Refillable bottle for the retail packaging of liquids

Jan. 18, 1966

A. A. FILLEUL

3,229,840

REFILLABLE BOTTLE FOR THE RETAIL PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS

Filed July 31, 1964

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US3229840A_D0001.tif" />

Jan. 18, 1966

A. A. FILLEUL

3,229,840

REFILLABLE BOTTLE FOR THE RETAIL PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS

Filed July 31, 1964

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3229840A_D0002.tif" />

<img file="US3229840A_D0003.tif" />

Jan. 18, 1966

A. A. FILLEUL

3,229,840

REFILLABLE BOTTLE FOR THE RETAIL PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS

Filed July 31, 1964

Sheets-Sheet 5

<img file="US3229840A_D0004.tif" />

<img file="US3229840A_D0005.tif" />

<img file="US3229840A_D0006.tif" />

3,229,840

Patented Jan. 18, 1966

United States Patent Office

3,229,840

REFILLABLE BOTTLE FOR THE RETAIL PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS

Andre Albert Filleul, 110 Ave. de Neuilly, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

Filed July 31,1964, Ser. No. 386,542

Claims priority, application France, Aug. 3,1963,943,694;

Jan. 31,1964, 962,275; Apr. 8,1964, 970,122

Claims. (Cl. 215—2)

This invention relates to liquid containers and more particularly to containers of the prepackaged type.

It is well-known that glass possesses many desirable qualities and is for this reason, to cite one example of its many applications, almost the exclusive material used to fabricate bottles. Among the many advantages which it brings to such an application may be cited its transparency, its clean appearance, its rigidity, and, more generally, the attractive package which it presents for beverages.

Despite these considerable assets, this material presents several disadvantages which are serious enough to have impelled manufacturers to search for new materials which will overcome these disadvantages and which at the same time will not oppose the relatively strong resistance to change which is characteristc of the buying public.

The disadvantages of glass are its fragility and its relative heaviness. Its fragility renders it somewhat difficult, and even dangerous, to handle and causes the cost of bottles to be increased due to breakage. As an example, a single bottle of mineral water is handled an average of twenty-five times during its trip from the shipper to the consumer, an average of one bottle out of twenty-five is broken during such a trip, and seven bottles per thousand are broken during cleaning and refilling. Because of its great weight (its total shipping weight, considering that it makes one trip when full and a return trip when empty, is almost one and a half time that of the contained liquid) bottles made therefrom require special carriers (e.g. segmented wooden cases) which are themselves heavy, bulky, and inconvenient to handle, all of which goes to increase shipping costs.

Finally, the handling of glass bottles is complicated the fact that most of them require a deposit which is reimbursed when the bottle is returned.

It is an object of this invention to preserve the numerous advantages possesed by glass bottles while eliminating the above-noted disadvantages.

It is a more special object of the present invention to eliminate the countless trips which a bottle previously had to make between the bottler and the consumer.

The present invention seeks to eliminate the difficulties previously associated with glass bottles through the provision of a novel glass bottle having a closeable opening through which may be introduced a refill comprising a charge of liquid prepackaged in a flexible insert conforming to the dimensions of the bottle and having a neck which is made longer than that of the bottle in order that the neck of the container may be cut when it is desired to gain access to the liquid.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, when taken together with the attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded, longitudinal cross-sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional detail view of one form for the neck of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are views similar to that of FIGURE 2, showing variations of the neck structure of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is schematic view showing the manner of filling the flexible container;

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a variation of the embodiment of FIGURE 1.

In the various figures, the same element will be given the same reference number.

The drawings generally show a glass bottle 1 having a standard shape, i.e. furnished with a narrow neck 2 having a lip 3 extending around its outer surface near its upper end. The bottle has a removable-base to permit the insertion of a refill container or insert 4. The refill container or insert is constituted of flexible material, and has a shape which conforms essentially to the inner demensions of bottle 1, but has a neck 5 which is longer than the bottle neck 2. The container 4, filled with liquid and sealed, is placed in bottle 1 and the base 6 is then attached to the bottle so as to hold the refill in place. The base 6 is preferably rigid and is made of any suitable material, for example a suitable plastic.

In order to assure the correct positioning of neck 5, as well as the impermeability of the contact between this neck and the bottle neck, complementary means are provided. These latter means may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 consists of a cylindrical sleeve 7 having an outer skirt 9 terminated by an inwardly-directed annular shoulder TO. This sleeve is made from a semi-rigid material and is placed in neck 2 while the shoulder 10 is held in place by lip 3. This sleeve 7 can rotate in neck 2 but can not be easily removed therefrom.

On the inner cylindrical surface 8 of sleeve 7 is provided a first, large pitch screw-thread 11 which is positioned so as to cooperate with a corresponding thread 12 on the outer surface of container neck 5. By rotating skirt 9, by means of a roughened, or knurled, portion 13 of its outer surface, the cooperating screw threads are caused to engage, thus urging container 4 upward so as to establish an intimate contact with the inner surface of bottle 1. This movement simultaneously assures a good positioning of neck 5 and an impermeable joint which prevents the flow of liquid between bottle and container during pouring.

In order to open the container thus formed, the top of neck 5 is cut off with any sharp instrument, e.g. a scissors the cut being made preferably close to the upper surface of sleeve 7.

