EP2003068A1

EP2003068A1 - Dispenser group of a substance soluble in water applicable to a mouth of a liquid container

Info

Publication number: EP2003068A1
Application number: EP07425363A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giammaria Giuliani; Anna Benedusi
Original assignee: Giuliani SpA
Current assignee: Giuliani SpA
Priority date: 2007-06-11
Filing date: 2007-06-11
Publication date: 2008-12-17

Abstract

A dispenser group (10) of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids comprising a first portion (11), equipped with constraining means (12) for fixing onto the container, and a second portion (14), equipped above with a selectively openable and closable stopper device (15), wherein the second portion (14) is moveable with respect to the first portion (11) between a first closing position, wherein the soluble substance is contained inside the dispenser group (10) in a volume delimited above by the stopper device (15), laterally by the second portion (14) and below by a removable closing element (13), and a second opening position wherein the dispenser group (10) is at least partially open below and the soluble substance is free to leave the dispenser group (10), the dispenser group (10) also comprising removable isolating means (16) for the second moveable portion (14) with respect to the outside to reveal a possible manipulation of the supplier group (10).

Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser group of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids.
There are currently many types of dispensers containing a soluble substance, generally mineral salts, suitable for producing, with water, a particular drink, whose characteristics depend on the soluble substance itself.
These dispensers, which are normally sold in one piece with a relative container of a liquid in which the above soluble substance is to be introduced, generally have a perforable or removable portion, through which the soluble substance passes as required from the dispenser to the liquid container.
These known products however have the disadvantage of falling within the category of "disposable products".
As the container is in fact integral with the relative dispenser which, after use, has a perforated or even removed portion, through which the soluble substance has passed into the container itself, it cannot be reused for withholding a liquid into which a new soluble substance can be introduced another time, when required.
Furthermore, another disadvantageous aspect of the known art consists in the fact of being forced to transport both the dispenser and the liquid container together.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a device capable of solving the drawbacks of the known art described above in an extremely simple, economical and particularly functional way.
Another objective is to avail of a dispenser group of a soluble substance which can be independently transported, applicable to a mouth of a container for liquids which allows access to the liquid contained in the container mixed with the soluble substance without having to remove the group itself.
These objectives according to the present invention are achieved by providing a dispenser group of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids as specified in claim 1.
Further characteristics of the invention are indicated in the subsequent claims.
The characteristics and advantages of a dispenser group of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids according to the present invention will appear more evident from the following illustrative and non-limiting description, referring to the enclosed schematic drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a cross-section of an embodiment example of a dispenser group of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids according to the present invention in a closed position;
figure 2 is a cross-section of the dispenser group of a soluble substance of figure 1 in an opening position; and
figure 3 is a perspective view of the dispenser group of a soluble substance of figure 1 applied on a bottle.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, these show a dispenser group 10 of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids whereas figure 3 shows an example of the application of the above dispenser group 10 constrained on the mouth of a bottle.
Said dispenser group 10 according to the present invention comprises a first portion 11, equipped with constraining means 12 for fixing the group 10 onto the container, and a second portion 14, equipped above with a selectively openable and closable stopper device 15.
In particular, the second portion 14 is moveable with respect to the first portion 11 between a first closing position, visible in figure 1, in which the soluble substance is contained inside said dispenser group 10 in a volume delimited above by the stopper group 15, laterally by the second portion 14 and below by a removable closing element 13, and a second opening position, visible in figure 2, in which the dispenser group 10, and in particular the removable closing element 13, is at least partially open below.
In said second opening position, the soluble substance is free to reach the liquid contained in the container on which the group 10 is constrained.
In order to ensure adequate sterility of the stopper device 15, from which it is possible to extract the liquid contained in the container in which the soluble substance has been dissolved, without removing the group 10, the latter comprises removable isolating means 16 with respect to the outside for the second moveable portion 14.
These removable isolating means 16 also preferably reveal possible tampering of the dispenser device 10 as they are irreversibly removable.
According to the invention, the above constraining means 12 for fixing the group 10 onto the relative container are preferably constraining means 12 for a reversible removable fixing of the dispenser group 10 onto the mouth of the relative liquid container.
As can be seen in the embodiment example shown in figures 1 and 2, said removable constraining means 12 can be a threaded portion of the first portion 11, preferably threaded as a complement to a thread present on the mouth of the relative container for liquids forming a threaded coupling, or they can be a shaped portion of the first portion 11.
