Patent Publication Number: US-2022218141-A1

Title: Assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to Australian Patent Application No. 2020294234 filed on Dec. 23, 2020, which are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut and, more particularly, to such assembly having a screw with a sharp tip for drilling through coconut shell, thereby permitting the access of the coconut water inside the coconut. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The young fruit of the coconut is technically a large drupe composed of a thin outer layer called exocarp, a thick and fibrous middle layer called a mesocarp, and a hard inner layer called an endocarp that surrounds a large seed. The endocarp contains three germination pores at one end, one of which the sprouting coconut palm grows through. The “meat” of the seed is endosperm tissue, and a small, cylindrical embryo is embedded in this nutritive tissue just opposite the functional germination pore. The seed is surrounded by an outer layer called the seed coat or testa. This is the material that adheres to the white “meat” or endosperm when it is removed from the endocarp shell. “Coconut water” is a multinucleate liquid endosperm that has not yet developed into solid tissue composed of cells. Many people enjoy the health benefits, nutrients, and taste of virgin coconut water straight from the fresh husked young coconut, roasted or boiled aromatic coconut. 
     wo2014129984A1 discloses an easy-to-open roasted or boiled aromatic coconut comprising a coconut from which the husk was removed until a clean shelled coconut is obtained and groove like on the shell of the coconut characterized ¾ that said groove line is at least one converged groove line located at the bottom; of the shell of the coconut and that said groove line is made by laser engraving using a laser engraver. The easy-to-open roasted or boiled aromatic coconut further comprises an opening means fixed within one converged groove line, near the groove line. The consumers can open the coconut shell by pulling the opening means such as a pull-ring. In the case where at least one converged groove line is a large circle groove and a small circle groove wherein the pull-ring is fixed near the small circle groove, this allows the coconut shell within the small circle groove to be opened, revealing the coconut meat inside. Through this small hole, the consumer can insert a tube to drink the coconut water and when the juice is drunk up. The consumer can easily open the coconut shell further in order to eat the coconut meat by pulling the coconut shell within the large circle groove off by hand. 
     WO2014146037A1 discloses systems and methods associated with installing a valve accessing and removing liquid from within a coconut. This process involves installing a valve, wherein the valve may include a plunger constructed and arranged to pierce a coconut shell. Among other things, innovations herein may involve installing a valve with flange and/or grommet type structures constructed and arranged to pierce a coconut husk and stop the insertion of the plunger into the coconut at a predetermined point. 
     Coconut valves of WO2014146037A1 are inserted into coconuts having a tooled aperture placed through or within the coconut wall having a predetermined diameter so that a valve plug seats within said aperture with a valve plug collar substantially engaging the wall of the aperture. The valve plug may include a valve plug bore for receiving a plunger sleeve having a plunger sleeve bore with a based positioned plunger sleeve membrane that seals the coconut&#39;s contents until a plunger stopper having a plunger-stopper lance and plunger-stopper lance tip is used to puncture a plunger sleeve membrane, thereby providing access to the coconut water contained within the coconut. The plunger-stopper may be tethered to the plunger sleeve. The plunger-stopper may provide access to the coconut&#39;s contents and also serves as a stopper to seal any remaining coconut contents for future use, as the plunger-stopper may seal the plunger sleeve bore. 
     In the production of the Easy-to-open roasted or boiled aromatic coconut and the coconut with valve plug according to the prior arts, the shell of the coconut is made to have tooled aperture to install the pulling-ring or plug valve. This may cause the coconut shell to be broken, and the coconut meat under the broken coconut shell may be exposed to contaminants and consequently rotten. 
     WO/2020/106224 discloses an assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut has a plunger for puncturing the germination pore of the coconut, thereby permits the access of the coconut water inside the coconut. The assembly comprises a plunger having a plunger collar perpendicularly mounted to a plunger lance, a lid having a lid bore for receiving and housing a tip of the plunger lance, and a stopper clip for holding the plunger lance in order to prevent the tip of the plunger lance in the lid bore from puncturing a germination pore of the coconut, wherein the lid of the assembly is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing mean. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an assembly that can be readily and easily inserted through the coconut layers with relatively small force puncture through the germination pore of the coconut, permitting the consumer to access the coconut water inside. In addition, utilization of the assembly, according to the invention, does not wound or interfere the intact of shell of the coconut to reduce the risk of contamination. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide not only the assembly of such that is inexpensive to manufacture but also to maintain its effectiveness. 
