Background to the Invention It is an increasing problem that foreign substances, such as alcohol or drugs, are introduced into beverages without the knowledge of the individual drinking the beverage.

It would be desirable therefore to provide a device for controlling the passage of liquids into and out of a beverage container.

Summary of the Invention A first aspect of the invention provides a flow control device comprising a stopper and a support, the stopper being rotatable with respect to the support about an axis, the device further comprising a passage formed through the support and having first and second ends that open onto the surface of the stopper, the stopper being rotatable between a first state, in which said first and second ends are exposed by the support, and a second state, in which said first and second ends are obscured by the support.

In preferred embodiments, the stopper is freely rotatable about said axis. The centre of gravity of the stopper is advantageously displaced from said axis of rotation.

The stopper may be generally spherical in shape. The support may comprise a collar, the stopper being rotatably carried by the collar such that the collar surrounds at least part of the stopper. The collar may be generally ring-like in shape and may surround a mid-portion of the stopper. The stopper may be mounted on the support by means of an axle. The passage may be generally linear in shape.

In a preferred embodiment, a stop member is provided on the stopper, the stop member being arranged for engagement with the support upon rotation of the stopper. This limits the amount by which the stopper can rotate. A gasket may be provided between the support and the stopper.

The axis of rotation may pass through the centre of the stopper. The passage may be generally coplanar with the axis of rotation. The passage may also be generally perpendicular with said axis of rotation.

A second aspect of the invention provides a container having a base and a dispensing mouth, the container comprising the flow control device of the first aspect of the invention, the flow control device being seated in the mouth.

Preferably, the flow control is seated in the container such that said axis of rotation is generally horizontally disposed when the container stands on its base.

The axis may be generally parallel with the portion of the container in which the device is seated. The passage is preferably generally horizontally disposed when the stopper adopts its rest position (after free rotation about the axis.

An outer circumference of the collar is conveniently shaped and dimensioned for engagement within a neck of a bottle or other vessel or container. The outer circumference of the collar may be provided with means for securing the device within a neck of a bottle or other vessel or container.

Further advantageous aspects of the invention will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention are now described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals are used to indicate like parts and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a flow control device according to the present invention, the device being mounted within the neck of a bottle (the bottle being shown in cut-away form); Figure 2 is a sectioned side elevation of the device of Figure 1, in which the bottle is tilted to dispense liquid therefrom; Figure 3 is a sectioned side elevation of the device of Figure 1, in which the bottle is in an upright position; Figure 4 is a sectioned side elevation of a second embodiment of a flow control device, the device being shown in a tilted bottle; and Figure 5 is a sectioned side elevation of the device of Figure 4, in which the bottle is in an upright position; Detailed Description of the Drawings Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a flow control device, generally indicated as 10, for location within, for example, the neck 12 of

a container or vessel, especially a beverage container, in order to prevent, or at least to allow the detection of, the ingress of foreign objects such as insects or dirt, or substances such as alcohol or drugs. In the drawings, the device 10 is shown in situ in the neck of a bottle, although it will be understood that the invention is not limited to use with bottles or beverage containers.

The device 10 comprises a rotatable member or stopper 16, for example in the form of a generally spherical ball, rotatably carried by a support, for example in the form of a collar 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the stopper 16 is mounted in the collar 18 such that the stopper 16 is freely rotatable with respect to the collar 18. Free rotation means that the stopper 16 is able to rotate under its own momentum or by the action of its own weight under the influence of gravity. The stopper 16 may be mounted to the collar 18 by means of an axle 26, or two axle parts (e. g. pins on opposite sides of the stopper 16), although the stopper may alternatively be rotatably retained by the collar without the need for an axle. The collar has an inside face 19 that is preferably shaped to generally match the shape of the outer surface of the stopper 16. In the present embodiment, the inside face 19 is curved in a manner generally similar to part of the outside surface of a sphere. Hence, the collar 18 is able to retain the stopper 16 (such that it cannot readily be removed from the collar 18) while still allowing free rotation of the stopper 16. It will be seen that the collar 18 closely surrounds a central portion of the stopper 16, leaving only a minimal gap between the stopper 16 and collar 18 to permit the free rotation of the stopper 16 with respect to the collar 18. Hence, a respective portion of the stopper 16 is exposed on either side of the collar 18.

