Pre-Flavored Container

Abstract

A multi-stage method of filling a container for storing a liquid makes use of a pre-loading process to insert a pre-fill portion of the liquid containing at least a flavorant, and in some embodiments both a flavorant and a sweetener. This creates a container that has been predosed with flavor and other components. Such a predosed container can be stored and shipped to be filled with the remaining components, before final packaging and distribution.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is the first application for the instant invention.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to a method for filling a container, and more particularly to a method of a multi-step filling process for use in pre-filling and filling containers containing flavored liquids.

BACKGROUND

Filling of liquids into containers is well developed. Faster filling speed improves efficiency of the equipment. Constraints around filling speed relate to the evacuation of air in the empty container, spilling of the liquid being filled, and maintaining a hygienic environment during the filling process. These constraints become more complicated when switching the contents being filled into a container. This is consistent across many industries from perfumes, beverages, or medicine.

Contents can be liquid, solid, gas or a combination thereof. For example, the contents of a juice container could involve all liquid components or also include pulp or solid components as well as dissolved gasses such as carbon dioxide for flavor or the absence of oxygen to improve shelf stability. In many cases the majority of the contents is composed of a liquid such as water or an oil that by itself imparts very little flavor but acts as a carrier to bring the contents to the user either as a drink or possibly as an ingredient in other applications such as cooking oils, scented room air fresheners, or e-liquids for vaporizers.

Switching the contents being filled into a container is often the desire of a manufacturer due to the multiple flavors being produced. Popular scents and flavors change frequently and it is simpler to change a recipe than to change the equipment or the packaging carrying the flavored fluid.

In one such example, some beverages are sold in cans or plastic bottles, and rely upon a common base with different flavors being added. The filling of the container is often done by local distributors and bottlers. In the example of a soft drink sold in a Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle, a bottling facility will receive syrups, and bottle pre-forms (also sometimes referred to as blanks or parisons). The bottle pre-forms are inflated to size by heating the PET pre-form and blowing air into it. The inflated bottle is then filled with a combination of the syrup and carbonated water. This allows for local bottlers and fillers to prepare beverages in a local market without having to ship full beverage containers from a centralized location. The inflation of the bottle must be done with a degree of care to ensure that the heating of the preform is done evenly so that the resulting bottle is properly inflated.

A typical bottling facility will make use of different preforms, and different syrups to allow for local production of a variety of different beverages. When changing from one beverage to another, the filling lines used to carry the mixture of syrup and (possibly) carbonated water to the bottles have to be cleaned. Due to compounds such as the sugars used in the syrups, cleaning fill lines can be a time consuming process.

A similar process is undertaken in the preparation of a canned beverage, but instead of a PET preform, an aluminium can is used as the vessel to be filled. Often, to prevent the beverage from picking up metallic flavours, the interior of the can may be coated in a thin thermoplastic layer. A similar filling process can be used to the process discussed above, along with a similar cleaning process.

The syrup provided to a bottler is a concentrate that is then mixed with water in the fill lines. The concentrate is often very high in sugars or sugar substitutes, which contributes to a higher viscosity of the concentrate (in comparison to the final product), and makes a thorough cleaning of fill lines essential between changeovers in filling different beverages.

In a distinct field of endeavour, a similar issue has arisen. Electronic cigarettes and vaporizers also referred to as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), have disposable pods that are shipped pre-filled with a nicotine based liquid solution, commonly referred to as e-liquid. This e-liquid is typically a combination of vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol serving as a carrier for nicotine, and often contains a flavoring. The e-liquid is atomized in the ENDS for inhalation by a user. Within a disposable cartridge or pod, there is a reservoir from which the e-liquid is drawn towards a heating element by capillary action through a wick. In many such ENDS, the pod is removable, disposable, and is sold pre-filled.

Each cartridge stores a predefined quantity of e-liquid, often in the range of 0.5 to 3 ml. As indicated earlier, the e-liquid is typically composed of a combination of any of vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, nicotine and flavorings. In systems designed for the delivery of other compounds, different compositions may be used.

In the manufacturing and filling of the disposable cartridge, different techniques are used for different cartridge designs. Typically, the cartridge has a wick that allows e-liquid to be drawn from the e-liquid reservoir to an atomization chamber. In the atomization chamber, a heating element in communication with the wick is heated to encourage aerosolization of the e-liquid. The aerosolized e-liquid can be drawn through a defined air flow passage towards a user's mouth.

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C provide front, side and bottom views of an exemplary pod 50. Pod 50 is composed of a reservoir 52 having an air flow passage 54, and an end cap assembly 56 that is used to seal an open end of the reservoir 52. End cap assembly has wick feed lines 58 which allow e-liquid stored in reservoir 52 to be provided to a wick (not shown in FIG. 1). To ensure that e-liquid stored in reservoir 52 stays in the reservoir and does not seep or leak out, and to ensure that end cap assembly 56 remains in place after assembly, seals 60 can be used to ensure a more secure seating of the end cap assembly 56 in the reservoir 52. In the illustrated embodiment, seals 60 may be implemented through the use of o-rings.

