WO2007043967A1

WO2007043967A1 - Closing device for bottle.

Info

Publication number: WO2007043967A1
Application number: PCT/SE2006/050389
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erik Nilsson
Original assignee: Erik Nilsson Med Firma E Nilsson Teknologikonsult
Priority date: 2005-10-10
Filing date: 2006-10-09
Publication date: 2007-04-19
Also published as: EP1934108A1; EP1934108A4

Abstract

Closing device for a bottle containing liquid, where an opening exists to drink from, which opening is sealed by the use of the closing device (1). The invention is characterized in that the said closing device (1) consists of a lower part (3), arranged to be tight-fittingly attached to the opening of the bottle (2), and an upper part (6), removably attached to said lower part (3), where said lower (3) and upper (6) parts have cooperating fastening means (8, 9) that removably fasten said upper part (6) to said lower part (3), where said upper part (6) comprises a cavity for receiving a straw (4), which straw (4) is tight-fittingly attached to said lower part (3), and which straw (4) extends through said lower part (3), down into the bottle (2) essentially to the bottom of the bottle (2), where said cavity is equipped with a seal (10), arranged against the opening of the received straw (4) , so that exchange of liquid and gas between the interior of the bottle (2) and the environment through said straw (4) is prevented, and where said cooperating fastening means (8, 9) are arranged so that the closing device (1) can be opened by the removal of said upper part (6) and resealed by the return of said upper part (6) to its place in relation to said lower part (3).

Description

Closing device for a bottle

The present invention relates to a closing device for a bottle.

In society of today, people consume many different types of beverages, for example carbonated beverages, juices, milk, milk drinks, but also beer and wine, from package containers, for example portion packs.

Today, the bottle is one of the most common containers for beverages. Bottles are found in various sizes, and with their characteristic design, i.e. a container tapered at the top to an opening to drink from. Commonly used materials for bottles are plastic, such as PET, and glass.

The opening of such a bottle intended for beverages is sealed using a closing device. Several such closing devices are known, for example bottle caps. A bottle cap is manufactured from metal or another material, and is removed with or without the help of a special tool. The cap is in general not resealable.

Another closing device is a screw cap, manufactured from plastic or another material. A screw cap is removed by twisting it off from the opening of the bottle. Thereafter, the same screw cap can be reused in order to reseal the bottle at a later time.

Another example of a non-resealable closing device is a thin foil, manufactured from, for example, metal, which is perforated by for example a straw and then used for drinking the liquid therethrough. The foil can also sometimes be com- pletely removed in order to open the bottle. In some instances, such a foil can also be used in combination with another closing device, in order to ameliorate the hygiene whilst handling the bottle, before it has been opened for consumption of its contents.

A number of problems are associated with the above described, known variants of closing devices.

Many of the known closing devices are difficult to use when the bottle is opened and its contents are to be used. By way of example, a specially designed tool is in general needed in order to open a bottle equipped with a bottle cap not comprising a special opening device. Many of the known closing devices also require a certain force to be opened, whereby the user risks spilling the contents of the bottle when opened.

Also, many bottles intended for drinks are intended to drink from directly. Many closing devices render such bottles difficult to drink from, especially for children. This is due to the fact that once the closing device has been removed, the opening of the bottle itself remains to drink from. Because of the fact that different people have mouths of different sizes, this is often not very practical, instead a drinking glass or the like is required. This is especially true for children. There are also straws and other external devices intended to simplify the drinking out of various bottles for different users.

Furthermore, many of the above described types of closing devices do not accomplish a satisfactory hygiene for the user of the bottle when he or she drinks directly from the bottle. Once the closing device has been removed, the user consumes the contents of the bottle by placing the mouth directly against the opening of the bottle, and often also somewhat down the bottle in order to avoid spilling its contents. This may lead to the user's lips coming into direct contact with that part of the external surface of the bottle which has been exposed to environmental contamination, in terms of bacteria, viruses, poisonous chemical contamination, and so forth, during the process of manufacture, transport, storage, etc., of the bottle. This is naturally not hygienic for the user.

Finally, many closing devices have the problem that the bottle cannot be resealed using the closing device. Once the container has been opened, in order to consume its contents, the person that will consume the liquid is usually forced either to empty the container at once or to throw away beverage that is not wanted at once at the time when the container is opened. This is not desirable, since many people want to drink often and little rather than everything at once.

