Capsule dispensing driver and related system and bottle

Abstract

A driver for puncturing a capsule sealed with an edible product and dispensing the punctured capsule into a container, the upper end of the capsule being a sealed structure and being provided with an outwardly extending flange, the outwardly extending flange being disposed in an annular flange associated with a container mouth when in use; wherein the driver is driven by a screw cap which can be in threaded fit with the container, so that the driver is pressed to abut against the capsule; the driver comprises at least one blade extending downwards and is configured to pierce a sealing layer of the capsule when the screw cap rotates towards the capsule; and the pressure-bearing surface is configured to gradually press the epitaxial flange of the capsule in the rotating process of the rotary cover, so that the punctured capsule is promoted to penetrate through the annular flange and fall into a container.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a driver capable of piercing a sealed capsule encapsulating an edible product, wherein the edible product includes a powder or a concentrate. The driver is further capable of dispensing the punctured capsule into a container (such as a bottle). The present invention also provides a system for dispensing an edible product into a container, and a bottle including the driver.

[0002] This technical solution is particularly applicable to the field of consumer beverages, such as infant formula or sports drinks, and can also be applicable to other application fields, such as cleaning products, etc. Background Art

[0003] Many beverages are prepared by mixing an edible product (such as a powder or a concentrate) with a liquid. For example, milk for infants is usually prepared by mixing milk powder with water in a bottle. Similarly, protein drinks are often made by mixing water or milk with protein powder.

[0004] However, accurately measuring the dosage of the required edible product is often difficult and inconvenient. In addition, since such edible products are usually purchased and stored in large packages, it is often difficult or even infeasible for users to take and accurately measure the required dosage when in a mobile usage scenario. Alternatively, in the case where the edible product is pre-measured, it is usually stored in an empty container (such as a beverage bottle). This results in the inability to pre-add the target liquid to be mixed with the edible product into the bottle (because the mixed solution should be consumed as soon as possible after preparation). Therefore, users must carry an additional liquid container for mixing or obtain mixing liquid when going out, which is inconvenient to use.

[0005] In summary, it is necessary to solve the above problems or at least provide a practical alternative. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driver for piercing a capsule encapsulating an edible product and dispensing the punctured capsule into a container. The upper end of the capsule is closed and is provided with an outwardly extending flange, which is disposed within a circumferential flange associated with the mouth of the container in a use state. The driver is driven by a screw cap that can be threadedly engaged with the container. When the screw cap rotates, it presses the driver against the capsule. The driver includes:

[0007] One or more downwardly extending blades configured to pierce the capsule seal during rotation of the screw cap towards the capsule.

[0008] A bearing surface configured to gradually press the flange of the capsule during rotation of the screw cap, so that the punctured capsule falls through the circumferential flange into the container.

[0009] The drive may include a downwardly extending collar, the lower end of which constitutes the bearing surface. The collar has a first section that extends downward to a first height; and an opposite second section that extends downward to a second height greater than the first height. Thus, in the use state, when the screw cap rotates relative to the container and towards the capsule, the bearing surface of the second section of the collar is configured to press against the outwardly extending flange of the capsule.

[0010] In some embodiments, at least one blade extends downward from the first end of the collar such that when the screw cap rotates towards the capsule, the at least one blade pierces the capsule, and then the bearing surface of the second end of the collar presses the pierced capsule through the annular flange and into the container.

[0011] It is conceivable that the drive is generally circular as a whole, and each blade is radially distributed outside the center of the drive such that in use, as the screw cap rotates to close the container, the drive also rotates synchronously, so that each blade pierces the seal and cuts the surface along a curved path corresponding to the inner circumference of the outwardly extending flange of the capsule.

