EP0775071B1 - Variable volume bottle with external anti-return lock means - Google Patents

Abstract

Bottle (1) with external anti-return lock means and a deformable pleated outer lateral wall (4). The outer anti-return lock means (2) cooperates with peripheral shoulders (8) projecting outwardly from the bottle, from the outermost folding lines (7) of the pleated wall, to hold the bottle in one of a series of inner volume states, enabling the bottle to gradually change its shape from a given volume state to a further reduced volume state, so that the inner volume of the bottle can be adapted to the liquid remaining therein. The invention is especially suitable for fizzy liquids.

Description

The present invention relates to a bottle system, for example plastic, with variable volume, intended for contain a liquid, especially a soft drink or carbonated (hereinafter referred to as carbonated drink) and an external non-return stop means.

It is often used to contain a liquid food substantially cylindrical plastic bottle or polygonal having at its upper part a neck through which liquid can be introduced into the bottle or poured out of it.

In the case of sparkling or carbonated drinks, the fixed volume bottles do not keep satisfactorily their gas content during their consumption.

Indeed, before the first use of the bottle, that is to say before its first opening, the volume of gas overcoming the contained liquid is minimized in the inside neck area and pressure balance is established between the gas dissolved in the liquid and the gas overcoming the latter. The initial gas content of the liquid is determined by this pressure balance and can be predetermined in the case of gasification of the liquid.

Each successive use of the bottle, a portion contained liquid is poured outside and the air enters the bottle by replacing in equal volume the liquid poured outside.

After each use, a new pressure balance is established between the volume of gas surmounting the liquid and the gas bubbles dissolved in the latter. Bubbles gases migrate to the surface of the liquid to come balance the pressure inside the bottle.

Consequently, with each use, the air which penetrates in the bottle decreases the partial pressure of the gas overcoming the liquid and therefore causes degasification of the last.

This physical phenomenon is all the more important as the uses are spaced over time, which happens generally when so-called "family" bottles are used, namely bottles with a capacity volumetric of 1.5 or 2 liters for example.

This degasification constitutes a major drawback in consumption of carbonated drinks because the decrease in the gas content of these drinks leads to spoilage of their taste.

We already know from document US-A-4,456,134 in the name from Cooper, a container with a top opening for filling and pouring carbonated drinks, which opening extends towards the bottom of the container by a flexible and compressible middle wall or deformable. This document also provides a device externally connecting the upper part to the bottom of the container for progressive adjustment and maintenance the internal volume of it.

This external device at least partially encloses and concentrically the container or is offset by relative to it so as to easily adapt to different types of existing containers and be able to be reused in whole or in part on another container, after total consumption of the liquid contained in the original container.

The solution proposed by Cooper has the disadvantage of need for the user to always carry with them the external device for holding the bottle in a state of reduced volume, which increases so significant size of the bottle in the bag the user for example, not to mention that the user can easily forget to take this device with them.

The present invention therefore aims to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned above and to propose a system of one variable volume bottle and non-return stop means external to prevent the contained liquid can be sold and which can keep the bottle in a state selectively reduced volume, even in the presence of very high internal pressure.

To this end, the present invention relates to a system a variable volume bottle intended to contain in particular a liquid with gas content, of the type comprising a deformable pleated external side wall, for example in bellows, and an external non-return stop means to keep the bottle in one of a succession internal volume states and allow its deformation progressive from one state of volume given to another state of volume in particular more reduced so as to conform the internal volume of the bottle to the volume of liquid remaining therein, characterized in that said stop means non-return cooperates with peripheral edges which make protruding towards the outside of the bottle, from outermost fold lines of the pleated wall of the bottle.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the non-return stop means includes a sleeve possibly openwork at least partially enveloping the pleated wall and having a radially part protruding inward to lean against peripheral edges that are in a configuration helical, a non-return snap mechanism between the upper or lower outer part of the bottle can possibly be used if the pitch of the wall pleated does not ensure alone the blocking of the bottle in a state of reduced internal volume.

