Device for maintaining separate ingredients in liquid food products

Abstract

A device for maintaining ingredients separately within a container, of the type having a removable container cap applied on a neck with a central opening, has a sub-container body mounted in the container neck which is formed with a proximate end having screw threads which can be engaged with internal screw threads in the container neck for holding them securely together to allow the ingredients to be shaken out of the sub-container body and mixed with fluid in the container. The sub-container body can have inner divider walls forming multiple compartments with respective orifices for dispensing ingredients selectively from the compartments. The sub-container body may be sealed to the underside of the cap with a sealing film, or seated on the neck rim and held by the cap. In one version, the proximate end of the sub-container body has a protruding shape with inclined walls for guiding it into the neck opening. In other versions, the sub-container body is formed integrally with the container cap, or is formed as an annular ring shape carried between inner and outer flanges of the cap. These improved devices allow viscous or powdered ingredients to be mixed by shaking with fluid in the container without risk of spilling or splashing outside the container.

Description

SPECIFICATION[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 321,676, of the same title, by the same inventor, filed on May 28, 1999.[0002] This invention generally relates to a device for maintaining ingredients separate in liquid food products until the time of use, and more particularly, to such improvements as used with standard beverage bottles or cans.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0003] In the storage of liquid foodstuffs, and particularly beverages, the food product can have better flavor, have a longer shelf life, be made without preservatives, and / or can use less stable or unstable ingredients if certain of the ingredients can be stored separately from the carrier liquid until the food product is to be consumed. For example, a beverage can have better taste if the flavoring can be stored in dry form and mixed with the carrier liquid just prior to use. Some flavorings, oils, vitamins, supplements, medicines, and other ingredients when mixed...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Enables safe and convenient storage and dispensing of multiple ingredients into beverages, extending shelf life and reducing preservative use, allowing for a wider range of products with better flavor and stability, even with unstable ingredients.

Problems solved by technology

Some flavorings, oils, vitamins, supplements, medicines, and other ingredients when mixed with water, soda, or other liquid media are unstable, and therefore may not be used with currently sold beverages and liquid mixtures.

Oxygenated water is known to have health benefits but is chemically reactive, and therefore flavors, vitamins, supplements, and pharmaceuticals cannot be combined with it in a stored product.

However, these devices may be unsafe or messy to use since a high applied pressure must be used to burst open the compartment, and may cause the ingredients spew out of the container or back toward the user.

However, these devices are not suitable for the current vending machine environment, since the outer sealing member can become accidentally dislodged or punctured during transport or handling.

These types of devices have the disadvantage that the ingredients are completely discharged into the liquid upon release, and cannot be metered or controllably added to the liquid according to the tastes of the user.

However, this type of device has only a single compartment and does not have provision for easily metering ingredients into the container after the seal is opened.

However, the sub-compartments in these devices are disposed at opposite ends of the sub-container element and are opened by threaded elements, thereby making them costly to fabricate and awkward to use.

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