[0012] In some embodiments, the drive includes an annular top that extends downward to form the collar and can be received inside the screw cap collar or integrally formed therewith, so as to drive the drive to rotate synchronously when the screw cap rotates.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the annular flange includes: an outwardly extending lip configured to sit on the lip of the container mouth; and an inwardly extending annular step, on which the outwardly extending flange of the capsule is disposed, and then passes through the step and falls into the container under the pressing of the bearing surface of the drive.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for dispensing an edible product into a container, the system comprising:

[0015] A drive according to the first aspect of the present invention;

[0016] A capsule encapsulating an edible content, the upper end of the capsule being closed and provided with an outwardly extending flange that is disposed within an annular flange associated with the container mouth in the use state;

[0017] A screw cap that can be threadedly engaged with the container for pressing the drive against the capsule.

[0018] Wherein, in the use state, when the screw cap rotates towards the capsule disposed within the annular flange, it is configured to:

[0019] Drive one or more blades in the drive to pierce the sealed part of the capsule;

[0020] Gradually press the pressure-bearing surface of the driver against the outer extension flange of the capsule, so as to force the punctured capsule to pass through the annular flange and fall into the container, and release the unsealed edible product. Release the unsealed edible content into the container.

[0021] In some system embodiments, the annular flange includes an outwardly extending lip configured to be seated on the lip of the container mouth; and an inwardly extending annular step on which the outer extension flange of the capsule is disposed and then passes through the step portion under the pressure of the driver's pressure-bearing surface to achieve product release.

[0022] It is conceivable that the edible product is a powder or a concentrate, and the container is a bottle-shaped container for mixing the powder or concentrate released from the capsule with a liquid.

[0023] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container lid assembly including the driver according to the first aspect of the present invention. In some embodiments, the driver can be integrally formed with the inner side wall of the screw cap.

[0024] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a baby bottle including:

[0025] The driver according to the first aspect of the present invention; or

[0026] The edible product dispensing system according to the second aspect of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

[0028] Figure 1 An exploded assembly view of a baby bottle, the baby bottle including a driver and its related system for dispensing an edible product into a container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the driver, the capsule and the annular flange in the shown assembly;

[0030] Figure 3A is Figure 1 A side perspective view of the annular flange embedded in the mouth of the shown bottle body;

[0031] Figure 3B is Figure 3A A side perspective view of Figure 2 wherein the shown capsule is disposed within the annular flange;

[0032] Figures 4A to 4C are respectively Figure 2 A side view, a bottom perspective view and a front view of the shown driver;

[0033] Figure 5A is Figure 1 the bottom view of the bottle body screw cap assembly shown;

[0034] Figure 5B is Figure 5A the bottom view of the screw cap assembly shown, in which the Figure 4A shown driver is inserted;

[0035] Figure 6A is Figure 1 the side view (assembled state) of the assembly shown, in which the screw cap has not been operated to pierce and dispense the capsule into the bottle body;

[0036] Figure 6B is Figure 6A the top perspective view of

[0037] Figure 7A and Figure 7B are respectively the top perspective view and the side view of the driver and the capsule. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0038] This patent specification contemplates that instead of manually scooping edible products such as powdered or concentrated liquids from a large packaging storage container (which is often difficult to accurately measure and prone to contamination), it is better to pre - quantify and encapsulate them in sealed capsules. The user can conveniently carry the capsule, especially suitable for use with a container that has been pre - loaded with the required liquid. In this way, the user can, at a convenient time, directly open the capsule seal and dispense the edible product into the container to mix with the liquid. For this purpose, this specification relates to a driver 2 and its supporting system 14, by which the user can open the seal of the capsule 4 and make the edible product therein dispensed into the container 6. It can be envisaged that the driver 2 can be inserted into or integrally formed with the screw cap 8 of the container 6. When operating the screw cap 8 (for example, screwing it onto the container 6 to complete the closure), the driver 2 pierces the seal of the capsule 4 and presses the punctured capsule 4 to make it unsealed and fall into the container 6. Preferably, the capsule 4 is made of food - grade material and can be directly dispensed into the liquid in the container 6. The capsule 4 can serve as a stirring medium in the liquid, and through actions such as shaking the container 6, it can promote the full mixing of the edible product and the liquid. This specification will hereinafter describe in detail an embodiment of the driver 2 and its supporting system of the present invention, as well as the structure of a baby bottle including the driver 2 and the system 14. In the following description, the "edible product" mainly refers to powder (such as milk powder); however, it should be understood that other edible products (such as concentrated liquid, etc.) can also be encapsulated in the capsule 4, and the driver 2, the system 14, and the screw cap involved in the unsealing and / or dispensing operation of such capsules all fall within the technical scope covered by this specification.

