Removable Bottle Cap Assembly with Internal Storage Compartment

Abstract

A removable cap assembly for a screw-top container includes a first portion, a second portion and a lower sealing member. The first portion is adapted to removably interface with a screw-top container. The second portion is adapted to removably interface with the first portion, and the second portion defines lateral sidewalls and a top surface. The lower sealing member is affixed to one of the first and second portions, and defines with the lateral sidewalls and the top surface an internal compartment. The other of the first and second portions, different from the one of the first and second portions to which the lower sealing member is affixed, comprises a cutting element arranged to breach the sealing member when the second portion is interfaced towards the first portion beyond a threshold point.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of this invention relate generally to removable caps for plastic and other types of bottles, and particularly such caps which have a separate compartment for storing liquids or powders separately from any contents of the bottle.

BACKGROUND

[0002] It is known that a removable bottle cap may include a separate sealed chamber or bladder for storing an additive such that breaching the sealed chamber will allow the additive to be released into a separate bottle onto which the cap is attached. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,681,958 and 7,614,496; US Patent Publication 2009/0321380; and U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D640,552 and D640,553.

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,958 provides a supplement compartment in a nesting relationship atop a cap that covers the bottle/container. A liquid is disposed in the supplement compartment and it appears the user is required to fully remove the nested compartment/cap assembly before manually mingling the contents of the supplement compartment with the contents of the bottle.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,496 and the two design patents referenced above build on this in that a twisting motion by the user breaches a seal between the supplement compartment and the bottle cap so the supplement falls into the bottle without necessitating removal of the cap. As illustrated, U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,496 implies a friction grip between the user's fingers and the lateral cylindrical exterior surface of the cap which causes knuckles to be driven downward in a rotating fashion to breach a plate into segments along score lines, which releases contents of the cap into the bottle. The two design patents referenced above provide larger lateral surfaces so that application by the user of a rotational force causes a circular cut along a score line of a divider between the cap compartment and the bottle, until a protrusion pushes the breached divider into an open position to release the cap contents into the bottle.

[0005] US Patent Publication 2009/0321380 provides for a linear force by the user downward on the cap, which via gates and slots causes two gates to rotate relative to one another and align apertures in each so as to allow contents of the cap to fall into the bottle. Such an aperture-alignment approach does not appear suitable for liquids since it would appear that liquid would leak through even the misaligned apertures before the user intended to mix the cap contents into the bottle. The examples given in US Patent Publication 2009/0321380 provide for solids in the cap compartment such as aspirin and powder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a bottle cap assembly having an internal compartment according to these teachings, in which the compartment remains sealed respecting contents of a bottle to which the bottle cap assembly might be removably affixed.

[0007] FIG. 1B is similar to FIG. 1A but showing the compartment breached to allow mixing with contents of a bottle to which the bottle cap assembly might be affixed.

[0008] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a bottle cap assembly having an internal compartment according to these teachings, in which the compartment remains sealed respecting contents of a bottle to which the bottle cap assembly might be removably affixed.

[0009] FIG. 2B is similar to FIG. 2A but showing the compartment breached to allow mixing with contents of a bottle to which the bottle cap assembly might be affixed.

[0010] FIGS. 3A-F illustrate an alternate implementation of the second embodiment, wherein FIG. 3A-B are sectional views with the compartment sealed, FIG. 3C is a sectional view with the compartment breached, FIG. 3D is a sectional view with the assembly in a flow through configuration, and FIG. 3E-F illustrating plan views of the respectively assembled and separated components.

[0011] FIGS. 4A-C illustrate a third embodiment in which a drinking nipple is used for forming the internal compartment, where FIG. 4A illustrates exploded and exploded sectional views, FIG. 4B is a sectional view with the internal compartment intact and FIG. 4C is a sectional view with the internal compartment breached.

[0012] FIGS. 5A-B illustrate a fourth embodiment in which the sealing member of the internal compartment is punctured by an upward-facing cutter when the first and second portions of the bottle cap assembly are screwed against one another, in which FIG. 5A is a cutaway view, FIG. 5B illustrate exploded views of FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C illustrates a variation on the FIG. 5A-B embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The description herein particularly details various embodiments illustrated in the drawing figures as well as various modifications to those illustrated embodiments and different implementation thereof. These illustrations are exemplary only and not limiting to the broader teachings enabled by those illustrations and of the modifications thereto which are detailed below with particularity.

[0014] FIG. 1A-B illustrate a first embodiment of a removable bottle cap assembly 100 having an internal compartment which is waterproof and suitable for storing liquids. There is a first portion 102 having lateral sidewalls 104, a mating surface 110 for mating with the second portion 122 to be detailed further below, and a bottom opposed surface 108 which defines an aperture for receiving and mating with a neck of a bottle or similar container. Apart from the mating surface 110 the first portion 102 of the removable bottle cap assembly 100 may be largely conventional.

