Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CAPSULE
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND ART
The present invention relates to a package for maintaining a first and a
second product separate before use.
Dosing caps are known, of a type described in patent document
US2010/0000960.
Single-dose packages are known, of a type described in European patent
EP0963325 in the name of the present applicant.
These packages comprise:
- a container provided with an upper mouth and containing a liquid
product;
- a reservoir, at least partly inserted internally of the mouth of the
container,
superiorly open, separated from inside the container, provided with a
rupturable bottom, containing a first powder product; breaking the
rupturable bottom sets the reservoir in communication with the inside of
the container;
- a cutting element inserted into the reservoir and provided with a lower
end destined in use to break the rupturable bottom, enabling mixing the
powder product with the liquid product;
- a hood, arranged on the container such as to cover the reservoir and the
cutting element.
The hood is provided with a thread with which a screw-coupling is realised
by means of which the hood is capable of an axial movement downwards
with respect to the container. By effect of said axial movement the hood
interacts with the cutting element such as to rupture the reservoir.
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These packages enable maintaining two products separate, mixing them
immediately prior to use.
A drawback of these products is connected to the fact that the powder
product is especially sensitive to moisture, both due to its physical nature
(the powder product might form lumps) and due to its chemical nature (the
powder product might have its properties changed). This effect might
further be due to the fact that usually the rupturable bottom exhibits a pre-
incision that reduces the thickness of the rupturable bottom, facilitating the
rupturing thereof
In this context, the technical task underpinning the present invention is to
provide a package that obviates the above-cited drawbacks of the prior art.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION.
In particular, an aim of the present invention is to provide a package which
enables preventing deterioration of a product contained internally of the
package.
The specified technical task and the set aims are substantially attained by a
package, comprising the technical characteristics set forth in one or more of
the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will more
clearly emerge from the following description, which is indicative and
therefore non-limiting, of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a
package illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
- figure 1 shows a view of a package according to the present invention;
- figure 2 shows a sectional view according to plane II-II of figure 1;
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- figure 3 shows the package of figures 1 and 2 in a second configuration;
- figure 4 shows the package of figures 1, 2, 3 in a further configuration;
- figure 5 shows an alternative constructive solution to the one
illustrated in
figures 1-4.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTIONS.
In the accompanying figures, reference number 10 denotes a capsule (also
known as a closure). The capsule 10 is part of a package 1, typically a
packaging for pharmaceutical products (including food supplements, diet
products, probiotics, etc.). The package 1 is typically a single-dose product.
The capsule 10 comprises a reservoir 4, in turn comprising a rupturable
bottom 40. Typically, the rupturable bottom 40 comprises a pre-incision,
which facilitates the breaking of the rupturable bottom 40. The reservoir 4
is applicable directly or indirectly to a mouth 60 of a container 6 suitable
for containing a first product.
The capsule 10 further comprises a cutter 5 positionable in front of the
rupturable bottom 40 in order to open (typically to break) said rupturable
bottom 40. The cutter 5 is therefore a pusher which pushes said rupturable
bottom 40 and breaks it. The reservoir 4 is a cap intended to occlude the
mouth 60 of the container 6. This reservoir 6 defines a concavity internally
of which said cutter 5 is at least partially locatable.
The capsule 10 assumes at least a first and a second configuration. In the
first configuration (see for example figure 2) the rupturable bottom 40 is
intact and at least the reservoir 4 and the cutter 5 in combination define a
first chamber 2 suitable for containing a second product. In the second
configuration (see for example figure 3) the rupturable bottom 40 is open to
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enable mixing of the first and second product. In the second configuration
the breakable bottom is typically broken (by the action of the cutter 5). The
cutter 5 advantageously comprises a hollow body 50 (i.e. such as to
identify an internal housing). The hollow body 50 in turn comprising a
cutter edge 51. The cutter edge 51 in the first configuration faces said
rupturable bottom 40. The cutter 5, at the cutter edge 51, is pointed. In
particular, the cutter 5 at the cutter edge 51 is flute-beak shaped. The
cutter
edge 51 is the part of the cutter 5 which enables the rupturable bottom 40 to
be broken. In use, in a downwards displacement thereof the cutter 5 breaks
the rupturable bottom 40 as it passes from the first to the second
configuration of the capsule 10.