Preferably, the lower and upper parts of the bottle are rigid enough to avoid their deformation during contraction of the bottle.

In another particular embodiment, the means check valve has a plurality of elements hooking formed on the aforementioned peripheral flanges and able to hang on the immediately adjacent ledge by underlying example, to lock the bottle in position contracted.

Provision may be made for the above-mentioned hooking elements are hooks projecting from the aforementioned flanges parallel to the axis of the bottle and arranged by example staggered on the different edges peripherals and may have variable lengths.

In yet another particular embodiment, the non-return stop means is formed by at least one sleeve internally notched and partially extending along of the pleated wall of the bottle, so that the notches can hang on the outer peripheral edges mentioned above during the compression of the bottle.

According to a first variant, a single sleeve is used, one of its ends being integral with the part top or bottom of the bottle or any of the peripheral edges of the pleated wall.

Of course, the sleeve (s) can be perforated and the notches staggered on its internal surface.

According to another variant, the pleated wall of the bottle consists of at least two portions of width or different diameter, an internally notched sleeve being associated with each of said portions so that during compression of the bottle, said sleeves can fit into each other.

We can predict that the notches on the internal surface of a sleeve are oriented in the opposite direction of those of its lower internal surface, the junction area between said upper and lower surfaces serving as fixed point for hanging the sleeve on a flange device of the pleated wall, the notches of one said surfaces being provided only on portions peripherally spaced, preferably regularly, and the corresponding peripheral edges of the wall pleated being formed only on portions complementary to said notched portions, so as to allow the sleeve to slide freely in one direction the pleated wall and its fixed hook on a flange of by aligning said portions by simple rotation relative of the sleeve and the pleated wall.

The sleeve partially extending over the height of the bellows, we can provide that the minimum height of the sleeve is equal to that of all the bellows maximum folded position.

Generally, the non-return stop means ensures also a brake function preventing contraction spontaneous bottle, for example due to the slope and the elasticity of the hooks, notches or teeth of the latching mechanism.

La figure 1 représente en élévation et en coupe axiale une bouteille conforme au système de l'invention, selon un premier mode de réalisation sur la demi-vue droite et selon une variante sur la demi-vue gauche.

La figure 2 est semblable à la figure 1, mais représente la bouteille en position contractée.

La figure 3 est une demi-vue en coupe transversale suivant la ligne III-III de la demi-vue gauche de la figure 1.

La figure 4 est une vue en élévation et en coupe axiale d'un autre mode de réalisation du système de l'invention.

La figure 5 est une vue en section transversale suivant la ligne V-V de la figure 4.

Les figures 6 et 7 sont des demi-vues en élévation d'encore un autre mode de réalisation du système de l'invention, respectivement en position initiale et contractée.

Les figures 8 et 9 sont des vues partielles et en perspective d'un détail indiqué respectivement sur la figure 6 par la flèche VIII et sur la figure 7 par la flèche IX.

The invention will be better understood and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the explanatory description which will follow of several presently preferred embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of illustration. 'illustrative and nonlimiting examples with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows in elevation and in axial section a bottle according to the system of the invention, according to a first embodiment on the right half-view and according to a variant on the left half-view.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, but shows the bottle in the contracted position.

FIG. 3 is a half-view in cross section along line III-III of the left half-view in FIG. 1.

Figure 4 is an elevational view in axial section of another embodiment of the system of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view in cross section along the line VV in FIG. 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are half-views in elevation of yet another embodiment of the system of the invention, respectively in the initial and contracted position.

Figures 8 and 9 are partial perspective views of a detail indicated respectively in Figure 6 by arrow VIII and in Figure 7 by arrow IX.

According to the embodiment shown in the half-views lines of Figures 1 and 2, the system of the invention includes a bottle 1 and a non-return stop means 2 externally secured to the bottle.

The bottle 1 has a bottom 3 which is extended by a substantially cylindrical middle part 4 tapering to its upper part towards the neck 5 of the bottle.

