CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

The invention is a bottle or container for a beverage, which is configured with an upper and lower compartment connected by a waist portion that defines a passage therebetween. Through the use of an appropriately configured freezing shelf, the beverage held in the lower compartment can be frozen at point of sale. The bottle is specifically configured to, upon activation, create a pinch point between the waist portion of the bottle and the punt of the lower compartment. This pinch point is achieved through controlled deformation of part of the lower compartment and/or waist portion of the bottle and effectively seals the lower compartment, and its contents, from the upper compartment, or at the very least significantly restricts the passage between the two compartments. Convection circulation between the two compartments is prevented or at least hindered. The isolation of the lower compartment from the upper compartment by virtue of the pinch point may leads to quicker crystallization and ice formation. The invention is advantageous it means that the beverage contained in the upper compartment can be held at a higher temperature and thus is easier to consume at the time of purchase and allowing some time for the beverage in the lower compartment to melt and in due course become consumable.

Claims

1-31. (canceled)

32. A bottle, wherein the bottle includes: an upper compartment; a lower compartment including a base, wherein the base includes a raised punt; and a waist portion defining a passage between the upper and lower compartments; and wherein the waist portion and/or lower compartment is configured to be temporarily deformed upon application of a vertically applied force to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion thereby constricting the passage between the upper and lower compartment.

33. The bottle as claimed in claim 32, wherein the bottle has an as moulded configuration, before the passage between the upper and lower compartments is constricted, and an activated configuration, when the passage between the upper and lower compartments has been constricted.

34. The bottle as claimed in claim 33, wherein the bottle includes at least one displacement panel.

35. The bottle as claimed in claim 34, wherein when the bottle is in an as moulded configuration, the displacement panel is relatively concave, and wherein when the bottle is in an activated configuration, the displacement panel is relatively convex.

36. The bottle as claimed in claim 33, wherein at least part of the waist portion has a diameter that is reduced relative to diameters of the upper and lower compartments when the bottle is in an as moulded state.

37. The bottle as claimed in claim 33, wherein in the activated configuration, a pinch point between the punt and the waist portion has been created, thereby sealing or significantly restricting the passage between the upper and lower compartment.

38. The bottle as claimed in claim 33, wherein the raised punt arises from the base of the lower compartment.

39. The bottle as claimed in claim 33, wherein the waist portion is configured to temporarily deform as the bottle transitions from its as moulded configuration to its activated configuration to bring a surface of the punt into contact with the waist portion of the bottle to constrict the passage between the lower and upper compartments.

40. The bottle as claimed in claim 39, wherein the waist portion includes at least one generally horizontal line of weakness circumscribing the waist portion and configured to act as a living hinge.

41. The bottle as claimed in claim 39, wherein a portion of the lower compartment includes at least one generally horizontal line of weakness circumscribing the lower compartment and configured to act as a living hinge.

42. The bottle as claimed in claim 39, wherein the waist portion includes at least one line of weakness provided as a continuous spiral circumscribing the waist portion.

43. The bottle as claimed in claim 39, wherein the waist portion includes a plurality of diagonally arranged lines of weakness.

44. The bottle as claimed in claim 43, wherein the bottle includes reinforcing structures, which with the plurality of diagonally arranged lines of weakness define a plurality of panels circumscribing the circumference of at least a portion of the waist portion.

45. The bottle as claimed in claim 33, wherein the lower compartment is configured to temporarily deform as the bottle transitions from its as moulded configuration to its activated configuration to bring a surface of the punt into contact with the waist portion of the bottle to constrict the passage between the lower and upper compartments.

46. The bottle as claimed in claim 45, wherein the punt is a truncated cone arising from the base, wherein the truncated cone has walls and a top surface, and wherein the top surface is substantially flat.

47. The bottle as claimed in claim 45, wherein the top surface of the punt has a diameter approximating the width of the waist portion of the bottle at its narrowest point.

48. The bottle as claimed in claim 46, wherein the punt includes at least one line of weakness configured to act as a living hinge, wherein the line of weakness is where the walls of the punt meet the base of the lower compartment.

49. The bottle as claimed in claim 46, wherein the punt includes at least one line of weakness configured to act as a living hinge, wherein the line of weakness is partway up the walls of the punt.

