WO1994020376A1

WO1994020376A1 - Simulated beverage container

Info

Publication number: WO1994020376A1
Application number: PCT/GB1994/000419
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Philip Pavely; Terence Alexander Benge; David Andrew Roberts
Original assignee: Carnaudmetalbox Plc
Priority date: 1993-03-10
Filing date: 1994-03-04
Publication date: 1994-09-15
Also published as: CN1102526A; AU6147094A; JPH07506556A; GB9304862D0; CA2135393A1

Abstract

A container comprising a simulated beverage container (10) having an end wall (30) which appears to be an ecology end but which has a removable tab (100) and a closure panel (130), a compartment (50) which houses an item (90) to be ejected on opening the container and separate sealed members (60) which are partially filled with liquid (68). The container is lined with rubbery material (40) so that it feels like a pressurised beverage container when squeezed, the liquid in the sealed members being free to move around so that the container sounds as if it were filled with beverage.

Description

SIMULATED BEVERAGE CONTAINER

i This invention relates to a container. In „ \ particular, it relates to a simulated beverage container.

The container is suitable for a promotion item or gift, for example, but appears to contain a beverage.

Promotion of a product by use of a publicity item or

"gimmick" is well-known, particularly in retail of food or household goods. Breakfast cereals have often included a gift within the cereal and other items of dry food have frequently been promoted by the inclusion of some gimmick within the packaging or actual product.

The addition of a gift or other item to a fluid product poses greater problems than does its inclusion in a dry product. A particular problem with the inclusion of a gift in a fluid product is that the product may tend to adhere to the gift, making it necessary to clean the gift.

Similarly, if the gift is of paper, for example, the fluid product may wet or cause the paper to perish. Conversely, it is necessary to ensure that any gift will not contaminate the product itself in any way.

When a manufacturer wishes to promote a fluid product, it is usual to attach any publicity item to^' the outside of the product product packaging rather than to include the item in the product itself. This is often achieved by attaching a promotion item to each product container so that a buyer will see that a free item is available and generally not purchase a product to which no free item is attached . Whilst this external attachment _tf avoids any problems of contamination by or to the product, j clearly it is an expensive exercise since all products of i

>l the same size and type must have the promotion item attached to them. Whilst it would be possible to include a promotion item or gift instead of the product, clearly in this case the item would have to be of sufficient value to compensate the buyer for the absence of the product which the buyer had expected to find. At this point, it become necessary from the point of view of economics to ensure that the buyer cannot determine from external appearance of the product container that such an item is included. This is quite straightforward with household items contained in opaque screw-top bottles, for example, but is difficult to achieve with containers such as beverage cans.

According to the invention, there is provided a container end wall comprising a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line; an operable panel for closing the aperture and connected to the central panel by the score line around the peripherary of the operable panel; and a tab connected to the operable panel and having a projection extending over the operable panel and a rear portion overlying the central panel for lifting the tab away from the central panel and severing the score line; the score line comprising a first exposed region and a second region which underlies the tab so that the tab appears to be permanently attached to the end wall.

If a promotion item or gift is to be packaged in a beverage can, it is necessary for the item to be readily removed from the can once it has been opened. Nowadays, "ecology" ends are in common usage. Such ends have a tab which when raised pushes an operable panel into the can so as to provide a dispensing aperture. The tab remains attached to the end and the panel extends into the can. This panel impedes removal of the promotion item or gift.

The end wall thus simulates a beverage container end wall having an "ecology end", ie. a stay-on tab, whilst the tab and operable panel are removable as in a pull-off tab.

Further problems with the inclusion of a gift or promotion item are associated with storage and handling of the simulated container, for example if the container is to be refrigerated prior to opening. The container must thus be able to withstand temperature changes and to protect the gift from damage due to storage conditions or handling of the container.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a simulated beverage container comprising a base, a hollow body portion and an end wall; the end wall comprising a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line, an operable panel for closing the aperture which is connected to the central panel by the score line around its peripherary, and a tab; the body portion including a lining of elastomeric material a compartment, liquid at least partially filling the body portion outside the compartment and means for preventing the liquid from penetrating the compartment.

Preferably, the container includes the ecology end wall described above.

The lining may comprise any elastomeric material which is springy or rubbery when compressed and released. A preferred material is Silastic. This lining gives the container a slightly compressible feeling such as that of a container filled with a pressurised beverage. Preferably, the lining material has a shore hardness of between 30 and 65, still more preferably between 35 and 45.