The collar 18 may take the form of a generally circular ring as shown in the drawings. This shape is particularly suited for fitting into the neck 12 of a bottle 14. It will be understood that the rotatable member and support may take alternative forms to the ones described herein and that the descriptions given herein are applicable to such alternative embodiments.

The stopper 16 is provided with a passage or bore 20 that extends the whole way through the stopper 16. The bore 20 terminates at the stopper surface in a first end 22 and a second end 24 respectively. Preferably, the bore 20 is shaped that its ends 22,24 are generally oppositely disposed on the surface of the stopper 16.

For example, when the stopper 16 takes the preferred form of a ball, the ends 22, 24 are, preferably, generally diametrically opposite one another.

The stopper 16 may be moved, relative to the collar 18, between a first, or dispensing, state or position in which each end 22,24 is exposed on a respective side of the collar 18 (as illustrated in Figure 2), and a second, or closed, state or position in which the ends 22,24 are occluded by the collar 18 (as illustrated in Figure 3). In the first state, liquid may flow through the bore 20 from one side of the collar 18 to the other, while in the second state, liquid is prevented from entering the bore 20 from either side of the collar 18. Hence, when in the first state, the device 10 allows liquid to flow from the bottle 14, through the device 10, and to be drunk or poured from the neck 12. In the second state, no liquid can exit the bottle 14, nor can any foreign objects or substances enter the bottle 14 (beyond the device 10). The device 10 serves as a valve, selectively permitting the flow of liquid therethrough.

In order for the device 10 to perform its intended function, it is preferred that the through bore 20 permits the flow of fluid when the bottle 14 is tilted into a pouring or drinking position, and prevents access to the interior of the bottle 14 when the bottle 14 is in a substantially vertical orientation, for example when standing on a table. This is because the bottle 14 will generally be in an upright position when left unattended, and it is at such times that a beverage is most likely to be tampered with.

To this end, the stopper 16 is rotatable about an axis of rotation (although the stopper 16 may actually be rotatable about more than one axis of rotation depending on how it is mounted to the collar 18) and the centre of gravity of the

stopper 16 is displaced from said axis of rotation (i. e. it does not lie on the axis of rotation) such that, depending on the orientation of the device 10, the weight of the stopper 16 causes the stopper 16 to rotate about the axis of rotation to adopt one or other of the dispensing or closed states. In the preferred embodiment, the device is fitted to a bottle, or other container, such that the stopper 16 adopts the closed state when the container is in an upright position (e. g. a bottle standing on its base). A convenient manner to achieve this is to fit the device 10 to the container 14 such that the axis of rotation of the stopper 16 is generally horizontally disposed when the container is upright. Hence, when the container 14 is upright (Figure 3), the weight of the stopper 16 causes the stopper 16 to rotate about the axis until the centre of gravity of the stopper 16 is below the axis.

When the container 14 is tilted (Figure 2), the weight of the stopper 16 also causes the stopper 16 to rotate about the axis until the centre of gravity of the stopper 16 is below the axis. However, because the container 14 is tilted, the collar 18 obscures the ends 22,24 of the bore 20. Hence, the ends 22,24 of the bore 20 are positioned with respect to the centre of gravity of the stopper 16 such that they are obscured by the collar 18 in the closed state and exposed by the collar 18 in the dispensing state. In general, the centre of gravity of the stopper 16 is displaced from a notional line joining the ends 22,24.

In one embodiment, the stopper 16 is mounted to the collar 18 via axle 26 which, when the bottle 14 is standing upright as in Figure 3, is substantially horizontally disposed. The stopper 16 also includes a weight 28 that is displaced from the axle 26. Hence, when the bottle 14 is upright, the stopper 16 adopts and maintains, under the influence of gravity, the orientation of Figure 3 in which the weight 28 assumes a position beneath the axle 26. Preferably, the bore 20 is generally linear and is disposed such as to be substantially horizontally disposed when the stopper 16 hangs freely under the gravitational influence of the weight 28. In the preferred embodiment, the bore 20 (when linear), or at least a notional line joining its ends 22,24, is obliquely disposed to, and more preferably substantially perpendicular with, the axle 26 (or the axis of rotation if the axle is not present).