Of course, the middle part 4 of the bottle can be of any shape, for example of substantially cross section elliptical or polygonal or any other suitable shape.

The upper part of the bottle 1 is advantageously thinned in 6 so that at the end of reduction of the volume of the bottle, the space remaining in the bottle either minimal.

Indeed, at the end of the reduction in the volume of the bottle, the lower end of the thinned part 6 comes to the vicinity of the bottom 3 of the bottle so that the space free remaining in it is confined inside the thinned part 6.

According to the invention, the middle part 4 of the bottle is deformable in the axial direction of the bottle 1, at know in the direction of its height H and has a wall pleated, for example like an accordion or a bellows.

Peripheral edges 8 project radially or perpendicular to the H axis at the lines of outermost folding 7 of the pleated wall 4.

The pleated wall 4 of the right half-view of FIG. 1 is consisting of a succession of frustoconical crowns 4a to alternately inverted taper and straight section in an axial plane of the bottle, two crowns adjacent frustoconical 4a being joined by their large base or their respective small base. The accordion wall 4 of the bottle 1 has here a

alternating circular fold lines of larger diameter small 9 and larger diameter 7 which are spaced apart each other in the height direction H of the bottle by the aforementioned crowns 4a.

When the bottle 1 is crushed, the wall in accordion 4 folds in the direction of the H axis of the bottle 1, without causing excessive deformation in crowns 4a.

The bottle 1 is generally made of material rigid plastic, the middle part 4 being able to be semi-rigid material or have a thickness such allowing the folding of its wall.

The bottom 3 of the bottle is separated from this pleated wall 4 by a lower rigid cylindrical tubular part 4b.

The bottle illustrated in the left half view of Figures 1 and 2 differs from that of the right half-view in that it is staged in two portions 4 and 104 of diameter or width different, the lower portion 104 of the bottle being wider than the upper portion 4 thereof.

The pleated wall of the bottle 1 is here for example shared equally between its upper portions and lower, each portion comprising for example six bellows.

The pleated wall of the lower portion 104 is homothetically identical to that of the portion superior.

A larger tapered crown 10 connects the small base of the last bellows 4a of the upper portion at the large base of the first bellows 104a of the portion lower 104.

The function of this tiered surface of the bottle will be explained below.

The non-return stop means 2 illustrated in the half-views Figures 1 and 2, consists of a sleeve internally notched and possibly perforated 11 which partially surrounds the pleated wall 4 of the bottle 1.

The sleeve 11 is secured for example at its end upper 11a of the upper part 6 of the bottle 1, while its lower end slides freely the along the pleated wall 4 towards a reduction in volume of the bottle.

Indeed, the notches or teeth 11b provided on the surface internal of the sleeve 11 have a slope oriented towards the high for the passage of a peripheral rim 8 and a flat part serving as a stopper and intended to come resting against one of these edges to retain the bottle in contracted position.

Of course, one could fix the sleeve 11 at its lower end, its upper end sliding along the pleated wall 4 of the bottle.

The notches 11b can be formed peripherally on the internal surface of the sleeve 11 or in the form of a plurality of teeth scattered over its entire surface internal.

We see on the right half-views of Figures 1 and 2 that the sleeve 11 forms a stiffening double wall structure the bottle and preventing its bending.

In addition, when the bottle 1 is closed, the pressure internal gas compresses external peripheral edges 8 against the internal notched surface of the sleeve 11, which further improves the retention of the bottle in its position contracted.

In the variant illustrated on the left half-views of the Figures 1 and 2, the non-return stop means 2 is consisting of a first internally notched sleeve 12 which cooperates with the upper portion 4 of the bottle and a second internally notched sleeve 13 which cooperates with the lower portion 104.

The difference d between the radius of the lower portion 104 and the radius of the upper portion 4 is substantially equal to or greater than the thickness of the first notched sleeve 12 so that it can fit inside the second notched sleeve 13 during contraction of the bottle.

