SINGLE PIECE BUTTON ACTUATED DISPENSING CAP

Abstract

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

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

NA

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to dosing and dispenser caps for primary containers to dispense various ingredients into a primary container at the time of use to prolong shelf life and more particularly to a single-piece molded dispensing cap for ingredient dispensing at the time of use into a primary container.

2. Description of Related Art

Most if not all liquids, creams, gels and even certain powders and other substances are formulated and created for the longest shelf life and not necessarily for optimal performance and/or usefulness. There are many ingredients and/or combinations of ingredients that have reduced shelf life due to requiring combinations of liquid substances. In most cases when ingredients are exposed to one another, deterioration begins and the clock on the limited shelf life starts. Ambient air exposed to certain ingredients can also reduce product shelf life. In most products in any category, “Shelf Life” is the key factor with respect to expiration dates based on the product and category.

Several attempts have been made to design capsules and containers to improve the shelf lives of compositions such as gels, liquids, powders and the like; however, the majority of the available devices rely on a plurality of interconnected parts which are not cost effective to manufacture and assemble. The present invention is designed to be inexpensive to mass produce, fill and seal and to be able to deliver an affordable dispensing capsule in virtually any application and category. This invention allows formulas and new products in many categories to be invented and made for desired end effects without rapid shelf life deterioration. The invention eliminates many unhealthy ingredients that are currently being used in most products as preservatives. The present invention, therefore, is useful for packaging ingredients such as enzymes, calcium and magnesium with bio flavinoids, vitamin C, probiotics, creatine and many more. The solution is to mix ingredients at the time of use to eliminate shelf life problems of deterioration.

It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed. However, in view of the container and dispensing capsules and related devices in existence at the time of the present invention, it was not obvious to those persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art as to how the identified needs could be fulfilled in an advantageous manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A dispensing cap for use with a primary container such as a water bottle comprising a one-piece rigid cylindrical body having an internal ingredient storage compartment, the internal compartment sealed at the top and by a flexible actuator wall. The storage compartment cylindrical body bottom is open until filled with ingredients at the factory. The flexible actuator is configured to deform downwardly under manual force, moving an internal plunger connected at one end to the bottom side of the flexible actuator. The cap body bottom compartment is sealed by a foil cover or a plastic cover having a line of weakening. When punctured, the storage compartment bottom end cover will be punctured, dispensing an ingredient stored in the internal compartment of the storage chamber. A plunger of the flexible actuator includes a beveled cutting surface configured to readily break the bottom cover seal.

The cap body includes an annular exterior wall having internal threads configured to threadably engage a primary container such as a water bottle and is sized in diameter to fit in the neck opening of a water bottle. When the flexible actuator is depressed, the chamber bottom cover is ruptured, and the ingredients in the chamber fall by gravity into the primary container mixing with the ingredients in the primary container. In some embodiments, the flexible actuator comprises a flexible stair-step shaped sealed actuator.

The dispensing cap can include a protective cover hinge and will be attached to the cap body. The cover prevents accidental activation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing cap and dosing cap that is a single molded piece when manufactured.

It is another object of the invention to provide a versatile dispensing capsule that can be used in conjunction with a plurality of containers and dispense an ingredient contained therein in an easy and efficient manner to increase the shelf life of the combined ingredients being consumed.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the dispensing cap of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an bottom perspective view of the dispensing cap the of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of one embodiment of the dispensing cap of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of one embodiment of the dispensing cap of the present invention used within a primary container such as a water bottle.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the dispensing cap 10 comprises a cylindrical body 12 having a manual exterior gripping area 12a, a protective cover 18 and a hollow substance storage chamber having a flexible actuator 16 at its top portion. The dispensing cap 10 is configured to threadably engage a primary container (See FIG. 4). Looking also at FIG. 2, the cap body 12 includes a cylindrical hollow internal compartment 12 extending below the manual gripping area 12a defining an internal substance and ingredient storage chamber.

A frangible lower cover and seal (not shown) is attached to the bottom of the internal compartment 12c annular surface of the cap body 12, once the storage compartment is filled with an ingredient or substance. Storage chamber 12c includes a plunger element 22 having an angle cut or beveled edge in the shape of a serrated arc 24 that is configured to pierce, puncture, and/or break a bottom cover seal (not shown) upon activation of the dispensing cap 10 as further described herein.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show cap body cover 18 integrally attached to the cap body 12c by molded tab 18a, all molded together in one plastic piece. The protective cover 18 prevents premature or accidental dispensing of the stored substance or ingredient. The protective cover 18 must be removed from the top of the cap body 12 in order to expose the flexible manually activated actuator 16. However the protective cover 18 can only be removed if the cover barrier 14 has been first removed. (See FIG. 1).

FIG. 3 shows the dosing cap 10 that has been molded as a single piece except for the storage chamber cover and seal 26.

The top of the cap body 12 includes a thin molded flexible sealed wall that constitutes the flexible actuator 16 having deformable stair-step shaped wall portions 16a, all of which is molded to the storage chamber 12b upper surface in conjunction with the annular cylindrical bottle cap threaded connector 12a. The storage chamber seal cover 26 is added after the device is filled with ingredients. The cover has an annular protrusion around its periphery that is mounted within an annular groove 12bb at the base of the storage chamber wall 12b. The attachment may also be heat sealed or sonically welded for a tight seal after the ingredients are added to the device.

The single molded piece also includes a safety band 20 removably attached to the base of the cylindrical threaded connector 12a. If the safety band 20 is removed, the entire cap body 12 can be removed from a primary container so that the contents can be consumed directly from the primary container through the opening of the primary container.

The bottom side surface of the flexible actuator 16 has a plurality of elongated molded plunger elements 22 that also have serrated an arcuate cutting surface 24 attached thereto which may be in the form of a 270° arc. The plunger and cutting surface 24 are used to tear through the storage chamber bottom cover 26 when the flexible actuator 16 is depressed manually allowing the flexible actuator walls 16 to be moved downwardly forcing the cutting surface 24 into direct contact perforating or puncturing seal cover 26 at the end of the storage chamber. This allows any ingredients and substances within the storage chamber to fall by gravity in the primary container attached to the cap body. The plunger elements 22 are separated from each other to allow ingredients to flow around them during dispensing.

FIG. 4 shows the dispensing cap or dosing cap 10 attached to and with in the neck of a primary container 28 which may be a bottle containing a liquid such as water that will be mixed with the ingredients in the dispensing cap 10 at the time of use, to prolong the shelf life of the combined or mix ingredients.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A dispensing capsule, comprising:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. A dispensing capsule, comprising:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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