U.S. patent application number 11/348952 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-12 for pill and method of adding measured quantities of ingredients to bottled water.
Invention is credited to Donald Spector.
Application Number | 20070158232 11/348952 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38231719 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070158232 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Spector; Donald |
July 12, 2007 |
Pill and method of adding measured quantities of ingredients to
bottled water
Abstract
A package of pills and a pill are disclosed. The package has one
or more chambers and there are one or more pills in each of the one
or more chambers. Each of the pills has membrane that dissolves
instantly in water. Each of the chambers has a covering on a top
portion of the package that protects the one or more pills and each
of the chambers has a breakable seal on a bottom portion of the
package. The seal can be broken by a user or by a bottle and the
pill is deposited in a bottle of water. The contents of the pill
are powders, crystals or microencapsulate materials.
Inventors: |
Spector; Donald; (New York,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DIEHL SERVILLA LLC
77 BRANT AVE
SUITE 110
CLARK
NJ
07066
US
|
Family ID: |
38231719 |
Appl. No.: |
11/348952 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60757282 |
Jan 9, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/531 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2575/3218 20130101;
A61J 1/035 20130101; B65D 75/327 20130101; B65D 2575/3227
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/531 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/04 20060101
B65D083/04 |
Claims
1. A package of pills, comprising: a package having one or more
breakable chambers; one or more pills in each of the one or more
chambers, each of the pills having a membrane that dissolves
instantly in water; and each of the chambers having a covering on a
top portion of the package that protects the one or more pills.
2. The package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising breakable
seal on a bottom portion of the package underneath each of the one
or more chambers.
3. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or
more pills in each of the chambers contains a powder, a crystal or
a microencapsulated material.
4. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or
more pills in each of the chambers is non-compressed.
5. The package as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the one or
more pills in each of the chambers is non-compressed.
6. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane of each
of the one or more pills in each of the chambers is soy-based.
7. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane of each
of the one or more pills is selected from the group including PEG
and polyvinyl alcohol.
8. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein a user breaks the
breakable seal of one of the container areas on the bottom portion
of the package to obtain a pill.
9. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the chambers
is sealed to prevent the entry of moisture into the chamber.
10. The package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
protective seal covering each of the breakable seals.
11. The package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
weakened area in each of the breakable seals.
12. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering for
each of the chambers withstands up to 20 pounds of pressure without
collapsing.
13. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering for
each of the chambers withstands up to 10 pounds of pressure without
collapsing.
14. The package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering for
each of the chambers withstands up to 5 pounds of pressure without
collapsing.
15. A pill comprising a membrane instantly dissolvable in water,
the membrane surrounding a material that is a powder, a crystal or
a microencapsulated material.
16. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the membrane is soy
based.
17. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the membrane is
selected from the group including PEG and polyvinyl alcohol.
18. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the pill has two ends,
each of the ends being mechanically sealed.
19. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the material is a
pharmaceutical.
20. The pill as claimed in claim 15, wherein the material is a
flavoring.
21. The pill as claimed in claim 15 wherein the material is a
nutrient.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/757,282, filed Jan. 9, 2006 which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to the fields of pills and of adding
measured quantities of ingredients to bottled water.
[0003] Previous patents have described a system in which a cap was
retrofitted to a bottle of water and flavorings and/or other
ingredients were released into the bottled water when the cap was
screwed in place. In these embodiments, the cap includes a
membrane, and the membrane was parsed when it was screwed on a
bottle or shaken.
[0004] In some instances, the cost of the cap might represent a
deterrent over using powders that, although messy, can be less
expensive than including the plastic in every use. However, systems
such as the Crystal Light to Go by Kraft used concentrated powders
that come in a tube and can be released into bottled water and
shaken and have presented consumer issues.
[0005] One of these issues is the fact that concentrated powders
are readily air dispersed onto the consumer's clothing. Many of
these include food colors and by the nature of their concentration
can ruin clothes and minimally cause severe staining. This is
particularly true since the first reaction of a consumer would be
to wipe it off with water or club soda, which would obviously, in
the case of a concentrated material, compound the problem.