As noted above, pod 50 includes a wick that is heated to atomize the e-liquid. To provide power to the wick heater, electrical contacts 62 are placed at the bottom of the pod 50. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical contacts 62 are illustrated as circular. The particular shape of the electrical contacts 62 should be understood to not necessarily germane to the function of the pod 50. Atop reservoir 52 is a mouthpiece 68 illustrated as sectioned in this figure to not obscure structure within reservoir 52. The mouthpiece 68 includes apertures to allow the airflow through the pod 50 to continue to a user's mouth. Between the mouthpiece 68 and the top of reservoir 52 is an absorbent pad 66 (often referred to as a spitback pad) which is typically made of an absorbent material (e.g. cotton) and is arranged in an annual fashion around the terminal end of post wick air flow passage 54. This pad 66 is provided to allow for the absorption of condensation and large droplets of e-liquid.

Because an ENDS device is intended to allow a user to draw or inhale as part of the nicotine delivery path, an air inlet 64 is provided on the bottom of pod 50. Air inlet 64 allows air to flow into a pre-wick air path through end cap assembly 56. The air flow path extends through an atomization chamber and then through post wick air flow passage 54.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section taken along line A in FIG. 1B. This cross section of the device is shown with a complete (non-sectioned) wick 72 and heater 74. End cap assembly 56 resiliently mounts to an end of air flow passage 54 in a manner that allows air inlet 64 to form a complete air path through pod 50. This connection allows airflow from air inlet 64 to connect to the post air flow path through passage 54 through atomization chamber 70. Within atomization chamber 70 is both wick 72 and heater 74. When power is applied to contacts 62, the temperature of the heater increases and allows for the volatilization of e-liquid that is drawn across wick 72.

Typically the heater 74 reaches temperatures well in excess of the vaporization temperature of the e-liquid. This allows for the rapid creation of a vapor bubble next to the heater 74. As power continues to be applied the vapor bubble increases in size, and reduces the thickness of the bubble wall. At the point at which the vapor pressure exceeds the surface tension the bubble will burst and release a mix of the vapor and the e-liquid that formed the wall of the bubble. The e-liquid is released in the form of aerosolized particles and droplets of varying sizes. These particles are drawn into the air flow and into post wick air flow passage 54 and towards the user.

Filling of pod 50 with an e-liquid is typically performed before the pod 50 is assembled. Reservoir 52 is inverted prior to the insertion of end cap 56, allowing an e-liquid to be filled into the reservoir 52. When an appropriate quantity of e-liquid is filled, the end cap 56 is inserted and the pod 50 can then be packaged. When the filling stations are switched from one e-liquid to another, the feed lines are flushed to avoid cross contamination of the different e-liquids. Many flavorings also include a sweetener, such as sorbitol, to provide a sweetness to different flavorings.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a pod, herein illustrated as pod 76. Pod 76 is already illustrated in an inverted orientation, the orientation in which it would be filled. Pod 76 is broadly comprised of reservoir 78, having a post wick airflow passage 80 and an end cap 82. Prior to insertion of end cap 82, pod 76 can be filled by injecting the e-liquid into the inverted reservoir 78. The end cap 82 can then be inserted to seal the pod 76.

End cap 82 comprises wick feed lines 84, electrical contact 86, a pre-wick air flow passage 88, and atomization chamber 90. Atomization chamber 90 aligns with post wick airflow passage 80 when the end cap 82 is inserted into the open end of reservoir 78. This insertion is performed after the e-liquid is filled into reservoir 78.

Within the atomization chamber 90 is a wick 92 having a heater coil 94 wound around it. The heater coil is connected to the electrical contacts 86. Activation of the device into which pod 76 is inserted is typically controlled by a pressure switch or pressure sensor that allows for the provision of power through contacts 86 to allow for the activation of heater 94. When filled, e-liquid within the reservoir is drawn across wick 92 by capillary action. This allows the heater 94 to be coated in e-liquid from wick 92. When activated, heater 94 will cause the volatilization of the nearby e-liquid resulting in the projection of vapor and various sizes of droplets into the airflow moving towards the user.

As noted above, pods are often filled before they are fully assembled. An e-liquid is typically fed through a system of tubes from a large container, and measured doses are filled into each open pod. The pod is then sealed through the insertion of the end cap. In other arrangements of the pod, the pod is fully assembled without e-liquid, and then the e-liquid is injected into the pod using a needle, which typically penetrates a self-healing membrane, or that injects through a hole that is later sealed.

