facilitating the piercing of the intercompartment membrane. Preferably, the top and bottom sides of said piercing means (10) are open, such that the piercing means (10) does not interfere or interferes only minimally with the flow of contents of the container during evacuation of said contents from the container. It is further preferred that the piercing means (10) is mounted in the container substantially concentrically, in the transverse dimension, with respect to the segment of the circumferential enclosure (4) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is adhered or connected and/or with respect to the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is adhered or connected. The piercing means (10) is operationally, preferably statically, connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. In this way, the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3) can cause the downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) pierces the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) along a partially circumferential piercing path (105), whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) through a non-pierced segment (106) of the membrane, said non-pierced membrane segment (106) being defined by the endpoints of said partially circumferential piercing path (105). Said partially circumferential piercing path (105) is typically located within the zone of the intercompartment membrane enclosed by the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered. Preferably, the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises a smooth-edged segment (103), having a smooth and preferably blunt bottom edge, in order to provide for said non-pierced membrane segment (106). The maintenance of a connection between said circumferential rim and the intercompartment membrane along the non-pierced membrane segment (106) advantageously prevents the free movement of the pierced membrane within the container in its assembled pierced state.
After the piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) by the piercing means (10), the internal angle defined by the two rays connecting the centroid of the intercompartment membrane to the two endpoints of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), referred to as the angle covered by the non-pierced membrane segment or angle α, is preferably at least 4°, such as at least 10°, 15° or 20°, relative to the total 360° circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Said angle α preferably does not exceed 120°, more preferably this angle α is less than 100°, such as less than 90°, 80° or 70°. Conversely, after the piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) by the piercing means (10), the external angle defined by the two rays connecting the centroid of the intercompartment membrane to the two endpoints of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), referred to as the angle covered by the partially circumferential piercing path (105) or angle α′, is preferably at least 240°, such as at least 260°, 270°, 280° or 290° relative to the total 360° circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Said angle α′ preferably does not exceed 356°, more preferably this angle α′ is less than 350°, such as less than 345° or 340°. It is further preferred that the piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is associated with a downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Said downward movement preferably can cause the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6).
Throughout the description, the container according to any of the embodiments of the present invention can be said to be either in the non-assembled state or in the assembled state, and in the latter state it can be either said to be in the assembled non-pierced state or in the assembled pierced state. In its non-assembled state the different members of the container are manufactured, but not yet fully mounted to form one unit. In its assembled non-pierced state, the different members of the container are operationally mounted, and the intercompartment membrane(s) between the two compartments are intact and provide separation of the contents of the two compartments. The assembled pierced state of the container is obtained from the assembled non-pierced state of the container after downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall whereby the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is pierced along the partially circumferential piercing path (105) such that the angle α′ covered by the partially circumferential piercing path (105) is preferably at least 240°, such as at least 260°, 270°, 280° or 290° relative to the total 360° circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Said angle α′ preferably does not exceed 356°, more preferably this angle is less than 350°, such as less than 345° or less than 340°. Preferably, in the assembled pierced state of the container, the pierced intercompartment membrane is inclined downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached, in order to facilitate the mixing of the contents of the upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3). In both the assembled pierced state and assembled non-pierced state, any tamper evident or downward blocking means, such as a tear strip, can be either intact or removed and the closable openings allowing evacuation of the contents of the compartments can be either in the open or closed state. Unless otherwise stated, the explanations in the context of the present invention refer to the container in the assembled non-pierced state.
In order to prevent an undesirable dislodging of the upper compartment (2) from the lower compartment (3) or part thereof and the subsequent spilling of the content of either one or both of the compartments, it is preferred that any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention comprises an upward blocking means (14), which prevents the upward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall beyond the level at which a dislodging of the upper compartment (2) from the lower compartment (3) occurs. Preferably, such upward blocking means (14) is mounted in between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), whereby one (12) of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. It is also preferred that, after piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), an upward blocking means (14) prevents the upward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3), in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing. In this way, the confinement of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) is maintained in the assembled pierced state of the container. More preferably, the upward blocking means substantially prevents the upward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall upon regular intervals during the downward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall towards the lower compartment (3), as well as upon completion of said downward movement.
It is also preferred that the container comprises one or more dynamic sealing structures (19) between at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) in order to seal off the inside of the upper compartment (2) from the outside of the container, whereby one (12) of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, said dynamic sealing structures (19) provide a liquid tight seal, more preferably they provide a liquid tight and gas tight seal. It is further preferred that the dynamic sealing structures (19) exert said sealing function in either or both the assembled non-pierced state and the assembled pierced state of the container. It is even more preferred that the dynamic sealing structures (19) exert said sealing function during the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, as well as upon completion of said downward movement.