50. The bottle as claimed in claim 32, wherein the upper compartment includes a mouth for introduction of a beverage.

51. The bottle as claimed in claim 50, wherein the upper compartment is configured with a progressive inward taper towards the mouth.

52. The bottle as claimed in claim 34, wherein the at least one displacement panel includes a perimeter formed by detail lines.

53. The bottle as claimed in claim 52, wherein the detail lines are configured as hinges for the at least one displacement panel.

54. The bottle as claimed in claim 34, wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to the upper compartment.

55. The bottle as claimed in claim 54, wherein the upper compartment includes two or more displacement panels spaced equidistance about the circumference of the bottle.

56. The bottle as claimed in claim 34, wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to the lower compartment.

57. The bottle as claimed in claim 56, wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to the punt of the lower compartment.

58. The bottle as claimed in claim 34, wherein the at least one displacement panel is provided to a closure for the bottle.

59. The bottle as claimed in claim 32, wherein the bottle is moulded from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

60. The bottle as claimed in claim 32, wherein the bottle is formed from aluminium.

61. A method, comprising: obtaining a bottle, wherein the bottle includes: an upper compartment; a lower compartment, wherein the lower compartment includes a base, wherein the base includes a raised punt; and a waist portion defining a passage between the upper and lower compartments, wherein the lower compartment and/or waist portion is configured to be temporarily deformed upon application of a vertically applied force to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion thereby constricting the passage between the lower and upper compartment; deforming the lower compartment to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion; and placing the bottle in a chiller, wherein the chiller includes a freezing shelf with a surface at least partially complementary to a surface of the bottle.

62. A method, comprising: obtaining a bottle, wherein the bottle includes: an upper compartment; a lower compartment, wherein the lower compartment includes a base, wherein the base includes a raised punt; and a waist portion defining a passage between the upper and lower compartments, wherein the lower compartment and/or waist portion is configured to be temporarily deformed upon application of a vertically applied force to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion thereby constricting the passage between the lower and upper compartment; placing the bottle in a chiller, wherein the chiller includes a freezing shelf with a surface at least partially complementary to a surface of the lower compartment of the bottle; and deforming the lower compartment to bring the raised punt into contact with the waist portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0120] Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0121] FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0122] FIG. 2A is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

[0123] FIG. 2B is a side view of a further alternative embodiment of the present invention;

[0124] FIG. 3 is a close up side view of a portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in an activated state;

[0125] FIG. 4A is a top view of one embodiment of the punt;

[0126] FIG. 4B is a side view of the punt of FIG. 4A;

[0127] FIG. 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention when in a freezer shelf;

[0128] FIG. 6A is a front view of a further alternative embodiment of the present invention in an as moulded state;

[0129] FIG. 6B is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 6A in an activated state;

[0130] FIG. 7A is a front view of yet another embodiment of the present invention in an as moulded state;

[0131] FIG. 7B is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A in an activated state;

[0132] FIG. 8A is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A in a specifically configured shelf at point of sale, prior to being activated;

[0133] FIG. 8B is a further side view of the specifically configured shelf of 8A with the embodiment of FIG. 7A in an activated state;

[0134] FIG. 9 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0135] FIG. 10A is a side view of a yet another embodiment of the present invention in an as moulded state;

[0136] FIG. 10B is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 10A in an activated state;

[0137] FIG. 11A is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 10A in a specifically configured shelf at point of sale, prior to being activated;

[0138] FIG. 11B is a further side view of the specifically configured shelf of FIG. 11A with the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 10A in an activated state;

[0139] FIG. 11C is a front view of the specifically configured shelf of FIG. 11A with the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 10A in an activated state;

[0140] FIG. 12A is a front view of one embodiment of a closure suitable for use for some embodiments of the invention, wherein the closure is in an as moulded state;

[0141] FIG. 12B is a front view of the closure of FIG. 12A in an activated state;

[0142] FIG. 13A is a front view of a further embodiment of a closure suitable for use for some embodiments of the invention, wherein the closure is in an as moulded state;

[0143] FIG. 13B is a front view of the closure of FIG. 13A in an activated state;

[0144] FIG. 14A is a front view of an embodiment of the invention formed from aluminium when in an as moulded state;

[0145] FIG. 14B is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 14A when in an activated state;

[0146] FIG. 15A is a front view of a further embodiment of the invention formed from aluminium when in an as moulded state; and

[0147] FIG. 15B is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 15A when in an activated state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0148] In FIG. 1, the anatomy of an exemplary embodiment (100) of the present invention can be considered.

