Additive delivery systems and containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025072648-A1
Application number	US-202418950271-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2024
Priority date	Feb 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A compact filtering and additive delivery system which is readily adaptable to a portable container, such as a sports bottle, and receives a modular additive container for the metered delivery of additive, such as flavor concentrate, to a stream of base liquid as the base liquid is drawn or dispensed from the container. The modular additive container configuration on the delivery system allows a consumer/user to experience different additives, such as different flavors or supplement compositions, for a given supply of base liquid, such as water, stored in the container. The system may be readily used with off-the-shelf containers, such as disposable water bottles. An additive container configuration provides modular additive delivery system as described herein.

First claim

1 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A drinking vessel assembly for adding an additive to a drinkable liquid, comprising:
a vessel for holding the drinkable liquid; a lower cap assembly including a lower cap configured to engage the vessel and including an inner side and an outer side, and an additive module enclosure at the inner side of the lower cap defining a cavity accessible via an opening at the outer side of the lower cap; an upper cap assembly including an upper cap configured to engage with a portion of the lower cap at the outer side that defines the opening; an additive module having a reservoir for holding the additive to be mixed with the drinkable liquid, the additive module being attached to the upper cap and mountable in and removable from the cavity of the lower cap assembly via the opening; and a delivery tube extending from the lower cap assembly and fluidly coupled to provide the drinkable liquid from a lower portion of the vessel to the cavity.

21 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the upper cap is configured to threadedly engage with the portion of the lower cap.

22 . The assembly of claim 21 , wherein the upper cap includes a spout configured to deliver mixed additive and drinkable liquid to a user.

23 . The assembly of claim 22 , further comprising a spout closure configured to open and close the spout.

24 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the upper cap assembly includes a wall to at least partially enclose the reservoir.

25 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the additive module is configured to be removed from the upper cap and replaced with a replacement additive module.

26 . The assembly of claim 20 , further comprising a one-way valve configured to prevent backflow of mixed drinkable liquid and additive into the delivery tube.

27 . The assembly of claim 26 , wherein the additive module includes a port to deliver additive from the reservoir to a flowpath for the drinkable liquid and the one-way valve is positioned upstream of the port.

28 . The assembly of claim 20 , comprising a flowpath for the drinkable liquid that extends from an inlet of the delivery tube to receive the drinkable liquid to an outlet of the upper cap to deliver mixed additive and drinkable liquid to a user for consumption, and a portion of the flowpath between the inlet and the outlet is fluidly coupled to the reservoir to receive additive from the reservoir for mixing with the drinkable liquid.

29 . The assembly of claim 28 , wherein the flowpath is configured to draw the additive from the reservoir and into the flowpath based on a venturi effect caused by flow of drinkable liquid in the flowpath.

30 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the lower cap is configured to close an opening to the vessel when engaged with the vessel.

31 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the delivery tube includes a proximal end that is attached to the lower cap assembly and a distal end portion that is positionable at a bottom of the vessel.

32 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the delivery tube is attached at a lower end of the additive module enclosure.

33 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the upper cap and additive module are configured to be removed from the cavity of the lower cap assembly while the lower cap assembly is engaged with the vessel.

34 . The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the upper cap and additive module are sealed within a frangible membrane.

35 . A method of using a drinking vessel assembly, the method comprising:
providing a lower cap engaged with a vessel holding a drinkable liquid, the lower cap having a cavity to receive an additive module, the cavity being accessible via an opening at an upper side of the lower cap; inserting the additive module through the opening and into the cavity of the lower cap, the additive module having a reservoir holding additive to be mixed with the drinkable liquid; and engaging an upper cap, to which the additive module is attached, to the outer side of the lower cap to secure the upper cap and the additive module to the lower cap.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein inserting the additive module includes positioning a portion of the reservoir in the cavity at a lower side of the lower cap.

37 . The method of claim 35 , wherein inserting the additive module includes manipulating the upper cap and attached additive module to insert the additive module into the cavity.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein inserting the additive module includes inserting a wall that at least partially encloses the reservoir into the cavity.

39 . The method of claim 38 , wherein engaging the upper cap includes threadedly engaging the upper cap to the upper side of the lower cap.

40 . The method of claim 35 , further comprising:
delivering the drinkable liquid from the vessel into the cavity for mixing with additive from the reservoir; and delivering mixed additive and drinkable liquid to a user via a spout on the upper cap.

41 . The method of claim 40 , wherein delivering the drinkable liquid includes delivering the drinkable liquid via a delivery tube attached to a lower end of the cavity.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein delivering the drinkable liquid includes delivering the drinkable liquid from a distal end of the delivery tube positioned near a bottom of the vessel to the cavity.

43 . The method of claim 40 , further comprising using a one-way valve to prevent backflow of mixed drinkable liquid and additive into the delivery tube.

44 . The method of claim 40 , further comprising providing additive from the reservoir to the drinkable liquid using a venturi effect caused by flow of the drinkable liquid along a flowpath.

45 . A drinking vessel assembly for adding an additive to a drinkable liquid, comprising:
a lower cap assembly including:
a lower cap configured to engage a vessel containing the drinkable liquid and including an upper side and a lower side,
an additive module enclosure defining a cavity to receive an additive module having a reservoir for holding the additive to be mixed with the drinkable liquid, the cavity extending from an opening at the upper side of the lower cap to the lower side of the lower cap, and
a delivery tube having a proximal end attached to the lower end of the additive module enclosure and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the delivery tube configured to deliver the drinkable liquid from a bottom portion of the vessel to the cavity.

46 . The assembly of claim 45 , further comprising:
an upper cap assembly including an upper cap configured to engage with a portion of the lower cap at the outer side that defines the opening; and the additive module attached to the upper cap and mountable in and removable from the cavity of the lower cap assembly via the opening.

47 . The assembly of claim 45 , further comprising the vessel for holding the drinkable liquid.

Assignees

• Cirkul Inc

Inventors

• Waggoner Garrett S
• Gay Andrew
• Jasperse Christopher

Classifications

• A47J31/005 Primary

  Portable or compact beverage making apparatus, e.g. for travelling, for use in automotive vehicles · CPC title