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Container variants of
Container variants of
The members of the container, in particular those that provide the enclosure of the container according to any of the embodiments of the present invention, can be made from any of various types of plastic materials. Most preferred are thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers including, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polylactate, or polyhydroxyalkanoate. The members can be made in such plastic materials by different techniques, including but not limited to, extrusion blow moulding, injection blow moulding, stretch blow moulding or injection moulding. Preferably, said members in such plastic material are made by injection moulding, since it provides highest accuracy of the member structures and allows making more complex structures. Preferably, in order to minimize the use of plastic material and to minimize complexity and costs during assembly, said container consists of not more than two members made in plastic material, which can be mounted on each other to provide the circumferential, bottom and top enclosure of the container, and, besides such two members, one or more closure means for closing the closable opening (60) and one or more intercompartment membranes ((8) and/or (9)). Preferably, in order to minimize the use of plastic material, said container has, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, only one circumferential wall in the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the upper compartment. Preferably, in order to minimize the use of plastic material, said container has, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, only one circumferential wall in the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the lower compartment.
The intercompartment membranes of the container generally have a thickness between 0.01 and 1.0 mm, more typically between 0.05 and 0.1 mm, and can be made for instance, but not limited to, from a film-forming polymer, a plastic polymer, a metal such as aluminium, or combinations thereof, such as a plastic coated aluminium sealing membrane or a lacquer coated aluminium sealing membrane. The membranes can be sealed to the circumferential rim of the circumferential walls by different methods including, but not limited to, via the use of adhesives or via heat conduction welding, induction welding, ultrasonic welding, or laser welding.
In the container variant configurations of
The guidance means (18) present between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container according to any of the embodiments of the present invention, guide the movement of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) with respect to each other, whereby one (12) of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Said movement has at least a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component, optionally said movement only has a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component. Alternatively, said movement guided by the guidance means has a combination of a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component with a transverse circular vectorial component, such as for instance in a helical movement. An example of a suitable guidance means for guiding helical movement is a threaded screw guidance means. Said threaded screw guidance means comprises one or more external helical threads (170) on the outer side of the inner one of the pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, whereby said external helical threads can engage with mating internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the outer one of the pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments (
The container according to the present invention also comprises a piercing means (10) for piercing the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)). The piercing means (10) is mounted in the upper compartment (2) above the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) and is operationally, preferably statically, connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. With reference to
Next to maintaining a connection between the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) and the pierced membrane through said non-pierced membrane segment (106), it is advantageous to further minimize the possible interference of the pierced membrane with the flow of the content of the container, for instance when shaking or evacuating the content of the container in its assembled pierced state. Therefore, it is preferred that upon the movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3), the piercing means (10) can be moved downwards, below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, such that after its piercing, the pierced membrane can be folded down from the circumferential rim at the site where the non-pierced membrane segment (106) remains attached and is blocked between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Therefore, with reference to
In order to favor the confinement of the membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6), the container and piercing means are preferably designed such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container, the shortest distance in the transverse dimension between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment remains attached (distance “c” in
In order to maximize the opening between said upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3), it is advantageous that, along the partially circumferential piercing path (105), the intercompartment membrane ((8), and/or (9)) is pierced within the vicinity of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), (32), or (36)) to which said intercompartment membrane is adhered or connected. Therefore, it is preferred that, along the partially circumferential piercing path (105), the shortest distance in the transverse dimension between said piercing path and the inner side of said circumferential rim (distance “e” in
Preferably, the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall can be continued until part of the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment (103) is situated below the plane of the lowest intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, at a longitudinal distance (distance “b” in
In case the guidance means guiding the movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall are longitudinally oriented straight linear motion bearings, the internal angle in the transverse dimension between the two rays connecting the central axis of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) to the endpoints of the smooth-edged segment (103) is about equal to the angle α, with a being the angle covered by the non-pierced membrane segment (106) (
In a particular embodiment of a container according to the present invention of which the guidance means (18) are longitudinally oriented straight linear motion bearings, it is preferred that the piercing means tooth that is most distant from the midpoint of the smooth-edged segment (103) has a lowest point that is lower than the lowest points of all other piercing means teeth, while the lowest points of the other piercing means teeth are gradually higher when moving away from said lowest tooth towards the endpoints of the smooth-edged segment (103) of the piercing means (10). The advantage of the configuration of the piercing means teeth according to this embodiment, is that less acute force is needed to pierce the intercompartment membrane, by allowing the respective piercing means teeth (102) to gradually penetrate the intercompartment membrane during the downward movement of the piercing means (10) relative to the lower compartment (3).