During usage, the bottle may be temporarily capped by a removable cap 15 having a longitudinally extending skirt 16 whose outer surface is furnished with a screw thread 17 designed to engage a second screw thread 18 on the inner cylindrical surface 8 of sleeve 7 above screw thread 11. When cap 15 is in place, the upper portion of neck 5 is disposed between the bottom of the cap and sleeve 7 and since the thickness of the wall of neck 5 is relatively small the diameters of skirt 16 and screw' thread 17 can be varied somewhat.

In the variation shown in FIGURE 3 the complementary means consists of flexible collar 19 which is welded, glued, or heat sealed, along the region 20, to neck 5. Neck 5 has a narrowed portion 5a opposite which is disposed, on collar 19, an inwardly-directed, annular screw thread 21.

For positioning the refill container 4, there is provided a cap 22 having a skirt 23 whose lower extremity is provided with a screw thread 24 designed to mate with screw thread 21 of collar 19. The skirt 23 of cap 22 has an external diameter which is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of neck 2. Cap 22 is also furnished with a pull ring 25.

With this arrangement, container 4 is put into position by causing cap 22 to engage collar 19 and by the pulling on ring 25 until collar 19, which deforms elastically in

3,229,840 order to pass through bottle neck 2,: has emerged far enough to permit its flared upper end to be free of neck 2 and to expand on the upper surface thereof, It is then a simple matter for the consumer to unscrew cap 22 and cut off the top of neck portion 5α in order to use the bottle. For storage after opening, it is only necessary to replace cap 22.

In the variation of FIGURE 4, the complementary means consists of the provision of a large pitch screw thread 26 on neck 5 and in the employment of a sleeve 27, furnished with a shoulder 28 which bears against the upper end of bottle neck 2. Sleeve 27 also has a tubular portion 29 furnished with a screw thread 30 designed to mate with screw thread 26.

In this arrangement the end of neck 5 is also narrowed at its upper end in order to permit the passage of the skirt 32 of a cap 31. Cap 31 is provided with a suitable screw thread 33 arranged to mate with a corresponding thread 34 formed on the internal surface of tubular portion 29.

Although all of the structures described above employ screw threads to effect the various connections, it should be appreciated that any other known joining technique may be used.

Turning now to FIGURE 5, wherein is shown a container 4 prior to its insertion in a bottle, it may be seen that the container has, in the portion destined to serve as its bottom, a funnel-like opening 4α which is large enough to permit the introduction of the filling spout 35 of any known type of filling device. The liquid can thus be packaged by standard equipment with the aid of simple auxiliary devices for assuring the maintenance of container 4 in position during the operation. After the filling has been completed, the opening is closed, for example by heat sealing opening 4α along the line 36. The waste portion of the opening may then be cut off if desired.

The filling can also be accomplished through a similar orifice located at any other point on container 4 and may even be effected through neck 5 before the latter is sealed, provided a suitably dimensioned pouring spout is used.

In the variation of FIGURE 6, is may be seen that container 4 comprises an auxiliary sealed chamber 37 one wall of which has a weakened section 38 to which is attached a line 39 which passes in an impermeable manner, through the lower wall of container 4.

At the moment when container 4 is placed in bottle 1, the line 39 is made to pass out of the bottle through a hole 6α formed in base 6, then the latter is put in place in the normal manner, e.g. by means of a simple force fitting. This arrangement permits the consumer or the retailer to break chamber 37 by pulling on line 39, so as to tear section 38, and to thus permit chamber 37 to communicate with the main portion of container 4, thereby obtaining a mixing of the contents of the respective chambers.

Such an arrangement is desirable, for example, when the main region of container 4 contains a liquid and chamber 37 contains effervescent mineral salts or fruit pulp.

The filling opening such as opening 4α for container 4 can be made sufficiently large to permit the introduction of chamber 37, line 39 being made to pass through this opening and being sealed in an impermeable manner at the time of the sealing of the opening.

Chamber 37 could be made so as to be openable by some means other than a line for tearing a wall, for example by means of a pin.

The removable caps and the sleeves for the various embodiments, as well as the refill insert 4, could be made of any suitable material, preferably of a chemically inert plastic.

It thus results that this invention eliminates most of the inconveniences previously presented by the use of glass bottles. In effect, the glass bottle, according to the invention, is purchased only once by the consumer, while all of the handling, shipping and stocking is carried out for the refill containers 4.

A considerable economy is thus realized because of the following improvements:

Elimination of the investment of capital in stocks of bottles and bottle cases;

Virtual elimination of breakage;

Reduction in shipping costs since the average glass bottle weighs around 660 grams (1½ lbs.) while a flexible plastic refill container may weigh as little as 8 to 10 grams (0.33 oz.) resulting in a total saving of 1.3 kg. (2.9 lbs.) (based on round trip of bottle) per bottle;

Decrease of 65 % in shipping space since the nature of the refill containers makes it unnecessary for them to be separated from one another during shipment and handling, and thus eliminates the need for shipping cases;

Elimination of the need for cleaning or relabeling since the glass bottle is transparent and since the flexible containers can be printed, or still better etched, at the time of fabrication, i.e. the label can be molded in relief at the time of the molding of the containers;

Elimination of deposits, and

Acceleration and simplification of deliveries.

Moreover, this novel packaging arrangement permits an exact control of the amount of air contained in the refill containers, and even a complete elimination of air which will aid the conservation of certain sensitive liquids such as wine, milk, cider, beer, mineral waters, and the like.

While certain particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it should be appreciated that many variations can be produced without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the annexed claims.