Cap for packing-bottle capable of packing auxiliary internal medicine

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap for a packing-bottle, and more particularly, to a cap for a packing-bottle capable of accommodating health foods or medicine which is of a capsule-type, a tablet-type, a granule-type or a powder-type, having a structure easy to use and treat, and packing other auxiliary internal medicine than contents in the bottle.

[0002] As is well known, it is not a special thing that people, young and old, for all times and spaces are interested in heath as far as a human being exists. Health is one of things that are always cared about in daily lives. Particularly, our daily lives are exposed to harmful environments in which environmental pollution is severe and there is generated a new disease that has never been seen. Interest in and desire for keeping health from the harmful environments are accordingly on the increase.

[0003] As a result of such interest and effort to keep health, substances, medicines, and foods that are helpful in curing diseases or improving health have been found or developed, and provided in a state of being easily taken and treated, such as a state in which a liquid medicine is contained in a packing-bottle, a state in which a granular medicine or a powdered medicine is contained in a capsule, or a state of tablet.

[0004] In most cases of the health foods for improving health and medicines for curing diseases and relieving pains, different kinds of medicines are often recommended to be ingested together and it seems to be natural. By way of example, a medicine which is most conforming with healing of a target disease is basically used, and auxiliary medicines are also prescribed and taken for the purpose of raising a synergy effect, reducing an adverse reaction, or obtaining an additional therapeutic effect.

[0005] In particular, health foods called special nutritive foods, functional foods, etc., are believed to be highly beneficial to health. In general, when being ingested together various medicines, the health foods rarely cause an adverse reaction, rather, enhance virtue or produce other additional therapeutic effect. Therefore, the health foods get used to so-called mixed ingestion. For example, in some cases, a liquid medicine contained in a packing-bottle, a capsule, and a tablet are taken together, a capsule and a tablet are taken together, a liquid medicine, a capsule and a tablet are taken together, or one kind of capsule or other kind of capsule and other kind of capsule or other kind of tablet are taken together.

[0006] Let's assume a case of health foods in which a liquid medicine and a capsule, or a liquid medicine and a tablet are taken together. Since the respective medicines are separately provided, everyone who wants to ingest or sell them should disadvantageously purchase or prepare each medicine. In particular, to select medicines edible together is almost impossible for general people and requires considerable carefulness even for a seller, a doctor and a pharmacist.

[0007] As mentioned above, there are other medicines most suitable for specific medicines in the light of purposes, such as enhancement in virtue, production of additional effect, prevention of adverse reaction, and the likes. Similarly, when a food is developed by using some specific foods as objects, other foods are sometimes recommended to be taken together. However, to keep these recommendations causes more or less inconvenience, and also there are many foods having similar virtue and effect to the especially recommended foods. Accordingly, to prevent inconvenience in selecting the especially recommended foods, or, in case that the pertinent foods are not prepared or there are no foods stored, other foods than the recommended foods are often suggested. It is unnatural and may cause unexpected adverse effect as well as finally decreasing expected effect of the mixed ingestion.

[0008] Further, the liquid medicine additionally taken to the capsule and the tablet is used as a drink water to maximize effect of the mixed ingestion, enable a convenient ingestion, eliminate rejection feeling of the capsule and the tablet as well as enhancing the virtue. In addition to the problem caused due to the difficulty in selection, there is caused increase in cost since the respective medicines are separately distributed and treated, and thus distribution system and inventory management are complicated. Besides, if the capsule or the table suitable for the currently distributed liquid medicine is to be provided together with the liquid medicine, or the liquid medicine suitable for the currently distributed capsule or tablet is to be provided in a state of being added to the capsule or tablet in advance, a conventional packing-bottle, capsule packing means or tablet packing means doesn't consider a structure for the above supposition. Thus, we cannot help adopting a primitive method.