In case the guidance means guiding the movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall comprise helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings, then the smooth-edged segment (103) preferably covers an angle ε, whereby ε is between 50% and 150% of the formula “α−γ+δ”, with a being the angle of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), γ being the rotation angle required for descending the piercing means (10) until at least one of the piercing means teeth penetrates the intercompartment membrane, and δ being a pre-set rotation angle of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall providing a pre-set longitudinal distance over which the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall should minimally descend to reach the assembled pierced state of the container (
In a particular embodiment of a container according to the present invention of which the guidance means (18) are either helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings, with reference to
In a particular embodiment, the container of the present invention further comprises a membrane folding means (150) assisting in folding and immobilizing the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) after the piercing thereof. This membrane folding means is mounted in the container such that the downward movement of the piercing means can cause the membrane folding means (150) to incline downwards to the inner side of the circumferential lower compartment wall (6), whereby the membrane folding means acts upon the pierced membrane to fold it downwards to the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). With reference to
Preferably, the membrane folding means has a thickness of 0.1 to 5 mm, more preferably from 0.2 to 2 mm, and has a stiffness that is higher than that of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), and/or higher than that of the other parts of the intercompartment membrane in case it forms integral part of it. The membrane folding means has a surface in the transverse dimension that is at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, and not more than 50%, preferably not more than 40%, most preferably not more than 30%, of the surface of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The point of the membrane folding means that is most distant from the centroid of the hinge region (151) is located within the perimeter of the longitudinal projection of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The distance in the transverse dimension from the centroid of the hinge region (151) to the point of the membrane folding means that is most distant from the centroid of the hinge region (151) is preferably larger than the distance from the centroid of the hinge region (151) to the longitudinal projection of the centroid of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) on said membrane folding means (150).
In a first configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for container variants of
In a second configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for all container variants shown in
In a third configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for all container variants shown in
In a fourth configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for container variants shown in variants of
Preferably, at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) comprises at least one dynamic sealing structure (19), whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall and the other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, with reference to
With reference to
Preferably, at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) comprises at least one upward blocking means (14), whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall and the other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, with reference to
The upward blocking means can comprise a plurality of transverse barbs along the walls of a pair of adjoining parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). With reference to
In the embodiments wherein said third transverse barb (123) is positioned below the second transverse barb (122), the longitudinal position of the third transverse barb (123) is selected such that in the assembled pierced state of the container, said first transverse barb (121) is positioned below said third transverse barb (123), such that the interaction between the first and third transverse barb ((121) and (123)) substantially blocks the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, said blocking of the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall ensures that at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall is maintained below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. Optionally, in between said second (122) and third (123) transverse barbs a plurality of additional transverse barbs (124) may be present on the overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). These additional barbs (124) prevent the upward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall upon regular intervals during the downward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall towards the lower compartment (3). In the embodiments wherein said third transverse barb (123) is positioned above the first transverse barb (121), the longitudinal position of the of the third transverse is selected such that in the assembled pierced state of the container, said third transverse barb (123) is positioned below said second transverse barb (122), such that the interaction between the third and second transverse barb ((123) and (122)) substantially blocks the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, said blocking of the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall makes sure that at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall is maintained below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. Optionally, in between said first (121) and third (123) transverse barbs a plurality of additional transverse barbs (124) may be present on the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. These additional barbs (124) prevent the upward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall upon regular intervals during the downward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall towards the lower compartment (3).
The upward blocking means can comprise, for instance but not limited to, a ratchet means located between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). With reference to
The upward blocking means of the container of the present invention can comprise, for instance but not limited to, a directional screwing means, which is located at the level of a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), and which acts both as an upward blocking means and as a helical threaded screw type guidance means for guiding the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. With reference to
In order to prevent an unintentional downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, it is preferred that in any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention said container comprises a moveable or removable downward blocking means ((181, (182), or (184)). Unless moved or removed, said downward blocking means substantially prevents the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall in the direction of the lower compartment (3) in the assembled non-pierced state of the container. Preferably, this downward blocking means is mounted on the outer surface of the container within the vicinity of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) and said downward blocking means is removable or moveable. The downward blocking means may also serve to visually detect tampering of the container. Said downward blocking means can be, for instance but not limited to, in the form of a tear strip (184) with pull tab (185) or other type of handle, or in the form of a tear tab ((181) or (182)). Such tear strip (184) or tear tab ((181) or (182)) can be attached by a weakening line or frangible line (186) to either the external circumferential upper-compartment wall or the external circumferential lower-compartment wall, and is mounted such that, unless moved or removed, it substantially blocks the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall in the direction of the lower compartment (3) in the assembled non-pierced state of the container.