All these described problems are each solved separately by known closing devices for bottles, but no single such device solves all problems. For example, the commonplace PET bottle with a screw cork solves the problem with resealability, but is associated with the problem of it being difficult for a small-mouthed person to drink from. Also, it is difficult to maintain a good hygiene, since this demands that the lips of the user are not brought so far down the opening of the bot- tie when drinking so that they come into contact with that part of the outside surface of the bottle which has been exposed to the environment when the screw cork was first attached. The hygiene problem is solved by using an external device, for example a straw or a glass. However, this demands that the user has access to such an external device at the time when he or she wishes to drink from the bottle, alternatively that such a device is provided jointly together with the bottle.

The present closing device for a bottle solves all of the above described problems.

Thus, the present invention relates to a closing device for a bottle containing liquid, where an opening exists to drink from, which opening is sealed by the use of the closing device, and is characterized in that said closing device consists of a lower part, arranged to be tight-fittingly at- tached to the opening of the bottle, and an upper part, removably attached to said lower part, where said lower and upper parts have cooperating fastening means that removably fasten said upper part to said lower part, where said upper part comprises a cavity for receiving a straw, which straw is tight-fittingly attached to said lower part, and which straw extends through said lower part, down into the bottle essentially to the bottom of the bottle, where said cavity is equipped with a seal, arranged against the opening of the received straw, so that exchange of liquid and gas between the interior of the bottle and the environment through said straw is prevented, and where said cooperating fastening means are arranged so that the closing device can be opened by the removal of said upper part and resealed by the return of said upper part to its place in relation to said lower part. In the following, the invention will be explained in closer detail, partly in connection with exemplifying embodiments of the invention and with reference to the attached drawings:

- Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a first preferred embodiment of the closing device according to the invention, mounted on a bottle.

- Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing another preferred ein- bodiment of the closing device according to the invention, mounted on a bottle.

- Fig. 3 is a detail view of the straw according to the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment of the closing device 1 according to the present invention. On a bottle 2 with external threads at the opening, a lower part 3 of the closing device 1 is engaged by threads with the opening of the bottle 2, by the use of a threaded engagement 15. Thus, the lower part 3 of the closing device 1 has internal threads corresponding to the external threads on the bottle 2, so that the lower part 3 is engaged by threads to the opening of the bottle 2. The bottle 2 can be of a standard type, for example a PET bottle, in which case the threads of the lower part 3 are adapted so that they correspond to the existing threads on such a standard bottle 2. Also, the threaded engagement 15 is tight-fitting, implying that gas as well as liquid and contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, foreign compounds, etc., are prevented from passing into or out of the bottle 2 through the threaded engagement 15. A straw 4 runs through the lower part 3 and further down through the opening of the bottle 2 and down into the bottle 2. In order to facilitate for the user to drink, so that the user can utilize all of the contents 2 of the bottle through 5 the straw 4, the straw 4 runs essentially all the way to the bottom of the bottle 2. The straw 4 is tight-fittingly fastened to the lower part 3 of the closing device 1 using a tight-fitting sealing device 5. That the straw 4 is tight- fittingly fastened to the lower part 3 means that liquid and w gas essentially are prevented from exchange between the bottle 2 and its environment between the straw 4 and the lower part 3, but also that contaminations from the environment of the bottle 2, for example bacteria, viruses, foreign compounds, etc., are prevented from passing from the environment

15 of the bottle 2 into the bottle 2 between the lower part 3 and the straw 4.

Removably fastened to the lower part 3 of the closing device 1 there is provided an upper part 6. Thus, this upper part 6 0 can be removed from the lower part 3, but can also be refas- tened to the lower part 3. By removing and refastening the upper part 6 on the lower part 3 in this manner, the user can open and reseal the closing device 1 a large number of times.

5 Thus, the upper part 6 is removably and reattachably fastened to the lower part 3 by the use of a fastening device 7. In the present, preferred embodiment, the fastening device 7 is a snap lock. This means that the upper part 6 is equipped with internal flanges 9, which hook into corresponding exter- 0 nal flanges 8, arranged on the lower part 3, as the upper part 6 is fastened to the lower part 3. Then, when the upper part 6 is pulled away from the lower part 3, using a force applied by the user of the closing device 1, the engagement brought into order by the flanges 8, 9, will come loose, and the engagement between the lower part 3 and the upper part 6 will be discontinued. However, it should be noted that other types of fastening devices between the lower part 3 and the upper part 6 are also possible, and are apparent to the person skilled in the arts.