[0015] When specifically implemented to replace a conventional screw top of a water bottle or the like, interior portions (not shown) of the lateral sidewalls 104 define an inclined plane wrapped about that interior portion which mates with a similar inclined plane wrapped about an exterior sidewall surface of a bottle's neck. This enables them to mate in a screw type fashion, and to prevent leakage of liquid between those mating screw surfaces under expected normal operating conditions of ambient temperature and pressure. The extent of the bottom opposed surface 108 of the first portion 102 is in this case simply a ring having a surface area substantially smaller than the two-dimensional interior area that is circumscribed by the ring, such interior area being the aperture that receives the neck of the bottle.

[0016] At least part of the mating surface 110 of the first portion 102 is common with the second portion 122 as shown at FIG. 1A, and preferably (but not essentially) the first portion 102 is made as a unitary body with the lateral sidewalls 124 of the second portion 122 so they are not rotatable relative to one another. A central axis 101 runs through the first 102 and second 122 portions, about which they are circularly symmetric as illustrated (excepting the slideable plate 140 and related apertures 125) but this circular symmetry is not necessarily in all embodiments.

[0017] The second portion also has lateral sidewalls 124 and a top surface 128 opposite the mating surface 110 of the first portion 102. While shown in the drawings herein, the top aperture 130 at the top of the second portion 122 may not be present in all embodiments, and in such non-illustrated embodiments a user would need to remove the bottle cap assembly 100 from the bottle prior to imbibing of the mixed contents. The top aperture 130 is detailed further below.

[0018] Penetrating the lateral sidewalls 124 of the second portion 122 are a pair of opposed lateral apertures 125 through which a slideable plate 140 is disposed. The plate 140 has a solid portion 142 and a flow through portion 144 and is slideable between a first position shown at FIG. 1A and a second position shown at FIG. 1B. In the first position shown at FIG. 1A the solid portion 142 of the plate spans the entire distance between the opposed lateral apertures 125. Thus when the plate is in the first position of FIG. 1A, the second portion 122 defines an internal and watertight compartment 150 with the internal surfaces of the lateral sidewalls 124 and the opposed top surface 128. Such an internal compartment 150 may be used to store powders or liquids separate from any contents of the bottle which may be mated to the removable bottle cap assembly 100 via the first portion 102 as detailed above.

[0019] So long as the relative sectional dimensions of the plate 140 and those apertures 125 are sufficiently close, they will form a seal against leakage of liquid from that internal compartment 150. Forming the plate 140 and the lateral sidewalls 124 of the second portion from any of the various plastics commonly used for disposable water bottles will provide an effective seal in this respect, given sufficiently close tolerances in the physical dimensions of the plate 140 and lateral apertures 125 of the second portion 122. Such types of plastics include but are not limited to polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PPTE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE, including linear LDPE) which are commonly used in caps for water bottles, as well as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which is used for liquid container caps less commonly. In an embodiment there may also be a sealing film such as a wax disposed at least at the interface between the plate 140 and the lateral apertures 125 to better assure they seal against liquid leakage. Such a sealing film is then breached when the plate is moved from the FIG. 1A first position.

[0020] In the second position shown at FIG. 1B, the flow through portion 144 of the plate 140 divides the internal compartment 150 from the bottle, allowing the powder or liquid within to flow via gravity into the bottle. While a plurality of apertures are shown for the flow through section 144 of the plate 140 at FIG. 1A-B, in another embodiment there is only one large aperture to allow passage of the powder or liquid.

[0021] For shipping and tamper resistance, there may be a removable plastic strip which retains the movable plate 140 in the first position until such a strip is removed by the user. Such a strip is shown at FIG. 3F at reference number 303, though in the FIG. 1A-B embodiment such a strip would be disposed so as to prevent sliding of the plate 140 towards the second position.

[0022] The top surface 128 of the second portion 122 is shown at FIG. 1A-B as being slideable along the central axis 101 such that liquid or powder may also pass through the top aperture 130. In this manner the bottle cap assembly 100 forms a flow through arrangement. The user first moves the plate 140 into the second position of FIG. 1B to allow the powder or liquid stored within the internal compartment 150 to fall into and mix with the contents of the bottle, and thereafter raises the top opposed surface 128 which is defined on a separate plug 146 so that the mixture can flow in the reverse direction and pass through the top aperture 130 which in this embodiment is also on the plug 146 which forms the top surface 128. As illustrated the plug 146 slides inside the lateral sidewalls 124 of the second portion 122 until stopped by a laterally protruding lip that extends radially from the top opposed surface 128. A similar lateral protrusion at the bottom of the plug 146 prevents it from being inadvertently separated entirely from the second portion 122 under normal usage.

[0023] FIG. 1A-B illustrate an embodiment of the assembly 100 in which the internal compartment 150 is breached due to linear movement of a component (the plate 140) perpendicular to the central axis 101. FIGS. 2A-B and 3A-F illustrate an embodiment of the bottle cap assembly 200, 300 in which the internal compartment 150 is breached due to linear movement of a component parallel to the central axis 101.