[0039] Figure 1Shown is an exploded assembly view of a baby bottle 10, which includes a container 6, a screw cap 8, and a sanitary shield 12 provided on the screw cap 8. The powder dispensing system 14 of the present invention is shown in this exploded view and Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the system 14 includes a driver 2, a capsule 4 encapsulating powder, and an annular flange structure 16 (the flange can be an independent component or form the mouth structure of the container 6). The driver 2 can be accommodated on the lower side 18 of the screw cap 8 (see Figure 5A and Figure 5B ), and is driven by rotating the screw cap 8 (i.e., threadedly closing the container 6), thereby piercing the seal of the capsule 4 and pressing the punctured capsule 4 into the container 6.

[0040] As Figure 2 shown, the annular flange 16 is integrally in an annular structure and is provided inside the mouth of the container 6 in the use state. Specifically, its upper end is provided with a radially extending flange 20, and the size of the radially extending flange is adapted to the mouth lip 22 (as Figure 3A shown); its inner surface is provided with an inwardly extending annular step 24 for supporting the outer extension flange 26 of the capsule 4.

[0041] Combined with Figure 2 it can be seen that the capsule 4 includes a dome-shaped body 28 (for storing powder), and an approximately planar upper end sealing portion sealed in a conventional manner. The upper end portion includes an outwardly extending outer extension flange 26, which is arranged to be mounted on the inwardly extending annular step 24 of the annular flange assembly 16 (see Figure 3B ). The cooperative design of the annular flange 16 and the annular step 24 is intended to achieve the rapid positioning and installation of the capsule 4. The capsule body 28 passes through the annular flange 16, and its outer extension flange 26 smoothly fits on the surface of the annular step 24 inside the annular flange 16. Therefore, even if the container 6 is tilted, the capsule 4 can still be vertically aligned with the container 6.

[0042] Of course, it is not necessary for the system to necessarily adopt an independently provided annular flange 16; within the scope claimed in this specification, the outer extension flange 26 of the capsule 4 can also be directly supported on the mouth lip 22 of the container 6. Although the outer extension flange 26 of the capsule 4 can be relatively stably positioned on the annular step 24 of the annular flange 16, as will be described later, the driver 2 is configured to press the capsule 4 over the annular flange 16 after piercing the capsule 4, causing the capsule 4 to fall into the container 6. Therefore, the outer extension flange 26 of the capsule 4 and / or the annular step 24 of the annular flange 16 should preferably be made of a material with at least a certain degree of deformability, so that the outer extension flange 26 can smoothly cross the annular step 24 of the annular flange 16 under the pressing action of the driver 2.

[0043] Figures 4A to 4CSchematically shows multiple perspectives of the drive 2. Although the drive 2 is shown as an independent component in the illustration, this is only an exemplary embodiment. According to the technical solution described in this specification, the drive 2 can also be integrally formed inside the screw cap 8 of the container 6 as a whole, rather than existing as an independently pluggable or detachable component.

