EP2001766B1

EP2001766B1 - Beverage container made of plastic material, such as pet or the like, with incorporated anti-tampering device

Info

Publication number: EP2001766B1
Application number: EP07727252.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Léon Ribi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-31
Filing date: 2007-03-22
Publication date: 2015-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-22
Also published as: WO2007113126A1; ITSV20060009A1; EP2001766A1

Description

Beverage container made of plastic material, such as PET or the like, with incorporated anti-tampering device.
The present invention relates to a beverage container made of plastic material, such as PET or the like.
The hygienic safety of what is inside the beverage containers, for example bottles, made of plastic material such as PET or the like is of the upmost importance.
The whole beverage market is compromised by the fact that the contents can be intentionally polluted or toxic substances can be added thereto.
Particularly in the last years many criminal actions affecting the safety of containers have been made, they were opened in order to introduce therein products differing from the contents, or even containers often were perforated , for example by using a syringe or the like in order to introduce therein products differing from the contents.
So at present in order to technically prevent these violations no 100% effective expedients has been made.
According to prior art, e.g. NL8502189 and US6726044 , at present there is not a simple or inexpensive solution allowing to immediately and without doubt find the possible action tampering the intactness of the container.
The invention relates to a container or bottle made of PET or a similar material characterized in that in any region of its side wall it has a permanent structural inwardly bending but it can be reversibly deformed intended for being outwardly bent when the pressure inside the bottle (P_i > P _atm.) is greater than the atmospheric one and for recovering its original structural inwardly bending when the pressure(P_i > P_atm) inside the bottle is again like the atmospheric one.
In the container according to the present invention, the recovery of the first inwardly bent profile or of the first structurally stable shape of the region indicating or revealing the tampering action, i.e. when the inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric one, is caused by an outer mechanical or manual compression in the direction of the deformation of said region indicating and/or revealing the tampering action once the inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric one.
A variant provides the region indicating or revealing the tampering action to have two structurally stable profiles or shapes, one of which is inwardly bent and/or more inwardly bent and the other one is outwardly bent and/or less inwardly bent or viceversa, and under specific conditions of the inner pressure with respect to the outer pressure they can be permanently taken both automatically and due to an outer mechanical or manual action.
The container has at least a region revealing and/or indicating the tampering action, and said region revealing the tampering action has a stable structural deformation corresponding to a certain condition of the pressure inside the container and a second configuration corresponding to a condition of the inner pressure greater than the pressure outside said container different from the previous pressure condition, where said region revealing the tampering action is intended for passing from said first to said second profile when the pressure inside said container decreases when the container is perforated or opened.
The region indicating and revealing the tampering action is composed of a region of the container that can be well seen and it is shaped like a recess when the container to be sold is empty, while once it is filled, put under pressure and sealed in order to be sold, the container, said region revealing the tampering action that had a recess-like shape passes to another shape such as for example an opposite outwardly bent shape and in order to be connected to the adjacent wall part of the container by finishing it.
The at least one region revealing and/or indicating the tampering action has a second profile corresponding to a condition of the pressure inside said container that is greater than the atmospheric pressure and a first profile corresponding to a certain condition of the pressure inside said container that is equal to the atmospheric pressure, said region revealing and indicating the tampering action being intended for passing from said second to said first profile when the pressure inside said container decreases when the container is perforated or opened.
Still according to an advantageous characteristic, the structural inwardly bending has such a size to highlight from a visual and tactile point of view the difference in the shape of the involved surface in its two opposite positions (A) and (B) i.e. the corresponding presence or absence of pressure (P_i > P _atm.) inside the bottle.
The permanent structural inwardly bending can be obtained by means of usual techniques by hot moulding it against the inside of a mould having an outwardly bending on its inner wall that is equal to and complementary to the structural inwardly bending of the wall of the bottle.
The surface of the structural inwardly bending is delimited by a continuous closed line i.e. any polygonal line and its maximum horizontal size, i.e. along the corresponding circumference of the bottle, is smaller than the maximum vertical orthogonal one i.e. along the corresponding generating line of the bottle.
In a container according to the present invention, the region revealing and/or indicating the tampering action is provided in a particular position. In this case, the neck of container near the opening has a permanent annular structural deformation that can be reversibly deformed, extending between a circumference thereof having a greater diameter and another one having a smaller diameter, which structural deformation has sections, on radial planes of the neck wall, that are all equal one with respect to the other and that follow a curve composed of a concave development nearer the axis of the bottle followed by a convex development more distant with respect to the axis of the bottle, i.e. they serve a S-shaped curve such that, with a pressure inside the bottle (P_i > P _atm), the neck bends outwardly and then it recovers its structural inwardly bent configuration when there is no more pressure (P_i > P _atm).
The structural outwardly bending is made like a reflecting one and therefore it acts like a concave mirror when there is no pressure inside the bottle (P_i = P_a) and like a mirror deformed in a different way if there is pressure (P_i > P_a) thus allowing mirror images to have a different appearance.