[0149] As can be seen, the invention is a bottle (100) and it is specially designed such that at least a portion of the beverage (not shown) contained within can be frozen upon placement in an appropriately configured freezing shelf in a chiller or the like (not shown).

[0150] The bottle (100) includes an upper compartment (102), which at its upper most end (102a) is defined by a neck (104) that leads to the mouth (106) of the bottle. Once the bottle is filled with the beverage (not shown) to be contained, the mouth of the bottle is closed with a seal and/or cap (not shown) to preserve its contents.

[0151] Below the neck (104) of the bottle (100), the upper compartment (102) tapers outwardly to define the shoulders (103) of the bottle.

[0152] About the circumference of the upper compartment (102) are provided at least two displacement panels (108) defined by detail lines (109). These displacement panels are urged outwards upon application of a force to the bottle (100) to accommodate an increase in volume of the upper compartment. It will be appreciated that the surrounding areas are substantially squared off to direct and channel applied forces and to allow the displacement panels to be moveable.

[0153] The displacement panels increase the capacity of the upper compartment for the contents of the bottle, which flows upwards as the volume of the lower compartment decreases, as will become apparent from further discussion of the bottle.

[0154] Seen here in a relatively concave configuration, when sufficient force has been applied, the displacement panels (108) will pop outwards into a convex configuration. The detail lines are appropriately moulded such that once popped, the displacement panels cannot freely return to an as moulded state unless an appropriate force is applied to the bottle. This is useful, for it ensures that the bottle (100) remains in an activated state.

[0155] It will be appreciated that the movement of the displacement panels (108) occurs primarily around the detail lines (109), which serve as a living hinge. This leaves the main portion of the displacement panels substantially flat and thus an ideal surface for applying any labelling that may be desired.

[0156] Alternative configurations for the displacement panels are shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In FIG. 2A, the bottle (200) is configured with a detail line (202) circumscribing the shoulder (204) of the bottle. With the bottle shown in an as moulded state, the detail line serves as a hinge for the neck and mouth portion (206) of the bottle, which assumes an inverted configuration. When the bottle is activated, for example by the consumer gripping the sides of the upper compartment of the bottle and applying a pushing force towards the base (210), this causes deformation about the waist (212) such that it seals against the punt (214).

[0157] In response to the partial displacement of the contents of the lower compartment (216), the hinge (202) pivots to allow the neck and mouth portion (206) to move upwards and assume a more conventional configuration, where the neck tapers outwardly to the shoulder of the bottle. Although not shown here, the neck may include additional detail lines to assist in the movement of this area of the bottle from its inverted state into the conventional configuration.

[0158] The advantage of this arrangement is that it allows the upper compartment (208) to assume a more contoured form without the hinderance of displacement panels. This may be preferred for aesthetic or production reasons. For example, the manufacturer may prefer to have a label applied to the entire circumference of the upper compartment without the constraints of having a label only applied to a flat portion of the displacement panel, as is the case with the embodiment of FIG. 1, or having displacement panels arising from the sides of the bottle affecting its appearance when activated.

[0159] In FIG. 2B, the bottle (200) includes activation pressure points (2018) that interact with the displacement panels (220). This activation pressure point is in the form of a raised dome-like structure that intrudes into the detail lines (222) that define part of the displacement panels. The user can apply force to the activation pressure point which helps urge the displacement panel from its initial concave form into a convex configuration to assist in the increase in volume of the upper compartment (208) to accommodate displacement of the bottle's contents as the lower compartment (216) is reduced in volume.

[0160] The displacement panels (220) of the bottle (200) are shown as with substantially straight edges, aside from the portion into which the activation pressure points intrudes, such that when viewed from the front they assume a square or rectangular shape. It should be appreciated that it is possible that these panels could be formed as substantially oval or circular structures instead, although the surrounding area, for example the shoulder (204), may still need to squared off to assist in channeling applied forces towards the panels.

