Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A DRIP-RETAINING COLLAR FOR A BOTTLE
This invention relates to a drip-retaining collar for catching and retaining
drips of
liquid from a bottle such as a wine bottle.
Background of the Invention
A well known problem encountered when pouring a liquid such as wine from a
bottle is that, after pouring, a residual drop of liquid often remains on the
neck of
the bottle. Unless care is taken to wipe the bottle to remove the drop, the
drop will
typically run down the outer surface of the bottle on to the underlying
surface. In
the case of a strongly coloured liquid such as red wine, this can lead to
staining of
an underlying surface, such as a table cloth, as well as soiling any label
present on
the bottle.
Various solutions to the abovementioned problem have been have been proposed,
see for example GB 265214, US 3063590, FR 2622425 and US 2005/0199579.
However, for various reasons, the aforesaid solutions are not considered to be
entirely satisfactory
Summary of the Invention
The present invention sets out to provide an improved means of catching drips
from bottles, such as wine bottles, whilst at the same time providing
additional
space on a bottle for presenting advertising and marketing information and
materials.
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a drip-retaining collar
for a
bottle, the collar being configured to sit about a neck of the bottle and
comprising
an annular drip-collecting trough which is arranged to collect drips running
down
the neck of the bottle, wherein the annular trough is partitioned into
compartments,
each compartment being of such a size and configuration that it can retain
drip
liquid collected therein when the collar is inverted.
In use, the drip-retaining collar is placed over the neck of a bottle and
moved along
the neck and away from the mouth of the bottle so that it comes to rest on the
shoulder of the bottle, i.e. the region of the bottle where it flares out from
the lower
end of the neck. The collar is shaped so that after liquid (e.g. wine) has
been
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poured from the bottle and the bottle has been restored to an upright
position, any
residual liquid running down the neck of the bottle is arrested and collected
by the
trough.
Unlike conventional napkins and known drip retaining collars, such as the
collars
disclosed in our earlier International patent application W02010/013009, which
make use of an absorbent material to absorb drips, the drip collar of the
present
invention makes use of surface adhesion and/or surface tension to retain
collected
drip liquid. Thus, drips running down the neck of a bottle are directed into
the
annular trough and the drip liquid is held firmly in the trough by surface
adhesion
and/or surface tension. If the collar is inverted, the liquid does not fall
out but
remains in the trough. It is of course possible to overload the drip retaining-
collar
by pouring down the neck of the bottle an amount of liquid which exceeds the
total
capacity of the trough. However, the total capacity of the trough is such that
it is
more than sufficient to accommodate the volumes of drip liquid that would be
encountered in normal use.
Furthermore, adjacent compartments may have a nick (e.g. a small cut-out or
slot)
in a common dividing wall between the adjacent compartments to enable liquid
to
pass from one compartment to another. Preferably nicks are provided in each
dividing wall between adjacent compartments. The nick is typically located in
an
upper edge of the (or each) dividing wall. In the event that a drip is
collected that
has a volume greater than the volume of the compartment into which it falls,
excess drip liquid can readily be transferred to neighbouring compartments so
that
overflow and spillage does not occur. In this way, overloading of any single
compartment is avoided.
The drip-retaining collar typically has a radially inwardly facing edge for
contacting
the neck of the bottle so as to halt the flow of drips down the neck, the
annular
drip-collecting trough being disposed radially outwardly of the radially
inwardly
facing edge. The radially inwardly facing edge may be provided by a flexible
annular flange which extends radially inwardly from the trough and serves in
use to
direct drips into the trough.
In order to enhance the ability of the collar to prevent drips from running
down the
neck of the bottle, the radially inwardly facing edge may be provided by a
flexible
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annular flange which extends radially inwardly from the trough. The flexible
annular
flange may form a seal against the surface of the neck of the bottle.
Preferably, the flexible annular flange has one or more discontinuities around
its
circumference such that it is divided into a plurality of segments, the
discontinuities
being sufficiently small that drips do not pass through. The discontinuities
provide
the annular flange with greater flexibility so that it can accommodate bottle
necks
of different diameters.
Preferably at least part of the flexible annular flange is inclined upwardly
so that, in
use, it directs drip liquid into the annular trough.
A further function of the flexible annular flange is to hold the drip-
retaining collar in
place on the bottle neck and prevent it from sliding up the neck of the bottle
in use.
The flexible annular flange is preferably resilient. The resilience of the
flange
enables it to grip the neck of the bottle and thereby provide a better seal
and
greater resistance to displacement.
The annular trough is partitioned into a plurality of compartments that each
have a
size and configuration that enables them to retain drip liquid. If the trough
is not
partitioned, it will not retain liquid sufficiently tightly and will, if the
bottle is tipped,
spill its contents.