The reservoir 4 comprises a surface 42 for guiding the cutter 5. The guide
surface 42 directs the movement of the cutter 5 during the displacement
thereof that determines the transition from the first to the second
configuration. The cutter 5 is coupled with said guide surface 42 with slight
interference such as to create a fluid-dynamic seal. In the preferred
embodiment the cutter 5 can be made of polypropylene and/or the reservoir
4 can be made of polyethylene.
The capsule 10 comprises moisture absorbing means 7. The moisture
absorbing means 7 enables the moisture that penetrates from the outside of
the first chamber 2 into the first chamber 2 to be absorbed. The moisture
originates from the first product which is preferably liquid; the moisture
might, however, infiltrate from the environment and therefore come from
outside the package 1.
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In the first configuration of the capsule 10 the moisture absorbing means 7
are in contact with the inside of the first chamber 2.
The absorbing means 7 are located internally of said body 50. The hollow
body 50 at least partly surrounds the absorbing means 7.
The moisture absorbing means 7 at least partly delimit an internal cavity 8
of the hollow body 50. In the first configuration the cavity 8 is part of said
first chamber 2. The absorbing means 7 at least partly clad an internal
surface 53 of said hollow body 50. The inner surface 53 of said hollow
body 50 is preferably surrounded by an external surface 54 of the cutter 5.
Said external surface 54 is, at least in the first and/or in the second
configuration, in contact with the guide surface 42 forming part of the
reservoir 4. The positioning of the absorbing means 7 internally of the
cutter 5 is important. In this way the cutter 5 itself partly protects the
absorbing means 7 from the moisture that penetrates into the first chamber
2, avoiding a premature saturation of the absorbing means 7. They adhere
to the internal surface 53 of the hollow body 50 they clad.
In a constructive solution the absorbing means 7 are shaped as a hollow
sleeve. They are advantageously shaped like the side surface of a cylinder.
In an alternative constructive solution, they are shaped like a disc applied
on a bottom of the hollow body 50. In a further constructive solution they
could be shaped as a hollow beaker cladding the surfaces of the hollow
body 50 (in which case they clad the internal bottom and the internal wall
of said hollow body 50). The beaker would in this case be open in
proximity of the cutter edge 51. The thickness of the absorbing means 7 is
preferably constant. The thickness is preferably between 0.5 and 4
-6-
millimetres. The absorbing means 7 advantageously do not clad the cutter
edge 51 so as not to impede the breaking action of the rupturable bottom 6.
The internal cavity 8 is in fluid communication at said cutter edge 51
(through an opening in the cutter 5) with a portion of the first chamber 2
external of the hollow body 50. In the first configuration of the capsule 10,
said second product is advantageously present in the cavity 8. The second
product is advantageously arranged partly also in the portion of the first
chamber external of the hollow body 50. The moisture absorbing means 7
advantageously develop over at least two thirds of the length of said hollow
body 50 (typically in the solution in which the absorbing means 7 are
shaped as a sleeve or beaker). The hollow body 50 comprises a stem and
said cutter edge 51 is fashioned at an end of the stem. The cavity 8
develops internally of the stem. The absorbing means 7 advantageously
develop over at least two-thirds of the length of the cavity 8, said length
being measured along the main development direction of the stem.
Advantageously, the moisture absorbing means 7 are unremovably
connected to said hollow body 50. In particular, the absorbing means 7 are
co-moulded with said hollow body 50. In an alternative solution the
absorbing means 7 are inserted with interference (usually slight
interference) into said hollow body 50. By way of non-limiting example,
the absorbing means 7 are made of a material known under the trade name
activ-dri or activ-pak or active polimer, produced by the company CSP
Technologies Inc.. In particular, the absorbing means 7 are made of a
material described in patent document EP0892673.
