The present finding concerns a bottle, suitable in particular for containing drinks and able to be transformed into a cup, according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is known that bottles suitable for containing drinks, in most cases, have a cylindrical symmetrical structure, with a lower part having a substantially cylindrical shape and with a flat bottom; this lower part, going upwards, is intended to gradually become narrower, constituting the so-called "neck" of the bottle, which ends on top with an opening, able to be closed through a special cap, from which the user has the possibility of letting out the drink contained in the bottle when so desired and for the desired amounts. In bottles put on the market in normal distribution channels, (shops, supermarkets and commercial enterprises in general) the cap is always sealed, so as to allow it to be known whether the seal has been broken and whether the user is the first person who has access inside the bottle itself. In particular, so-called crown-shaped caps are known, made from metallic material and able to be opened through a levered bottle opener, as are screw caps, which foresee the presence of a threading both on the mouth of the bottle, and at their inner surface. Another type of cap consists of the so-called cork, traditionally actually made from cork, but now also made from suitable plastic materials, which is inserted by force into the mouth itself, closing it.

As already stated earlier, whatever the type of bottle closure, around the cap seals are always arranged generally consisting of small casings of plastic material, tinfoil or similar, which must be irreversibly torn to allow the cap to be opened, thus making it possible to immediately tell whether it has or has not been opened.

In actual fact, the cork is reserved for closures of bottles containing wines, liqueurs and high-quality beers.

It is also known that once the bottle is open the user must generally power the content of the bottle into a cup in order to be able to drink the beverage contained in it.

It is clear that, in principle, the user could even drink the beverage directly by bringing the mouth of the neck of the bottle to his lips, but many user do not like this action and in any case it is absolutely not to be recommended in the case in which a plurality of users must drink from the same bottle, for obvious reasons of hygiene. In fact, this action is generally carried out by the user who wishes to drink the beverage (generally beer) from a small bottle with low volume (up to 33 cl) or, if needed, when it is absolutely not possible to have a cup available to drink the beverage.

It should also be noted that, in the case in which the user consumes the beverage in a public building, the manager of the public place has to clean the cup after it has been used, with a clear need for manpower to carry out such an operation, even in the case in which automatic means are used, such as dishwashers and the like.

Moreover, in the case in which the cups are not adequately washed, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens can be transmitted between the various users.

In order to try to avoid these drawbacks bottles have been devised that can easily be transformed into a cup, so as to allow the user to easily consume the beverage even in the case in which it is not drunk at home or in a public building.

In particular, document WO - 99/37190 describes a bottle whose bottom is not fixedly connected to the body of the bottle itself and can be fixed to the aforementioned body through reversible fixing means. Such a bottle, which is closed through a normal crown-shaped cap, has a bottom from whose surface rises an internally threaded side extension, which engages in a corresponding threading formed at the lower end of the body of the bottle. Vice-versa, from the central part of the bottom a seat rises up, consisting of a single rigid body in which the upper end of the neck of the bottle, still closed by a crown-shaped cap, can be coupled by fastening.

In this way the bottle transforms into a cup and the user can thus drink the content of the bottle directly from its mouth, which substantially coincides with the bottom of the bottle in normal conditions, i.e. when the bottom of the bottle itself is still closed.

A similar configuration is described in document DE-A-4109886, in which however the bottle is not closed by a crown-shaped cap, but rather it is closed permanently and still has an annular collar suitable for simulating the presence of a crown-shaped cap. Also in this case the structure is suitable for inserting into a single rigid element projection from the surface of the original bottom of the bottle like in the previous case.

Both of the devices described above have the substantial drawback due to the fact that the crown-shaped cap, or the annular collar that simulates its presence, engage with a single rigid body, with difficulty both in obtaining the fastening together of said elements, as well as in ensuring the seal between them; this is particularly important if one considers that a bad seal between said elements is likely to cause the beverage contained in the cup to leak out.

In patent application no. VI2006A000044, to the same Applicant, a bottle is described that is also permanently closed and that has an annular collar suitable for simulating the presence of a crown-shaped cap, which however differs from the document described above in that rising from the bottom of the bottle there is not just a single element, but rather a plurality of projections, arranged on the same circumference, between which the annular element can be arranged, which stays locked between them, as well as fastened to them. The replacement of the single rigid element with a plurality of elastic projections makes it easier to insert the annular projection and therefore to lock it, which is likely to avoid the drawbacks described above.

