GB2307903A

GB2307903A - Container closure with integral storage cell

Info

Publication number: GB2307903A
Application number: GB9525146A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Milner King
Original assignee: Beeson and Sons Ltd
Current assignee: Beeson and Sons Ltd
Priority date: 1995-12-08
Filing date: 1995-12-08
Publication date: 1997-06-11
Also published as: GB9525146D0

Abstract

A closure 10 for a container neck 12, the closure comprising: a crown portion 14; a skirt portion 16 extending downwardly from the crown portion; retaining means 20 on the inside of the skirt portion for engaging complementary retaining means 38 on the container neck to retain the closure on the container neck; a storage cell 18 having a mouth in the crown portion of the cap and a continuous, sealed body portion formed in one piece integrally with the base portion of the cap and extending downwardly from the said crown portion inside the said skirt portion for fitting inside the neck of the container; and a removable sealing means 32 to seal the mouth of the storage cell. The storage cell 18 is preferably used to store a colouring or flavouring ingredient for a carbonated beverage in the main container 40. The sealing means 32 may be a peel-off web.

Description

CONTAINER CLOSURE WITH INTEGRAL STORAGE CELL The present invention relates to a container closure having a storage cell for a second ingredient formed integrally therewith. The invention also relates to container closure assemblies comprising such closures.

It is occasionally desirable to provide a two-component package, in which two components are stored and distributed separately in a single package, the to components being mixed only when the package is opened immediately before use. This may be the case, for example, where one of the components undergoes slow decomposition hen combined with the other component. This may also be the case when a varying concentration of the second component in the first component is desired by the user, for example where the second component is an active ingredient and the first component is a diluent.

W092/02434 describes a variety of two-component packages for beverages. The technical problem addressed in the specification is to package tyo beverages (e.g. whisky and soda water) separately in a single package, mixing being carried out when the package is opened and poured out.

Certain of the described enbodiments include a primary container for the first ingredient (e.g. soda water) having a container neck, and a cap fatted to the container neck.

A second, smaller container is formed integrally with the cap and extends downwardly into the neck of the primary container. A flange cover is provided at the bottom of the secondary container, whereby the secondary container is opened automatically when the cap is removed from the primary container, thereby automatically mixing the ingredients when the primary container is opened. This arrangement is not satisfactory for all applications. A first drawback is that the flanged cover detaches from the cap when the cap is removed from the primary container, and is retained in the primary container. The cover may then accidentally be consumed by a user. A second drawback is that the liquid in the primary container is prone to leak into the secondary container and vice versa around the periphery of the flanged cover.This is especially likely to happen when the contents of one or other container is pressurized, for example, when the primary container contains a carbonated beverage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved closure for a container, the closure having a storage cell therein but not suffering from the drawbacks enumerated above.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container closure assembly comprising a closure cap according to the invention.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a closure for a container neck, the closure comprising: a crown portion; a skirt portion extending downwardly from the crown portion; retaining means on the inside of the skirt portion for engaging complementary retaining means on the container neck to retain the closure on the container neck; a storage cell having a mouth located in the crown portion of the cap and a continuous, sealed body portion formed in one piece integrally with the crown portion of the cap and extending downwardly from the crown portion inside the skirt portion of the cap for insertion inside the neck of the container in use; and a removable sealing means to seal the mouth of the storage cell.

The retaining means may be any conventional retaining means, including snap-fitting means. Preferably, the retaining means comprises a screw thread.

The body of the storage cell is continuous and sealed.

That is to say, the body does not have any aperture that can be opened to the interior of the container neck. The storage cell presents a continuous, liquid-impervious surface to the interior of the container neck. This ensures that is completely impossible for liquid or gas from inside the container neck to seep into the storage cell during storage, unless the storage cell is actually cracked or broken.

The body of the storage cell may be formed in substantially any shape, provided that it can be formed in one piece and fits through the opening at the mouth of the container neck in use. However, for sinplicity and ease of moulding, the storage cell is preferably substantially cylindrical, and preferably is rounded at the bottom.

Likewise, the mouth of the storage cell may be of substantially any configuration, but is preferably a substantially circular aperture in the crown portion of the closure. Preferably, the storage cell is substantially an open-ended cylinder having its open end at the crown of the closure, opposite to a rounded closed end.

The removable sealing means over the mouth of the storage cell may be any kind of cap or plug, but is preferably a peel-off sealing web, more preferably a foil web or a laminated foil web. The sealing web is preferably heat-bonded directly to the crown of the closure around the mouth of the storage cell.

Preferably, the closure according to the present invention further comprises a tamper-evident ring attached to the skirt portion of the closure. More preferably, the tamper-evident ring is formed integrally with the skirt portion of the closure, and joined thereto by frangible bridges. More preferably, the tamper-evident ring, skirt portion, crown and storage cell are all formed integrally in one piece, preferably by injection moulding of a plastics material such as polypropylene.