The container according to the present invention has at least one closable opening (60) within its enclosure (
When evacuating the combined content from the container in its assembled pierced state through an opened closable opening in the upper compartment, it may be advantageous to tilt the container such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the membrane with the flow of said content. Such positioning of the container minimises the interference of the folded membrane with the flow of the evacuating content. Therefore, it is preferred that in any embodiment of the container of the present invention that comprises a closable opening (60) in the upper compartment (2), and in particular in those embodiments lacking a membrane folding means, said container is designed such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the user is incited to tilt the container such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the membrane with the flow of said content. In case the container comprises a circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered in its state before piercing, this implies that container is designed such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the user is incited to tilt the container such that the midpoint of the circumferential rim section, to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) remains attached, is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Preferably, this is achieved by designing the container such that the centroid of the closable opening (60) in the upper compartment (2) is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). With reference to
Alternatively or in addition to said eccentric positioning of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment (2), the incitement of the user towards tilting the container in its assembled pierced state and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, is achieved by the selection and design of the closure means for closing the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment (2). With reference to
In any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention wherein said closable opening (60) is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall and which aim at guiding the user to tilt the container such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, said closeable opening should be designed, oriented and/or positioned in view of the design of the piercing means (10) and the type and design of the guidance means (18) guiding said downward movement. The position along the circumferential enclosure of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) in the containers according to said embodiments is substantially determined by the combination of the design of the piercing means (10) and the type and design of said guidance means (18). Once the piercing means (10) and guidance means (18) have been selected, said position along the circumferential enclosure of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) can be determined empirically or by modeling. As illustrated in
In any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention wherein said closable opening (60) is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall and which aim at inciting the user to tilt the container such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, it is preferred that the container comprises an upward blocking means (18), which, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, prevents the upward movement of said moveable part (5) in order to assist in maintaining said position of the closable opening relative to the position of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) as indicated above. The presence of such upward blocking means (18) for this purpose is particularly useful in containers comprising helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means (18) for guiding said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.
The lower compartment (3) can also have one or more closable openings within its enclosure, allowing the filling of the lower compartment (3) and/or evacuation of the contents of the lower compartment, and/or the evacuation of the mixed contents of the upper compartment and lower compartment after actuation of the piercing means, such closable openings being closed with any appropriate closure means known to the skilled artisan, such as for instance but not limited to, a lid, a screw cap, a tap, an impervious removable sealing membrane that can be removed with a pull tab, or combinations thereof.
The containers of the present invention can have different shapes and sizes, and it is understood that the schematic representations in the Figures only serve to illustrate the principle of the containers according to the present invention, not to illustrate their shape and sizes, which need to be adapted according to the particular nature and quantity of the contents of their compartments and the fields of application. In case the guidance means guide movement with only a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component, then the shape of the transverse cross section of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) within the circumferential enclosure (4) has no particular restriction. In case the guidance means guides movement with also a transverse circular vectorial component, then the shape of the transverse cross section of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) within the circumferential enclosure (4) is circular. Below or above the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), there is no particular restriction as to the shape of the transverse cross-section or longitudinal cross section of the circumferential walls of the upper and lower compartment. It is preferred that the shapes of the transverse cross-sections and longitudinal cross sections of the circumferential walls of the upper and lower compartment are designed such that filling, mixing and evacuation of the contents of the container compartments is not hampered. Moreover, it is preferred that the bottom transverse wall of the lower compartment has a size and shape allowing the container to stand upright in the longitudinal dimension.
The containers of the present invention can be used to package and store a first product in the upper compartment (2) and a second product in the lower compartment (3), whereby the first and second product need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. Preferably, one of said first and second product is a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid product, such as a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid food product, while the other of said first and second product is either a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid or a solid product, such as a powdered solid product or a particulate solid product. Suitable liquid or hydrocolloid liquid products can be selected from, for instance but not limited to, dairy drinks, milk replacement products, such as soy, oat or rice milk, soups, fruit juices, coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks, or soft drinks, or mixes thereof. Suitable particulate solid products can be selected from, for instance but not limited to, cereals or pseudo-cereals, granulated cereals, extruded cereals, cereal or pseudo-cereal flour based products, vegetables, chopped vegetables, fruits, fruit parts, nuts, chocolate particles, candies meat, or chopped meat or mixes thereof. Preferably, said particulate solid product is a ready-to-eat cereal or a ready-to-eat cereal, optionally mixed with other particulate solid products such as fruits, fruit particles, nuts, nut particles, chocolate particles and mixes thereof. When a ready-to-eat cereal is selected as one of said first or second product it is preferred that the other of said first or second product is a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid product selected from dairy-type liquid products or milk replacement products.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a directional screw means, which allows connecting two members by a helical threaded screw connection in such way that screwing of both members is allowed in one direction while unscrewing in the opposite direction is prevented. Such directional screwing means comprises:
-
- a first member with a quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part, which optionally is hollow, of which the outer side of the circumferential wall has a recessed zone that is internal with respect to the virtual cylinder coinciding with the remainder of said outer circumferential wall;
- one or more external helical threads (170) on the outer side of the circumferential wall of the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part, whereby said threads are interrupted within said internally recessed zone;
- a flexible ratchet pawl (200) connected axially to said internally recessed zone of the outer side of the circumferential wall of the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part, with axial being defined as parallel to the central axis of the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part;
- a second member with a cylindrical nut-like part; and
- one or more internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the circumferential wall of the cylindrical nut-like part, which can engage with the external helical threads (170) on the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part, whereby said internal helical threads comprise a plurality of equally sized ratchet teeth positioned at regular intervals, and whereby said ratchet teeth are aligned with respect to each other in the axial dimension, with axial being defined as parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical nut-like part.