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An object of the present invention is also a package 1 comprising:
- a capsule 10 having one or more of the technical characteristics described
above;
- a container 6 comprising a mouth 60 to which said capsule 10 is directly
or indirectly applicable. The mouth 60 comprises a neck of the container 6
which terminates in an opening (the opening, if the capsule 10 permits,
enables placing the second chamber 3 in communication with the outside of
the container 6). The container 6 identifies a second chamber 3 suitable for
containing the first product.
The package 1 takes on at least an initial configuration and an operating
configuration. In the initial configuration said capsule 10 is in the first
configuration and the first and the second chambers 2, 3 are separated from
one another by the rupturable bottom 40 (see for example figure 2); in the
operating configuration the capsule 10 is in the second configuration and
the first and the second chambers 2, 3 are in reciprocal fluid
communication to enable mixing of the first and second product (see for
example figure 3).
The mouth 60 is typically located in an upper portion of the container 6.
The mouth 60 is therefore opposite the bottom of the container 6. At least
in the initial configuration of the package, the reservoir 4 defines a cap
that
closes the mouth 60 of the container 6.
The rupturable bottom 40 is advantageously at least partially aligned with
said mouth 60. This involves the rupturable bottom 40 being located inside
the mouth 60 or on an extension of the mouth 60 (or, in other words, inside
the neck or on an extension of the neck of the container 6). As represented
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in the figures, at least in the initial configuration the rupturable bottom 40
is located inside the container 60.
The container 6 has an axial development direction of the mouth 60. The
rupturable bottom 40 develops transversally to said axial development
direction of the mouth 60.
At least in the first configuration, the rupturable bottom 40 separates the
first chamber 2 from the second chamber 3. The reservoir 4 is at least partly
inserted in the mouth 60. As shown in the accompanying figures, the
reservoir 4 extends at least partly externally of the mouth 60. In particular,
the reservoir 4 is inserted with slight interference in the mouth 60. An
external wall of the reservoir 4 comes into contact with an internal wall of
the mouth 60 and this slight interference defines a fluid-dynamic seal that
prevents any undesired leakage of the liquid in the container 6 in the
second configuration. The second product is a solid product; typically it is a
powder or granular product. The first product is typically a liquid. In the
mixture obtained from the first and second product the second product can
therefore be considered a solute while the first product can be considered a
solvent.
As illustrated in the accompanying figures the package 1 comprises a hood
9 which in the first configuration is connected to the container 6. The hood
9 comprises a tamper-proof strip 90 that must be removed to enable
removal of the hood 9. In the initial configuration of the package the hood
9 covers the reservoir 4 and the cutter 5. In a particular constructive
solution, not illustrated, the hood 9 and the cutter 5 may also be
unremovably connected.
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The hood 9, in particular the tamper-proof strip 90, comprises an annular
relief 95 coupled in undercut with the container 6 so as to prevent or limit
axial distancing movement of the hood 9 from container 6.
In the constructive solution exemplified in figure 1, the tamper-proof strip
90 is connected to the remaining parts of the hood 9 by means of an easy-
break perimeter line 96. This easy-break perimeter line 96 breaks during
the unscrewing operation of the hood 9 from the container 1.
The reservoir 4 has an upper part 41 situated above the upper margin of the
mouth 60 of the container 6. In the initial configuration of the package 1
(see for example figure 2), the upper part 41 of the reservoir 4 is
susceptible to being elastically deformed toward the inside. The cutter 5
exhibits a section 52 which is destined to abut the inner surface of the
upper part 41 of the reservoir 4, so as to prevent the upper part from being
deformed toward the inside (in particular the section 52 is at least partially
complementarily shaped with respect to the internal surface of the upper
part 41 of the reservoir 4). An annular projection 91, which protrudes
internally from the hood 9, exhibits an internal diameter that is less than
the
internal diameter of the thread 92 of the hood 9. During the axial
downward movement of the hood 9, the annular projection 91 is destined to
engage in undercut with an annular recess 94 predisposed on the upper part
41 of the reservoir 4, such as to render the hood 9 and the reservoir 3
solidly constrained to one another with respect to an axial upwards
extraction movement of the hood 9 from the container.
