Container for holding flowable material and releasing the same into carbonated water

Abstract

Containers for holding flowable materials and releasing the same into carbonated water. Methods for preparing a carbonated beverage using containers for holding flowable materials and releasing the same into carbonated water

1 . A hermetically-sealed container ( 100 ) for holding a flowable material and releasing the same into carbonated water, designed to be used with a multi-use bottle, said bottle is pre-filled with freshly prepared carbonated water, said container ( 100 ) comprising:
 (1) at least one wall designed to fracture under pressure of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas emerged from said carbonated water for enabling the release of said flowable material from said container ( 100 ) into the carbonated water; and   (2) a means ( 101 ) for securing said container ( 100 ) to said bottle or to a closure cap ( 200 ) of said bottle;   characterized in that said container ( 100 ) is designed to be easily secured to said bottle or to said closure cap ( 200 ) of the bottle using said securing means ( 101 ), and upon turning said bottle upside down, said at least one wall of the container ( 100 ) is designed to be fractured, thereby being capable of releasing said flowable material from the container ( 100 ) into said carbonated water while preventing premature effervescence by virtue of the CO 2  pressure maintained on the surface of the carbonated water in the hermetically sealed bottle.   
     
     
         2 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said flowable material is a liquid or powder. 
     
     
         3 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein said flowable material is syrup. 
     
     
         4 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said flowable material is selected from flavourings, vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements to carbonated beverages. 
     
     
         5 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said container ( 100 ) has a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         6 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said container ( 100 ) is a capsule. 
     
     
         7 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said means ( 101 ) for securing said container to said bottle or to a closure cap ( 200 ) of said bottle comprise multiple connecting elements ( 106 ). 
     
     
         8 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 7 , wherein said multiple connecting elements ( 106 ) are selected from connecting pins, screw threads and bayonet fitting. 
     
     
         9 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said container ( 100 ) is made of a relatively rigid material, such as a metal, an alloy, a polymeric material or a combination thereof 
     
     
         10 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said wall designed to fracture under pressure is a bottom wall ( 104 ) of said container ( 100 ). 
     
     
         11 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 10 , wherein said bottom wall ( 104 ) comprises a membrane ( 300 ). 
     
     
         12 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein said membrane ( 300 ) is made of a soft material such as a metal foil, a soft polymeric material or polysiloxane. 
     
     
         13 . The container ( 100 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein said polymeric material is biodegradable. 
     
     
         14 . A method for preparing a carbonated beverage comprising:
 (1) providing the container ( 100 ) of  claim 1  and a multi-use bottle containing carbonated water, said bottle having a circular step or canal in the upper part of the bottle neck just below the rim of the neck;   (2) inserting the container ( 100 ) into the neck of the bottle and placing the container ( 100 ) onto said circular step of the bottle neck or securing the container ( 100 ) in said circular canal;   (3) placing the closure cap ( 200 ) on the rim of the bottle and fastening said closure cap ( 200 ) to the bottle for securing the container ( 100 ) in the bottle neck and forming a hermetic seal with the bottle; and   (4) turning the hermetically-sealed bottle upside down several times, thereby increasing the CO 2  vapour pressure capable of fracturing said at least one wall of said container ( 100 ) for releasing said flowable material into said carbonated water.   
     
     
         15 . A method for preparing a carbonated beverage comprising:
 (1) providing the container ( 100 ) of  claim 1  and a multi-use bottle containing carbonated water;   (2) fitting the container ( 100 ) into position connecting it to the closure cap ( 200 ) of the bottle, thereby building a closure cap assembly suitable for securing the container ( 100 ) and hermetically sealing the bottle;   (3) inserting the closure cap assembly into the neck of the bottle and fastening said closure cap assembly to the bottle to form a hermetic seal with the bottle; and   (4) turning the hermetically-sealed bottle upside down several times, thereby increasing the CO 2  vapour pressure capable of fracturing said at least one wall of said container ( 100 ) for releasing the flowable material into the carbonated water.