Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A CONTAINER FOR SEPARATELY STORING FLOWABLE MATERIALS BUT
ALLOWING MIXING OF MATERIALS WHEN REQUIRED
Field of the invention
The present invention is concerned with containers for flowable materials,
and, more
particularly, with containers for liquids in which the pressure is greater
than
atmospheric. It will be appreciated that carbonated beverages such as the so-
called
soft drinks and brewed beverages such as beer and cider are contained at super-
atmospheric pressure, but the present invention is also concerned with
flowable
materials (including other liquids) that are, or can be, contained at super-
atmospheric pressure. In particular, it is not uncommon for a number of
"still" drinks
to be packaged in a container containing an atmosphere of nitrogen at super-
atmospheric pressure. Examples of the goods which are, or can be, packaged in
this
way include juices and juice-drinks, milk and milk based drinks, spirits,
wines, iced
teas and tea drinks and even medicines and pharmaceuticals delivered in liquid
form.
Background to the Invention
In certain alcoholic beverages, particularly stouts, a thick head of creamy
froth has
long been considered desirable. This head is readily generated when a stout is
poured from conventional beer-dispensing apparatus but when stouts are
contained
in cans (as many other alcoholic beverages frequently are) a head of the same
quality is often not produced upon opening the can. This has provided a
disincentive
to the safe of such beverages in cans but Australian patent No. 577486
provides a
solution to this problem. The can described in Australian patent No. 577486
includes
an insert which is a gas filled chamber in communication with the beverage in
the
can through a restricted orifice. Since the chamber is immersed in the
beverage
contained in the can a small amount of the beverage will enter the chamber
through
the restricted orifice so as to equilibrate the pressure in the head space of
the
chamber and the pressure in the head space of the can. Upon opening the can,
the
pressure in the head space of the can will immediately be reduced to
atmospheric
while the pressure in the head space of the secondary chamber will remain,
momentarily at least, at a pressure greater than atmospheric, hence the gas
and/or
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beverage in the chamber will be ejected through the restricted orifice. This
causes
gas in the solution to be evolved and form a head of creamy froth on the
beverage.
The patent does not, however, envisage the introduction of a second liquid
into the
beverage upon opening of the can, and this would not be possible with the
arrangement described since the beverage and any liquid contained in the
secondary chamber would be free to mix whilst the can remained sealed.
There are numerous patents and patent applications filed subsequent to
Australian
patent No. 577486 concerned with the introduction of a head of froth to beer
in a
container, but none envisages a container suitable for the introduction of a
second
liquid to the packaged beverage. However, it would be desirable for a
container to be
able to contain a second flowable material (such as a powder, suspension or
liquid)
in a chamber separate to the main chamber of a pressurised container so that
it may
be introduced subsequently to the beverage in the container. It will be
appreciated
that such a container, although adapted to introduce a second flowable
material to
the packaged beverage, could also introduce gas or a separately contained,
pressurised beverage into the container so as to cause the beverage to foam.
Such a container is described in Patent No. WO 9532130 published November 30,
1995 in which such compartments are separated by a membrane capable of being
grossly ruptured by the release of pressure when the container is opened. In
this
case, one compartment contains whisky and the other soda water, hence when the
membrane is ruptured a whisky and soda drink is produced. Similarly, US patent
No.
4524078 describes a container including a capsule which either has a separable
cap, a frangible wall or in which one wall comprises a wall of the container
and the
capsule is forced away from the wall of the container when the container is
opened.
In each case either a wall ruptures, a component of the capsule separates from
the
capsule or the entire capsule separates explosively from its anchor and may
fragment, so in each case there is a potential choking hazard created by the
formation of small pieces of the capsule within the beverage in the can.
Furthermore,
in each case the encapsulated liquid will be released relatively gently
through a large
orifice into the beverage in the container, so it will diffuse relatively
gradually into the
beverage. This may result in incomplete mixing and does not provide for
spectacular
visual effects.
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International Publication No. WO 95/04689 published February 16, 1995
describes
an arrangement in which a capsule with an orifice in its bottom face is
secured in the
lower portion of a pressurized beverage can. The capsule contains a second
liquid
miscible with the primary liquid contained in the can and, to avoid mixing of
the two
liquids prior to opening of the can, includes a valve stem which seals the
orifice in
the bottom face of the capsule. The bottom face of the capsule is, however,
flexible
and when a pressure differential is created by opening the can, the bottom
face of
the capsule flexes downwardly and the valve stem is dislodged. This allows the
second liquid to enter the can through the orifice and mix with the primary
liquid. It
would be difficult to insert the capsule since it must be pressurized prior to
insertion
but the open can into which it is inserted will not be pressurized until after
it is
sealed. Thus there would be practical difficulties in ensuring that the second
liquid
does not leak through the orifice during insertion. Furthermore, such an
arrangement
is likely to be subject to pressure fluctuations, for example due to
temperature
change, in the head space within the capsule. Since there is no means of
equalizing
the pressure within the head space in the capsule with the pressure in the
head
space within the can, such minor pressure fluctuations will create a pressure
differential whenever the temperature of the can changes. This differential
will result
in small fluctuations in the position of the bottom wall of the capsule and
may result
in leakage, since it is critical that the orifice remain hard against the
valve seat at all
time to avoid leakage.
The present invention aims to provide an arrangement for containing a first
flowable
material and a second flowable material separately in a pressurised container
and
for injecting the second flowable material into the first flowable material
when the
pressurised container is opened. Moreover, having provided such an
arrangement, it
was recognised that it could also be applicable to injecting gas or a
separately
contained, pressurised second flowable material into the first flowable
material.
Summary of The Invention
The invention generally provides a container for separately containing a first
flowable
material and a second flowable material until mixing of the first and second
flowable
materials is desired comprising:
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(i) a first chamber containing the first flowable material and having a first
head
space comprising gas at a pressure greater than or equal to atmosphere
pressure;
(ii) a second chamber containing the second flowable material, the second
flowable material containing gas, and optionally, the second chamber
comprising a second head space containing gas at a pressure greater than
atmospheric pressure;
(iii) means for reducing the pressure in the first chamber;
(iv) means for transferring gas between the first and second chambers; and
(v) means for transferring the second flowable material into the first
flowable
material when the pressure in the first chamber is reduced.
Preferably, the means for reducing the pressure in the first chamber take the
form of
means for opening the first chamber to an environment external to that
chamber, the
external environment being at a pressure lower than the pressure in the first
chamber before the first chamber is exposed to that external environment. A
particularly preferred way of achieving this would be to provide the container
with
means for opening the first chamber to the atmosphere. Such means could take
the
form of, for example, a screwable/unscrewable cap fitted to a bottle, a lift
off tab for a
bottle or can, or a structure located on a wall of the container which is able
to be
pushed in so as to create an opening in the container communicating between
the
first chamber and its external environment. Such means would readily be
comprehended by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, wherever
reference is made in this specification and the appended claims to "means for
reducing the pressure in the first chamber" has to be understood that such
references include a reference to all means of the type discussed in this
paragraph.
Preferably, the second chamber has a second head space and the means for
transferring the gas between the first and second chambers comprise means for
establishing a pressure equilibrium between the first head space and the
second
head space. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the term
"equilibrium" in the context of the balance of pressures between the first and
second
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head spaces should not be taken as implying that the pressures in the first
and
second head spaces are necessarily equal or approximately equal. In fact, as
detailed below, there may actually be a pressure gradient between the first
and
second head spaces, but nonetheless, an equilibrium will exist between the
pressures in the two chambers. in a typical embodiment of the invention, the
arrangement would thus be that the pressure in the first chamber (prior to it
being
opened to its external environment), would be a pressure greater than
atmospheric
pressure. It is preferred that prior to activating the mixing of the first
flowable material
and the second flowable material, the pressure in the first and second head
spaces
is about equal. As explained above however, in other forms of the invention,
there
may be a difference between the pressure in the first and second head spaces.