As described above, the straw 4 runs through the lower part 3. The straw 4 is also received in the interior of the upper part 6. In the one extremity of the upper part β, on the opposite side from the part of the upper part 6 that is fastened to the lower part 3 at the time of fastening, there exists, in the interior of the upper part 6, a sealing device 10, for example in the form of a silicone pad. As the upper part 6 is fastened to the lower part 3, the straw 4 runs through the inside of the upper part 6, all the way up to this sealing device 10, and is pressed against the sealing device 10 so that the straw 4 closes tight-fittingly against the inside of the upper part β. That the straw 4 closes tight-fittingly against the inside of the upper part 6 means that liquid and gas essentially are hindered from exchange between the interior of the straw 4 and the interior of the upper part 6, but also that contaminants from the environment of the bottle 2, for example bacteria, viruses, foreign com- pounds, etc., are hindered from passing from the interior of the upper part 6 to the interior of the straw 4.

Furthermore, the straw 4 is fastened to the upper part 6 by the use of an additional fastening device 11, for example and in the present preferred embodiment in the form of a snap lock, consisting of inner flanges 12 arranged in the interior of the upper part 6, which, when the upper part 6 is fastened to the lower part 3, engage removably and reattachably with outer flanges 13 arranged on the external surface of the straw 4.

Furthermore, a part 14 of he straw 4 is expandable. When the sealing device 1 is closed, i.e. when the upper part 6 is removably fastened to the lower part 3, this expandable part 14 is contracted, in such a way that the part of the straw 4 being in the interior of the upper part 6 is so short that it completely fits inside the interior of the upper part β, but at the same so long so that the upper opening of the straw 4 is pressed tight-fittingly against the sealing device 10. When the sealing device 1 is opened, because of the upper part 6 being removed from the lower part 3, the expandable part 14 of the straw 4 expands, because of the fastening device 11 between the upper part 6 and the straw 4 pulling the straw 4 some distance as the upper part 6 is pulled away from the lower part 3. Since the expandable part 14 of the straw 4 thus expands, the straw becomes longer, which admits the user to comfortably grip the straw using his or her lips, in order to easily drink from the bottle. The expandable part 14 preferably expands sufficiently for the part of the straw 4 extending past the attachment in the lower part 3 to be so long that a user comfortably will be able to use the straw 4 for drinking, irrespectively of the gender, age, size or other dispositions of the user. When the closing device 1 is resealed, the expandable part 14 of the straw 4 is contracted so that it again is tight-fittingly pressed against the sealing device 10 of the upper part β.

Fig. 2 shows another preferred embodiment of the present closing device for a bottle. In Fig. 2, similar numerals refer to the same items as in Fig. 1. The other preferred embodiment is similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, instead of the lower part 3 engaging by threads with the bottle 2 through the sealing device 15, as shown in Fig. 1, in Fig. 2 the lower part 3 is tight-fittingly fastened to the bottle 2 by the fact that the lower part 3 has a sealing device 16 in the form of a conical plug, arranged to be able to be driven down the opening of the bottle 2, and thus tight-fittingly fasten the lower part 3 to the bottle 2, since the outside of the sealing device 16 comes into friction based engagement with the interior walls of the opening of the bottle 2. That the attachment 16 is tight-fitting means that liquid and gas essentially are hindered from being exchanged between the interior of the bottle 2 and the environment between the conical plug 16 of the lower part 3 and the interior walls of the opening of the bottle 2, but also that contaminants from the environment of the bottle 2, for example bacteria, viruses, foreign compounds, etc., are hindered from passing into the interior of the bottle 2 from the environment between the conical plug 16 of the lower part 3 and the interior walls of the opening of the bottle 2. The conical plug 16 is preferably manufactured in a material offering high friction against materials common in bottles, for example glass or various plastic materials. One example of such a high friction material is rubber.

Since the sealing device 16 is formed as a conical plug, it can be adapted so that it fits with a broad spectrum of commonly available bottles. Therefore, the sealing device 1 according to this second preferred embodiment is especially suitable for use as a separate sealing device on various types of bottles, such as glass bottles and PET bottles. Thus, the sealing device 1 according to the second preferred embodiment can advantageously be used repeatedly, with different bottles.

The sealing device 15 or 16 in the lower part 3, in combina- tion with the sealing device 10 in the upper part 6, guarantee, when the upper part 6 is fastened to the lower part 3, that exchange of liquid, gas, contaminants, etc., is hindered between the interior of the bottle 2 and its environment, and thereby guarantees that the contents of the bottle 2 are kept separated from the environment of the bottle 2 in a hygienical manner. As described above, if the sealing device 1 is opened, through the upper part 6 being pulled away from the lower part 3, the sealing device 10 in the upper part 6 will no longer be tight-fitting against the opening of the straw 4, which is necessary for the user to be able to drink the contents of the bottle 2 through the straw 4. When the sealing device 1 is resealed, by the upper part 6 being refas- tened to the lower part 3, the sealing device 10 in the upper part 6 will again tight-fittingly close against the opening of the straw 4, and thereby guarantee that the contents of the bottle 2 are separated from the environment of the bottle 2 in a hygienical manner during further storage of the contents of the bottle 2. Thus, the present closing device 1 can be opened and reclosed repeatedly without the hygiene con- cerning the contents of the bottle 2 being jeopardized during storage between drinking occasions.