The closures according to the present invention are preferably closures for pressurized containers, such as containers for carbonated beverages. In order to achieve a pressure-tight seal between the closure and the container neck in use, the closure according to the present invention preferably further comprises an elastomeric sealing layer situated below the crown portion of the closure for forming a gas-tight seal with the container neck.

The present invention also provides a container closure assembly comprising: a closure according to the present invention, and a container neck provided with complementary retaining means to secure the closure on the container neck in sealing engagement.

Preferably, the complementary retaining means on the container neck comprises a second screw thread on the outside of the container neck for engaging a screw thread on the skirt of the container closure. Preferably, the closure forms a pressure-tight seal with the container neck when the closure is secured on the container neck.

The present invention also provides a carbonated beverage container comprising a container closure assembly according to the present invention.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a longitudinal crosssection through a container closure assembly according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the container closure assembly comprises a closure 10 and a container neck 12. The closure 10 comprises a crown portion 14, a skirt portion 16 and a storage cell 18.

On the inside of the closure skirt 16 are screw threads 20 for retaining the closure on the container neck. At the bottom of the closure skirt 16 there is provided a tamperevident ring 22 formed integrally with the closure skirt and joined thereto by frangible bridges 24. The tamper-evident ring 22 comprises tabs 26 that retain the tamper-evident ring under a retaining lip 28 on the container neck when the closure is unscrewed from the container neck.

The storage cell 18 is in the form of an open-ended cylinder. The open end of the cylinder is located in the crown portion of the closure 10, where it defines a circular mouth 30 for the storage cell. A plastics-laminated foil sealing web 32 is heat bonded across the mouth of the storage cell 18. The opposite end of the storage cell 18 is a continuous, rounded, closed end 34.

The closure crown, skirt, tamper-evident ring and storage cell are all formed integrally in one piece by injection moulding of polypropylene.

An elastomeric sealing wad 36 is bonded to the underside of the closure crown 14.

The container neck 12 is formed integrally in one piece with a carbonated beverage container 40 by blow-moulding of polyethylene terephthalate. The container neck 12 comprises threads 38 for retaining the closure in pressure-tight sealing engagement with the neck. A lip 42 of the container neck 12 abuts against the elastomeric sealing wad 36 to form the pressure-tight seal. The storage cell 18 extends concentrically through the container neck 12.

Preferably, the complementary retaining means on the container neck and a closure skirt for retaining the closure on the container neck are as described and claimed in our International Patent Application W095/05322, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Preferably, the tamper-evident ring arrangement in this container closure assembly is as described in our International Patent Application W094/11267, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

In use, the storage cell 18 is preferably used to store a colouring or flavouring ingredient, preferably a solid colouring or flavouring ingredient, for a carbonated beverage (e.g. soda water) in the main container 40. The colouring or flavouring ingredient from the storage capsule 18 can be dispensed either before or after dispensing of the liquid from main container 40 by simply removing the peeloff sealing web 32 from the mouth 30 of the storage cell 18 and pouring. A particular advantage of this assembly is that the storage cell presents a smooth, continuous and completely gas- and liquid-tight surface to the interior of container 40. This means that there is no risk of gas or liquid from inside container 40 leaking into storage cell 18, even when the contents of container 40 are pressurized, e.g. a carbonated beverage.

The above embodiment has been described by way of example only. Many other embodiments of the present invention falling within the scope of the accompanying claims will be apparent to the skilled reader.

Claims

1. A closure for a container neck, the closure comprising: a crown portion; a skirt portion extending downwardly from the crown portion; retaining means on the inside of the skirt portion for engaging complementary retaining means on the container neck to retain the closure on the container neck; a storage cell having a mouth in the crown portion of the cap and a continuous, sealed body portion formed in one piece integrally with the crown portion of the cap and extending downwardly from the said crown portion inside the said skirt portion for insertion inside the neck of the container; and a removable sealing means to seal the mouth of the storage cell.

2. A closure according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means comprises a screw thread.

3. A closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body of the storage cell is substantially cylindrical.

4. A closure according to any preceding claim, wherein the mouth of the storage cell is a substantially circular aperture in the crown portion of the closure.

5. A closure according to any preceding claim, wherein the removable sealing means comprises a peel-off sealing web.

6. A closure according to any preceding claim, further comprising a tamper-evident ring attached to the skirt portion of the closure.

7. A closure according to any preceding claim, further comprising an elastomeric sealing layer below said crown portion for forming a gas-tight seal with the container neck.

8. A closure according to any preceding claim which is a closure for a pressurized container.

9. A container closure assembly comprising: a closure according to any of claims 1 to 8; and a container neck provided with complementary retaining means to secure said closure on the container neck in sealing engagement.

10. A container closure assembly according to claim 9, wherein the closure forms a pressure-tight seal with the container neck when the closure is secured on the container neck.

11. A carbonated beverage container provided with a container closure assembly according to claim 9 or 10.

12. A closure or a container closure assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.