In
embodiments of the invention where such a pressure differential applies,
preferably,
the difference between the first and second head spaces lies in the range of
from
about 0.1 to about 10 atmospheres.
Preferably, the pressure in each of the first and second head spaces is at
least 0.1
atmosphere, gauge pressure, prior to activation of the container and in order
to mix
the first and second flowable materials. It is particularly preferred that
pressure is at
least 0.5 atmosphere, and even more preferably, at least 1 atmosphere.
Therefore,
the pressure in each of the first and second head spaces is preferably at
least one
atmosphere above atmospheric pressure, prior to the mixing of the first and
second
flowable materials.
It is to be understood that unless the context otherwise requires, wherever
used in
this specification, the term "flowable material" includes liquids, solutions,
suspensions, emulsions, gases and any other forms of matter colloquially
referred to
or known as a "liquid" or a "fluid", as well as other flowable materials, such
as
powders. The first and the second flowable materials may be materials of the
same
physical character, or of different kinds. In one preferred form of the
invention, each
of the first and second flowable materials would comprise true liquids. In yet
other
forms of the invention however, the first flowable material could take the
form of a
true liquid, and the second flowable material could (for example) take the
form of a
powder. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many
other
combinations are possible, and are embraced within the scope of the present
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invention. Such persons would also readily appreciate that the flowable
material in
either chamber could - prior to mixing with the flowable material in the other
chamber
- also constitute a combination of two or more flowable materials (eg, a
liquid
containing a gas).
Preferably, the means for transferring the second flowable material comprise a
conduit means extending from within the reservoir of the second flowable
material in
the second chamber into the first head space. Alternatively, the conduit may
terminate within the first flowable material, in which case it would be
desirable to
include a siphon breaker arrangement such as a small orifice in the conduit
means
within the first head space. More preferably, the conduit means passes through
the
second head space.
Preferably, the conduit means comprise a structure through which the flowable
material may travel. Preferred structures for this purpose include tubes, and
channels (including enclosed and open channels). Alternatively, the structure
could
take the form of one or more bores formed through a wall or like partition
separating
the two chambers of the apparatus. A particularly preferred conduit means
would
include a capillary structure, such as (for example), a capillary tube. In
this regard, it
is to be understood that wherever used in this specification, the term
"capillary"
includes not only structures or apparatus which are thin or of hair-like
configuration,
but also, other structures or apparatus which are capable of employing a
capillary
action.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for
equilibrating
pressure comprises a small orifice in the conduit means within the second head
space. The orifice may be a round hole but could equally well be an oblate or
square
hole, a slot, or the like. It will be appreciated that gradual pressurisation
and
depressurisation of the second head space occurs when the orifice is present
since
the orifice is in direct fluid communication through the conduit means and the
orifice
in its end (or the orifice operating as a siphon breaker) with the first head
space.
However, when rapid depressurisation of the first chamber occurs, a pressure
differential will be created between the first chamber and the second chamber
as the
orifice is sufficiently small that a large pressure differential such as
created when the
first chamber is opened to the atmosphere cannot be equilibrated
instantaneously.
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Accordingly, there will an initial flow of the second flowable material
through the
conduit means, and the initial flow will quickly block the small orifice.
Thus, the
pressure differential created by opening the first chamber to the atmosphere
cannot
be equilibrated and flow of the second flowable material through the conduit
means it
will continue until there is no longer sufficient pressure differential to
drive that flow.
Preferably, the transfer mechanism additionally comprises means whereby the
second flowable material travels through the second head space, prior to
entering
the first chamber. This arrangement would prevent the second flowable material
from entering the first chamber by leakage through gravity, unless and until
it is
transferred from the second chamber by equilibration of pressures between the
first
and second chambers, as described earlier. In this manner, the container would
effectively provide a "liquid lock", thereby preventing premature transfer of
the
second flowable material into the first flowable material, until transfer is
activated in
accordance with the invention. Advantageously, the orifice remains above the
level
of the second flowable material, even if the container is laid on its side. In
this
arrangement the second flowable material cannot block the orifice at any time
except
when flow of the second flowable material through the conduit means is induced
by
opening the first chamber to the atmosphere. This will minimise the
possibility of
leakage when the container is laid on its side as any small pressure
differentials
created due to fluctuations in temperature or the like will be quickly
equilibrated,
irrespective of the orientation of the container.
It may at times be desirable to provide an orifice adapted to be variable in
size. For
example, the orifice may be fully opened when the first chamber is fully
pressurised
to ensure that effectively, no pressure differential is created between the
first
chamber and the second chamber, but the orifice could be restricted or closed
when
the first chamber is about to be opened to the atmosphere. In the former case
this
ensures that the orifice is effectively closed by the second flowable material
during
depressurisation of the first chamber and in the latter case equilibration of
pressure
is prevented entirely for a period of time prior to opening the first chamber
to the
atmosphere. In each case, the arrangement facilitates the transfer of the
second
flowable material whilst minimising the possibility of leakage when the
container is in
the unopened condition, since the exchange of gases between the first chamber
and
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the second chamber will be enhanced in that condition. This is particularly so
because one can use an orifice larger than that which would ensure adequate
discharge of the second flowable material if its diameter can be restricted
prior to
discharge.
The orifice may comprise a slit or valve formed in the capillary. The slit or
valve will
be closed when the pressure differential between the first chamber and the
second
chamber is less than a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is,
preferably, between 0.1 atmospheres and 2 atmospheres, gauge pressure. When
the pressure in the first chamber exceeds the pressure in the second chamber
by
more than this predetermined amount, the slit or valve will open and allow the
pressure in the two chambers to reach an equilibrium. It will be appreciated
by those
of skill in the art that in the case of a typical carbonated beverage
container made in
accordance to the invention, the pressure differential arising when discharge
occurs
is of the order of 0.5 atmospheres, so this differential will, of course, open
the small
orifice, but the orifice is too small for such a large pressure differential
to be
equilibrated. The advantage of using a slit which is closed when no pressure
differential, or only a small pressure differential less than the
predetermined amount,
exists, is that leakage of the second flowable material is minimised.
Any other suitable means of equilibrating the pressure between the first head
space
and the second head space may be employed. For example, the second chamber
could be made of or include a portion of a gas permeable plastic such as low
density
polyethylene, high impact polystyrene, polycarbonate, co-polymers of two or
more
such plastics materials, or the like. In this embodiment of the invention,
diffusion of
gas through the gas permeable plastic impregnates the second flowable material
in
a second chamber containing that flowable material. The entire capsule could
be
made out of a gas permeable plastic, however, in some applications of the
invention,
it is preferable to make the capsule out of a plastic which is relatively non-
permeable
to gas and to make the conduit means (including those parts of it which are in
contact with the first head space) out of a gas permeable plastic. In this
case, the
conduit means does not require an orifice to be formed therein, but rather the
gas
merely diffuses through the plastic forming the conduit means. Alternatively,
a
portion of the conduit means may be made of a gas permeable plastic. A
particularly
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suitable gas permeable plastic is low density polyethylene, although other gas
permeable plastics are known which are also suitable. Alternatively, part of
the
capsule (other than the conduit means) could be made out of a gas permeable
plastic.