[0006] Another problem of using powders is that they require the
opening and pouring of contents into a bottle, an operation which
is difficult to accomplish in an al fresco situation.
[0007] If a pill, having a measured quantity of the desired
ingredients were available, particularly one which was instantly
dissolving and physically sized for the readily available bottled
water, the art of consumer drinks would be advanced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The purpose of this instant invention is to provide a pill
in which the ingredients inside are a dry crystal, powder or micro
encapsulated substance. The nature of the pill is that the outside
is made of an instantly dissolvable membrane in water. This pill is
preferably specially packaged in a container capable of sealing out
humidity and at the same time providing some rigidity, since the
membrane of the pill, which is instantly dissolvable in water would
not be strong enough to not crush when on the go, thereby providing
the same disadvantages of powder.
[0009] This application is not related to a prior application that
required a cap as the housing. In accordance with one aspect of the
present invention, the pill of the present invention will be housed
in a package to prevent it from either being attacked by humidity
or crushed. In this case, the package can simply be a molded
(possibly multiple vacuum form) such as those that contain other
pills that are used for child protection. One such system would be
a product such as Benadryl caplets that have a blister mold and an
aluminum foil sealed beneath. In this case, the extra child
protection paper would not be needed. Other types of packaging that
have a hard shell on most sides and a section which the capsule can
be pushed through would be used in combination with this instantly
dissolvable pill in order to keep out humidity and protect the pill
from rupture.
[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a
package of pills is provided. The package has one or more chambers.
There are one or more pills in each of the one or more chambers.
Each of the pills having a membrane that dissolves instantly in
water. Each of the chambers has a covering on a top portion of the
package that protects the one or more pills and each of the
chambers has a breakable seal on a bottom portion of the
package.
[0011] Each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers
contains a powder. In accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, each of the one or more pills in each of the chambers is
non-compressed.
[0012] The membrane of each of the one or more pills in each of the
chambers can be soy-based. The membrane can also be made of the
same composition as the Listerine Chamber Paks. Additionally, the
membrane can be composed of safe water soluble material. The
membrane is preferably sized to be instantly dissolvable in
water.
[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
each of the chambers in the present invention is sealed to prevent
the entry of moisture into the chamber.
[0014] The package can also include a protective seal covering each
of the breakable seals.
[0015] The package can also have a weakened area in each of the
breakable seals to assist the user in breaking the seals.
[0016] The covering for each of the chambers is preferably hardened
to withstand pressures to protect the pill. In accordance with one
aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 20
pounds of pressure without collapsing. In accordance with another
aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 10
pounds of pressure without collapsing. In accordance with a further
aspect of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 5
pounds of pressure without collapsing.
[0017] In accordance with a further aspect of the present
invention, a pill is provided. The pill includes a membrane
instantly dissolvable in water. The membrane surrounds a
non-compressed powder. The membrane can be made as previously
described.
[0018] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the
membrane is rolled around powder and the two ends of the membrane
are mechanically sealed.
[0019] The contents of the pill can be a powder, a dry crystal or a
microencapsulated product. The contents can include
pharmaceuticals, flavorings and nutrients. Other ingredients can
also be provided.
[0020] A user removes one or more pills in a package and places the
pills in a bottle of water. The pills can be dropped straight into
the bottle from the package or can be removed by hand and dropped
in the bottle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a method in accordance with one aspect of
the present invention.
[0022] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a package of pills in accordance
with a further aspect of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a pill in accordance with another aspect
of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a package in accordance with one
aspect of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a method and
apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. A
bottle 10 has a liquid 12 in it. By way of example only, the bottle
10 can be a plastic bottle and the liquid 12 can be water. The
bottle 10 has threads 14 around an outer surface.
