GB2254070A

GB2254070A - Bottles

Info

Publication number: GB2254070A
Application number: GB9109730A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Nicholas Rowe Stevens; Christopher James Melluish; Christopher David Hallett; Neil Edward Goldsworthy
Original assignee: YAWL SPRING MINERAL WATER COMP
Current assignee: YAWL SPRING MINERAL WATER COMP
Priority date: 1991-03-23
Filing date: 1991-05-07
Publication date: 1992-09-30
Also published as: GB9109730D0; GB9106231D0

Abstract

A bottle neck contains a seating (12) on which a closure element (13) such as a glass ball may be seated such that, if the element (13) is present and the bottle is filled with a carbonated, effervescent or like beverage, the element (13) is urged upwardly to close the mouth of the bottle. The bottle is also provided with a stopper (16) or like manually-operable externally-located closure for closing the mouth of the bottle and with tamper-indicating means, which may be in the form of part of a label (24) for the bottle. Inwardly-deformed parts (14) may be provided to retain the element (13) to prevent it from closing the bottle mouth during pouring. <IMAGE>

Description

BOTTLES Field of the Invention This invention relates to bottles such as are used for containing carbonated mineral waters, fruit juices and other liquids.

With the increasing sophistication of the beverage market, there is a demand for aesthetically pleasing bottle designs. At the same time, the bottles have to comply with safety and other requirements.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved bottle design.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a bottle the neck of which is formed, spaced from the mouth of the bottle, with a seating on which a closure element can be supported, which closure element, if provided, is designed such that, when the bottle is filled with a carbonated, effervescent or like beverage, the closure element is urged upwardly to close the mouth of the bottle, the bottle being further provided with an externally located, manually operable closure for closing the mouth of the bottle, and with tamper-indicating means which provides a positive indication that action has been taken to release the manually operable closure.

The manually operable closure may comprise a stopper of, for example, a ceramic material which carries a flexible plastic or rubber sealing washer, the stopper being movable manually into and put of its sealing position in engagement with the mouth of the bottle under the action of a toggle mechanism having an over-centre action whereby positive closing of the bottle is effected. Other forms of closures and closure operating mechanisms may, however, alternatively be provided.

The toggle mechanism preferably comprises a pair of wire links. The first link may be of generally U-shape, with the base of the U passing through a diametral bore in the stopper and with the arms of the U extending, when the stopper is in its sealing position, downwardly on opposed sides of the neck of the U. The ends of the arms of the U are preferably inturned for connection to the second link of the toggle mechanism.

The second link of the toggle mechanism is preferably of symmetrical form and comprises a central arc which, when the stopper is in its sealing position, is in contact with the neck of the bottle but which is displaceable pivotally upwardly out of contact with the neck of the bottle, such pivotal movement releasing the clamping action exerted by the toggle mechanism urging the stopper into sealing engagement with mouth of the bottle.

The central arc of the second link is preferably provided at each end with loops in which the inturned ends of the first link are received and with end formations which fit within rebates or blind bores formed in the wall of the bottle at diametrically opposed positions a predetermined distance from the open mouth of the bottle.

The tamper-indicating means is preferably in the form of a label, of paper or some other readily ruptured material, which label is placed in position after closure of the bottle and includes a portion which overlies the central arc of the second link of the toggle mechanism.

The label may include a main part which extends around the bottle, with said overlying portion extending upwardly from the main part and having its upper end bonded or secured adhesively to the neck of the bottle at a position spaced upwardly from said central arc. Said overlying portion may be continued so as to pass over the top of the stopper.

The label is positioned so that, so far as possible, it is flush with the outer surface of the bottle. Any pivotal movement of the second link will thus cause rupturing of the overlying portion of the label long before the clamping action exerted by the toggle mechanism has been released.

The closure element located within the bottle is preferably in the form of a glass ball which is supported on a seat formed by inward deformation of opposed wall portions of the bottle at a level below the neck thereof, such inward deformation being such as to produce a bottle which has a distinctive, aesthetically pleasing appearance. The seat on which the ball is supported will have an opening the width of which is slightly less than the diameter of the glass ball but the length of which is substantially greater than the diameter of the glass ball. The glass ball accordingly does not significantly hinder the flow of liquid through the opening.

The bottle is preferably provided, at a position between the seat and the mouth of the bottle, with a pair of inwardly deformed parts which define a location element for the glass ball.

The arrangement is such that, when the bottle is tilted, with said inwardly deformed parts positioned so that they lie in the path of the ball as it rolls, said parts retain the ball to prevent it from closing the mouth of the bottle.