Advantageously, the second chamber floats on the top of the first flowable
material,
or is fixed to the container at or above the level of the first flowable
material. In the
case of the container taking the form of a bottle, the second chamber may be
fixed to
the underside of the cap. In this last mentioned embodiment, the second
chamber is
preferably located adjacent to or below the cap, but is attached to the neck
of the
bottle.
In any such arrangement, the second head space and the first head space are
separated merely by the walls of the second chamber. In this case it is
advantageous for the conduit means to consist of a capillary or a structure
otherwise
defining a channel. Examples of suitable structures include a gooseneck
capillary or
a concentric pipe arrangement. Typically, a capillary or channel-defining
structure
comprises a first vertical portion extending from within the reservoir of the
second
flowable material in the second chamber into the second head space, a
horizontal
portion extending through the wall of the second chamber into the first head
space
and a second vertical portion within the first head space to direct the second
flowable material, when ejected from the second chamber, into the first
flowable
material. The orifice, to allow equilibration of the pressures in the first
and second
head spaces, could be in any part of the capillary or channel-defining
structure,
provided it is above the level of the second flowable material.
Alternatively such a capillary or channel-defining structure may comprise a
first
vertical position extending from within the reservoir of the second flowable
material
in the second chamber into the second head space, a horizontal portion within
the
second head space and a second vertical portion extending from the second head
space through the second liquid (but without any means of communicating
therewith)
and then through a bottom wall of the second chamber into the first head
space. The
orifice or valve to allow equalisation of the pressures in the first and
second head
spaces could be in the horizontal portion of the capillary or channel-defining
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structure, but could also be in either the first or second vertical portions
of such a
structure provided it is above the level of the second flowable material.
Advantageously, means are also provided to keep the orifice above the level of
the
second flowable material, even if the container is laid on its side. Typically
this is
achieved by ensuring that the second flowable material is filled only to a
predetermined level and that the orifice is in a position which is above that
level,
irrespective of the orientation of the container, although of course it will
be
appreciated the total inversion of the container or some other inappropriate
handling
could immerse the orifice. It may also be necessary for the container to be
packaged
in such a way that it cannot be positioned in certain orientations.
There may be more than one such orifice. Advantageously, a first such orifice
is
located in the first vertical portion not far above the surface of the second
flowable
material and a second such orifice is located further from the second flowable
material in the first vertical portion or in the second vertical portion or
the horizontal
portion. Thus, should the surface tension in the second flowable material be
sufficient for it to move up the capillary far enough to block the first
orifice, gas
exchange can still occur through the second orifice. A non-wetting agent could
be
added to the second flowable material or coated onto the inside of the
capillary to
minimise movement of the second flowabie material into the capillary prior to
discharge.
A mechanical barrier on the end of the first vertical portion could be
employed to
prevent entry of the second flowable material into the first vertical portion
of the
capillary/ channel defining structure. A suitable barrier could comprise a cap
secured
to the bottom wall of the second chamber and able to receive the end of the
first
vertical portion of the capillary, the cap having a small orifice formed in
its side. The
first vertical portion of the capillary/structure, when received in the cap,
closes the
small orifice in the side of the cap but, when it moves away from the bottom
of the
second chamber, for example when the cap of the container (in this case, in
the form
of a bottle) is unscrewed, the small orifice is opened. Accordingly, entry of
the
second liquid to the capillary/structure is prevented while the bottle is
closed but
opening the bottle brings the end of the first vertical portion of the
capillary into a
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position where the small orifice in the cap is no longer sealed and discharge
can
occur.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the horizontal
portion of the
capillary abuts the underside of the cap of a bottle and the capillary is
adapted for
folding movement in the vicinity of the orifice. Typically this folding
movement occurs
in response to pressure applied, generally manually, to the bottle cap and
causes
the capillary to fold in such a manner as to restrict or close the orifice.
Thus, digital
pressure can be applied to the cap of a bottle just prior to opening, or as a
part of the
opening action, to restrict or close the orifice.
Advantageously, back flow prevention means are provided in the capillary to
ensure
that the first flowable material does not flow through the capillary into the
second
chamber, for example, when the container is laid on its side. Such back flow
prevention means may comprise a simple flap of a suitable material secured
within
the capillary in such a manner as to prevent flow of the flowable material
from the
first chamber into the second chamber but to allow the flow of the second
flowable
material from the second chamber into the. first chamber. Typically the flap
is
located on the second vertical portion of the capillary very near its opening
to the first
chamber. If desired, a one-way valve could be used in place of the flap of
material.
Alternative means could be used for transferring the second flowable material.
When
the second chamber is mounted above the level of the first flowable material,
for
example, by being fixed to the container or to the underside of a cap, the
second
liquid may be transferred (for example, by injection) through an orifice
formed in a
bottom wall of the second chamber. The orifice will be sealed whilst there is
no
pressure differential between the first chamber and the second chamber but
when
the first chamber is suddenly depressurised upon opening to the atmosphere,
the
orifice will be opened. This may be accomplished, for example, by covering the
orifice with a burstable sealing strip which ruptures on opening of the
container, or by
various arrangements of valve means. Suitable valve means for this purpose
include
an orifice that is opened by relative movement (ie, separation) apart of
opposed
walls structurally defining or forming part of the bottom wall of the second
chamber,
poppet valves in the bottom wall and the like.
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One particularly suitable arrangement comprises a valve stem fixed in the
orifice
prior to screwing on the cap of a bottle but adapted for capture by the cap as
the cap
is screwed on, whereupon when the cap is unscrewed the valve stem is unseated
from the orifice. Alternatively, the valve stem may be secured to the cap
throughout
the closing operation but has a sharp-end which pierces the bottom wall of the
second chamber forming the orifice, but sealing it as it is created. Once
again,
opening the cap results in withdrawal of the valve stem from the orifice and
so the
second flowable material is released. In a yet further arrangement, the means
for
transferring the second flowable material could comprise a conduit means in
the
form of a stand pipe which is concentrically located within the second
chamber,
adapted for capture with the cap of a bottle as the cap is fitted to the
bottle, and
which also has an associated valve means located at the top or the bottom of
the
stand pipe, wherein the transfer of the second flowable material into the
first flowable
material is activated by opening the cap. The opening of the cap may be
actuated by
unscrewing it, by a lift off mechanism, or by other means which would readily
be
apparent to those skilled in the art.
In another arrangement that could be used, either the bottom or the top wall
of the
container is flexible and the orifice is closed by sealing against a valve
stem affixed
to the top wall of the second chamber opposite the orifice when pressure is
equilibrated between the first chamber and the second chamber. However, the
bottom wall (or the top wall, as the case may be) flexes when the first
chamber is
equilibrated and so moves away from the valve stem, thereby opening the
orifice.
Alternatively, and this arrangement can be used more particularly where
conduit
means such as a capillary or channel-defining structure as described above are
employed, the top or bottom wall of the container is flexible but seals
against the
opening of the conduit means to the second flowable material when pressure in
the
first chamber and the second chamber is equilibrated, but flexes away from it
when
the first chamber is depressurised.
Yet another possible arrangement has a bottom or top wall which is not
particularly
flexible but is able to deform sufficiently to form a seal when held against
the
opening of the conduit means. In this arrangement the conduit means and the
bottom or top wall are arranged so as to come into sealing contact when the
cap is in
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sealed disposition on a bottle form of the container but to move away from
sealing
contact as the cap moves upwardly on the crown of the bottle during the
unsealing
operation. More particularly, in a screw cap arrangement, seating contact is
first
made as the cap is screwed on after filling the bottle, is maintained whilst
the bottle
remains capped, and is broken as the cap is unscrewed.