     Another object of the invention will be mentioned in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the embodiments without placing limitations thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 
         FIGS. 1A-1C  represent the assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut and the components thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1A  represents the screw of the assembly of the present invention.  FIG. 1B  represents the lid of the assembly of the present invention.  FIG. 1C  represents the perspective view of the assembly of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2A-2D  represent the assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut and the components thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2B  represents the lid of the assembly of the present invention.  FIG. 2C  represents the stopper of the assembly of the present invention.  FIG. 2D  represents the side view of the assembly of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3A-3F  represent the assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut and the components thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 3A-3C  represent the drilling cap of the assembly of the present invention.  FIGS. 3D-3E  represent the lid of the assembly of the present invention.  FIG. 3F  represents the perspective view of the assembly of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A-4C  represent the assembly for accessing coconut water in coconut and the components thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 4A-4B  represent the perspective view of the assembly of the present invention.  FIG. 4C  represents the side view of the assembly of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5A-5D  are pictorial representation of the assembly of the present invention as it is utilized with coconut to access the coconut water. 
     
    
    
     Unless otherwise indicated, illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. 
     Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are modifications and variations of the invention which are too numerous to be listed but that all that fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive. 
     It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “a means” is a reference to one or more means and may include subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be also understood to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. 
     With respect to the terms “comprising,” “consisting of,” and “consisting essentially of,” where one of these three terms is used herein, the presently disclosed and claimed subject matter might include the use of either of the other two terms. Thus in some embodiments not otherwise explicitly recited, any instance of “comprising” may be replaced by “consisting of” or, alternatively, by “consisting essentially of.” 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , where one embodiment of the present invention is referred to with numeral  100 . The assembly  100  (see  FIG. 1C ) for accessing coconut water of the coconut comprises: 
     a screw  101  (see  FIG. 1A ) is configured to have a rod  111  with spiral threads  112  on the outside surface of the rod  111  and a sharp tip  113  for drilling through coconut shell, and a handle  114  on the top of the rod  111  for twisting the rod through the coconut shell; and 
     a lid  102  (see  FIG. 1B ) is configured to have a threaded through-hole  112  on the vertical center thereof for receiving and housing a sharp tip  113  of the rod  111 , through the through-hole  112  for screwing on to the rod  111 . 
     The lid  102  of the assembly is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing means. The fixing means may include adhesive, adhesive tape, wrapping material, fastening material applied to fix the lid on the germination pore of the coconut without penetrating, destroying or interfering with the shell of the coconut. 
     The screw  101  may have a bore  115  through the vertical center of thereof where straw can be inserted from the top of the screw  101  through the sharp tip  113  of the rod  111 . 
     The handle  114  may be a small knob or disk or the like perpendicularly mounted to the top of the rod  111  for facilitating the twist of the screw. 
     The screw  101  may have a length of at least 2 cm, preferably 2-7 cm. The handle  114  may have a diameter of at least 1.5 cm, preferably 1.5-6 cm. The bore  115  may have a diameter of at least 0.4, preferably 0.4-2 cm. 
     The lid  102  of the assembly, according to the present invention, may be a cover having a rounded top or hemispherical roof or ceiling shaped like half of a ball or dome. The lid of the assembly according to the present invention may be formed in the rectangular top shaped like a dome. The lid can be hollow or solid. 
     The lid  102  may have a diameter or width of at least 1 cm, preferably 1-7 cm and a high of at least 0.5 cm, preferably 0.5-5 cm. 
     The screw  101  may be prevented from drilling into the coconut shell by locking means which lock the screw from moving down through the lid when not in use. The locking means can be any means known to the person skilled in the art that can prevent the screw  101  from drilling into the coconut shell e.g. interlocking threads between the thread of the screw and the threaded through-hole of the lid or a stopper. 
