GB2423764A

GB2423764A - Anti spiking cap for a beverage container

Info

Publication number: GB2423764A
Application number: GB0504636A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick James Shea; Kanwaljit Singh Gumbhir
Original assignee: SAFEFLO
Current assignee: SAFEFLO
Priority date: 2005-03-05
Filing date: 2005-03-05
Publication date: 2006-09-06
Also published as: WO2006095119A1; GB0504636D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cap 10 for a beverage container, comprising a body having an outlet 22 attachment means 30 engageable with a beverage container to secure the body to the container with the outlet over an aperture of the container and restriction means 24 for inhibiting the passage of objects into the container to which the body is secured. The restriction means 24 may comprise a mesh, or may be provided by one or more projections 48, which may be in the form of resiliently deformable fingers, and may allow the passage of a straw there through. The cap may also be provided with a tubular extension 44 to receive a straw. The cap prevents spiking of a drink with debilitating drugs.

Description

DESCRIPTION

CAP FOR A BEVERAGE CONTAINER

The present invention relates to caps for beverage containers and in particular, but not exclusively, to caps for use in conjunction with bottles.

The occurrence of tampering with drinks, particularly alcoholic drinks in pubs, bars and the like, has increased significantly in recent years. Specifically, the contamination or "spiking" of drinks with debilitating drugs is a serious concern to many people.

In order to reduce the opportunity for drinks to be spiked, many people are now less inclined to drink beverages from a glass and instead opt to consume the beverage directly from a bottle. However, even the consumption of beverages from bottles can provide ample opportunity for spiking of drinks with tablets and the like.

In accordance with the present invention, a cap for a beverage container comprises a body having an outlet, attachment means engageable with a beverage container to secure the body to the container with the outlet over an aperture of the container and restriction means for inhibiting the passage of objects into the container to which the body is secured.

By securing the cap over the beverage container, e.g. a bottle, the restriction means significantly reduces the possibility of objects (e.g. tablets) being inserted into the bottle without the knowledge of the person who is consuming the beverage.

Preferably, the body comprises a sealing face for engagement with the periphery of the aperture of the container.

Preferably, the body comprises a sleeve portion, which is preferably shaped to fit over a portion of the beverage container.

In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve portion is frusto-conical.

The means for inhibiting the passage of objects into the beverage container may comprise a mesh means. Preferably, the mesh means is located between the outlet of the container and the outlet of the cap body. The mesh means may comprise a perforated screen.

Alternatively, the means for inhibiting the passage of objects may comprise wall means which are located over the container aperture when the body is secured to the container and wherein the outlet is formed in the wall means.

Preferably, the wall means has a sealing face for engagement with the periphery of the aperture of a container.

The cap may further comprise one or more projections extending across the outlet. In one embodiment, the cap comprises a plurality of inwardlyprojecting fingers extending across the outlet. The projections are preferably deformable, more preferably resiliently deformable. The provision of inwardly-directed projections allows a drinking straw to be inserted into a beverage container (e.g. a bottle) to which the cap is fitted and allows the drinking straw to be firmly retained in the cap.

Conveniently, the cap may further comprise a tubular projection extending from the outer face of the wall means and aligned with the outlet.

The cap may further comprise drinking straw means extending through the outlet in the wall means. The drawing straw means may be formed integrally with the body.

The attachment means may conveniently comprise an inwardly-directed projection extending from an inner face of the body. Preferably, the projection is located adjacent to the outlet of the body.

Preferably, the projection is adapted to engage the rim of the outlet aperture of the container to which the body is secured.

Preferably, the cap comprises a plurality of inwardly-directed projections. The inwardly-directed projections are preferably substantially evenly spaced from each other.

By way of example only, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figs. la, lb and ic are a side view, plan view and cross-section respectively of a first embodiment of safety cap for a beverage container, in accordance with the present invention; Figs. 2a, 2b and 2c are a side view, plan view and cross-section respectively of a second embodiment of safety cap for a beverage container, in accordance with the present invention; Figs. 3 is a side view of a third embodiment of safety cap for a beverage container, in accordance with the present invention; and Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c are a side view, plan view and cross-section respectively of a fourth embodiment of safety cap for a beverage container, in accordance with the present invention.

Figs. la, lb and ic show a tamper-resistant cap 10 which is suitable for fitting to the neck of a bottle 12. The bottle 12 (shown in chain dot) is of the type which is supplied with a crown cap which is removed from engagement with an annular peripheral bead 14 immediately radially outward of the bottle opening in order to open the bottle. The cap comprises an elongate sleeve formed from a hollow frusto-conical wall 20 whose angle of inclination is chosen to correspond to that of a typical bottle. The narrower, upper end of wall 20 is turned back inwardly on itself to form an overhanging recessed lip 23 which defines a circular discharge opening 22. As best seen in Figs. lb and ic, positioned immediately below the opening 22 at the upper end is a mesh member 24 formed by four intersecting diametrically extending fingers 26 and a ring 28 arranged concentrically with the opening 22 and intersecting the diametrically extending fingers 26.

