Abstract:
A primary container (PC) cap or closure that includes a separate fastener for a separate inner container (IC). A liquid, powder or crystal is stored in the inner container ready for use. One purpose of the invention is to provide two separate containers mounted together with different ingredients for admixture at the time of use. This increases the shelf-life of the combined products.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     One embodiment of the invention relates to a liquid and/or dry ingredient inner container that is releasably and sealably attached to the cap or closure of a primary container. The inner container stores liquid and/or dry substances which can be rapidly dispensed into the primary container by manual actuation when desired simply by removing the primary container cap and detaching the inner container from the primary container cap. The inner container may be pre-mounted in the primary container at a factory or used with a primary existing container that has the improved cap. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many food, drugs, cosmetics, adhesives, polishes, cleansers, dyes and other substances are frequently supplied in a liquid, powder or crystal form and do not retain their stability, strength and effectiveness for long after the ingredients have been mixed in solution or suspension. This incompatibility after mixing, therefore, mandates that the mixed product be utilized relatively soon after mixture to prevent deterioration, discoloration, interactions and the like. It is also important that admixtures of various ingredients be done under conditions wherein a measured amount of one chemical ingredient is added to a measured amount of another chemical to ensure that proper results are obtained. 
     Another concern involves merchandizing of certain products. Frequently two or more companion products are supplied to the consumer in a single package. Thus, many products are by their very nature required to be used by the consumer shortly after the products are manufactured as the chemicals may lose certain desirable characteristics within a short period of time. The admixed products can be individually stored for extended periods of time if one ingredient is maintained separate from the other. In such case, the two ingredients may be mixed together to form the desired products shortly before use. In marketing such goods, it obviously is desirable that both ingredients be sold as part of the same package. 
     SUMMARY OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS 
     A primary container cap that includes fasteners for a primary container and a separate inner container. 
     An inner container for containing liquids and/or powder materials or both has substantially a liquid impervious body that can include a closed bottom and an open top and is attachable to the primary container cap. A primary container (PC) cap that is used to seal a conventional primary container such as a bottle that contains a liquid or a powder includes typically a threaded portion on the inside wall for threadably attaching the primary container cap sealably to the top opening of a threaded primary container that has threads around the upper neck. The PC cap also includes a separate inner circular wall that also has threads on the inside of the wall and that has an inside diameter that fits snuggly with the outside threaded diameter of the inner container which can be screwed tightly and connected and sealed to the PC cap. 
     The inner container body that includes an open top with threads for fastening to the PC cap can be filled with a liquid or powder or both and then sealably tightened and screwed into the PC cap. The contents of the inner container are sealed. There is enough space between the outer wall of the inner container body and the inside wall of the PC cap that allows the IC body to be inserted into a primary container that itself may be filled with a liquid or powder and tightly sealed with the PC cap. 
     In an alternate embodiment, the inner container body open end could have an annular flange or enlarged ring around its perimeter. In this case, the PC cap includes an interior cylindrical raised wall that (in lieu of threads) attaches to the top flange of the inner container with a pair of resilient parallel annular raised ridges forming a groove to receive the inner container open end flange as a snap-in/snap-out tight fit. The IC body top flange is popped into place sealing the IC body to the PC cap between the joint annular ridges in the interior circular wall connected to the bottom side of the PC cap. In this case, after the IC body is filled with a desired liquid or powder (or both) to be added into the primary container at the time of use, the IC body is popped and sealed to the PC cap. The primary container is filled with a desirable liquid or powder for future consumption. The PC cap can be screwed and sealed tightly onto the primary container. The primary container can be a bottle, can, or any other suitable receptacle for holding a liquid or powder or gel to be mixed with another substance. 
     Having disclosed a preferred embodiment with the threaded fasteners for the IC and PC and an alternate embodiment with the snap-in flange for the IC, there may be other container fasteners to sealably but removably affix the IC body to the inside of the PC cap. 
     In one embodiment, the inner container is an elongated tube. In other embodiments, the IC body could be, in fact, different shapes and could be square, octagonal or any other suitable shape that is smaller in cross-sectional area and diameter than the inside neck opening of the PC that the IC is placed in. The IC length can be varied to extend the whole length of the PC or a very short length if desired depending on the volume of the inside material to be dispensed. The IC body can be made of any standard plastic or glass or other suitable material that is gas and liquid impervious and useful for sealing a product in a stored condition while the IC body is attached to the PC cap. The primary container and PC caps can be of different design and construction as long as they effectively seal a primary container with the removable cap that would allow access and attachment of the inner container to the PC cap. 
     The IC utilized in one embodiment of the present invention can contain powder and/or liquid, tablets, pills, crystalline substances for introduction into the contents of the PC within which the IC is housed. The IC may have one or more chambers which include a divider for liquid and/or powder. The PC within which the IC is installed and housed may also have one or more dividers for liquid and powder. 
     The PC cap can be flat, closed or include a closable nipple for drinking. The PC cap is a removable cap typically fastened on a PC neck opening. 
