GB2256578A - Protective enclosure - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a protective enclosure for a milk bottle 26 or similar foil topped container to prevent feeding attacks on the foil top by birds or animals. The enclosure is provided by a rigid plastics housing 10 having a lower part 12, a top or canopy 14 and a supporting web 16. The housing is hollow and is provided with a base 18, to provide support for a milk bottle, which base is sloped relatively downwardly and attached to a sloped rear supporting wall 20. A correspondingly sloped top 22 connects the rear wall with the housing's top 14. Thus a milk bottle inserted into the housing 10 through an opening 24 is supported on the base 18 with the bottle's top under the sloped top 22 and housing top 14. Thus free access to the foil top is prevented. <IMAGE>

Description

PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE This invention relates to a protective enclosure especially such an enclosure for a foiled covered container such as a milk bottle or yoghurt carton etc.

Containers of materials which are provided with tops made of thin metal foil are well known, for example, milk bottles, cream cartons, yoghurt cartons etc. Whilst the use of a metal foil provides a simple and cost effective method of providing one time sealing of such containers the use of a metal foil lid does have some inherent problems.

The lid itself is designed to be easily pierced so that the contents of the container may be accessed. Where such containers are placed in an outdoor environment for any significant length of time it is possible for small animals such as birds to peck through the metal foil so as to consume the contents. If the bird has a relatively small beak and is disturbed before it completely removes the top it is possible that a small hole through a foil lid would not necessarily be noticeable. As the beak of a bird may carry a number of germs which could therefore be transmitted into the material contained in such a container this poses a health hazard.

The provision of a secondary rigid top to protect foil tops is one way over such a problem. However, this negates the ease of use of the original foil top and its simplicity of construction. Furthermore, if such tops are only loosely placed on the top of containers and not rigidly secured i.e.

by way of screw thread, it is possible for the loose top to be dislodged and the problem of the foil top remains.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective enclosure for a foil topped container operative to prevent easy access to the foil top by a small bird or animal whilst permitting easy removal of the container for use by its owner.

With this object in view the present invention provides a protective enclosure comprising a housing adapted to hold within it at least one foil topped container, the housing having an opening to permit insertion of a container to the housing and a base to support a container within the housing, the base being sloped relatively downwardly away from the opening so as to tilt the container away from the opening, the housing also including a top arranged so as to cover a container's top at least when such a container is supported on the sloped base.

As the housing is intended to be placed in an outdoor environment it is preferable to provide a drain hole at the base's lower point such that any water which would otherwise collect in the housing may be permitted to drain away.

Advantageously the housing is of a rigid plastics and is preferably provided with means for attaching a housing to a vertical support surface, for example, a wall. Alternatively, the housing can be free standing and it may be preferable to provide weighting material in the base to increase stability.

Although one preferred embodiment of the invention provides a housing adapted to enclose a single foil topped container, an advantageous modification provides a housing adapted to enclose two or more foil topped containers.

Alternatively the housing may be provided with engagement means such that a plurality of identical housings may be interengaged to provide a rigid unit adapted to hold two or more foil topped containers.

It will be understood that the term foil topped containers is intended to include containers such as bottles for containing milk, orange juice, or other drinks, and cartons containing cream, cottage cheese, yoghurt or other dairy products. These containers are commonly delivered to people's doorsteps by delivermen and hence are often placed for long periods of time in an outdoor environment and are therefore at risk from feeding attacks by birds or other animals.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a rigid plastics housing which is adapted to hold within it a standard one pint milk bottle, the housing including a lower portion having a base sloped relatively downwardly away from an opening in the housing and provided with a sloped back arranged substantially at 90" to the base, the housing having an upper top portion arranged to cover a milk bottle's top when placed so as to rest against the sloped base and back, the top being arranged so as to cover the sloped back wall and uncover the sloped base, the housing having an opening arranged to oppose the sloped back wall and extending substantially down one face of the housing, the opening also extending at least partially into the housing's top and side walls adjacent to the sloped back.

In this embodiment a milk bottle or similar container may be placed onto the sloped base so that it rests onto the back wall with its foil top covered by the housing's top. By grasping the container through the opening, which by extending into the housing's side walls permits easy access to the container, it is possible to move the container into a substantially upright position in which its foil top is not covered by the housing and then remove the container from the housing. Thus the housing provides security for the foil top whilst permitting easy insertion and removal of the container therefrom.

In a modification of this embodiment the housing's top is provided with a flap hingedly attached thereto, the flap arranged to depend substantially vertically therefrom and to at least partially cover a container's top when placed under the housing's top.

The flap is preferably loosely hinged or pivoted to the housing such that it can be easily moved from its normally vertical position during insertion and removal of a container into the housing. The flap therefore provides additional security and makes it even more difficult for animals and birds to gain access to the foil topped container.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a side view of a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the single figure a protective enclosure for a foil topped container such as a milk bottle includes a rigid plastics housing 10 comprising a lower part 12 and a top part or canopy 14 attached to the lower part 12 by a supporting web 16. The housing 10 may include fixing means (not shown) to permit attachment of the housing to a vertical support surface such as a wall or fence.

