CA2135393A1 - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

A container comprising a simulated beverage container (10) having an end wall (30) which appears to be an ecology end but which has a removable tab (100) and a closure panel (130), a compartment (50) which houses an item (90) to be ejected on opening the container and separate sealed members (60) which are partially filled with liquid (68). The container is lined with rubbery material (40) so that it feels like a pressurised beverage container when squeezed, the liquid in the sealed members being free to move around so that the container sounds as if it were filled with beverage.

Description

W094/20376 13 ~ PCTI~B94/00419 . .;

SIMULATED BEVERAGE CONTAINER

This invention relates to a container. In particular, it relates to a simulated beverage container.
Tne container is suitable for a promotion item or gift, f~r example, but appears to contain a beverage.
Pro~otion of a product by use of a publicity item or "gimmic~" is:well-known, particularly in retail of food or household goods.~ Brealcfast~cereals have often included a gift wlthin the cereal ~nd~other items of dry food have frequently been~promoted:by;:the inclusion of some gimmick within the packaging or actual product.
The addition of a gift or other item to a fluid~
product poses greater problems than does its inclusion in a~dry product. ~A particular problem with the inclusion of a ~gift in ~ fluid product is~that the product may tend to adh~re to the gift~, making it necessary to clean the gift.
Similarly, if the gift is:of paper, for example, the fluid product~may~wet~or cause~the paper to perish. Conversely, it is~necessa:ry to ensure that any 9ift will not cont:aminate:the product itself in any way.
When. a~manufacturer wishes to promote a fluid product,~i~ is~:usual to attach any publicity i~em to`the outs~ide;of the~ product pr~duct packaging rather than to include~the item~in the~product itself. This is of~en :ach~ieved~by;a~taching a~ promo~ion item ~o each produc~
container; so that a~buyer:will see that a free i~em i5 a~iIa:ble and generally~not purchase a product to which no free item is at~ached . Whilst this external attachment avoids any pro~lems of contamination by or to the product, cl:early it is an expensive exercise since all products of the same size~and ~ype must have the promotion item attached to them.

~ W094/2037C .. ~ ; ~ PCT/GBg4/00419 ~ 2 1 3 5 3 9 3 -2- ! ~
:
, hilst it would be possible to include a promotion item or gift instead o~ the product, clearly in this case the item would have to be of sufficient value to . ~ compensat2 the ~buyer for the absence of the product which ; ~ : : the buyer:had expected to find. At this point, it become necessary from the point of view of economics to ensure that the buyer cannot determine from~ ternal appearance ` of:the product container that such a~- item is included.
. ~ Thi~ i:s~quite straigh:tf~rward:with ~ousehold items `~ conta~lned~in opaque:~screw-t~op~bo;ttles, for example, but is diff:;icult to achi~eve~wi~th:~:conta:i~ners such as beverage According~to:~the inve:ntion,~ ther:e is prbvided a :c~ntainer end wall ~comprising a~central panel formed with ~ ::an~aperture defined by a s~ore line; an operable panel for ;1~ clo~:i;n~g~the~apertùre~a~nd~con~aected t~o:the central panel by the~ core~:~lin~e~ar~o~und~th2~peripherary of the operable , ~ panel~and a~tab.~:aonnected to :the operabl2 panel and having:~a~proJe:ction extending oYer the operable p~nel and a ~eàr~ por~tion~ovQr:lyi~ng:~the~central~panel for lifting the :
. ~ ~ tab~away~from~the~.~central~ p~anel:~and~:~severing the score . ~ ~ n~e~ th~e~score~ ne~ comprising~a:~irs. exQosed region and a~second~req~on~which~un~de~rl~i~es the~tab::~so that:the tab appea~rs(~o~-~be~pe:rmanently~attach~ed to~the end~wall~
a p~ ~ :t~ion~ tem~or~g1~f~t~i:s to~be packaged in a oeve~r~age~ n~ S necess ~ ry~;for the it ~ to be readily remov:è~ f~-om~the~ can once`~Lt~has:been opened. Nowadays, .. ~ "ecology"~ends~arè~ n~ com~on:~u age. Such end~ have a tab ::which~when raised ~ushe:~:~an:operable pane:l in o the can so as~to p~rovide~a dispènsing~aperture. The tab remains attached~to~the~end~and the:~panel extends into the can.
i~ This~p;aneL~impedes~removal~:of~the~promotion item or gift.
The;~:~end~wa~ thu~ sL~mulates a~ beverage container end n~ w~ ha:ving:~an~"ecology~end",:ie. a stay-on tab, whilst:the~tab~:~an~d o~erable~;~anel~are removable as :in~:;a pull-off~tah~
Further:prob~1ems~:with~the i~clu~ion o a gift or promo~ion 1te~ are~associated with storage and handling OL

