WO2007091060A1

WO2007091060A1 - Packaging article

Info

Publication number: WO2007091060A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/000423
Authority: WO
Inventors: William George Dando; Bernard Sams; Stephen Sams
Original assignee: Dubois Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-02-07
Filing date: 2007-02-07
Publication date: 2007-08-16
Also published as: GB0602368D0

Abstract

A beverage container comprising a container body (3) including an opening (5), and a twist-off cap (7) that is securable to the container body (3) to close the opening (5), wherein the cap (7) includes a vent-hole (11) extending through the cap (7), and a cover (13) on the exterior of the cap (7) which closes the vent-hole (11), arranged such that the cover (13) may be removed from the vent-hole (11) to allow the venting of gas or vapour from the interior of the container at a rate determined by the size of the vent-hole (11) prior to releasing the cap (7) from the container body (3).

Description

Packaqing Article

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to beverage containers, and particularly relates to containers for supplying beverages to consumers.

BACKGROUND ART

The invention has particular utility 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. There are three major problems associated with beverage containers for such drinks. Firstly, there is a need to ensure that the container is sufficiently well sealed so that gas does not escape from the container prior to consumption of the drink (so that the drink does not become "flat" prior to consumption). Secondly, there is a need to ensure that the consumer can open the container easily, despite the need to ensure that the container is well sealed prior to being opened. Thirdly, there is a need to ensure that, as the container is opened, the pressurised gas inside the container does not cause the violent ejection of the drink (and/or any cap that seals the container) from the container.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved beverage container that solves all of these problems.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention provides a beverage container comprising a container body including an opening, and a twist- off cap that is securable to the container body to close the opening, wherein the cap includes a vent-hole extending through the cap, and a cover on the exterior of the cap which closes the vent-hole, arranged such that in use the cover may be removed from the vent-hole to allow the venting of gas or vapour from the interior of the container at a rate determined by the size of the vent hole prior to releasing the cap from the container body. Following venting, the cap may be removed more easily.

The invention has the following main advantages. Firstly, by using a twist-off/threaded cap to close the beverage container body it is possible to produce an excellent seal to ensure that the drink does not become flat prior to consumption. Secondly, by enabling the venting of gas or vapour from the interior of the container prior to the twist-off/threaded cap being released from the container body, the releasing of the cap from the container body can be made significantly easier than would otherwise generally be the case. This is because the effect of the pressurisation of the interior of the container (by the fizzy drink) is that the cap will normally be very tightly secured to the container body; by decreasing such pressurisation (by venting) the cap will generally be more easily released from the container body. Thirdly, venting gas or vapour from the interior of the container prior to the cap being released from the container body reduces (and preferably eliminates) the possibility of the drink and/or the cap being violently ejected from the container body as the cap is released from the container body.

The removal of the cover from the vent-hole opens the vent-hole and provides a passage for gas or vapour to exit the container in a controlled manner. This may cause the container to vent completely before the cap is released from the container body, i.e. it may cause the pressure in the interior of the container to decrease to substantially atmospheric pressure. Alternatively, the opening of the vent-hole may cause only partial venting (because it is given insufficient time to vent completely), and the remainder of the venting may occur as the cap is released from the container body. However, even a partial venting can provide the above advantages and solve the above problems.

Another aspect of the invention provides a cap for a beverage container, wherein the cap is a twist-off and/or threaded cap and includes a vent-hole extending through the cap, and a cover on the exterior of the cap which closes the vent-hole, arranged such that in use the cover may be removed from the vent-hole.

A further aspect of the invention provides a kit of parts for producing a cap according to the above aspect of the invention, the kit comprising a said cap and a said cover for the vent-hole, the cover being attachable to the remainder of the cap.

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.

The vent-hole in the cap preferably has a small diameter, e.g. so that venting of gas or vapour through the hole will generally be slow and non-violent, and/or so that the hole can be well sealed by the cover. For example, the maximum diameter of the vent-hole preferably is no greater than 10 mm, more preferably no greater than 5 mm, especially no greater than 3 mm. The minimum diameter of the vent-hole preferably is at least 10 μm, more preferably at least 100 μm, especially at least 500 μm. For example, the vent-hole may have a diameter of 1-2 mm. The diameter of the vent-hole may be substantially constant along it length, or it may vary along its length. The vent-hole will normally be substantially circular in cross-section, but this is not necessarily the case, and other cross- sectional shapes are possible. By using a small vent-hole as described above, the venting will occur in a controlled manner, the rate of venting simply being determined by the size of the vent-hole. This is in contrast to prior art in which the rate of venting is determined by the size of a gap created as a closure (such as a screw cap) is gradually removed from a container opening.