We see in Figures 1 and 2 that the notches 12a of the upper half of the first sleeve 12 are oriented towards the bottom while the notches 12b of the bottom half of these are facing upward, so that the area junction 12c between said upper halves and lower serves as a fixed point for hooking the sleeve 12 on an external peripheral rim 8 of the pleated wall.

The height of each half of the first sleeve 12 is calculated so as to retain for example a bellows in initial position and up to three bellows in position contracted final.

The second notched sleeve 13 has notches 13a oriented down on its upper three quarters, and notches 13b oriented upwards on its lower quarter, the area junction 13c between the notches 13a and 13b serving as a point fixed for attachment to an external peripheral flange 108.

The first sleeve 12 has on its outer surface a radially protruding 12d tooth intended to engage with the notches 13a of the second sleeve 13 when it fits on the first sleeve 12.

Of course, we could provide several sizes of sleeve fitting into each other on a bottle with several staggered stages.

To allow easy mounting of the sleeves 12 and 13 on the bottle 1, as best seen in Figure 3, the notches 13b are provided only on portions peripherally spaced and the peripheral rim 108 correspondent is trained only on portions complementary to said notched portions 13b, so to allow the free sliding of the sleeve 13 towards the high on the pleated wall 104 of the bottle and its fixed hooking on a flange 108 thereof by aligning the notched portions 13b with the rim portions peripheral 108 by simple relative rotation of the sleeve 13 and the pleated wall 104.

We could provide in the same way as the notches 12a of the first sleeve 12 are formed only on portions peripherally spaced and that the peripheral edges 8 correspondents are also formed on portions complementary.

The bottle 1 here forms a triple wall structure in its position shown in the left half-view of the figure 2.

We will now describe a second embodiment of the system of the invention with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

The bottle 1 here has a pleated wall 204 whose radially outer 207 and inner 209 fold lines are helical, a rim 208 projecting axially from the outer fold line 207 outward to cooperate with the non-return stop means.

The rim 208 can be continuous, discontinuous, or even present in the form of a succession of studs.

It is also possible to provide protruding bosses 210 externally from the internal helical fold line 209 to stiffen the bellows before they are crushed, these bosses disappearing during compression of the bottle and sleeve passage for example.

The non-return stop means 2 consists of a sleeve 14 possibly openwork and enveloping at least partially the pleated wall 204.

The lower end 14a of the sleeve 14 is radially protruding inward to come to rest under the helical flanges 208 above.

Alternatively, the wall may be pleated in accordion, but that the aforementioned peripheral edges consisting for example of a series of studs define a helical contraction guide ramp.

A snap mechanism is formed between the part upper 6 of the bottle and the upper end of the sleeve 14, for example with teeth 15 on the periphery external of the bottle and a flexible tab corresponding 14b on the inner wall of the sleeve for allow free rotation of the sleeve in one direction and prevent its rotation in the opposite direction indicated by the arrow F in Figure 5.

The sleeve 14 acts here as a nut in which come to accommodate the turns 204a of the pleated wall 204 during contraction of the bottle.

The aforementioned sleeves 11 to 14 also serve as a means of guiding the contraction of the bottle.

Yet another mode is shown in Figures 6 to 9 of the system of the invention, in which the pleated wall 304 of the bottle 1 has a succession of fold lines 307 of the same diameter and spaced apart from each other in the axial direction H of the bottle by annular bands 304a curved towards the inside of this one.

External peripheral flanges 308 radially protrusion of the pleated wall 304 from the lines of folding 307.

The non-return stop means 2 here consists of elements forming for example hooks 16 which extend substantially parallel to the H axis of the bottle from the external peripheral edges 308 mentioned above.

These hooks 16 can be staggered on the different peripheral edges mentioned above and can present variable lengths.

These hooks 16 have of course their beak 16a oriented towards the inside of the bottle to hang on the adjacent peripheral edges, for example underlying.

You can also engage all peripheral edges 308 with at least one hook 16 during packaging initial to avoid lengthening the bottle under the effect of internal pressure.