In patent application no. VI2007000190, again to the same Applicant, it is foreseen for there to be an annular recess near to the area in which the bottom of the bottle is screwed. This annular recess is intended to have the edge of a suitable small plate, intended to close the mouth of the bottle, placed against it, said small plate being arranged between said mouth and the bottom of the aforementioned bottle. Thanks to the presence of the small plate, the seal against the escape of liquids from the bottle is effective; however, the presence of a small plate constitutes a further constructive and functional complication. Furthermore, the fact that the bottom 3 can be fixed to the bottle through a suitable threading gives rise to constructive difficulties in making the bottle, as well as functional difficulties during its use. The purpose of the present finding is to foresee a bottle of the type described earlier, which is simpler from the constructive point of view and easier to use with respect to similar known devices.

This is obtained, according to the finding, by foreseeing a configuration according to the characterising part of claim 1.

The finding will now be described in detail, with reference to some particular embodiments, given as non-limiting examples, with the help of the attached tables of drawings, where:

Fig. 1 (table I) illustrates an overall side view of the device according to the finding;

Fig. 2 illustrates a vertical section view of the aforementioned device;

Fig. 3 illustrates the detail indicated with III in figure 2;

Fig. 4 (table II) illustrates an overall view of the device according to the finding when it is positioned in the cup condition;

Fig. 5 illustrates a vertical section view of the aforementioned device.

In figures 1 and 2 it can be seen that the device according to the finding consists of a bottle 1 , which in principle can take on any configuration, which, like in some of the documents quoted earlier, is closed at its upper end, for example through a baffle 10 foreseen to completely block off the neck of the bottle. However, at the upper end of the bottle there is an annular projection 2, which simulates the presence of the crown-shaped cap.

Vice-versa, the body of the bottle is open on the bottom and can be reversibly closed through a bottom 3, with substantially circular configuration.

As can be clearly seen in figure 3, at the outer edge of the mouth of the bottle there is an annular protrusion 6, which inserts into an annular seat 7 formed near to the outer edge of the bottom 3. Advantageously, said bottom 3 will be made from a sufficiently rigid material, whereas the outer edge of a gasket 11 , made from elastic material and that almost entirely covers the surface of the bottom 3 that is arranged upwards in the bottle condition, is inserted inside the annular seat 7; an annular recess 1 1 ' is also suitably foreseen, which is placed in contrast with the annular protrusion 6, determining the perfect seal of the bottom of the bottle against the escape of liquid contained in it.

In the condition illustrated in figures 1 and 2 the bottle is suitable for being used as such.

Vice-versa, the bottle can easily be transformed into a cup, as illustrated in figures 4 and 5. In order to obtain this transformation the bottle will firstly be turned upside-down, so that the mouth 12 of the bottle faces downwards. As already stated earlier, the mouth of the bottle is closed and thus there is no danger of the liquid escaping from it. At this point the bottom 3 will be removed from the open mouth 12 of the bottle, arranged at the bottom (fig. 2) and now arranged at the top (fig. 5). Then the bottom 3 will be rested on the support surface, taking care to rotate the surface by 180° beforehand, ensuring that its surface, which previously received the mouth 12 of the bottle, is now arranged downwards. As the opposite surface to the latter, in a per se known way, there is a plurality of projections 4, made from elastic material and arranged to form a circumference, slightly spaced apart. Each of these projections is equipped with a tooth 5 intended to latch onto the inner edge of the projection 2 present at one of the ends of the bottle, determining the fastening of the bottle to the bottom 3, which therefore acts as a support means for the aforementioned bottle. In practice, the user now has a cup and can drink the beverage contained in the cup directly from the mouth 12 that before, in the bottle condition, was arranged at the bottom.

From the above it can thus be seen how the device according to the finding is able to act in a simple and practical manner both as a bottle and as a cup, according to the particular requirements of the user. All of this takes place more simply than in similar known devices.

In particular, the use of the device according to the finding makes it possible to avoid the use of cups during parties, demonstrations and shows. Moreover, the device is intrinsically environmentally friendly since the body of the bottle, advantageously made from glass, can be easily recycled, as can its bottom, made from plastic material.