[0009] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cap for a packing-bottle capable of accommodating other auxiliary internal medicine that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a cap for a packing-bottle capable of accommodating a capsule, a tablet, a granular medicine, and a powdered medicine, having a structure easy to use and treat, and packing other auxiliary internal medicine than contents, that can prevent a harmful influence due to an unreasonable combination between a liquid medicine and other medicine by integrally providing the liquid medicine with other medicine suitable for the liquid medicine, and can pack other auxiliary internal medicine than the contents to give convenience to a taker or people concerned.

[0011] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or maybe learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0012] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided to a cap for a packing-bottle capable of packing other auxiliary solid internal medicine than a liquid medicine, the cap comprising: a main cap allowing a lower inner circumferential part thereof to be coupled to a spiral part of a bottle finish of the packing-bottle which contains the liquid medicine therein; a cylindrical extension part extending from the main cap and allowing an accommodating part for accommodating the solid internal medicine to be formed inside thereof; and a cover being coupled with to the extension part to open and close the extension part.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, a cap for a packing-bottle capable of packing other auxiliary solid internal medicine than a liquid medicine, the cap comprising: a main cap allowing a lower end part thereof to be coupled with a spiral part of a bottle finish of the packing-bottle which contains the liquid medicine therein; and an auxiliary cap for packing the other auxiliary solid internal medicine than the liquid medicine, wherein the auxiliary cap includes a cylindrical skirt part allowing a lower inner circumferential part thereof to be press-fitted to an external circumferential part of the main cap, a cylindrical extension part upwardly extending from the skirt part, a circular partition plate allowing an accommodating part for accommodating the solid internal medicine to be formed inside an upper end thereof by partitioning the inside of the cylindrical skirt part and the extension part, and a cover being coupled with the extension part to open and close the extension part.

[0014] It is preferable that the cover is separable from the extension part, and at least one of the cover and the main cap including the extension part is materialized of plastic.

[0015] In contrast to the above, a side of the extension part and a side of the cover may be integrally connected through a flexible connection part, and the main cap, the extension part and the cover may be integrally formed of a plastic material.

[0016] In this case, portions made of plastic in the cap for the packing-bottle are formed of transparent plastic that lets us to see all the solid internal medicines of the inside.

[0017] The solid internal medicine adopts one of such types as a capsule-type, a tablet-type, a granule-type and a powder-type.

[0018] Further, a plurality of receiving recesses are provided on a bottom surface of the accommodating part so as for the accommodated capsule and the tablet to be stably inserted and seated.

[0019] A groove is formed on an inner wall of the extension part, a projection is formed on the cover to be elastically coupled with the groove when the cover is closed, and a lip part projects to the outside beyond the extension part on one side of the cover to be used as a handle.

[0020] On the other hand, when the cap for the packing-bottle includes the main cap and the auxiliary cap, a first concavo-convex part is formed on an external circumference of the main cap, and a second concavo-convex part is sliding coupled in an axial direction with the first concavo-convex part on an inner surface of the skirt part of the auxiliary cap, such that when the auxiliary cap is rotated, the main cap is rotated together with the auxiliary cap, thereby leading to an automated bottle opening.

[0021] In this case, it is preferable that the auxiliary cap and the cover are all materialized of plastic and the main cap is formed of metal.

[0022] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

[0023] Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cap and a packing-bottle according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a state that the cap of FIG. 1 is assembled;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a state that the cap of FIG. 2 is opened;

[0027] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an overall construction of a cap and a packing-bottle with the assembled cap according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the cap of FIG. 4;

[0029] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an auxiliary cap of FIG.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a section view illustrating a state that the cap and the packing-bottle of FIG. 4 are assembled;

[0031] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken through a line I-I of FIG. 7;

[0032] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a capsule support structure of a cap according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a state that receiving recesses of FIG. 9 are cut in a horizontal direction;

[0034] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating other example of a tablet support structure according to the present invention; and

[0035] FIG. 12 is a sectional view illustrating receiving recesses of FIG. 11.

[0036] The present invention will now be described in detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout several views.