The invention further provides a container for separately containing a first
flowable
material and a second flowable material until it is desired to mix those
materials,
comprising:
(a) a first chamber containing the first flowable material, and having a first
head
space comprising gas at a pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric
pressure;
(b) a second chamber containing a second flowable material and comprising a
gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, the second chamber
having a base part located generally at or towards a lower part of the first
chamber and further comprising conduit means extending from the base part
towards the surface of the first flowable material; and
(c) means for opening the first chamber to the atmosphere so as thereby to
cause the second flowable material to be transferred into the first flowable
material.
The container may also comprise means for equilibrating the pressure in the
first and
second chambers, prior to opening the first chamber to the atmosphere. For
example, a tube, channel or other conduit means extending from the second head
space to the first head space could be employed for this purpose.
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that in the absence of providing
such pressure
equilibration means, the pressures in the first and second chambers should be
substantially equal. Hence, the second chamber must be introduced into the
container at a time when (i) the second chamber is pressurised and (ii) the
first
chamber is yet to be pressurised.
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The present invention also provides a method of filling a container in
accordance
with the last mentioned aspect of the present invention, comprising the steps
of:
(1) introducing the second flowable material into the second chamber;
(2) pressurising the second chamber;
(3) freezing at least a portion of the second flowable material so as to close
the
conduit means with frozen second flowable material;
(4) inserting the second chamber in the first chamber and introducing the
first
flowable material into the first chamber;
(5) sealing the first chamber; and
(6) heating the container.
It will be appreciated that upon heating, for example in the pasteurisation
process,
the plug of the second flowable material closing the conduit means melts.
However,
an air lock barrier will be set up within the conduit means to partition the
second
flowable material from the first flowable material, thereby preventing mixing.
Alternatively, a thermoplastic material could be used to form a plug which
will melt
when the container is heated, or a burstable seal could be provided to close
off the
conduit means, provided that the seal will burst upon a pressure differential
being
established between the second chamber, and the first chamber, upon opening of
the first chamber to the atmosphere.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that any of the
embodiments of the
invention described above may include a plurality of chambers (rather than a
single
second chamber), capable of delivering a plurality of different flowable
materials. It
will also be appreciated that different flowable materials could be
transferred from
different chambers in the same insert or could be transferred from separate
inserts.
Typically the second chamber is substantially smaller in volume than the first
chamber. In general, it is only necessary to deliver small volumes of the
second
flowable material to the first flowable material. In general, in the context
of a
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beverage container, between 1 and 90% of the second head space is occupied by
the second flowable material.
Typically the first flowable material is a beverage.
In one embodiment of the invention, (in which the container contains a
beverage),
the second flowable material comprises a colouring such as a 1% solution of
tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmoisine or brilliant blue. Advantageously when
the
container containing the beverage and the tartrazine solution is opened, a
colour
change to the first liquid (ie, the beverage) occurs, providing a dramatic
visual effect
which may be transient, persisting only for a few seconds after the bottle is
opened,
or may be relatively long-lasting. An example of the latter would be a
situation where
a twist or pattern of colour is produced in the liquid. Alternatively, a
substantial
volume of coloured liquid may be transferred, so as to create a two-layer
effect in the
container. Clearly the creation of a two-layer effect is reliant on the second
liquid
having a density very different from that of the first liquid. In general, the
second
liquid would be floated on top of the first liquid but if injected from the
bottom of the
container, the second liquid may constitute the bottom layer of liquid.
The second liquid could also be or contain a flavouring, which may or may not
be
colouriess. Suitable flavouring systems are essential oils in ethyl alcohol
compounded flavour chemicals and essential oils with ethyl alcohol and water \
compounded flavour chemical with propylene glycol and essential oils wetted
with
wetting agents in aqueous solution with surfactants. Typically the flavours
are
present in 0.01-0.2% v/v. Examples of essential oils are citrus oils such as
lemon,
lime and orange (distilled and cold pressed), and natural spice oils such as
cinnamon, buchu, peppermint and the like. Suitable flavour chemicals are in
general
esters, aidehydes, fatty acids, lactones, and terpene alcohols. Vanillin (4-
hydroxy-3-
methoxybenzaldehyde) is one example but other suitable flavourings would be
well
known to the person skilled in the art.
Where two or more liquids are delivered to the beverage the two liquids could,
for
example, both be colourings, in which case a spectacular visual effect would
be
created. This would be particularly so if they are injected into the beverage
in
different positions. Alternatively, both such liquids could be the
flavourings, in which
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case gradients of flavourings could be created, particularly if a thixotropic
or
thickening agent is also injected into the beverage either together with one
or more
of the flavourings or separately. Alternatively, each liquid could be a
different class of
liquid, for example a flavouring and a colouring could be injected at the same
time,
or at different times, as desired.
It is also possible that a coloured twist, as described above, is also
flavoured , in
which case the flavour will not permeate the entire drink immediately. Thus,
gradients of flavour may be created. A typical twist is a twist of juice or
juice
concentrate.
Colour changes may also be induced in other ways. For example, colour
formation
by certain food dyes such as cochineal and anthocyanins is pH dependent, and
will
form different colours depending on whether they are in an acid or alkaline
environment. This property could be exploited by containing a beverage at, pH,
say,
below 7 and using a dye in a weak basic solution as the second liquid. When
the
container is opened the basic dye solution will be injected into the acidic
solution in
the container, and will lower the pH of the dye to somewhere below 7,
initiating a
colour change in the dye. A similar effect could be created by using a
chelating
agent as the second liquid where the presence or absence of metal ions in the
dye
effects the colour change in that dye.
Flavour enhancing agents could also be incorporated into the second liquid,
for
example, the second liquid could constitute an aqueous solution of sugar, a
formulated flavour or an artificial sweetener, such as phenylalanine. Whilst
this is not
particularly advantageous with compounds that are stable in aqueous solution,
flavouring agents that are unstable in aqueous solution or flavour enhancers
that are
unstable in aqueous solution can be added to beverages. This enables these
agents
to be used when they could not previously be used at all, or had to be added
in
sufficient quantities to allow for breakdown of a substantial proportion of
the
compound.
The second flowable material may be any other liquid or other kind of flowable
material which it would be desirable to introduce into a beverage. For
example, it
could be a tea concentrate to be introduced into a juice drink, or vice versa.
Another
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example is the mixing of spirits and a soft drink. The second liquid could
also be a
thixotropic or thickening agent, a pharmaceutical (and this will be
advantageous
when, for example, a drug is unstable in aqueous solution but can be stored as
a
concentrate in ethanol or some other liquid and where it is desirable to
administer it
by mouth as a dilute aqueous solution or where an undesirable taste in a
medicine
needs to be masked), quinine concentrate for mixing with carbonated water to
create
tonic water, or like mixtures.
In some cases where two liquids are mixed, some people prefer more of one
liquid
and less of the other, or even that one liquid be excluded from the mixture.
Accordingly, the present invention also provides a container in which the
concentration of the second liquid in the first liquid can be varied. One
means of
doing this in the embodiments of the invention where there are means for
equilibrating the pressure between the first head space and the second head
space,
is to provide a bleed hole or valve arrangement in the cap of a bottle. This
allows
some of the gas from either the first head space or the second head space to
be
bled gradually. Irrespective of which chamber is bled, the slight pressure
differential
created will quickly equilibrate so there will be no discharge of the second
liquid but
the pressure within both head spaces is reduced. Accordingly when the first
chamber is opened to the atmosphere there will be created a lesser pressure
differential between the second head space and the first head space than would
have been created if no gas had been bled. Accordingly, there is a lesser
driving
force for the second liquid to be expelled from the second chamber. If the
pressure
in the container has been reduced sufficiently, not all of the second liquid
will be
expelled from the second chamber so the concentration of the second liquid in
first
liquid will be less.
