IE920147A1

IE920147A1 - A container

Info

Publication number: IE920147A1
Application number: IE920147A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: United Distillers Plc
Priority date: 1991-01-18
Filing date: 1992-01-17
Publication date: 1992-07-29
Also published as: AU1167092A; WO1992012908A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container comprising a first part having a mouth portion (2, 2a) in which is located a chosen fitment, and a second part (3, 3a) which co-operates with the first part. The first and second parts are irreversibly joined together thus permanently enclosing the fitment within the container.

Description

The present invention relates to a container for 5 permanently enclosing a chosen device, in particular, a glass bottle with a fitment, for example a non-refillable fitment.

Many containers are known which incorporate fitments which prevent refilling with the intention of discouraging tampering and counterfeiting. However, it has been found that the counterfeiter will simply remove the entire fitment from the container, refill the container with a counterfeit product, and then replace the original fitment. Moreover, if the container is provided with a simple ball valve, pulse filling techniques are employed provided that there is easy access to the ball valve mechanism.

Manufacturers of bottled drinks are particularly prone to tampering/counterfeiting of this kind, but the problem is widespread and there is therefore, a great demand for a solution to the problem.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a container comprising a first part having a mouth portion in which is located a chosen fitment, a second part with at least one outlet which co-operates with the first part, wherein the first and second parts are irreversibly joined together by welding thus permanently enclosing the fitment within the container Preferably, the interlocking means are provided between the first and second parts.

Preferably, interlocking means are provided between the outer surface of the first part and the - 2 inner surface of the second part.

Preferably, the interlocking means is a thread provided on each surface.

Preferably, the second part has a thread on its outer surface.

Preferably, a series of interlocking vertical 10 splines and grooves are provided between the outer surface of the first part and the inner surface of the second part.

Preferably, the second part has a raised circular 15 rim on its upper surface.

Preferably, the second part has a rebated circular groove on the underside of its upper surface.

Preferably, the upper surface of the first part has a rebated circular groove.

Preferably, the interlocking means are provided between the inner surface of the first part and the outer surface of the second part.

Preferably, the interlocking means is a thread provided on each surface.

Preferably, the first part has a thread on its outer surface.

Preferably, a series of interlocking vertical splines and grooves are provided between the inner surface of the first part and the outer surface of the second part. - 3 Preferably, the first and second parts co-operate by means of an abutment on a surface of the first part upon which the second part sits.

Preferably, the abutment is on the inner surface of the first part.

Preferably, the abutment is on the outer surface 10 of the first part.

Preferably, the first part has a pre-weakened area.

Preferably, the first and second parts are made from glass.

Preferably, the join comprises a weld using a laser.

Preferably, the join comprises a weld using microwaves.

Preferably, the join comprises a weld containing glass frit.

Preferably, the join between the first and second parts is made stronger than the parts themselves.

Preferably, the mouth portion has a region of reduced cross-sectional area to retain the fitment in a predetermined position.

Preferably, the mouth portion has an abutment on its inner surface upon which the fitment sits. - 4 Preferably, the container is a bottle.

The present invention also provides a fitment for a bottle containing a fluid comprising a one-way valve for outward flow of fluid and a means for preventing a vacuum being applied to the bottle.

Preferably, the vacuum prevention means comprise a disc having one or more holes therethrough and a member which moves from a first position in which the holes are uncovered to a second position in which the holes are sealed when a vacuum is applied.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a prior art bottle which has been partially cutaway in the neck area; Figure 2 shows an exploded and partially cutaway bottle according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows an exploded and partially cutaway bottle according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the bottle in Figure 3 enclosing a fitment; Figure 5 shows how an anti-sawing profile could be included in the embodiment depicted in Figure 3; Figure 6 depicts a bottle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with a non-refillable fitment; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view through the assembled bottle depicted in Figure 6; Figures 8a and 8b depict a further non-refillable fitment located in a bottle according to the present - 5 invention; Figure 9 shows how the ball in Figures 8a and 8b would fall during tampering.

Figure 1 depicts a typical bottle for a drink.

The mouth a is provided with an external thread b for location of a lid or cap. The bottle also has an untoleranced rebate c which can serve to locate a suitable fitment which prevents refilling of the bottle once the original contents have been used. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is relatively easy to remove the entire fitment from the bottle since the rebate c does not give sufficient hold. In addition, if the fitment includes a ball valve, a pulse filling or vacuum filling technique can still be employed even if the fitment remains in position because there is sufficient access in the area of mouth a.

Figure 2 depicts a first preferred embodiment of a bottle according to the present invention which will permanently hold a fitment in position. The bottle comprises two parts, a first part 1 having a mouth 2 and a second part 3 in the form of a plug. The mouth 2 has both an internal thread 4 and an external thread . The plug 3 has an external thread 6 which will engage with the internal thread 4 of the mouth 2. The plug 3 has a central hole 7 for passage of fluid from the bottle. The bottle has a shoulder 8 on its internal surface below the mouth 2 which can serve to locate a non-refillable fitment, for example. A pre-weakened area 9 is included which increases the risk that the bottle will fracture in this area if subjected to a force over and above that which would be expected during normal use and handling of the bottle. - 6 Alternatively, the mouth 2 could have a series of internal vertical splines and plug 3 could have a series of interlocking external grooves or the mouth 2 could have a series of internal vertical grooves and a plug 3 could have a series of interlocking external splines.