It should be noted that if there is to be a change in the e-liquid between filling different sets of pods, the e-liquid container, the filling heads and all the connecting tubing has to be cleaned to prevent cross-contamination. This is a time consuming process that consumes both cleaning products (including water) and by its nature causes waste of the e-liquid. Furthermore, when multiple pods are packaged together, it is difficult to allow for more than one flavor to be in each package because each flavor is part of a different batch. This would require storing filled pods without packaging them, which can be a logistical problem.

It should also be understood that some pods are made using plastic resins that can absorb flavorants from the e-liquid. In such situations, the e-liquid may be less flavorful over time. This can cause a problem for a manufacturer, as users will complain about off flavors, which are really attributable to the absorbed flavorant. This problem has also been noted outside of the e-cigarette and vaping market, where flavors can be absorbed by plastic coatings within packaging for perfumes or beverages.

It would therefore be beneficial to have a mechanism to improve on aspects of the filling process.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the aspects of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems of the above-discussed prior art.

A container can be pre-loaded with a first fill portion that may be composed of a subset of the ingredients of the final fill product. For example, in a beverage container, the container can be prefilled with some or all of the flavoring and sweetening agents. This first portion of the final fill product can then be cured and/or dried so that the pre-loaded container is effectively shelf-stable. Achieving shelf-stability may also include the optional application of a dissolvable coating to protect the preloaded ingredients from moisture in the air, or from oxidation effects. This allows for preloading of flavorant within a container, that can be shipped to a distribution center where final filling is performed. This can replace shipping both containers and syrups to bottling facilities allowing for a single product to be shipped. Where there are a plurality of different final fill compositions, the preloaded first fill portion may reflect the differences between the various products, allowing the final fill process to be composed of only the common ingredients. This allows for a simplification of the filling process.

In a vaporizer container, the preloaded or prefill portion may be composed of any combination of flavorants, sweeteners, and a component such as nicotine, caffeine, or another compound for delivery. These preloaded components may then be dried or cured to allow for storage, and an optional coating may be applied to further protect the preloaded components from the environment. The fill liquid may be used in a final fill process (though intermediate filling processes are not to be ruled out), and may represent the common ingredients (or a subset thereof) across a variety of different products in a liquid carrier medium.

In embodiments of the present invention, the liquid for storage in a container is divided into at least two portions, a prefill portion and a fill liquid. The division of the prefill portion from the fill liquid allows for a container to be preloaded with the prefill portion, and stored. This preloaded prefill portion can contain flavorants and other ingredients including sweeteners, and in some embodiments the preloaded prefill portion is shelf stable. This allows preloaded containers to be stored and shipped, so that the finishing fill can be produced at different times or locations as needed.

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a preloaded container that comprises a reservoir and a preloaded fill portion. The reservoir has a sidewall, and the preloaded fill portion is affixed to an interior of the reservoir. The preloaded fill portion comprises a flavorant.

In an embodiment of the first aspect, the preloaded fill portion further comprises a sweetener, and optionally the sweetener is selected from a list comprising sugar, honey, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, isomalt stevia, sorbitol and other sugar alcohols.

In another embodiment, the preloaded container comprises a coating affixed to the preloaded fill portion. In some embodiments, the coating is selected from a list comprising: a sweetener, a water soluble polymer, and a starch.

In another embodiment, the container is one of a bottle, a bottle preform and a can. In some embodiments, the preloaded fill portion is affixed to the sidewall. In further embodiments, the preloaded fill portion is affixed to a base of the reservoir. In other embodiments the container further comprises a fill liquid selected from a list comprising water, carbonated water and alcohol.

In another embodiment, preloaded container is an electronic nicotine delivery system pod, and optionally, the preloaded container further comprising an e-liquid comprising at least one of vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, nicotine and a flavorant. In some embodiments, the preloaded fill portion is one of partially soluble and fully soluble in the e-liquid. In further embodiments, the preloaded fill portion is affixed to one of the sidewall and a post-wick airflow passage within the reservoir.

In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of filling a container for storing a liquid composition. The method comprises the steps of preloading the container with a first portion of the liquid composition, the first portion comprising at least a flavorant; and curing the preloaded first portion within the container.

In an embodiment of the second aspect, the first portion is comprised of dry ingredients making up a subset of ingredients of the liquid composition. In a further embodiment, preloading the container may be achieved by spraying the first portion of the liquid composition into the container. In another embodiment, curing the preloaded first portion comprises drying the preloaded first portion.

