US 11,813,624 B2
Capsule and cap assembly for a concentrated refill capsule
Sebastiaan Wilhelmus Josephus Den Boer, Ede (NL); Matthijs Lucas Bookelmann, Arnhem (NL); Willem Ramon, Ede (NL); and Sjoerd Bastiaan Zwartkruis, Ede (NL)
Assigned to Conopco Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ (US)
Appl. No. 17/606,496
Filed by Conopco Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ (US)
PCT Filed May 22, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/064242
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/239612, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19176490 (EP), filed on May 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0203391 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. B05B 11/00 (2023.01)
CPC B05B 11/0056 (2013.01) [B05B 11/0097 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cap assembly for a refill capsule and a plug, wherein the plug is movably mounted within the cap assembly for movement in an axial direction, the cap assembly comprising:
an inner wall defining a conduit through the cap assembly, the conduit extending from an upstream end to a downstream end;
an outer wall surrounding the inner wall along at least a first portion of its length, wherein the outer wall is spaced from the first portion of the inner wall to define a circumferential void between the inner and outer walls;
a connecting wall extending between the inner and outer walls to prevent fluid flow through the void between the inner and outer walls;
wherein the cap assembly further comprises a closure member configured to seal the conduit,
the closure member comprising an upstream side and a downstream side, and a bearing surface on its downstream side;
wherein the closure member is sealed to the inner wall with a peripheral frangible connection located between proximal and distal ends of the conduit,
wherein the peripheral frangible connection extends in a plane P, which is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis (A) of the conduit;
wherein the frangible connection is disposed between a first peripheral recess formed between the inner wall and the downstream side of the closure member, and a second peripheral recess between the inner wall and the upstream side of the closure member;
wherein the plug comprises:
a tubular body with an open proximal end and an open distal end, wherein the open proximal end is surrounded by a first rim that provides an proximal-facing abutment surface for bearing against the bearing surface of the closure member;
a skirt extending around the tubular body, and comprising a tubular skirt wall arranged coaxially with respect to the tubular body, the skirt wall being spaced apart from the tubular body in a radial direction to form a plug recess between the skirt wall and the tubular body,
wherein the skirt wall extends from a skirt distal end at which it is connected to the distal end of the tubular body, to a free proximal end,
wherein the free proximal end of the skirt comprises:
an outwardly extending flange comprising a distal facing abutment surface for abutting a rim of a refillable vessel, and
wherein the plug is disposed within the cap assembly such that the downstream end of the inner wall is disposed within the plug recess;
wherein the plug is configured to bear upon the bearing surface of the closure member to break the frangible connection as it is advanced in a proximal direction.