WO2006008477A1

WO2006008477A1 - Indicator means

Info

Publication number: WO2006008477A1
Application number: PCT/GB2005/002771
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Gooch
Original assignee: Top-Box Ltd
Priority date: 2004-07-17
Filing date: 2005-07-15
Publication date: 2006-01-26
Also published as: GB0416049D0; GB2433135A; GB0702813D0; WO2006008477B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an indicator means arranged to display the time of production and/or storage of a food item, the indicator means comprising at least one calendar portion comprising a disk arranged to display indication of time and/or date and at least one marker portion, the indicator means being arranged such that the or each marker potion is moveable relative to the or each calendar portion wherein, in use of the indicator means, the or each marker portion is positioned to indicate on the or each calendar portion the time of production and/or storage of the food item. The invention also relates to containers and bottles comprising the indicator means, to collars and caps comprising at least one calendar portion and to a method of recording the time of preparation and/or storage of a food item.

Description

INDICATOR MEANS

The invention relates to an indicator means adapted to display the time and/or date of production and/or storage of a food item.

Modern technology has allowed for the longer storage of 'perishable' foods. Such technology includes refrigeration, freezers, improved food preservative chemicals and improved packaging techniques. However, food cannot be kept indefinitely; ice cream, for example, can be stored in the freezer for months but may become unsafe to eat if stored for years. Other foodstuffs are subject to shorter, and possibly more critical, time limits. An example would be milk feeds for babies, whether expressed or made up from a formula, which should not be kept for longer than 24 hours .

While longer storage times have many advantages to the consumer, the long periods of time involved may mean that the consumer forgets when the food item was produced or stored and may risk eating food which is unsafe. Further, it may be that one food item is confused for another, more recently stored, food item and again there is the risk that it is consumed after it has been stored for too long. For example, it is usual to prepare baby feeds in bulk- perhaps six bottles at a time. It could be dangerous to a baby's health to confuse a bottle prepared the previous day with one prepared more recently.

Prior art solutions to this problem include providing sticky labels which may be attached to the food items or their packaging with the time of their production or storage being written thereon. A further prior art solution is seen in US 2003/0192468, in the name of Goertzen, which discloses a flexible ring to place about the neck or cap of a bottle. These solutions have disadvantages. The labels are not generally reusable and may become illegible over prolonged storage times. Further, they can be fiddly to use and require the use of a writing implement. They can also leave a sticky, unsightly and potentially unhygienic residue. The solution of US 2003/0192468 means that an extra small part, which may be easily separated from the container, is provided. Again this will have to be washed to maintain hygiene.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an indicator means arranged to display the time of production and/or storage of a food item, the indicator means comprising at least one calendar portion comprising a disk arranged to display indication of time and/or date and at least one marker portion, the indicator means being arranged such that the or each marker portion is moveable relative to the or each calendar portion wherein, in use of the indicator means, the or each marker portion is positioned to indicate on the or each calendar portion the time of production and/or storage of the food item.

This is advantageous as the indicator means may be referred to at a later time and used to determine whether the food item is likely to be safe for consumption at that time.

Preferably, the indicator means comprises at least one fixing means arranged to allow the indicator means to be fixed to a food item or its packaging.

The at least one fixing means may comprise adhesive, a clip or clasp means.

Alternatively, the indicator means may be an integral part of the packaging of a food item. This is advantageous as it enables the indicator means to be fixed to the food item to which it relates such that the times of preparation of various food items will not be confused.

The or each calendar portion may display times and/or dates marked around its periphery.

The or each marker portion may comprise a rotatable pointer, which may be rotated to indicate the time or date of storage. The or each marker portion may alternatively comprise a disk of substantially the same size as the or each calendar portion with a transparent portion provided therein, the window being such that a date or time on the calendar portion may be viewed there through.

The or each marker portion may comprise at least one marker means which may be one or more of a dimple, a pimple, a score line or a printed mark with which, in use of the indicator means, the calendar portion may be aligned with the marker means as appropriate to mark the date of storage of the food item.

In other embodiments, the, some or each marker portion may be fixed and the, some or each calendar portion may be rotated.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a bottle comprising a bottle body, a collar and a cap, wherein the bottle body comprises an open end and the collar is arranged to fit about the open end and further arranged, in use of said bottle, to retain a feeding teat, and the cap is arranged to fit over the collar such that it may be rotated with respect to the collar, one of said cap and said collar comprising at least one calendar portion and the other of said cap and said collar comprising at least one marker portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the or each calendar portion may be provided ^■ 5 about the open end of the cap of a babies' bottle and the or each marker portion may be provided by the collar of the bottle.