In another embodiment, the method comprising filling the container with a second portion of the liquid composition and sealing the reservoir. In some embodiments, the container is one of a can, a bottle and a bottle preform. In another embodiment, the container is an electronic nicotine delivery system pod, and the liquid composition is an e-liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in further detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figure in which:

FIG. 1A is a front view of a prior art pod for use in an ENDS, with a cross sectioned mouthpiece;

FIG. 1B is a side view of the pod of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a bottom view of the pod of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the pod of FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, shown along section line A-A in FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of an alternate prior art pod;

FIG. 4A is an illustration of a preform in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is illustrates a cross section of the preform of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a cross section of the inflated preform of FIGS. 4A and 4B;

FIG. 4D is a cross section of the inflated preform of FIGS. 4A and 4B showing a contained liquid;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a can separated from its lid, along with top and cross section views in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is an top view of the can of FIG. 5 according to an alternate embodiment;

FIG. 6B is a cross section of the can of FIG. 5 according to an alternate embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a a multi-stage method of filling a container;

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of a pod according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross section view of a pod according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross section of a filled pod according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a multi-stage method of filling flavorant and liquid portions into a pod.

In the above described figures like elements have been described with like numbers where possible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the instant description, and in the accompanying figures, reference to dimensions may be made. These dimensions are provided for the enablement of a single embodiment and should not be considered to be limiting or essential. Disclosure of numerical range should be understood to not be a reference to an absolute value unless otherwise indicated. Use of the terms about or substantively with regard to a number should be understood to be indicative of an acceptable variation of up to ±10% unless otherwise noted.

To address problems associated with cleaning and sanitizing required during the changeover of different e-liquid mixtures a discussion of the overall process of filling is beneficial.

As noted in the above discussion, both beverage containers and ENDS pods are filled with flavored liquids. These containers are filled and then sealed. With an ENDS pod, the sealing may be achieved through the insertion of an end cap. For beverage containers such as PET bottles, sealing is typically performed through the placement of a cap, such as a screw on lid. Where the container in question is a can, the can is typically provided to a distributor in two pieces, a lid and a body. The can is filled without a lid in place, and then the lid is placed atop of the open body, and is sealed to the body through the application of both heat and pressure. In all these cases, filling is done by delivering a premixed version of the liquid into the container, and sealing the container for further packaging and/or shipping. When there is changeover in the flavor of the fill liquid, the feed lines used to deliver the premixed liquid have to be cleaned to avoid cross contamination. This can be a time consuming process that reduces production capacity and unnecessarily increases the costs of the filling process.

FIGS. 4A-D illustrate a container, here illustrated as bottle preform 100, suitable for filling using a novel fill method. Bottle preform 100 may be formed of any number of different materials including PET, polyethylene, and other such polymers, or other materials with similar structures, FIG. 4A illustrates a preform 100 comprised of a body 104 and a connected neck 102 that includes optional threading to allow for mating with a threaded cap (not shown). The body 104 may be formed so that when heated and inflated, it will have the desired shape of a bottle.

As a part of a novel filling process, the preform is pre-loaded with a first portion of the liquid that it will be filled with. This first portion can include a number of different components including a flavorant and optionally the sweetener. This combination can be used to line the interior of the preform, and then dried or cured. The curing process may be as simple as reducing the content of a liquid carrier such as water. This allows the pre-loaded preform to contain a dry coating of a flavorant and an optional sweetener. In some embodiments, the first portion is composed of a subset of the overall contents of the final liquid. The first portion may be largely restricted to flavorants and sweeteners. It should be understood that the sweetener may act as a binding agent allowing the remaining ingredients in the first portion to be affixed to the interior of the reservoir. If no sweetener is included, it may be necessary to add a dissolvable binding agent. In other embodiments the first portion may be defined so that it contains at least a subset of all the components of the final liquid not common across the different product lines. So, if there are three final liquids that are used to fill containers, the dry ingredients of all three liquids are identified. Components that are not common across the different final liquids are prime candidates for inclusion in the portion that will be prefilled into the preform. Sweeteners may be common across the final liquids, but may be included as part of the pre-filling portion so that the tackiness imparted by the sweetener can be used to aid in affixing the pre-filling portion to the interior of the preform. In some embodiments, the sweetener may include any one or more of sugar, honey, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, isomalt, stevia, sorbitol, other sugar alcohols or another sweetener similar to those recited. To allow the prefilled portion to be shelf stable, a coating may be applied to prevent spoiling. Although the sweetener may provide both tackiness and a degree of shelf stability to the prefilled portion, the optional use of a coating can help ensure that the prefilled portion is protected from oxidation and other effects that could contribute to off flavors. In some embodiments, the coating may be a dissolvable polymer or other such food safe coating.

FIG. 4B illustrates a cross section of the preform 100 of FIG. 4A. Preform 100 has both the neck 102 (with threading) and the body 104 shown in FIG. 4A. Additionally illustrated are a hollow section 108 of the neck 102 that allows for a pre-filling portion 106, also referred to as a first portion, can be deposited within the preform 100. In some embodiments this deposition can be done through the use of a sprayer that sprays the interior walls of the body 104.