[0024] The first portion 102 of FIG. 2A-B with its mating surface 110 is substantially similar to those same elements already detailed with respect to FIG. 1A-B. As shown also the plug 146 with the top surface 128 and the top aperture 130 of the second portion 122 are substantially similar to those shown in FIG. 1A-B but in another embodiment detailed below the plug 146 is different. FIG. 2A-B and 3A-F differ in that instead of a laterally slideable plate 140 there is one or more vertically slideable plungers or cutters (240 in FIG. 2A-B; 340 in FIG. 3A-D) which are used to breach the seal of the internal compartment 150.

[0025] Specifically for the embodiment of FIG. 2A-B, there is a lower sealing member 252 which is penetrated by the plungers/cutters 240 when the plungers/cutters 240 are extended downward through the mating surface 110 of the first portion 102 or through a plane defined by that mating surface 110. This lower sealing member 252 may be made from a same plastic as the remainder of the bottle cap assembly (200 in FIG. 2A; 300 in FIG. 3A), or it may be an aluminum foil or a foil of some other disparate material that is secured to mate with the lateral sidewalls 124 with an adhesive to assure a water tight seal.

[0026] FIG. 2A-B show a bottle cap assembly 200 with the plungers or cutters 240 exterior of the lateral sidewalls 124 of the second portion 122, though in other embodiments they may be disposed interior of the lateral sidewalls 124. In the FIG. 2A-B embodiment the plunger/cutter 240 is advantageously attached to the plug 146 and moves with it. Similar to FIGS. 1A-B, in one particular embodiment at FIG. 2A-B the plug 146 moves both upward and downward along the central axis 101. A removable plastic ring may circumscribe the plug 146 near the top opposed surface 128 to retain the plug 146 in a mid-range position for shipping and to ensure against tampering. A similar ring 303 is shown at FIG. 3A.

[0027] In the embodiment in which the plunger(s)/cutter(s) lie interior of the lateral sidewalls 124, a portion of the plunger 240, or one of the plungers/cutters if there are multiple plungers/cutters 240, may have an inwardly extending protrusion so as to fold a major portion of the lower sealing surface 252 downward after it is penetrated. This will allow rapid flow of the powder or liquid from the internal compartment 150 into the bottle by opening a large breach in the sealing surface 252 as opposed to only one or more slits.

[0028] In the FIG. 2A-B embodiment the mid-range position of the plug 146 is the sealed position in which powder or liquid is retained within the internal compartment 150 prior to breaching of the sealing member 252. The mid-range position the plug 146 lies between the fully depressed position in which the plug 146 is maximally within the confines of the lateral sidewalls 124 via movement along the central axis 101, and the fully extended position in which the plug 146 is maximally outside the confines of the lateral sidewalls 124 along the central axis 101 without being separated from the top portion 122. In this mid-range position the top aperture 130 may be blocked by a nipple 132 as is conventional for sports bottles. Depressing the plug 146 downward into the fully depressed position and towards the bottle breaches the lower sealing surface 252 to release the contents of the powder or liquid within the internal compartment 150 into the bottle which is attached to the first portion 102. If the top aperture 130 is sealed by such a nipple 132 it may remain sealed when the plug 130 is so depressed downward, in which case the user will then raise the plug 130 beyond the mid-range position towards the fully extended position so as to open the top aperture 130 and pour or drink from the bottle through the flow through compartment 150.

[0029] In another embodiment, instead the top aperture 130 is sealed by a removable plastic film or by a flipable or slideable or removable cover. In this embodiment the top aperture 130 will be open anytime the film is removed or the flip/slide cap is flipped/slid open or the removable cap is removed, and the user can pour or drink the contents of the bottle through the flow through internal compartment 150 once the plug 146 is depressed and the lower sealing surface 252 is breached. In one implementation of this embodiment there is a removable plastic ring that retains the plug 146 in the extended position shown at FIG. 2B, at which time the cap or film prevents leakage of the contents through the top aperture 130. Removal of this retaining ring would then allow the user to depress the plug 146 linearly along the central axis 101, driving the plunger(s)/cutter(s) 240 downward to breach the lower sealing member 252 and allowing the liquid/powder from the compartment 150 to fall into the bottle and mix. In one embodiment the user then raises the plug 146 so the mixture can flow from the bottle through the compartment 150 and out the top aperture 130.

[0030] In another embodiment there need not be a film or cap over the top opposed surface 128 of the second portion. Instead the nipple 132 seals the top aperture 130 when the plug is in the raised position (the position shown at FIG. 2B) which prevents leakage during shipping. In this embodiment there is a retaining ring that keeps the plug in the raised position, so that once the user removes the retaining ring from this embodiment the plug 146 may be driven downward from the position shown in FIG. 2B by depressing the plug 146 towards the position shown at FIG. 2A which breaches the lower sealing member 252. In this embodiment the nipple 132 may be flared at the top edge so that when the plug 146 is depressed as in FIG. 2A the nipple 132 will protrude slightly above the top aperture 130 and allow the mixture to flow from the bottle through the internal compartment 150, and the mixture's flow through the top aperture 130 would be about the narrower stem of the nipple 132 which is not flared.

