SCREW CAP
The invention relates to a screw cap for a drinks bottle, said cap comprising a lower piece with internal thread for screwing to a drinks bottle and an upper piece. The bottle has an interior for filled products, in particular for dental care products which is completely sealable by means of a sealing piece. The above comprises a sealing piece which may be set in a first position in which the interior is sealed and in a second position in which a filled product may be removed from the interior.
The present invention relates to a screw cap and a beverage container having a screw cap.
Despite increasing dental hygiene, in particular for children, one can still observe wide-spread tooth deterioration caused in particular by beverages common for children and adolescents. Apart from cavities, in particular so-called erosion plays a role, where the enamel is etched due to high acidity of food or drinks and the teeth are thereby subjected to erosions over large surfaces. Although regular tooth brushing counteracts this phenomenon, an effective protection, in particular for children, is difficult to achieve because the frequency at which the mentioned drinks are consumed is far higher than the number of daily dental care treatments. The teeth are therefore exposed to corresponding acids without protection for several hours until they are brushed again.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is the object of the present invention to provide a possibility by which tooth protection, in particular for children and adolescents, can be improved without increased disciplination, such as the increase of the frequency of dental hygiene, being necessary.
The basis of the invention is in particular the finding that it is difficult in particular with children to completely avoid the consumption of common drinks, such as sodas, cola drinks, soft drinks, ice tea, sports drinks and fruit juices with their high acidities, or to always take care to sufficiently perform dental hygiene after the consumption of these drinks. The invention is furthermore based on the finding that a permanent improvement can only be effected by “playful measures”, and that in particular, modifications to beverage containers are desirable so that children and adolescents alike understand and enjoy the changes and benefits as real additions and not as bothersome evil, such as for example tooth brushing.
That means, if a dental care product in the form of refreshing pearls, chewing gums, etc. is added to the beverage container, in particular children and adolescents will positively “jump” at these additions and consume them after drinking. If now it is taken care that these added dental care products have a positive influence on the mentioned acidity at the tooth, negative consequences arising from the consumption of soft drinks etc. at the tooth can be largely eliminated.
The present invention is furthermore based on the finding that such additions have to be professionally packed to fulfill corresponding prescriptions as to life.
In the manner according to the invention, these additions are therefore packed in the interior of the screw cap so that they are completely enclosed. By means of a sealing piece, the user can then remove the filled product by shifting or rotating the sealing piece to a predetermined position. It is moreover preferably possible to subsequently completely seal the interior, in particular in case further filled products are located in the interior for later use.
In the manner according to the invention, the additions are accommodated in a screw cap and not in a cork or crown cork. The reason is that during the closing of the bottle, a pressure has to be exerted from above, i.e. in the axial direction, which could damage the enclosed additions or the encapsulated interior. By the rotary motion, no forces are exerted on the interior and thus on the space to be protected.
The additions are, as mentioned, in particular dental care products, such as sugar-free chewing gums, refreshing platelets, refreshing pearls, sucking lozenges, etc. Preferably, each of these products has the property of counteracting an acidic environment caused at the enamel by soft drinks etc. and thus effectively eliminating a hazardous effect of such drinks on the enamel. Preferably, the products should thus be used after the consumption of the drink.
Below, with reference to the following figures, preferred embodiments of the screw cap according to the invention will be illustrated more in detail. The figures show in detail:
Details to the first variant can be taken from
As indicated in
For taking one of the refreshing pearls 12 from the interior 11 of the screw cap 1, the sealing piece 6 has to be shifted towards the other side of the screw cap along the surface of the screw cap in the groove 9. In this position, the sealing piece 6 then unblocks an opening 13 at the upper side of the screw cap through which a refreshing pearl 12 can be removed, as is shown in
Another variant is that represented in
In the variant according to
It is common to all three embodiments that the manufacture is extremely easy. In the simplest case, each of the shown three variants can be manufactured by two individual pieces, i.e. by a basic body and a sealing piece.
Although, as described above, as filled product dental care products are preferably provided which have the mentioned medical effect of combating a too acidic environment at the enamel, theoretically also any arbitrary filled articles can be packed to the interior of the screw cap. As a screw cap has been selected, these articles are not subjected to increased pressure when the bottle is screwed open.
The bottles can in particular be PET bottles. Just when these are filled with beer, as common today, filled products for subsequent dental hygiene are particularly relevant.
Further embodiments of the screw cap according to the invention are shown in
In the sealing piece 17 in
The screw cap 20 in
In the screw cap 24 of
In the variant according to
In the variant according to
Finally,
Claims
1. Screw cap for a drinks bottle, said screw cap comprising a lower piece with internal thread for screwing to a drinks bottle and an upper piece which comprises an interior for accommodating filled products, in particular dental care products, which is completely sealable by means of a sealing piece, and a sealing piece which may be set in a first position in which it seals the interior and in a second position in which a filled product may be removed from the interior.
2. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing piece is embodied as slider which can be shifted within a channel in the upper side of the screw cap, wherein the screw cap comprises an opening which is optionally covered or exposed by the sealing piece.
3. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing piece is disk-shaped and rotatably mounted on the upper side of the screw cap, wherein an opening in the disk-shaped sealing piece can correspond to an opening in the sealing piece situated below, so that a removal of a filled product from the interior of the sealing piece can be effected by the correspondingly set openings of the screw cap and the sealing piece.
4. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the screw cap is made of plastics.
5. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the filled products are refreshing pearls.
6. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the filled products are chewing gums.
7. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the filled products are refreshing lozenges.
8. Screw cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the screw cap is at least partially transparent, so that the filled products can be viewed in the interior of the screw cap.
9. Drinks bottle with screw cap according to claim 1.
10. Drinks bottle according to claim 9, wherein the drinks bottle is made of plastics and is suited for filling in soft drinks.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 27, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 15, 2009
Inventor: Jan Wim Anton Ouboter (Uetikon am See)
Application Number: 12/064,061
International Classification: B65D 41/04 (20060101);