It should be understood that in a conventional bottle filling process using PET or other polymer preforms, the preform is heated and air is blown into the preform through the neck. This heating process softens the preform, and allows for it to be inflated to the desired shape. The application of heat is done to allow the material of the preform to soften and to prevent the bottle from forming unevenly during heating. In some embodiments, to ensure a particular shape, the preform is inflated within a form that ensures that the expansion is resisted by the desired eventual shape. The application of the pre-filling portion 106 may allow for a relaxation in the evenness of the application of heat, as the pre-filling portion 106 may have heat transfer properties that aid in the even transfer of heat.

FIG. 4C illustrates an inflated version of preform 100 as bottle 110. Bottle 110 still includes the neck 102 with hollow section 108, as well as body 104. Body 104 has been inflated to a final size, but maintains coverage of the pre-filling portion 106 within the reservoir defined within body 104. This pre-filling portion 106 is affixed around the interior wall of the body 104, leaving the expanded body 104 with a reservoir 112 into which the remaining portion of the filling liquid can be added. FIG. 4D shows a container 110 in cross section, so that the body 104, pre-filling portion 106 and reservoir 112 are shown, similar to FIG. 4C. However, liquid has been added, and some of the pre-filling portion 106 has been dissolved into liquid 114. When added, the liquid may be heated to encourage dissolution of the pre-filling portion 106, but it should also be understood that the reservoir 112 can be completely filled and the pre-filling portion 106 may not be fully dissolved. The dissolution to form liquid 114 may take time. If liquid 114 is not carbonated, agitation of the container 110 may be desirable after sealing the container 110 with a cap. Agitation can be in the form of the typical conveying and warehousing process.

It should be understood to those skilled in the art, that it is possible to pre-fill an inflated bottle with the pre-filled portion 106 instead of prefilling a pre-form. This may be done to avoid possible oxidation of flavor compounds during the heating and blowing process.

FIG. 5 shows a cylindrical can 116, such as an aluminium can, having a body 118 with a base 126 and a lid 120. Before affixing the lid 120 to the body 118, the can 120 can be prefilled with the prefilling portion. Shown in cross section along section line A, is the can body 118 having been pre-loaded with pre-fill portion 124. Prefilling portion 124 is shown as being sprayed on to the interior walls of body 118 leaving reservoir 122 to be filled with a liquid component at a later time. After being coated with pre-filling portion 124, the body 118 can be stored for filling at a later time. As noted elsewhere, the pre-filling portion may be protected from oxidation or other effects through the application of a coating to the exposed surface of the preloaded prefilling portion. This coating may act as a barrier to at least one of water and air. The coating may be a dissolvable layer of a food-safe product. This coating may, in some embodiments, be a layer of sweetener without flavorants, such as powdered sugar (also referred to as confectioners sugar which commonly contains a starch such as corn starch which can aid in forming a coating). In some embodiments the coating may include a dissolvable or water soluble polymer that is sprayed onto the pre-loaded pre-filling portion. Other food safe coatings may include cellulose, latex, or gelatin.

In previously illustrated embodiments, prefilling portions have been illustrated as a coating on the walls of a reservoir. Although this is a feasible embodiment, it should be understood that other pre-filling techniques can be employed. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a top view and cross-section side view of the can body 118 of FIG. 5. Pre-filling portion 124 is illustrated as a block inserted into the reservoir 122, and instead of being affixed to the interior walls of reservoir 122, it can be affixed to the base 126 of body 118.

It should be understood that the two placements illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6A-B are best understood as examples of two of the many different embodiments possible. These two embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive, but instead only illustrative of some of the possibilities. The pre-fill portion can be sprayed on some or all of the base of the container, some or all of the side walls, or it can be a structure affixed to one portion of the container, but largely self-supporting as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method of pre-filling a container, such as a can or a bottle preform, with a pre-fill portion. The process starts in step 150 with an unfilled container that is oriented if necessary. In step 152, the container is pre-loaded with the pre-fill portion, which in some embodiments is a portion of the overall fill that can be represented by dry components. In step 154, the pre-loaded container can optionally be dried or cured so that the prefill portion is affixed to at least one of the interior surfaces of the container. At this point, the pre-loaded container can be stored for future filling in step 156.

Prior to filling, the pre-loaded container can be expanded to its full size if needed, for example by heating and inflating the pre-loaded container in step 158. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this may be done by first inserting the pre-loaded container into a mold, so that the final shape of the container is constrained to the desired shape. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the container may be expanded to full size in step 158 in advance of pre-loading the container in step 152.

In step 160, the prefilled container is filled with the remaining portion of the fill liquid. This liquid may be heated to encourage more rapid dissolution of the pre-fill portion, but it should be understood that this is not strictly necessary, as it is likely that full dissolution can be achieved through both time and the agitation involved in shipping. In step 162, the container is sealed.