[0031] In the FIG. 1A-B embodiment the solid portion 142 of the plate 140 operates as a sealing member when the plate 140 is in the first position (FIG. 1A) and the internal chamber or compartment 150 is breached when the plate 150 is moved towards the second position (FIG. 1B) such that at least a portion of the flow through portion 144 defines the internal compartment 150. The plate 140 is movable between the first and second positions by an external force that is applied substantially perpendicular to the central axis 101. Substantially in this regard means within about 10 degrees of true perpendicular.

[0032] In the FIG. 2A-B embodiment the plunger/cutter 240 is movable between a first position (FIG. 2A) in which the sealing member 252 is intact and a second position (FIG. 2B) in which the plunger 240 is depressed so as to penetrate and deform the sealing member 252. In this embodiment the external force is applied substantially parallel to the central axis 101. Substantially in this regard means within about 10 degrees of true parallel.

[0033] FIGS. 3A-F illustrate another implementation of the second embodiment. The implementation of FIG. 3A-F is similar to FIG. 2A-B in that the linear motion to breach the lower sealing member 252 is also substantially parallel to the central axis 101. The plug 146 of FIGS. 2A-B can be characterized as having two distinct components in the implementation of FIGS. 3A-F; a sleeve 346 and a cover or cap 304. In this embodiment of the plunger/cutter takes the sleeve 346 embodies the cutter 340 at a lower portion of that sleeve 346, and there is a separate cover 304 that defines the top surface of the second portion 322. FIG. 3A additionally illustrates the removable retaining ring 303 and shows the cap or cover 304 mentioned above, which may be fully removable from the assembly 300 or flipable so as to be removed laterally from the central axis 101 yet still attached to the assembly 300. The sleeve 346 with the lower sealing member 252 define the lateral and lower bounds of the internal compartment 150, and the cover 304 overlies the sleeve 346 to define the upper bound of the compartment 150 and to seal the top from leakage when closed. In FIGS. 3A-F the lateral sidewalls 124 of the second portion 322 which define in part the internal compartment 150 are sidewalls of the sleeve 346, and the majority of the exterior surfaces of the second portion 322 are defined by the cover 304. The lower sealing member 252 is affixed to a portion of the first portion 302.

[0034] FIG. 3A illustrates the bottle cap assembly 300 mated with a bottle. The compartment 150 is fully sealed because the lower sealing member 252 remains intact and the cover 304 is in a lowered or closed position. Presence of the ring 303 prevents the cutter portion 340 of the sleeve 346 from being moved downward to breach the lower sealing member 252.

[0035] FIG. 3B is similar to FIG. 3A in that the internal compartment 150 is still sealed but in FIG. 3B the ring 303 removed. The cutter portion 340 of the sleeve 346 defines several gaps 340a which allow the lateral expanse of these cutter portions 340 that are separated by the gaps 340a to extend outward once the sleeve 346 is moved the lowered position and the cutter portions 340 are unconstrained by the first section 302, as will be shown at FIG. 3C. Both FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the first position in which the sealing member 252 is intact.

[0036] FIG. 3C illustrates breaching of the lower sealing member 252; after removing the ring 303 shown at FIG. 3A the user depresses the cover 304 towards the second position shown at FIG. 3C and this action also moves the sleeve 346 downward towards the lower sealing member 252. Specifically, the cover 304 pushes against an extension 346a of the sleeve 346 so that in one motion the sleeve 346 and cover 304 move relative to the first section 302. As can be seen at FIG. 3A, this extension 346a was the means by which the removable retaining ring 303 prevented this same downward movement. FIG. 3C illustrates the second position in which the sealing member 252 is breached due to applying an external force downward and parallel to the central axis 101. This downward movement causes the cutter portion 340 of the sleeve 346 to breach the sealing member 252 which FIG. 3C shows is moved slightly outboard as compared to FIG. 3B. This breaching allows the contents of the compartment 150 to fall into the attached bottle. At FIG. 3C the cover 304 and nipple 132 still remain sealed so the contents of the bottle and compartment 150, which are now combined within the bottle, can be shaken for a thorough mixing.

[0037] Movement of the sleeve 346 downwards as shown by the arrow at FIG. 3C towards the second position allows its cutter portion 340 to extend further inside the bottle. In this second position the first portion 302 no longer laterally constrains the cutter portions 340 and the gaps 340a allow the cutter sections 340 to expand outboard and away from the central axis 101. A protrusion 340b on the outboard side of at least some of these cutter sections 340 catches against a portion of the first section 302 once the cover 304 and sleeve 346 are moved to the second position (FIG. 3C). These protrusions 340b prevent the sleeve 346 and cutter 340 from moving upward back to the position shown for them at FIG. 3B when the cover 304 is raised along the central axis 101 after the sealing member 252 is breached.

[0038] At FIG. 3D the user has raised the cover 304 as shown by the arrow. The sleeve 346 remains in the lowered second position, with the extension 346a remaining against the mating surface 110 of the first portion 302, so the cover 304 is moved relative to the sleeve 346 and also relative to the first section 302. The nipple 132 is attached to the sleeve 346 and so remains in the lowered second position also. The overall integrated cap assembly 300 is now flow through in that the lower sealing member 252 is breached and the mixture within the bottle can, when the bottle with the cap assembly 300 is inverted, pass from the bottle and cap assembly 300 to flow out through the top aperture 130 and around the nipple 132.

