WO2000063091A1

WO2000063091A1 - A cover element with integral straw and ventilation pipe

Info

Publication number: WO2000063091A1
Application number: PCT/DK2000/000182
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henrik Alstrup
Original assignee: Henrik Alstrup
Priority date: 1999-04-15
Filing date: 2000-04-13
Publication date: 2000-10-26
Also published as: AU3957200A; DK199900501A

Abstract

Ordinary cover elements e.g. for soft drink bottles are usually to be removed before a straw can be used. The present invention is characterised in that the straw and the ventilation pipe are compressed when the integral spring is not activated. When the spring is activated passage is opened for air and liquid through the soft pipe sections in the upper compartment of the cover element. In a not-activated state the spring squeezes around two soft pipe sections for liquid and air, respectively. In the first configuration the ends of the spring extend outside the upper compartment of the cover element and can be compressed. Hereby the 'legs' of the spring are pressed away from each other and permit passage of air and liquid. In the second configuration a rod is pressed in between the free ends of the spring and opens the spring whereby liquid/air is allowed to pass. This cover element with integral straw and ventilation pipe and spring can be used for soft drink bottles and bottles with other contents, e.g. within the nursing and hospital sectors.

Description

A cover element with integral straw and ventilation pipe

The invention relates to a cover element with integral straw and ventilation pipe as featured in the introductory part of claim 1. The cover element is configured such that when pressure is applied to a spring, the straw and ventilation pipe open and are closed again when the user lets go of the spring. The cover element can be used eg for the most common types of soft drink bottles with standard screw caps/threads (for eg Coca Cola, fizzy lemonade/soft drinks etc) for various sizes (0.25-0.33-0.5-1.5 litres and so forth).

Besides the cover element with integral straw and ventilation pipe are conceivable for use eg in a medical context, eg in hospitals, nursery homes etc. where the application may include dispensing of nutritional liquids, medical preparations etc, in addition to soft drinks. Also in connection with the nursing of children and/or eg disabled persons and/or persons with reduced mobility, the cover element with integral straw and ventilation pipe can be useful. In connection with transport (air/sea/land, etc.) it can also advantageously be used. The cover element can be configured as a screw cap for the various bottle types with thread or as cap with clamping device.

State of the art

Ordinary cover elements, such as eg screw caps for soft drink bottles, are made of plastics and threaded and in their fully screwed state they are able to sustain the pressure generated by the carbon dioxide in the soft drink. If it is desired to drink from the bottle by means of a straw, the screw cap must be removed in order for a straw to be inserted into the bottle and used. By such use of straw in bottle, the bottle is open and there is a risk of spillage, for instance when used by children or during transport or by ill/weak persons. In case the bottle is set-aside without the straw being removed and the cover element subsequently being screwed back on, the risk of spillage is ongoing.

European patent application No EP 0,826,607 discloses a cap mounted with a straw that extends down into a container and via a flexible pipe up through and beyond the cap. Next to the flexible pipe the cap has further passages that connect the underside of the cap to the surroundings. With a pivotally mounted brace on the cap the flexible pipe can be bent together and down towards the further passages. In one position of the brace there is communication between the flexible pipe and the further passages, and in another position the flexible pipe is bent and squeezed together and with its outside it abuts on the further passages for closing them.

This cap is quite complex and in case the container is dropped with the flexible pipe in open position, liquid will seep from the container.

Another cover element with closable straw is known from US patent No 4,735,329. In this cover element a flexible pipe is conveyed through an opening and at the underside of the bottom there is provided a brace with two parallel extending branches that extend out through the skirt of the cover element. The straw is conveyed between the branches that have in that spot an extended portion whereby the straw is allowed to pass unimpeded there between. Displacement of the brace in its longitudinal direction causes the straw to be squeezed together between sections of the two branches that do not feature such expanded portion, and thereby the passage through the straw is closed. At the one end the brace is, outside the cover element, coupled to a spring whereby it is always ready to close the straw and the straw is not opened until manual compression of the brace against the spring force is effected and closing is then effected automatically when the brace is let go. No ventilation pipe is disclosed in the citation.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cap featuring a simple and inexpensive valve and a ventilation passage as well as a straw that both close automatically when the valve is not operation in order to prevent undesired flow of liquid from the container.

