GB2358180A

GB2358180A - Bottle cap assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2358180A
Application number: GB0000770A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Gray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-01-13
Filing date: 2000-01-13
Publication date: 2001-07-18
Also published as: WO2001051379A1; AU2536801A; GB0000770D0

Abstract

A bottle cap assembly for use with a bottle 4 having a mouth and a shoulder 18 comprises an inner cap piece 6 intended to fit over the mouth of the bottle, and a separate outer cap piece 8 which surrounds the inner cap piece and is intended to fit on the shoulder of the bottle. As described the inner cap piece 6 is a screw fit on the bottle mouth and has one or more apertures in its top for the passage of eg salt or pepper. The outer cap piece is a snap fit in a recess 16 in the bottle and has an aperture in its top which receives the top of the inner cap piece to provide a smooth upper surface. The inner cap piece has a generally cylindrical or frusto-conical wall and the outer cap piece is shaped to conform to the shape of the bottle which may be of generally square section. The caps may be of different colours and carry advertising material. The outer cap may be disposable.

Description

2358180 BOTTLE CAP ASSEMBLY The invention relates to a bottle cap

assembly, in particular a bottle cap assembly for use with a bottle for dispensing salt or pepper or the like.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a bottle cap assembly for use with a bottle having a mouth and a shoulder, the assembly comprising an inner cap piece and a separate outer cap piece wherein the inner cap piece fits over the mouth of the bottle and the outer cap piece surrounds the inner cap piece and fits onto the shoulder of the bottle.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided the bottle cap assembly in combination with a bottle. The bottle may comprise a mouth, a neck, a snap fit recess, a shoulder and a body comprising a wall and a base.

Preferably the inner cap of the assembly comprises a circular cap top with a generally cylindrical or frusto-conical cap wall extending therefrom. The outer cap preferably comprises a cap top with a cap wall extending generally axially from the perimeter thereof The outer cap top and/or outer cap wall are preferably shaped to conform with the shape of the bottle, in particular so that when connected to the bottle the outer cap wall conforms with the bottle wall. The top of the outer cap preferably has a circular aperture therein in which the top of the inner cap fits. The inner cap may fit over a screw thread on the neck of the bottle 2 and may have a screw thread of its own on the inner face of its wall to secure the connection. The outer cap can snap fit onto a recess on the bottle so that it fits over the inner cap. In the assembled structure the top of the inner cap is disposed in the aperture of the outer cap and the inner cap top and outer cap top form a uniform upper surface of the bottle cap assembly. The outer cap serves to prevent the inner cap being tampered with.

The inner cap may have one central hole as traditionally used for salt or may have several holes as traditionally used for pepper. The inner cap may indeed have any number of holes. The outer cap may be circular, square or any other shape chosen to conform with the shape of the bottle. The caps may be diffierent colours. Advantageously, as the inner and outer caps are separate components, dilferent inner caps may be used with difierent outer caps. For example a salt-type inner cap may be used with either a circular or square outer cap or similarly a square outer cap may be used with either a salt-type inner cap or a pepper-type inner cap. This means that a vast range of outer cap designs and corresponding bottles can be utilised, perhaps as customised condiments for difrerent restaurant chains, while still using a standard inner cap design. Consequential versatility as well as cost saving will be efiected. Furthermore, the outer cap may be used to carry advertising material for a restaurant chain, including short-term promotional material. The outer cap may be disposable.

3 The invention may be understood more readily and various other aspects and features of the invention may become apparent from consideration of the following description.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a bottle cap assembly constructed in accordance with the invention along with a bottle also constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a top view of the cap assembly and bottle; Figure 3 shows a side view of the bottle; Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the cap assembly and upper part of the bottle; and Figure 5 shows a top plan view of the cap assembly and bottle.

Figures 1 and 2 show a cap assembly 2 on a bottle 4. The cap assembly 2 comprises an inner cap 6 and an outer cap 8.

The bottle 4 is shown on its own in Figure 3 although its four-fold symmetry around a central axis should be appreciated from the view in Figure 2. Considered from top to bottom the bottle comprises a mouth 10 in the upper part of an axially extending threaded neck 12. The neck 12 joins an outwardly inclined surface 13 4 which in turn joins a first shoulder 14 which leads into an axially and outwardly extending surface 15. The surface 15 contains a recess (16 Figure 4) for engagement with part of the outer cap 8. The surface 15 meets a radial portion 17 of a second shoulder 18. Shoulder 18 abuts the axially extending and outwardly inclined wall 20 which in turn joins a base 22. The wall 20 is composed of four side panels 23 and four smaller comer panels 24.

