Dispensing cap for attaching to a container

Abstract

The present invention provides a dispensing cap for attaching to a container, which includes a dispensing chamber having an interior compartment for holding an ingredient to be dispensed into the container. The top end of the dispensing chamber has a flexible diaphragm and an actuator button and the lower end of the dispensing chamber is connected to a frangible membrane. The dispensing chamber includes a threaded bottle cap for attaching the container to the dispensing cap. A piercing shaft includes a piercing tip and an inclined bottom edge which engages and pierces the frangible membrane at the bottom of the dispensing chamber. This causes the frangible membrane to rupture and thereby form an opening in the bottom of the interior compartment of the dispensing chamber so that the ingredient housed within the compartment freely passes through the dispensing opening and into the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A delivery system having a dispensing cap for attaching to a container, said dispensing cap comprising:
 (a) a dispensing chamber having an interior compartment for holding an ingredient to be dispensed into the container and having a top end and a lower end, wherein the top end of said dispensing chamber has a flexible diaphragm and an actuator button disposed on said flexible diaphragm; and wherein the lower end of said dispensing chamber is connected to a frangible cone-shaped membrane;   (b) said dispensing chamber including a threaded bottle cap for attaching said dispensing cap to the container, said threaded bottle cap being disposed around the outer wall of said dispensing chamber and in the container;   (c) a piercing shaft having a top end fixedly attached to said diaphragm and a bottom piercing tip at the bottom end of said piercing shaft, said piercing tip including a pointed tip and an adjacent inclined bottom edge for engaging and piercing the frangible membrane; and   (d) said flexible diaphragm being movable downwardly from an ingredient housing position to an ingredient dispensing position by pushing both of said actuator button and said piercing shaft downwardly towards the frangible membrane which thereby causes said piercing tip and said inclined edge of said piercing shaft to apply pressure to the interior of said cone-shaped frangible membrane to pierce it, and thereby causing said cone-shaped membrane to rupture, and to pivot about a hinge member from a closed position to an open position, to thereby form a dispensing opening in the interior compartment of said dispensing chamber so that the ingredient housed within the compartment of said dispensing chamber freely passes through said dispensing opening and into the container.   
     
     
         2 ) A dispensing cap for attaching to a container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the interior compartment of said dispensing chamber extends from the top end thereof to the lower end thereof. 
     
     
         3 ) A dispensing cap for attaching to a container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said actuator button is concentrically disposed on said flexible diaphragm. 
     
     
         4 ) A dispensing cap for attaching to a container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said piercing shaft engages and ruptures said frangible membrane which is subject to rupturing under less pressure as a result of the shape of said piercing tip. 
     
     
         5 ) A dispensing cap for attaching to a container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said piercing tip of said piercing shaft first engages the outer edge of the frangible membrane and then moves inwardly toward the center, so that the membrane ruptures first from the outer edge and then toward the center to more effectively rupture said membrane with less breaking force. 
     
     
         6 ) A dispensing cap for attaching to a container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said frangible membrane has a partial v-shaped configuration, and has a cap connected to the top of said membrane.