CLAIMS
1 . A device ( 1 ) for simultaneously opening a "childproof" cap (2), comprising an top part (2') and a bottom part adapted to engage with each other to allow the cap (2) to be unscrewed from the bottle to which it is applied in response to an axial pressure (F) exerted on the top part (2 1 ) of the cap (2), and a dosing cap (3) placed beneath said cap
(2), the device (1 ) being characterised in that the cap (2) comprises a body (4) protruding from the bottom surface of the top part thereof (2'), adapted to cause opening of the dosing cap (3) in response to the axial pressure (F) exerted on the cap (2) by the user
2 A device ( 1 ) as in claim 1 , wherein the dosing cap (3) is closed at the bottom by a membrane (5) and comprises means (6) adapted to break the closing membrane (5) in response to axial pressure exerted on the top part of the dosing cap (3), characterised in that the body (4) protruding from the bottom surface of the top part (2') of the cap (2) transmits to said opening means (6) the axial pressure (F) exerted by the user on the top part (2') of the cap (2).
3. A device (1 ) as in claim 2, characterised in that the means (6) adapted to rupture the closing membrane (5) of the dosing cap (3) consist of a rod-shaped body situated inside the dosing cap (3), to coincide with the body (4) protruding from the bottom surface of the top part (2') of the cap (2).
4. A device (1 ) as in claim 1. characterised in that the body (4) protruding from the bottom surface of the top part (2') of the cap (2) is cylindrical in shape |
DEVICE FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OPENING A "CHILD-PROOF" CAP AND AN UNDERLYING DOSING CAP
DESCRIPTION
The present invention refers to a device for simultaneously opening a "child-proof cap and a dosing cap situated beneath the "child-proof cap,
"Child-proof caps are well-known to the art and comprise two parts one on top of the other, normally unengaged, which engage with one another (allowing the cap to be unscrewed from the bottle to which it is applied) in response to an axial pressure exerted on the top part of said cap,
Dosing caps are widely used in many technological sectors, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, to keep separate until the time of use a first component, contained in the dosing cap, and a second component contained in the bottle.
With explicit reference to the pharmaceutical field, if an active ingredient (for example an antibiotic or a vitamin complex) is (more) easily degradable if it is dissolved in the component contained in the bottle, it is common practice to package said active principle in the cap in a (more) stable form (for example, in the form of a liquid or powder) and to mix it at the time of use with the component contained in the bottle, by exerting an axial pressure on the dosing cap which causes opening of said cap.
Many types of dosing cap are known and, in particular, many types of dosing caps closed by a membrane are known to the art: cited purely by way of non limiting example are dosing caps in which the membrane is ruptured by a body having a slanting profile, also called an oblique neck, and those (described, for example, in patents EP 1 550 619 and WO 2007/006414 in the name of the Applicant) which comprise a rod-shaped body placed inside the dosing cap, adapted to rupture the closing membrane in response to an axial pressure exerted on the top part of the dosing cap. The standards in force in many countries require that if a bottle is closed by a cap beneath which is situated a dosing cap, the consumer must not be able to remove the
cap fi om the bottle w ithout fust having caused opening of the dosing cap and, consequenth , befoie the content of the dosing cap has joined the content of the bottle
These standai ds serve to pie\ ent the consumei fiom eiioneously taking onh the ^ content of the bottle and not that of the dosing cap, thus a pi oduct othei than that expected 01 desned
Object of the piesent imention is to pioλ ide a deλ ice that makes it possible to open simultaneous!) a child-pioof cap and a dosing cap situated beneath said cap and w hich I O is theiefoie adapted to comply w ith the standaids in foice
This object is achieλ ed w ith a deuce that has the chaiacteiistics indicated in appended independent claim 1 further characteiistics of the im ention aie appaient fiom the dependent claims
15
The im ention w ill now be descπbed w ith iefeience to a puiel) exemplify ing and theiefoie non limiting embodiment theieof, illustiated in the appended diaw mgs,
- Figuie 1 show s diagiammaticalK , in section, a child-proof cap beai ing a deuce0 accoidmg to the im ention and a dosing cap placed beneath said cap
- Figuie 2 show s diagrammatical^ in section, the cap and the dosing cap of Figuie 1 in which the dosing cap has been opened b) axial piessure exeited on the cap
In the appended figuies coπespondmg elements w ill be designated b\ the same5 iefeience numeials
The piesent im ention iefeis to a deuce foi simultaneous!) opening a "child-proof cap and a dosing cap situated beneath said cap, w heiein the "child-pi oof" cap compi ises a body, piotiuding fiom the bottom suiface of the top part theieof, adapted0 to cause opening of the dosing cap in iesponse to the axial piessuie exeited b> the usei on the cap in Ol der to be able to unsciew it from the bottle to which it is applied
Figui e 1 shows diagiammaticalb , in section, a "child-pioof" cap 2 cauying a device 1 accoidmg to the invention and a dosing cap 3, situated beneath the cap 2 and5 normally, inserted in the neck of the bottle, omitted in the appended figuies to
simplify the graphic representation.
Visible in Figure 1 are the cap 2 (comprising an top part 2' and a bottom part adapted to engage with the top pait 2' of the cap 2) and a dosing cap 3 situated below the cap 5 2: the cap 2 and the dosing cap 3 will not be further described because they are per se known.
The device 1 of the present invention comprises a body 4, protruding from the bottom surface of the top part 2' of the cap 2, adapted to cause opening of the dosing cap 3 in I O response to the axial pressure (indicated in Figure 2 with the arroλv F) exerted on the cap 2 by the user.
The dosing cap 3 shown, by way of non limiting example, in the appended figures is a dosing cap closed at the bottom by a membrane 5 and comprises means 6 adapted to 15 rupture the membrane 5 in response to an axial pressure exerted on the top part of the dosing cap 3 but, without departing from the scope of the invention, the dosing cap 3 can be any known type of dosing cap, adapted to open in response to an axial pressure exerted on its top part. 0 The body 4, protruding from the bottom surface of the top part 2' of the cap 2, transmits to the top part of the dosing cap 3 (and, consequently, to the means 6) the axial pressure F exerted by the user on the top part 2' of the cap 2.
In the dosing cap 3 shown here by way of non limiting example, the means 6 adapted5 to rupture the membrane 5 consist of a rod-shaped body placed inside the dosing cap 3 to coincide with the body 4 protruding from the bottom surface of the top part 2' of the cap 2 but, without departing from the scope of the invention, the means 6 can take on any other functionally equivalent form known to the art. 0 In the embodiment described herein the body 4 protruding from the bottom surface of the top part 2' of the cap 2 is cylindrical in shape, but without departing from the scope of the invention, the body 4 can take on any other shape considered more advantageous for the specific application on a case by case basis. 5 Figure 2 shows diagrammatic-ally, in section, the cap 2 and the dosing cap 3 of Figure
1 , wherein the dosing cap 3 has been opened by the axial pressure F exerted on the cap 2 which, transmitted by the body 4 to the top pait of the dosing cap 3 and therefrom to the rod-shaped body 6, has caused breaking of the closing membrane 5 of the dosing cap 3.
Without departing from the scope of the invention, an expert in the field can make to the de\'ice forming the subject matter of the present invention all those changes and improvements suggested by his experience and by the natural evolution of the art.
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