[0037] Embodiment 1

[0038] Initially, FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] A basic structure of a packing-bottle includes a bottle body 2 for accommodating a liquid medicine, and a main cap 10 being put on a bottle finish 4 of the bottle body 2. Well-known bottle and cap are used as the packing-bottle and the main cap 10 of the first preferred embodiment, and especially the cap formed of plastic is illustrated.

[0040] In the well-known bottle body 2 and the main cap 10 of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an extension part 12 upwardly extends from an upper circumference of the main cap 10, and a cover 20 is coupled with the extension part 12 to close and open the extension part. An accommodating part 30 is comprised of the inside space defined by the cover 20 and the extension part 12 to accommodate auxiliary capsules, tablets, granular medicines, and powered medicines. The illustrated drawings show a state that a capsule 100 is contained in the accommodating part.

[0041] Here, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the extension part 12 is formed on the main cap 10 and the cover 20 is disposed according to the present invention, and the well-known main cap 10 is omitted. The well-known main cap 10 has a shape in which the cover 20 and the extension part 12 on the upper part of the main cap are removed from the main cap of FIGS. 1 to 3, the shape which can be seen in our daily lives.

[0042] Here, the cover 20 is integrally formed with the main cap 10 by being connected with a connection part a which is flexibly formed on a side of the extension part 12. Without being limited to this, the cover can be separated and mounted as a separate cover 20.

[0043] Further, the cover 20 is forcedly and elastically attached/detached to/from the extension part so as to improve a sealing effect, and, preferably, not readily separated against a user's intention. When the cover 20 and the main cap 10 are separately provided, at least one of the cover 20 and the main cap 10 is formed of plastic. Preferably, the cover is formed of an elastic plastic material and the main cap is formed of a metallic material, so that the cover 20 is elastically contacted and coupled with an inner wall of the extension part 12 by the unique elasticity of the plastic material. Further preferably, the cover 20 and the main cap 10 are all injection molded with a plastic material, so that a manufacturing process can be simplified. Most preferably, the cover 20 and the main cap 10 are integrally formed of a plastic material and the cover 20 is connected on a side of the extension part 12 by using the connection part a as shown in the drawings. If the cover 20 is not integrally formed with the extension part 12 but separately provided, the connection part a is removed in the aforesaid construction, which is not especially shown.

[0044] In particular, when at least one of the cover 20 and the main cap 10 including the extension part 12 is formed of plastic or all of them are formed of plastic, the plastic is a colorless transparent plastic or a colored transparent plastic, so as for the capsule, tablet, granular medicine, and powder medicine contained in the accommodating part to be seen from the outside. The colored transparent plastic is advantageous when the capsule 100, the tablet, the granule and the powder are apt to be changed in quality by an external light.

[0045] Further, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, for the purpose of deterring ready opening of the cover 20, a groove b is formed on an inner wall of the extension part 12 and a projection c is formed on the cover 20 to be elastically coupled with the groove b. Furthermore, a lip part d is formed on a side of the cover 20 to the outside beyond the extension part 12 to serve as a handle when the cover 20 is opened and closed.

[0046] According to the present invention constructed as above, the main cap 10 is coupled with the bottle finish 4 in any well-known manner in a state that a predetermined liquid medicine is contained inside the bottle body 2 of the packing-bottle. The accommodating part 30 is defined by the extension part 12 and the cover 20 that are added to the upper side of the main cap 10 in a relatively simple way. The capsule 100, the tablet, the granular medicine or the powdered medicine which is conforming with the liquid medicine inside the bottle body 2 in virtue and effect is contained and provided in the accommodating part 30.

[0047] In the operation for containing the capsule 100, the tablet, the granular medicine or the powdered medicine in the accommodating part 30, when the lip part d projecting to one side of the cover 20 is held and pulled up, the projection c of the cover 20 which is in the insertion state into the groove b of the extension part is elastically separated and the cover 20 is easily opened, whereby the predetermined capsule 100, the tablet, the granular medicine or the powdered medicine can be contained in the opened accommodating part 30. Thereafter, when the cover 20 is closed under pressure, since at least one of the cover 20 and the extension part 12 is formed of the elastic plastic material, an external circumference of the cover 20 is forcedly/elastically contacted to an inner surface of the extension part 12 to close the cover, and at the same time the projection c of the cover 20 is elastically inserted into the groove b of the extension part 12 so as to easily close the cover 20. Then, the cover 20 is prevented from being arbitrarily opened by virtue of the coupling relationship between the projection c and the groove b.