This is obtained with a cover element as featured in the introductory part of claim 1 in that the straw and the ventilation passage are constituted by flexible pipes extending through the openings in the cover face; and in that a resilient element that extends along the underside of the cover face is configured for simultaneous compression of the two pipes; and wherein at least one service element that extends through an opening in the cover element is, when influenced, configured to counteract the compression of the two flexible pipes exerted by the resilient element.

The resilient element extending along the bottom face of the cover element face and simultaneously serving to compress the flexible pipes enables an extremely simple solution featuring very few elements that acts both with a high degree of reliability and which is also robust and tolerates rough handling. The ventilation is extremely important in case of soft drink containers since a super atmospheric pressure may occur therein, and at the same time it is important that both the ventilation passage and the straw are closed reliably and automatically when liquid is not discharged from the container which means that the container can tolerate to be dropped or in any other way handled in an adverse manner, as is not unusual for children or persons with physiological or mental handicaps to do from time to time.

By the invention it is achieved that straw, ventilation pipe and cover element are integral and only allow passage of liquid when the integral spring is compressed. As soon as the spring/bottle is let go, the risk of spilling is eliminated. The cover element can be a screw cap or eg a clamp-on cap. The cover element can also be configured with engagement means along the skirt of the cover element that are suitable for engagement with beverage containers in the form of tins made of aluminium or iron.

The invention relates to a cover element configured for being mounted on a bottle or the like beverage container. The cover element can be divided into two compartments as featured in claim 2: an upper compartment (separated from the bottle chamber) and a lower compartment that is downwardly open, ie it opens towards the liquid content of the container. Hereby it is ensured that the movable parts are positioned in a closed compartment whereby it is ascertained that they do not come into contact with the often much sweetened liquid contained in the container. Hereby cumbersome cleaning of the valve part is avoided and increased longevity is obtained.

The cover element is provided with two through-going pipes for liquid and air, respectively. In the upper compartment the pipe sections are soft/compressible and in a non-activated state they are compressed and closed by a spring located in the upper compartment . Through the ceiling of the lower compartment (the floor of the upper compartment) there are two openings: through the one a pipe extends upwards to the ceiling of the upper compartment and into the ambient air for pressure- equalisation air. Through the second opening a second pipe extends from the bottom of the bottle upwards through the floor of the upper compartment (the ceiling of the lower compartment) , and further upwards through the ceiling of the upper compartment and into the open with eg a bent pipe section that is used as straw or mouthpiece.

In the upper compartment the tubes can be of eg soft rubber or plastics material or the like that can be compressed. The mouthpiece and the pipe within the bottle as such, also designated the bottle pipe, can be for instance of a harder material: the lower pipe in the bottle, that is the bottle pipe, can be flexible and/or provided with an angulation corresponding to the bottleneck whereby the lower end of the pipe will be positioned excentrally in the bottle bottom towards the lateral wall, thus enabling complete emptying of the bottle. It is an option that the user is able to shorten the lower pipe section to adapt the bottle pipe individually to given container dimensions.

The mouthpiece can be bent in a suitable angle/arch and have a suitable length thereby facilitating use.

In the upper compartment a spring is mounted that is made of eg metal or plastics. The present patent application describes two different configurations of the integral spring.

First configuration

The one end of the spring can, as will appear from claims 3, 4 and 6 be formed with eg "an eye" with two closely positioned downleads = "legs" that are most distally from the eye bent past each other to intersect. The extremities of the free ends extend through an opening at each side of the upper compartment of the cover element and can end in a knob or the like that is pleasant for the user to press on.

When the ends of the spring outside the cover element are compressed (ie in their activated state) the closely adjacent spring sections, also designated the spring legs, are separated and allow passage of liquid/air through the soft pipe sections and thus through the entire integral straw into the open.