In this example it is also possible for the region revealing and indicating the tampering action to be previously shaped in order to have such inner tensions to allow an automatic passage from the first profile or first shape to the second profile or second shape or viceversa when the condition of the pressure inside the container corresponds to said first profile or said first shape or to said second profile or said second shape respectively.
In other words the invention relates to a bottle made of PET or a similar material characterized in that in any region of its side wall it has a permanent structural inwardly bending but it can be reversibly deformed intended for being outwardly bent when there is pressure (P_i > P_atm) inside the bottle and for recovering its original structural inwardly bending (2) when there is no more pressure (P_i>P_atm) inside the bottle.
It is to be noted that P_i means the pressure inside the container or bottle and P_atm means the atmospheric pressure i.e. the environment one.
The object of the present invention is an effective and simple solution for the drawback of revealing or indicating a tampering action of a container.
The invention provides to make a bottle having well clear programmed deformations indicating a tampering action, anywhere it can be made on the bottle.
Substantially the concept is based on the effects caused by the pressure inside the bottle P_i > P_atm on the structure of the container 1.
A structural deformation of the plastic component obtained when moulding the bottle, that can take two configurations A and B that are different and that can be well seen, i.e. a region revealing the tampering action having a first profile corresponding to a condition of the pressure inside the container greater than the atmospheric pressure and a second profile corresponding to a condition of the pressure inside said container lower than or equal to the atmospheric pressure, said region revealing the tampering action being intended to pass from said first profile to said second profile when the pressure inside said container decreases when the container is perforated or opened, acts like an indicator for the presence or absence of inner pressure P_i > P _atm.
It is known that pressure P_i > P_atm inside PET containers guarantees the stability of the walls 5 of the filled container 1.
When the tampering action occurs, the inner pressure P_i > P_atm generally due to intentionally dissolved N₂ or CO₂, becomes equal to the atmospheric one P_atm.
Now the programmed deformation of the bottle 1 or the structural inwardly bending 2 that has taken an outwardly bending configuration B due to P_i > P_atm recovers its original stable configuration A thus indicating a lack of pressure P_i > P_atm and so the fact that a tampering action has occured. The fact of simply observing said original configuration A will indicate the user that the contents is not drinkable.
Therefore the present invention uses the shape memory of a plastic material, such as for example PET or the like, in order to find an occurred tampering action. The container is moulded with at least a region revealing the tampering action having a specific profile that can be defined as the original, or stable profile, i.e. the profile of said region when it is not subjected to outer forces. Upon the filling of the container and the consequent increase of the pressure inside the container said region revealing the tampering action is deformed by outwardly bending itself and taking a second profile corresponding to the condition with the inner pressure greater than the outer pressure. If the container is tampered with in order to introduce therein any substances, so the inner pressure, following the breaking of walls of the container will immediately descrease to the atmospheric pressure, and consequently the region revealing the tampering action, that is not more subjected to the inner pressure, takes again its original configuration, due to the shape memory effect, thus the user can immediately notice a possible tampering action or however the fact that the container is not intact.
The invention provides two variants wherein such shape memory of a region of the container wall indicates the tampering action on the basis of the change of the inner pressure with respect to the value of the outer pressure, ie. the atmospheric one.
In a first variant the region of the container wall having the aim of indicating or revealing the tampering action, automatically passes from the outwardly bent condition to the less inwardly bent one that it takes when the pressure inside the container is greater than the atmospheric pressure, to the inwardly bent condition or the more inwardly bent one that it can take when the inner pressure decreases at the level of the atmospheric pressure.
It is to be noted that with the inner pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure, the region indicating or revealing the tampering action cannot take the inwardly bent condition or the more inwardly bent condition at least permanently, even if it is pushes in said configuration by an outer manual or mechanical action. Once such action stops, said region takes again its outwardly bent condition or its less inwardly bent condition.
In a variant, the passage from the outwardly bent configuration to the inwardly bent one or from the less inwardly bent condition to the more inwardly bent condition does not occurs automatically, but by means of an outer manual or mechanical pressing action, for example by using a finger of an hand, exerted on said region indicating and revealing the tampering action. In this case, when the inner pressure decreases at a level approximately at the order of or equal to the atmospheric pressure, said compression action on said region indicating and revealing the tampering action allows the passage in a stable condition of said region from the outwardly bent configuration or the less inwardly bent one to the inwardly bent configuration or to the more inwardly bent one. As already mentioned above if inner pressure conditions are such that the inner pressure of the container is greater than the atmospheric one, so the compressing manual or mechanical action upon the region indicating and revealing the tampering action cannot lead said region to permanently take the inwardly bent condition, so once said action stops, said region takes again its outwardly bent condition or the less inwardly bent one if the inner pressure remains greater than the outer one.
This and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clear from the following description of some embodiments shown in annexed drawings wherein:

Fig.1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the present invention
Fig.2 is a side view of a first embodiment of the present invention with the tampering action being occurred and the region revealing the tampering action in the inwardly bent condition
Fig.3 is a side view of a first embodiment of the present invention with the tampering action that has not occurred and the region revealing the tampering action being outwardly bent.
Fig.4 is a top view of the first embodiment of fig.1
Fig.5 is a top view of the first embodiment of fig.2
Fig. 6 is a top view of the first embodiment of fig.3
Fig.7 is a section view of the region revealing the tampering action and of the comparison of the two profiles that can be taken by said region.
Fig.8 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention with the tampering action being occurred.
Fig.9 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention with the tampering action not being occured
Fig.10 is a top view of the second embodiment of fig.8
Fig.11 is a top view of the second embodiment of fig.9
Figs. 12a and 12b and 12c are an enlarged detail of the region revealing and indicating the tampering action in the three conditions.

According to a first embodiment shown in figs. 1 to 7 the wall of the bottle 1 made of PET has a region, that can be chosen as the manufacturer desires, but it is can be better seen at the upper region of the bottle 1 where the piezometric pressure of the liquid is zero or weak, which has a structural deformation 2 inwardly bent A making on the outer wall 5 of the bottle 1 a clear concave meniscus M.
Such deformation 2 is obtained during the hot moulding, even in already existing or modified moulds, in whose inner wall a complementary outwardly bent meniscus has been arranged. With the PET cooling the oriented molecular structure structurally flows the stable position of the structure of the deformation 2.
Any mechanical deformation of the meniscus M compensating the one caused by the inner pressure P_i > P_atm always recovers its original stable configuration A when the action causing it stops.
The shape of the deformation is better to be delimited by a closed line λ without too many edges, better still if it is a continuous one.
Since shapes due to the inner pressure P_i > P_atm of the bottle 1 exerting on the deformation 2 depend on the size of the involved surfaces and so on its contents and since forces parallel to the sections orthogonal to the axis of the bottle 1 have an action on the deformation 2 that is interfered at a lower extent with adjacent resisting forces, i.e. near the deformation 2, with respect to the ones acting along generating lines of the bottle 1, it is preferred for the deformations 2 to have a size ℓ along sections of planes perpendicular to the axis of the bottle 1 smaller than the one L along the involved generating line of the container 1.
The most proper shape i.e. the one that is more sensitive to pressure changes (P_i - P_atm.) i.e. the one that can be seen better from a visual and tactile point of view is the elliptical one elongated long a generating line of the bottle 1.
The depth of the meniscus M° depends on its sizes (L, ℓ), on the diameter of the bottle 1, on the thickness of the wall 3 and on the pressure P_i.
The deformed portion of sections of the deformation 2 on circumferences of the bottle 1 has bending radius smaller towards the center than towards their ends. It is also important for the average development a(average) of the surface of the menuiscus M a (average) = ∑ dL dℓ / A (total surface) of the corresponding surface A without deformations of the bottle 1, i.e. the one where deformations are present, to be greater in the stable condition instead of being greater in the configuration affected by the effect of pressure P_i.
An accurate size of various bending radius along all meridians and parallels of the meniscus will allow to reach the desired aim.
A second embodiment is shown in figs. 8 to 11.
This second variant relates to a stable structural deformation involving an annular band of the circumference of the neck that is perpendicular to the axis of the bottle 1. The stable deformation, obtained by cooling the plastic material after the hot moulding under glass transition has an identical S or Z-shaped deformed portion along all radial sections.
This S or Z shape is composed of a peripherical curve having the convexity faced upwards and after a point of inflection it continues with an inner curve having the cancavity faced upwards. The peak of the convexity is placed higher with respect to the lowest point of the convexity.
In other words all embodiments of the present invention relate to a beverage container made of plastic material, such as PET or the like, characterized in that said container has at least a region for revealing the tampering action, said region revealing the tampering action having a first profile corresponding to a condition of the pressure inside the container that is greater than the atmospheric pressure and a second profile corresponding to a condition of the pressure inside said container that is lower than or equal to the atmospheric pressure, said region revealing the tampering action being intended for passing from said first to said second profile when the pressure inside said container dicreases when the container is perforated or opened with or without the help of a mechanical compression exerted by the outside.