Alternatively, if the orifice used to equilibrate pressure between the first
head space
and the second head space is relatively large, the second liquid will not
fully
discharge. In this case there will be a tendency to rapid equalisation of
pressure
when the first chamber is opened to the atmosphere and this will occur to some
extent before the orifice is blocked, thus reducing the pressure in the second
head
space.
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Where the second chamber is mounted on the underside of the cap of a bottle it
will
be appreciated that no opportunity for any further discharge of the second
liquid is
available if the cap is removed or disposed of. However, if the container is
sealed by
replacing the cap or if the second chamber is secured within the container,
placing a
finger over the bottle top and shaking, the second chamber will be pressurised
to
some extent. When the container is reopened to the atmosphere the second
liquid
will discharge once again thus, if an extra strong mixture is required
instructions
could be included on the container to proceed in the manner described above.
Furthermore, one component of a mixture, for example an iced tea concentrate,
could be excluded from a juice drink by an arrangement in which, for example,
removal of a tab from the bottle cap prior to opening the bottle removes a
mechanical blockage from the capillary.
The second liquid may include foaming promoters if it would be advantageous to
cause foaming in the first chamber when the second liquid is injected therein.
Alternatively, the second liquid may contain foaming inhibitors if it is
likely that
excessive foaming would occur when the second liquid is injected into the
first liquid.
Suitable foaming inhibitors are lipids, fatty acids, for example oleic acid,
and fatty
alcohols, for example octanol, and suitable foaming promoters are finely
divided
salts and powders, proteinaceous materials such as may be derived from barley,
and extracts from soapwoods and hops.
Advantageously, the first chamber and/or the second chamber could include
active
surfaces which promote nucleation. Typically these active surfaces are
surfaces on
polyolefin structures inserted in the chamber but the entire interior of the
chamber
could be coated with a polyolefin. In the case of the first chamber, the
provision of
active surfaces enhances foaming in a beverage contained therein. In the case
of
the second chamber, the active surfaces maximise decarbonation of the second
liquid which provides an additional driving force for discharge of the second
liquid.
Tamper proof caps may also overcome the problem of excessive foaming in those
beverages prone to this, by allowing the pressure to be released by partially
opening
the bottle, followed by a separate action to remove the cap fully.
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Having provided an arrangement for effectively containing a first flowable
material
and a second flowable material separately in a pressurised container, and for
transferring the second flowable material into the first when the pressurised
container is opened, it was found that such an arrangement could also be used
to
inject gas or a separately contained aliquot of the first flowable material
into the
major portion of the first flowable material.
Accordingly, in a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
for separately containing a major portion of a first flowable material and a
minor
portion of a second flowable material (in the form of a liquid or a gas),
comprising a
first chamber containing the major portion of the first flowable material and
having a
first head space comprising gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric
pressure; a
second chamber containing the minor portion of the second flowable material
(in the
form of a liquid or gas), the gas pressure in the second chamber being at
greater
than atmospheric pressure; means for transferring gas between the first
chamber
and the second chamber, means for opening the first chamber to the atmosphere;
and means for injecting the minor portion of the second flowable material into
the
major portion of the first flowable material, when the first chamber is opened
to the
atmosphere.
The other features of the invention described above with reference to the
introduction of a second flowable material (typically a liquid) into a first
flowable
material (typically also a liquid) are equally applicable to this embodiment
of the
invention, the exception being that where a gas is injected into the first
flowable
material (where that material is a liquid), the conduit means for introducing
the gas
must extend to below the surface of the first flowable material. Preferably,
such
conduit means extend almost to the bottom of the container (which is typically
a
bottle). Other adaptations are described with reference to Figs. 15a-c, 16a-c
and
17a-c.
Moreover, some of the arrangements described above are suitable for delivering
a
second liquid into a first liquid, a minor portion of the first liquid into
major portion of
the first liquid, or a gas into the first liquid in arrangements which do not
have means
for equilibrating the pressure between the first chamber and the second
chamber.
That is to say, a prepressurised second chamber can be inserted in a bottle or
other
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form of container suitable for use in the invention, and can deliver its
contents via the
arrangements described above, and such arrangements also constitute a part of
the
present invention.
Brief description of the drawings
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way
of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a cross-section through the upper portion of a container (in the
form of a
bottle) in accordance with the present invention;
Figs. 2a-c illustrate discharge of the insert shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the upper portion of a bottle in accordance
with a
further embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the upper portion of a bottle in accordance
with a
still further embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the top portion of a bottle in accordance
with a still
further embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the top-portion of a bottle in accordance
with a yet
another embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 7a-c illustrate the manner of discharge of the insert shown in Fig. 6;
Figs. 8a-c illustrate the discharge of an insert in accordance with yet
another
embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 9a-c illustrate the discharge of an insert in accordance with still
another
embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 10a-c illustrate the discharge of an insert in accordance with still
another
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 11 is a cross-section through the bottom portion of a bottle in
accordance with
still another embodiment of the present invention;
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Fig. 12 is a cross-section through the bottom portion of a bottle in
accordance with
still another embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 13a-c illustrate the manner of discharge of the insert shown in Figs. 10
and 11;
Figs. 14a-d illustrate the manner of pressurisation and discharge of a
modification of
the insert shown in Fig. 4;
Figs. 15a-c are similar to Figs. 8a-c but illustrate an embodiment of the
invention in
which a gas is injected into a liquid contained in the bottle;
Figs. 16a-c illustrate a further embodiment of the invention wherein gas is
injected
into a liquid contained in a bottle;
Figs. 17a-c show the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 9a-c
adapted to
inject gas into a liquid contained in the bottle; and
Figs. 18a-c illustrate the mode of operation of a yet further embodiment of
the
invention.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention
Fig. 1 illustrates a bottle 10, which constitutes a first chamber, with a
screw thread
11 for receiving a screw cap (not shown) formed above flange 13 so as to seal
the
opening 12 to the bottle. The bottle is filled close to the bottom of flange
13 with a
first flowable material (in the form of a liquid 15), but a first head space
14,
comprising gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure when the bottle
is
sealed, is left above the first liquid 15. In general, the first liquid 15 is
a carbonated
beverage and so the head space 14 pressurises upon sealing of the bottle due
to
evolution of gas from the first liquid 15 but if the first liquid 15 is a
"still" beverage it is
common practice to pressurise the bottle with nitrogen or the like.
In this embodiment of the invention an insert 16 floats on first liquid 15.
The insert
16, which constitutes a second chamber, generally has a thermoplastic wall 19
enclosing a space which comprises a second flowable material (in the form of a
liquid 17) and second head space 18. The insert 16 has conduit means, in this
case,
in the form of a gooseneck capillary, extending from the first head space 14
through
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wall 19 and into the interior thereof. The gooseneck capillary comprises a
first
vertical portion 23, a horizontal portion 22, which extends through the wall
19 of the
insert 16, and a second vertical portion 21. Second vertical portion 21 has an
opening 25 to the first head space 14. Furthermore, the gooseneck capillary 20
includes a small orifice 24, and the ratio of the diameter of the gooseneck
capillary
20 to the diameter of orifice 24 is about 15:1. In the embodiment shown the
orifice
24 is in the first vertical portion 23 of the gooseneck 20, and this portion
of the
gooseneck capillary 20 also includes orifice 26 opening into the second liquid
17.
The manner of discharge of the insert 16 shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in
Figs. 2a-c.