When the spring is let go it will again squeeze around the soft pipe sections and passage of liquid/air is prevented. Second configuration

As will appear from claims 5 and 6 the spring may be configured such that the free ends of the two closely adjacent legs merely bend away from each other and form an open angle. One rod, eg of plastics, is arranged such that the one end protrudes beyond the upper compartment of the cover element and the other end is arranged between the free ends of the spring downleads whereby the pressure applied by the user onto the rod presses the latter in between the spring legs in the open angle there between. Hereby the closely adjacent downleads are pressed away from each other and allow passage of liquid/air through the pipes for as long as the pressure against the rod is maintained.

When the rod is let go the spring presses the rod back and once again squeezes around the soft pipe sections to prevent passage of liquid/air. The spring is dimensioned to have a sufficient spring force to ensure tight closure of the two pipe sections upon compression.

The part of the rod that is located within the upper compartment of the cover element can have a sufficiently wide diameter/thickness to prevent it from being pressed out of the opening in the cover element.

The spring is dimensioned to have a sufficient spring force to ensure tight closure of the two pipe sections upon compression.

It applies to both configurations of the spring that: When the spring is not biased by the user (ie in deactivated state) it squeezes around the two soft pipe sections (in the upper compartment) such that they do not allow passage of liquid/air. The bottle may even be laid down without liquid seeping there from.

The spring is dimensioned in accordance with how much force it takes to compress the soft pipe sections in the upper chamber, and it is manufactured from suitable materials, eg plastics or metal.

The diameter of the soft pipe sections is adapted to the other pipe sections (mouthpiece and bottle pipe) and they can for instance be glued or welded into/to same. The mouthpiece and/or the bottle pipe can be cast integrally with the top and bottom, respectively, of the cover element.

The spring legs can constitute two parts of a coherent spring that has a top or an eye that can be fixated interiorly of the lateral wall of the upper compartment, or the eye can be attached around a knob interiorly of the cover element. The spring can be cast integrally with the cover element during manufacture thereof, or the spring can be an integral element and cast integrally with the cover element.

The one pipe debouches immediately or shortly below the bottom of the upper compartment and is intended to serve as passage for air (pressure equalization) .

Below the upper compartment of the cover element, the other pipe (the bottle pipe) is adjusted in length to debouch close to or immediately at the container bottom whereby it is possible to discharge all of the liquid.

The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment, also in a perspective view; and

Figure 3 illustrates a bottle with a cover element in accordance with the present invention.

The embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be configured either for direct mounting on a packaging by means of suitable engagement means along the inside of the skirt 4 of the cover element, or it may be considered as the top portion of a two-compartment cover element, wherein the closed upper compartment is depicted, and wherein, it follows, the lower compartment oriented towards the open chamber of the container is not shown.

Figure 1 shows a spring mounted in the cover element comprising two spring legs 2 and 3 that originate in and extend parallel from an eye 5. The two spring legs 2,3 intersect, and the leg 3 is conveyed out through the one side of the cover element, and here it debouches in a service button 6, while the other leg 2 is conveyed oppositely out through the side and debouches in another service button 7. Between the spring legs two flexible pipe sections 8 and 9 extend of which the one 8 is conveyed through the cover element top 10 and forms a mouthpiece 11 for a straw. The other pipe section is merely conveyed through the cover element top and constitutes the ventilation passage. In the position shown both of the two pipe sections are compressed and closed to passage of liquid and air. Pushing the two service buttons 6 and 7 towards each other will cause the spring legs 2 and 3 to be moved away from each other, and the flexible tube sections will, as a consequence of their indigenous elasticity, be opened and passage will be established through the pipe sections 8 and 9.

To the pipe section 8 a longer pipe is coupled, as will appear from Figure 3, and that extends down into the bottle 12 whereby the user is able to draw up liquid through the mouthpiece 11 when the service buttons are activated.