The bottle 1 made of PET or a similar material in any regions of its side wall 5 has a permanent structural inwardly bending 2 that can be reverisbly deformed intended to be outwardly bent when there is pressure P_i > P _atm. Inside the bottle 1 and intended to recover its original structural inwardly bending 2 when there is no more pressure P_i > P_atm. inside the bottle 1.
The structural inwardly bending 2 has such a size to highlight from a visual and tactile point of view the difference in the shape of the surface of interest in its two opposite positions A and B i.e. the corresponding presence or absence of pressure P_i > P _atm. inside the bottle 1.
Preferably the permanent structural inwardly bending 2 is obtained by means of usual techniques by hot moulding it against the inside of a mould having an outwardly bending on its inner wall equal to and complementary to the structural inwardly bending 2 of the wall 5 of the bottle 1.
The surface S of the structural inwardly bending 2 is delimited by a continuous closed line λ i.e. any polygonal line, moreover the structural inwardly bending 2 has a maximum horizontal size ℓ, i.e. along the corresponding circumference of the bottle 1, that is smaller than the maximum vertical orthogonal one L i.e. along the corresponding generating line of the bottle 1.
Moreover the second embodiment provides a bottle wherein the neck 4 at the opening has a permanent annular structural deformation that can be reversibly deformed, extending between a circumference thereof having a greater diameter D and another one having a smaller diameter d, which structural deformation 2 has sections, on radial planes of the wall of the neck 4, that are all equal one with respect to the other and that follow a curve composed of a concave development C1 nearer the axis of the bottle (a÷a1) followed by a convex development C2 more distant with respect to the axis of the bottle a÷a1, i.e. they serve a S-shaped curve such that, with a pressure P_i > P _atm inside the bottle 1, the neck 4 bends outwardly and then it recovers its structural inwardly bent configuration A when there is no more pressure P_i > P _atm.
The structural outwardly bending 2 is made like a reflecting one and therefore it acts like a concave mirror when there is no pressure inside the bottle P_i = P_a and like a mirror deformed in a different way if there is pressure P_i > P_a thus allowing mirror images to have a different appearance.
With reference to figures 12a, 12b, 12c there is shown the behaviour of the indicating and revealing region 20 of the wall of the container at different pressure conditions.
Whereas in the previous example a reference to an embodiment wherein said region has a stable inwardly bent configuration and an instable outwardly bent configuration kept by the condition of the pressure inside the container that is greater than the atmospheric one has been made, in the present variant stability conditions are provided both for the inwardly bent configuration and for the outwardly bent one. It is to be noted that the terms inwardly and outwardly bent are to be considered as not limitative ones and they can be considered as equivalent to a concave or convex shape, but actually they can be considered also as comprising shapes having different concavities and/or convexities i.e. smaller or greater ones respectively.
Figure 12a relates to the embodiment wherein position 1 i.e.the inwardly bent configuration is the stable one, whereas the outwardly bent configuration is the instable one and it is kept till the inner pressure is greater than the atmospheric one. In the case of figure 12 a, when the inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric one, so the region 20 automatically takes the inwardly bent configuration denoted by the position 1.
In figure 12b there is shown the state of the region 20 when the inner pressure is greater than the atmospheric pressure. This condition is equal for both variants of the present invention. The outwardly bent configuration, defined as position 2 of the region 20 indicating and revealing the tampering action is the stable one, whereas the configuration 1 is impossible to be taken or it can be hardly obtained only by acting with an enough great force from the outside on said region 20 that recovers the shown configuration if such forcing action stops.
Figure 12c approximately shows the variant embodiment wherein the two configurations, the inwardly bent one indicated by position 1 and the outwardly bent one indicated by position 2 are both stable. In this case, when the pressure inside the container decreases till being equal or almost equal to the atmospheric one, the region 20 indicating and revealing the tampering action mantains the position 2, i.e. the outwardly bent configuration and it passes to the position 1, i.e. the inwardly bent configuration only by means of an action of an outer force Fe exerted on said region 20 from outside and in the direction of the inside of the container.