In Fig. 2a the bottle is shown capped with cap 27, hence the bottle 10 is
pressurised.
The pressure within the bottle 10 may be anything up to 5 atmospheres in
normal
use, dependent on the beverage contained therein. With the bottle 10 in the
sealed
condition, as shown in Fig. 2a, the pressure in the head space 14 of the
bottle 10 is
in fluid connection with the second head space 18 in the insert 16 by way of
inlet 25
to the gooseneck capillary 20, the gooseneck capillary 20 and the small
orifice 24
formed in the gooseneck capillary 20. This small orifice is sufficiently small
that any
pressure differential between the first and second head spaces is not
equilibrated
immediately, but equilibrates gradually over time. However, where there are
small
fluctuations in the pressure in first head space 14, perhaps as a result of
minor
temperature changes when a cold room or refrigerator is closed or opened, such
changes are readily equilibrated without discharge of the second liquid 17.
As shown in Fig. 2b, when the cap 27 is removed the pressure in the first head
space 14 immediately drops to atmospheric pressure. The small orifice 24
cannot
equilibrate such a large pressure differential immediately. Thus, the pressure
differential created by opening the bottle 10 to the atmosphere initiates a
flow of the
second liquid 17 into gooseneck capillary 20. The second liquid 17 quickly
reaches
small orifice 24 and blocks any further exchange of gases through this
orifice. There
now remains no means of equalising the pressure differential between the first
head
space 14 and the second head space 18 other than by discharge of the second
liquid 17. Accordingly, discharge of the second liquid 17 continues until the
pressure
differential no longer exists.
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As best seen in Fig. 2c, the second liquid 17 quickly flows through outlet 25
from
gooseneck capillary 20 and does so as a jet of liquid since there is a
substantial
driving force created by the large pressure differential generated. Thus the
second
liquid 17 surges through the first liquid 15, and if it is relatively miscible
therewith,
mixes rapidly. On the other hand, if the second liquid is not particularly
miscible
(perhaps as it has minimal solubility in the first liquid or because it is
substantially
more viscous than the first liquid), visual effects can be created where the
second
liquid is a colouring, or gradients of flavour can be created where the second
liquid is
a flavouring. Typically, a twist of a coloured flavouring agent such as a
juice or
cordial can be created. Alternatively, a formerly transparent drink can be
coloured if
a miscible colouring is added or a drink can be coloured changed if a colour
change
additive, as described previously, is injected.
A variant of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in
Fig. 3.
In view of the similarity between the two embodiments, the same reference
numerals
have been used for similar features. In fact, the two embodiments differ only
in that
second vertical portion 21 of the gooseneck capillary terminates beneath the
surface
of the first liquid 15, and in that second vertical portion 21 includes a
second orifice
24b. The second orifice 24b communicates with first head space 14, hence
allows
pressure equalisation between the two head spaces 14 and 18. The manner of
discharge of the insert 16 is as described previously with reference to Figs.
2a-c
except that the second liquid 17 is discharged directly into the first liquid
rather than
into first head space 14.
Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and Figs. 7a-c illustrate embodiments of the invention
similar to
that described above with reference to Figs. 1, 2a-c and 3 but wherein the
insert is
mounted on the underside of the cap of the bottle. Accordingly, the same
reference
numerals will be used for similar features in these Figs.
In Fig. 4, cap 27 is seen to comprise a thread engaging portion 29 with a
sealing
section 28 on its underside. The insert 16 is secured to the underside of
sealing
section 28 in any convenient manner, for example, using adhesive or by
thermally
bonding it thereto, or by attaching it to the thread or moulded features of
the cap. On
this occasion the gooseneck capillary 20 has a first vertical portion 23,
including
orifice 24, extending from the reservoir of second liquid 17 (and including an
opening
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26 thereto) into the second head space 18 as in Fig. 1. However, the
horizontal
portion 22 of the gooseneck capillary 20 does not pass through the wall 19 of
the
insert 16, rather the second vertical portion 21 of the gooseneck capillary 20
commences within the second head space 18, passes through the second liquid 17
without communication therewith and then through the wall 19 into the first
head
space 14. Towards the end of second vertical portion 21 a flap 30 of a
suitable
material is arranged so as to prevent flow of first liquid into the gooseneck
capillary
but so as to allow the flow of second liquid 17 through outlet, thus the flap
30 acts as
a back flow prevention means. It will also be appreciated that the level of
second
liquid 17 is such that it will not cover orifice 24 if the bottle is laid on
either side. The
dotted line A represents the level of the second liquid 17 if the bottle 10
were laid on
its left side as illustrated in Fig. 4 and the dotted line B illustrates the
level of second
liquid 17 if the bottle were laid on its right side as illustrated in Fig. 4.
The cross
hatched regions beneath each of these lines shows the area of the inside of
the
insert 16 which would be covered, and it will be apparent that orifice 24 is
not
covered when the bottle is laid on either side. This is because the insert 16
in this
case is filled to only about 40% of capacity and, with the first vertical
portion 23 of
the gooseneck capillary 20 positioned a little to the left of centre line C
but with the
orifice 24 on its right side (and so virtually centred), the orifice 24 is not
covered.
This is advantageous because, irrespective of the orientation of the bottle,
small
pressure differentials between the first head space 14 and the second head
space
18 can be equilibrated.
The first vertical portion 23 of the gooseneck capillary 20 in this case has
fold lines
(not shown) to either side of orifice 24. Furthermore, horizontal portion 22
of the
gooseneck capillary 20 abuts the underside of the cap 27. Thus, pressure
applied in
the direction of arrow C to the point directly above the horizontal portion 22
of the
gooseneck capillary will be transferred to the first vertical portion 23 and
act on the
folds to either side of the orifice 24, causing the capillary to fold thereby
closing or
restricting orifice 24. If the orifice 24 is closed completely prior to
opening the bottle
it will be appreciated that there is no opportunity whatsoever for the
pressure in the
first head space 14 and the pressure in the second head space 18 to
equilibrate
before the second liquid 17 surges into the first liquid 15 through the
gooseneck
capillary 20. On the other hand, if the orifice is merely restricted, it will
be
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appreciated that there will be less opportunity for any substantial
equalisation of
pressure and gas exchange through the orifice 24 will be more easily prevented
when the second liquid 17 surges into the first vertical portion 23 of the
gooseneck
capillary 20.
Figs. 5 and 6 each illustrate an insert 16 similar to that shown in the
previous Figs.
but with the first vertical portion 23 of gooseneck capillary 20 positioned
close to the
wall 19 of insert 16 instead of centrally. As a result, the horizontal portion
22 of the
gooseneck capillary 20 is reduced in length. In Fig. 5, the second vertical
portion 21
of the gooseneck capillary 20 terminates in first head space 14 but in Fig. 6
it
terminates beneath the surface of the first liquid 15. Accordingly, the
gooseneck
capillary 20 in Fig. 6 includes a second orifice 24b and the first orifice is
designated
24a. The function of the second orifice 24b is as described with reference to
Fig. 3.
The discharge of the insert 16 of Fig. 6 is shown in Figs. 7a-c and occurs in
substantially the same manner as the discharge of the insert shown in Fig. 3
and
described in connection with Figs. 2a-c. The major difference in the manner of
discharge is that cap 27, shown sealed in Fig. 7a, is loosened in Fig. 7b but
not
removed completely at this stage. In general tamper evident caps are removed
in
two stages, a first stage in which a seal is broken which releases the
pressure in the
bottle and a second stage in which the cap is unscrewed. The release of
pressure in
the first step is sufficient to initiate injection of the second liquid 17
into first liquid 15
as seen in Fig. 7c. The discharge is sufficiently rapid that it will be
completed before
the cap is completely unscrewed. The insert shown in Fig. 5 discharges in a
similar
manner but injects the second liquid 17 into the first head space 14.