[0025] A top 16 to the bottle 10 is provided. The top 16 has
threads 18 that mate with the threads 14 on the bottle 10, thereby
securing the top 16 to the bottle 10. In FIG. 1, the top 16 is
removed from the bottle 10.
[0026] A package 20 having chambers 22 to 27 is provided. Any
number of desired chambers can be provided in the package 20. The
package 20 can be similar to a blister pack. The package 20
preferably has a foil bottom and each of the chambers 22 to 27
preferably has a clear plastic top. Each of the chambers 22 to 27
contains one or more pills. The plastic top is preferably clear to
enable a user to view the contents of the chambers 22 to 27 and the
foil 29 underneath each of the chambers 22 to 27 is designed to
break when pressure is applied to the foil 29 in the area
underneath the respective chamber 22 to 27. The plastic top is
preferably hard enough to withstand the pressures associated with
distributing these packages. For example, when other packages are
placed on top of the package 20, the plastic top is hard enough to
protect the pill from being crushed. In accordance with one aspect
of the present invention, the cover withstands up to 20 pounds of
pressure without collapsing. In accordance with another aspect of
the present invention, the cover withstands up to 10 pounds of
pressure without collapsing. In accordance with a further aspect of
the present invention, the cover withstands up to 5 pounds of
pressure without collapsing. Suitable material for the cover
include plastics, hard plastics, PVCs and the like.
[0027] The method, in accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, involves positioning one of the chambers 22 to 27 over
an opening in the bottle 10. Pressure is applied to a seal one of
the chambers, such as chamber 24. The bottom of chamber 24 breaks
and releases pills 28 and 30 into the liquid 12 in the bottle
10.
[0028] It is preferred to provide a weaker spot in the seal on the
bottom underneath the chambers 22 to 27 that break easily. Thus,
for example, lines 32 and 34 in FIG. 3 can be weakened parts of the
bottom so that the bottom of chamber 24 breaks easily and in a
defined manner. Another seal, a protective seal 31, can also be
provided on the bottom of the package 20. This seal further assists
in protecting the pills in the chambers from humidity. A user would
remove the protective seal 31 first, and then break the seal in the
foil 29 underneath the chamber to access a pill.
[0029] The pills 28 and 30 preferably have an instantly dissolvable
coating to release the ingredients of the pills as fast as
possible. In a most preferred embodiment, the pills 28 and 30 have
an instantly dissolvable coating.
[0030] The same number of pills can be provided in each chamber 22
to 27. Depending on the size of the chambers 22 to 27, one or more
pills can be provided in each chamber 22 to 27. Further, a
different number of pills can be provided in each chamber 22 to 27.
For example, chamber 22 has two pills, chamber 23 has three pills,
chamber 24 had two pills, and chamber 25 has one pill. This can
allow for different dosages of the contents of the pills to be
applied to the liquid 12 in the bottle 10.
[0031] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
the contents of any of the chambers 22 to 27 can be removed by
applying pressure to the breakable seal underneath one of the
chambers. The pills that are removed from the chamber can be
dropped into a user's hand and the user can drop the pill or pills
into the liquid 12 or they can be dropped directly into the bottle
10. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the
bottle 10 can be used to break the breakable seal.
[0032] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, where
appropriate, the dosages contained in the pills in each of the
chambers 22 to 27 can be marked on the package 20.
[0033] The pills can have any number of contents, including
powders, crystals and microencapsulated products. The pills can
contain pharmaceuticals, flavorings, foods, various powders, drinks
and the like. In accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, a pill is a non-compressed pill having a preselected
quantity of one or more of generally recognized as safe (GRAS)
ingredients. Any ingredient that does not dissolve the membrane of
a pill can be used. For example, ingredients can be selected from
the group including a sweetening agent, an acidulant, a flavoring
agent, a nutrient, a pharmaceutical, a colorant, electrolyte
replacement agents, a mouthfeel agent, a disintegrant agent, a
breath freshener and the like.