[0039] FIG. 3E is a plan view of the integrated cap assembly 300 described at FIG. 3A-D, and FIG. 3F is a view of the four distinct components (the first portion 302, the sleeve 340, the ring 302, and the cover 304) which are assembled into the bottle cap assembly 300 according to one particular embodiment. FIG. 3F best shows how the nipple 132 is made one with the sleeve 346 while still allowing flow-through as described above when the cover 304 is raised.

[0040] FIGS. 4A-C illustrate a third embodiment in which the external force is rotation about the central axis 101, which the assembly 400 converts to a linear force parallel to the central axis 101 to breach the sealing member. This specific embodiment uses a baby bottle nipple or other such drinking nipple opposite a foil or other type of sealing member 252 to form the internal compartment. There may be a wax or other removable coating over the top aperture/small hole at the tip of the drinking nipple to prevent contents of the compartment from leaking out and contaminants from entering prior to the user's removal of such removable coating. In a specific embodiment the contents of the internal compartment 150 is in a powder form.

[0041] The bottle cap assembly 400 in this third embodiment consists of three components shown in exploded and exploded sectional views at FIG. 4A: a screw cap 410, a drinking nipple 420, and a cutting element 430. The screw cap 410 forms the first portion 402 in this embodiment 400 and the drinking nipple 420 with the cutting element 430 for the second portion 422. FIG. 4A additionally shows the mating portion of a bottle for context. The cutting element 430 defines an outwardly extending lip 432 to prevent it from dropping fully into the bottle. There is a foil sealing member 252 affixed across a major opening of the drinking nipple 420. The drinking nipple 420 is pliable, and defines lateral sidewalls 124 which meld gradually into a top surface that defines the top aperture 130.

[0042] FIG. 4B illustrates the assembly 400 according to the third embodiment attached to the bottle and all of the components with their reference numbers, including the internal compartment 150. There is also shown a retaining ring 403 which is removably attached to the screw cap 410 at a lowermost surface (shown at FIG. 4C); this ring 403 functions as a physical spacer from the bottle itself to prevent the screw cap 410 from being tightened too much until the ring 403 is removed by the end user. FIG. 4B illustrates the first position in which the internal compartment 150 is filled with the assembly 400 contents and the sealing foil/member 252 is intact and not breached.

[0043] FIG. 4C illustrates the second position. In this case the external force which causes breaching of the sealing member 252 is rotational about the central axis 101 and is applied to the screw cap 410 after the retaining ring 403 is removed. This rotational motion on the screw cap 410 drives the drinking nipple 420 further towards the bottle as the screw ring 410 is tightened against the bottle. The sealing member 252 is affixed to the drinking nipple 420 and is breached by the cutting element 430 which has a portion that extends above the lip 432 for this purpose. While the cutting element 430 is shown in FIGS. 4B-C with this extension above the lip 432 defining a plane parallel to a plane defined by the bottle opening and/or the sealing member 432, in another embodiment the plane of that extension is angled with respect to the plane of the bottle/sealing member so as to not fully separate a portion of the sealing member 432 when breached. Once the sealing member 252 is breached the user can simply shake the bottle which now has the mixture of the contents of the bottle and of the compartment 150.

[0044] FIG. 5A illustrates a fourth embodiment which combines features of FIGS. 2A-B and 3A-F. FIG. 5B shows an exploded view of the various components of FIG. 5A. This fourth embodiment also has a first portion 502 that mates with a host bottle via bottle mating threads 111. While FIG. 5B illustrates the first portion 502 having two components, this is to illustrate a convenient manufacturing method for it in that the lowermost component at FIG. 5B bearing the bottle mating threads is over-molded onto the uppermost component of the first portion 502 bearing the cutter 540, male mating threads 110 and female lateral sidewalls 525', but in other implementations these two components may be manufactured together in a single molding step.

[0045] There is a cutter 540 in the first portion 502 which is generally centrally disposed along the central axis 101 and facing upwards towards the second portion 522. The cutter 540 lies within and near the base of female lateral sidewalls which define an interior cylindrical surface opposite male mating threads 110. The first portion 502 and a second portion 522 of the this fourth embodiment of the bottle cap assembly 500 are jointed together via these male mating threads 110 defined in the first portion 502 and complementary female mating threads 110' defined in the second portion 522. There is a removable ring 503 which, until removed by the end user, acts as a stop against these complementary threads 110, 110' so as to prevent the second portion 522 from closing with the first portion 502 sufficiently to break the sealing member 352, which in this embodiment is disposed on the second portion.

