Background of the Invention The"spiking"of drinks in bars and other venues in which drinks are consumed is a well recognised problem. Once a bottle has been opened, it can be relatively easy for someone else to introduce foreign materials such as drugs or strong alcohol into the bottle through the unprotected open neck whilst the drinker's attention is engaged elsewhere. The consequences of drinks being spiked without the drinker being aware of it are well known and are potentially very serious indeed. At present, there remains a need for a method of hindering or preventing drinks from being tampered with in this way.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a valve insert for a bottle that can help prevent or hinder the placing of foreign objects into the bottle. The valve insert provides sufficient clearance to allow liquids to be poured out of the bottle at an acceptable rate whilst making it difficult to insert foreign objects such as pills, tablets or powders into the bottle.

More particularly, the invention provides a valve for inserting into the neck of a bottle, the valve comprising: a hollow outer body having openings at two ends thereof so as to define a passage through which liquid from the bottle may flow, the outer body having an outer surface provided with means for engaging an inner surface of the bottle neck to hold the valve in place; an inner body comprising a valve member for closing the neck of the bottle, the valve member being carried by a valve stem a portion of which is disposed within the passage;

the valve stem being freely movable under gravity in the passage to carry the valve member between a closed position when the bottle is in an upright position and an open position when the bottle is inverted ; wherein means are provided for holding the inner and outer bodies together to prevent their separation when the bottle is inverted.

The outer surface of the outer body is provided with means for engaging an inner surface of the bottle neck to hold the valve in place. Such means can take the form of one or more deformable annular ribs extending around the circumference of the outer body. The annular ribs may be continuous or discontinuous and may, for example, take the form of an annular row of segments.

The means preventing removal of the valve stem from the passageway can take the form of one or more enlarged formations on the valve stem that limit the travel of the valve stem through the outer body. For example, in one embodiment, the valve stem is longer than the outer body and extends axially beyond both ends of the outer body, the valve stem having enlarged formations at either end of widths greater than the diameters of the openings in the outer body, wherein the enlarged end portions serve to hold the valve stem captive in the outer body. In such an arrangement, an enlarged formation at one end may constitute the valve member.

The valve member is arranged to close the neck of the bottle when the bottle is in an upright position. It can be configured to achieve this by closing the passage through the outer body, or by blocking an opening at one end of the passage or by engaging the rim surrounding the mouth of the bottle. Preferably, the valve member is located externally of the passage through the outer body portion and is arranged either to block an opening at one end of the hollow outer body, or to engage the rim surrounding the mouth of the bottle. An advantage of placing the valve member outside the passage rather than inside the passage is that it avoids the potential problem of the valve member sticking in the passage. The valve member can comprise a disc-like structure or flange extending radially outwardly from an end of the valve stem. The disc-like structure or flange is typically configured such that in use it sits in the mouth of a bottle and is substantially flush therewith. In this

way, when the bottle is in an upright position, and the valve is in the closed position, it cannot easily be opened. When the bottle is inverted, the disc-like structure or flange falls out of its seat to allow liquid to travel through the passageway past the valve stem and out of the bottle.

The valve member may be formed separately from the valve stem and then connected to the valve stem, or the valve member and valve stem may be integrally formed, for example by injection moulding.

The dimensions of the valve stem are selected such that there is sufficient clearance between the stem and the outer body to allow liquid to be poured out of the bottle at an acceptable rate, whilst preventing foreign objects such as pills from being inserted into the bottle. In order to facilitate liquid flow through the valve, the enlarged formation at the inner end of the valve stem can be provided with holes or cut out portions through or past which liquid can flow. For example, the enlarged formation may take the form of a cross, star or other multi-armed structure, whereby liquid can pass between the arms. The valve is not generally intended to perform a sealing function and is not generally fluid-tight when in the closed position. The purpose of the valve is to prevent objects from being pushed into the bottle while the user's attention is diverted. Whereas the clearance between the valve member and outer body may be such that powders or liquids could be introduced into the bottle if the valve is lifted out of its seat, this would be an altogether more complex task than simply dropping a substance through an open mouth of a bottle and would be more likely to be noticed by the drinker.

The outer body is typically formed from a plastics material such as a polyolefm (e. g. polyethylene) or a polyamide (e. g. "nylon"). The plastics material is sufficiently deformable that the ribs on the outer surface of the outer body are crushed as the valve is pushed into the neck of a bottle. The plastics material may have a degree of resilience or elasticity in order to improve the gripping ability of the ribs on the inner wall of the neck of the bottle.

In another aspect, the invention provides a valve comprising an outer body with flexible rings (e. g. for engaging the inner surface of the neck of a bottle), a piston

inner body that is able to move within the outer body ; the outer body having holes to allow liquids and air to move freely when the valve is tilted beyond a certain tilted position.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a bottle having inserted therein a valve as defined herein.