Claims

Container or bottle (1) made of PET or a similar material with incorporated anti-tampering device, comprising a permanent structural inwardly bending (2) in any region of its side wall (5), which permanent structurally inwardly bending can be reversibly deformed intended for being outwardly bent when the pressure inside the bottle (1) is greater than the atmospheric one and for recovering its original structural inwardly bending (2) when the pressure inside the bottle (1) is again like the atmospheric one,
characterised in that
a) the said structural inwardly bending forms a region revealing and/or indicating the tampering action having a stable structural deformation corresponding to an inwardly bended profile when the pressure inside the bottle (1) is again like the atmospheric one and a second configuration corresponding to an outwardly bent profile when the inner pressure is greater than the pressure outside said container where said region revealing the tampering action is intended for passing from said second to said first profile when the pressure inside said container decreases from a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure to a pressure like the atmospheric pressure when the container is perforated or opened;

b) the recovery of the first inwardly bent profile of the region indicating or revealing the tampering action is automatic or is caused by an outer mechanical or manual compression in the direction of the deformation of said region indicating and/or revealing the tampering action once the inner pressure is equal to the atmospheric one;

c) the region indicating and revealing the tampering action is composed of a region of the container that can be well seen and the inwardly bent profile is shaped like a recess when the container is empty, while once it is filled, put under pressure and sealed in order to be sold, said region revealing the tampering action that had a recess-like shape passes to the opposite outwardly bent profile connecting to the adjacent wall part of the container by finishing it;

