GB2098854A - Bottle container - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-part container 1 has the parts injection moulded from synthetic plastics material and comprises a base part 2 and an upper part 3, each of which has a mutually co-operating portion 4, 5, and 6, 7, whereby one part is releasably secured to the other part, the upper part 3, at an end 13 remote from the base part 2, terminating in a cap 16 which is movable between open and closed positions and which carries fluid sealing means 20 whereby, at least in the closed position of the cap 16, sealing contact is made with the otherwise open top of a bottle housed within the container 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle container This invention relates to a container, adapted to house a bottle, e.g. a milk bottle, sauce bottle, salad cream bottle etc., principally with a view to enhancing the visual appearance of the bottle.

According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-part bottle container, in which the parts are injection moulded from synthetic plastics material and comprise a base part and an upper part, each of which having a mutually co-operating portion whereby one part is releasably securable to the other part, the upper part, at an end remote from the base part, terminating in a cap which is movable between open and closed positions, and which carries fluid sealing means whereby, at least in the closed position of the cap, sealing contact is made with the otherwise open top of a bottle which, in use, is housed within the container.

Thus, a bottle may be provided with an aesthetically attractive covering, of attractive colouring and/or decoration for use domestically, in a restaurant etc. Basically, to insert a bottle into an empty container, the upper part is separated from the base part, the bottle manoeuvered into the two parts, and the two parts secured together.

The mutually co-operating portions are preferably screw portions, for a screw connection ensures that a satisfactory sealing contact e.g.

at the cap or upper part of the container is, or can be, attained, as the screw threaded connection is capable of accommodating dimensional tolerance in bottle manufacture. Alternatively, the mutually co-operating portions could be respective parts of a snap-fit joint, a bayonet joint, a ratchet joint etc.

Preferably, the base part comprises a cylindrical sleeve while the upper part comprises a frusto-conical sleeve. Hence, the base part would embrace the cylindrical, lower portion of a bottle, or bottle bottom, and the upper part would embrace the tapering neck of the bottle, or bottle top. Although the base part may be provided with a closed bottom, it is preferred for the bottom to be generally open and provided with an inturned annular collar on which the bottom of the bottle is adapted to be directly or indirectly seated. An openbottomed base part, whilst requiring less material for manufcture, also results in the bottle bottom, when the container and bottle is stored in a refrigerator, being advantageously exposed to the air temperature of the refrigerator.

In a preferred construction however, the collar makes sealing contact with the bottle bottom, with another bottle sealing means located at or towards the top of the container, thereby to create an annular gap containing static air between the external periphery of the bottle and the internal periphery of the container parts, to result in increased life of the e.g. milk, within the bottle. Such sealing contact may be effected at the bottle bottom by making the collar resilient, and/or making the collar support a sealing ring, e.g. an ''O" ring. Sealing at or towards the top of the bottle may again be effected by an "0" ring, which may be housed in the upper part or in the cap.

The cap may be wholly or partially removable from the upper part an hence the container would comprise three parts. Thus, the cap may be a snap fit or a screw fit on the upper part. Alternatively, if the cap is integrally moulded wjith, or is a permanent fixture to, the upper part-and hence the container would comprise two parts-it may incorporate a slide plate to expose or cover a milk etc. dicharge opening provided in the cap.

Preferably, however, the cap effects sealing engagement, e.g. via an "0" ring, on the otherwise open top of the bottle, such sealing involving a downward force on the bottle to cause sealing engagement of the bottle bottom against the collar or "0" ring of the collar.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bottle container in accordance with the invention adapted to contain a milk bottle; Figure 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an underneath plan view of Fig.

1; Figure 4 is a partial end elevation of Fig. 1 in the direction of arrow A; and Figure 5 corresponds to Fig. 1 but is a longitudinal section through the bottle container.

In the drawings, a bottle container 1 comprises a base part 2 and an upper part 3, both injection moulded from synthetic plastics material. Th base part 2 has a top portion 4 which is externally screwthreaded at 5, while the upper part 3 has a bottom portion 6 which is internally screwthreaded at 7, so that mutual co-operation between the portions 4 and 6 enables the parts 2 and 3 to be releasably secured together, by means of the co-operating screwthreads.

The base part 2 comprises a cylindrical sleeve 8 terminating, at a bottom portion 9 of the base part 2, in an inturned annular collar 10 on which, in use, the bottle is adapted to be directly or indirectly seated, with the collar 10 defining a circular opening 11.

The upper part 3 comprises a frusto-conical sleeve 1 2 extending upwardly from its lower portion 6 and terminating in an end portion 1 3 having an end wall 14, which together constitute a spigot, with a D-shaped milk discharge opening 1 5 provided in the end wall 14.Over the thus defined spigot is fitted a cap 16, also injection moulded from synthetic plastics material and also having a Dshaped opening 1 7. The cap 1 6 is a snap fit by having an annular internal rib 1 8 engage an external groove 1 9 in the end portion 1 3 such that the cap 1 6 is rotatable about the spigot whereby the discharge openings 1 5 and 1 7 may be aligned, or non-aligned, in accordance with the requirements of the user.

For an enhanced selaing effect on the top of a bottle, an inner face of the end wall 14 is provided with a circular washer or O-ring 20 to engage the rim of the open end of a milk bottle, tightening of the screwthreads 5 and 7 enabling the base part 2 and upper part 3 of the container 3 to be firmly clamped against opposite ends of a bottle.

Claims (23)

1. A multi-part bottle container, in which the parts are injection moulded from synthetic plastics material and comprise a base part and an upper part, each of which having a mutually co-operating portion whereby one part is releasably securable to the other part, the upper part, at an end remote from the base part, terminating in a cap which is movable between open and closed positions; and which carries fluid sealing means whereby, at least in the closed position of the cap, sealing contact is made with the otherwise open top of a bottle which, in use, is housed within the container.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mutually co-operating portions are screw portions.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mutually co-operating portions are respective parts of a snap-fit joint.

4. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mutually co-operating portions are respective parts of a bayonet joint.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mutually co-operating portions are respective parts of a ratchet joint.

6. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the base part comprises a cylindrical sleeve while the upper part comprises a frusto-conical sleeve.

7. A container as claimed in Claim 6, provided with a closed bottom.

8. A container as claimed in Claim 6, provided with a generally open bottom.

9. A container as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the bottom is provided with an inturned annular collar on which the bottom of the bottle is adapted to be directly or indirectly seated.

1 0. A container as claimed in Claim 9, whrein the collar makes sealing contact with the bottle bottom.

11. A container as claimed in Claim 10, wherein another bottle seating means is located at or towards the top of the container.

1 2. A container as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein sealing contact is effected at the bottle bottom by making the collar resilient and/or by making the collar support a sealing ring.

1 3. A container as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the sealing ring is an "0" ring.

1 4. A container as claimed in Claim 11, wherein sealing at or towards the top of the bottle is effected by an "0" ring.

1 5. A container as claimed in Claim 14, whrein the "0" ring is housed in the upper part or in the cap.

16. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the cap is wholly or partially removable from the upper part and hence the container would comprise three parts.

17. A container as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the cap is a snap fit on the upper part.

1 8. A container as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the cap is a screw fit on the upper part.

19. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16, wherein th cap is- integrally moulded with the upper part.

20. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16, wherein the cap is a permanent fixture to the upper part.

21. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the cap incorporates a slide plate to expose or cover a milk discharge opening provided in the cap.

22. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the cap effects sealing engagement on the otherwise open top of the bottle, such sealing involving a downward force on the bottle to cause sealing engagement of the bottle bottom against the collar or "0" ring of the collar.

23. A container substantially as herinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.