     The stopper of the assembly according to the present invention may be any one of various devices that grip, clasp, hook or hold the screw in order to prevent the sharp tip of the screw in the lid bore from drilling the germination pore of the coconut. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , where one embodiment of the present invention is referred to with numeral  200 . The assembly  200  for accessing coconut water of the coconut comprises: 
     a screw  201  (see  FIG. 2A ) is configured to have a rod  211  with spiral threads  221  on the outside surface of the rod  211  and a sharp tip  231  for drilling through coconut shell, and a handle  241  on the top of the rod  211  for twisting the rod through the coconut shell; 
     a lid  202  (see  FIG. 2B ) is configured to have a threaded through-hole  212  on the vertical center thereof for receiving and housing a sharp tip  231  of the rod  211 , through the through-hole  212  for screwing on to the rod  111 ; and 
     the stopper  203  (see  FIG. 2C ) for holding the rod  211  in order to prevent the rod  211  in the threaded through-hole  212  of the lid  202  from drilling a germination pore of the coconut. 
     The lid  202  of the assembly is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing means. The fixing means may include adhesive, adhesive tape, wrapping material, fastening material applied to fix the lid on the germination pore of the coconut without penetrating, destroying or interfering with the shell of the coconut. 
     The screw  201  may have a bore (not shown) through the vertical center of the screw where straw can be inserted from the top of the screw  201  through the sharp tip  231  of the rod  211 . 
     The screw  201  may have a length of at least 2 cm, preferably 2-7 cm. The handle  241  may have a diameter of at least 1.5 cm, preferably 1.5-6 cm. The bore  115  may have a diameter of at least 0.4, preferably 0.4-2 cm. 
     The lid  202  of the assembly according to the present invention may be a cover having rounded top or hemispherical roof or ceiling shaped like half of a ball or dome. The lid of the assembly according to the present invention may be formed in the rectangular top shaped like a dome. The lid can be hollow or solid. 
     The lid  202  may have a diameter or width of at least 1 cm, preferably 1-7 cm and a high of at least 0.5 cm, preferably 0.5-5 cm. The lower circumference of the lid may have a plurality of legs  222  vertically extending therefrom for slip resistance on the coconut shell. 
     The assembly according to the present invention can be made of any one of various materials e.g. biomaterial, wood, plastic, metal, wood, resin, stone, ceramic, fiber, glass, composite material or the combination thereof. 
     The stopper  203  may be tethered to the handle  241  of the screw  201 . The handle  241  may be a small knob or disk or the like perpendicularly mounted to the top of the rod  211  for facilitating the twist of the screw  201 . 
     The stopper  203  of the invention may be a stopper clip or a tear-off control strip surrounding the rod  211  over the lid  202 . 
     The stopper of the assembly according to the present invention may be any one of various devices that grip, clasp, hook or hold the screw in order to prevent the sharp tip of the screw in the lid bore from drilling the germination pore of the coconut. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , where one embodiment of the present invention is referred to with numeral  300 . The assembly  300  for accessing coconut water of the coconut comprises: 
     a two-layered drilling cap  301  (see  FIGS. 3A-3C ) is configured to have a first cylindrical sidewall  311 , a first nut-like component  321  with a threaded hole  331  integrally mounted inside the first cylindrical sidewall  311  at the vertical center of the two-layered drilling cap  301 , and a coaxial rod  341  with a sharp tip  351  vertically extending from the top of the two-layered drilling cap  301  beyond the first cylindrical sidewall  311  through the threaded hole  331  of the nut-like component  321 ; and 
     a lid  302  (see  FIGS. 3D-3E ) is configured to have a second cylindrical sidewall  312  and a second nut-like component  322  with spiral threads  332  on the outside surface of the second nut-like component  322 , wherein the second nut-like component  322  vertically extending from the center of the lid base  342 ; and wherein the second nut-like component  322  has a through-hole  352  for receiving and housing the sharp tip  351  of the coaxial rod  341  and the second nut-like component  322  is adapted to fit over the first nut-like component  321  of the two-layered drilling cap  301  whereby capable of threadably engaging the threaded hole  331  of the first nut-like component  321 . 
     The two-layered drilling cap  301  may have a bore  361  through the vertical center of the two-layered drilling cap where straw can be inserted from the top of the two-layered drilling cap  301  through the sharp tip  351  of the rod  341 . 
     The lower circumference of the lid  302  may have a plurality of legs  362  vertically extending therefrom for slip resistance on the coconut shell. 
     The lid  302  of the assembly is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing means. 