d) the deformed portion of sections of the structural inwardly bending (2) on circumferences of the bottle (1) has bending radius smaller towards the center than towards their ends.
Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the average development a(average) of the surface of a meniscus M forming the structural inwardly bending (2), defined by a (average) = ∑ dL di / A(total surface), the said average development being of the corresponding surface A without deformations of the bottle (1) and of the one where deformations are present, is greater in the stable condition than in the configuration affected by the effect of inner pressure.
Container according to claims 1 or 2 , modified in that the region indicating or revealing the tampering action has two structurally stable profiles or shapes, one of which is inwardly bent and the other one is outwardly bent and under specific conditions of the inner pressure with respect to the outer pressure they can be permanently taken both automatically and due to an outer mechanical or manual action.
Container or bottle (1) made of PET or a similar material according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural inwardly bending (2) has such a size to highlight from a visual and tactile point of view the difference in the shape of the involved surface in its two opposite positions (A) and (B), i.e. the corresponding presence or absence of pressure inside the bottle (1).
Container or bottle (1) made of PET or a similar material according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface (S) of the structural inwardly bending (2) is delimited by a continuous closed line (λ), i.e. any polygonal line.
Container or bottle (1) made of PET or a similar material according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural inwardly bending (2) has a maximum horizontal size (O), i.e. along the corresponding circumference of the bottle (1) , that is smaller than the maximum vertical orthogonal one (L), i.e. along the corresponding generating line of the bottle (1).
Container or bottle (1) made of PET or a similar material with incorporated anti-tampering device, characterized in that the neck (4) near the opening has a permanent annular structural deformation (2) that can be reversibly deformed, extending between a circumference thereof having a greater diameter (D) and another one having a smaller diameter (d), which structural deformation (2) has sections, on radial planes of the wall of the neck (4), that are all equal one with respect to the other and that follow a curve composed of a concave development (C1) nearer the axis of the bottle (a) followed by a convex development (C2) more distant with respect to the axis of the bottle (a), i.e. they serve a S-shaped curve such that, with a pressure inside the bottle (1) greater than the atmospheric one, the neck (4) bends outwardly and then it recovers its structural inwardly bent configuration (A) when there is no pressure difference between the pressure inside the bottle and the atmospheric pressure.
Container or bottle (1) made of PET or a similar material according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural outwardly bending (2) is made like a reflecting one and therefore it acts like a concave mirror when there is no pressure difference between the pressure inside the bottle (1) and the atmospheric pressure, and like a mirror deformed in a different way if there is pressure thus allowing mirror images to have a different appearance.
Method for revealing and/or indicating the tampering action in combination with a container or bottle made of PET or similar material according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:
providing a container or bottle with a permanent structural inwardly bending (2) by means of hot moulding it against the inside of a mould having an outwardly bending on its inner wall that is equal to and complementary to a structural inwardly bending (2) of the wall (5) of the bottle (1);

filling the container, putting under pressure and sealing the container in order to be sold, so to deform the said region revealing the tampering action that had a recess-like shape to an opposite outwardly bent profile connecting to the adjacent wall part of the container by finishing it;

wherein

the deformed portion of sections of the structural inwardly bending (2) on circumferences of the bottle (1) has bending radius smaller towards the center than towards their ends;

the said structural inwardly bending is shaped like a recess when the container is empty and forms a region revealing and/or indicating the tampering action having a stable structural deformation corresponding to an inwardly bended profile when the pressure inside the bottle (1) is again like the atmospheric one and a second configuration corresponding to an outwardly bent profile when the inner pressure is greater than the pressure outside said container where said region revealing the tampering action is intended for passing from said first to said second profile when the pressure inside said container decreases from a pressure greater to the atmospheric pressure to a pressure like the atmospheric pressure when the container is perforated or opened.