As a further alternative, the mouth 2 could have 10 an internal abutment upon which the plug 3 could seat. With this arrangement the inner surface of the mouth 2 and outer surface of plug 3 would be smooth.

The bottle is assembled by first locating the 15 required fitment (not shown) in the neck of the bottle, which in this case will rest on shoulder 8.

The plug 3 is then screwed into the mouth 2 of the bottle and bonded by a welding technique in the region of threads 4 and 6. If the mouth 2 and plug 3 have interlocking splines and grooves, the plug 3 will simply be pushed into the mouth 2 and then welded. Similarly, if there is an abutment on the inner surface of the mouth 2, the plug will simply be pushed into the mouth 2 and welded.

Preferably, the bond which forms should be stronger than the materials it is bonding together.

In this way, a fitment will be held in position and attempts to remove it by excessive force will cause the bottle to fracture in the pre-weakened area 9.

Moreover, although there is a hole 7 in plug 3 it can be of considerably smaller dimensions than the mouth 2 of the bottle so that there is reduced access in this area. The outer thread 5 on the bottle will enable a standard screw threaded cap to be used to seal the bottle. Although not shown in Figure 2, an O-ring could be placed below plug 3 to ensure that there is no direct contact between the adhesive and the product Figure 3 is a second embodiment of a bottle 5 according to the present invention. As in Figure 2 the bottle comprises a first part la having a mouth 2a and a second part 3a in the form of a collar. The mouth 2a has an external thread 5a only. The collar 3a has both an external thread 6a and an internal thread 10a (not shown) which will engage with the external thread 5a on the mouth 2a. The collar 3a has a central hole 7a for the passage of fluid from the bottle. There is also an internal shoulder 8a on the first part la which acts as a seat for a fitment. As in Figure 2 a pre-weakened area could be provided.

Alternatively, the mouth 2a could have a series of external vertical splines and collar 3a could have a series of interlocking internal vertical grooves or the mouth 2a could have a series of external vertical grooves and collar 3a could have a series of interlocking internal vertical splines.

As a further alternative, the mouth 2a could have an external abutment upon which the collar 3a could seat. With this arrangement, the outer surface of the mouth 2a and inner surface of collar 3a would be smooth.

The bottle is assembled as described earlier and Figure 4 is a cross-section which shows a fitment 11a in position. In this arrangement the thread 5a in mouth 2a and internal thread 10a in collar 3a do not interlock but form a void 12a which can be filled by a bonding adhesive prior to the welding step. The upper surface of the mouth 2a is provided with a circular - 8 groove 13 and the underside of collar 3a is also provided with a groove 14 (see Figure 4). The grooves 13 and 14 allow the insertion of an O-ring 16 of either a plastic or rubber material which acts as a liquid barrier seal. A raised circular rim 15 is also provided on the upper surface of collar 3a which can be used as a liquid seal on the interface with any screw cap that is applied to the bottle. If the mouth 2a and collar 3a are provided with interlocking splines and grooves, the collar 3a will simply be pushed over the mouth 2a and bonded by welding. Similarly, if the mouth 2a had an external abutment, collar 3a would be pushed over the mouth 2a and bonded by welding.

Fitment 11a can be any kind of device and is therefore, represented as a cylindrical insert only. Although it is not shown there is a passage through fitment 11a for fluid from the bottle.

The bonding is achieved by welding using a laser or microwaves and utilising a sandwich layer of glass frit.

A further advantage of the arrangement in Figures and 4 is that the construction allows for toleranced in bore dimensions for placement of a fitment and encapsulation within glass.

Figure 5 depicts a profile which could be included in the embodiment depicted in Figures 3 and 4. Instead of plane surfaces on the upper and lower contacting surfaces of the first and second parts of the bottle, the profile could be shaped to prevent a clean-cut if an attempt is made to saw off the collar 3a. Figure 5 shows a wave profile but it is envisaged - 9 that other profiles would also be suitable.

Clearly, the present invention need not be restricted to use on bottles since there are many other areas where such encapsulation would be desirable.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a bottle and a specific fitment. The bottle is similar to that depicted in Figure 2 and like reference numerals represent like features. The bottle is provided with a fitment in the form of a non-refillable device which may also comprise inventive features.

The non-refillable device comprises a ball cup 20 with a central aperture (not shown) which will sit on shoulder 8 in the mouth 2 of the bottle. A soft seal gasket 21 is located in the bottom of the ball cup . The gasket 21 has a central aperture 22 which can be closed by the ball 23. A ball retainer 24 sits above ball 23 and there is an anti-vacuum flap 25.