This has the advantage that the cap may be placed on the bottle and rotated until the relevant date or time is aligned with the marker portion.

10 Further, as babies' bottles are of standard sizes, such a cap and collar could be retrofitted to a bottle such that a new bottle need not be purchased in its entirety. Such a bottle would be easy to use and require no additional instruments or components beyond those required on a standard babies' bottle.

15

In an alternative embodiment, the or each marker portion may be provided on the cap of the bottle and the or each calendar portion may be provided on the collar. In still a further embodiment, either a calendar portion or a marker portion may be provided on the body of the bottle.

20

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a cap for a bottle comprising an integral calendar portion.

Such a cap could be used with a bottle to indicate the time of production 25 and/ storage of a food item contained therein.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a collar arranged to fit about the neck of a bottle and further arranged, in use of said bottle, to retain a feeding teat, the collar comprising a ^•30 calendar portion. Such a collar could be used with a bottle to indicate the time of production and/ storage of a food item contained therein.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of recording the time of preparation and/or storage of a food item comprising providing at least one indicator means, the or each indicator means comprising at least one calendar portion comprising a disk and at least one marker portion being moveable relative to the at least one calendar portion and being capable of being positioned to indicate a time and/or date on the at least one calendar portion, the method further comprising associating the or each indicator means with a food item and arranging the or each marker portion to indicate the date and/or time or the production and/or storage of the associated food item.

Such methods may be advantageous as when the food item is removed from storage, an indication of the length of storage will be provided and this may provide information concerning whether the food item may be safely consumed.

Associating the or each indicator means with the food item may comprise placing the food item in a container integrally bearing or having attached thereto at least one indicator means as hereinbefore defined.

Alternatively, associating the or each indicator means with the food item may comprise attaching the or each indicator means to the food item or to its packaging.

Embodiments of the present example are now described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying Figures in which: Figure 1 shows an indicator means arranged to be applied to the packaging of a food item;

Figure 2 shows a side view of the indicator means of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 shows a baby's bottle according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 shows the separable cap and collar features of the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows a baby's bottle according to a further embodiment of the invention.

The indicator means 100 of Figure 1 comprises a disk 102 bearing about the periphery of its front face indications relating to the months of the year. The front face of the disk 102 further displays a printed year indicator 104 identifying a year. It should be appreciated that the disk 102 shown in the Figure is intended to be used on food items stored in the year 2003. Alternative indicator means could bear a different year in the year indicator 104. The indicator means 100 further comprises a marker portion in the form of a pointer 106. The pointer 106 is fixed to the centre of the disk 102 with a pin 108, about which the pointer 106 is free to rotate.

As can be seen from the view of the indicator means 100 shown in Figure 2, in which like parts bear the same reference numerals as in Figure 1, the disk 102 comprises on its rear face an adhesive layer 200.

In use of the indicator means 100, the disk 102 is attached to the packaging of a food item, for example a carton of homemade ice cream, by applying the adhesive layer 200 to the carton and pressing down. The pointer 106 is then rotated to point to the appropriate month on the disk 102, the month being the month in which the ice cream is made and stored in a freezer. In the example of the Figures, the pointer 106 is pointed towards the month of May. The consumer will therefore be reminded that the ice cream was produced or stored in May 2003 when they remove it from the freezer and can decide whether it has been stored for too long to be eaten safely.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention. A babies' bottle 300 comprises a bottle body 302. The babies' bottle 300 of this example is standard in the art. As will be familiar to those skilled in the art, the bottle body 302 is open at one end and comprises at that end a narrowed opening with a screw thread on to which a collar 304 may be screwed. There is further provided a cap 306 which is suitably sized so as to fit tightly around the collar 304. The skilled person will appreciate that in use of the bottle 300, the bottle body 302 is filled with a feed and a teat is then rested over the open end. The collar 304 is then placed over the teat and screwed into place, acting to hold the teat against the open end of the body 302. The cap 306 may then be placed over the teat to prevent spills and maintain hygiene. While some force must be applied to remove the cap 306, it is rotatable relative to the collar 304 with relative ease.