[0161] Returning now to FIG. 1, at its lower end (102b), the upper compartment (102) progressively tapers inwardly to a waist portion (110). This waist portion serves as a passage between the upper compartment and a lower compartment (112). Although in the illustrated embodiment the waist is clearly defined and has a reduced diameter relative to the upper and lower compartments, in other embodiments (not shown), the waist portion may have a diameter that is substantially similar to that of the upper and lower compartments when in an as moulded state. It may only have a reduced diameter when moved to an activated state. However, the waist portion will be configured to achieve this as will become apparent later in this specification.

[0162] It is the lower compartment (112) that is intended to hold the portion of any beverage to be frozen. It can be seen that the lower compartment is defined by the waist portion (110) and the base (114) of the bottle (100), on which it stands when being stored in a refrigerator (not shown).

[0163] Arising from the base (114) and intruding into the lower compartment (112) is a raised punt (116). It will be appreciated in this embodiment, the diameter D.sup.1 of the top side (116a) of the punt approximates the diameter D.sup.2 of the waist portion (110) of the bottle (100) at its narrowest point. As will be seen from the following discussion, the punt is capable of deformation such that the top side of the punt creates a pinch point with the waist portion at its narrowest point. This acts to seal, or at least substantially close, the waist portion to prevent or minimise transfer of any beverage between the upper (102) and lower compartments (112).

[0164] The punt (116) is configured as a flat conical structure and its dimensions are such that it takes up a portion of the volume of the lower compartment (102). Being configured in this way, the presence of the punt means that any beverage (not shown) within the bottle (100), when frozen, does so in a ring. Depending on the relative dimensions of the punt, after being removed from the chiller (not shown) from where it was purchased, the consumer may be able to break up any frozen beverage for consumption as required or it may be left to gradually melt.

[0165] The punt (116) is configured with a hinge (118) about its bottom circumference, where it joins the base (114) of the bottle (100). This hinge, where the thickness of the plastic is reduced relative to the rest of the base of the bottle, defines a line of weakness.

[0166] It will be seen that the bottom (120) of the punt (116) sits proud of the base (114) of the bottle. Force needs to be applied to this area of the bottle in order to advance the punt into the lower compartment (112) such that it engages with the waist portion (110) to activate the pinch point.

[0167] When force is applied to the bottom of the punt (116), as shown in FIG. 3, the hinge (118) allows the punt to move or otherwise be displaced vertically. This displacement brings the top side (116a) of the punt into sealing contact, or near sealing contact, with the waist portion (110) of the body. The bottom (120) of the punt no longer sits proud of the base of the bottle. The bottle is now in an activated state.

[0168] It will be appreciated that this means that the volume of the lower compartment (112) decreases due to the effective increase in space taken up by the punt (116). A portion of the beverage (not shown) within the lower compartment moves into the upper compartment (102, not shown in its entirety).

[0169] As the beverage cannot escape the bottle (100) by virtue of being closed off, to accommodate the extra beverage now present in the upper compartment (102), the displacement panels (108 in FIG. 1) pop outwards. This is due to the increase in pressure in the upper compartment resulting of the transfer of some beverage from the lower compartment (112). The displacement panels will now be in a relatively convex configuration as opposed to the relatively concave configuration of FIG. 1. The detail lines (109) ensure that the displacement panels cannot freely return to their as moulded state. Instead, they direct force down the walls of the bottle to ensure the contact at the waist portion (110) and top side (116a) of the punt (116) is maintained.

[0170] In some embodiments, the punt may include features to assist in the movement of the beverage contained within the lower compartment (112) to the upper compartment (102) as the bottle moves from its as moulded state to an activated state.

[0171] This is shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, top and side views respectively, of one embodiment of a punt (116) within the lower compartment (112). It will be seen that small recesses (400) have been moulded equidistance around the surfaces of the punt, defining channels for the beverage to flow along as the space between the side walls/top of the punt become increasingly restricted as it meets the waist portion.

[0172] Returning to the embodiment of FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that any beverage (not shown) remaining in the lower compartment (112) is contained within the area (122) and, because of the presence of the punt (116), will freeze as a ring when placed in an appropriately configured freezing shelf (not shown) within a chiller or refrigerator (not shown).