     Any type of conventional primary container that can contain a liquid or a powder can be used with the present invention. A membrane or sack may be used for the inner container. The conventional container cap is modified to allow the attachment thereto by any suitable fastener of the dispensing IC. In this manner, once the cap or closure of the PC is removed, exposing the dispensing inner container which is then removed from the primary container, then the dispensing inner container itself can be quickly and easily manually removed from the primary cap or closure, allowing one to dispense whatever material, liquid or powder or both, is in the inside the inner container. The primary container can be basically any size or shape and will typically have a liquid impervious body so that the primary container can hold liquids without leakage. Likewise, the inner container that is mounted inside the primary container until ready for use can be any size or shape as long as the inner container can fit within the cap or closure portion of the primary container. 
     A primary container could have two openings and have two removable caps, one that has the dispensing IC mounted thereto and a separate conventional cap that can be used to pour liquid or powder from the primary container. This would require more than one opening in the primary container body. 
     The PC caps themselves for connection to the primary containers can have differences that can be threaded or snapped onto the primary container opening as can the dispensing IC which can be threaded, snapped or even tetra-Pak style connection to the PC cap or closure. 
     The PC cap can be constructed to have two or more circular threaded or snap on fastening walls molded with the PC cap of different diameters circumferentially disposed to receive two separate inner containers coaxially mounted of different diameters either separately or together. The PC cap can also be made to have a nipple closure that includes a hole through the cap for drinking. Once the inner container is removed from the nipple cap and the contents dispensed into the PC and the inner container discarded, the nipple PC cap can be returned to the PC and used conventionally. 
     The IC need not have some type of additional foil seal across the top although it could have if required because of the materials, liquid or powder, stored therein. But in a preferred embodiment, there will be a sufficient liquid and air seal when the dispensing IC is screwed tightly onto the PC cap that an air and liquid seal is present, sealing the contents within the dispensing IC from leaking while connected to the PC cap. The IC/PC cap seal is also envisioned in any other type of connection between the dispensing IC and the PC cap so that the materials in each container are separated and are sealed without the need for an inner additional foil seal over the dispensing IC open end. The IC in one embodiment is shaped tubularly and looks much like a small test tube. However, the IC can have any shape as long as the IC fits within the PC. The IC could also be constructed from any standard plastic, metal, cardboard, tetra-Pak style, wood, ceramic or any other suitable material for being liquid impervious and for sealing a product in a stored condition while attached to the PC cap or any of type of closure. 
     Even if a new type of container closure were to be invented that is not envisioned at this point in time, in one embodiment the primary container cap can still provide for an inner container to be sealably attached to the inside of the new closure for a primary container. 
     Once the inner container has been removed from the primary container cap and the IC contents disposed into the PC, the IC can be either thrown away or could be recapped and reattached to the PC cap of the PC and disposed of as a unit with the PC cap. The two containers, inner and primary, could be returned to a recycle recovery unit. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a primary container cap attachable to an insertable inner container that can include ingredients that can be readily dispensed into a primary container at a desired time and, thus, not interfere with the shelf life or physical chemical integrity of the ingredients to be combined. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a liquid or dry ingredient storing inner container that includes a removable feature and that can be attached to a primary container cap and stored inside the primary container until ready for use in which the inner container ingredients can be added to the PC ingredients. 
     In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention that includes a primary container with a fastener for an inner container. 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the primary container cap removed from the inner container that can store a chemical or ingredients. 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom plan view of a primary container cap in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective bottom view of a bottle cap in accordance an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a side elevational view in cross-section of a PC cap in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows a side elevational view in cross-section, broken away of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows a side elevational view, partially cut away and partially in cross-section showing an embodiment of the connected to a primary container such as a plastic bottle. 
         FIG. 8  shows a bottom plain view of the primary container cap disclosing an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows yet another alternate embodiment of the invention in a side elevational view in cross-section of the primary container cap that can be used to drink from the primary container after the inner container is removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and, in particular,  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  10  comprised of a primary container bottle cap  12  which is used to cover the opening and seal a conventional container that can contain a liquid, powder or crystal substance. A primary container is not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . An inner container  14  (preferably impervious to water or other liquid and air) is attached to primary container cap  12  in  FIG. 1  and has a chemical ingredient  11 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the tubular body  14  is sealably connected and attached to the inside of bottle cap  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the primary container cap  12  is shown removed from the inner container tubular body  14 . Tubular body  14  includes an open top  14   b  that is surrounded by fastener threads  14   a  formed as part of the body  14  for fastening the tubular body  14  to the bottle cap  12 , using the threaded fasteners  14   a . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the primary container cap  12  on the inside surface has a first circular wall that includes fastener threads  12   a  that are attachable to the upper neck of a threaded primary container for sealable attachment. The primary container cap  12  also includes a second inside circular wall  16  that is raised above the bottom surface  12   b  of the cap  12  by a sufficient distance for attachment to the tubular body  14  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  along upper opening  14   b . The inner wall  16  could be at least a half an inch in height, circular and on its inside wall  16   a  including a plurality of threads  16   a  for fastening to the tubular body  14  as shown in  FIG. 2  to threads  14   a  so that the tubular body  14  can be sealably but removably fastened to the cap  12  by the inner wall  16  and threads  16   a.    