In this case, the shaped portion of the first portion 11 is preferably shaped as a complement to the mouth of the relative container forming a non-removable clip-type coupling unlike the previous embodiment.
According to a preferred embodiment shown in the figure, the first portion 11 is a first sleeve 11 which can be concentrically positioned with respect to the mouth and equipped below with the removable lower closing element 13, and the second portion 14 is a second sleeve 14 assembled coaxially inside the first sleeve 11 and equipped above with a selectively openable and closable stopper device 15.
According to this embodiment shown, the second sleeve 14 is vertically slidingly moveable with respect to the first sleeve 11 forming a first closing position, figure 1, in which the lower portion of the second sleeve 14 is completely contained inside the first sleeve 11 above the removable closing element 13 and the side portion of the second sleeve 14 partially protrudes above beyond the first sleeve 11.
By sliding the second sleeve 14 vertically downwards starting from said first closing position, it reaches a second opening position in which the side portion of the second sleeve 14 partially protrudes below beyond the first sleeve 11, so as to at least partially remove the removable closing element 13, whereas the stopper device 15 always protrudes above beyond the first sleeve 11.
The dispenser group 10 according to the present invention advantageously comprises run-end means for blocking the vertical movement of the second sleeve 14 with respect to the first sleeve 11 from the first closing position to the second opening position described above.
In the example illustrated, said run-end means of the second sleeve 14 with respect to the first sleeve 11 are a protruding annular profile situated above the second sleeve 14, below the stopper device 15 and an upper buffer surface of the first sleeve 11.
Again according to this preferred embodiment, the removable isolation means 16 for access from the outside to the second moveable sleeve 14 are an outer sleeve 16 closed above and externally connected below to the first sleeve 11.
In particular, the outer sleeve 16 comprises a first lower portion 16', constrained to the first sleeve 11 in a position above the fixing means 12, and a second irreversibly removable upper portion 16" to allow access from the outside to the stopper device 15.
The first lower portion 16' and the second upper portion 16" of the outer sleeve 16 are preferably connected by a portion equipped with a bridged precut section.
This connection, in fact, facilitates separation and reveals a possible tampering of the dispenser group 10 as in the separation of the second upper portion 16" from the relative first lower portion 16', the irreversible breakage of the above bridges takes place.
The stopper device 15 can be any type.
In the example illustrated, the stopper device 15 is equipped with at least one light and comprises a first portion 15', substantially cylindrical and protruding above the second portion 14, and a second portion 15", assembled coaxially on the first moveable portion 15' which can be moved between a first blocking position, in which all the above lights are relatively occupied by the coupling of the first portion 15' with the second portion 15", and a second unblocking position in which, after a relative movement of the second portion 15", the same lights are freed.
In this second unblocking position, the liquid contained in the container, mixed with the soluble substance initially contained in the dispenser group 10, can then flow from the container beyond the stopper device 15 passing through the mouth of the container, the at least partial lower opening of the group 10 obtained from the at least partial breakage of the removable closing element 13, the central part of the group 10 and the at least one light of the stopper 15.
It is very easy to understand the functioning of the device, object of the invention.
The dispenser group 10, containing a soluble substance, can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids, also removably, without damaging either the group 10 itself or the container.
In particular, said group 10 comprises a removable closing element 13 and two portions 11 and 14 which can be moved to form at least one opening in the above removable closing element 13.
As the latter is situated below, it allows the soluble substance to flow from the group 10 to the liquid contained in the container on which the group 10 itself is fixed.
Furthermore, the group 10 comprises an upper stopper element 15 through which it is possible to have access to the liquid contained in the container even without removing the group 10 itself.
In order to guarantee an adequate level of hygiene and reveal a possible tampering, the dispenser 10 also comprises irreversibly removable isolation means 16, for the second portion 14 which is in fact moveable to form at least one opening in the above removable closing element 13 for the passage of the soluble substance and comprises the above-mentioned stopper 15 through which it is possible to have access to the liquid contained in the container.
The applications of the present invention can vary according to the soluble substance contained in the dispenser 10.
These substances, for example, can be particular solutions such as food integrators, such as those for preventing damage deriving from excess exposure to solar rays, salt integrators, energy integrators particularly useful in sport activities, integrators for weight reduction advantageous when a particular nutritional diet is being followed, integrators for a draining action suitable for water retention in women, integrators having an antioxidizing action, integrators advantageous for the skin.
It can thus be seen that a dispenser group which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids according to the present invention achieves the purposes specified above.
The dispenser group which can be applied to a mouth of a liquid container of the present invention thus conceived can undergo numerous modifications and variants, all included in the same inventive concept; furthermore, all the details can be substituted by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as also the dimensions can vary according to technical requirements.