When the member with the bolt-like part engage with the member with the nut-like part via the engaging helical threads ((170), (171)) on either part, the ratchet pawl (200) on the internally recessed zone of the bolt-like part interact with the ratchet teeth on the internal helical threads of the nut-like part. The angle of the ratchet pawl (200) and the angles of the ratchet teeth (171) are selected such that upon motion in the screwing direction, the ratchet pawl (200) slides over the ratchet teeth, while upon motion in the unscrewing direction the ratchet pawl (200) and ratchet teeth (171) engage, leading to substantial blocking of the motion. The internally recessed zone provides space for the flexible ratchet pawl (200) to bend inwardly when sliding over the ratchet teeth (171) upon motion in the screwing direction. Preferably, said first and second member are produced by injection moulding whereby the members are pushed out from the mould with a linear movement parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical nut-like part or the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part.
In the context of the present invention, two parts or members are said to be “statically connected” when upon manipulation or movement of one of the parts or members of the container in its assembled state, the other part or member moves in substantially the same direction, preferably the same direction, and at substantially the same speed, preferably the same speed.
In the context of the present invention, the longitudinal dimension means the dimension parallel to the long symmetry axis of the container, which most typically corresponds to the vertical dimension when the container is positioned with the bottom of the lower compartment on a horizontal surface.
In the context of the present invention, the transverse dimension means the dimension perpendicular to the long symmetry axis of the container. The transverse dimension most typically corresponds to the horizontal dimension when the container is positioned with the bottom of the lower compartment on a horizontal surface.
In the context of the present invention, above, upper, higher and highest refer to a relative position of an object of the container with respect to a comparative object of the container, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.
In the context of the present invention, below, lower and lowest refer to a relative position of an object of the container with respect to a comparative object of the container, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.
In the context of the present invention, top refers to a relative highest position of an object of the container when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.
In the context of the present invention, bottom refers to a relative lowest position of an object of the container when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.
In the context of the present invention, internal and inner refer to a relative position of an object of the container that is closer to the longitudinal axis than the comparative object of the container.
In the context of the present invention, external and outer refers to a relative position of an object of the container that is further from the longitudinal axis than the comparative object of the container.
In the context of the present invention, downward refers to the direction from upper to lower, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position. In the context of the present invention, upward refers to the direction from lower to upper, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.
The invention is further illustrated by way of the illustrative embodiments described below.
Example 1A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in
The lower member (312) has a cup shape and comprises a circumferential rim (11) from which extends upwards a circumferential collar (7). At its inner side said circumferential collar (7) comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges (201). At its outer side the circumferential collar (7) comprises part of a guidance means (18) in the form of external helical threads (170). The lower member (312) further comprises a downward blocking means (181), which has the form of an outward extending tear tab and is attached immediately below or to the bottom section of the outer side of the circumferential collar (7) through a weakening zone (186). The downward blocking means (181) can be removed from the lower member by tearing.
The upper member (311) is an open cylindroid structure comprising a closable opening (60) at its top end and two parallel circumferential walls (40, 100) at its bottom end. The external circumferential wall (40) comprises part of a guidance means (18) in the form of internal helical threads (171) at its inner side. The internal circumferential wall (100), which also represents the circumferential piercing means wall, has one or more, preferably two or more, sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge for providing a piercing means (10) allowing to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8). Said piercing means is designed in accordance with the principles represented in
The assembly of said upper (311) and lower member (312) into the final compartmentalized container (313) typically involves the concomitant packaging of the contents to be contained in the respective compartments of the container. A possible procedure for assembling the container (313) and packaging said contents may be as follows. The cup shaped lower member (312) is filled with a first content, whereby the content level is maintained below the circumferential rim (11). This is followed by adhering an intercompartment membrane to the circumferential rim (11), for instance by induction welding, thus enclosing the liquid component in the lower compartment (3). Thereafter, the upper member (311) is mounted on the lower member by means of the engaging helical threads ((170), (171)) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (311) and on the outer side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312), respectively. Upon assembly of the container, the circumferential collar (7) corresponds to the static part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.