In moving the bottle 14 between the upright position of Figure 3, and the pouring/drinking position of Figure 2, the resting orientation of the stopper 16 is substantially unchanged, the collar 18 moving around the stopper 16 to occlude or expose the first end 22 and the second end 24 of the through bore 20.

In order to prevent excessive rotation of the stopper 16 relative to the collar 18, a stop 30 is preferably provided at the, in use, bottom of the stopper 16, which stop 30 abuts against the underside of the collar 18 once the bottle 14 has been tilted to a certain angle.

In addition, although the gap between the stopper 16 and the collar 18 is minimal, there is a possibility that liquid introduced into the neck 12 of the bottle 14 above the device 10 could slowly seep between the stopper 16 and the collar 18 and mix with the contents of the bottle 14. It is therefore preferable, but not essential, that the device 10 is provided with an annular gasket 32, or other sealing means, projecting from the collar 18 to lightly press against the stopper 16, thereby creating a substantially fluid or liquid tight seal between the stopper 16 and the collar 18. This gasket 32 is preferably formed from a rubber or light plastic, in order to be resiliently deformable, but should generate minimum friction with the stopper 16 in order to allow same to rotate freely within the collar 18.

Both the stopper 16 and the collar 18 may be formed from any suitable material.

For ease of manufacture, and to minimise the cost of the device 10, both the stopper 16 and the collar 18 are preferably formed from plastic. The weight 28 may be formed from a plastic having a greater density that the remainder of the stopper 16, thus providing the bottom-heavy characteristic described above.

Alternatively, the weight 28 may be of an entirely different material, and included with the stopper 16 during the manufacture, for example moulding, thereof. In addition, the gasket 32 may be formed integrally with the collar 18, from a plastic

or the like, again facilitating the simple and cost effective manufacture of the collar 18.

In order to secure the device 10 within the neck 12 of the bottle 14, a number of means may be employed, depending on the type/shape of the bottle 14 or container with which the device 10 is to be used. For example, the interior of the neck 12 may be threaded, with the outer circumference of the collar 18 being provided with a corresponding thread (not shown). Alternatively, if the neck 12 flares or tapers outwardly towards the free end thereof, the outer circumference of the collar 18 could be correspondingly tapered, such that the device 10 will achieve a taper lock within the neck 12, upon the device 10 being pushed a predetermined distance into same. As a further option, the collar 18 could contain a spring loaded locking ring (not shown) projecting from the outer circumference thereof, similar to a conventional piston ring on the cylinder of an internal combustion engine. This locking ring would bear against the interior of the neck 12 in order to hold the device 10 in place. It will apparent that any other suitable means may be utilised to secure the device in place while providing a substantially fluid tight seal between the collar 18 and the neck 12 of the bottle 14.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention in the form of a flow control device 110. The device 110 is generally similar to device 10 and so similar descriptions apply and like numerals are used to indicate like parts.

However, the stopper 116 is shaped to define a recess 150 in its outer surface.

The recess 150 is generally oppositely disposed to the centre of gravity of the stopper 116 with respect to the axis of rotation so that, when the stopper 116 adopts the closed state, the recess is exposed by the, in use, upper side 152 of the collar 118. Hence, the recess 150 faces, or is open to, the mouth of the bottle 114 or other container. The in use upper side 152 of the collar 118 is shaped to be generally sloped, tapered, chamfered or otherwise generally obliquely disposed with respect to the mouth of the recess 150. Preferably, a lip 154 is formed in the

upper side 152 of the collar 118, the lip 154 overhanging the recess 150 when the device 110 is in the closed state.

The arrangement is such that, the bottle 114 is upright, the upper side 150 of the collar 118 is generally oblique with respect to horizontal so that any liquid, or other substance, introduced into the mouth of the bottle 114 when the device 110 is closed, is directed into the recess 150 by the upper side 152 of the collar 118.

Hence, a user may inspect the contents of the recess 150 before drinking from the container. Should the user detect an unidentified substance in the recess 150, the beverage may be discarded.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein, which may be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.