Positioned slightly below the mesh member 24 on the inner surface of the frusto- conical wall 20 are four inwardly-projecting retaining lugs 30, spaced evenly around the periphery of the wall 20 and shaped and positioned to fit underneath the rim of an opened crown cap bottle.

The cap 10 is injection moulded in one piece from a plastics material.

In use, the crown cap is removed from the bottle 12 and the tamperresistant cap of Fig. 1 is placed over the neck of the opened bottle. By pushing the cap 10 downwardly, the four retaining lugs 30 snap over the bottle rim and engage the undersurface of the beading of the bottle opening and are positioned so that the rim of the bottle is in sealing contact with an annular sealing surfaced formed by the overhanging recessed lip 23 of the cap 10.

Thus, a person may drink freely from the bottle, since the liquid contents can easily flow through the mesh member 24 and out of the cap 10. However, if an attempt is made to drop an object, e.g. a tablet, into the bottle, the object will be retained by the mesh member 24. Therefore, the likelihood of a drink being "spiked" is greatly reduced.

A variant of the device in Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 2. As for the first embodiment, the cap of Fig. 2 has a hollow frusto-conical waIl 40 shaped to fit a typical bottle which merges into a flat, circular end wall 42 at the narrow end. The centre of the end wall is provided with a short upstanding tubular extension 44 which opens at its lower end into a small circular aperture 46 in the end wall. As best seen in Fig. 2b, the periphery of the aperture 46 in the end wall of the cap is provided with eight identical inwardly-directed, radially projecting, resilient fingers 48 which cooperate to leave a central through aperture 50.

The upstanding tubular extension 44 and the aperture 46 in the end wall 42 of the cap are shaped and dimensioned to receive a drinking straw 52, as shown in Fig. 2c.

When the straw is pushed through the aperture 46, the resilient fingers 48 are deflected out of the position illustrated in the drawings, in order to allow the straw to pass through and the resilience of the fingers causes them to grip the straw to prevent its inadvertent removal.

As for the first embodiment, the inner face of the frusto-conical wall 40 is provided with four inwardly-projecting retaining lugs 50, spaced evenly around the periphery of the wall 40 and shaped and positioned to fit underneath the rim of an opened crown cap bottle 12. As for the first embodiment, the cap is placed over the neck of a opened bottle and by pushing the cap downwardly the four retaining lugs 50 snap over the rim of the open bottle and engage the undersurface of the rim. The lugs 50 are positioned so that when they are engaged, the rim of the bottle is in sealing contact with the inner face of the end wall 42. A straw can then be pushed into the cap through the tubular extension 44 and circular aperture 50 as described above.

A second variant of the invention is shown in Fig. 3. This is identical to the second embodiment, except that a drinking straw 60 is permanently fixed into the aperture 50 of the end wall 42. The straw may be manufactured as an integral part of the cap (e.g. by injection molding) or may instead be formed separately and subsequently secured in position, e.g. by means of adhesive, heating etc. The straw 60 is shown as being bendable, but any type of straw may be used.

A third variant of the invention is shown in Fig. 4. This is identical to the embodiment of Fig. I except that the length of the frusto-conical waIl 20 of Fig. 1 has been reduced to form a shorter sleeve portion 20', which is more suitable for use with bottles having shorter neck portions.

Claims

1. A cap for a beverage container, comprising a body having an outlet, attachment means engageable with a beverage container to secure the body to the container with the outlet over an aperture of the container and restriction means for inhibiting the passage of objects into the container to which the body is secured.

2. A cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body comprises a sealing face for engagement with the periphery of the aperture of the container.

3. A cap as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the body comprises a sleeve portion.

4. A cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sleeve portion is shaped to fit over a portion of the beverage container.

5. A cap as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the sleeve portion is frusto- conical.

6. A cap as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the means for inhibiting the passage of objects comprises mesh means.

7. A cap as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mesh means is located between the outlet of the container and the outlet of the cap body.

8. A cap as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the mesh means comprises a perforated screen.

9. A cap as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the means for inhibiting the passage of objects comprises wall means which are located over the container aperture when the body is secured to the container and wherein the outlet is formed in the wall means.

10. A cap as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wall means has a sealing face for engagement with the periphery of the aperture of a container.

11. A cap as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, comprising one or more projections extending across the outlet.

12. A cap as claimed in claim 11, comprising a plurality of inwardlyprojecting fingers extending across the outlet.

13. A cap as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the projections are deformable.

14. A cap as claimed in claim 13, wherein the projections are resiliently deformable.

15. A cap as claimed in any of claims 9 to 14, further comprising a tubular projection extending from the outer face of the wall means and aligned with the outlet.

16. A cap as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, further comprising drinking straw means extending through the outlet in the wall means.

17. A cap as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drinking straw means is formed integrally with the body.

18. A cap as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the attachment means comprises an inwardly-directed projection extending from an inner face of the body.

19. A cap as claimed in claim 18, wherein the projection is located adjacent to the outlet of the body.

20. A cap as claimed in claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the projection is adapted to engage the rim of the outlet aperture of the container to which the body is secured.

21. A cap as claimed in any of claims 18 to 20, comprising a plurality of inwardly-directed projections.

22. A cap as claimed in claim 21, wherein the inwardly-directed projections are substantially evenly spaced from each other.