[0046] The lowermost component of the second portion 522 at FIG. 5B bearing the female mating threads 110 defines the internal compartment 150 via male lateral sidewalls which form the interior surface of the sleeve 546. The sleeve 546 tapers to a conventional sports-bottle type nipple 132 at the top, which is sealed by means of the cover 504 being depressed against the sleeve 546. When the first portion 502 and the second portion 544 are assembled such that the male 110 and female 110' mating threads interlock, then the portion of the sleeve 546 that defines the male lateral sidewalls 525 is laterally enveloped by the female lateral sidewalls 525' of the first portion 502. Thus the vertically extending member of the first portion 502 which bears the male mating threads 110 is received within a gap between the sleeve 546 and the female mating threads 110/exterior sidewalls 524 of the second portion 544.

[0047] With the ring 503 in place this disposes the sealing member 252 immediately over but not yet in contact with the cutter 540. The ring 503 ensures the second portion 522 cannot be screwed further towards the first portion 502 and with the ring 503 in place the sealing member 252 remains intact and the compartment 150 remains sealed. Once the end user removes the ring 503, s/he is able to further screw the second portion 522 onto the first portion 502, and similar in principle to FIG. 4B the upward facing cutter 540 breaches the sealing member 252, allowing the contents of the internal compartment 150 to fall into the bottle and mix with the bottle's contents. Unlike the illustration of FIG. 4B, in the case of FIG. 5B the cutter 540 breaches a central region of the sealing member 252 as opposed to outboard circumferential regions, but either type of cutter 430, 540 can be deployed in either of these embodiments.

[0048] For this fourth embodiment there may further be an overcap 501 that substantially surrounds the cover 504 during shipping, and this overcap 501 may be held in place via breakaway plastic threads that attach to an upper part of the sleeve 546, or by a shrink-wrapped film, or by other means known in the bottling arts. When in place the overcap 501 prevents the cover 504 from being extended away from the sleeve 546/nipple 132, thus keeping the upper part of the internal compartment 150 sealed.

[0049] The embodiment of FIGS. 5A-B is a flow-through design in that the mixture can enter the internal compartment 150 from the bottle via the breached sealing member 252 and exit via the gap formed between the nipple 132 and the cover 504 when the cover 504 is in the raised position.

[0050] FIG. 5C illustrates a variation of this fourth embodiment which is not flow-through. FIG. 5C differs from FIGS. 5A-B in that there is no cover 504 or nipple 132, and so to access the mixture in the bottle after breaching the sealing member 252 the user would unscrew and fully remove the second portion 522 from the first portion 502, or alternatively remove both the first 502 and second 522 portions and drink or pour the mixture directly from the bottle.

[0051] Any of the above embodiments may be made disposable. Additionally, the first portion of any of the assembly embodiments may be made to fit different sized bottles and/or different thread dimensions. This can be done for example by having multiple concentric threaded rings, each similar to the screw cap shown at FIG. 4A-C, arranged in a layered or staggered fashion such as layers of a traditional wedding cake. When such an assembly is mated to a small bottle one of the smaller inboard screw cap rings will mate with the bottle, and for a larger bottle one of the larger outboard screw cap rings will mate. Being made in one piece there will be no leakage regardless. In this manner the same cap assembly can for example mate with a standard 16 ounce water bottle, a standard one-gallon milk container, and a standard five-gallon jerry can.

[0052] All of the above embodiments have certain common elements when arranged for the flow-through feature. In this case the removable flow-through cap assembly for a container can be described generically as comprising: [0053] a first portion configured to removably interface with a container such as a screw-top bottle; [0054] a second portion which is securable to a container by the first portion and defining sidewalls and a top surface, which may also define a top aperture; and [0055] a lower sealing member affixed to at least one of the first portion and the second portion, the lower sealing member defining with the lateral sidewalls and the top surface an internal compartment.

[0056] Common to all the above flow-through embodiments is that the removable flow-through cap assembly is arranged such that at least one component of the first portion or of the second portion is movable between a first position and a second position so as to breach the internal compartment and allow fluid to flow through opposed ends of the assembly.

[0057] For the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-B, the at least one component of the above paragraph is of the second portion 122 and comprises the plate 140 having a solid portion 142 which forms the lower sealing member and a flow-through portion 144. Recall that the plate was slideable between the first position (FIG. 1A) in which the solid portion defines the internal compartment and the second position (FIG. 1B) in which at least a portion of the flow-through portion defines the internal compartment, which in that case is breached. Fluid flows through the opposed ends of the entire assembly 100 via the flow-through portion 144 of the plate and the top aperture 130.

[0058] For the embodiment of FIGS. 2A-B, the at least one component noted above is of the second portion and comprises a plug 146 defining the top surface with the top aperture and at least one plunger or cutter 240 internal or external of the lateral sidewalls. Recall that the plunger/cutter was movable with the plug between the first position (FIG. 2A) in which the sealing member is intact and a second position (FIG. 2B) in which the plunger/cutter is depressed to breach the sealing member. FIG. 3B additionally shows the cap raised to allow the fluid to flow through the opposed ends of the entire assembly 300 via the breached sealing member 252 and the top aperture 130.