Claims

A dispenser group (10) of a soluble substance which can be applied to a mouth of a container for liquids comprising a first portion (11), equipped with constraining means (12) ) for fixing onto the container, and a second portion (14), equipped above with a selectively openable and closable stopper device (15), wherein said second portion (14) is moveable with respect to said first portion (11) between a first closing position, wherein said soluble substance is contained inside said dispenser group (10) in a volume delimited above by said stopper device (15), laterally by said second portion (14) and below by a removable closing element (13), and a second opening position wherein said dispenser group (10) is at least partially open below and said soluble substance is free to leave said dispenser group (10), said dispenser group (10) also comprising removable isolating means (16) for said second moveable portion (14) with respect to the outside to reveal a possible manipulation of said supplier group (10).
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said constraining means (12) for fixing onto said container, are constraining means (12) for a removable fixing of said dispenser group (10) onto said mouth of said container for liquids.
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that said constraining means (12) are a threaded portion of said first portion (11) complementary to a thread present on said mouth of said container for liquids forming a threaded coupling.
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said constraining means (12) are a shaped portion of said first portion (11) complementary to said mouth of said container for liquids forming a clip-type coupling.
The dispenser group (10) according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said first portion (11) is a first sleeve (11), which can be concentrically positioned with respect to said mouth equipped below with said lower removable closing element (13), and said second portion (14) is a second sleeve (14) coaxially assembled inside said first sleeve (11) and equipped above with said selectively openable and closable stopper device (15).
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that said second sleeve (14) is moveable with respect to said first sleeve (11) between said first closing position, wherein a lower portion of said second sleeve (14) is inside said first sleeve (11) above said removable closing element (13) and a side portion of said second sleeve (14) partially protrudes above beyond said first sleeve (11), and said second opening position in which said side portion of said second sleeve (14) partially protrudes below beyond said first sleeve (11) so as to at least partially remove said removable closing element (13) and said stopper device (15) protrudes above beyond said first sleeve (11).
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises run-end means for said movement of said second sleeve (14) with respect to said first sleeve (11).
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that said run-end means for said movement of said second sleeve (14) with respect to said first sleeve (11) are a protruding annular profile situated above said second sleeve (14) below said stopper device (15).
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that said removable isolation means (16) for said second moveable sleeve (14) with respect to the outside to reveal a possible tampering of said dispenser group (10) are an outer sleeve (16) closed above and externally connected below to said first sleeve (11) comprising a first lower portion (16') constrained to said first sleeve (11) in a position above said fixing means (12) and a second removable upper portion (16") to allow access to said stopper device (15).
The dispenser group (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that said first lower portion (16') and said upper second portion (16") of said outer sleeve (16) are connected by a portion equipped with a bridged precut section to facilitate the separation of said second upper portion (16") from said dispenser group (10).
The dispenser group (10) according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said stopper device (15) is equipped with at least one light and comprises a first portion (15'), substantially cylindrical and protruding above and integral with said second portion (14), and a second portion 15", assembled coaxially on said first portion (15') which can be moved between a first blocking position, in which said at least one light of said stopper (15) is occupied by the relative coupling of said second portion (15") on said first portion (15'), and a second blocking position in which said at least one light of said stopper (15) is free.