[0048] Embodiment 2

[0049] FIGS. 4 through 8 illustrate a structure of a cap according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Here, by way of example, the main cap 10 is a well-known cap of metallic material in which a contour of a spiral part 10a corresponding to a spiral part 4a of the bottle finish 4 is exposed to the outside. As grasped in the explanation of the first preferred embodiment, whichever the main cap 10 being formed of plastic in the first preferred embodiment, or the main cap 10 formed of metal in the second preferred embodiment can be used according to the present invention.

[0050] That is to say, FIGS. 1 to 3 show the cap on which the extensional part 12 and the accommodating part 30 are already formed. However, if the extension part 12 and the accommodating part 30 is removed from the cap, the cap becomes a cap well-known in the art. To make a matter clear, we mention again that the first preferred embodiment of the present invention adds the extension part 12 and the cover 20 to the main cap 10 of well-known type. Therefore, the first preferred embodiment is different from the second preferred embodiment in that the main cap 10 of metallic material illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8 is adopted as a basic cap structure and the extension part, the accommodating part and the cover are provided on the upper part of the main cap.

[0051] In the second preferred embodiment, the extension part 30 for containing the capsule 100, the tablet, the granular medicine or the powdered medicine in the aforementioned first preferred embodiment doesn't extend from the main cap 10. A separate auxiliary cap 40 is arranged and a pertinent accommodating part 30 is formed on the auxiliary cap 40.

[0052] In the second preferred embodiment, the auxiliary cap 40 includes a skirt part 42 being forcedly/elastically inserted and fit to the main cap 10, an extension part 44 being formed in an upper circumference of the skirt part 42, a circular partition plate 34 allowing the accommodating part 30 for accommodating solid internal medicines to be formed inside the upper end thereof by partitioning the inside space between the skirt part 42 and the extension part 44, and a cover 50 being disposed on the extension part 44 to open and close the extension part.

[0053] Here, the cover 50 may be prepared as a separate element from the auxiliary cap 40, as described in the first preferred embodiment. The cover is preferably integrally formed with the extension part 44 of the auxiliary cap 40. The cover is most preferably formed of a plastic forming material as a whole and integrally formed with the auxiliary cap 40 by connecting to the extension part 44 through a flexible connection part a.

[0054] In addition, the auxiliary cap 40 and the cover 50 are preferably formed of colorless transparent plastic or colored transparent plastic as explained in the first preferred embodiment. The second preferred embodiment includes a groove b, a projection c and a lip part d of the same type as the first preferred embodiment. Thus, a detailed explanation will be omitted to prevent redundancy.

[0055] FIGS. 6 through 8 show a specific construction of the auxiliary cap 40 and the main cap 10, in which when the main cap 10 needs to be opened to drink the liquid medicine within the bottle body 2, the main cap 10 is automatically opened by turning the auxiliary cap 40. As illustrated, a concavo-convex part 14 is formed on an external circumference of the main cap 10, and a concavo-convex part 46 corresponding to the concavo-convex part 14 is formed on an inner circumference of the skirt part 42 of the auxiliary cap 40, whereby the concavo-convex part 14 and the concavo-convex part 46 are sliding coupled with each other in an axial direction. As the concavo-convex part 14 of the main cap 10, a well-known concavo-convex part in a usual cap can be used as it is, or a new concavo-convex can be formed.

