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Beverage Container

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to beverage containers, and particularly relates to containers for supplying beverages to consumers. The invention has particular utility for the storage and supply of carbonated and other sparkling drinks, but is also suitable for use with other types of drinks.

BACKGROUND ART

A beverage container comprising a cap, collar and container body is disclosed in WO2006/000774 the contents of which are incorporated herein.

The present invention seeks to provide a beverage container having improvements over that described in WO2006/00074.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention provides a beverage container comprising a container body including an opening, a cap to close the opening and a collar for fitting between the cap and container body and by means of which the cap can be releasably secured to the container body, the cap having a tamper band secured thereto by one or more frangible connections and one or more tethers whereby, upon rotation of the cap in the loosening direction relative to the collar, the frangible connections are ruptured to provide visible tamper evidence whilst the tamper band remains connected to the cap by the tethers and so can be removed from the container body with the cap.

An advantage of the invention is that by providing a collar on a beverage container body, to which a cap may be secured in order to close the container, which collar preferably may be removed from the container body, enables the container body to be free from exterior threads or other securement means for securing the cap thereto. Providing a beverage

container that is free from exterior threads or other securement means enables the provision of a truly practical beverage container from which consumers may drink directly. This is because the presence of threads adjacent to the opening is a major reason for bottles and known wide- mouth containers being impractical as truly acceptable drinking vessels for consumers.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is to be understood that the term "collar" as used in this specification does not include known cap-like parts that extend across openings in containers.

Preferably, the container body of the invention includes one or more retaining parts by which the collar is retained on the container body until removal of the cap causes the collar to be removed or removable from the container body. Advantageously, the retaining part may be a rim of the container body, preferably a radially-outwardly projecting rim. Preferably, the collar is retained on the container body by being trapped beneath the rim or other retaining part of the container body. Additionally or alternatively, the (or each) retaining part may be a recess (e.g. a depression or indentation) in a surface, preferably an exterior surface, of the container body (e.g. in a rim of the container body, optionally at the lower edge thereof) of the container body. For example, the container body may be provided with one or more recesses provided around the exterior circumference of the container body. Preferably the collar engages with the one or more retaining parts to retain the collar on the container body in use.

The collar may advantageously comprise a plurality of flaps or other parts arranged spaced-apart from each other along the circumferential extent of the collar.

Preferably the flaps or other parts of the collar are indirectly connected to each other by means of a ring portion of the collar to which the flaps or other parts are directly connected. When the collar is

attached to the container body with the container body upright and the opening uppermost, preferably the ring portion of the collar is the lowermost portion thereof, with the flaps or other parts extending substantially vertically therefrom. The flaps or other parts of the collar preferably include radially-inwardly projecting shoulders which preferably engage with the rim or other retaining part of the container body to retain the collar thereon.

The cap is releasably securable to the container body via the collar, preferably by means of a threaded engagement with the collar. Consequently, the (or each) securement means of the collar and/or the cap preferably is a thread. The threaded engagement may comprise a screw-threaded engagement. Preferably, however, the threaded engagement is a bayonet-style engagement. The term "thread" as used herein includes (at least in the broadest aspects of the invention) continuous and discontinuous threads, (e.g. continuous and discontinuous screw threads), and bayonet-style threads, for example. Threads used in relation to the invention may, for example, comprise a plurality of segments (each thread segment comprising a said securement means), in which case the thread may be discontinuous (e.g. a discontinuous screw- thread or a bayonet-thread), or it may be substantially continuous because the effect is that of a substantially continuous screw-thread pattern.

The (or each) bayonet thread preferably comprises a substantially circumferentially-extending part and a substantially axially-extending part. The substantially circumferentially-extending part of the thread provides the securement (direct, or indirect via a collar) of the cap to the container body, by preventing axial movement between the cap and the container body; it may include a slight incline such that it extends over a small axial distance along its circumferential length. The substantially axially-extending part of the thread enables a protrusion engageable with the thread to become engaged therewith and/or disengaged therefrom. However, at least in some embodiments of the invention (as explained

below) the bayonet thread may comprise only a substantially circumferentially-extending part, and may not include a substantially axially-extending part.

Preferably a plurality of bayonet threads is provided. Thus, the number of bayonet threads preferably is at least two, more preferably at least four, even more preferably at east six, e.g. eight or more. The bayonet threads preferably are substantially evenly spaced around the circumference of the cap, collar or container body.