The cover that closes the vent-hole until it is removed from the hole by the consumer preferably is in the form of a sheet, strip, tab, and/or plug. Preferably the cover extends across the vent-hole. Additionally or alternatively, at least part of the cover may extend into the vent-hole, to at least partially plug the vent-hole. The cover preferably seals the vent- hole until the cover is removed from the vent-hole by the consumer. In some versions, the cover may permit "self-venting" as a safety feature, i.e. it may allow gas and/or vapour to be vented from the container if the pressure in the container builds up to a predetermined pressure. Preferably, the cover is arranged to maintain a pressure within the container of at least 100 psi. (6.895 x 10⁵ Nm^"2).

In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the cover is formed from pliable material, e.g. comprising paper and/or polymeric material. The cover may advantageously comprise a label, or part of a label. The cover may be attached to the remainder of the exterior of the cap by means of adhesive (or other polymer material) and/or by means of a mechanical attachment, for example. Thus, for those embodiments in which the cover comprises a sheet or strip of pliable material attached to the remainder of the cap by adhesive, removing the cover from the vent- hole preferably comprises peeling the cover from at least part of the remainder of the cap, In some embodiments of the invention, the cover may be re-adhered to the remainder of the cap to re-cover the vent-hole. Preferably, however, the cover may not be re-adhered to the cap once the vent-hole is exposed; this can provide "tamper-evidence", for example.

The cover may cover most or all of a major surface of the cap, or it may cover only a small area of the major surface, for example. In each case, either the entire cover may be removed from the surface of the cap, or only a portion of the cover may be removed from the surface of the cap, in order to expose the vent-hole. If only a portion of the cover is removed, preferably it is at least partially removable from the remainder of the cover by means of perforations (or other frangible elements) of the cover provided for this purpose. The use of such perforations (or other frangible elements) can provide tamper-evidence.

For those embodiments of the invention in which the cover is attached to the remainder of the exterior of the cap by means of a mechanical attachment, preferably the cover is so attached, at least in part, by one or more parts of the cover interlocking (or otherwise engaging) with one or more parts of the remainder of the cap. For example, as indicated above, the cover may include a plug (or other protrusion) arranged to be received within the vent-hole, and the plug may (or may not) interlock with the remainder of the cap via the vent- hole. For example, a bead, flange or other projection on the plug may engage with the underside of the cap, to retain the plug in the vent-hole until it is removed from the vent-hole by the consumer. In some versions, the plug may seal the vent-hole until the cover is removed from the vent-hole. The cover may be hinged (e.g. by means of a live hinge), or otherwise connected, to the remainder of the cap, such that when the cover is removed from the vent hole, the cover is still connected to the remainder of the cap. Mechanically attached covers may, or may not, be re-attachable to the remainder of the cap to re-cover the vent-hole subsequent to the vent hole having been exposed. A mechanically attached cover may be substantially rigid (i.e. substantially inflexible), and preferably takes the form of a tab, or the like.

The twist-off/threaded cap may be securable to the container body either directly or indirectly. Thus, in some embodiments of the invention, the cap is securable to the container body by means of a direct threaded engagement within the container body. Alternatively, however, the cap may be securable to another component of the container by means of a threaded engagement, which other component is itself secured to the container body. Such another component may be a collar or the like, for example. This can have the advantage that the cap may be secured and sealed to the container body by means of a strong threaded engagement, but without the need for the container body to have threads provided on its exterior surface. This is particularly advantageous for versions of the invention in which the consumer consumes (drinks) the beverage directly from the opening in the container body (i.e. the consumer uses the container body as a glass or other drinking vessel for the beverage supplied in the container). The absence of threads (or other securement means) on the exterior of the container body generally makes drinking from the container body easier and more pleasant.

Preferably, the container body 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. However, as already stated, in other embodiments of the invention the cap may be secured directly to the container body by a threaded engagement with the container body.

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, 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 (e.g. another thread) engageable with the thread to become engaged therewith and/or disengaged therefrom. However, at least in some embodiments of the invention 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 opening of the container body may be a narrow-mouth opening, e.g. a bottie-type opening. Such an opening may have a 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, 63mm and 72 mm.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cap and/or the collar (where present) may include tamper-evident means (e.g. a tamper- evident band, or tamper-evident tabs). Preferably the tamper-evident means is removed from the cap or the collar (respectively) by the act of removal of the cap from the container body. Advantageously, the tamper-evident means and/or the collar may include means to prevent the cap from accidentally unscrewing under the influence of pressurization within the container (e.g. due to a pressurized beverage held in the container).