[0059] For the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-F, the second portion comprises a cap 304 and a sleeve 346. In this case the at least one component noted above then comprises the sleeve 346 which defines the lateral sidewalls 146 and a nipple 132 and which has cutting portions 340. For FIGS. 3A-F the sleeve is movable between a first position in which the sealing member is intact while the nipple 132 seals against the top aperture 130, and a second position in which the cutting portion 340 of the sleeve 346 breach the sealing member. In this embodiment it was the separate cap 304 which defined the top surface with the top aperture, and the cap 304 is movable with the FIGS. 3A-F plug 240 from the first position (FIG. 3B) to the second position (FIG. 3C) and is further movable from the second position back to the first position (FIG. 3D) while the sleeve 340 remains in the second position and the nipple is not sealed against the top aperture. Like FIGS. 2A-B, for FIGS. 3A-F fluid similarly flows through the opposed ends of the entire assembly 300 via the breached sealing member 252 and the top aperture 130.

[0060] For the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-C, the second portion comprises a pliable drinking nipple 420 defining the lateral sidewalls 124 and the top surface with the top aperture 130, and the sealing member 252 is affixed to the drinking nipple opposite the top surface. In this embodiment the at least one component mentioned above is the first portion which comprises a screw ring 410. This embodiment of the removable flow-through cap assembly 400 further comprises a cutting element 430 arranged to breach the sealing member when the screw ring is moved from a first position (FIG. 4B) relative to a container/bottle to which the screw ring is interfaced, and a second position (FIG. 4C) in which the screw ring is tightened against the container which drives the sealing member against the cutting element to effect the breach. Similar to FIG. 2A-B and 3A-F, the fluid flow through the opposed ends of the entire FIG. 4A-C assembly 400 is then via the breached sealing member 252 and the top aperture 130 which is a small hole in the pliable drinking nipple 420.

[0061] For the embodiment of FIGS. 5A-B, the sealing member 252 is disposed within the second portion 522, and the first 502 and second 522 portions screw into one another. A removable ring 503 prevents breaching of the sealing member until that ring 503 is removed by the end user.

[0062] With the possible exception of certain implementations of the drinking nipple of the third embodiment of FIGS. 4A-D, any of the above embodiments that are flow-through can be implemented with a particulate filter disposed within the internal compartment 150. Such a filter may be implemented as an activated carbon filter, a ceramic filter, a sediment filter, or any of the various other types of water filters known in the filtration arts. In this case once the sealing member is breached the user can filter the contents of the bottle via the particulate filter.

[0063] This implementation would be quite useful in a survival situation or on military maneuvers, where the weight of an individual's water supply over multiple days is impractical to carry on his/her person. In this case the individual would have a single (or only a few) water bottle or canteen but one or several of the bottle cap assemblies with the particulate filter disposed within the internal compartment. Once the original water bottle/canteen is empty the individual can opportunistically find water in the wild and filter it via the particulate filter in the bottle cap assembly. In this case the assembly may be re-usable for multiple water bottles. In one embodiment this particulate filter is a micron filter having specifications as capable of filtering 99.9% of human-harmful elements as well as debris.

[0064] In the above survival or military situations there is also a risk that water found in the wild may be contaminated with bacteria from any number of disease vectors, such as for example a dead animal upstream of a river where the individual is re-filling his/her canteen, or the water source is stagnant and therefore suspect. To address this concern the internal compartment 150 can be equipped with a particulate filter and an iodine or chlorine tablet, or other such anti-bacterial substance. Breaching of the sealing member would allow the tablet to drop into the bottle as previously described, and when the user drank via the flow-through feature the treated water in the bottle/canteen is filtered for micron-sized particulates (or sub-micron sized in other implementations of the filter, such as a reverse osmosis type of filter). In this case since weight is at a premium in a survival situation the user may have only multiple of the relevant components that house the filter, such as for example multiple ones of the second portion shown at FIGS. 5A-B, enabling him/her to re-use the first portion as necessary.

[0065] The embodiments of the removable cap assembly shown at FIGS. 3A-F and 5A-C may be characterized as having: [0066] a first portion 302, 502 adapted to removably interface with a screw-top container; [0067] a second portion 322, 522 adapted to removably interface with the first portion, the second portion defining lateral sidewalls (interior surfaces of the sleeve 346, 546) and a top surface (upper portion of the internal compartment 150 which may include the nipple 132); and [0068] a lower sealing member 252 affixed to one of the first and second portions, the lower sealing member defining with the lateral sidewalls and the top surface an internal compartment 150; [0069] wherein the other of the first and second portions, different from the one of the first and second portions to which the lower sealing member is affixed, comprises a cutting element 340, 540 arranged to breach the sealing member when the second portion is interfaced towards the first portion beyond a threshold point (the retaining ring 303, 503 prevents interfacing beyond this point).