The (or each) stop member of a bayonet thread may for example comprise a step, ledge, obstruction or projecting member of the bayonet thread over which a respective protrusion (engaged with the bayonet thread) must pass in order to disengage the protrusion from the bayonet thread. Most preferably, the (or each) stop member of the bayonet thread comprises a step between two axially differing levels of the bayonet thread (the axis being an axis of the circumferentially-extending thread, and being the same as the axis extending through the opening of the container body when the cap is secured to the container body).

For those embodiments of the invention in which the bayonet thread(s) of the invention is/are provided in a skirt of the cap, as described earlier in this specification, each bayonet thread preferably includes a radially-outwardly extending recess, for example for accommodating a radially-outward protrusion provided on the collar. The recess preferably is provided substantially at an end region in the disengaging direction, of the substantially circumferentially-extending part of the bayonet thread. That is, a protrusion on the collar preferably is able to extend into the recess when the cap and the collar are rotated with respect to each other as far as possible in the disengaging direction. Consequently, when the cap and the container body are in this rotational orientation with respect to each other, and the cap is lifted axially away from the container body, the collar preferably is removed from the container body together with the cap, by means of an outward flexing or

movement of parts (e.g. flaps) of the collar accommodated by the recesses provided in the bayonet thread. It should be understood that for such embodiments of the invention, it is not always necessary for the bayonet thread to include an axially-extending part in addition to the generally circumferentially-extending part of the thread, because it may not be necessary for the cap to be separated from the collar.

It is to be understood that any feature of any aspect of the invention may be a feature of any other aspect of the invention.

In preferred arrangements, the threadform(s) on the cap provide two functions, first they provide securement of the cap to the collar in the axial direction and, secondly, they provide a camming action to urge the flaps of the collar radially inwards to engage the flaps securely against one or more retaining part(s) of the container body (e.g. recesses in the container body).

A second aspect of the invention provides a beverage container comprising a container body including an opening, a cap to close the opening and a collar mounted on the container body, the cap and collar having thread portions by which the cap may be secured to the collar, thereby securing the cap to the container body, the container body having an outwardly projecting lip around said opening and one or more recesses in the external surface thereof spaced from an underside of said lip, the collar having engaging means for engaging said recess whereby rotation of the collar relative to the container is inhibited whilst the cap is rotated in a tightening direction relative to the collar and the collar having radially moveable components which, when the cap is rotated in a tightening direction relative to the collar, are removeably secured beneath the lip of the container whereby the collar and hence the cap are secured to the container.

The opening of the container body may be a narrow-mouth opening, e.g. a bottle-type opening. Such an opening may have a

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diameter of less then 40mm, for example. Conventional standard bottle mouth sizes include diameters of 28mm and 38mm, and the opening of the container body of some embodiments of the present invention may have such a diameter.

Alternatively, the opening of the container body may be a wide- mouth opening. By a "wide-mouth opening" is meant (at least in its broadest sense) an opening of a size suitable for a person to drink from the container in the same manner as from a drinks glass or similar drinking vessel. That is, in its broadest sense, the wide-mouth opening of the container (for embodiments of the invention having a wide-mouth opening) generally renders the container suitable as a drinking vessel from which a beverage supplied in the container may be conveniently drunk (in contrast to conventional narrow-necked bottles and ring-pull cans which generally are not regarded as comfortable drinking vessels). In practice, this requirement means that the diameter of the wide-mouth opening of the container will normally need to be at least 40mm, preferably at least 45mm, and more preferably at least 50mm. Additionally, an excessively wide opening is generally difficult for the consumer to drink from, and thus the wide-mouth opening preferably has a diameter no greater than 150mm, more preferably no greater than 100mm, and especially no greater than 80mm. A particularly preferred diameter range for the wide-mouth opening is 50 to 80mm, and examples of particular preferred diameters include 53mm and 63mm.

The container body preferably has no thread or thread segments on its exterior. Consequently, the container body preferably is comfortable for a consumer to drink directly from the container body.

A wide variety of thread forms for securing the cap to the container body via the collar, is possible. As indicated at the beginning of this specification, at least some embodiments of the invention are intended for the storage and supply of carbonated and other sparkling drinks, for example beers, ciders, sparkling wines (including champagne), other fizzy

alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic fizzy and sparkling beverages, including sparkling water and carbonated soft drinks. For such beverages, it is preferred for the engagement between the cap and the collar to include provision for gas venting upon partial removal of the cap from the container body, to prevent so-called "missiling" of the cap whereby the cap is violently ejected from the container body as the container is opened, by the gas pressure of the contents of the container.