Alternatively the housing 10 may be provided with a plurality of locating pegs and corresponding holes to permit interattachment of a plurality of such housings.

The housing 10 is generally hollow and provides therein a base 18 adapted to support a foil topped container 26, the base 18 being sloped relatively downwardly within the housing.

The base is attached to a rear sloped supporting wall 20 which in turn connects to a sloped top 22 connected at its upper end with the top part 14 of the housing 10.

An opening 24 is provided in the housing 10 to provide access to the sloped base 18, back 20 and top 22. The opening 24 includes a substantial portion of the housing's front wall along with approximately half of the housing's top part 14 and also extends into the housing's side walls so that a container, for example, a milk bottle 26 may be easily removed from the housing 10.

In use it will be understood that a milk bottle 26 (or another similar foil top container) will be placed in the housing through the opening 24. The bottle 26 will be allowed to lean backwardly resting on the base 18 and rear wall 20.

In this position the bottle's top will be below the sloped top 22 and the top portion 14 of the housing. Thus it will be impossibel for a small bird or animal to gain access to the top and hence to the contents of the container.

Removal of the bottle 26 is facilitated by the extension of the opening 24 around the sides of the housing 10 such that the sides of the bottle itself may be easily grasped.

Movement of the bottle into a substantially vertical disposition will then allow its removal from the housing.

It will be appreciated that in this embodiment the housing 10 is not provided with any closure means, for example, a flap for the opening 24. Thus, as the housing 10 is intended to be in a position in an outdoor environment it is possible that it will collect water in the lowest parts of the base 18 and rear wall 20. In order to prevent such an occurrence a drain hole 28 is preferably positioned at the bottom of the rear wall 20 at its junction with the sloped base 18. Thus water will drain out onto the ground below the enclosure 10.

Alternatively it will be possible to provide a hinged coverpart attached to the top part 14 of the housing and arranged to cover the opening to prevent the ingress of water etc. Such an arrangement would however add to the complexity and cost of the finished item.

In order to make the foil topped container even more secure within the housing a modified embodiment of the invention includes a relatively short hinged flap depending from the juncture of the top part 14 and the sloped inner top 22. This flap (not shown) will therefore depend substantially vertically from this point and further prevent the possible access to the foil top container by a bird or small animal. As the flap would be loosely hinged it would be displaced in either direction by insertion or removal of the bottle from the housing 10.

The invention is not confined to the foregoing details and variations may be made thereto within the scope of the invention. For example the enclosure is suitable for use with any foil top container and the precise configuration of the housing will have to be modified in order to hold, for example, a yoghurt container or similar therein. Additionally the housing need not be made of plastics but could be made of any suitable weather resistant material. It is also possible that a single enclosure could be formed having spaces to hold a number of bottles or containers of the same or varying sizes. The housing may be intended for use as a free-standing unit as illustrated or can be provided with suitable fixing means for attachment to a vertical surface such as a wall. In order to increase stability it may be advantageous to place a weighting material in the base of the housing. Other variations are also possible.

Claims (9)

1. A protective enclosure comprising a housing adapted to hold within it at least one foil topped container, the housing having an opening to permit insertion of a container into the housing and a base to support a container within the housing, the base being sloped relatively downwardly away from the opening so as to tilt the container away from the opening, the housing also including a top arranged so as to cover a container's top at least when such a container is supported on the sloped base.

2. A protective enclosure as claimed in claim 1 in which a drain hole is provided at the base's lower point to permit drainage of collected water.

3. A protective enclosure as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the housing is of rigid plastics.

4. A protective enclosure as claimed in claims 1, 2, or 3 in which the housing is provided with means for attachment to a vertical support surface.

5. A protective enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the housing is adapted to enclose a single foil topped container.

6. A protective enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the housing is provided with engagement means such that a plurality of housings may be interengaged to form a substantially rigid unit.

7. A protective enclosure as claimed in claim 1 comprising a rigid plastics housing which is adapted to hold therein a one pint milk bottle, the housing including a lower portion having a base sloped relatively downwardly away from an opening in the housing and provided with a sloped back arranged substantially at 90" to the base, the housing having an upper top portion arranged to cover a milk bottle's top when placed so as to rest against the sloped base and back, the top being arranged so as to cover the sloped back wall and uncover the sloped base, the housing having an opening arranged to oppose the sloped back wall and extending substantially down one face of the housing, the opening also extending at least partially into the housing's top and into side walls adjacent to the sloped back.

8. A protective enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim which includes a flap hingedly attached to the housing's top and arranged to depend substantially vertically therefrom so as to at least partially cover a container's top when placed under the housing's top.

9. A protective enclosure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.