Upon use, the tamper-proof strip 90 detaches from the remaining parts of
the hood 9 by effect of the screwing of the hood 9. During the screwing the
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hood 9 interacts in contact with the cutter 5 so that the cutter 5 is pushed
downwards, thus breaking the rupturable bottom 40 of the reservoir 4. This
enables the second product present in the capsule 10 to fall by gravity into
the container 6. During this step the annular upper part 41 of the reservoir 4
is deformed towards the inside, enabling the internal projection 91 of the
hood 9 to engage elastically jointingly with the recess 94 on the upper part
41 of the reservoir. This is made possible by the fact that between the
annular upper and elastically deformable part 41 of the reservoir 4 and the
external surface 54 of the cutter 5 there is a clearance. On conclusion of the
screwing of the hood 9, the clearance no longer exists as the above-
mentioned section 52 of cutter 5 is inserted in the annular upper part 41 of
the reservoir 4 and radially abuts it. In the next step of unscrewing of the
hood 9, the reservoir 4, united with the hood 9 by virtue of the undercut
between the above-mentioned projection 91 and recess 94, is lifted together
with the cutter 5. During this step of unscrewing the upper section 41 of
reservoir 4 can no longer deform inwardly - as in the screwing step - since
it is contactingly constrained between the section 52 of the cutter and the
hood 9. The section 52 of the cutter 5 with a larger diameter then has the
task of maintaining solidarity between the reservoir 4 and the hood 9
during the extraction step from the container 6.
Upon packaging, the liquid is inserted into the container 6, the powder is
inserted into the reservoir 4 or the hollow body 50. The whole assembly is
then inserted into the mouth 60 of the container 6. Subsequently the hood 9
is inserted; this insertion is performed in such a way that the annular relief
95 engages in the annular cavity in the undercut fashioned on the perimeter
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of the container 6 (see figure 2). In this first configuration, the hood 9 is
firmly anchored to the container 6 and is partially screwed onto the
container 6; in this first configuration, the hood 9 has a first function that
is
to prevent fraudulent access to the package 1, and therefore any tampering
with the contents of the reservoir 4 or the container 6. As mentioned herein
above, the strip 90 is broken upon use, constraining the hood 9 to the
container 6 only by means of the threaded coupling.
At the end of the run of the cutter 5 towards the container 6, the hood 9 is
firmly anchored, thanks to the projection 91 and the recess 94, to the
reservoir 4. It is now possible, and extremely easy, to open the package 1;
in fact it is sufficient to unscrew the hood 9 which, as it moves in the axial
direction away from the container 1, will draw the reservoir 4 and the cutter
5, which are constrained thereto (see figure 4). At this point the mixture of
the first and second product can be administrated.
In the constructive solution illustrated in figure 5, the opening operation of
the package 1 provides the following operations:
- removal of the tamper-proof strip;
- removal of the hood 9;
- nearing the cutter 5 to the container 1; this step involves the breaking
of
the rupturable bottom 40; the nearing of the cutter to the container includes
a translation (and not a screwing) of the cutter 5;
- removal of the cutter 5 and the reservoir 4 from the container 6.
The invention as it is conceived leads to obtaining several advantages.
In particular, the physical-chemical properties of at least two products that
are kept separate until just before use are conserved. Another advantage is
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related to the particular positioning of the moisture absorbing means. This
positioning obtains the best performance from the absorbing means. At the
same time that placement is perfectly compatible with an efficient system
that enables mixing of the active ingredients shortly before use thereof.
Furthermore, the moisture absorbing means are positioned in an area in
which any tampering is obvious.
The invention as it is conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications
and variations, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept that
characterizes it. Moreover all details can be substituted by other technically
equivalent elements. In practice, all materials used, as well as the
dimensions thereof, may be of any type according to requirements.