[0044] In the described embodiment, the drive 2 includes an annular top structure 30, which is sized to be embedded in the collar portion of the screw cap 8 (see Figure 5B ). Preferably, the annular top 30 is provided with a substantially flat upper surface, which can achieve a flush fit with the upper end inside the collar portion of the screw cap 8. The drive 2 further includes a collar 32 extending downward from the annular top 30. As Figure 4A shown, the structure of the annular collar 32 is not completely symmetric. As Figure 4A shown, the collar 32 is not a completely symmetric structure. Specifically, the collar 32 includes a first section 34 that extends axially downward to a first height; and an opposite second section 36 that extends axially downward to a second height, and the second height is greater than the first height. Especially as Figure 4A shown, the collar 32 has a certain slope along its circumference, that is, it gradually slopes downward from the first section 34 to the second section 36, forming an overall circumferentially inclined profile surface. In other words, the collar can be regarded as a short hollow cylinder that is cut by a plane at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis. As will be described later, the inclined profile of the collar 32 plays an important role in ensuring that the piercing process is preferably completed before the capsule 4 is forced through the annular flange 16 and into the container 6.

[0045] See Figure 4B , the annular surface at the lower end of the collar 32 constitutes a bearing surface 38, which is configured to press against the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4, and then force the capsule 4 through the annular flange 16 and fall into the interior of the container 6. However, it is necessary to ensure that the capsule 4 has been fully pierced and opened before falling into the container 6. Otherwise, if the capsule 4 is still substantially sealed when released into the container 6, the powder contained therein will not be fully released and mixed with the liquid in the container 6. For this reason, the drive 2 is provided with a pair of blades 40 extending downward from the collar 32. Specifically, the blade 40 is disposed at or near the first section 34 of the collar 32. Therefore, referring to Figure 7B, when the screw cap 8 is rotated, the driver 2 is pushed towards the direction of the capsule 4, and the blade 40 located at the first section 34 of the collar 32 first contacts and pierces the sealing layer of the capsule 4. As the screw cap 8 (and thus the driver 2) continues to rotate, the blade 40 will cut at least a part of the sealing layer along a curved path corresponding to the inner circumference of the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4. At the same time, the pressure-bearing surface 38 at the second section 36 of the collar 32 gradually advances towards the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4; when the capsule 4 is completely punctured and partially cut, the pressure-bearing surface 38 corresponding to the higher part of the second section 36 of the collar 32 is driven into the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4, and continuously applies pressure to this flange during the further rotation of the screw cap 8. The downward pressing action of the pressure-bearing surface 38 on the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4 pushes the capsule 4 through the annular flange 16 (even if the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4 crosses the annular step 24 it supports), and finally falls into the interior of the container 6, enabling the powder inside the punctured capsule 4 to be released and mixed with the liquid in the container 6. It should be understood that the inclined pressure-bearing surface 38 can cause the capsule 4 to tilt and smoothly pass through the annular flange 16 with a relatively small acting force by locally applying a concentrated pressure on the outer flange 26 of the capsule. If the pressure-bearing surface is a planar structure, it is necessary to force the entire circumference of the outer flange 26 of the capsule to pass through the annular flange 16 simultaneously, thus requiring a greater driving force. For this reason, the circumferential step 24 of the annular flange 16 can be set as an inclined structure (such as an angle of about 45°), so that when the system 14 is assembled and used completely, the pressure-bearing surface 38 of the second section 36 of the driver 2 can form a normal fit with the outer flange 26 of the capsule during the operation of the screw cap 8 and apply pressure. In other words, the pressure-bearing surface 38 directly presses the capsule 4 downward in the vertical direction.

[0046] Without departing from the scope of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above embodiments. For example, although the shown driver 2 uses the blade 40 extending downward from the collar 32, the present invention also contemplates that a sharp edge can be directly formed at the lower edge of the collar 32 as long as it has sufficient sharpness to pierce the sealing layer of the capsule. In this embodiment, the collar can have a relatively sharp and / or thin-walled first section for piercing the capsule; and a relatively thick second section provided with a pressure-bearing surface for pressing against the outer flange 26 of the capsule 4.

[0047] In addition, a liquid sealing structure can be envisaged to prevent liquid leakage from occurring in the bottle body 10 during use. For example, referring to Figure 2 , an elastomeric food-grade seal 42 is provided on the circumferential part of the driver collar 32. In the use state, the seal 42 forms a sealing fit with the annular flange 16 (whether it is an independent annular component 16 or an integrally formed structure of the container mouth 6), thereby ensuring that the mixed liquid inside the bottle body 6 does not leak.