According to this embodiment of the invention, a calendar portion 308 is provided on the cap 306, which is marked with the days of the week and times of day about its open end. The collar 304 provides the marker portion, being marked with an arrow 310. Figure 4 shows the collar 304 bearing the marker arrow 310 and the cap 306 bearing the calendar portion 308 which have each been removed from the bottle body 302 shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the fourth aspect of the invention. A babies' bottle 300 comprises a bottle body 302 and a feeding teat 312 which is attached to the bottle body 302 by means of a screw threaded collar 304 bearing a marker arrow 310. The cap 306 of the bottle 300 fits tightly over the collar 304 and has a calendar portion 308. It will be apparent from Figure 5 that the calendar portion 308 indicates the time and date by day (e.g. Monday, Tuesday etc.) and time of day (e.g. am and pm) .

In use of the bottle 300, a feed is placed within the body 302 and the bottle 300 is assembled as described above. The cap 306 is then rotated until the arrow 310 on the collar 304 lines up with the day and time at which the feed was prepared on the calendar portion 308 on the cap 306.

It will be appreciated that there are many possible embodiments of the present invention. For example, an indicator means could be provided as an integral part of other food packaging, for example Tupperware"" or similar products. Further, more than one indicator means could be provided on a single device, perhaps, for example, giving a range of years. Further, an indicator means could be provided with more than one calendar portions. For example, consider a variation on the indicator means 100 of Figure 1 wherein a range of years could be provided about the periphery of one disk and the months about another, with the disks being rotatable relative to each other. The month and year of storage could be lined up when the marker is used to indicate the date. Alternatively, the year and the month could be provided on a single disk and two pointers could be provided, one used to indicate each of the month and the year.

Such alternative embodiments are provided by way of example only and further embodiments, which do not depart from the scope of the invention, are possible.

Claims

1. An indicator means arranged to display the time of production and/or storage of a food item, the indicator means comprising at least one calendar portion comprising a disk arranged to display indication of time and/or date and at least one marker portion, the indicator means being arranged such that the or each marker portion is moveable relative to the or each calendar portion wherein, in use of the indicator means, the or each marker portion is positioned to indicate on the or each calendar portion the time of production and/or storage of the food item.

2. An indicator means as defined in claim 1, which additionally comprises at least one fixing means arranged to allow the indicator means to be fixed to a food item or its packaging.

3. An indicator means as defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one fixing means comprises adhesive, a clip or clasp means.

4. An indicator means as defined in claim 1, which is an integral part of the packaging of a food item.

5. An indicator means as defined in any preceding claims, wherein the or each calendar portion displays times and/or dates marked around its periphery.

6. An indicator means as defined in any preceding claims, wherein the or each marker portion comprises a rotatable pointer.

7. An indicator means as defined in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or each marker portion comprises a disk of substantially the same size as the or each calendar portion with a transparent portion provided therein, the window being such that a date or time on the calendar portion may be viewed there through.

8. An indicator means as defined in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the 5 or each marker portion comprises at least one marker means which may be one or more of a dimple, a pimple, a score line or a printed mark.

9. An indicator means as defined in any preceding claims, wherein the, some or each marker portion is fixed and the, some or each calendar

10 portion is rotated.

10. A container integrally bearing at least one indicator means as defined in any of claims 1 to 9.

^• 15 11. A container having attached thereto at least one indicator means as defined in any of claims 1 to 9.

12. A container as defined in claim 10 or claim 11, which is a food container.

^'20

13. A bottle comprising a bottle body, a collar and a cap, wherein the bottle body comprises an open end and the collar is arranged to fit about the open end and further arranged, in use of said bottle, to retain a feeding teat, and the cap is arranged to fit over the collar such that it may

25 be rotated with respect to the collar, one of said cap and said collar comprising at least one calendar portion and the other of said cap and said collar comprising at least one marker portion.

14. A bottle as defined in claim 13, wherein the or each calendar 30 portion is provided about the open end of the cap of the bottle and the or each marker portion is provided by the collar of the bottle.

15. A bottle as defined in claim 13, wherein the or each marker portion is provided on the cap of the bottle and the or each calendar portion is provided on the collar.

16. A bottle as defined in claim 13, wherein either the or each calendar portion or the or each marker portion is provided on the body of the bottle.

17. A cap for a bottle comprising an integral calendar portion.

18. A collar arranged to fit about the neck of a bottle and further arranged, in use of said bottle, to retain a feeding teat, the collar comprising a calendar portion.

19. A method of recording the time of preparation and/or storage of a food item comprising providing at least one indicator means, the or each indicator means comprising at least one calendar portion comprising a disk and at least one marker portion being moveable relative to the at least one calendar portion and being capable of being positioned to indicate a time and/or date on the at least one calendar portion, the method further comprising associating the or each indicator means with a food item and arranging the or each marker portion to indicate the date and/or time or the production and/or storage of the associated food item.