Although the invention has been developed with particular application to glass bottles which are produced using existing bottle-making facilities, the main principles of the invention are also applicable to plastic bottles.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a bottle which has been closed and sealed, Figure 2 is a side view of the upper part of the bottle shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows the upper portion of the bottle during emptying thereof, and Figure 4 is a side view of the open bottle.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The bottle shown in the drawings is a glass bottle which is intended to be used for containing a beverage, for example, carbonated mineral water. The bottle includes a generally cylindrical main body portion 10 at the upper end of which the bottle wall is deformed inwardly to define a constriction 11.

The shaping of the glass in the vicinity of this constriction 11 is such as to define a seat 12 on which a glass ball 13 is supported.

The seat 12 on which the ball 13 is supported has an opening for the passage of the liquid within the main body portion 10 of the bottle, this opening having a width which, as can be seen from Figure 2, is slightly less than the diameter of the ball 13. The length of the opening, as viewed at right angles to Figure 2, is substantially greater than the diameter of the ball 13 so that the ball 13 provides only a minimal restriction to flow of the liquid through the opening.

At a position spaced upwardly above the seat 12, a pair of inwardly extending lugs 14 are formed in the side wall of the bottle. These two lugs 14 are spaced from the mouth 15 of the bottle and define an abutment such that, when the bottle is tilted in an anti-clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 1, i,e. into the position depicted in Figure 3, the ball 13 is retained by the abutment and will not roll into a position in which it will tend to close the mouth 15 of the bottle.

A stopper 16 is provided for closing the open mouth 15 of the bottle, the stopper 16 including a main body of stone or other ceramic material and a sealing washer 17 of rubber or plastic. The stopper 16 is arranged for movement into or out of the position in which it closes the open mouth 15 of the bottle by means of a toggle mechanism 18 which includes first and second wire links 19 and 20.

The upper surface of the stopper 16, i.e. the surface of the stopper 16 which is uppermost when the bottle is closed, may be generally flat as indicated in the drawings. If desired, however, the upper surface of the stopper 16 may be of generally domed configuration. The washer 17 may, as shown, rest against a shoulder afforded by an increased diameter portion of the stopper (as best seen in Figure 4). In an alternative arrangement, however, the part of the stopper 16 which fits within the mouth of the bottle is of curvate tapering form and the lip around the rim of the bottle is of complementary shape so as to obtain an improved seal.

The first wire link 19 is of generally U-shape, the U being inverted when the stopper 16 is in the position shown in Figure 1 in which it closes the mouth 15 of the bottle. The base of the U of the first wire link 19 passes through a diametral bore formed in the stopper 16 and, when the stopper 16 is in the closed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the arms of the U extend downwardly generally parallel to the upper part of the bottle.

The ends 21 of the arms of the U-shaped first wire link 19 are inturned (as shown in Figure 1) and the inturned end portions are received in loops 22 of the second wire link 20.

This second wire link 20 has end portions 23 which fit within diametrically opposed blind bores formed in the wall of the bottle at a predetermined spacing from the mouth 15 of the bottle, the end portions 23 defining a pivot axis about which the second wire link 20 can be pivoted relative to the bottle.

A paper label 24 is attached to the bottle after the bottle has been filled with, for example, a carbonated mineral water and the stopper 16 has been moved into the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to close the open mouth of the bottle. The paper label 24 includes a main portion which fits around the cylindrical body portion 10 of the bottle, this main portion of the label carrying an indication of the contents of the bottle and any other information which may be required.

The label 24 also includes an integral strip 25 which extends upwardly from the main portion of the label, the strip 25 passing over the stopper 16 and being attached adhesively either to the side of the bottle or to the stopper 16. As can be seen from Figure 2, the strip 25 is positioned so that part thereof overlies a central portion 26 of the second wire link 20.

It will be appreciated that, in order to open the bottle, the second link 20 will be pivoted upwardly, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2, causing the first wire link 19 to pass through and beyond a centre position, in which it is parallel to the central vertical axis of the bottle. Continued movement of the second wire link 20 will then result in sufficient vertical displacement of the first wire link 19 to release the downward pressure holding the stopper 16 in position on top of the bottle and allowing the stopper 16 to be swung into the position shown in Figure 4.

During this movement of the toggle mechanism 18 afforded by the first and second wire links 19 and 20, that part of the strip 25 which overlies the central portion 26 of the second wire link 20 will be ruptured before the stopper 16 has been moved out of sealing engagement with the mouth of the bottle.

The label 24 thus acts as a tamper-indicator and ensures that, if the bottle is opened, a permanent indication is afforded to show that opening of the bottle has taken place.

An attractive design of glass bottle is thus provided and it is to be noted that, when the bottle contains a liquid, the liquid will tend to act as a magnifying element making the glass ball 13 appear larger than it actually is. If, therefore, the glass ball 13 is in the form of a coloured marble having an attractive appearance, the magnifying effect will enhance the appearance of the marble still further.

