Patent Abstract:
The storage device engages a container, such as a bottle, to dispense a stored substance into the bottle. The device includes a housing for storing the substance, and a breakable seal disposed in the housing adjacent an opening for sealing the substance in the housing. Furthermore, the device includes a breaking member carried by the housing between the opening and the breakable seal for being driven by the bottle when engaged with the device to break the seal and allow dispensing of the substance into the bottle.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is based upon and claims priority to provisional application Nos. 60/250,719 filed Dec. 1, 2000 and 60/275,777 filed Mar. 14, 2001. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to containers, and, more particularly, to devices for storing and dispensing premeasured quantities of a substance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Beverage, food and drug manufacturers produce many different products which need to be or can be mixed with another substance, such as water, before consumption. Such products may include, for example, flavor syrups, powdered baby formula, powdered nutritional drink mix, liquor, suspension antibiotics or any other substance that could be mixed with another substance or liquid such as water, milk, juice or carbonated beverages, for example. 
     These products may be sold in bulk or as single servings packaged in cans, bottles, packets or other containers. Also, various containers have been designed for storing one or more of these products to be dispensed into another container such as a water bottle, baby bottle or cup. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,380 to Rothman, entitled “Device for Dispensing Flowable Material,” discloses a storage cap having a receiving groove with a large diameter for mating with a number of different size bottle openings. Furthermore, the storage cap has a rupturable membrane which can be ruptured as a bottle neck is urged into the receiving groove. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,179 to Hanson, entitled “Dispensing lid for beverage container,” discloses a dispensing lid for the circular upper rim of a drinking cup. Frangible vessels contain condiments and are disposed within the lid. Condiments are released form the vessels when finger pressure is applied thereto the vessels. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,314 to Fuller et al., entitled “Unit Dose Package,” discloses a unit dose storage cap for storing and dispensing a dose of infant and adult nutritional formulas. The cap has a threaded mouth designed to be fitted onto the wide neck of a infant formula bottle. A foil seal is removed before the storage cap is secured to the bottle. In another embodiment of the invention, the dose cap has a water soluble seal which dissolves into the formula bottle. 
     One problem with some of the conventional devices is that none provide a reliable seal that can be broken after the device is securely connected to a bottle. Without a reliable seal and a secure connection between the device and the bottle, the contents stored in the device may spill and/or be contaminated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a storage and dispensing device with a reliable seal that can be broken after the device is securely connected to a bottle. 
     It is also an object of the invention to provide a method of storing a substance in a sealed device and then reliably dispensing the substance into a bottle securely connected to the device. 
     This and other objects, features and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a storage and dispensing device for engaging a container and dispensing a stored substance therein. The device includes a housing defining a chamber for storing the substance, and having an end and an opening adjacent thereto. The device also includes a breakable seal adjacent the opening of the housing for sealing the substance in the chamber, and a breaking member carried by the housing outside the chamber and adjacent the opening and the breakable seal for being driven by the container when engaged with the device to break the seal and allow dispensing of the substance into the container. 
     The breaking member may include a protruding portion and at least one opening therein. In one embodiment, the end of the housing may include internal threads, between the opening and the breakable seal, for mating with the container. In another embodiment, the breaking member may comprise a piston slidably disposed in the end of the housing. Furthermore, the breaking member may comprise a container mating portion for mating with the container, and a housing receiving portion for receiving the housing therein. 
     In another embodiment, the breaking member may have internal threads and external threads, the internal threads for mating with the container. Here, the end of the housing may include internal threads, between the opening and the breakable seal, for mating with the external threads of the breaking member. The breakable seal may be integrally formed with the housing as a monolithic unit, and may include lines of weakness to aid in the breaking of the seal by the breaking member. Also, the breakable seal may be a foil seal. Additionally, a cap may be provided for closing a second opening of the housing. 
     Objects, features and advantages in accordance with the present invention are also provided by a method of dispensing a first substance into a container for mixture with a second substance. The method includes storing the first substance in a chamber of a device having an end and an opening adjacent thereto, and sealing the first substance in the chamber with a breakable seal adjacent the opening. A breaking member is provided with the device outside the chamber and adjacent the opening and the breakable seal, and the device is engaged onto the container to drive the breaking member to break the seal and dispense the first substance into the container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 illustrating an upward position of the piston. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 3 mounted on a bottle. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the device of FIG.  3 . 
     FIGS. 6A-6D are cross-sectional and enlarged views illustrating the details of the device of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the seal of the device of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example of an embodiment of the device  10  will now be described. The device  10  includes a housing  12  having a first opening  14  and second opening  16  at opposite ends of the housing and defining a chamber therein. The first opening may include internal threads  15  for mating with the external threads of a container such as a water bottle. The second opening  16  may include external threads  18  for mating with a bottle cap or other appropriate closure for sealing the device  10 . The device  10  also includes a breakable or rupturable seal or inner wall member  22  disposed between the substance contained in the chamber of the housing  12  and the opening  14 . 
     A breaking member or piston  13  having a protruding portion  24  and openings  26  is also provided between the seal  22  and the first opening  14 . The piston  13  may be secured within the internally threaded portion  15  of the first opening  14  via one or more tabs or friction fit, for example. The piston  13  may also be secured within the first opening  14  via a snap fit, receiving grooves, protruding rings or any other fitting that would reliably secure the piston within the opening while allowing movement therein. At a desired time, the device  10  may be screwed on to a container via internally threaded portion  15 . The piston is driven toward the seal  22  via the force of the container. As such, the protruding portion  24  of the piston  13  begins to press on the seal  22  until such seal  22  is broken, ruptured, pierced, split etc., to expose the substance in the housing  12  to the liquid in the other container to produce a mixture. Of course the connected device and container may be shaken or swirled to aid in the mixing of the substance and the liquid. 
