Bottles and jars – Nonrefillable – Guard or valve type
Patent
1996-06-27
1998-09-15
Shoap, Allan N.
Bottles and jars
Nonrefillable
Guard or valve type
215 47, 215294, 215263, B65D 3900
Patent
active
058066977
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fitment removal prevention device for insertion within a container, and to a fitment removal prevention device in combination with a container.
In order to discourage the refilling of branded containers with a counterfeit product, many manufacturers are now taking the step of installing a one-way liquid dispensing valve or other fitment within a neck of the container. It has been found, however, that the determined counterfeiter will simply remove the entire fitment from the container, refill the container with a counterfeit product and then replace the original fitment. There is, therefore, an increasing demand for means of preventing the removal of these fitments from the containers concerned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fitment removal prevention device for insertion within a container having a rigid mouth portion, said device comprising a body portion and an incompressible member moveable with respect to the body portion and biased from a first position in which the device is insertable into the container to a second position in which the member engages the container and exerts a force on the mouth portion in a first direction having a component transverse to the direction of extraction of the device from the container so as to thereby retain the device with respect to the container, the device being adapted such that the member exerts an increased force on the mouth portion in said first direction upon attempted extraction of the device from the container.
Advantageously, the device may have a dimension perpendicular to the direction of extraction of the device from the container when the member is in said second position which is greater than the corresponding dimension when the member is in said first position.
Advantageously, the body portion may include a ramp surface inclined inwardly of the mouth portion in the direction of extraction of the device from the container, the member being in engagement with the ramp surface and biased in a direction having a component opposed to said direction of extraction.
Advantageously, the device may include resilient means for biasing the member from said first position, in which the member engages a first portion of the ramp surface, to said second position, in which the member engages a second portion of the ramp surface, the movement of the member between said first and second positions being in a direction having a component transverse to the direction of extraction of the device from the container.
Advantageously, the ramp surface and the member with which it is in engagement may be shaped such that a reaction force exerted by the mouth portion on the member may be absorbed other than through the centre of the body portion. Preferably, the ramp surface may have a shape in a cross-section taken perpendicular to the direction of extraction of the device from the container selected from the list comprising arcuate, triangular and square.
Advantageously, the ramp surface may be flared outwardly in a direction opposed to the direction of extraction of the device from the container.
Advantageously, the ramp surface may be disposed helically of the body portion.
Advantageously, the ramp surface may be provided around its periphery with a plurality of such ramp surfaces, each angularly spaced from the adjacent ramp surfaces and each in engagement with a respective incompressible member.
Advantageously, the or each incompressible member may be provided with a rolling surface for engagement with a respective ramp surface. Preferably, the member may have a shape selected from the list comprising spherical, part spherical, cylindrical and barrel-shaped.
Advantageously, the device may comprise means for retaining the or each of the Incompressible members with respect to the body portion.
Advantageously, resilient means may be provided integrally of the retaining means for biasing the or each of the members from said first position t
REFERENCES:
patent: 626417 (1899-06-01), Freese
patent: 683883 (1901-10-01), Myers
patent: 734323 (1903-07-01), Harrison
patent: 815112 (1906-03-01), O'Dell et al.
patent: 1308697 (1919-07-01), Cadmus
patent: 2032478 (1936-03-01), Haase
patent: 2091460 (1937-08-01), Valliant et al.
patent: 2101598 (1937-12-01), Riedel
Harbutt Richard Paul
Laurie Alexander Speirs
Nott Peter Thomas Mence
Snow David Christopher
Newhouse Nathan
Shoap Allan N.
United Distillers PLC
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