Desiccant cap and method of production and use

Abstract

A desiccant cap for a container and method of production the cap are disclosed. The cap is made to provide long term hermetic sealing to content kept in the container by providing hermetically sealed layer on the opening of the container that is to be removed only before first use of the content of the container. The cap further comprise case with a desiccant material that is adapted to keep the moisture in the container after first use under a defined level by drying moist air accessing the desiccant material through passages made in a porous sealing layer. This way the desiccant cap provides hermetic sealing until first use and on-going drying of moisture inside the container after first use, and keeps the desiccant material protected from moisture ambient until first opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A desiccant cap ( 100 ) for a container ( 10 ), the cap comprising:
 a case ( 101 ) comprising:
 a first enclosure part ( 102 ) defining a first space; 
 a second enclosure part ( 104 ) defining a second space; 
   a desiccant case ( 150 ) wholly encased within said first space;   a first sealing layer ( 110 ); and   a second sealing layer ( 112 );   wherein said second sealing layer is attached onto the opening of said first enclosure part and completely closing said first space and said desiccant case in said first space,   wherein said second sealing layer comprising one or more passages ( 112 A) through it to allow passage of at least one of air, gas and humidity through it; and   wherein said first sealing layer is attached to said second sealing layer on its face facing away from said first space, said first sealing layer is adapted to prevent passage of humidity through it.   
     
     
         2 . The desiccant cap of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first space having a first diameter and a first depth,   said second space having a second diameter and a second depth, said second diameter is bigger than said first diameter;   said desiccant cap further comprising shoulders ( 105 ) formed between said first and said second space enclosures, said shoulders defining a partitioning line between said first and said second enclosure spaces.   
     
     
         3 . The desiccant cap of  claim 2  wherein said second sealing layer is attached onto said shoulders. 
     
     
         4 . The desiccant cap of  claim 2  wherein said first sealing layer comprising adhering means disposed over the outer perimeter of said first sealing layer on its face facing away from said first space, said adhering means is adapted to adhere said first sealing layer to the opening of said container. 
     
     
         5 . The desiccant cap of  claim 4 , wherein said adhering means is an adhesive material adapted to be activated and cured by application of one or more from a list consisting ultrasonic radiation, induction heating and application of pressure onto said perimeter provided with said adhering means. 
     
     
         6 . The desiccant cap of  claim 1 , wherein said second enclosure space comprise tightening means ( 103 ) adapted for tightening said cap onto said container. 
     
     
         7 . The desiccant cap of  claim 6  wherein said tightening means is a thread made on the inner face of a cylindrical part of said second enclosure. 
     
     
         8 . The desiccant cap of  claim 5  wherein the adhering force of said second sealing layer to said first enclosure and the adhering force of said first sealing layer to the opening of said container are greater than the adhering force between said first and said second sealing layers. 
     
     
         9 . The desiccant cap of  claim 5  further comprising child-resistant means ( 160 ) enabling access to rotate said desiccant cap to open or to close only via the rotation of said child-resistant means. 
     
     
         10 . The desiccant cap of  claim 9 , wherein opening of said desiccant cap is enabled only when said child-resistant means is pressed onto said desiccant cap with a pressing force larger than a defined amount and then rotated to open. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling the ambient inside a container, comprising:
 providing a desiccant cap, said desiccant cap comprising:
 a case ( 101 ) comprising: 
 a first enclosure part ( 102 ) defining a first space; 
 a second enclosure part ( 104 ) defining a second space; 
 a first sealing layer ( 110 ); and 
 a second sealing layer ( 112 ); 
   providing a desiccant case ( 150 ) so as to be wholly encased within said first space;   adhering said second sealing layer onto the opening of said first enclosure part and completely closing said first space and said desiccant case in said first space,
 wherein said second sealing layer comprising one or more passages ( 112 A) through it to allow passage of at least one of air, gas and humidity through it; and 
 wherein said first sealing layer is attached to said second sealing layer on its face facing away from said first space, said first sealing layer is adapted to prevent passage of humidity through it. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 providing adhering means disposed over the outer perimeter of said first sealing layer on its face facing away from said first space, said adhering means is adapted to adhere said first sealing layer to the opening of said container.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 closing said container with said desiccant cap,; and 
 activating said adhering means by application of one or more from a list consisting ultrasonic radiation, induction heating and application of pressure onto said perimeter provided with said adhering means.