~ WO 94120376 2 1 3 5 3 9 3 PCTI~Bg4/00419 :, " ~ .. `.`,t - ~ ! r ~
., ,.. ,.; ~
the simulated container, for example if the container is to be refrigerated prior to opening. The container must thus be able to withstand tem2erature changes and to protect the gi ft from damage due to storase condi tions or handling of the container.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a simulated beverage container compri~ing a base, a hollow body portion and an end wall; the end wall comprising a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line, an opera~le panel for clo~ing the aperture which is connected to the central ~anel by the score line around its peripherary, and~a ta~; the body portion including a lining of elastomeric material a compartment, liquid at least partially filling the body por~ion outside the com~artment and means for preventing the liquid from penetrating the comp~rtment.
Preferably, the container includes the ecology end wall described above~
The lining may comprise any elastomeric material which~is springy or ru~bery when compressed and released.
:preferred mater;ial is 5ilastic. T~is lining gives the container a slightly compressible feeling such as that of a container filled with a pressurised beverage.
Preferably, t~e lining~mat2rial ha3 a shore hardness of between 30 and 6;, ~till more preferably between 35 and .~ ~
The~means for:preventing liquid from penetrating the comQartment typically comprises at leas^ one saaled memberr partially filled with the liquid. Conveniently, thLs memb~r may si.~ply be a rubber or plastic tube, plugged a. i~ach end. It will be appreciated that alterna~ive or additional pre~ention means such as a s~alant around the compartment may also be used.

wO94n0376 - PCT/GB94/00419 21353~3 ~ ~
.

The liyuid is provided so as to simulate the sound of a con~ainer filled with a beverage, when the container is sha~en. The compa-tment and sealed members are prefera~ly fixed in position. This is particularly im~ortant for the compartment which should preferabl~ be fixed beneath the ope`rable panel. It is al~o adv~at~ageous that there is no mo~ement of the members which;~ight be heard if the container were~shaken. The ~mpartment and sealed members may be Eixed by adhesion to the lining, for example, or they may be fixed~by packing between them, for example by further S~ilastic or; lining material.
Preferably, the compartment~and sealed members each comprise olastic tubes.~ ~The compartment may be sealed at its lower end by a plug, its open end being adjacent the operable panelO On removing the panel, the compartment is exposed~and a~gift or~promotion l~tem, for example, may be removed~fro~ within the compartnent.
The compartment may include~ejection means, for example a c~ompressed spring or piston device, which ejects~
the~gift or~promotion item when the operable panel is removed~
Ths~secon~d region of the ~score line, which is hidden -by~the~ a~b,~-preferabLy~has very l;ow score residual. This means~that~a~deep~score~is~madé~and ~hat there is very ttle~ materia~ remainin:g,; ~ie.~residual, beneath the }
score.~ Stil~ more~p~referably, this second region is a cut through the~end wall~
Prere~rred~embodimen~ts of container will now be de~cribed, by way o~ example only, with reference to the Z ' drawin gs, i n I whic'n:
Figure :1 is~ a~ longi~tudinal cross-section of a imulated ~everage container.
Figure 2 is a pl~n view of the container o~ figure l prior to o~ening; ' W094/~0376 ~ PCT/G~g4/~0419 Figure 3 i5 a plan view of the container of figure 1 after opening; 1~
Figure 4 is a longitudinal cro~s-section of a second embodiment of simulated beverage container; and Figure 5a, 5b and 5c are cross-sections of an end of the container of f igures 1 or 4 during opening.
In figure 1 there i~ shown a longitudinal cross-section of a:simulated b~verage con~ainer, prior to opening.
The container 10 comprises a cylindrical body 20 having a~domed hase 15 and closed at its upper end by end wall 30. The body 20 is lined with Silastic 40 and contains a gift compartment 50~and three further compartments 60 (one shown). The Silastic 40 extends around the compartments to hold them in posi~ion and prevent any unwanted movement. The Silastic gives the container a spongy, sligh~ly compressible feel when squeezed, similar to that of a filled pressurised beverage container.
~ ..
: Compart~ents~50, 60 comprise tubes 55, 65 cf plastics ma~erial.~ Tubes~65 are plugged at both ends ~nd tube 55 at~it~s lo~er end by rubber bun~s 70. Tubes 65 are par~ially::filled with water 68, for example, which is free to move around within its tube.
Tube 5~ contains an inner ~leeve 58 of plastic~
materlal, for example, which serve~ merely to reduce the diametsr o~ the tube 55. Within sleeve 58 is a spring 80 ecured to ~he ba3e of compar~ment 50 and compressed by item 90 which bears against end wall 30. Annular member covers the sleeve 58 and tube 55, and it_m 90, which : may be~ a bank note, for examplet passes through the centre of member 8~.
; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the contain r orior to opening, with tab 100 fitted.:

~ '1135393 W094l20376 - PCT/GB94/0~419 ,~, ; 6-End wall 30 compris~s a central panel 110 surrounded ,i: by an outer portion 120. An aperture is closed by an 3 operable panel, or closure portion 130, connected to the ¦ :~ central panel llU by score line 140. Tab 100 is joined to the closure portion 130 at 150 by a rivet and a projecting : part 105 of the tab overlies a part of the closure portion 130. An extension 145 to score 1ine 140 gives the appearance that area 160 comp~ises a:bendable region such as is required for an ecologyU~ënd wall, in which the closure~portion 130 and tab 100 would be retained attached to the end wall after :opening.
Furth2r simulation of an~ecology end wall is provided by tab~100, which corresponds~to that used for an ecology :; end wall. Such a tab requires projection 105 to act on closure portion:130:when the tab is raised by lifting ring 170. ;In a s:t~ndard ecology end, the tab would pivot about :hi:nge 175 and projection:105 would push panel 130 into the ` container, brea~ing ~core l1ne 140 and causing panel 130 to bend~at reqion~160. In: such an end, tab 100 is connected~at:150 to the central panel 110 and so is ;r2tain~ed~0n the~:end wall after opening.
ln the presen~t in:v2ntLon, however, score line 140 is continue~ bet-~esn~A and B,~either by a deep score line or by a :cut 180, ~a~ shown; in~:figure 3~ This cut 180 is :; hidden~;by t~h~e tab~100 in :the :unopened container.
Figu~re 4 shows a second embodiment of container, s~imilar~:to~:tha~t~o~f~figur~e~ b~ut in which spring 80 is of ;the :~ame diameter ~as the: inner;~diameter of tube ;5. Th~
spring 80~ contained within: the base of compartment 50 by disc 95 anid ~leeve 5~ so th~t spring 80 and disc 9 togeth2r form a~pls~on member~ This ensures ~hat on ope:ning:the~container; only:the gift item 90 will be ejected Lrom the container~ The sleeve 58 is reduced in length and held in place within the tube by friction~