     In another embodiment (not shown in the Figure), an assembly for accessing coconut water of the coconut comprising: 
     a drilling cap is configured to have a first cylindrical sidewall and a rod with spiral threads on the outside surface thereof with a sharp tip vertically extending from the top vertical center of the cap beyond the sidewall; and 
     a lid is configured to have a second cylindrical sidewall and a second nut-like component wherein the second nut-like component vertically extending from the vertical center of the lid base; and wherein the second nut-like component has a through-hole for receiving and housing a tip of the rod and the second nut-like component is adapted to fit over the first nut-like component of the drilling cap whereby capable of threadably engaging the threaded hole of the first nut-like component. 
     The lid of the assembly is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing means. 
     The above assembly further comprises interlocking threads or a stopper for holding the drilling cap in order to prevent the rod in the lid from drilling a germination pore of the coconut. The stopper may be a tear-off control strip interconnected to the lower circumference of the first sidewall of the drilling cap and the upper circumference of the second sidewall of the lid. 
     The assembly according to the present invention can be made of any one of various materials e.g. biomaterial, wood, plastic, metal, wood, resin, stone, ceramic, fiber, glass, composite material or the combination thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , where one embodiment of the present invention is referred to with numeral  400 . The assembly  400  for accessing coconut water of the coconut comprises: 
     a screw  401  (see  FIG. 4A ) is configured to have a rod (not shown) with spiral threads (not shown) on the outside surface of the rod and a sharp tip  404  for drilling through coconut shell, and a handle  405  on the top of the rod for twisting the rod through the coconut shell; 
     a lid  403  (see  FIG. 4B ) is configured to have a threaded through-hole (not shown) on the vertical center thereof for receiving and housing a sharp tip  404  of the rod; and 
     the stopper  402  (see  FIG. 4C ) for holding the rod of the screw in order to prevent the rod in the threaded through-hole of the lid  402  from drilling a germination pore of the coconut. 
     The lid  403  of the assembly is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing means. The fixing means may include adhesive, adhesive tape, wrapping material, fastening material applied to fix the lid on the germination pore of the coconut without penetrating, destroying or interfering with the shell of the coconut. 
     The screw  401  may have a bore through the vertical center of the screw where straw can be inserted from the top of the screw  401  through the sharp tip  404  of the rod. 
     The screw  401  may have a length of at least 2 cm, preferably 2-7 cm. The handle  241  may have a diameter of at least 1.5 cm, preferably 1.5-6 cm. The bore may have a diameter of at least 0.4, preferably 0.4-2 cm. 
     The lid  403  of the assembly according to the present invention may be a cover having rounded top or hemispherical roof or ceiling shaped like half of a ball or dome. The lid of the assembly according to the present invention may be formed in the rectangular top shaped like a dome. The lid can be hollow or solid. 
     The lid  403  may have a diameter or width of at least 1 cm, preferably 1-7 cm and a high of at least 0.5 cm, preferably 0.5-5 cm. The lower circumference of the lid may have a plurality of legs  405  vertically extending therefrom for slip resistance on the coconut shell. 
     The assembly according to the present invention can be made of any one of various materials e.g. biomaterial, wood, plastic, metal, wood, resin, stone, ceramic, fiber, glass, composite material or the combination thereof. 
     The handle  405  may be a small knob or disk or the like perpendicularly mounted to the top of the rod for facilitating the twist of the screw  401 . 
     The stopper  402  of the invention may be a collapsible stopper including a plurality of annular steps or shoulders for enabling controlled axial collapse of the stopper to a compact, collapsed condition when twisting the rod through the coconut shell, wherein a plurality of substantially concentric folds of the stopper surrounds the rod of the screw. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the coconut  001  having an exemplary assembly for accessing coconut water of the coconut  001  is shown. The exemplary assembly of the present invention is installed on the coconut germination pore wherein the lid  102  is placed and fixed on the germination pore of the coconut by a fixing means. 
     Taking away or removing the stopper  203  from the screw  101 , the user can screw the screw  101  downward through the lid  102  with his/her force in order to drill the coconut shell by the sharp tip of the screw through the germination pore of the coconut for making a hole. The straw  002  can be inserted through the bore of the screw to access the coconut water inside the coconut. 
     As one embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing a coconut having an assembly for accessing coconut water of the coconut comprises:
         a. removing an outer husk covering the germination pores of the coconut;   b. placing the assembly of the invention on one of the germination pores of the coconut so that the screw of the assembly is above the germination pore;   c. fixing the lid of the assembly on one of the germination pores of the coconut by a fixing means.