WO1999003749A1 - Perfectionnements apportes a des recipients - Google Patents

Perfectionnements apportes a des recipients Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999003749A1
WO1999003749A1 PCT/GB1998/002093 GB9802093W WO9903749A1 WO 1999003749 A1 WO1999003749 A1 WO 1999003749A1 GB 9802093 W GB9802093 W GB 9802093W WO 9903749 A1 WO9903749 A1 WO 9903749A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
collar
cap
bounty
neck
liquid container
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1998/002093
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Raymond Grenville White Wright
Jon Moynihan
David Drake
Original Assignee
Pa International Consulting Services S.A.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB9715296A external-priority patent/GB9715296D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9723834.9A external-priority patent/GB9723834D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9809011.1A external-priority patent/GB9809011D0/en
Application filed by Pa International Consulting Services S.A. filed Critical Pa International Consulting Services S.A.
Priority to AU83507/98A priority Critical patent/AU8350798A/en
Publication of WO1999003749A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999003749A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
    • B65D51/24—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
    • B65D51/245—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes provided with decoration, information or contents indicating devices, labels

Definitions

  • This invention relates to containers.
  • the invention was devised to satisfy the requirement for liquid containers suitable for use in instant win promotions. Under such promotions, a banknote (or other prize eg voucher for money) is hidden within a small proportion of products offered for sale, in order to promote sales of the product.
  • the small proportion of products including banknotes must, at the point of sale, be indistinguishable from the majority of products which do not include banknotes.
  • banknotes can be included in the boxes before the latter are closed and sealed but this procedure cannot satisfactorily be applied to liquids in bottles.
  • the invention aims to solve this problem for the case of a liquid container, particularly a liquid container having a body with a threaded neck.
  • a liquid container comprising a body having an opening closed by a cap, and a collar surrounding the body, there being defined between the body and the collar a region accommodating a bounty message or bounty item, to which access cannot be gained except by removal of the collar in a tamper-evident manner.
  • bouncenty item or bounty message is to be construed broadly as including anything which constitutes an incentive to purchase, including anything of value or benefit additional to that provided by the standard container and its contents, for example currency in the form of note or coin, vouchers redeemable for cash or goods, prizes or gifts, messages, or other promotional material imparting information or features of value or benefit, actual, potential or perceived.
  • the bounty item or bounty message could be a small electronic system which is capable of producing sensory signals eg light, sound or smell.
  • a liquid container having a neck with an external thread, the neck being closed by a cap having a cap portion and a ring portion, the cap portion having an internal thread in threaded engagement with the external thread and adjoining the ring portion along a frangible connection, wherein a collar surrounds the cap and a bounty message or bounty item is hidden between the collar and the cap, the collar being captive on the cap and rotatably engaging the cap portion so that rotation of the collar causes corresponding rotation of the cap portion with attendant rupturing of the frangible connection and consequent release of the cap portion from the neck, enabling the collar to be separated from the cap portion so that the bounty message or bounty item can be retrieved.
  • the collar is captive on the cap by virtue of external projecting means on the ring portion and external projecting means on the cap portion, on assembly the collar being forced past the projecting means on the cap portion.
  • the provision of the two projecting means is the only modification necessary to the manufacture of the cap, and the subsequent assembly of the collar with the bounty item is the only additional step in the production process.
  • the collar has an internal annular recess extending around its internal periphery, the bounty item being a banknote (or equivalent prize voucher) folded into the recess.
  • the internal surface of the collar may have serrations which engage serrations on the exterior of the cap portion, to ensure that when the collar is manually rotated to open the container the cap portion rotates with the collar.
  • the collar may be frangible or breakable, for example by having a tear strip, to enable access to be gained to the bounty item or bounty message.
  • a liquid container comprising a body having a neck with an upper opening closed and sealed by a cap, at its lower extent the neck merging into a downwardly diverging shoulder of the body, a collar surrounding the neck and being captive on the neck between the cap and the shoulder, there being defined between the collar and the neck a region accommodating a bounty message or bounty item, to which access cannot be gained except by removal of the collar in a tamper-evident manner.