Advantageously, therefore, the collar and the cap may include means, preferably engageable elements, to block or restrict removal of the cap from the collar beyond an intermediate position (between fully secured and fully released) when the cap is under an axial pressure in a direction emerging from the container body.

Preferably the cap, the collar and the container body are constructed and arranged to provide a vent for venting gas from the container body at least when the cap is in an intermediate position (between fully secured and fully released).

As mentioned above, the cap, the collar, and the container body preferably are configured such that removal of the cap from the container body causes or allows removal of the collar from the container body. In some of the simplest embodiments of the invention, removal of the cap from the container body merely allows removal of the collar from the container body. Such removal of the collar from the container body may comprise simply pulling the collar from the opposite end of the container body from the opening (and indeed, this might be achieved automatically by gravity, in some embodiments). Alternatively, a more positive act of removal of the collar may be required of the consumer, for example tearing the collar from the container body, e.g. by means of one or more frangible portions of the collar. Of course, where removal of the collar from the container body is not automatic, the consumer might opt to leave the collar in place. However, this is less preferred because an advantage of the collar is that its removal from the container body can

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leave the exterior of the container body free from threads, thus enhancing the experience of the consumer drinking directly from the container body.

In other embodiments of the invention, the removal of the cap from the container body may cause the removal of the collar from the container body. For example, the act of removing the cap from the container body may tear the collar (e.g. via one or more frangible portions of the collar). Additionally or alternatively, the act of removal of the cap from the container body may cause the collar to be removed from the container body together with the cap. That is, the collar may be removed from the container body together with the cap, for example as described above.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cap and/or the collar may include tamper-evident means (e.g. a tamper-evident band). Preferably the tamper-evident means is removed from the container body along with the cap.

Embodiments of the invention may include sealing means to seal the container. Such sealing means may comprise part of the cap and/or the container body and/or the collar and/or a separate component, for example. Preferred sealing means include sealing flanges and/or other sealing members, for example gaskets and the like. Another possible sealing member is a membrane seal, for example comprising a metal foil seal (e.g. formed from aluminium foil), which may optionally be provided with one or more polymer layers on one or both major surfaces thereof. The foil seal may provide an excellent gas barrier, for example. Advantageously, the use of a metal foil seal may enable the formation of a seal by induction heating, e.g. by bonding one or more polymer layers to the container body and/or to the cap. The foil seal or other membrane seal may be provided on the cap and/or the container body and/or the collar and/or separately.

The container and its components may be made from any suitable material, including metal and/or glass and/or polymer material. Polymer

materials are generally preferred for the cap and the collar, especially polyolefins, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene. The container body preferably is formed from glass or polymer material, especially a polyolefin, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The polymeric components preferably are formed by moulding, especially injection moulding and/or blow moulding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of a preferred embodiment of a beverage container showing a cap, a collar and a container body prior to assembly;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view from beneath of the cap and collar shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view from above of the cap and collar shown in Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate assembly of the cap, collar and container body together, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment after a first stage of assembly and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment after a second stage of assembly.

Figures 6-8 illustrate the removal of the cap and collar from the container body, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment after a first stage of removal, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment after a second stage of removal and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment after a third stage removal.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The beverage container described herein has many similarities with one or more of the beverage containers described in WO2006/000774 the contents of which are incorporated herein.

The beverage container comprises a cap 1, a collar 2 and a container body 3. The cap 1 comprises thread features on the internal surface of a skirt portion IA thereof similar to (but not identical with) those described in WO2006/000774 in relation to Figures 5-10 thereof. The cap 1 also comprises a tamper band 4 attached to the lower end of the skirt portion IA of the cap 1. This tamper band 4 differs from that described in WO2006/000774 and will be described further below.

The collar 2 illustrated herein is also very similar to that described in WO2006/00074, e.g. in relation to Figures 5-10 thereof, and comprises a ring portion 2A and a plurality of radially moveable flaps 2B upstanding therefrom. There are, however, a number of differences which will be described further below.

The container body 3 is also similar to one or more of the container bodies described in WO2006/000774. The container body illustrated herein comprises an outwardly projecting lip 3A which provides a similar function to the lip of the container body described in WO2006/000774 in relation to Figures 1-11 thereof, in particular in retaining the collar 2 once the closure is mounted on the container body. The container body 3 also has one or more relatively small recesses 3B in the external surface thereof, preferably spaced from the underside of lip 3A. These recesses 3B interact with projections 2C on the inner surface of the ring portion 2A of the collar 2 as will be described further below.