The diameter of the glass ball 13 will be greater than the diameter of the mouth 15 of the bottle, the glass ball being placed in position after formation of the seat 12 and before the uppermost portion of the bottle has been formed to the required shape. If the beverage placed within the bottle is carbonated, the gas pressure within the bottle may be such as to urge the glass ball 13 upwardly so that it is pressed into sealing engagement with the mouth of the bottle.

Thus, if the bottle is opened and is then tilted in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 1, the ball 13 will roll into a position in which it closes the mouth of the bottle and will be held in this position by the gas pressure. When, of course, the stopper 16 is moved back into position to close the mouth of the bottle, the glass ball 13 will be displaced and will drop back into the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The use of a glass ball in this way was a feature of the Codd bottle invented by Hiram J. Codd in the second half of the nineteenth century. The present invention enables the aesthetic appeal of the Codd bottle to be obtained while, at the same time, enabling the bottle to comply with current health and hygiene regulations.

The method of manufacture of the bottle shown in the drawings is similar to that of the Codd bottle in that, during a first forming operation, the seat 12 is produced and then, when the pre-form has cooled slightly, the glass ball 13 is placed in position. The shaping of the mouth and neck of the bottle is then completed and the stopper 16 and toggle mechanism 18 attached to the bottle as illustrated.

The bottle may also be filled, if desired, in the same way as a Codd bottle was filled, i.e. the water is fed into the bottle with the bottle held in an inverted position. The glass ball 13 then acts as a closure member dropping into its sealing position as soon as the flow of water into the bottle is terminated.

Claims

Claims:

1. A bottle the neck of which is formed, spaced from the mouth of the bottle, with a seating on which a closure element can be supported, which closure element, if provided, is designed such that, when the bottle is filled with a carbonated, effervescent or like beverage, the closure element is urged upwardly to close the mouth of the bottle, the bottle being further provided with an externally located, manually operable closure for closing the mouth of the bottle, and with tamper-indicating means which provides a positive indication that action has been taken to release the manually operable closure.

2. A bottle as claimed in Claim 1, in which the manually operable closure comprises a stopper.

3. A bottle as claimed in Claim 2, in which the stopper is movable manually into and out of its sealing position in engagement with the mouth of the bottle under the action of a toggle mechanism having an over-centre action whereby positive closing of the bottle is effected.

4. A bottle as claimed in Claim 3, in which the toggle mechanism comprises a pair of wire links.

5. A bottle as claimed in Claim 4, in which the pair of links comprises a first link of generally U-shape, with the base of the U passing through a diametral bore in the stopper and with the arms of the U extending, when the stopper is in its sealing position, downwardly on opposed sides of the neck of the U.

6. A bottle as claimed in Claim 5, in which the ends of the arms of the U of said first link are inturned for connection to the second link of the toggle mechanism.

7. A bottle as claimed in Claim 6, in which the second link of the toggle mechanism is of symmetrical form and comprises a central arc which, when the stopper is in its sealing position, is in contact with the neck of the bottle but which is displaceable pivotally upwardly out of contact with the neck of the bottle, such pivotal movement releasing the clamping action exerted by the toggle mechanism urging the stopper into sealing engagement with mouth of the bottle.

8. A bottle as claimed in Claim 7, in which the central arc of the second link is provided at each end with loops in which the inturned ends of the first link are received and with end formations which fit within rebates or blind bores formed in the wall of the bottle at diametrically opposed positions a predetermined distance from the open mouth of the bottle.

9. A bottle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the tamper-indicating means is in the form of a label of paper or some other readily ruptured material.

10. A bottle as claimed in Claim 9 as appendant to Claim 7, in which the label is placed in position after closure of the bottle and includes a portion which overlies the central arc of the second link of the toggle mechanism.

11. A bottle as claimed in Claim 10, in which the label includes a main part which extends around the bottle, with said overlying portion extending upwardly from the main part and having its upper end bonded or secured adhesively to the neck of the bottle at a position spaced upwardly from said central arc.

12. A bottle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the closure element located within the bottle is in the form of a glass ball which is supported on a seat formed by inward deformation of opposed wall portions of the bottle at a level below the neck thereof, the seat on which the ball is supported having an opening the width of which is slightly less than the diameter of the glass ball but the length of which is substantially greater than the diameter of the glass ball.

13. A bottle as claimed in Claim 12, which is provided, at a position between the seat and the mouth of the bottle, with a pair of inwardly deformed parts which define a location element for the glass ball, the arrangement being such that, when the bottle is tilted, with said inwardly deformed parts positioned so that they lie in the path of the ball as it rolls, said parts retain the ball to prevent it from closing the mouth of the bottle.

14. A bottle provided with tamper-indicating means, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.