GB2296907A

GB2296907A - Bottle with fractional volume indicia

Info

Publication number: GB2296907A
Application number: GB9600153A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marc Domenica Paravano; Robert Craig Courtney-Leaver
Original assignee: Courtney Leaver Robert Craig
Current assignee: Courtney Leaver Robert Craig
Priority date: 1995-01-09
Filing date: 1996-01-05
Publication date: 1996-07-17
Also published as: AU4087596A; GB9600153D0

Abstract

A container 1 comprises a bottle 2 having a transparent or translucent region extending from the base of the bottle towards the neck. The translucent or transparent region of the bottle is graduated, with indicia 3a and 3b. The indicia may be moulded or engraved on the periphery of the bottle or adhesively attached in the form of a tape. The graduations are arranged to indicate metric tots or imperial tots and anable the bottle contents to be measured either in a substantially upright position or a substantially inverted position of the bottle.

Description

CONTAINER FIELD OF TEE INVENTION This invention relates to a container and, more particularly but not exclusively, to a container for alcoholic beverages.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is common practice, especially for vending purposes, to dispense alcoholic beverages in quantities of one or more tots. Tots are generally /either metric either metric or imperial tots, depending on the measurement system in use in a particular country.

Numerous methods are known in the art for measuring tot amounts when dispensing beverages and vary from measuring vessels to devices which are used in conjunction with a bottle in which the beverage is contained. It is often necessary, however, for establishments which sell beverages to be able to determine, for stock taking purposes, the amount of beverage remaining in a bottle.

A problem exists however in that no convenient method exists of speedily -determining the amount of beverage remaining in a bottle, especially as bottles are to be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

One method presently employed is the use of a card having graduations thereon which may be placed next to a bottle and the volume of the contents remaining in the bottle read off against the graduations. A variation of this concept exists whereby a graduated dipstick is inserted into the /bottle itself bottle itself to allow the volume of the contents therein to be read off against the graduations on the dipstick.

The above prior art methods are, however, often time consuming and prone to inaccuracies and necessitate a large variety of different graduated cards or dipsticks to be kept on hand to be able to take readings on a wide variety of different bottles.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a container which will, at least partially, alleviate the above-mentioned difficulties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention there is provided a container comprising a bottle having a translucent or transparent region extending over at least a portion of its periphery between the neck and the base of the bottle, there being indicia extending /at least at least partially along such region, characterised in that the indicia indicate what fraction of the original bottle content remain (for example, they indicate "tenths" of a bottle), or in that the indicia indicate tot quantities.

A further feature of the invention provides for the indicia to indicate individual tot quantities.

According to one aspect of the invention, the indicia are moulded or engraved on the periphery of the bottle.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the indicia are adhesively attached to the bottle.

Further according to this aspect there is provided an adhesive tape having indicia thereon which is attached in use to a bottle.

A further preferred feature of the invention provides for the indicia to enable the tot quantity in the bottle or the number of "tenths" of the full bottle contents remaining to be measured when the bottle is either in a substantially upright position, or, more preferably, when the bottle is in a substantially inverted position.

The tot quantities may be metric tot quantities, alternatively imperial tot quantities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a container according to the invention, shown in an upright position; and Figure 2 is a further side view of the container of Figure 1, shown in an inverted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWING A container (1) is shown in Figures 1 and 2, in which like features are indicated by like numerals, and comprises a bottle (2) constructed of a clear transparent material, preferably glass. The bottle /has two has two sets of longitudinally spaced indicia (3a and 3b) on its outer surface. The indicia are moulded onto the bottle during the manufacturing process. Every fifth indicium is numbered to provide for easy reference. The two sets of indicia (3a and 3b) are numbered in opposite directions. Each indicium represents a tot quantity in the bottle.

The indicia (3a) are numbered in descending order from the neck of the bottle (2), commencing with the operatively uppermost marking (6a), while the indicia (3b) are numbered in ascending order from the base of the bottle, commencing with the indicium (6b) closest to the base of the bottle.

By comparing the level of liquid (5) in the bottle (2) with the indicia (3a) in Figure 1, the number of tots remaining in the bottle may be assessed.

Similarly, the number of tots remaining in the bottle (2) may be assessed by comparing the level of liquid in the bottle with the indicia (3b) in Figure 2, with the bottle in an inverted position.

/Where it Where it is desired instead to establish the number of tots dispensed from the bottle (2), this can be achieved by having the indicia (3a and 3b) numbered in the reverse directions.

It will be appreciated that the indicia (3) will not be regularly spaced where the bottle (2) is not of a regular cross-section. For example, the indicia (3) will be more widely spaced where the bottle (2) narrows towards the neck portion.

Numerous modifications are possible to the above embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the indicia on the bottle need not be moulded during the manufacture of the bottle, but can instead be applied thereafter.

This can be achieved by applying an adhesive tape to the outer surface of a bottle, the tape having indicia printed thereon corresponding to the tot quantities to be found in a particular type of bottle.

It will further be appreciated that many other embodiments of a container exist which fall within /the scope the scope of the invention, especially as regards the type of indicia, the numbering thereof and the method of application of indicia to the bottle.

The invention therefore provides a container (1) which facilitates the determination of the amount of fluid in the container.

/CLAIMS

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A container comprising a bottle having a translucent or transparent region extending over at least a portion of its periphery between the neck and the base of the bottle, there being indicia extending at least partially along such region, characterised in that, the indicia indicate fractions of the bottle contents remaining, or indicate tot quantities.
2. A container as claimed in Claims 1, in which the indicia indicate individual tot quantities.
3. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 2, in which the indicia are moulded on the periphery of the bottle.
4. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 2, in which the indicia are moulded on the periphery of the bottle.
5. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 2, in which the indicia are adhesively attached to the bottle.
6. A container as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, in which the indicia enable the tot quantity in the bottle to be determined when the bottle is in a substantially upright position.
7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the indicia enable the tot quantity in the bottle to be determined when the bottle is in a substantially inverted position.
8. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the tot quantities are metric tot quantities.
9. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 in which the tot quantities are imperial tot quantities.
10. An adhesive tape having indicia thereon for use in providing a container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9.
11. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
12. An adhesive tape substantially as hereinbefore described.