Filler for a beverage container

Abstract

The present invention comprises a filler material for a container having at least one compartment, which container is situated in a pressurized beverage container and, immediately after the beverage container is opened, is suitable for mixing the filling into the drinks liquid surrounding the container. The filling itself is in granule form of defined particle diameter and is composed, in particular, of the main component a) in the form of a food supplement and an effervescent component b). The component a) which should be present in the filling in amounts of between 35 and 98% by weight can also be pharmaceutical active ingredients, vitamins, creatine derivatives, phospholipids, probiotics, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids and any desired mixtures thereof. The fillings can be introduced into drinks liquids of varying pH, since, because of its solubility and due to the targeted selection of suitable effervescent and disintegrant components, can be rapidly and completely dissolved or suspended in the drinks liquid.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . A filler material for a container having at least one compartment, wherein the container is situated in a pressurized beverage container and wherein immediately after the beverage container is opened, is suitable for mixing the filler material into the beverage liquid surrounding the container, wherein the filler material is in granule form and has an average particle diameter of 1.0 to 7.0 mm.  
   
   
       24 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein said average particle diameter is between 1.5 and 6.0 mm.  
   
   
       25 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein said granules are in a form selected from the group consisting of spherical, flake, rodshaped, polygonal, unsymmetrical, amorphous form or a mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       26 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein the filler material comprises fines in the form of a particle fraction having an average diameter of <1.0 mm in an amount of at most 20% by weight, based on the total amount of the filling.  
   
   
       27 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , comprising an active component a) and an auxiliary component b).  
   
   
       28 . The filler material according to  claim 27 , wherein active component a) is selected from the group consisting of a food supplement, a pharmaceutically active ingredient, a vitamin, a phospholipid, a probiotic, a mineral, an unsaturated fatty acid, an amino acid, a phytosterol and a polysaccharide, a derivate thereof of a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       29 . The filler material according to  claim 27 , wherein the active component a) is selected from the group consisting of acetylsalicylic acid, a representative of the vitamin groups A, B, C, D, E and K, riboflavin, folic acid, creatine monohydrate, creatine pyruvate, creatine/citric acid compounds, in particular creatine citrate, glucosamine, chondroitin, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) and also the minerals calcium, magnesium, manganese and zinc.  
   
   
       30 . The filler material according to  claim 27 , wherein the auxiliary component b) is an effervescent component.  
   
   
       31 . The filler material according to  claim 27 , wherein the effervescent component is selected from the group consisting of a carbonate salt, a hydrogen carbonate salt, an organic acid, a disintegrant and a crosslinker.  
   
   
       32 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein the active component a) is present in an amount of from 35 to 98% by weight and the auxiliary component b) is present in an amount of from 2 to 65% by weight.  
   
   
       33 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein said auxiliary component b) is an aid for dissolving the active component a) in the drinks liquid.  
   
   
       34 . The filler material according to  claim 33 , wherein said auxiliary component b) is a disintegrant.  
   
   
       35 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein the component b) is a formulation aid selected from the group consisting of a bulking agent, a release agent, a flavour substance, a coloring and a sweetener.  
   
   
       36 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein the granules contain at least one of an active component a) or an auxiliary component b).  
   
   
       37 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , it contains the granules in core-shell form, in particular the active component a) forming the core and the auxiliary component b) forming the shell.  
   
   
       38 . The filler material of  claim 37 , wherein the active component a) is contained in the core, and auxiliary component b) is contained in the shell.  
   
   
       39 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , suitable for introducing into beverage liquids which have a pH<7.0.  
   
   
       40 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , suitable for introduction into beverage liquids which have a pH≧7.0.  
   
   
       41 . The filler material according to  claim 23  wherein at a temperature of from 4 to 20° C., the filler material has a suspension time in the drinks liquid of 10 to 300 seconds.  
   
   
       42 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein the granules were produced by mechanical or chemical grain enlargement compression pelleting or pelletizing under the action of a compression force between 1 and 20 kN/cm.  
   
   
       43 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , comprising an active component a) in an instant form.  
   
   
       44 . The filler material according to  claim 23  wherein the drink liquid is a refreshment drink.  
   
   
       45 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , suitable for a refreshment drink, a soft drink, a fruit juice-containing drink, a milk-based drink, a beer and an alcoholic mixed drink.  
   
   
       46 . The filler material according to  claim 23 , suitable for a drink tin whose drinks liquid has an overpressure compared with the compartment container of ≧0.3 bar.  
   
   
       47 . The filler material of  claim 24 , wherein the average particle diameter is between 2.0 and 5.0 mm.  
   
   
       48 . The filler material of  claim 26 , wherein said fines are present in an amount of up to 15% by weight.  
   
   
       49 . The filler material of  claim 24 , wherein said fines are present in an amount of up to 10% by weight.  
   
   
       50 . The filler material according to  claim 28 , wherein said active component a) is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, creatine, α-lipoic acid and dietary fiber.  
   
   
       51 . The filler material according to  claim 27 , wherein said effervescent component is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, carboxymethylcellulose, alginic acid, a low-substituted hydroxypropylmethylellulose, a starch glycolate and a crosslinked N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone.  
   
   
       52 . The filler material according to  claim 34 , wherein the distintergrant is present in an amount of less than or equal to 10% by weight.  
   
   
       53 . A beverage container comprising: 
 a first container having at least one compartment having a pressure therein and having an opening; and    a beverage in said container; wherein    said compartment contains the filler material of  claim 23.