The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8a-c is once again
similar to that
illustrated in Figs. 2a-c. The insert 16 in this case includes a gooseneck
capillary 20
which does not have the small orifice 24 formed therein, rather a portion of
the top
surface 31 of the insert 16 is made of a gas permeable plastics material such
as
nylon, polyethylene or PET so that the second liquid gradually becomes
saturated
with gas permeating there through from the first head space 14. In this case
gas
dissolves in the second liquid as the gas diffuses through the gas permeable
plastic,
until the second liquid is saturated. Upon removal of the cap 27 the second
liquid 17
will tend to liberate the gas dissolved therein but it will not pass through
the gas
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permeable membrane rapidly, so the second liquid surges into the gooseneck
capillary 20 with this as its driving force. A gas permeable plastic patch
could be
used in other embodiments of the insertion also including those (such as shown
in
Figs. 4 and 5) where the insert is mounted on a bottle cap.
The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 9a-c comprises a bottle
40, the
interior of which constitutes a first chamber, capped by a cap 41 comprising a
thread
engagement portion 42 and a sealing portion 43. The sealing portion 43 is made
of
a resilient material such as a thermoplastic. The thread engaging portion 42
of the
cap engages thread on bottle 40. The bottle 40 includes flange 44 above which
the
cap 41 sits when in the fully sealed position.
The sealing portion 43 of the cap 41 has an insert 45, constituting a second
chamber
of the container, attached to its underside. Furthermore, a portion of the
sealing
portion 43 of the cap 41 constitutes a top wall 46 of the insert 45. Side wall
47 of
the insert 45 has a small orifice 48 (although a valve or a gas permeable
patch could
be used to ensure that the second liquid 53 does not flow out of the insert 45
when
bottle 40 is laid on it side) formed therein and the bottom wall 49 is
generally conical
in shape. Top wall 46 has a barrel 50 formed thereon and a valve stem 51
secured
within the barrel but seated within the barrel 50 in a position spaced from
the base of
the barrel. The valve stem 51 is anchored in orifice 52 in the bottom wall 49
of the
insert 45, and so seals the orifice.
When the cap 41 is screwed onto bottle 40, the sealing portion 43 of the cap
41
deforms, hence the upper wall 46 of the insert 45 also deforms. Deformation of
the
upper wall 46 would tend to push valve stem 51 in a downward direction but it
is
anchored in orifice 52, hence the movement that occurs is for the end of the
valve
stem 51 secured within barrel 50 to move to a position abutting the base of
the barrel
50. The valve stem 51 is secured in this position and, as seen in Fig. 9c,
will be held
in this position when the cap is unscrewed again. However, the upper wall 46
deforms once again but this time valve stem 51 moves with it, since it is
firmly held
at the base of barrel 50. The result is that orifice 52 is opened and the
second liquid
53 is injected in the first liquid 54. In this embodiment of the invention, as
in previous
embodiments of the invention, pressure is equilibrated between the first head
space
55 and the second head space 56 by way of the exchange of gas through orifice
48.
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Although the orifice 48 is never blocked in this embodiment of the invention,
the
orifice is sufficiently small or takes the form of a pressure sensitive
opening or valve
that it cannot equilibrate a large pressure differential rapidly.
Figs. 10a-c illustrates a similar insert to that shown in Figs. 9a-c, hence
the same
reference numerals have been used for similar features. However, in this case
valve
stem 51 has a sharp end which can perforate the bottom wall 49 at point 52,
which
thereafter becomes orifice 52, when it is moved into contact with it (as shown
in Fig.
10b) by screwing the cap 41 onto bottle 40. Valve stem 51 is firmly secured
within
barrel 50 abutting its base in Fig. 10a, and remains in this position
throughout the
sealing and opening operations illustrated, as withdrawal of the valve stem 51
from
the newly created orifice 52 (see Fig. 10b) results in release of the second
liquid 53.
This is shown in Fig. 10c, where it is ejected through orifice 52.
Fig. 11 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which the bottom of the
first
chamber, in this case bottle 60, includes an insert 61 constituting a second
chamber.
The insert 61 has a wall 62 which allows it to contain second liquid 63 within
its base
portion 64. The insert 61 also has conduit means, in this case capillary 65
extending
upwardly from the base part. The capillary 65 is straight and is in
communication
with the second liquid 63 through orifice 66. At its upper end, it has an
orifice 67 in
communication with the first liquid but the end also has back flow prevention
means,
in this case a flap of material 68, which acts to prevent the influx of first
liquid into the
capillary, at its end. The pressure in the second head space 69 and the first
head
space (not shown) above the first liquid 64 is substantially equal but there
is no
means of allowing these pressures to equilibrate.
In order to place the insert 61 in the bottle 60, the insert is allowed to
suck up a
second liquid 63 through capillary action and this is done in a pressurised
atmosphere with the pressure being substantially what would be expected in the
sealed bottle. The second liquid 63 is frozen whilst the insert 61 is
pressurised and
inserted into the bottle 60. The bottle 60 is then filled and sealed. During
the
pasteurisation process, the bottle 60 is heated whereupon the plug of frozen
second
liquid melts. Since the pressure inside the insert 61 has been chosen to be
substantially equal to the pressure within the bottle 60, there is no
substantial driving
force for the second liquid to be injected into the first liquid 64 even after
the plug
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melts. Instead, an airlock will be created within the capillary 65 and this
prevents
mixing with the first and second liquids. The flap of material 68 provides a
back up
system to prevent first liquid 64 following into the insert 61 in the event
that
temperature fluctuations cause a relatively large increase in the pressure in
the first
head space.
The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 12 is similar to that shown in
Fig. 11
except that the flap 68 of material is omitted.
As shown in Figs. 13a-c, discharge of the contents of the bottle 60 occurs
when the
cap - (not shown) is removed. The pressure in the bottle head space will be
quickly
reduced to atmospheric with the result that the airlock in the capillary 65
will no
longer resist the second liquid 63, which will be injected into the first
liquid 64 from
the base of the bottle 60.
The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 14a-d is the same as
shown in
Fig. 4 with the exception that it includes a cap 80 secured to the bottom wall
of the
insert 16. The cap 80 includes a small orifice 81 in its side, approximately
half way
up the cap. The cap has an open top and is generally cylindrical in cross-
section.
Accordingly, it is able to receive the lower end of first vertical portion 23
of the
gooseneck capillary 20 (see Fig. 14d, which depicts an exploded view of the
physical
position and arrangement of the first vertical portion 23 relative to cap 80,
bottom
wall of the insert 16 and small orifice 81 in the container depicted in Fig.
14a).
The opening 26 to the first vertical portion 23 as can be seen in Fig. 14b to
be
positioned substantially against the bottom of the cap 80, and comparison to
Fig. 4
shows that the opening 26 does not seal tightly against the bottom wall of the
insert
16. Accordingly, in the Fig. 4 embodiment small quantities of the second
liquid 17
can enter the gooseneck capillary 20. Where there are temperature fluctuations
the
liquid can move along gooseneck capillary 20 and some leakage of the liquid
can
occur.
With reference to Fig. 14a, it can be seen that, as the cap 27 is screwed onto
the
bottle, the sealing section 28 on its underside acts on horizontal portion 22
of the
gooseneck capillary 20 to push it in a downward direction. The end 26 of the
first
vertical portion 23 enters the cap 80 but at this point is not juxtaposed to
small orifice
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81. Hence, small orifice 81 remains open and there is fluid communication
between
the interior of the second chamber and the interior of the first vertical
portion 23
through small orifice 81 and opening 26 to the first vertical portion 23.