When assembling the container (313), the upper member (311) is screwed down on the lower member such that the pawls (200) extending from the outer side of the inner circumferential wall (100) of the upper member (311) interact with the plurality of longitudinal ridges (201) on the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312), whereby this interaction forms an upward blocking means in the form of a ratchet preventing upward unscrewing of the upper member relative to the lower member, while allowing downward screwing of the upper member relative to the lower member. The upper member (311) should be mounted on the lower member (312) such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) is positioned sufficiently above the intercompartment membrane (8) avoiding inadvertent piercing of this membrane. The downward blocking means (181) extending outwardly from the bottom section of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312) assists in preventing that the upper member (311) is positioned too far down on the upper member. This downward blocking means (181) further serves as a tamper-evident, which, if absent or damaged, indicates that the upper member may have been lowered to the extent that the piercing means teeth (102) pierced the intercompartment membrane (8). The assembly of the upper (311) and lower member (312) provides an upper compartment (2), being enclosed by the intercompartment membrane (8), the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312) and the circumferential walls of the upper member (311), whereby the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312) and the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (311) are parallel to each other and partially overlap. This upper compartment (2) of the container can be filled with a second content through the closable opening (60). After filling the upper compartment (2), the opening (60) is closed with a cap (62), thereby fully enclosing the second content in the upper compartment (2).
Prior to utilization of the mixed contents contained in the container (313) according to the present invention, the consumer should remove the downward blocking means (181). After removal of the blocking means (181) the upper member (311) can be screwed downwards relative to the lower member (312), resulting in the piercing and folding of the intercompartment membrane (8), thus allowing the mixing of the first and second content contained in the container (313) in its assembled pierced state. Optionally, the consumer may shake the container to further mix the first and second content, before removing the cap from the closable opening (60), from which the mixed contents can be removed from the combined interior space of upper and lower compartments.
Example 2A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in
The lower member (322) has a cup shape and comprises a circumferential rim (11) from which extends upwards a circumferential collar (7), which at its top is connected via a top rim (46) to an external circumferential wall (42) depending downwards from said top rim (46). The external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322) has an internally recessed zone (204), from which extends outwardly a longitudinally positioned pawl (200). The external circumferential wall (42) has external helical threads (170) on its outer side, which are interrupted within said internally recessed zone (204). The lower member (332) further comprises a downward blocking means (181), which has the form of an outward extending tear tab and is attached through a weakening zone (186) to the bottom section of the outer side of the external circumferential wall (42). The downward blocking means (181) can be folded downwards from said weakening zone (186) by pulling, while it remains attached to said weakening zone (186).
The upper member (321) is an open cylindroid structure comprising a closable opening (60) at the top end. At the bottom end, the upper member (321) has three parallel circumferential walls: the external circumferential wall (40), the internal circumferential wall (43) and the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (321) has internal helical threads (171), comprising ratchet teeth (203) that are positioned at regular intervals such that they are aligned longitudinally along the different thread segments. The role of the internal circumferential wall (43) is to provide a dynamic sealing structure (19) upon interaction of its outer side with the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (322). The circumferential piercing means wall (100) comprises one or more, preferably two or more, sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge for providing a piercing means (10) allowing to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8). Said piercing means is designed in accordance with the principles represented in
Assembly and filling of the container (323) can be done as described before for the container of
Upon assembly, the container (323) comprises a combination of an upward blocking means and guidance means (18) in the form of a directional screw means, according to the configuration shown in
A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in
The lower member (332) has a cup shape and comprises a circumferential rim (11) from which extends upwards an internal (7) and external (44) circumferential collar. A rim section (47) connects at least part of the bottom end of the external circumferential collar (44) with bottom end of the internal circumferential collar (7). The internal circumferential collar (7) comprises at its outer side a circumferential barb (121). The external circumferential collar (44) comprises at least one segment (182), for example three segments (182), wherein such segment (182) carries at its upper side an inner rim section (183) that substantially bridges the distance between the inner side of said segment of the external circumferential collar (44) and the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7), and wherein the rim section (183) is positioned below the circumferential barb (121) on the internal circumferential collar (7). In a particular embodiment said rim (183) is detachably connected to the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7). At least one lateral end of the segment (182) is either disconnected or more preferably detachably connected to the external circumferential collar (44), which allows to pull out at least part of the segment (182) from the external circumferential collar (44) in order to move outwards the rim section (183) of said segment (182). The external circumferential collar (44) further comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges (162) extending radially and inwardly from its inner side.