[0173] This freezing shelf (500) can be seen in FIG. 5 retaining an embodiment of the bottle (500) in an activated state. It will be seen that it includes rails (502) that closely conform to the profile of the lower compartment (512).

[0174] The relative height of the rails (502) is a little less than the height of the lower compartment (512) when the bottle is in its as moulded state. This means that the lower compartment is squeezed as the bottle is inserted into the channel between the rails. This activates the punt (516), urging it inwards into the lower compartment and thus closing the waist portion (510) and substantially sealing the passage between the lower and the upper (502) compartments.

[0175] The rails (502) are cooled to well below freezing and through conduction, will freeze the contents of the lower compartment (512). However, the remaining area of the chiller (generally indicated by arrow 504) with which the freezing shelf (500) is to be used is kept slightly above freezing.

[0176] As the lower compartment (512) is sealed from the upper compartment (502) by virtue of the pinch point created by the top side (516a) of the punt (516) and the waist portion (510), the beverage within the upper compartment is unlikely to be frozen, but is still chilled, and thus is able to be consumed straight after purchase.

[0177] The user may opt to return the bottle (500) to an as moulded state which can be achieved simply by pulling on the lower compartment (512) of the bottle. The resulting pressure on the waist portion (510), where it contacts the top side (516a) of the punt (516), causes movement of the punt about the hinge (518), away from the waist portion. This allows the contents of the lower compartment to mix with that of the upper compartment (502). If the contents of the lower compartment are still largely frozen, the contact with the beverage of the upper compartment helps chill the latter and/or accelerate defrosting of the former.

[0178] Another way of returning the bottle (500) to an as moulded state is through the user applying force to the displacement panels (508), by squeezing them together. When sufficient force is achieved, which can be as little as 2 kilograms (kg), the displacement panels pop back in. The resulting increase in pressure within the upper compartment (502) urges the waist portion away from the punt (516). Of course, the user may need to replace the closure to achieve this without risking any spillage of the remaining beverage.

[0179] It will be appreciated that there may be more than one line of weakness in the lower compartment and these may be in different locations to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 5.

[0180] For example, an alternative bottle embodiment (600) is depicted in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this embodiment, the raised punt (602) may be configured with two distinct lines of weakness (604, 606). Dealing with FIG. 6A first, this shows the lower compartment (608) in an as moulded state. Here, the first line of weakness (604) is part way up the wall of the punt. The second line of weakness (606) is positioned about the circumference of the top side (602a) of the punt.

[0181] When force is applied to the underside (610) of the punt (602), this causes movement of the punt about the lines of weakness as shown in FIG. 6B. This movement creates the pinch point between the top side (602a) of the punt and the waist portion (612) and substantially or fully sealing off the lower compartment (608) from the upper compartment (614). The displacement panels (not shown) also move as described in respect of the previous embodiments.

[0182] In the bottle embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 6B, the force is applied to the base of the bottle while its top is restrained in order to transition it from an as moulded state to an activated state (and back again as required). However, the bottle can be configured with lines of weakness arranged to be responsive to a force applied to the upper compartment while the base is restrained.

[0183] A bottle embodiment (700) exemplifying this is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. As with previous embodiments, the bottle includes upper (702) and lower compartments (704) separated by a waist portion (706) defining a passage between the two compartments.

[0184] Here it can be seen that the lower compartment (704), as it tapers outwardly from the narrowest point of the waist portion (706), includes circumscribing lines of weakness (708, 710). As in the previous embodiments, the lower compartment includes a raised punt (712) arising from the base (714) of the bottle (700). However, in contrast to the previous embodiments, the punt lacks any lines of weakness and is thus a relatively rigid and immobile structure. Although the bottle shown is moulded in plastics material, this lower compartment configuration would also be suitable for use with bottles formed from aluminium. However, the architecture of the punt would change to take into account the relatively little range of movement that is allowed with aluminium before it buckles or kinks. This would result in the punt being larger in height such that it reaches sealing contact with the waist portion with minimal movement.

[0185] Also visible in FIG. 7A are the displacement panels (716) of the upper compartment (702) of the bottle (700). These are recesses into the walls of the upper compartment. The panels are bounded with lines of weakness (718) to assist in their movement when required. Because the bottle is depicted in this figure in its as moulded configuration, the panels are concave.