       FIG. 4  shows primary container cap  12 , inner wall  16 , the inner wall threads  16   a  and primary container cap threads  12   a . Note that the inner cap  16  outer length exceeds that of primary cap  12  rim. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the cap  12  is shown with inner wall  16  molded integrally with the primary container cap body  12  forming an inner wall that is circular that includes threads  16   a . Also shown are the cap threads  12   a  that are used to seat the cap to a primary container. With respect to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , note that both embodiments shown the inner wall  16  for the inner fastener extending below the outer rim of the cap  12 . With respect to  FIG. 6 , the inner rim  20  extends in length beyond the outer rim  18  in length. 
       FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment. In lieu of the threaded fasteners  14   a  shown on the tubular body  14  in  FIG. 1 , an inner container tubular body  22  is used that has a single upper annular lip  22   a  around the opening  22   b . The lip or protrusion  22   a  extends around the entire top opening  22   b  of elongated body  22  and snaps into place into a groove portion formed between annular ridges  20   a  on the inside of the circular wall  20  that is formed part of the bottom inside of the cap  18 . Body  20  and rings  20   a  are resilient enough to allow the larger diameter of inner container  22  and especially lip  22   a  to snap into the groove between ridges  20   a . The diameter of the opening  22   b  including the annular protruding lip  22   a  for body  22  can snap in between circular ridges  20   a  to seal and hold elongated inner container body  22  firmly to the cap  22 . Because of the resilient nature of the material used which is preferably a plastic or rubber-like plastic found in many bottle caps, body  22  can easily snap sealably in place to cap  18  in the groove provided between ridges  20   a.    
     Other forms of fasteners can be used including a recessed groove with snap-in features in various combinations of recessed and elongated ridges between the upper top opening of the elongated body  22  and the inside wall of the circular wall  20  that allows the body  22  to be sealably, but removably attached to the primary container cap  18 . 
     The elongated tube inner container  14  shown in  FIG. 1  or  22  shown in  FIG. 6  can be filled with the desired material  11  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) which can be liquid, powder or crystal substance that will, ultimately, be mixed with whatever the contents of the primary container at the time of use. 
     In  FIG. 7 , cap  12  is attached to a representative primary container  24  and inner container  14 . The inner container  14  is threadably attached to the cap  12  which is sealed to container  24 . The container  24  could be filled with a liquid or powder as is the inner container  14 . 
     In use, first the cap  12  is manually removed from container  24  and the inner container extracted from container  24 . A user would then manually unthread elongated body  14  from the cap  12  exposing the contents in the IC through the open top of elongated body  14  so that the contents can be then poured directly into the container  24  for mixing purposes. At this point in time, the inner container  14  can be disposed of. The cap  12  can be used to seal container  24  with its mixed contents. 
     The ultimate shape and size of inner container  14  can be varied as long as the inner container  14  fits within container  24  or any other suitable primary container. A variety of primary containers can be used that have a variety of removable and sealable caps with a extendable variety of inner containers so that two different chemicals can be mixed at the time of usage. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , another alternate embodiment is shown. The primary container cap  12  can have more than one circular wall fastener for two inner containers as shown in  FIG. 8 . At least two inner wall fasteners  13  and  16  are shown mounted on the inside of a primary container cap  12 . Each of the inner walls  13  and  16  has a different size diameter to accommodate two different sized diameter coaxially mounted inner containers. The inner walls  13  and  16  can include threads or snap-in grooves  13   a  and  16   a  that would allow each inner container to be attached to inner wall fastener  13  and  16  depending on its diameter size or even having one inner container inside another inner container both of which can then be mounted inside of a primary container attached to the cap  12 . 
       FIG. 9  shows yet another alternate embodiment. The primary container cap  12  instead of being flat can include a slidable closable nipple  15  on its exterior that allows the user to drink directly from the primary container when the nipple  15  is snapped in an up or open position shown by vertical arrow. In this embodiment, there will be a hole  15   a  through primary container cap  12  that allows the contents of the primary container to flow into the nipple  15  for use by a person drinking out of the primary container. The inner container fastened to wall  16  must be removed before activation of the nipple  15 . The inner container contents will be poured into the primary container and the inner container completely removed and discarded. The nipple  15  can then be opened and used to drink the contents from the primary container through apertures  15   a  and  15   b.    
     Plug  15   e  blocks aperture  15   b  when nipple  15  is down. Support arms  15   c  and  15   d  are thin and support plug  15   e  to cap body  12  but do not block the contents from a primary container from flowing through apertures  15   a  and  15   b  when the nipple  15  is in the up position. 
     The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.