In general, the different wall shapes pleated shown in the drawings can be combined to the various non-return stop means previously indicated.

We will now briefly describe how the system of the invention.

When a user first opens the bottle 1, for example by unscrewing a cap (not shown) and pours part of the liquid contained in this bottle 1 outside, before closing the bottle, the user compresses it by deforming the wall wrinkled until the level of liquid remaining in the bottle 1 reaches neck 5.

Simultaneously with the contraction of the pleated wall, the non-return stop means 2 engages on the different external peripheral edges so as to retain the bottle in its contracted position.

The user then closes the bottle 1 which is ready for later consumption of its remaining content.

Of course, the bottle and its various means of stopping non-return can come from material and be made in a single plastic material.

The bottle 1 can be produced by injection into a mold of a preform which is subsequently blown to form the bottle.

One can also provide external plastic straps connecting the neck 5 of the bottle to its bottom 3 during its initial packaging, to avoid disgorgement liquid when first opened.

Although the invention has been described in connection with several particular embodiments, it is well obvious that it is by no means limited to it and that it includes all technical equivalents of means described.

Claims (9)

1. System of a bottle with a variable volume (1) intended to contain in particular a gas-containing liquid, of the type comprising an external pleated deformable side wall (4, 104, 204, 304) and an external anti-return lock means (2) for holding the bottle in one of a series of states of internal volume and authorizing its gradual deformation from one given state of volume to another state of in particular more reduced volume so as to match the internal volume of the bottle with the volume of liquid remaining in the latter, characterized in that the said anti-return lock means (2) co-operates with peripheral edges (8, 108, 208, 308) which are projecting outwards of the bottle (1) from outermost folding lines (7, 107, 207, 307) of the pleated wall of the bottle.
2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the anti-return lock means (2) is formed of at least one internally serrated sleeve (11, 12, 13) which extends partially along the pleated wall (4, 104) of the bottle (1) so that the serrations (11b, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) may hook onto the aforesaid external peripheral edges (8, 108) during the compression of the bottle (1).
3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that one single sleeve (11) is used, one (11a) of its ends being made fast to the upper portion (6) or lower portion (4b) of the bottle (1) or to one of the peripheral edges (8) of the pleated wall (4).
4. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the pleated wall of the bottle (1) consists of at least two portions (4, 104) with differing width or diameter, an internally serrated sleeve (12, 13) being associated with each one of the said portions, so that during the compression of the bottle, the said sleeves may fit into each other.
5. System according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the serrations (12a, 13a) on the upper internal surface of the sleeve(s) (12, 13) are directed in a direction opposite to those (12b, 13b) of its lower internal surface, the zone (12c, 13c) of junction between the said upper and lower surfaces serving as a stationary point for hooking the sleeve onto the peripheral edge (8, 108) of the pleated wall (4,104) and in that the serrations (12a, 13b) of one of the said surfaces are provided on peripherally spaced portions only, the corresponding peripheral edges (8, 108) of the pleated wall being formed on complementary portions only of the said serrated portions, so as to permit the free sliding of the sleeve in one direction of the pleated wall and its fixed hooking onto one edge of the latter while aligning the said portions through simple rotation in relation to the sleeve and to the pleated wall.
6. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the anti-return locking means (2) comprises a possibly perforated sleeve (14) at least partially wrapping the pleated wall (204) and comprising a radially inward projecting portion (14a) for bearing upon the peripheral edges (208) which have a helical configuration.
7. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the anti-return lock means comprises a plurality of hooking elements (16) formed on the aforesaid peripheral edges (308) and adapted to hook onto for example subjacent immediately adjacent edges for locking the bottle in the contracted position.
8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the aforesaid hooking elements are hooks (16) projecting from the peripheral edges (308) in parallel relation to the axis (H) of the bottle.
9. System according to one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the anti-return lock means (2) provides a braking function preventing a spontaneous contraction of the bottle.

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