  • the body may be of glass and the cap may be a crown cork cap which is compressed onto the upper end of the neck to close and seal the opening.
  • the collar may be located in position around the neck before the opening is sealed by the cap. Alternatively, the collar may be applied after the cap is fitted to the opening. To enable this to be done, the collar may have radially expandable collet-like formations which are capable of radial expansion to enable the collar to pass over the cap on assembly and which spring back to retain the collar captive on the neck.
  • Obscuring means may be provided to obscure the bounty item or bounty message from view, this being particularly important if the container body is a glass bottle.
  • the bounty item or bounty message is overwrapped with opaque sheet material such as paper, card or plastics, this sheet material constituting the obscuring means.
  • opaque sheet material such as paper, card or plastics
  • the same wrapping material is employed but in this case the wrapping is empty or encloses a message expressing regret and/or encouraging further attempts at winning.
  • the obscuring means comprise a cylindrical sleeve of opaque sheet material such as paper, card or plastics, or a strip of opaque sheet material formed into a cylindrical shape, the bounty item or bounty message not being wrapped but being located between the opaque sheet material and the collar, in the region between the collar and the neck.
  • the obscuring means are provided by an inner wall of the collar, the bounty item or bounty message being located in the region between the inner and outer walls of the collar.
  • the upper periphery of the collar should locate underneath the peripheral edge of the cap and the upper periphery of the collar preferably has a sloping frusto-conical surface to provide space for insertion of an opener for applying leverage to the cap to open the container.
  • the lower periphery of the collar may have an inturned lip or may be formed by the lower portion of the cylindrical wall of the collar, but in either case the collar is dimensioned so that there is little or no gap between the lower edge of the collar and the container body.
  • the invention includes within its scope a plurality of liquid containers some according to the invention and some conforming to the invention except for the omission of the bounty message or bounty item, all the containers being visually indistinguishable.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container forming a first embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 2 is a sectional view of a cap and collar of the container of Figure 1, two alternative shapes of collar being shown on respective sides of the central vertical axis,
  • Figure 3 is a perspective view of the collar
  • Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cap
  • Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views corresponding to those of Figures 2 to 4 respectively but show a second embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 8 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a third embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 9 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of part of Figure 8,
  • Figure 10 is a view similar to that of Figure 9 but showing a modification.
  • FIG 11 illustrates an overwrapped prize of the container of Figure 8
  • FIGs 12 to 14 show three possible designs of collar for the container of Figure 8,
  • Figure 15 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a fourth embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 16 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of part of Figure 15,
  • Figure 17 and 18 show two alternative forms of obscuring means for the container of Figure 15,
  • Figure 19 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a fifth embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 20 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating part of Figure 19,
  • Figure 21 illustrates a collar of the container of Figure 19 before fitting of the collar
  • Figure 22 shows a modified form of collar.
  • the container is a liquid drink bottle having a plastics body 1 the upper part of which converges by a sloping shoulder into a neck with an external screw thread onto which a plastics cap is threaded to close and seal the neck opening.
  • the cap has a cap portion 2 and a ring portion 3, the portions 2, 3 adjoining along a perforated line of weakening 4 (Figure 2) which remains visibly intact until the cap portion 2 is unscrewed.
  • the cap is conventional but it differs from conventional caps in having two sets of integrally moulded projections, namely an upper set of circumferentially spaced lugs 6 on the upper edge of the cap portion 2 and a lower set of integrally moulded projections 7 on the ring portion 3.
  • Any number of lugs 6 may be provided and this set of projections may be replaced by a circumferentially continuous and radially projecting lip, as shown at 8 in Figures 2 and 4.
  • an annular lip may be provided on the ring portion 3 instead of the projections 7.
  • a separately moulded plastics collar 9 Surrounding the cap is a separately moulded plastics collar 9 which is generally annular and has, on its inner periphery, an annular recess 10 the upper extremity of which is defined by a radially inturned upper flange 12 of the collar and the lower extent of which is defined by an inwardly extending lower flange 13 of the collar 9.
  • the radially inner surface of at least the flange 12 is formed with axially extending serrations 14 ( Figure 3).