The configuration of the cap assembly should be appreciated from Figures 2, 4 and 5.

It should be appreciated from Figure 5 that the inner cap 6 has circular symmetry around a central axis. Considered from top to bottom in Figure 4 the inner cap 6 comprises a radially extending circular top 26 with a first generally axial circular wall portion 28 extending downwardly from the perimeter of the top. The wall portion 28 joins an outwardly extending radial wall portion 30 which forms a circurnferencial ridge (also referenced as 30). The wall portion 30 leads into a second generally axial circular wall portion 32. The inside surface of wall portion 32 carries a thread which operatively couples with the thread of the neck of the bottle 4 to secure the inner cap 6 to the bottle 4. The top 26 of the inner cap has at least one hole therein to allow salt, pepper or the like to be dispensed from the bottle 4.

The four-fold symmetry of the outer cap 8 around a central axis should be appreciated from Figures 2 and 5. Outer cap 8 comprises a radially extending eight-sided top 34 which has the shape of a square with the comers flattened to produce four shorter sides (see Figures). In the centre, of the top is a circular aperture 36. Considered from top to bottom in Figure 4 the outer cap 8 has a wall 38 extending downwardly from the perimeter of the top. The wall 38 like the wall of the bottle 4 is composed of four side panels 40 and four smaller comer panels 42. Each panel 40, 42 has an upper thicker portion, a lower thinner portion and an end 43. One of the side panels 40 has an abutment 44 on the inner surface of its lower portion. When assembled (Figure 4) the outer cap 8 sits on the circumferential ridge 30 of the inner cap 6 with the aperture of the outer cap 8 surrounding the top of the inner cap 6. The tops of the inner and outer caps form a flat upper surface of the cap assembly. The ends 43 of each of the panels 40, 42 of the wall of the outer cap sit on the shoulder 18 of the bottle. Outer cap 8 is held in place by the engagement of the abutment 44 with the recess 16 of the bottle 4.

As will be appreciated from Figures I and 2 the eight sides of the outer cap 8 conform with the eight sides of the bottle 4.

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Claims

1. A bottle cap assembly for use with a bottle having a mouth and a shoulder, the assembly comprising an inner cap piece and a separate outer cap piece wherein the inner cap piece fits over the mouth of the bottle and the outer cap piece surrounds the inner cap piece and fits onto the shoulder of the bottle.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner cap of the assembly comprises a circular cap top with a generally cylindrical or frusto-conical cap wall extending therefrom.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the outer cap comprises a cap top with a cap wall extending generally axially from the perimeter thereof

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims I to 3, wherein the outer cap top and/or outer cap wall are shaped to conform with the shape of the bottle.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims I to 4, wherein the top of the outer cap has a circular aperture therein in which the top of the inner cap fits.

6. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner cap is adapted to fit over a screw thread on the neck of the bottle.

7 7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer cap is adapted to snap fit onto a recess on the bottle and fit over the inner cap.

8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the assembled structure the top of the inner cap is disposed in the aperture of the outer cap and the inner cap top and outer cap top form a uniform upper surface of the bottle cap assembly.

9. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner cap has at least one hole.

10. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer cap is disposable.

11. A bottle cap assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

12. A bottle as claimed in claim 11, the bottle comprising a mouth, a neck, a snap fit recess and a body.

1 k

13. A bottle cap assembly or a fitted with such a bottle cap assembly, substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in any one or more of the Figures of the accompanying drawings

12. A bottle fitted with a bottle cap assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A bottle as claimed in claim 12, the bottle comprising a mouth, a neck, a snap fit recess and a body.

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14. A bottle fitted with a bottle cap assembly, substantially as described herein with reference to, or as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A bottle cap assembly for use with a bottle having a mouth and a shoulder, the assembly comprising an inner cap piece which fits over the mouth of the bottle and a separate outer cap piece which surrounds the inner cap piece and fits onto the shoulder of the bottle, wherein the inner cap piece has at least one hole permitting direct access to the interior of the bottle and the top of the outer cap piece has an aperture therein in which the top of the inner cap piece fits.

0: 0 3. An assembly as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the outer cap comprises a 0 4 4 0 cap top with a cap wall extending generally axially from the perimeter thereof 4. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims I to 3, wherein the outer cap top and/or outer cap wall are shaped to conform with the shape of the bottle.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims I to 4, wherein the aperture in the top of the outer cap is circular.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer cap is adapted to snap fit onto a recess on the bottle and fit over the inner cap.

11. A bottle fitted with a bottle cap assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.