Using the containers shown in FIGS. 4-6, and the method illustrated in FIG. 7, there are a number of different products that may be produced. Some of these products may include beverages, where the liquid portion used in step 160 may comprise one or more of water, carbonated water, alcohol, and other beverage bases. While this allows a manufacturer to change flavors of a beverage without necessarily having to flush fill lines, it also allows a manufacturer to develop a single flavor base that can be common to a variety of different beverage bases, which would support the development of flavored alcoholic cocktails and non-alcoholic versions with the same flavor base.

Pods, like those shown in FIGS. 1-3, can be thought of as reservoirs and end cap assemblies (containing the elements within the molded end cap). The reservoir is open on the bottom, and is sealed after filling by having the end cap inserted. In a conventional e-liquid filling process, an inverted reservoir is placed into a holder, and a measured quantity of e-liquid is dosed into the reservoir. Upon filling, the pod assembly is completed by inserting the end cap into the open end of the reservoir. Also, as noted, other filling systems exist in which assembled pods are filled through injection of e-liquid through a needle that pierces a membrane at the top of the cartridge.

The e-liquid is a mixture of a variety of different components. Some of the components are liquid, others are solids. The mixture of these components will have some of the components dissolved in the liquid components, while other solid components are held in suspension within the liquid. In some embodiments different glycerine components form the majority of the liquid portion of the e-liquid. Varying the ratio of glycerine to propylene glycol typically changes the viscosity of the e-liquid.

Although presented below in the context of use in an electronic nicotine delivery system such as an electronic cigarette (e-cig) or a vaporizer (vape) it should be understood that the scope of protection need not be limited to this space, and instead is delimited by the scope of the claims. Embodiments of the present invention are anticipated to be applicable in areas other than ENDS, including (but not limited to) other vaporizing applications. As noted above, an ENDS based e-liquid is typically composed of different components including any of vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, nicotine and flavorings. Often, one flavorant can be substituted for another, resulting in a differently flavored e-liquid. The flavorant is often a complex mixture of different components including a sweetener such as sucralose. To avoid cross contamination between flavors, the filling system needs to be cleaned between batches. Some of the issues related to cleaning and flushing the filling systems are related to the sweetener, which when at least partially separated form the rest of the e-liquid has a tendency to become somewhat sticky. This can trap flavorants within the filling system, requiring a laborious cleaning process between filling different batches with different flavors.

In embodiments of the present invention, a new method of filling a pod is disclosed. Use of this method will also result in an interim product, in which the pod is partially filled and suitable for storage.

E-liquid is made from mixing components. In the prior art, all the components were mixed and then filled into the pod. In one embodiment, some of the constituent components of the e-liquid will be combined and inserted into the reservoir in a first fill process. In a second fill process, remaining components are filled into the pod. For example, the flavorants and sweeteners can be sprayed into the pod in the first fill process. The spraying of the flavorants can be performed to create a coating within the reservoir that can be cured and/or dried. This results in a reservoir that has at least a portion of its interior surface coated with components to an e-liquid. By drying and/or curing the coating within the reservoir, the resulting product can be a shelf stable product that can be stored for future use. It should be understood that this is a very similar process to that outlined above for filling plastic or glass bottles and metal cans.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a pod 200 that has been coated as described above. Reservoir 202 has a post-wick airflow passage 204, and can be sealed with end cap 206. However, coating the sidewall of the post-wick airflow passage 204, within reservoir 202, is a subset of the components of the e-liquid 208. In a subsequent filling process, the remaining components of the e-liquid are filled into reservoir 202 as would happen in the prior art. However, this fraction of the e-liquid would typically contain the elements of the e-liquid that are common to the different compositions of the e-liquid and that are in suspension within the e-liquid. After being filled with the second portion of the e-liquid, the reservoir 202 can be sealed through the insertion of the end cap 206. As the two components of the e-liquid are now in contact with each other, the coating 208 can be dissolved by the second e-liquid portion. This dissolution may not occur immediately, and in some embodiments may be aided by heating the second portion of the e-liquid prior to filling to encourage dissolution of the coating 208. Mechanical agitation may also aid in the dissolution of the coating, but this agitation may be achieved through the agitation inherent in the packaging, storage and shipping process.

As seen in FIG. 9, the coating 208 does not need to fully coat a given surface, and may instead be concentrated in a single location, here shown as an annular ring 208 around the post wick air flow passage 204 within the reservoir 202 of pod 200.

By dividing the e-liquid into two portions, and separating the application of the two portions, pods can be pre-loaded with the first component and stored. This allows for the pods to be pre-loaded in larger quantities than they would be in the conventional process. This pre-loading can be done using dry components that are not common across pods (e.g. flavors) and are soluble in the liquid components of the e-liquid. During this pre-loading process, the pods may be treated with a liquid spray that can be cured or dried that will help bind the pre-loaded dry components to a portion of the reservoir. The optional drying or curing allows the pre-loaded pod to be sufficiently shelf stable that it does not need to be immediately filled with e-liquid. As noted above, shelf stability may be enhanced through the optional application of a coating to the pre-filled portion.