     The seal  22 , as shown in FIG. 9, may be a thinned wall portion  27  and is preferably formed with lines of weakness  28  to aid in the breaking or rupturing of the seal. The seal  22  may also be a membrane made of plastic, foil or any other material which would provide a reliable seal and be capable of opening, breaking, tearing, rupturing, splitting or ripping, for example, in response to pressure exterted by the protruding portion  24 . Such a membrane may also be formed with lines of weakness to aid in the breaking or rupturing of the seal  22 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3-6, another embodiment of the device  10 ′ will now be described. The device  10 ′ includes a housing  12 ′ having a first opening  14 ′ and second opening  16 ′ at opposite ends of the housing. The first opening  14 ′ may include internal threads  15 ′ for mating with the external threads  17 ′ of a breaking cap  13 ′. The breaking cap  13 ′ also includes internal threads  19 ′ for mating with a bottle top, for example, as shown in FIG.  4 . The second opening  16 ′ may include external threads  18 ′ for mating with a bottle cap  29 ′ or other appropriate closure for sealing the device  10 ′. The device  10 ′ also includes a breakable or rupturable seal or inner wall member  221  disposed between the substance contained in the housing  12 ′ and the opening  14 ′. Again, the seal  22 ′ may be a thinned wall portion and is preferably formed with lines of weakness to aid in the breaking or rupturing of the seal. 
     The breaking cap  13 ′ may have a protruding portion  24 ′ and openings  26 ′, and is provided between the seal  22 ′ and the first opening  14 ′. At a desired time, the device  10 ′ may be screwed on to another container via internal threads  19 ′ of the breaking cap  13 ′. The breaking cap  13 ′ is driven toward the seal  22 ′ after the bottle reaches the upper limit of the internal threads  19 ′ of the breaking cap  13 ′. As such, the protruding portion  24 ′ begins to press on the seal  22 ′ until such seal  22 ′ is opened, broken or ruptured to expose the substance in the housing  12 ′ to the liquid in the container to produce a mixture. Of course the connected device and containers may be lightly shaken or swirled to aid in the mixing of the substance and the liquid. 
     In a variation of the embodiment of FIGS. 3-6, a device  10 ″ will now be described with reference to FIG.  7 . Here, the device  10 ″ includes a breaking cap  13 ″ that also has internal threads  19 ″. However, the breaking cap  13 ″ also includes a skirt portion  20 ″ for extending down over the top of the bottle. This ensures a more reliable, stable and secure fit and connection of the device  10 ″ to the bottle. Of course, the breaking cap  13 ″ may also be slidably disposed in the housing  12 ″ via a friction fit, snap fit, protruding rings etc. 
     Additionally, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the device  10 ′″ may be constructed so that the housing  12 ′″ is received in the breaking cap  13 ′″. Such an embodiment may reduce the possibility of a leak as the substance contained in the housing  12 ′″ would also be contained in the breaking cap  13 ′″ while the breakable seal  22 ′″ is ruptured by the protruding portion  24 ′″. Also, in this embodiment, the housing  12 ′″ is secured within the breaking cap  13 ′″ via protruding members  30  and  32  respectively located on the breaking cap  13 ′″ and the housing  12 ′″. Of course, the housing  12 ′″ may also be secured within the breaking cap  13 ′″ via any other reliable fitting that would reliably secure the housing within the breaking cap while allowing movement therein, such as a snap fit, receiving grooves, threads etc. 
     The devices  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ and  10 ′″ in accordance with the present invention provide sterile and convenient mixing and storing of pre-measured quantities of a substance and a liquid, thereby avoiding the possibility of spillage, contamination and the production of incorrect mixtures. 
     The devices  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ and  10 ′″ illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 include an elongated and cylindrical shaped housing  12 . However, other shapes and sizes which provide storage for the desired premeasured quantity of a substance, are also contemplated by the inventors. The device is preferably made of plastic, and may be transparent or opaque. The devices  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ and  10 ′″ may be used to store powdered baby formula, diet drink powders, sports drink powders, liquor, pharmaceuticals or any other substance that would conveniently be stored and be ready to mix with another substance or liquid such as water, milk, juice or soda, for example. 
     The devices  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ and  10 ′″ are preferably single serving disposable devices but may also be reusable depending on the typ of seal  22  used. The size, depth and diameter of the devices  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ and  10 ′″ will be based on serving volume requirements. Additionally, various types of safety or tamper resistant devices may be appropriate to secure the piston  13  and breaking cap  13 ′ or housing  12 ′″ in an initial position prior to engagement with a bottle. 
     Furthermore, in the embodiments described with respect to FIGS. 3-8, the breaking cap  13 ′,  13 ″ and  13 ′″ may be provided separately from the housing  12 ′,  12 ″ and  12 ′″. For example, the breaking cap  13 ′,  13 ″ and  13 ′″ may be provided with the bottle containing the liquid for mixture with the substance stored in the housing  12 ′,  12 ″ and  12 ′″. Here, the breaking cap  13 ′,  13 ″ and  13 ′″ may include a closure cap to mate with the external threads  17 ′,  17 ′ and  17 ′″ and the combination may serve as a bottle cap for the bottle. 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8