In a still further aspect, the invention provides a bottle containing a beverage, the bottle having inserted in its neck a valve as defined herein, the neck of the bottle being sealed by a removable bottle cap.

Brief Description of the Drawings Particular embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below by reference to the drawings Figures 1 to 9.

Figure 1 is a side view of a valve according to one embodiment of the invention in an upright or closed position.

Figure 2 illustrates the valve of Figure 1 in a tilted or open position.

Figure 3 illustrates the valve of Figures 1 and 2 inserted into a typical commercially available bottle.

Figure 4 is a side view of a valve according to a second embodiment of invention.

Figure 5 is a view from direction X of the valve of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view from direction Y of the valve of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation along line I-I in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional elevation through the neck of a bottle having inserted therein a valve of the type shown in Figures 4 to 7.

Figure 9 illustrates the bottle and valve arrangement of Figure 8 in an open tilted position.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a valve according to one embodiment of the invention comprises an outer body 4 housing an inner body or piston 1 which has a disk-like top portion 1 a. The outer body also has rings or ribs 2 extending outwardly therefrom, and holes 3 in the outer body for air and fluids to pass.

As shown in Figure 1, the valve is closed at the top as the disk-like top part la of the piston 1 rests on the outer body. In this position, air and fluid flow is blocked.

Figure 2 shows the valve in a tilted position, allowing the fluid and air to flow past the inner piston 1. Figure 3 shows the valve inserted into the top of a bottle. In this figure, the bottle is tilted to show the valve open. The rings or ribs 2 are pressed against the inner part of the bottle to create a tight fit and make it hard to pull the valve out of the bottle. When the bottle is returned to an upright position, the valve will close, as shown in Figure 1, since the piston 1 moves freely within the outer body. The valve shown in figures 1 to 3 is typically formed from a flexible plastics material.

A valve according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 4 to 8. The valve comprises a hollow outer body 100 formed from a plastics material such as polyethylene or a polyamide (e. g. nylon). The outer body 100 has a plurality of deformable ribs or rings 102, extending outwardly therefrom. The ribs or rings 102 are segmented, the spaces between adjacent segments serving to allow fluid to pass through the ribs. The hollow outer body 100 has openings at either end and hence is of tubular form, the interior defining a passage 104 through which liquid from a bottle may pass. Disposed loosely within the passage 104 is an inner body 106 which comprises a valve stem 108 and enlarged end formations 110 and 112. The outermost end formation 112, i. e. the portion which in use faces the bottle exterior, is of generally disc shaped form and has a radiussed or chamfered edge 114. The disc-shaped formation constitutes a valve member. The innermost end formation 110 is cruciform in shape, as can be seen from Figure 6. The spaces 116 between the limbs 118 of the cross-shape permit fluid to pass through the valve more quickly.

Figure 8 illustrates the valve in place in the neck of a bottle when the bottle is in an upright position. As can be seen from Figure 8, the ribs or rings 102 on the outer body are crushed against the inner wall of the neck of the bottle as the valve is forced into the neck, thereby holding the valve firmly in place. The valve member 112 sits loosely in the mouth of the bottle, the chamfered edge 114 of the valve member 112 engaging the radiussed inner rim of the neck of the bottle, so that the surface 120 of the valve member 112 is flush with the neck of the bottle. As a result, when the bottle is in an upright position, it is difficult to lift the valve member 112 out of its seat without using a bladed tool such as a screwdriver. If a third party were to attempt to open the valve in this way, for example as part of an attempt to introduce a foreign object into the bottle, it would of course be fairly apparent to the owner of the bottle what was happening. As with the valve of Figures 1 to 3, the valve stem 108 of the inner body 106 is a loose fit within the outer body 100 and moves freely in the passageway. Therefore as the bottle is tilted, as shown in Figure 9, the valve member 112 readily falls out of its seat in the mouth of the bottle to allow liquid to be poured from the bottle. The cruciform end formation 110 at the inner end of the valve stem 108 prevents the inner body from separating from the outer body 100.

The valves of the invention provide a blockage in the neck of a bottle that hinders or prevents the introduction of foreign materials into the bottle or makes it more apparent that another person is attempting to tamper with the bottle. The valves are typically inserted into the neck of the bottle during the bottling process after introduction of the drink into the bottle. The valve is therefore constructed such that the outermost surface of the valve is flush with or recessed with respect to the mouth of the bottle so that a conventional bottle closure such as a screw cap or bottle top can be secured to the bottle with the valve in place.

Equivalents It will readily be apparent that numerous modifications and alterations may be made to the specific embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the principles underlying the invention. All such modifications and alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.