Embodiments of the invention preferably include sealing means to seal the container. The sealing means preferably maintains the seal even after the vent-hole has been uncovered, until the cap is released from the container body. Such sealing means may comprise part of the cap and/or the container body and/or a 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 (where present) the collar, especially polyolefins, e.g. polyethylene 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

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 views (a) to (d) are schematic illustrations of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 views (a) to (c) are further schematic illustrations of the first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 views (a) to (e) are schematic illustrations of a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 views (a) to (c) are further schematic illustrations of the second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 views (a) and (b) are further schematic illustrations of the third embodiment of the invention and Figure 5 (c) is an enlarged view of part of Figure 5 (b); and

Figure 6 views (a) to (c) are schematic illustrations of a fourth embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 and 2 show a beverage container 1 comprising a container body 3 including a wide-mouth opening 5, and a twist-off threaded cap 7 that is securable to the container body via a separate threaded collar 21 to close the opening. The cap includes a vent-hole 11 extending through the cap as shown in Figure 1 (d), and a cover 13 on the exterior of the cap which closes the vent-hole. The cover 13 is in the form of a pliable (flexible) label 15 of paper and/or polymer sheet material that is adhered to the major top surface 17 of the cap. In use, the cover 13 may be removed from the vent-hole as shown in Figures 1 (b) and 1 (c) to allow the venting of gas or vapour from the interior of the container prior to releasing the cap from the container. In particular, the cover 13 comprises a part of the label 15 which may be peeled away from the top surface of the cap 7; the cover 13 may be separated from the remainder of the label 15 due to perforations 18 in the label. To assist the consumer in peeling back the cover 13 from the cap 7, the cover includes a tab 19 that may be grasped by the consumer.

As shown in Figure 1 (d) (which is a detail of a cross-sectional view of the container 1), the vent-hole 11 may have a diameter that varies along the length of the vent-hole. In the embodiment illustrated, the vent-hole has a relatively wide upper portion (closer to the exterior of the container) and a relatively narrower lower portion (closer to the interior of the container). A seal 20 between the cap 7 and a rim 22 defining the wide-mouth opening 5 of the container body 3 is also shown in Figure 1 (d).

As explained above, the removal of the cover 13 from the vent-hole 11 opens the vent-hole and provides a passage for gas or vapour to exit the container. This may cause the container 1 to vent completely before the cap 7 is released from the container body 3, i.e. it may cause the pressure in the interior of the container to decrease to substantially atmospheric pressure. Alternatively, the opening of the vent-hole 11 may cause only partial venting (because it is given insufficient time to vent completely), and the remainder of the venting may occur as the cap 7 is released from the container body. By enabling the venting of gas or vapour from the interior of the container 1 prior to the twist-off/threaded cap 7 being released from the container body 3, the releasing of the cap from the container body can be made significantly easier than would otherwise generally be the case. This is because the effect of the pressurisation of the interior of the container (by the fizzy drink) is that the cap 7 will normally be very tightly secured to the container body because the engagement between the threads on the cap and the threads on the container body or collar is increased by the pressurisation applying a force to the cap in a direction away from the container body. By decreasing such pressurisation (by venting) the cap will generally be more easily released from the container body. Also, venting gas or vapour from the interior of the container 1 prior to the cap 7 being released from the container body 3 reduces (and preferably eliminates) the possibility of the drink and/or the cap being violently ejected from the container body as the cap is released from the container body.

As mentioned above, the twist-off/threaded cap 7 may be securable to the container body 3 either directly or indirectly. Thus, in some embodiments of the invention, the cap 7 is securable to the container body 3 by means of a direct threaded engagement within the container body. Alternatively, however, as shown in Figure 2, the cap 7 may be securable to a collar 21 of the container 1 by means of a threaded engagement, which collar is itself secured to the container body. This can have the advantage that the cap 7 may be secured and sealed to the container body 3 by means of a strong threaded engagement, but without the need for the container body to have threads provided on its exterior surface. This is particularly advantageous for versions of the invention in which the consumer consumes (drinks) the beverage directly from the opening in the container body (i.e. the consumer uses the container body as a glass or other drinking vessel for the beverage supplied in the container). The absence of threads (or other securement means) on the exterior of the container body generally makes drinking from the container body easier and more pleasant.