  • the radially inner surface of the lower flange 13 may also similarly be formed with serrations.
  • a banknote (not shown in the drawings) is folded and inserted in the annular recess 10 in the collar 9.
  • the collar can have a chosen external shape, a more rounded alternative 9a being illustrated on the right hand side of Figure 2.
  • the collar 9, together with the banknote therein, is applied (as indicated by arrow A between Figures 3 and 4) to the cap by forcing the collar past the upper set of projections 6 (or the continuous lip 8) so that the collar 9 surrounds the cap portion with the serrations 14 in engagement with the conventional serrations or splines 15 on the cap portion 2.
  • Figure 2 the collar 9 is captive on the cap. being axially located between the upper set of projections 6 (or the lip 8) and the lower set of projections 7.
  • the banknote is hidden from view in the recess 10 and the bottle is therefore indistinguishable from other bottles to which collars devoid of banknotes have been fitted.
  • the user grasps the collar 9 and rotates it, external splines 16 on the collar facilitating the grip.
  • This rotation is transferred to the cap portion 2 by virtue of the serrations 14 on the collar 9 engaging the serrations 15 on the cap portion 2.
  • Such rotation causes the cap portion 2 to be separated from the ring portion 3 along the line of weakening 4, allowing removal of the collar 9 and cap portion 2 from the bottle neck, leaving the ring portion 3 on the bottle neck. Separation of the cap portion 2 from the ring portion 3 is readily apparent, resulting in a tamper evident closure.
  • the collar 9 can now be slid off the end of the cap portion 2 to enable the banknote to be retrieved.
  • the majority of bottles will of course have collars 9 with empty recesses 10.
  • Figures 1 to 4 can be implemented without major upheaval or alteration to existing high speed production lines.
  • the only alterations to the known structure of the cap are the provision of the upper and lower projections.
  • the further step of adding collars to the caps can be carried out whilst a promotion is being run. Collars incorporating banknotes will normally be added in a high security area separate from the main production line, the bottles having banknotes then being incorporated into the line of finished products in the required proportions.
  • winning and non-winning containers are visually identical and proceed to retail sale where purchasers do not know whether they have bought a winning or non-winning container until the collar 9 is removed in the tamper-evident way described.
  • the second embodiment of container again comprises a bottle with a plastics body having a neck with an external screw thread onto which a plastics cap is threaded to close and seal the neck opening.
  • the cap has a cap portion 2 and a ring portion 3, the portions 2 and 3 adjoining along a perforated line of weakening 4 which remains visibly intact until the cap portion 2 is unscrewed.
  • parts corresponding to those of Figures 1 to 4 bear the same reference numerals.
  • a collar 29 is snap fitted into position by pushing the collar onto the cap, past projecting lugs 6 or lip 8. The collar 29 is then retained on the neck, being located between the lugs 6 or lip 8 and the projections 7 on the ring portion 3, as shown in Figure 5.
  • a liquid typically a drink
  • the collar 29 is moulded from a synthetic plastics material and has a main cylindrical wall 30 the lower edge of which adjoins an inwardly extending annular flange 32. At its upper edge, the main wall 30 adjoins an annular shoulder 33 from which projects a cylindrical neck 34 of smaller diameter than the wall 30.
  • the collar 29 is moulded with two lines of weakening 35 ( Figure 6) which define between them a tear strip 36, the lower end of which has an integrally moulded tab 37 which projects below the annular flange 32.
  • the two lines of weakening 35 are parallel and extend through the complete vertical extent of the collar 29, from the inner edge of the annular flange 32 to the upper edge of the neck 34.
  • a folded banknote (or other bounty item) is located in the small annular region 10 left between the wall 30 and the cap portion 2, typically being attached to the radially inner surface of the wall 30 before the collar 29 is fitted onto the bottle.
  • the banknote may be accommodated loosely in the void defined by the small annular region between the wall 30 and the cap portion 2.
  • the inner periphery of the neck 34 may have internal splines 38 for engaging the external splines 15 on the collar, but such splines 38 are not essential. If provided they serve to prevent the collar 29 being rotated on the cap and serve to orient the tab 37 with respect to the bottle and any label thereon.
  • the user grasps the tab 37 and pulls it upwardly and away from the bottle, so as to rupture the lines of weakening 35. This enables the collar 29 to be removed to enable the banknote to be retrieved.
  • the cap portion 2 can then be unscrewed for consumption of the drink within the bottle.
  • rotating the collar 29 and unscrewing the cap portion 2 by virtue of the interengaging splines 38 and 15 causes the cap portion 2 to be separated from the ring portion 3 along the line of weakening 4.
  • Non- winning bottles may include a message (hidden until the bottle is opened) expressing commiserations and/or urging the purchaser to try again.