[0186] To substantially seal the upper and lower compartments, a pinch point is formed between the punt (712) and the waist portion (706) when downward pressure is applied to the upper part of the bottle (700), as shown in FIG. 7B. This may be by a person pushing downwards on the cap (not shown) as they are placing the bottle in the chiller (not shown) at point of sale. This may also be achieved by biasing a structure, such as a shelf (not shown), downwards against the cap. If the base is already sitting on the shelf of the chiller, then this would compress the bottle. The lower compartment would then deform about the lines of weakness (708, 710) bringing it into contact with the punt.

[0187] As some of the contents (not shown) of the lower compartment (704) is forced into the upper compartment (706), which could be as much as 65 millilitres (mL) for a 750 mL bottle, the latter's volume increases by virtue of the displacement panels (716) popping outward to assume a convex configuration. The lower compartment is now substantially sealed and when chilled to an appropriate temperature, any beverage contained within the sealed portion (720) of the compartment may become frozen.

[0188] It should be appreciated that the force or tension exerted through the displacement panels (716) down the walls of the bottle (700) is sufficient to maintain the pinch point between the waist portion (706) and the punt (712). Thus, the bottle will remain in an activated state and the original force applied (for example, by the person pushing downwards on the cap) can be removed.

[0189] The invention is intended to allow the contents of the lower compartment (704) to be frozen, or at least super-chilled, by an appropriately configured chiller (not shown).

[0190] For example, the bottle may be located on a shelf cooled to a temperature less than that of the main refrigerator. The activation of the punt is through the pressure applied to the bottle as it is inserted into the shelf. This will require the use of an appropriately configured shelf.

[0191] This could be through the vertical spacing between the adjacent shelves; this could be deliberately arranged to be slightly less than the height of the bottle in its as moulded state. When the bottles are loaded into the shelves, it is effectively squeezed between them, thereby activating the punt such that it pops into sealing contact with the waist portion of the bottle. To facilitate ease of loading, the upper shelf may be slightly declined, front to back.

[0192] Alternatively, the shelf could be configured with channels profiled with projections that substantially correspond to the waist portion of the bottle (as shown in FIG. 5).

[0193] An example of an appropriately configured shelf is illustrated in FIG. 8A. This shows a chiller shelf (800) that allows the bottle (700) illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B to be activated at point of sale.

[0194] The shelf (800) is configured with guide rails (802) complementary to recesses or grooves (804) moulded into the sides of the bottle (700). The initial height of the guide rails is substantially the same as the recesses when the bottle is in its as moulded state. This is appropriate, for the bottles would be filled with a beverage, sealed with caps, and delivered to the retailer in this configuration. The retailer would then load the bottles into the chiller to refrigerate the bottle for purchase by a consumer.

[0195] The guide rails (802) reduced in height relative to the shelf (800) from the front, where the bottle (700) is loaded, to the back of the shelf. Thus, as the bottles are inserted into the shelf and advanced along it, pressure is applied by the guide rails to the recesses (804), such that the bottle is urged into an activated state, as shown in FIG. 8B. The resulting vertical displacement, for a 750 mL bottle, could be as little as 15 to 20 mm or as much as 60 mm or more. However, it will be appreciated that this depends on the height of the punt (712).

[0196] It can be seen that the pressure applied to the bottle (700) by the guide rails (802) causes deformation of the lines of weakness (708, 710) about the lower compartment (704). The waist portion (706) is brought down into the lower compartment (704) and seals against the punt (712) while the displacement panels (716) pop outwards.

[0197] It should be appreciated that while the chiller shelf is held at a temperature that is less than 0 C., thus encouraging the development of ice crystals within the lower compartment (704), the remainder of the chiller, in which the upper compartment (702) of the bottle (700) is held, is kept at about 5 C. This keeps the temperature of the contents of the upper compartment to a level that is more comfortable for a consumer following purchase of the bottle from the retailer. This makes the present invention a year-round concept; if being used in winter, the consumer can still apply force to the lower compartment in order to break up any frozen beverage if the liquid portion has already been consumed.

[0198] It will be appreciated that the waist portion (706) of the bottle (700) undergoes some stresses due to the transition from the as moulded state to the activated state. In particular, if sufficient force is applied, there could be some buckling at or about the waist portion which is likely to be the weakest part of the bottle due its reduced circumference relative to the upper and lower compartments.