The means for preventing liquid from penetrating the compartment typically comprises at least one sealed member, partially filled with the liquid. Conveniently, this member may simply be a rubber or plastic tube, plugged at each end. It will be appreciated that alternative or additional prevention means such as a sealant around the compartment may also be used. The liquid is provided so as to simulate the sound of a container filled with a beverage, when the container is shaken. The compartment and sealed members are preferably fixed in position. This is particularly important for the compartment which should preferably be fixed beneath the operable panel. It is also advantageous that there is no movement of the members which might be heard if the container were shaken. The compartment and sealed members may be fixed by adhesion to the lining, for example, or they may be fixed by packing between them, for example by further Silastic or lining material.

Preferably, the compartment and sealed members each comprise plastic tubes. The compartment may be sealed at its lower end by a plug, its open end being adjacent the operable panel. On removing the panel, the compartment is exposed and a gift or promotion item, for example, may be removed from within the compartment.

The compartment may include ejection means, for example a compressed spring or piston device, which ejects the gift or promotion item when the operable panel is removed.

The second region of the score line, which is hidden by the tab, preferably has very low score residual. This means that a deep score is made and that there is very little material remaining, ie. residual, beneath the score. Still more preferably, this second region is a cut through the end wall.

Preferred embodiments of container will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of a simulated beverage container.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the container of figure 1 prior to opening; Figure 3 is a plan view of the container of figure 1 after opening;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of a second embodiment of simulated beverage container; and

Figure 5a, 5b and 5c are cross-sections of an end of the container of figures 1 or 4 during opening.

In figure 1 there is shown a longitudinal cross-section of a simulated beverage container, prior to opening.

The container 10 comprises a cylindrical body 20 having a domed base 15 and closed at its upper end by end wall 30. The body 20 is lined with Silastic 40 and contains a gift compartment 50 and three further compartments 60 (one shown). The Silastic 40 extends around the compartments to hold them in position and prevent any unwanted movement. The Silastic gives the container a spongy, slightly compressible feel when squeezed, similar to that of a filled pressurised beverage container.

Compartments 50, 60 comprise tubes 55, 65 of plastics material. Tubes 65 are plugged at both ends and tube 55 at its lower end by rubber bungs 70. Tubes 65 are partially filled with water 68, for example, which is free to move around within its tube.

Tube 55 contains an inner sleeve 58 of plastics material, for example, which serves merely to reduce the diameter of the tube 55. Within sleeve 58 is a spring 80 secured to the base of compartment 50 and compressed by item 90 which bears against end wall 30. Annular member 85 covers the sleeve 58 and tube 55, and item 90, which may be a bank note, for example, passes through the centre of member 85.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the container prior to opening, with tab 100 fitted. End wall 30 comprises a central panel 110 surrounded by an outer portion 120. An aperture is closed by an operable panel, or closure portion 130, connected to the central panel 110 by score line 140. Tab 100 is joined to the closure portion 130 at 150 by a rivet and a projecting part 105 of the tab overlies a part of the closure portion 130. An extension 145 to score line 140 gives the appearance that area 160 comprises a bendable region such as is required for an ecology end wall, in which the closure portion 130 and tab 100 would be retained attached to the end wall after opening.

Further simulation of an ecology end wall is provided by tab 100, which corresponds to that used for an ecology end wall. Such a tab requires projection 105 to act on closure portion 130 when the tab is raised by lifting ring 170. In a standard ecology end, the tab would pivot about hinge 175 and projection 105 would push panel 130 into the container, breaking score line 140 and causing panel 130 to bend at region 160. In such an end, tab 100 is connected at 150 to the central panel 110 and so is retained on the end wall after opening.

In the present invention, however, score line 140 is continued between A and B, either by a deep score line or by a cut 180, as shown in figure 3. This cut 180 is hidden by the tab 100 in the unopened container.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of container, similar to that of figure 1, but in which spring 80 is of the same diameter as the inner diameter of tube 55. The spring 80 is contained within the base of compartment 50 by disc 95 and sleeve 58 so that spring 80 and disc 95 together form a piston member. This ensures that on opening the container, only the gift item 90 will be ejected from the container. The sleeve 58 is reduced in length and held in place within the tube by friction. Rather than using a press fit, clearly the sleeve could be fixed to the tube by adhesive.

