Closure with built-in storing compartment

Abstract

The present invention is a closure ( 1 ) suitable for closing a container containing a first product, said closure being an assembly of less than four independent pieces, and having external side walls ( 3 ), a top wall ( 4 ), and an internal skirt ( 5 ) extending downwardly inside the side walls ( 3 ) from the top wall ( 4 ), characterized in that: (i) the internal skirt ( 5 ) comprises an opening disposed in the top wall ( 4 ) of the closure, said opening being closed by a membrane, so as to define at least one compartment to store a second product separately from said first product, and (ii) the membrane ( 11 ) closing the top wall opening is made of an oxygen-barrier material, so that said compartment ( 6 ) is free of oxygen contamination from ambient air when said closure ( 1 ) is screwed onto the neck ( 2 ) of said container.

1 . A closure for removably closing a container containing a first product, the closure comprising an assembly of less than four independent pieces, and having external side walls, a top wall, and an internal skirt extending downwardly inside the side walls from the top wall, the internal skirt comprises an opening, located in the top wall of the closure, the top opening being closed by a top closing means, so as to define at least one compartment to store a second product separately from the first product, and the closing means closing the top wall opening is made of an oxygen-barrier material, so that the compartment is free of oxygen contamination from ambient air when the closure is screwed onto the neck of the container. 
     
     
         2 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the internal skirt located in the top wall has a diameter of between 15 and 50 mm. 
     
     
         3 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the top closing means is a sealed membrane. 
     
     
         4 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the top closing means is a lid integrally formed with the rest of the closure, that is hinged to the side walls and/or top wall of the closure, the lid further comprising an oxygen-barrier means. 
     
     
         5 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the internal skirt further comprises a second opening in its lower part, that is closed by a peelable lower membrane. 
     
     
         6 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the internal skirt comprises a second opening in its lower part, that is closed by a bottom wall that is integrally formed with the closure skirt, and linked to the closure skirt by a circular thin wall having a thickness of not more than 300 μm. 
     
     
         7 . A closure according to  claim 5 , wherein the peelable lower membrane comprises an integrated easy-opening tab, for allowing the consumer to grab and detach the lower membrane. 
     
     
         8 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the internal skirt is a cylinder having at least one vertical wall extending all along its height so as to divide the compartment into at least two subcompartment. 
     
     
         9 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the skirt extends downwardly from the top wall of the closure, below the level of the lower edge of the closure side walls. 
     
     
         10 . A closure according to  claim 1 , which is an injected thermoplastic closure, the thermoplastic being selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene (PE); polypropylene (PP); polystyrene (PS); and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A closure according to  claim 1 , which a screw cap comprising screwing threads located at the internal surface of the side walls, for cooperating with corresponding screw threads of the container's neck  2 . 
     
     
         12 . A process for manufacturing, filling and closing a closure for closing a container containing a first product, the closure having at least one compartment comprising the steps of:
 moulding the closure so that it comprises an assembly of less than four independent pieces, having external side walls, a top wall, and an internal skirt extending downwardly inside the side walls from the top wall, the internal skirt comprises an opening, located in the top wall of the closure, the top opening being closed by a top closing means, so as to define at least one compartment to store a second product separately from the first product, and the closing means closing the top wall opening is made of an oxygen-barrier material, so that the compartment is free of oxygen contamination from ambient air when the closure is screwed onto the neck of the container;   closing a lower opening of the internal skirt;   screwing the closure onto the neck of a container that was previously filled with a first product;   filling the compartment through the top opening with at least one second product; and   closing the top opening by sealing a non-removable membrane so as to entirely close the compartment.   
     
     
         13 . A process according to  claim 12 , wherein the closing step of a skirt lower opening is achieved by sealing a membrane. 
     
     
         14 . A process according to  claim 12 , which is performed under aseptic conditions. 
     
     
         15 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 (i) the first product is selected from the group consisting of a liquid, semi-liquid, gel, powder, and granulate composition selected from the group consisting of: shelf-stable or chilled dairy products, fruit-based compositions, fermented or non-fermented cereal-based compositions, soy-based products, and coffee products, and   (ii) the second product is selected from the group consisting of a liquid, semi-liquid, gel, powder, or granulate composition selected from the group consisting of: vitamins, energy-boosting ingredients, fruit juice, probiotics, flavours, colorants, sweeteners, minerals, gas-releasing ingredients such as carbonate salt, and a combination thereof.   
     
     
         16 . A process according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 (i) the first product is selected from the group consisting of a liquid, semi-liquid, gel, powder, and granulate composition selected from the group consisting of: shelf-stable or chilled dairy products, fruit-based compositions, fermented or non-fermented cereal-based compositions, soy-based products, and coffee products, and   (ii) the second product is selected from the group consisting of a liquid, semi-liquid, gel, powder, or granulate composition selected from the group consisting of: vitamins, energy-boosting ingredients, fruit juice, probiotics, flavours, colorants, sweeteners, minerals, gas-releasing ingredients such as carbonate salt, and a combination thereof.   
     
     
         17 . A closure according to  claim 5 , wherein the bottom wall comprises a pin for allowing the consumer to grab and detach the bottom wall. 
     
     
         18 . A process for manufacturing, filling and closing a closure suitable for closing a container containing a first product, the closure having at least one compartment comprising the steps of:
 moulding a closure for removably closing a container containing the first product, the closure comprising an assembly of less than four independent pieces, and having external side walls, a top wall, and an internal skirt extending downwardly inside the side walls from the top wall, the internal skirt comprises an opening, located in the top wall of the closure, the top opening being closed by a top closing means, so as to define at least one compartment to store a second product separately from the first product, and the closing means closing the top wall opening is made of an oxygen-barrier material, so that the compartment is free of oxygen contamination from ambient air when the closure is screwed onto the neck of the container;   closing the lower opening of the internal skirt;   screwing the closure onto the neck of a container that was previously filled with a first product;   filling the compartment through the top opening with at least one second product; and   closing the top opening by pivoting a lid around its hinge and clipping it into the top opening so as to entirely close said compartment.   
     
     
         19 . A process according to  claim 18 , wherein the closing step of a skirt lower opening is achieved by attaching a bottom wall moulded independently from the rest of the closure. 
     
     
         20 . A process according to  claim 18  which is performed under aseptic conditions. 
     
     
         21 . A process according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 (i) the first product is selected from the group consisting of a liquid, semi-liquid, gel, powder, and granulate composition selected from the group consisting of: shelf-stable or chilled dairy products, fruit-based compositions, fermented or non-fermented cereal-based compositions, soy-based products, and coffee products, and   (ii) the second product is selected from the group consisting of a liquid, semi-liquid, gel, powder, or granulate composition selected from the group consisting of: vitamins, energy-boosting ingredients, fruit juice, probiotics, flavours, colorants, sweeteners, minerals, gas-releasing ingredients such as carbonate salt, and a combination thereof.   
     
     
         22 . A closure for closing a container containing a first product comprising:
 an assembly of less than four independent pieces, and having external side walls, a top wall, and an internal skirt extending inside the side walls from the top wall;   the internal skirt comprises an opening located in the top wall of the closure, the top opening being closed by a top so as to define at least one compartment to store a second product separately from said first product; and   the top is made of an oxygen-barrier material, so that the compartment is free of oxygen contamination from ambient air when the closure is screwed onto the neck of the container.