Dual-Chamber Dispensing Bottles – Part 03

In the world of the dual-chamber dispensing bottles the most commonly used design is the Bettix bottle. Although the Single-Neck as well as the Twin-Neck Bettix dispensing bottle is mainly used in the horticulture, animal health, industrial and domestic cleaning markets, there is no reason (after making the proper material choice) the design can’t find applications in the food markets. It is a very simple and effective construction.
The Bettix bottles belong to the squeezable category of dispensing bottles, like the Vetnil bottle, mentioned in my previous article. Bettix Bottles have two chambers – one for storing liquid and the other for dispensing liquid. It only requires a simple single squeeze of the bottle in order to fill the dispensing chamber, making it one of the easiest ways to dispense.

There is basically little difference in operating the single-neck or the twin-neck. In both situations the cap (for the single-neck the only cap, for the twin-cap the chamber cab) has to be loosened, to let the air escape, when the body of the bottle is squeezed to fill the dispensing chamber. The chamber cap is then removed allowing the measured volume of liquid to be dispensed from the chamber.
The Bettix bottles are made of high density polyethylene and the material meets FDA standards. The bottles can be fitted with a Child Resistant Closure.

Up till now we have seen an overview of the older designs of dispensing bottles and it’s time to move to the more recent and modern designs. We start with the dispensing bottle of Bark Innovations and follow with the fixed-dose dispensing caps from Perimeter Brand Packaging.

Bark Innovations
The Bark dosing chamber is incorporated into the bottle itself and requires no outside mechanical force such as squeezing or similar handling. It is invisible to the user and works from within the container. To determine the ideal quantity of liquid needed, the user just turns the bottle upside down. When the container is then returned right-side up, the bottle cap can be removed to easily pour out the proper amount of liquid. This dual-chamber design allows for the exact portioning of various dosing quantities using a single container.

The advantage of this system is that the fixed-dosing mechanism can be incorporated in any bottle, as long as it has two chambers, as the patented valve and cap system is integrated with the dosing chamber in the bottle to allow precise dosing by the consumer.
The company claims that this patented dosing system offers many benefits compared to the existing concepts. The system does not consist of different parts that should be assembled or mounted on the bottle but forms an integrated system with the whole packaging.

For the consumer the packaging is ready to use. Subjective influences such as the ‘correct orientation of the packaging’ and “squeezing the bottle” are not needed. Overdosing is impossible.

For decoration, the extrusion-blow-moulded HDPE bottles use labels. Customers are offered a great amount of creative leeway with regards to colour, shape and design. Upon request, the packs can also be supplied with childproof closure systems.

Bark has no exclusive supply deal with any brand owner or packaging supplier. The company is the intellectual property owner of the dosing system, but it doesn’t injection mould the caps and valves itself. Bark offers the system for 250ml, 500ml and 1l bottles.

Bark Innovations indicates that it is continuing its research and development. For example, it recently did tests on the system’s ability to deliver a 5ml dose, the smallest dose that other dosing systems deliver.

This new more sophisticated dosing concept, which hasn’t entered the market yet, allows for a precise variable fixed dosing. Bark Innovations is now in the engineering phase of this system and will probably have it ready for production in about 18 months.
With this system the consumer can adjust the required fixed dosing, as 4 different fixed dosing volumes are integrated. The consumer can simply choose the required volume by adjusting the cap.

The brand owner has a choice as he can decide to fit his bottle with every preferred and wished range of volumes, such as 10, 20, 30 and 40 ml, or 15, 30, 40 and 50 ml as examples.

After the flexible fixed dosing system of Bark Innovations, which, whatever the advantages, still require a dual-chamber bottle, we take a look at the fixed-dosing bottle caps from Perimeter Brand Packaging.

Fixed-dosing bottle caps
Perimeter Brand Packaging, a Nypro strategic company, developed three bottle caps for fixed dosing. The so called Freehand, Suredose Liquid and Suredose Powder fixed-dose dispensing caps are injection moulded from polypropylene.

Freehand
The Freehand fixed-dose dispenser is designed for dispensing and dosing liquid from a container. In the animation, it shows how much liquid is being poured out by the use of a clear indicator. The consumer can easily dispense the recommended quantity of product while enabling some control to adjust to their preference.

This “measure-as-you-pour” technology eliminates the need for a measuring cup, while the unique design allows for on-shelf differentiation at point of purchase.

Suredose Liquid
The Suredose Liquid is a fixed-dose dispenser designed to conveniently dispense liquid substances from a container. The application is ideal for when specific, repeatable and measured amounts of liquid product are required.

Single-dose-at-a-time technology ensures accurate measured amount, every time.

Suredose Powder
The Suredose Powder is a fixed-dose dispenser designed to conveniently dispense powdered substances. The unique design keeps the contents sealed during storage and throughout the dispensing process.
Single-dose-at-a-time technology ensures accurate measured amount, every time, while the sealed storage design prevents moisture from mixing with powder, eliminating the chance of clumping.

With this single-dose-at-a-time or fixed-dose dispensing caps we end our overview. It might be clear to my readers that there are many more fixed-dose dispensing bottles and caps available, in the market as well as in non-commercialised area of patents.