The collar 21 comprises a plurality of flaps 23 arranged spaced- apart from each other along the circumferential extent of the collar. The flaps 23 are indirectly connected to each other by means of a ring portion 25 of the collar to which the flaps are directly connected. When the collar 21 is attached to the container body 3 with the container body upright and the opening 5 uppermost, the ring portion 25 of the collar is the lowermost portion of the collar, with the flaps 23 extending substantially vertically from it. The flaps 23 include radially-inwardly projecting shoulders 27 which engage with a rim 29 of the container body 3 to retain the collar thereon (until the collar is removed from the container body by the consumer). Threads 28 on the interior of the cap engage with the threads 30 of the ring portion 25 to secure the cap to the collar. Further details of such a cap-on-collar clause can be found in co- pending UK Patent Application No. GB0602382.4 and a PCT application claiming priority therefrom.

However, as already stated, in other embodiments of the invention the cap 7 may be secured directly to the container body 3 by a threaded engagement with the container body.

Figures 3 and 4 are schematic views of a second embodiment of the invention. In this version, the cover 31 is a substantially rigid tab that is attached to the remainder of the exterior of the cap 7 by means of a mechanical attachment, in particular by a live hinge 33. Thus, the cover 31 comprises an integral part of the cap 7, and preferably the cap 7 and the cover 31 are moulded as a single part, from the same polymer material. Thus, in this version, the cover 31 is removed from the vent hole by being lifted away from the top surface 17 of the cap and rotated about the live hinge 33 such that the cover is still connected to the remainder of the cap.

Figure 5 shows a third embodiment in which the cover 31 includes a protruding plug part 35 arranged to be received within the vent-hole 11, and the plug may (or may not) interlock with the remainder of the cap via the vent-hole. For example, a bead, flange or other projection 36 on the plug may engage with the underside of the cap, as shown in Figure 5, to retain the plug 35 in the vent-hole until it is removed from the vent-hole by the consumer. The engagement of the projection 36 with the cap has to be overcome before the plug 35 can be removed from the vent-hole.

The plug 35 of the cover 31 may be re-insertable into the vent-hole 11 to re-seal the vent-hole subsequent to the vent-hole having been exposed initially. Figure 6 views (a) to (c) are schematic illustrations of a fourth embodiment of the invention which is similar to the second and third embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. In the fourth embodiment, the cover 37 is larger than the cover 31 of Figures 3-5 and thus presents a larger tab to be grasped by the consumer. Additionally, the live hinge 39 of the cover 37 is situated adjacent to a lower edge 41 of the skirt 43 of the cap 7, rather than being adjacent to the periphery of the top surface 17 of the cap (as in Figures 3-5).

Claims

1. A beverage container comprising a container body including an opening, and a twist-off cap that is securable to the container body to close the opening, wherein the cap includes a vent-hole extending through the cap, and a cover on the exterior of the cap which closes the vent-hole, arranged such that in use the cover may be removed from the vent-hole to allow the venting of gas or vapour from the interior of the container at a rate determined by the size of the vent-hole prior to releasing the cap from the container body.

2. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1 in which the twist-off cap is a threaded cap.

3. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the vent- hole has a diameter in the range 10 microns - 10mm, preferably in the range lOOmicrons - 5mm or in the range 500microns - 3mm or, most preferably, in the range 1 - 2mm.

4. A beverage container as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the cover that closes the vent-hole is in the form of a sheet, strip or tab that extends across the vent-hole.

5. A beverage container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cover that closes the vent-hole extends into the vent-hole to at least partially plug the vent-hole.

6. A beverage container as claimed in claim 6 in which the cover comprises a plug arranged to be received within the vent-hole and having a head, flange or other projection for engaging an underside of the cap or a part of the cap on the underside thereof, such that said engagement has to be overcome before the plug can be removed from the vent-hole.

7. A beverage container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cover comprises a sheet or strip of a pliable material and the vent- hole is opened by peeling the cover away from the cap.

8. A beverage container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the cover is mechanically attached to the exterior of the cap so as to be pivotable relative to the cap.

9. A beverage container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cover is arranged to allow self-venting from the container if the pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level, for example 100 psi (6.895 x 10⁵ Nm-²).

10. A beverage container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cover is arranged to be secured to the container via a collar, the cap and collar being securable to each other by a threaded engagement therebetween.

11. A beverage container as claimed in any preceding claim in which the container is a wide-mouth container, preferably having a diameter of at least 40mm.

12. A cap for a beverage container, wherein the cap is a twist-off and/or threaded cap and includes a vent-hole extending through the cap, and a cover on the exterior of the cap which closes the vent-hole, arranged such that in use the cover may be removed from the vent-hole to permit venting therethrough at a rate determined by the size of the vent-hole.

13. A kit of parts for producing a cap as claimed in claim 12, the kit comprising a said cap and a said cover for the vent-hole, the cover being attachable to the remainder of the cap.