During the second filling process, the liquid components of the e-liquid are filled into the pod, in a process that looks similar to the existing filling process. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that this filling process makes use of e-liquid components that are typically common between batches, and are easier to clean from the filling system. This portion of the e-liquid may, in some embodiments, be heated to encourage dissolution of the pre-loaded components.

FIG. 10 illustrates a completed pod 210 that has been both pre-loaded with a first e-liquid portion 218, and an e-liquid 220. Pod 210 has a reservoir 212 and post-wick airflow passage 214. It has received a coating of a first portion of the e-liquid components 218 on the interior of the reservoir walls. After an optional drying or curing process, it is filled with a second e-liquid component 220 that may optionally have been heated. Following this the end cap 216 has been inserted to seal the pod 210.

At this point the pod 210 can proceed to packaging and shipping. During the packaging and shipping process, the pod 210 will be agitated and the first portion 218 will be dissolved into the second portion 220.

In each of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the first portion of the e-liquid applied to form the coating 208, 218 has been illustrated as being applied differently or to different portions of the interior of the pod. It should be understood that, as discussed above, this has been done to illustrate different embodiments that may be combined with each other. The illustrated embodiments should not be considered to be an exhaustive set of embodiments. In unillustrated embodiments, coatings of flavorants may be applied so that they are infused into a lining within the reservoir, or into the reservoir wall itself. The infused flavorant can either be used to improve the flavor of the e-liquid, or it may be used to help prevent the absorption of flavorant into the reservoir walls after filling.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method of filling a reservoir according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process starts at step 250 where an unfilled reservoir is oriented for filling. This step is typically performed before the pod is filled. In step 252, the reservoir is pre-loaded with a first e-liquid portion. As noted above, this is typically an e-liquid portion making use of dry components of the e-liquid that may additionally have a binding agent to allow them to be bound to the walls of the reservoir. In some embodiments this first portion of the e-liquid that is preloaded into the reservoir is comprised of flavorants and sweeteners.

In optional step 254, a drying and/or curing process is performed to affix or set the preloaded first e-liquid portion within the reservoir. It should be noted that in pods that are filled using a needle that injects e-liquid within a sealed pod, if the pod is not sealed, the step of sealing the pod (discussed below as step 262) may occur at this point. In other embodiments, with pods that are filled through a needle injecting e-liquid through a barrier such as a resilient or self healing membrane, the pre-loading may be performed through this needle, and the first portion may contain a liquid component as well.

In step 256, a pod that has been pre-loaded with a first e-liquid portion may be stored for future filling. This step may represent an end to a first part of an overall filling process, and provides an interim product that can be stored, shipped and sold.

In optional step 258, a second e-liquid portion, typically containing at least one liquid component, is pre-heated. In step 260, the pre-loaded reservoir is filled with the optionally heated second e-liquid portion. If the pod has not been previously sealed, the sealing of the pod can be performed in step 262 at this point. In some embodiments step 262 entails the insertion of the end cap into an open end of the reservoir.

It should be noted that this multi-stage filling allows for pods to be pre-dosed with a flavorant, and then later filled with the remaining portions of an e-liquid. In an ENDS environment, this allows for the preloading of pods with flavorants in one process (or sub-process). Pre-loaded reservoirs can then be filled with different second portions. In an exclusively ENDS environment, the different second portions may have different concentrations of nicotine, or may have different ratios of vegetable glycerine (VG) to propylene glycol (PG). This allows flavors to be filled within the pods, and for the determination of the remaining characteristics (e.g. nicotine concentration, PG-VG ratios, etc.) to be varied according to needs.

In environments where pods are created for more than just ENDS, it would be possible to create a process where the flavoring of a pod is performed in a first process, and as a function of the second process, different e-liquids are created. In one embodiment, a first set of pre-loaded pods could be filled with e-liquids that provide nicotine, while a second set of pre-loaded pods could be filled with e-liquids containing another compound such as caffeine, and a third set of pre-loaded pods could be filled with e-liquids containing neither nicotine nor caffeine. A conventional e-liquid may use the liquid base to dissolve some compounds while other components are held in suspension. As such, it should be understood that the preloaded pre-fill may not necessarily need to be fully soluble, so long as it is partially or substantially dissolved and the remaining components can be held in suspension.

This method allows for the dosing of flavorants to be performed in a single location, and have the containers filled at a plurality of different locations. This may allow for a better control of the flavorant dosing in industries such as the beverage sector. Furthermore, in a beverage production context, it may allow for a manufacturer to use a pre-loading of flavorant in a first process, and then in separate filling processes different liquid portions could be later added, allowing for the production of alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic counterparts with the same flavoring.