The anti-vacuum flap 25 has a neck 29 which spaces the flap from disc 26 by a small distance such that when a vacuum is applied the flap is still able to cover the holes 27 in disc 26. However, when the bottle is inverted the neck 29 will ensure that fluid is able to flow through holes 27 in the event that the flap 25 does not float away from disc 26 as intended. The ball cup 20 is covered by a toughened glass disc 26 with a labyrinth of holes 27. The components are assembled in ball cup 20 and the disc 26 placed over the open end of ball cup 20. The fitment will be pushed into the mouth 2 of the bottle until it sits upon shoulder 8. The glass plug 3 will then be bonded by one of the aforementioned welding techniques into internal thread 4 of the mouth 2 and the fitment will -10be permanently enclosed within the bottle.

Figure 7 is a cross-section through the bottle when the components have been assembled.

When the bottle is upright the ball 23 will cover aperture 22 in gasket 21 and aperture 28 in ball cup 20. If an attempt to apply a vacuum to the bottle is made whilst in an upright position, the anti-vacuum flap 25 will move upwards to cover the holes 27 in disc 26. When the bottle is inverted the ball 23 will move away from the apertures 22 and 28 and the anti-vacuum flap 25 will float away from disc 26 such that fluid will be able to flow away from the bottle.

The toughened glass disc 26 will preferably be dark in colour and acts as an anti-drill device. The process of toughening the glass disc 26 will result in shattering of the disc if an attempt is made to drill through it. Furthermore, the energy released when the disc 26 shatters will result in fracturing of the surrounding glass bottle and render it unsuitable for further use.

The anti-vacuum flap 25 is preferably, light, able to float in the fluid and made of a pliable material in order to prohibit vacuum/pulse fill techniques. The gasket 21 is preferably of silicon rubber to encourage the ball to seat more firmly thus reducing the likelihood of bounce if vibration or pulse-filling techniques are used. The ball cup 20 could be made from styrene.

Figures 8a and 8b show a similar arrangement to that in Figures 6 and 7. The non-refillable fitment depicted again may also comprise inventive features. - 11 As in Figure 6 there is a glass plug 3, a glass disc 26, an anti-vacuum flap 25, a ball retainer 24 and a soft seal gasket 21 but in this embodiment the ball is able to be forced completely through the gasket 21 if the fitment is tampered with (see Figure 9). In this way, the bottle could be broken at its base if the ball 23 was heavy enough or the ball would simply be in a visible position. Figure 8a is the bottle in an upright position and Figure 8b in an inverted position Although the present invention has been described in connection with specific internal fitments, it is envisaged that many types of fitment could be encapsulated in a similar manner.

Claims

CLAIMS : 1. A container comprising a first part having 5 a mouth portion in which is located a chosen fitment, a second part with at least one outlet which co-operates with the first part wherein the first and second parts are irreversibly joined together by welding thus permanently enclosing the fitment within 10 the container.
2. A container as claimed in Claim 1 wherein interlocking means are provided between the first and second parts.
3. A container as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the interlocking means are provided between the outer surface of the first part and the inner surface of the second part.
4. A container as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the interlocking means is a thread provided on each surface. 25
5. A container as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the second part has a thread on its outer surface.
6. A container as claimed in Claim 3 wherein 30 a series of interlocking vertical splines and grooves are provided between the outer surface of the first part and the inner surface of the second part.
7. A container as claimed in any preceding 35 claim wherein the second part has a raised circular rim on its upper surface. - 13
8. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second part has a rebated circular groove on the underside of its upper surface.
9. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the upper surface of the first part has rebated circular groove. 10.
10. A container as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the interlocking means are provided between the inner surface of the first part and the outer surface of the second part. 15
11. A container as claimed in Claim 10 wherein the interlocking means is a thread provided on each surface.
12. A container as claimed in Claim 10 or 20 Claim 11 wherein the first part has a thread on its outer surface.
13. A container as claimed in Claim 10 wherein a series of interlocking vertical splines and grooves 25 are provided between the inner surface of the first part and the outer surface of the second part.
14. A container as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the first and second parts co-operate by means of an 30 abutment on a surface of the first part upon which the second part sits.
15. A container as claimed in Claim 14 wherein the abutment is on the inner surface of the first part
16. A container as claimed in Claim 14 wherein - 14 the abutment is on the outer surface of the first part
17. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first part has a pre-weakened area.
18. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first and second parts are made from glass. 10
19. A container as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 18 wherein the join comprises a weld using a laser.
20. A container as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 18 wherein the join comprises a weld using 15 mircrowaves.
21. A container as claimed in Claim 19 or Claim 20 wherein the join comprises a weld containing glass frit. 19.
22. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the join between the first and second parts is made stronger than the parts themselves. 20. 25
23. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mouth portion has a region of reduced cross-sectional area to retain the fitment in a predetermined position. 21. 30
24. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mouth portion has an abutment on its inner surface upon which the fitment sits.
25. A container as claimed in any preceding claim in the form of a bottle.