Figure 2 shows a slightly different embodiment of the spring legs 2 and 3. In this embodiment they are not conveyed through the skirt, but they form an open angle at the one side of the skirt. In the angle interior a pin 13 has been inserted that also extends through the cover element skirt wherein the exterior of the pin is provided with a service means 14. When the pin 13 is pressed into the angle interior, the two spring legs 2 and 3 will be pushed away from each other and passage will be created between the two pipe sections 8 and 9 between the spring legs 2 and 3. When the service means 14 is let go the spring legs 2,3 will push the pin 13 backwards, and the pipe sections 8 and 9 will be compressed, and passage there through is cut off. Also in this embodiment the spring legs 2,3 are configured as a part of same spring that is, at the one end, configured with an eye 5.

Now, Figure 3 shows a bottle 12 on which a cover element according to the invention is mounted. The cover element is divided into an upper compartment 15 and a lower compartment 16 that is open towards the bottle. A straw 11,8 extends through the two compartments from the area above the cover element and down to the bottle bottom. At the top the straw 11 has an angulation 17 whereby liquid can readily be drawn up from the bottle 12.

Through the two compartments a pipe 9 also extends that connects the area underneath the lower chamber 16 to the area above the upper compartment 15 to provide aeration of the bottle such that superat ospheric pressure can be blown off via this pipe, and such that subatmospheric pressure can be equalised there through when liquid is drawn out. In the upper chamber a valve mechanism is provided such that the two pipes are compressed and air or liquid cannot pass there through unless the valve mechanism is activated. This is accomplished by means of the two service buttons 6 and 7 as described above.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. A cover element with a cover face (10) and a skirt (4), wherein a straw (8,11) and a ventilation passage (9) are conveyed through openings in the cover face (10), wherein the cover element is built with an integral valve such that the connection between the straw (8,11) and the ventilation passage (9) can be closed, characterised in that the straw (8,11) and the ventilation passage (9) consist of flexible pipes extending through the openings in the cover face (10); and in that a resilient element (2,3,5) that extends along the underside of the cover face (10) is configured for simultaneous compression of the two pipes (8,9); and wherein at least one service means (6,7,14) that extends through an opening in the cover element is configured to counteract the compression of the two flexible pipes (8,9) by the resilient element when influenced.

2. A cover element according to claim 1, characterised in that the cover element is divided into two compartments; an upper compartment (15) containing the resilient element (2,3,5), and a lower downwardly open compartment (16) separated from the upper compartment (15) by a further face through which the ventilation passage (9) and straw (11,8) have been conveyed.

3. A cover element according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the resilient element has two closely adjacent legs (2,3) through which the two flexible pipes (8,9) extend, wherein the legs (2,3) are subject to resilient influence towards each other with a view to compression of the two pipes (8,9) .

4. A cover element according to claim 3, characterised in that at least one of the legs (2,3) has an extension conveyed through an opening in the skirt (4) of the cover element; and wherein at least the one leg has an abutment face (6,7) for finger pressure to neutralize the resilient impact of the legs (2,3) towards each other by movement of the leg's extension through the opening.

5. A cover element according to claim 3, characterised in that, in a region, the two legs (2,3) extend in an angle away from each other; and that in the angle interior a service pin is provided that has a first portion (13) configured for being pressed into the angle interior between the spring legs (2,3), and a second portion extending through an opening in the cover element skirt (4) with an abutment face (14) outside the cover element skirt (4) for finger pressure.

6. A cover element according to claim 3, characterised in that the two spring legs (2,3) constitute a part of the same element (2,3,5) comprising a curved portion (5) that connects the two spring legs (2,3) to each other.

7. A cover element according to claim 2, characterised in that the downwardly open compartment (16) has a skirt with engagement means for securing the cover element to a soft drink container.

8. A cover element according to claim 2, characterised in that the ventilation passage (9) extends between the underside of the further face and the top face of the cover face (10); and that the straw (11,8) extends from the area above the cover and through the cover and down into the soft drink container (12) .

9. A cover element according to claim 2, characterised in that the resilient (2,3,5) element is configured coherently with the cover element.