[0070] More specifically for particular implementations of the FIG. 3A-G embodiment: [0071] the lower sealing member 252 is affixed to the first portion 302 and the second portion 322 comprises the cutting element 340; [0072] the second portion 322 comprises a sleeve 346 that defines the lateral sidewalls and the sleeve itself (lower extensions thereof) comprises the cutting element 340; [0073] the removable cap assembly further comprises a removable retaining ring 303 disposed between the first and second portions that prevents the first and second portions from interfacing beyond the threshold point; [0074] the first and second portions are slideably interfaced to one another; [0075] with the retaining ring the first and second portions are interfaced with one another in a first position (FIG. 3A) in which the sleeve 346 is partially disposed within the first portion 302, and after removal of the retaining ring the second portion 322 is movable by a linear force along a central axis 101 of the removable cap assembly to a second position (FIG. 3C) beyond the threshold point, and this linear force drives the cutting element 340 to breach the sealing member 252.

[0076] More specifically for particular implementations of the FIG. 5A-B embodiment: [0077] the lower sealing member 252 is affixed to the second portion 522 and the first portion 502 comprises the cutting element; [0078] the second portion 522 comprises a sleeve 546 that defines the lateral sidewalls 525 and exterior sidewalls 524 of the removable cap assembly, said lateral and exterior sidewalls defining a gap therebetween for interfacing with the first portion 502; [0079] the removable cap assembly further comprises a removable retaining ring 503 disposed between the first and second portions that prevents the first and second portions from interfacing beyond the threshold point; [0080] the first and second portions are screwably interfaced to one another via complementary mating threads 110, 110'; [0081] with the retaining ring 503 the first and second portions are interfaced with one another in a first position (FIG. 5A) in which the sleeve is partially disposed within the first portion and the first portion is partially disposed in the gap, and [0082] after removal of the retaining ring the second portion is movable by a rotational force about a central axis 101 of the removable cap assembly to a second position beyond the threshold point, said rotational force operating to drive the cutting element 540 along the central axis 101 to breach the sealing member 252.

[0083] Both the FIG. 3A-G and FIG. 5A-C embodiments may have a cover 304, 504 that when closed seals the internal compartment 150, and when open allows the cap assembly to be flow-through such that contents of the container may flow through the internal compartment and out via the open cover. In some particular embodiments the internal compartment 150 comprises a particulate filter, such as for example a filter made of activated carbon and/or ceramic.

[0084] The above are non-limiting embodiments which are presented to give an understanding of the more general principles of the invention, some of which are set forth in the claims below. Some of the features of the various non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of this invention may be used to advantage without the corresponding use of other features. As such, the foregoing description should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles, teachings and exemplary embodiments of this invention, and not in limitation thereof.

Claims

1. A removable cap assembly for a screw-top container, the assembly comprising: a first portion adapted to removably interface with a screw-top container; a second portion adapted to removably interface with the first portion, the second portion defining lateral sidewalls and a top surface; and a lower sealing member affixed to one of the first and second portions, the lower sealing member defining with the lateral sidewalls and the top surface an internal compartment; and wherein the other of the first and second portions, different from the one of the first and second portions to which the lower sealing member is affixed, comprises a cutting element arranged to breach the sealing member when the second portion is interfaced towards the first portion beyond a threshold point.

2. The removable cap assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the lower sealing member is affixed to the first portion; and the second portion comprises the cutting element.

3. The removable cap assembly according to claim 2, wherein: the second portion comprises a sleeve that defines the lateral sidewalls; and the sleeve comprises the cutting element.

4. The removable cap assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a removable retaining ring disposed between the first and second portions that prevents the first and second portions from interfacing beyond the threshold point.

5. The removable cap assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first and second portions are slideably interfaced to one another; with the retaining ring the first and second portions are interfaced with one another in a first position in which the sleeve is partially disposed within the first portion, and after removal of the retaining ring the second portion is movable by a linear force along a central axis of the removable cap assembly to a second position beyond the threshold point, said linear force driving the cutting element to breach the sealing member.

6. The removable cap assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the lower sealing member is affixed to the second portion; and the first portion comprises the cutting element.

7. The removable cap assembly according to claim 6, wherein: the second portion comprises a sleeve that defines the lateral sidewalls and exterior sidewalls of the removable cap assembly, said lateral and exterior sidewalls defining a gap therebetween for interfacing with the first portion.

8. The removable cap assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a removable retaining ring disposed between the first and second portions that prevents the first and second portions from interfacing beyond the threshold point.

9. The removable cap assembly according to claim 8, wherein the first and second portions are screwably interfaced to one another via complementary mating threads; with the retaining ring the first and second portions are interfaced with one another in a first position in which the sleeve is partially disposed within the first portion and the first portion is partially disposed in the gap, and after removal of the retaining ring the second portion is movable by a rotational force about a central axis of the removable cap assembly to a second position beyond the threshold point, said rotational force operating to drive the cutting element along the central axis to breach the sealing member.

10. The removable cap assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly comprises a cover that when closed seals the internal compartment and when open allows the cap assembly to be flow-through such that contents of the container may flow through the internal compartment and out via the open cover.

11. The removable cap assembly according to claim 1, wherein the internal compartment comprises a particulate filter.

12. The removable cap assembly according to claim 11, wherein the particulate filter is made of activated carbon and/or ceramic.