The annular trough is typically divided into a single row of compartments
extending
around its circumference, although it could in principle be divided into
several rows.
It is preferred that there are at least 30 compartments, more preferably at
least 34
compartments, and still more preferably at least 36 compartments. Most
preferably, there are 38 or more compartments.
The drip-retaining collar may have a downwardly depending portion in the form
of a
skirt which typically is flared outwardly at or towards a lower end thereof.
References to orientation (e.g. "downwardly depending" and "lower end") in the
present context refer to the orientation of the collar and its component parts
when
the bottle is in an upright position.
The lower part of the skirt may be shaped to resemble a pair of shirt-tails,
one of
which may be larger than the other.
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The angle of flare of the skirt is selected so that the collar will sit
comfortably on a
range of different bottle sizes and types.
The skirt may be used to carry printed material such as trademarks, logos,
product
information, advertising materials and information about the manufacturer or
retailer. For example, the skirt may carry one or more printed labels.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a label is integrally moulded
into the
skirt. This can be achieved by means of in-mould labelling, a well known
process
which is used widely in the packaging industry and can be used to mould
labelled
containers and other items at high speed and in large volumes. An advantage of
in-mould labelling is that it enables the collar to be formed with the label
in place in
a single moulding operation.
Alternatively, the label may be applied to the skirt in a separate operation
after the
moulding of the collar. When applied to the skirt in a separate operation, it
can be
bonded to the skirt using either a peelable or a non-peelable adhesive, or a
combination thereof. For example, part of the label may be adapted to be
peeled
off and removed
In one embodiment, the skirt has inner and outer labels, wherein the outer
label is
constructed so as to be removable to reveal the inner label.
The inner label may be formed so that it is non-removable (without destroying
the
label and collar) or it may be formed so that it is partially or fully
removable (e.g.
partially or fully peelable).
The outer label may be used to provide information relevant to the point-of-
sale of
the bottle such as details of special price offers or competitions or any of a
wide
variety of types of promotional material and information relating to the
bottles and
their contents when on display in a store. Alternatively or additionally, the
outer
label may bear a brand name or logo or a design.
One or more outer labels may be detachably secured to the collar. For example,
a
pair of outer labels may be detachably secured to the collar.
Typically the one or more outer labels are detachably secured to the skirt by
means of a peelable adhesive. After purchase of a product bearing the drip-
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retaining collar of the invention, the outer label can be peeled off leaving
the drip-
retaining collar itself remaining in place.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the skirt of the drip-retaining
collar of
the invention may carry:
5 (a) a moulded-in (i.e. using in-mould labelling technology) non-
peelable label;
or
(b) a moulded-in label which may be fully or partially detachable (e.g.
peelable); or
(c) a moulded-in non-peelable inner label and a peelable outer label; or
(d) a non-peelable label applied in a separate process to the moulding of
the
collar; or
(e) inner and outer labels both applied in separate processes to the
moulding
of the collar.
In another aspect, the invention provides a product comprising a bottle having
mounted thereon a drip-retaining collar as defined herein.
A substantial advantage of the drip-retaining collar of the invention is its
ease of
manufacture and the fact that it can be formed by moulding in a one-step
manufacturing process. By contrast, known drip collar designs frequently make
use
of a number of different materials and therefore are assembled in a series of
steps
which can often be difficult to automate on an economical basis.
Further aspects and embodiments of the invention will be evident from the
following specific description and the claims appended hereto.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a view from above of a drip-retaining collar according to a first
embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2 is a side view in direction D1 of the drip-retaining collar shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side view in direction D2 of the drip-retaining collar shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view from below of the drip-retaining collar of Figures 1 to 3.
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Figure 5 is a side view in direction D3 of the drip-retaining collar shown in
Figure 2.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail, but not limited, by
reference
to the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings Figures 1 to 5.
The drip-retaining collar 2 of Figures 1 to 5 has a generally flared shape and
comprises a portion 4 in the form of a skirt, the lower part of which
comprises
smaller and larger shirt-tail shaped portions 6 and 8.
Extending around the inner surface of the upper (i.e. narrower) end of the
collar 2
is an annular trough 10 which is divided by a plurality of dividing walls 12
into a
series of compartments 14. The annular trough 10 is slightly recessed (e.g. by
about 2-3 mm) from the upper edge 16 of the collar.
The dividing walls 12 preferably each have a small nick (not shown) which
enables
liquid from one compartment to flow into adjacent compartments thereby
preventing any one compartment from being overloaded.