  • the container shown in Figures 8 and 9 has a body in the form of a glass bottle 40 with a frusto-conical shoulder 42 converging upwardly to a neck 43 having the externally bulbous shape illustrated. At its upper end, the neck 43 adjoins an upper rim 44 which surrounds an opening closed and sealed by a metal cap 45 of the crown-cork type. The cap 45 is pressed onto the rim 44, its edge serrations 46 being pressed into the annular recess between the rim 44 and the bulbous formation on the neck.
  • the bottle 40 holds a liquid drink.
  • the bottle and cap thus far described are conventional.
  • the bottle neck 43 is surrounded by a plastics collar 49 which is of generally annular shape, having a cylindrical wall 50 with upper and lower inturned lips 51, 52 respectively.
  • the inner edge of the upper lip 51 engages below the edge serrations 46 of the cap 45 and the inner edge of the lower lip 52 engages, or is in close proximity, to the sloping surface of the shoulder 42, so as to locate the collar 49 in a vertical direction and to retain the collar 49 captive on the neck of the bottle.
  • Between the underside of the serrations 46 and the sloping surface of the lip 51 is a space for insertion of an opener for removing the cap 45.
  • an annular region which accommodates a bounty message or bounty item, eg a bank note 53.
  • the bounty message or bounty item is overwrapped by an opaque card or paper wrapping 54 which totally obscures the bounty message or bounty item.
  • the overwrapped bounty item or bounty message is shown at 55 in Figure 11.
  • Containers including a bounty item or bounty message in the wrapping are visually indistinguishable from other containers not including a bounty item or message.
  • the wrapping may include a message, for example expressing regret that the container is not a winning container or inviting a further attempt at winning.
  • the collar 49 is captive on the neck 43 and cannot be removed other than in a tamper- evident way.
  • the normal way of accessing the bounty item or message is for the cap 45 to be removed to open the bottle, allowing the collar 49 to be slid upwardly over the rim 44 so that the bounty item or bounty message can be retrieved from inside the collar 49.
  • the collar 49 may alternatively be rupturable in an evident way.
  • winning containers ie containers including a bounty item or message
  • non-winning containers ie containers including a bounty item or message
  • Figure 12 illustrates a collar 49 with an upper lip 51 which is circumferentially continuous. This form of collar is fitted on the glass bottle before the cap 45 is applied to the bottle.
  • Figures 13 and 14 show two alternative forms of collar 49 each with an upper lip 51 which is divided into radially expandable segments 56, allowing the collar 49 to be fitted to the bottle after the cap 45 has been applied.
  • the segments 56 are collet-like whilst in Figure 14 the rim is more segmented.
  • FIG. 10 An alternative form of collar 49 is illustrated in Figure 10. This is devoid of a lower lip, the lower end of the cylindrical wall 50 engaging, or being in close proximity to, the sloping shoulder 42 of the bottle. This collar shape may be easier to mould than the shape of Figure 12.
  • a sleeve or wrap 57 or 58 of opaque paper or card is located between the neck 43 and the bounty item or bounty message 53, to obscure the latter from view through the glass of the bottle.
  • the sleeve 57 is illustrated in Figure 17 and the wrap 58 (formed from a strip of opaque paper or card) is illustrated in Figure 18.
  • the collar 49 must be opaque.
  • the collar 49 is moulded from an opaque plastics material and has an integrally formed cylindrical internal wall 59 which is concentric with the external wall 50 of the collar 49.
  • the internal wall 59 projects downwardly from the upper lip 51, terminating in a lower edge defining one side of a slot giving access to an annular region between the walls 50 and 59.
  • the lower edge of the collar 49 may be defined by an integrally moulded ring 60 which is attached to the wall 50 by a tab 62 ( Figure 21) and which folds onto the lower edge of the wall to close off the slot from view.
  • the collar 49 may be made as two half shells which are brought together and which inter- engage in a non-separable manner, as illustrated in Figure 22 which shows each half shell 49a with a double wall so that the resulting collar is similar to that shown in Figure 19.
  • such half shells may be moulded with a single wall so that the resulting collar is similar to the collar illustrated in Figure 8 or Figure 15.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un récipient pour liquides destiné à être utilisé lors de promotions commerciales. Ledit récipient est pourvu d'un billet de banque ou d'un bon d'échange dissimulé dans un espace annulaire (10) défini entre une partie capsule (2) fermant l'ouverture du récipient et une bague périphérique (9). La bague (9) peut tourner avec la partie capsule (2) de manière qu'en faisant tourner la bague (9), on fait tourner la partie capsule (2), ce qui permet de séparer la partie capsule (2) d'un anneau (3) selon une ligne de rupture. Cette séparation, indicatrice d'effraction, permet d'accéder au billet de banque ou au bon d'échange, et d'ouvrir le récipient. Il est possible de faire visuellement la distinction entre les récipients gagnants pourvus d'un billet de banque ou d'un bon d'échange et les récipients perdants ne contenant pas de billet de banque ou de bon d'échange.
PCT/GB1998/002093 1997-07-18 1998-07-16 Perfectionnements apportes a des recipients WO1999003749A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU83507/98A AU8350798A (en) 1997-07-18 1998-07-16 Improvements in or relating to containers