[0056] In the second preferred embodiment constructed as above, when a predetermined liquid medicine is contained inside the bottle body 2 of the packing-bottle, in usual manner, the main cap 10 is coupled with the bottle finish 4, the separately arranged auxiliary cap 40 is coupled with the main cap 10, and the cover 50 of the auxiliary cap 40 is opened, whereby the capsule 100, the tablet, the granular medicine or the powdered medicine suitable for the liquid medicine inside the bottle body 2 contained in the accommodating part 30 in virtue and effect can be provided.

[0057] Operation for opening and closing the cover 50 to contain the capsule 100, the tablet, the granular medicine or the powdered medicine in the accommodating part is performed in the same manner as in the previously described first preferred embodiment. In the second preferred embodiment, particularly, when the auxiliary cap 40 is coupled with the main cap 10, since the corresponding concavo-convex parts 14 and 46 are respectively formed on the external circumference of the main cap 10 and the inner wall circumference of the skirt part 42 of the auxiliary cap 40, if the auxiliary cap 40 is pressurized toward the main cap 10 in an axial direction, the concavo-convex part 46 of the auxiliary cap 40 is sliding coupled with the concavo-convex part 14 of the main cap 10, with a result that the main cap 10 is integrally rotated as the auxiliary cap 40 is rotated.

[0058] Embodiment 3

[0059] FIGS. 9 through 12 illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The third preferred embodiment show a structure in that when the capsules 100 or the tablets 200 are particularly accommodated in the accommodating part 30, their stably accommodated state is maintained without movement. This structure is made by modifying the first and second preferred embodiments to promote consumers' reliability in products.

[0060] Initially, FIGS. 9 and 10 show a construction that is preferably used especially when the medicine is the capsule 100. The structure includes a plurality of receiving recesses 32 that help the capsules 100 to be inserted into and received in a bottom of the accommodating part 30.

[0061] In FIGS. 9 and 10, the right one illustrates the receiving recesses 32 whose section is of a curved shape conforming with a contour of the section of the capsule 100, and the left one illustrates the receiving recesses 32 whose section is of a substantially rectangular shape.

[0062] Next, FIGS. 11 and 12 show a construction that is preferably used when the medicine is the tablets 200. The receiving recesses 32 are formed in the shape of grid on the bottom of the accommodating part, and the tablets 200 are accommodated inside the grid.

[0063] Here, the receiving recesses 32 may be formed by thrusting down the bottom of the accommodating part 30 or by thrusting up the circumferences of the recesses from the bottom of the accommodating part 30.

[0064] According to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention constructed as above, in addition to the afore-described first and second preferred embodiments, the capsules 100 and the tables 200 are inserted into the appropriate receiving recesses 32, whereby the capsules and the tablets are protected from any movement and damage. The capsules and the tables maintain a stable and well arranged state, whereby the product quality is enhanced and consumer's reliability is improved.

[0065] As described above, the present invention has an advantage of easily and conveniently accommodating the auxiliary capsule, the tablet, the granular medicine and the powdered medicine since the accommodating part and the cover are provided to the cap for the well-known packing-bottle in a simple manner.

[0066] Accordingly, the cap for the packing-bottle is capable of accommodating, in addition to the liquid medicine, the auxiliary capsule, the tablet, the granular medicine and the powdered medicine having virtue and effect of improving the virtue of the liquid medicine, achieving a complementary virtue and effect, or preventing an adverse reaction. Thus, the liquid medicine within the packing-bottle can be provided as a good drink water for taking the capsule, the tablet, the granular medicine and the powdered medicine which are provided together with the liquid medicine. As a result, the present invention has another advantage of ensuring convenience in consumers' purchase and ingestion, and saving costs for distribution and management.

[0067] In particular, by virtue of the above advantages, the present invention has still another advantage of maximizing the effect of mixed ingestion since even though the capsule, the tablet, the granular medicine and the powdered medicine consist of similar ingredients, one thing most conforming with the liquid medicine contained in the pertinent bottle body is selected among the medicines and provided together with the liquid medicine. The present invention accordingly has advantages of preventing misuse of health foods, functional foods, medical supplies, and so on, and further preventing overuse and under use since the most preferable amount or quantity is predetermined and provided.

[0068] While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.