Connected to the trough 10 and extending inwardly therefrom is a flexible
annular
flange 18, the inner section of which is inclined in an upwards direction. A
series of
radial discontinuities or slots 20 in the flexible annular flange18 divides
the
flange18 into a series of segments (eight are shown in this embodiment). The
slots
give the flange greater flexibility and thereby enable it to accommodate
different
20 sizes of bottle neck. In use, the radially inner edges 22 of the flange
segments
press against the neck of the bottle to arrest the flow of drips. They also
serve to
hold the collar in position and prevent it from sliding up the neck of the
bottle.
The collar is formed by moulding in one piece from a suitable plastics
material
such as polypropylene. The plastics material typically has a degree of
resilience
which assists the flange segments to grip more tightly against the neck of the
bottle.
During the moulding process, a label may be incorporated into the collar using
well
known in-mould labelling technology. In Figures 2, 3 and 5, the label is
depicted
schematically as a series of stripes. In practice, however, the moulded-in
label
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would be used to display information about the product or its manufacturer,
trademarks and logos and other advertising material.
Following the initial moulding operation, a peelable outer label may be
applied to
the skirt or a part thereof in a separate step. The peelable outer label may
be used
to display details relating to sales promotions involving the product to which
the
collar is applied. After purchase of a product bearing the collar, the outer
label can
be peeled off to reveal the inner label.
After the moulding operation, and any further label application steps, the
collars of
the invention may be stacked prior to application to a bottle. The collars can
be
held together in a stack by means of a tab 24 on the upper surface of the
trough of
one collar which engages and is held between two pegs 28 on the under-surface
of
the trough of the adjacent collar in the stack. Engagement of the tab 24 with
the
pegs 28 is sufficiently firm to hold the stack together whilst still allowing
the collar
to be removed readily from the stack for application to a bottle. In order to
prevent
adjacent collars from sticking together through surface adhesion when stacked,
spacers 30 are provided on the underside of the collar to create a small air
gap
between the collars.
Once the collars have been manufactured and any additional labels applied, the
collars may be placed on a bottle either manually or, more preferably, by
machine.
In order to enable the collar to be oriented correctly (e.g. so that the shirt
tail
shaped sections 6 and 8 are aligned with the labels on the bottle) when
applied by
machine, an orientation peg 26 is provided on the upper surface of the trough.
In use, the label of Figures 1 to 5 is located about the neck of a bottle, the
radially
inner edges of the flexible flange segments pressing against the bottle neck.
After
the bottle has been opened and one or more measures of liquid (e.g. wine)
poured
out of the bottle, residual liquid in the form of drips may be left on the
neck of the
bottle. If not removed, the drips will tend to run down the neck and sides of
the
bottle on to an underlying surface, often marking the surface. In the case of
highly
coloured liquids such as red wine, the drips will cause staining of the
underlying
surface.
The drip-retaining collar of the invention prevents this problem from arising.
As
drips run down the neck, they are arrested by the flexible flange segments and
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diverted into the compartmentalised trough. The size and number of the
compartments is such that the drip liquid is held firmly within the
compartments
and does not spill out when the bottle is tipped. Tests carried out have
established
that even when the drip-retaining collar has been filled with liquid and is
inverted,
the liquid remains in the compartment and does not fall out. VVithout wishing
to be
bound by any theory, it is believed that the liquid is retained in the
compartments
by virtue of surface adhesion between the plastics material and the liquid.
The total volume of the trough is sufficiently large that it can easily
accommodate
the volume of drip liquid typically encountered. The number and size of the
compartments is selected so as to provide optimal drip retention capability.
Thus, if
the trough is not divided into compartments, the drip-retention capability of
the
collar is very poor and drip liquid will tend to spill out of the trough when
the collar
is tipped or inverted. Similarly, if there are too few compartments, such that
each
compartment has a relatively large volume, the drip retention will be poor.
The number of compartments required for good drip retention will depend on a
number of factors such as the total volume of the trough, the shapes of the
compartments, the nature of the plastics material from which the collar is
formed
and the type of liquid that the trough is intended to collect. Equipped with
the
template provided by this patent application, the skilled person will readily
be able
to identify suitable compartment configurations that give good drip retention.
By
way of example, the inventors have found that, for the drip collar shown in
the
drawings, at least 30 compartments are desirable for good drip retention,
whilst
collars with 36 or more compartments (for example 38 or more) have excellent
drip
retention properties.
Thus, the drip-retaining collar of the invention performs both a technical
function, in
that it provides an efficient means of collecting and retaining drips left
after pouring
from a bottle, and an advertising function in that it increases the space
available on
a bottle for presenting advertising or marketing information.
The drip-retaining collar of the invention is of simple construction and lends
itself
readily to mass production, an important requirement if a product is to be
commercially viable.
Equivalents
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It will readily be apparent that numerous modifications and alterations may be
made to the specific embodiments of the invention described above without
departing from the principles underlying the invention. All such modifications
and
alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.