WO 94/Z0376 ~ PCT/GB94/00419 Rather than using a press fit, clearly the sleeve could be fixed to the tube by adhesive.
Whilst annular mem~er 8~ could be used to hold the sleeve within the container, its usual function is aesthetic and to obscure the view of the inside of the containex once operable panel 130 (figure 2) has been removed. The size of the resultant aperture is thus reduced so as to Lmprove the appearance of the opened container. ~ user, on opening the simulated container and removing the gift,~will thus only see the inside of compa~rtment 50 and not the other components inside the container. ~
user of the container will notice on l if ting the container that the weight of the container is substantiaIIy the same as that~of an unopened beveragé
container. It is possible by choosing components c~reEully,~to ma~ch the~weight of the simulated container to wi~hin 25g or less of the we~ight of a "real"
container. On sha~ing the container, the user will note that it~sounds l~ike ~container filled with beverage.
Furthermor~t if a user squeezes the simulated conta~iner, ~he lin~ing of Silastic or other material of similar shore har~d;ness allows the container to "~ive" in the~ manne~r ~ of~a~cont~ainer filled with pressurlsed bevezag~e.~ material having a shore hardness of between 30~and 65~would~be~preferable, the hardness of 5ilastic being ~O, al~hough hardnasses outside this range are acceptable~according to availa~bility of materials.
Whilst w~en a simulated ~ontaLner is to be mar~eted wlth containe;rs having ecology ends it is clearly neces~ary to hid~ the score extension which allows the tab and clo~ure panel to be removed, no such ruse is necessary - if all containers have pull-off tabs- anyway. In this case, all~simulation is achieved by weight and feel of the ~ W094l20376 213 5 3 9 3 PCTIGB94l00419 s~
b~ _ - 8 I contalner.
Although the ~core extension is hidden by the tab in ', the embodiment descr~bed, other methods of obscuring the ~core extension could be used,. such as coating the score with paint corresponding to the colour and/or material of the end. ~'~ t : Figure 5 shows the procedu~rè for opening a simulated . ~,~
beverage container having the end of figures 2 and 3.
Figure 5a is an: enlarged view of the top section of the container of either figure 1 or ~igure 4. A bank note 90 within tube:55 and sleeve 58 pa~ses through annular member 85. The bank note 90 is urged by compressed spring 80 (figure 1) or spring 80 and:disc 95 (figure 4) against the underside of operable panel 130 in end wall 30.
Tab ~on is connected to panel 130 by a rivet at 150 and a projecti:on lOi of the tab overlies panel 130. Score l:ine:~140 exten~ under the tab at 180 behind rivet 150.
Initial opening of the container is shown in ~igure 5b.~ Unli~ a standard ecology~end tab, lifting of the tab :causes~ the~hidden region 180 of score line 140 to rupture due:to~low~core residual at 180 (between A and B in figure~:3)~. ~Rathe~r than~plvoting~aboat ri~et 150, the tab lifts~wi~th the operable panel 130 and peels the panel away from :the end 30.~
: As panel~13~0 i~s peeled~:off, bank note 90 is no longer re~stra~ined~within: the~contalner and is forced out of the continer~by~spring~80 or piston action of spring and disc iQ~f~igure~:~4.~ Once~:t~he tab lO~and panel 130 have been completely removed, th~ note is pushed out o~ the container to ,!the~ position. shown in figure 5c. Clearly tne action of o~ening and peeling-takes place in a single ;movement a3 wi~th~ the~alternative pull-off tabO , The embodiment~of figure 1 requires the s~ring 80 to 'De attached to th~i container 53 to avoid it dropping out , `' `' ~

,~
, ~
,~

~ 2135393 , W094/20376 - : - PCT/GB~4/0041~
-after the gift 90 is ejected. The embodiment of figure 4, on the other hand, avoids this problem by the addition of disc g5 which together with spring 80 ~cts as a piston and is retained by sleeve 5~. i It will be appreciated that the invention has been J
described above by way o~ example only and that change~
may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

~ , ~
: , :
, .

. .

.

.~ ~

;~ .

Claims (12)

C L A I M S:-

1. A simulated beverage container comprising a base, a hollow body portion and an end wall;
the end wall comprising a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line, an operable panel for closing the aperture which is connected to the central panel by the score line around its peripherary, and a tab;
the body portion including a lining of elastomeric material, a compartment, liquid at least partially filling the body portion outside the compartment and means for preventing the liquid from penetrating the compartment.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which the lining comprises a material having a shore hardness of between 30 and 65.

3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the compartment is sealed at one end, its opposite end being open and underlying the operable panel.

4. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the prevention means comprises one or more sealed members.

5. A container according to claim 4, in which the sealed members and the compartment are fixed in position.

6. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the compartment includes ejection means.

7. A container according to claim 6, in which the ejection means comprises a compressed spring.

8. A container according to claim 6, in which the ejection means comprises a piston .

9. A container end wall comprising:
a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line;
an operable panel for closing the aperture and connected to the central panel by the score line around the peripherary of the operable panel; and a tab connected to the operable panel and having a projection extending over the operable panel and a rear portion overlying the central panel for lifting the tab away from the central panel and severing the score line;
the score line comprising a first exposed region and a second region which underlies the tab and is hidden thereby so that the tab appears to be permanently attached to the end wall.

10. An end wall according to claim 9, in which the second region of the score line is a cut.

11. A container accoring to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the end wall compises the end wall of claim 9 or claim 10.

12. A container substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to figures 1 to 3 and 5 or to figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.