Figures 2 and 3 show enlarged, more detailed views of the cap 1 and collar 2. It will be seen that the tamper band 4 is connected to the skirt IA of the cap by a first set of, e.g. sixteen, small frangible connections 4A and by four relatively long tethers 4B. One end of each

tether 4B is connected to the skirt IA of the cap 1 and the other end is connected to the tamper band 4. When the frangible connections 4A are intact, the tethers 4B lie substantially horizontal and extend around the circumference of the cap 1. The internal surface of the tamper band 4 is provided with one or more projections 4C one side of which is chamfered and the other side of which extends radially inwards.

The thread features of the cap include deep pockets IB for receiving the thread features of the flaps 2B when the collar is installed in the cap, inclined thread paths ID along which the thread features of the flaps travel as the cap is tightened and lead out ramps 1C to lead the thread features of the flaps 2B between the deep pockets IB and thread paths ID. These features correspond to similar features described in WO2006/000774.

As indicated above, one or more projections 2C are provided on the internal surface of the ring portion 2A of the collar 2. One side of the projections 2C is chamfered whilst the opposite side extends in a substantially radial direction. The external surface of the ring portion 2A of the collar 2 is also provided with one or more projections (four in the example shown) 2D to act as stop features. One side of these is also chamfered whilst the other extends radially outwards.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate assembly of the cap, collar and container body. Preferably, the collar 2 is first located within the cap 1, thread features of the flaps 2B fitting into recesses within the skirt portion IA of the cap (as described further in WO2006/000774). The ring portion 2A of the collar then lies within and adjacent to the tamper band 4 (so is not visible in Figures 4 or 5). The cap 1 with collar 2 located therein is then placed over the lip 3A of the container body and rotated in a tightening direction. As described further in WO2006/000774, the cap 1 is thus secured to the container body 3 by means of the collar 2.

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Figures 6-8 illustrate removal of the cap and collar from the container body. First, the cap 1 is rotated in a loosening direction relative to the collar 2. The collar 2 is inhibited from rotating relative to the container in the loosening direction by engagement of the projections 2C on the ring portion thereof with one or more of the recesses 3B in the container body. The tamper band 4 is also inhibited from rotating in the loosening direction relative to the collar 2 by engagement of projections 4C thereof with the external projections 2D of the collar. Rotation of the cap 1 in the loosening direction thus causes the frangible connections 4A to be ruptured and the tethers 4B to adopt a folded concertinered form as shown in Figure 6.

Once all the frangible connections 4A have been ruptured, the tamper band 4 is free to drop down although it remains connected to and suspended from the cap 1 by the tethers 4B as shown in Figure 7. As tamper band 4 has dropped down, the exterior of the ring portion 2A of the collar can be seen in Figure 7.

Once the cap 1 has been rotated sufficiently far in the loosening direction, it can be moved axially so as to remove it from the container body 3 (details of removal of the cap 1 and collar 2 being provided in WO2006/000774). The cap (with the collar still located therein and the tamper band 4 suspended therefrom) can then be lifted clear of the container body 3 as shown in Figure 8.

As indicated above, the projections 2C, 2D and 4C each have a chamfered edge and a radially orientated edge. In each case, this is to enable the projection to ride over a feature on the adjacent component when rotated in one direction but to inhibit rotation relative to that component when rotated in the opposite direction. The tamper band 4 may, for example, be rotated in the tightening direction relative to the collar as the chamfered edges of the projections 4C ride over the projections 2D but, when rotated in the loosening direction, the radial

faces of the projections 4C and 2D engage so as to inhibit further rotation between the tamper band and the collar.

The tamper evident features described above may also be used in the beverage containers described in WO2006/000774, i.e. the caps described therein may be provided with tamper bands which are tethered to the cap so the tamper band is removed along with the cap when the cap is removed from the container body.

It will be appreciated that in the arrangements described, the collar provides thread features to which the cap may be secured (so such thread features need not be provided on the container body) and it provides stop features to inhibit rotation of the tamper band when the cap is rotated in the loosening direction. Such features do not therefore need to be provided on the container body (although one or more small recesses or other stop features may be provided thereon to inhibit rotation of the collar relative thereto). The container can thus be formed with minimal features which might impair a user's experience when drinking directly from the container body.

As described above, the collar is arranged to be secured beneath the lip of the container and rotation of the collar relative to the container may be inhibited by engagement of projections provided on the ring portion of the collar with recesses in the container body which are spaced from the underside of the lip of the container. Whilst it is preferred that such arrangement also be provided with a tamper band of the type described above, in some circumstances this may be omitted (or replaced by other tamper evident features).