In Fig. 14b, the cap 27 is now tightly sealed on the bottle, and the first
vertical portion
23 has been pushed far enough into cap 80 that a side wall of the first
vertical
portion lies hard against the small orifice 81. Accordingly, the small orifice
81 is
closed and, in any event, the opening 26 to the first vertical portion 23 is
pressed
hard against the bottom of the cap 80.
Upon opening of the bottle, as seen in Fig. 14c, the downward pressure on
first
vertical portion 23 (see Fig. 14d) of the gooseneck capillary 20 is released
and it
once again moves in an upward direction, opening the small orifice 81 and
allowing
the second liquid to flow through the small orifice 81 into the cap 80 and
then
through opening 26 into the first vertical portion 23 of the gooseneck
capillary 20.
Since there is simultaneous depressurisation of the first chamber 14,
discharge of
the second liquid 17 occurs.
The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 15a-c is identical to
that shown
in Figs. 8a-c, with the exception that the second vertical portion 21 of the
gooseneck
capillary 20 extends virtually to the bottom of the bottle 10. The manner of
discharge
illustrated in Figs. 15a-c is identical to that described with reference to
Figs. 8a-c,
with the exception that there is no liquid in the insert 16. Accordingly, when
discharge occurs gas from insert 16 passes through gooseneck capillary 20 to
where
it terminates near the bottom of the bottle 10, and forms bubbles 83 in the
outlet from
the gooseneck capillary. The small bubbles formed act as nucleation sites for
further
bubble formation, and within a few seconds of opening the bottle, a
substantial head
of foam is generated in the bottle.
It will be noted that the portion of the top surface 31 made of a gas
permeable
material could be replaced by a small orifice, as in Figs. 1 and 2a-c.
The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 16a-c is conceptually similar
to that
shown in Figs. 14a-c but also resembles the embodiment of the invention shown
in
Figs. 9a-c and the same numbering is used in that embodiment as been used
here.
In this case, cap 84 replaces barrel 50 and capillary tube 86 replaces valve
stem 51.
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Capillary tube 86 is not captured in cap 84 as valve item 51 is in barrel 50
in the
embodiment shown in Figs. 9a-c. Instead, cap 84 includes small orifice 85
which,
when cap 84 is pushed downwardly by sealing portion 46 of cap 41 when the cap
is
screwed on, orifice 85 is closed by the side of capillary tube 86. This is
seen in Fig.
16b. Once the cap is re-opened, capillary tube 86 is once again able to slide
out of
cap 84, thereby opening small orifice 85 and placing the interior of the
insert 45 in
fluid flow connection with the interior of the bottle 40. Thus, discharge of
gas from
the insert 45 can occur through capillary tube 86.
Once again, the discharge is to a point near the bottom of the bottle 40 and
bubbles
83 are generated in the beverage contained in the bottle 40.
Figs. 17a-c are similar to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 9a-c
so the
same numbering has been used. In this case a valve stem 51 has one end 52
mounted within capillary tube 87 and the other end is adapted for capture in
barrel
50. The capillary tube 87 extends from the insert 45 almost to the bottom of
the
bottle 40, commencing at the apex of the underside 49 of insert 45. Hence,
prior to
capture of the valve stem 51 in the barrel 50, as shown in Fig. 17a, the end
52 of
valve stem 51 resides within capillary tube 87. When the cap 41 of the bottle
is
screwed on, the valve stem 51 is captured by barrel 50, but the end 52 of the
valve
stem 51 remains disposed within capillary tube 87. However, when the cap is
unscrewed, the end 52 of the captured valve stem 51 slides out of the
capillary tube
87 and the gas encapsulated within insert 45 surges down capillary tube 87 and
into
the beverage. Once again bubbles 83 are generated in the beverage with the
result
that a head of foam is produced.
The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 18a-c is conceptually similar
to that
shown in Fig. 4 and Figs. 14a-d, and so in describing this further embodiment,
the
same numbering system as has been used in describing earlier embodiments has
also been used in the following description. As shown in Figs. 18a - 18c, in
this
further embodiment of the invention, the gooseneck capillary structure that
forms the
conduit between the two chambers in Fig. 4 and Figs. 14a-d is replaced with a
capillary conduit formed from concentrically arranged structures, in the form
of
standpipes 91 and 95. The concentrically arranged structures may take any
desired
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shape when viewed in cross section, but will often conveniently have a
generally
circular cross sectional shape.
The capillary conduit means adopted in the embodiment shown in Figs. 18a-c
includes a standpipe 91 which is connected at its upper end to the insert 16,
(the
upper portion of which, in the illustrated embodiment, is located below the
bottle cap
27), and which at its other end, defines an outlet 93 which is immersed in the
second
flowable material 17. Positioned concentrically within standpipe 91 is another
stand
pipe 95, which communicates between the head space 18 of the second chamber
through the bottom wall of insert 16 and into the head space 14 of the first
chamber.
This second standpipe has an opening 96 at its lower end, which as shown in
Figs.
18a-c, is located in the first chamber head space 14, and an opening 97 at its
other
end, which is located in the head space 18 of the second chamber, near the top
of
standpipe 91. Located on one wall of standpipe 95 at a position above the
liquid 17
is an insert 16 and below the outlet 97 is a small orifice or slit 24 which
functions in a
manner similar to that of the orifice 24 described in Fig. 4. As shown
particularly in
Fig. 18a, insert 16 is fitted with a protrusion 92 on its underneath surface.
As shown
in Figs. 18a and b, protrusion 92 is located so as to engage the upper end of
standpipe 95, and to seal that standpipe, in use of the apparatus shown. At
the
bottom of insert 16 is a concentrically arranged collar 94 connected to the
bottom
wall of the insert and shaped to capture opening 93 of standpipe 91, in use of
the
apparatus, in the manner hereafter described.
When the cap 27 is screwed onto the bottle in the manner shown in Fig. 9b (and
as
earlier described herein), projection 92 engages entrance 97 of the inner
standpipe
95, thereby effectively sealing it. Simultaneously, the outer standpipe 91
also moves
downwards and its entrance 93 is captured in projection 94 on the bottom wall
of
insert 16. This effectively seals the flow path of second flowable material 17
through
the conduit but still allows for gas communication between the two chambers
via
orifice/slit 24.
When the bottle is opened by unscrewing cap 27, entrance 93 moves away from
collar 94, thereby allowing the second flowable material 17 to travel upwards
in the
space 100 between the inner wall of standpipe 91 and outer wall of standpipe
95, by
capillary action. With sufficient cap movement, protrusion 92 moves upwards
and
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releases the seal previously applied to entrance 97 of standpipe 95, thereby
allowing
the second flowable material to travel upwards within space 100 above the
level of
entrance 97 of standpipe 95, and then downwards through the lumen of standpipe
95. This enables the second flowable material to exit from opening 96 of the
standpipe into the head space 14 of the bottle in appropriate applications of
the
invention, the second flowable material will then be transferred into the
first flowable
material. In yet other applications of the invention, the second flowable
material may
simply be transferred into the first head space of the container, and may or
may not
come into contact with the first flowable material.
Variations and modifications of the invention apparent to those skilled in the
art are
also included within the scope of this invention.
It is also to be understood that wherever used in this specification, forms of
the word
"comprise" are equivalent in meaning to forms of the word "include", and are
not to
be taken as excluding the presence of any element or feature.
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