The upper member (331) is an open cylindroid structure comprising a closable opening (60) at its top end and two parallel circumferential walls (40, 100) at its bottom end. The external circumferential wall (40) comprises an upper (123) and lower circumferential barb (122) at its inner side, which can interact with the circumferential barb (121) of the lower member (332) for mounting the upper (331) on the lower member (332). Optionally, the external circumferential wall (40) further comprises on its inner side between the upper (123) and lower circumferential barb (122) one or more longitudinal grooves (168) and/or longitudinal ridges, to allow for venting during the actuation of the piercing means. The external circumferential wall (40) comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges (163) extending radially and outwardly from its outer side. The internal circumferential wall (100), which also represents the circumferential piercing means wall, comprises one or more, preferably three or more, sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge for providing a piercing means (10) allowing to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8). Said piercing means is designed in accordance with the principles represented in
The assembly of said upper (331) and lower member (332) into the final compartmentalized container (333) typically involves the concomitant packaging of the contents to be contained in the respective compartments of the container. A possible procedure for assembling the container (333) and packaging said contents may be as follows. The cup shaped lower member (332) is filled with a first content, whereby the content level is maintained below the circumferential rim (11). This is followed by adhering an intercompartment membrane (8) to the circumferential rim (11), for instance by induction welding of a seal to the circumferential rim, thus enclosing the first content in the lower compartment (3). Thereafter, the upper member (331) is mounted on the lower member by engaging the lower circumferential barb (122) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) with the circumferential barb (121) on the outer side of the internal circumferential collar of the lower member (332). The assembly of the upper (331) and lower member (332) provides an upper compartment (2), being enclosed by the intercompartment membrane (8), the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332) and the circumferential wall of the upper member (331), whereby the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332) and the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) partially overlap. This upper compartment (2) of the container can be filled with a second content through the closable opening (60). After filling the upper compartment (2), the closable opening (60) is closed by the lid (64).
In an alternative procedure for assembling the container (333) and packaging said contents therein, the upper member (331), of which the closable opening (60) at its top end is closed by the lid (64), is reversed such that it can be filled with said second content through the opening enclosed by the inner circumferential wall (100). The cup-shaped lower member (332) is filled and sealed as previously described. Thereafter, the filled and sealed lower member (332) is reversed and mounted on the reversed upper member (331) by engaging the lower circumferential barb (122) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) with the circumferential barb (121) on the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332). The assembled container can then be placed in its upright position.
Regardless of the used assembly procedure, it is important that the upper member (331) is mounted on the lower member (332) such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) is positioned sufficiently above the intercompartment membrane (8) avoiding inadvertent piercing of this membrane. The rim sections (183) at the upper side of the one or more segments (182) of the external circumferential collar (44) act as downward blocking means preventing that the upper member (331) is positioned too far down on the upper member. These segments (182) further serve as tamper-evident, which if absent, moved or removed from the external circumferential collar (44) indicate that the upper member may have been lowered to the extent that the piercing means teeth (102) damaged the integrity of the intercompartment membrane (8). In the assembled container the upward movement of the upper member (331) is prevented by the interaction of the lower circumferential barb (122) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) with the circumferential barb (121) on the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332).
In order to combine the contents contained in the upper and lower compartment, the user should pull out the segments (182), thus moving outwards the rim sections (183), thus allowing to push down the upper member (331), whereby a segment (13) of its external circumferential wall (40) moves down between the internal (7) and external (44) circumferential collar of the lower member (332). The downward movement of the upper member is eventually completed when either or both (i) the bottom edge of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) contacts the rim (47) connecting the internal (7) and external (44) circumferential collars of the lower member (331) and/or (ii) the upper edge (25) of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332) contacts the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331), preferably at the level of the mating shape (24) therein. Upon said blocking of the downward movement, the upper circumferential barb (123) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) has descended to interact with the circumferential barb (121) at the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332), thus preventing the upward movement of the lowered upper member (331). The set of circumferential barbs ((121), (122) and (123)) thereby acts as an upward blocking means according to the principle represented in
The piercing of the intercompartment membrane (8) provides for the combining of the content of the upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3). Optionally, the user may shake the container to further mix said first and second content before opening the closable opening (60), through which the mixed contents can be evacuated after opening the closable opening (23).
Example 4A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in
The container (343) comprises a piercing means, according to the configuration shown in
Mounting and filling of the container (323) can be done as described before for the container of
A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in
The container (353) comprises a combination of an upward blocking means and guidance means (18) in the form of a directional screw means according to the configuration shown in
Mounting and filling of the container (323) can be done as described before for the container of
Claims
1-49. (canceled)
50. A container for keeping contents in separate compartments before use comprising:
- an upper compartment for keeping a first content, said upper compartment being connected to a lower compartment for keeping a second content, whereby said upper compartment and lower compartment are separated from each other by an intercompartment membrane that is connected or adhered to a circumferential rim along the circumferential enclosure of the container, and wherein at least a moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment can be moved downwards relative to the lower compartment,
- one or more upward blocking means for preventing an upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment,
- a piercing means comprising a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge, said piercing means being mounted in the upper compartment above the intercompartment membrane and being statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, and
- a closable opening within the enclosure of the upper compartment;
- wherein said intercompartment membrane is mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container;
- wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes a downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall can pierce the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential rim along the circumferential enclosure of the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane;
- wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, such that the pierced membrane can be folded downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall and the inner side of the circumferential wall of the lower compartment;
- wherein said upward blocking means, after piercing of the intercompartment membrane prevents the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing;
- wherein after piercing of the intercompartment membrane, the contents of the upper compartment and the lower compartment can be mixed within the interior space provided by the combined compartments and evacuated through said closable opening; and
- wherein the design of said container incites the user, when evacuating the content of the container through said closable opening, to tilt the container in its assembled pierced state such that the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the pierced membrane with the flow of said content.