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9715296A GB9715296D0 (en) 1997-07-18 1997-07-18 Improvements in or relating to containers
GB9715296.1 1997-07-18
GBGB9723834.9A GB9723834D0 (en) 1997-11-13 1997-11-13 Improvements in or relating to containers
GB9723834.9 1997-11-13
GBGB9809011.1A GB9809011D0 (en) 1998-04-28 1998-04-28 Improvements in or relating to containers
GB9809011.1 1998-04-28

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999003749A1 true WO1999003749A1 (fr) 1999-01-28

Family

ID=27268939

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1998/002093 WO1999003749A1 (fr) 1997-07-18 1998-07-16 Perfectionnements apportes a des recipients

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU8350798A (fr)
WO (1) WO1999003749A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2348414A (en) * 1999-03-31 2000-10-04 Unigate Dairies Ltd Container bearing indicia

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2252751A7 (en) * 1973-11-26 1975-06-20 Mira Lanza Spa Screw-on bottle cap with enclosed annular space - bottle content additives etc. are stored in the annular space
DE8901373U1 (de) * 1989-02-07 1989-04-27 Lensing, Rudolf, 7947 Mengen Behälterverschluß
DE9416528U1 (de) * 1994-10-14 1994-12-08 Heinlein Plastik-Technik GmbH, 91522 Ansbach Verschluß für einen flaschenartigen Behälter mit einer Kappe zur Aufnahme eines Beipackzettels
DE29501421U1 (de) * 1995-01-30 1995-05-04 Lensing, Rudolf, 73525 Schwäbisch Gmünd Behälterverschluß
DE29507397U1 (de) * 1995-04-27 1995-07-13 Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 68305 Mannheim Haltebanderole für Beipackzettel

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2252751A7 (en) * 1973-11-26 1975-06-20 Mira Lanza Spa Screw-on bottle cap with enclosed annular space - bottle content additives etc. are stored in the annular space
DE8901373U1 (de) * 1989-02-07 1989-04-27 Lensing, Rudolf, 7947 Mengen Behälterverschluß
DE9416528U1 (de) * 1994-10-14 1994-12-08 Heinlein Plastik-Technik GmbH, 91522 Ansbach Verschluß für einen flaschenartigen Behälter mit einer Kappe zur Aufnahme eines Beipackzettels
DE29501421U1 (de) * 1995-01-30 1995-05-04 Lensing, Rudolf, 73525 Schwäbisch Gmünd Behälterverschluß
DE29507397U1 (de) * 1995-04-27 1995-07-13 Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 68305 Mannheim Haltebanderole für Beipackzettel

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2348414A (en) * 1999-03-31 2000-10-04 Unigate Dairies Ltd Container bearing indicia

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU8350798A (en) 1999-02-10

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