Fig. 3 is a detail view over the straw 4 according to the present invention. As is clear from this Figure, the straw 4 is equipped with a hygienic disposable sealing 17 on its opening. This sealing 17 is, by way of example, manufactured from metal foil or plastic foil, and is arranged to tight- fittingly seal the straw 4 so that liquid, gas and other contaminants are hindered to travel into or out of the straw 4, and down into or out of the interior of the bottle 2, and thereby create additional good hygienical prerequisites for the contents of the bottle 2 before the user drinks from the bottle for the first time.

The sealing 17 is fastened to the opening of the straw 4 in connection with the bottle 2 being filled with contents, and is arranged so that it easily can be removed by a user before the first usage.

Additionally, in the case of the second preferred embodiment, shown in Fig. 2, the sealing 17 is usable in that it can be arranged to hygienically seal the interior of the straw 4 before the closing device 1 is used for the first time. In this case, the sealing 17 is supplemented with a corresponding sealing in the other end of the straw 4, in order to complete the sealing.

Finally, if an even higher hygiene level is desired for the user of the bottle 2, a non-resealable, hygienical sealing can be arranged between the upper 6 and the lower 3 part. If such an additional sealing is used, the user of the bottle 2 will break this sealing before or when the sealing device 1 is opened for the first time.

The embodiments described herein shall of course be regarded as exemplifying. It should be apparent for the person skilled in the arts that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Closing device for a bottle containing liquid, where an opening exists to drink from, which opening is sealed by the use of the closing device (1), ch a rac te r i z e d i n that said closing device (1) consists of a lower part (3) , arranged to be tight-fittingly attached to the opening of the bottle (2), and an upper part (6), removably attached to said lower part (3), where said lower (3) and upper (6) parts have cooperating fastening means (8, 9) that removably fasten said upper part (6) to said lower part (3), where said upper part (β) comprises a cavity for receiving a straw (4), which straw (4) is tight-fittingly attached to said lower part (3) , and which straw (4) extends through said lower part (3), down into the bottle (2), essentially to the bottom of the bottle (2), where said cavity is equipped with a seal

(10), arranged against the opening of the received straw

(4), so that exchange of liquid and gas between the inte- rior of the bottle (2) and the environment through said straw (4) is prevented, and where said cooperating fastening means (8, 9) are arranged so that the closing device (1) can be opened by the removal of said upper part (6) and resealed by the return of said upper part (6) to its place in relation to said lower part (3) .

2. Closing device according to claim 1, ch a r a c te r i z e d i n that said cooperating fastening means (8, 9) between said lower part (3) and said upper part (6) consist of a snap lock.

3. Closing device according to claim 1 or 2, ch a r a c te r i z e d i n that said upper part (6) and said straw (4) are equipped with cooperating fastening means (12, 13), so that said straw (4) is removably and reseal- ably fastened to said upper part (6) when said straw (4) is received in said upper part (β), when the fastening device (7) between said upper (β) and said lower (3) parts seal the bottle (2) .

4. Closing device according to claim 3, ch arac ter i z ed i n that said cooperating fastening means (12, 13) between said upper part (6) and said straw (4) consist of a snap lock.

5. Closing device according to any of the preceding claims, charac te ri z ed i n that said straw (4) is ex- pandable outside of the opening of the bottle (2), and that said straw (4) thus is arranged to expand when said upper part (6) is pulled from said lower part (3) when the closing device (1) is opened.

6. Closing device according to any of the preceding claims, cha r a c te r i z e d i n that said straw (4) is equipped with a non-resealable seal (17) in its opening, applied after the filling of liquid to the bottle (2).

7. Closing device according to any of the preceding claims, cha rac te r i z ed i n that said lower part (3) is attached by the use of threads to the bottle (2) by the use of a threaded engagement (15).

8. Closing device according to any of the claims 1 -6, cha r ac te r i z e d i n that said lower part (3) is fastened to the bottle (2) by the use of a conical plug (16) .

9. Closing device according to any of the preceding claims, cha rac te r i z ed i n that the closing device (1) additionally comprises a sanitary, non-resealable seal between said lower (3) and upper (6) parts.