51. The container according to claim 50 wherein the centroid of said closable opening is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall.
52. The container according to claim 50 further comprising a circumferential enclosure comprising at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment; and wherein the container comprises engaging guidance means mounted between said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments for guiding said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment.
53. The container according to claim 50 wherein said upward blocking means prevents the upward movement relative to the lower compartment of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment.
54. The container according to claim 50 wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes the descent of a part of the circumferential piercing means wall that is adjacent to the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment is attached, below the plane of the intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, over a longitudinal distance from said plane corresponding to at least 2% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall.
55. The container according to claim 50 wherein, in its assembled pierced state and upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, the angle between the longitudinal plane going through the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall and the centroid of the closable opening and the longitudinal plane going through the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall and the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment is between 135° and 225°.
56. The container according to claim 50 wherein the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises a smooth-edged segment for providing said non-pierced membrane segment; wherein the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is smooth and blunt; wherein the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is positioned in the longitudinal dimension above the lowest point of any of the sharp-edged structures; wherein said bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment comprises an uninterrupted section encompassing more than 50% of said bottom edge that lies within a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing; and wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper-compartment wall causes the descent of the piercing means such that part of the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment is situated below the plane of the lowest intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, at a longitudinal distance from said plane corresponding to at least 2% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall.
57. A container according to claim 50 wherein the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises three or more sharp-edged structures of which the lowest points are situated substantially along a virtual path that is sloped relative to the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing.
58. A container according to claim 52 further comprising dynamic sealing structures mounted between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments for minimizing the risk of leakage of liquids from the container and/or for minimizing the exchange of gases between the inside and the outside of the container, whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment.
59. The container according to claim 58 wherein said dynamic sealing structures and said guidance means are mounted between different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments.
60. A container according to claim 52 wherein said guidance means are helical threaded screws or helical motion bearings and wherein said upward blocking means comprise:
- one or more flexible ratchet pawls, and
- a plurality of longitudinally oriented ratchet teeth;
- wherein said pawls are connected longitudinally to one of a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment and wherein said plurality of longitudinally oriented ratchet teeth are connected to the other wall segment of said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, such that upon helical downward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment said pawls can slide over said ratchet teeth, while upon movement in the upward direction, the ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement.
61. A container according to claim 52 wherein said guidance means are helical threaded screws and wherein said upward blocking means are integrated between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, and wherein said upward blocking means comprise: said threads are interrupted within said internally recessed zone,
- an internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment of which the outer side comprises a recessed zone that is internal with respect to the virtual cylinder coinciding with the remainder of said overlapping parallel wall segment,
- one or more external helical threads on the outer side of said internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, whereby
- a flexible ratchet pawl connected longitudinally to said internally recessed zone of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment,
- one or more internal helical threads on the inner side of the externally positioned adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment, which can engage with said external helical threads, and whereby said internal helical threads comprise a plurality of equally sized ratchet teeth positioned at regular intervals,
- wherein the ratchet pawl on the internally recessed zone of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment interacts with the ratchet teeth on the internal helical threads of the externally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, such that upon movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment in a helical downward direction, the ratchet pawl slides over the ratchet teeth, while upon movement in a helical upward direction, the ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement.
62. A container according to claim 50 wherein the enclosure of said container consists of:
- two members, which can be mounted on each other to provide the circumferential, bottom and top enclosure of the container, and
- one or more closure means for closing said closable opening.
63. A container according to claim 62 wherein said members are produced by injection moulding.
64. A container according to claim 50 wherein, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the upper compartment have only one circumferential wall.
Type: Application
Filed: May 23, 2012
Publication Date: Apr 10, 2014
Applicant: B-TEK BVBA (Dilbeek)
Inventors: Willem Broekaert (Dilbeek), Isabelle Francois (Opvelp), Wim Veraverbeke (Heverlee), Geo Hagen (NC Stolwijk), Olivier Lescroart (Wespelaar)
Application Number: 14/119,557
International Classification: B65D 25/08 (20060101);