[0048] In this specification and the appended claims, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the term "comprising" and its various variants (such as "including", "containing", etc.) shall be construed as an open-ended expression, meaning that it encompasses the recited features or steps without excluding the existence of other features or steps not expressly recited.

[0049] Any reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived therefrom) or any known matter shall not be taken as an admission, statement or implication that the prior publication (or information derived therefrom) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the technical field to which this specification pertains.

Claims

1. A driver for piercing a sealed capsule encapsulating an edible product and dispensing the pierced capsule into a container, wherein, The upper end of the capsule is a sealed structure and is provided with an outwardly extending flange. In the use state, the outwardly extending flange is disposed within a circumferential flange associated with the container mouth; the driver is driven by a screw cap that can be threadedly engaged with the container to press the driver against the capsule. Among them, the driver includes: At least one blade extending downward, configured to pierce the capsule sealing layer during the rotation of the screw cap towards the capsule; and A bearing surface, configured to gradually press the outwardly extending flange of the capsule during the rotation of the screw cap to push the punctured capsule through the circumferential flange and into the container.

2. The driver according to claim 1, which includes a downwardly extending collar, the lower end of which constitutes the bearing surface; the collar has a first section that extends axially downward to a first height, and an opposite second section that extends axially downward to a second height greater than the first height; so that in use, during the rotation of the screw cap relative to the container and towards the capsule, the bearing surface at the second section of the collar preferentially presses the outwardly extending flange of the capsule to push the capsule into the container.

3. The driver according to claim 2, wherein, At least one blade extends downward from the first end of the collar, such that when the screw cap rotates towards the capsule, the at least one blade first pierces the capsule, and then the bearing surface at the second end of the collar presses the punctured capsule through the circumferential flange and into the container.

4. The driver according to any one of the preceding claims, which is generally circular in overall structure, wherein the blades are arranged at intervals radially outside the center of the driver, such that in use, when the screw cap rotates to close the container, the driver rotates synchronously, so that each blade pierces the sealing layer along a curved path corresponding to the inner edge of the outwardly extending flange of the capsule and cuts to form a slit.

5. The driver according to claim 4 and dependent claim 3, characterized in that It includes an annular top, which extends downward to form the collar, and the annular top can be received inside the neck of the screw cap or integrally formed with it, so that the driver rotates synchronously when the screw cap rotates.

6. The driver according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The circumferential flange includes a radially extending flange configured to sit on the lip of the container mouth; and an inwardly extending annular step, the outwardly extending flange of the capsule is configured to rest on the step, and then is pressed through the step under the pressure of the bearing surface to release the contents.

7. A system for dispensing an edible product into a container, the system includes: The driver according to any one of the preceding claims; A capsule containing the edible product, the upper end of which is a sealed structure and is provided with an outwardly extending flange, and in use, the outwardly extending flange is disposed within a circumferential flange associated with the container mouth; and A screw cap that can be threadedly engaged with the container for pressing the driver against the capsule; Among them, in the use state, when the screw cap rotates towards the capsule, it is configured to: Drive at least one blade in the driver to pierce the capsule sealing layer; And Make the bearing surface of the driver gradually press the outwardly extending flange of the capsule to push the punctured capsule through the circumferential flange and into the container, so that the unsealed edible product is released into the container.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein, The circumferential flange includes a radially extending flange configured to sit on the lip of the container mouth; and an inwardly extending annular step, the outwardly extending flange of the capsule is configured to rest on the step, and then is pressed through the step under the pressure of the bearing surface to release the contents.

9. The system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The edible product is in powder or liquid form, and the container is a bottle-shaped container for mixing the powder or liquid released from the capsule with a liquid.

10. A container lid assembly comprising a driver as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

11. The container lid assembly according to claim 10, wherein, The driver is integrally formed on the lower side wall of the screw cap.

12. A baby bottle comprising: A driver as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6; or A system as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9.

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