Dispensing cap for beverage container

Abstract

A dispensing cap has an open-bottomed flow tube connected to a surrounding skirt by a resilient diaphragm, and extending into a storage chamber defined by the diaphragm, skirt, and a membrane sealingly closing off the bottom of the skirt. The lower end of the flow tube is disposed above and closely adjacent to the membrane, and is adapted to pierce the membrane when pressed downward against it. The dispensing cap is sealingly mountable to a beverage container with the skirt and storage chamber disposed within the throat of the container. A downward force applied to the flow tube will resiliently deform the diaphragm and force the lower end of the flow tube against and pierce the membrane, thus releasing the contents of the storage chamber into the container, which can then be agitated to mix the storage chamber contents with liquid in the container.

1 . A dispensing cap sealingly mountable to a beverage container, said dispensing cap comprising:
 (a) an open-bottomed flow tube;   (b) a skirt surrounding the flow tube so as to form an annular chamber between the flow tube and the skirt, said skirt being adapted for disposition within the throat of the beverage container;   (c) a resilient annular diaphragm sealingly connecting an upper perimeter region of the skirt and an intermediate perimeter region of the flow tube; and   (d) a membrane sealingly attached to the periphery of the skirt at the lower end thereof;   
       wherein:
 (e) a storage chamber is defined by the skirt, diaphragm, and membrane; 
 (f) the flow tube extends into the storage chamber, with the lower end of the flow tube being disposed above the membrane; and 
 (g) the lower end of the flow tube is adapted to pierce the membrane upon being pressed downward against the membrane; 
 
       such that when the dispensing cap is mounted to the beverage container with the skirt disposed within the throat thereof and with a quantity of additive substance stored in the storage chamber, a downward force applied to the flow tube will resiliently deform the diaphragm, allowing the lower end of the flow tube to push against and pierce the membrane, thus allowing the contents of the storage chamber to flow into the container. 
     
     
         2 . A dispensing cap as in  claim 1 , further comprising a flow assembly having a cap sleeve operable between an open position in which liquid can flow from the container into the flow tube and out of a flow opening in the cap sleeve, and a closed position in which liquid flow from the container through the flow assembly is prevented. 
     
     
         3 . A dispensing cap as in  claim 2  wherein the upper end of the flow tube is closed and an upper region of the wall of the flow tube has one or more perforations, and wherein the flow assembly comprises:
 (a) a base flange sealingly connected, along its inner circumference, to the outer perimeter of the flow tube at a point below said perforations; 
 (b) an open-topped perimeter retaining wall having a lower end sealingly connected to the base flange so as define an annular chamber between the perimeter wall and the flow tube; and 
 (c) a cap sleeve comprising a top closure and an open-bottomed perimeter sidewall extending downward from the top closure, wherein:
 c.1 the top closure has a flow opening adapted for releasably sealing engagement with the upper end of the flow tube; and 
 c.2 the perimeter sidewall is sealingly slidable over said retaining wall, between a closed position in which the upper end of the flow tube is sealingly engaged within said flow opening in the top closure, and an open position in which liquid can flow through the flow opening. 
 
 
     
     
         4 . A dispensing cap as in  claim 1 , further comprising a security tab disposable around the flow tube in a region between the base flange and the diaphragm.