[0199] In some embodiments, to provide some structural rigidity and control to the waist portion during the transition, the bottle may include some reinforcing structures, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 9. The illustrated bottle embodiment (900) includes a strengthening beam (902) that runs vertically through the mid-portion (904) of the bottle. This confers some structural integrity to this part of the bottle, helps to prevent or minimise buckling and limits any deformation to the desired points, i.e. hinge lines about the waist (900) lower compartment (908) and/or punt (910).

[0200] Another bottle embodiment (1000) is illustrated in FIGS. 10A (in an as moulded state) and 10B (in an activated state). Consistent with the previous embodiments, the bottle has an upper compartment (1002), a lower compartment (1004) and a reduced waist portion (1006) that serves as a passage between the two compartments. Arising from the base (1008) of the bottle, and intruding into the interior of the lower compartment, is a raised punt (1010).

[0201] At least part of the waist portion (1006) and lower compartment (1004) is configured with a plurality of diagonally arranged detail lines (1012) that form a series of panels (1012a). Upper (1014) and lower (1016) detail lines are moulded into the bottle to form stiffer regions and to define the ends of the panels.

[0202] It will be appreciated that under application of a force, the bottle (1000) will be deformed, in a compressive manner, between the upper (1014) and lower (1016) detail lines. The portions of the bottle outside of these lines will remain substantially unchanged (other than the displacement panels (1018)) during the deformation of the bottle as it moves from an as moulded state to an activated state. Without these detail lines, there could be undesired deformation of the bottle above the upper detail line and below the lower detail line.

[0203] The arrangement of the detail lines (1012) and panels (1012a) means that they are configured to act as a spring; when force is applied to the top of the bottle (1000), these are effectively compressed. This acts to bring the waist portion (1006) towards the punt (1010), reducing the passage between the upper (1002) and lower (1004) compartments and limiting transfer of beverage between the two.

[0204] As with previous embodiments, displacement panels (1018) are provided in the sides of the upper compartment (1002). These accommodate the displacement of beverage from the lower compartment as its volume is reduced through the movement of the waist portion (1006) relative to the punt (1010) as the bottle (1000) is being transitioned from an as moulded state to an activated state. They also act to maintain the pinch point or restriction between the waist portion and the punt.

[0205] The bottle (1000) also includes grooves (1020) moulded above the upper detail line (1014). As seen from FIGS. 11A to 11C, these grooves interact with the guide rails (1100) of a chiller shelf (1102). Although in this view the grooves are positioned below the displacement panels (1018), this is not meant to be limiting. They could also be located above the displacement panels, closer to the neck of the bottle.

[0206] FIG. 11A shows the bottle (1000) in its as moulded state, being introduced to the shelf (1102), while FIGS. 11B and 11C show the bottle fully inserted, and in an activated state.

[0207] As the bottle (1000) is advanced along the shelf (1102), the guide rails (1100), which reduce in height from the front of the shelf to its back, apply a downward force to the surface area of the grooves (1020). This force is transferred to the portion of the bottle beneath the grooves.

[0208] The placement of the upper and lower detail lines (not shown) limit the deformation of the lower compartment (1004) to the region defined by the panels (1012) which are formed by angled detail lines.

[0209] This deformation brings the waist portion (1006) into contact with the punt (1010) sealing the lower compartment (1004) from the upper compartment (1002). This allows the beverage contained within the lower compartment to be frozen while that contained within the upper compartment remains in a liquid form, able to be readily consumed immediately following purchase from the retailer.

[0210] When the bottle (1000) is removed from the shelf, the user can simply grip the upper (1002) and lower (1004) compartments and draw them apart from each other to apply a pulling force to fully or partially return the bottle to its as moulded state. Alternatively, they may squeeze the displacement panels (1018) together until these pop back into a concave state and release the waist portion (1006) from contact with the punt (1010). Either way, this allows the frozen beverage in the lower compartment to come into contact with that of the upper compartment. This can keep the liquid relatively chilled and prolong the cool temperature of the beverage.

