IE77517B1 - Improvements in and relating to beverage containers - Google Patents

Description

Improvements in and relating to beverage containers The invention relates to beverage containers.

In conventional beverage systems a liquid beverage is provided as a single liquid in a bottle. There have been attempts to provide immiscible or non-homogeneous liquids in a bottle, however, such systems require a consumer to mix the contents of the bottle prior to pouring to ensure that a homogeneous product is obtained.

This invention is directed towards providing a novel beverage container system which may be used particularly for delivering a combination beverage product.

According to the invention there is provided a container for liquid beverages comprising:a first glass bottle for one beverage; a second glass bottle for another beverage; the bottles being of different capacities and comprising a smaller capacity bottle and larger capacity bottle having a capacity of approximately twice the capacity of the smaller bottle; each bottle comprising: a base portion; a body portion; and a neck portion for receiving a closure; 7751 7 - 2 the body portion and neck portions of the bottles having substantially flat mating surfaces; and an adhesive bonding the mating surfaces together to form a joint between the bottles.

Preferably the base portion of one of the bottles is spaced upwardly from the base portion of the other bottle to spread the load and prevent rocking of the container, in use. Most preferably, the cross-sectional area of one of the base portions is larger than the other and the load of the container is supported by the larger base portion.

In one embodiment of the invention the neck portion of the bottles are adapted to receive cork stoppers.

In another embodiment of the invention the neck portions of the bottles are adapted to be sealed by screw type closures .

In a preferred arrangement each bottle includes a recess portion in the outer surface thereof to receive a label.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a container; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the container; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the container; Fig. 4 is an underneath view plan view of the container; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line v-v in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a cross - sectional view on the line VI-VI in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a beverage container according to the invention and indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The container 1 comprises two separate compartments 2,3 defined by subcontainers namely a first bottle 4 and a smaller bottle 5 which in this case are separately formed and subsequently bonded together by a suitable adhesive.

Each of the bottles 4, 5 comprises respective base portions 10, 11 body portions 12, 13 and neck portions 14,15. The body portions 12, 13 and neck portions 14, 15 include substantially flat axially extending mating surfaces 16,17 along which the bottles are bonded. The capacities of the bottles 4,5 are different, the fill ratio of the larger to the smaller bottles being approximately 2:1.

The neck portions 14, 15 of the bottles each include a screw threaded portion 19, 20 to receive screw type closures (not shown).

The body portions 12, 13 of the bottles include recess portions 22, 23 on both sides of the container 1 to accommodate a display label (not shown) which extends over at least part of the joint between the bottles 2,3 in use.

The base 11 of the smaller bottle 3 is spaced slightly above the base 10 of the larger bottle 2 so that in use, the base portion 10 of the larger bottle 2 forms the standing surface for the container 1. This has the effect of stabilising the container as the entire load is on the larger base preventing any rocking that might occur if the bottles 4,5 were of the same height and not sufficiently accurately bonded together.

* Preferably the bottles are of standard flint or clear glass and are each separately manufactured in two part moulds and subsequently bonded by an adhesive which is curable by ultra violet light. The adhesive may be applied at appropriate spaced-apart locations along one or both flat mating surfaces 16, 17 of the bottles.

The bottles 2, 3 may contain different beverages. For example, the larger bottle 4 may contain a first dark beverage such as a dark coffee or chocolate liqueur beverage. The second bottle 5 of a smaller capacity may contain a light coloured beverage such as a white cream liqueur. In use, a closure for the larger bottle 4 is first removed and the beverage is poured into a suitably sized glass until the glass is approximately two-thirds filled with the chocolate or coffee liqueur from the compartment 2. The closure is then replaced and the second closure associated with the smaller bottle 5 is removed allowing the white cream liqueur to be poured from the bottle 5 down the side of the glass. Because the liqueurs are from single containers they may be relatively easily dispensed in correct proportions. A possible indicator that the correct amount of liqueur is being dispensed from each compartment 2, 3 is provided by the levels of the liquid remaining the compartments. As liqueurs are poured from the compartments the levels of the liquids remaining in the compartments drops at the same rate.

I The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described and may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (7)

1. A container for liquid beverages comprising:a first glass bottle for one beverage; a second glass bottle for another beverage; 5 the bottles being of different capacities and comprising a smaller capacity bottle and a larger capacity bottle having a capacity of approximateiy twice the capacity of the smaller bottle; each bottle comprising: 10 a base portion; a body portion; and a neck portion for receiving a closure; the body portion and neck portions of the bottles having substantially flat mating 15 surfaces; and an adhesive bonding the mating surfaces together to form a joint between the bottles.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base portion of the smaller capacity bottle is spaced 20 upwardly from the base portion of the larger capacity bottle to spread the load and prevent rocking of the container, in use.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the crosssectional area of the base portion of the larger capacity bottle is larger than the cross sectional area of the smaller capacity bottle and the load of the container is supported by the larger base portion.

4. 5 4. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the neck portion of the bottles are adapted to receive cork stoppers. 5. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the neck portions of the bottles are adapted 10 to be sealed by screw type closures.

5.

6. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the body portion of each bottle includes a recess portion in the outer surface thereof to receive a label. 15

7. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the capacities of the respective bottles provides an indicator means comprising the level of the beverages remaining in each bottle for evidencing that required amounts of the beverages have been dispersed from the 20 bottles.