Deformable insert for a beverage container

Details Deformable insert for a beverage container Deformable insert for a beverage container

1996-07-19

1998-01-06

Paden, Carolyn

Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products

Packaged or wrapped product

Having consumer oriented diverse utility

426115, 426118, 426124, 426131, 53420, 53432, 220521, 220906, B65B 3100, B65B 1700, B65B 2500

Patent

active

057052107

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a container including an insert, and in particular to a container such as a bottle, in which the container is filled through its dispensing aperture.
Recently, a number of systems have been proposed for carbonated beverage containers which allow the carbonated beverage to be dispensed so that it has an appearance similar to that of a beverage dispensed from draught. In many of these systems, the container includes a primary chamber for the carbonated beverage, and a secondary chamber which contains fluid under pressure. The inside of the secondary chamber is arranged to communicate with the primary chamber upon opening of the container. This causes the fluid under pressure in the secondary chamber to be jetted into the carbonated beverage causing shear. This encourages the liberation of small bubbles from the beverage which gradually separate out to form a close-knit creamy head. In many of the proposed systems, and especially in those which have been commercialized, the secondary chamber is a separate hollow insert.
Another use for a separate insert is to contain components which are mixed with the main content of the container after filling and sealing of the container.


PRIOR ART

In many of the proposed and commercialized systems in which a container includes a separate insert, the container is a can. In forming and filling a can, the bottom and sides of the can are first formed leaving the entire top of the can open. This provides a large filling aperture through which the insert is introduced into the can. The can is filled subsequently, for example with a beverage, and the top is sealed onto the can. On opening the can, a ring pull or other quick release tab is provided which opens an aperture through which the contents are dispensed. This aperture is much smaller than the filling aperture. Such a system is disclosed in our earlier application WO-A-91/07326.
Containers such as bottles are moulded with a small aperture at the top of the neck through which the container is filled. The aperture is then sealed, for example with a crown cork or screw cap. On opening the container, the entire aperture sealed by the crown cork or screw cap is opened, and therefore the filling and dispensing apertures are the same size.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a container includes an aperture and an insert, the insert having a deformable portion, so that in its non-deformed state the insert is too large to pass through an opening of the container, yet in its deformed state, the insert may pass through the opening of the container.
An insert of this type can easily be inserted into a container, but cannot be removed from the container without breaking the container. Therefore, the insert remains in the container as the contents of the container are dispensed, and so the insert cannot accidentally be consumed.
The insert is particularly useful where the container is a bottle, in which the same opening is used for filling as dispensing.
It is preferred that the deformable portion of the insert is a protrusion formed integrally with the remainder of the insert. In this case, it is preferred that the insert is formed from a resilient material, thin enough for it to be deformed around the protrusion. It is particularly preferred that the insert is moulded from a synthetic resin material. This allows for easy manufacture of the insert.
The insert may be formed in two parts which are arranged to be sealingly secured together, for example by snap-fitting or welding.
The insert is preferably arranged to float on the surface of a beverage contained in the container. The insert may have a generally cylindrical shape, and in this case the insert is preferably arranged to float with its longitudinal axis generally parallel to the surface of the beverage. This allows for a large internal volume of the insert, but with a low height when floating on the beverage. Therefore, only a small headspace is required above the beverage in the container.
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REFERENCES:
patent: D367008 (1996-02-01), Sillince et al.
patent: D374176 (1996-10-01), Sillince et al.
patent: 4524805 (1985-06-01), Hoffman
patent: 4627986 (1986-12-01), Bardsley et al.
patent: 5334400 (1994-08-01), Purdham
patent: 5584165 (1996-12-01), Wright

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