Whilst annular member 85 could be used to hold the sleeve within the container, its usual function is aesthetic and to obscure the view of the inside of the container once operable panel 130 (figure 2) has been removed. The size of the resultant aperture is thus reduced so as to improve the appearance of the opened container. A user, on opening the simulated container and removing the gift, will thus only see the inside of compartment 50 and not the other components inside the container.

A user of the container will notice on lifting the container that the weight of the container is substantially the same as that of an unopened beverage container. It is possible by choosing components carefully, to match the weight of the simulated container to within 25g or less of the weight of a "real" container. On shaking the container, the user will note that it sounds like a container filled with beverage.

Furthermore, if a user squeezes the simulated container, the lining of Silastic or other material of similar shore hardness allows the container to "give" in the manner of a container filled with pressurised beverage. A material having a shore hardness of between 30 and 65 would be preferable, the hardness of Silastic being 60, although hardnesses outside this range are acceptable according to availability of materials.

Whilst when a simulated container is to be marketed with containers having ecology ends it is clearly necessary to hide the score extension which allows the tab and closure panel to be removed, no such ruse is necessary if all containers have pull-off tabs anyway. In this case, all simulation is achieved by weight and feel of the conta iner .

Although the score extension is hidden by the tab in the embodiment described, other methods of obscuring the score extension could be used, such as coating the score with paint corresponding to the colour and/or material of the end.

Figure 5 shows the procedure for opening a simulated beverage container having the end of figures 2 and 3. Figure 5a is an enlarged view of the top section of the container of either figure 1 or figure 4. A bank note 90 within tube 55 and sleeve 58 passes through annular member 85. The bank note 90 is urged by compressed spring 80 (figure 1) or spring 80 and disc 95 (figure 4) against the underside of operable panel 130 in end wall 30.

Tab 100 is connected to panel 130 by a rivet at 150 and a projection 105 of the tab overlies panel 130. Score line 140 extends under the tab at 180 behind rivet 150.

Initial opening of the container is shown in figure 5b. Unlike a standard ecology end tab, lifting of the tab causes the hidden region 180 of score line 140 to rupture due to low score residual at 180 (between A and B in figure 3). Rather than pivoting about rivet 150, the tab lifts with the operable panel 130 and peels the panel away from the end 30.

As panel 130 is peeled off, bank note 90 is no longer restrained within the container and is forced out of the continer by spring 80 or piston action of spring and disc in figure 4. Once the tab 100 and panel 130 have been completely removed, the note is pushed out of the container to the position shown in figure 5c. Clearly the action of opening and peeling takes place in a single movement as with the alternative pull-off tab.

The embodiment of figure 1 requires the spring 80 to be attached to the container 50 to avoid it dropping out after the gift 90 is ejected. The embodiment of figure 4, on the other hand, avoids this problem by the addition of disc 95 which together with spring 80 acts as a piston and is retained by sleeve 58.

It will be appreciated that the invention has been described above by way of example only and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

C L A I M S ; -

1. A simulated beverage container comprising a base, a hollow body portion and an end wall; the end wall comprising a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line, an operable panel for closing the aperture which is connected to the central panel by the score line around its peripherary, and a tab; the body portion including a lining of elastomeric material, a compartment, liquid at least partially filling the body portion outside the compartment and means for preventing the liquid from penetrating the compartment.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which the lining comprises a material having a shore hardness of between 30 and 65.

3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the compartment is sealed at one end, its opposite end being open and underlying the operable panel.

4. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the prevention means comprises one or more sealed members.

5. A container according to claim 4, in which the sealed members and the compartment are fixed in position.

6. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the compartment includes ejection means.

7. A container according to claim 6, in which the ejection means comprises a compressed spring.

8. A container according to claim 6, in which the ejection means comprises a piston.

9. A container end wall comprising: a central panel formed with an aperture defined by a score line; an operable panel for closing the aperture and connected to the central panel by the score line around the peripherary of the operable panel; and a tab connected to the operable panel and having a projection extending over the operable panel and a rear portion overlying the central panel for lifting the tab away from the central panel and severing the score line; the score line comprising a first exposed region and a second region which underlies the tab and is hidden thereby, so that the tab appears to be permanently attached to the end wall.

10. An end wall according to claim 9, in which the second region of the score line is a cut.

11. A container accoring to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the end wall compises the end wall of claim 9 or claim 10.

12. A container substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to figures 1 to 3 and 5 or to figures 4 and 5 of the drawings.