[0211] The previous bottle embodiments described include displacement panels as part of its walls, shoulder or punt. However, the displacement panels could be integrated into the closure of the bottle and two examples are depicted in FIGS. 12A, 12B and 13A, 13B respectively.

[0212] In FIG. 12A, the closure is a standard cap (1200) which is threaded onto the mouth (1202) of a bottle (1204). The closure also includes a drop-in seal (1206), which lines the interior (1202a) of the mouth and has a dome-like structure (1208) extending into the interior (1210) of the bottle when in the as moulded state as shown. The dome may be preformed or alternatively the seal itself is made from a relatively flexible material that allows some stretching to create the dome.

[0213] To accommodate changes in volume as the bottle (1204) is activated, the dome (1208) reverses its orientation as shown in FIG. 12B. It now protrudes into the interior (1212) of the cap (1200).

[0214] It will be appreciated that some displacement of air in the interior will occur as a result of the movement of the dome (1208). To allow this, the cap (1200) may not be tightly screwed on or alternatively provided with one-way escape valves (not shown) thus permitting the air to escape. Apertures may even be provided in the sides of the cap (1200), so long as this does not affect the user's ability to securely fasten the cap to close the bottle (1204). This configuration is particularly preferred for conventional closures since it is relatively cost effective to implement.

[0215] A variation is shown in FIG. 13A, but in this instance, the seal (1300) simply spans and sits flat on the opening of the mouth (1202) of the bottle (1204). When activated, as represented in FIG. 13B, the dome (1302) sits proud of the mouth. This requires a specially configured cap (1304) with sufficient capacity to accommodate the dome and may require the same considerations discussed above in respect of movement of air from within the interior (1306) of the cap. This embodiment may be preferred for sipper-type enclosures.

[0216] The arrangements of FIGS. 12A to 13B may also be useful for bottles formed from aluminium, such as is typically used for canned beverages. This means that there is no need to factor in the manufacturing of the displacement panels into the wall or punt of the bottle itself.

[0217] FIGS. 14A and 14B depict an embodiment of the invention (1400) formed from aluminium, in an as moulded state and activated state respectively. An advantage of using aluminium is that sealing of the lower compartment (1402) from the upper compartment (1404) can be achieved with relatively minimal movement at the waist portion (1406); it can be as little as one or two millimetres. The punt (1408) is also more easily formed during the manufacture process.

[0218] The embodiment (1400) shown includes a displacement panel (1410); this is defined by detail lines (1412, 1414) that circumscribe the bottle and defined the upper and lower edges of the displacement panel respectively. However, a further advantage of using aluminium is that due to the minimal displacement of the bottle contents as it moves from the as moulded state of FIG. 14A to the activated state of FIG. 14B, only a small increase in volume needs to be accommodated. Thus, it should be appreciated that a bottle made of aluminium may not need a displacement panel at all and any increase in volume could be dealt simply by the walls flexing outwards slightly.

[0219] In the illustrated embodiment (1400), the deformation of the lower compartment (1402) is achieved via a detail line (1416) circumscribing this area of the bottle and serving as a hinge. This can be compressed together and in doing so, the punt (1408) is advanced to meet and substantially seal at the waist (1406). Although only one detail line is shown here, alternative embodiments may include further detail lines to form a corrugated section to the lower compartment. This arrangement of the lower compartment may also be used for bottles made of plastics material such as PET.

[0220] A further embodiment (1500) is shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B. As with that of FIGS. 14A and 14B, it is formed of aluminium but this time without displacement panels to the upper compartment (1502).

[0221] In this case, the punt (1504) of the bottle (1500) is configured with a detail line (1506) where it arises from the base (1508) of the lower compartment (1510). When activated, as shown in FIG. 15B, this serves to advance the punt towards the waist portion (1512) to seal the lower compartment from the upper compartment (1502). The vertical movement of the punt is relatively minimal; the slight increase in volume of the upper compartment as a result of the movement of the bottle's contents from the lower compartment could be accommodated simply through flexing or bulging of the sides of the bottle or the bottle may use a closure arrangement such as that illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 13A to allow for the increase in volume.

[0222] The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications cited, if any, are herein incorporated by reference.

[0223] Reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour in any country in the world.

[0224] The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.

[0225] Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers or components having known equivalents thereof, those integers are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

[0226] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be included within the present invention.