During a conventional filling process different flavours of product are created on different production lines, or on the same production line at different times. The creation of a multi-flavored package of containers becomes a complex process in which filled containers of different flavors need to be warehoused and then combined into a single package. This increases the amount of warehousing required, and increases the complexity of the product line. Using pre-loaded containers, different flavours can be stored separately, but require no more storage space than unfilled containers in the previous example. The flavours can be mixed and matched to create different mixes of the flavor as needed, which may provide flexibility in production. To facilitate this, containers may be labelled during the first stage filling process to allow them to be properly identified later. This labelling may involve printing a computer readable token on the container. In the example of a beverage can, this may include printing a flavor code on the bottom of the can, it may include printing a flavor code onto a top edge of the can body which would be obscured by the placement of the lid after the filling process is complete, or it could entail different human readable labels or paints on the cans which can be read by computer vision systems. In other embodiments, each container can have a serial number printed on it before filling. This number can be read during the pre-filling stage and associated with a flavor in a database accessible in the second stage filling process. It should be understood that any number of different known labelling techniques can be used without departing from the bounds of the invention.

It should also be understood that in the embodiments of FIGS. 8-10, the pre-loading may be performed by applying and curing the pre-fill portion to the end cap instead of to the inside of the reservoir. This creates end caps with a preloaded prefill portion that will be dissolved when inserted into a container that has been filled with the remaining components of the e-liquid. Similarly, in the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6A and 6B, the preloaded prefill component may be applied and affixed to the lid of the can, allowing for the preloaded lid to be applied to a can that has been filled with liquid. Such a can is then sealed as it would be in conventional processes, and the dissolution of the pre-loaded pre-fill can begin. Although this may be difficult for many bottling embodiments, it is possible to build a preloaded prefill portion on the bottle cap (this may be easier with larger diameter lids) instead of spraying the prefill component inside a bottle or a bottle preform. It should be understood that in all these embodiments, the lids, caps and end caps are considered to be a part of the overall container. Thus preloading these elements is an alternate path to preloading the container. The reservoir portion of the container (be it a bottle, a can or a pod) can then later be filled with the liquid portion of the fill and the sealing of the container will introduce the two fill portions to allow mixing.

In the instant description, and in the accompanying figures, reference to dimensions may be made. These dimensions are provided for the enablement of a single embodiment and should not be considered to be limiting or essential. The sizes and dimensions provided in the drawings are provided for exemplary purposes and should not be considered limiting of the scope of the invention, which is defined solely in the claims.

Claims

1. A preloaded container comprising:

a reservoir having a sidewall; and

a preloaded fill portion affixed to an interior of the reservoir, the preloaded fill portion comprising a flavorant.

2. The preloaded container of claim 1 wherein the preloaded fill portion further comprises a sweetener.

3. The preloaded container of claim 2 wherein the sweetener is selected from a list comprising sugar, honey, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, isomalt, stevia, sorbitol and other sugar alcohols.

4. The preloaded container of claim 1 further comprising a coating affixed to the preloaded fill portion.

5. The preloaded container of claim 4 wherein the coating is selected from a list comprising:

a sweetener, a water soluble polymer, and a starch.

6. The preloaded container of claim 1 wherein the container is one of a bottle, a bottle preform and a can.

7. The preload container of claim 6 wherein the preloaded fill portion is affixed to the sidewall.

8. The preloaded container of claim 6 wherein the preloaded fill portion is affixed to a base of the reservoir.

9. The preloaded container of claim 6 further comprising a fill liquid selected from a list comprising water, carbonated water and alcohol.

10. The preloaded container of claim 1 wherein the container is an electronic nicotine delivery system pod.

11. The preloaded container of claim 10 further comprising an e-liquid comprising at least one of vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, nicotine and a flavorant.

12. The preloaded container of claim 11 wherein the preloaded fill portion is one of partially soluble and fully soluble in the e-liquid.

13. The preloaded container of claim 10 wherein the preloaded fill portion is affixed to one of the sidewall and a post-wick airflow passage within the reservoir.

14. A method of filling a container for storing a liquid composition, the method comprising:

preloading the container with a first portion of the liquid composition, the first portion comprising at least a flavorant; and

curing the preloaded first portion within the container.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first portion is comprised of dry ingredients making up a subset of ingredients of the liquid composition.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein preloading the container comprises spraying the first portion of the liquid composition into the container.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein curing the preloaded first portion comprises drying the preloaded first portion.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising filling the container with a second portion of the liquid composition and sealing the reservoir.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the container is one of a can, a bottle and a bottle preform.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the container is an electronic nicotine delivery system pod, and the liquid composition is an e-liquid.