[0034] A pill in accordance with one aspect of the present
invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The pill 50 has a membrane 51
and ingredients 52. The ingredients 52 can be a dry crystal, powder
or micro encapsulated substance, or any other substance that does
not dissolve the membrane 51. The nature of the pill 50 is that the
outside is made of a membrane 51 that instantly dissolves in water.
The material that the membrane is constructed from may depend on
the fluid in the fluid container. For example, the membrane may be
soluble in different liquids. In the case where the fluid is water
based, the membrane is formed from soy and/or corn based materials.
In general, the membrane can be formed from non-toxic, organic
material that is dissolvable in liquid. In accordance with one
specific embodiment, the membrane can be formed from a composition
similar to or the same as the composition as used in Listerine
Chamber Paks. These strips dissolve instantly when placed into a
mouth. The ingredients for Listerine Chamber Paks include Pullulan,
Flavors, Menthol, Aspartame, Potassium Acesulfame, Copper
Gluconate, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Glyceryl Oleate,
Eucalyptol, Methyl Salicylate, Thymol, Locust Bean Gum, Propylene
Glycol, Xanthan Gum, FD&C Green No 3. It also contains
Phenylalanine. The membrane 51 can be made with any of these
ingredients or with any combination of these ingredients. The
thickness of the membrane 51 will help determine how quickly the
membrane 51 dissolves in water in the bottle 10. The membrane 51
should be constructed of a thickness that will result in the
membrane 51 instantly dissolving when the pill comes into contact
with the water in a bottle. This will then release the contents of
the pill into the water. In accordance with one aspect of the
present invention, instantly means the membrane 51 dissolves in
less than 0.5 seconds. In accordance with another aspect of the
present invention, instantly means the membrane 51 dissolves in
less than 1 second. In any event, the membrane 51 should dissolve
in less than 3 or 5 seconds. This can be controlled by controlling
the thickness of the membrane 51. The membrane 51 can also be made
with PEG having an appropriate thickness. The PEG should preferably
have a safe amount of ethylene and diethylene glycols. The membrane
can also be made of polyvinyl alcohol. For example, the films
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,047, which is hereby incorporated
by reference, if sized appropriately to dissolve instantly in
water, can also be used.
[0035] This pill is preferably specially packaged in a container
capable of sealing out humidity and at the same time providing some
rigidity, since the parsable membrane, which is instantly
dissolvable in water, would not be strong enough to not crush when
on the go, thereby providing the same disadvantages of powder. Such
a package was described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 3.
[0036] The pill of the invention is preferably sized and shaped to
easily fit through the neck opening of commercially available
pre-filled water bottles. The pill of the invention is preferably
generally cylindrically shaped with a diameter between about 0.3 to
about 0.6 inches, the length being variable depending on the mass
of the ingredients being selected. While this size and shape is
preferred, other sizes and shapes may be preferred for particular
applications and are considered within the scope of the present
invention.
[0037] The packaging can simply be a molded form (possibly multiple
vacuum form) such as those that contain other pills that are used
for child protection. A vacuum for that has multiple containers for
pills can be provided. One such system would be a product such as
Benadryl caplets that have a blister mold and an aluminum foil
sealed beneath. In this case, the extra child protection paper
would not be needed. Other types of packaging that have a hard
shell on most sides and a section which the capsule can be pushed
through would be used in combination with this instantly
dissolvable pill in order to keep out humidity and protect the pill
from rupture.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4, the pill 50 has an instantly
dissolvable membrane 51 and contents 52. The membrane 51 can be a
sheet of any of the previously described materials that is rolled
around the contents 52. The ends 54 and 56 of the membrane 51 can
be closed by mechanical or heat treatment. For example, the ends 54
and 56 can be crimped. The ends 54 and 56 can also be heat sealed.
Similarly, the line 58 can be closed by mechanical or heat
treatment.
[0039] While there have been shown, described and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred
embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions
and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device
illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in
the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is
the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the
scope of the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *