BOTTLE WITH CLOSURE MEANS

Abstract

A bottle includes a neck and an opening at an end of said neck. A closure member closing the opening is provided with locking means that secure the closure member to a rim of the opening. The locking means include a collar surrounding a neck portion of the neck and locking-levers that are hingedly connected to the collar. The closure member includes outwardly extending lugs that register with the locking-levers. The locking-levers include link members that releasable engage the lugs at a top surface thereof. The locking-levers are retractable to a closed position in which the link members clamp the closure member to the rim of the opening.

Claims

1. A bottle and closure means, said bottle comprising a neck, an opening at an end of said neck, a closure member closing said opening and locking means that secure said closure member to a rim of said opening, in which said locking means comprise a collar surrounding a neck portion of said neck and locking levers that are hingedly connected to said collar, and wherein said bottle contains a non-gaseous liquid, wherein said closure member comprises a solid core and outwardly extending lugs that register with said locking levers, and wherein said locking levers comprise link members that releasable engage said lugs at a top surface thereof, said locking levers being retractable to a closed position in which said link members clamp said closure member to the rim of said opening.

2. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein said neck comprises a ridge adjacent said neck portion and in that said collar engages said ridge in the closed position.

3. The bottle according to claim 2, wherein said ridge is a shoulder of a thickened further neck portion that comprises said rim of said opening and in that said link members bridge said thickened neck portion between said collar and said lugs.

4. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein said lugs are provided with seats that receive a free distal end of said link members of said locking levers.

5. The bottle according to claim 4, wherein said seats comprise local depressions that are formed in said lugs and/or said lugs extend with an inclination away from the locking-levers.

6. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein said link members comprise a loops extending from said collar to a free distal end thereof.

7. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein said link members comprise an eye at a free distal end thereof that catches and surrounds said lug.

8. The bottle according to claim 7, wherein said loop comprises a constriction of smaller dimension than said lug to form said eye at said free distal end to catch and surround said lug.

9. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein said closure member comprises a resilient bottom portion that extends fittingly into said opening.

10. The bottle according to claim 9, wherein said resilient portion of said closure member comprises an elastomer or cork.

11. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein, at least substantially, said locking means are made of metal, particularly having at least an appearance of a noble metal.

12. The bottle according to claim 1, wherein said closure member carries an adornment at a side across from the opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to a specific embodiment and accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a specific embodiment of a bottle according to the invention; and

[0016] FIGS. 2A-D show the bottle of FIG. 1 in consecutive stages of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] It is noted that the figures are drawn schematically and not always to the same scale. Particularly, certain dimensions may be exaggerated to a larger or smaller extend for the purpose of clarity. Similar parts will be indicated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawing.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a bottle and closure mechanism according to the invention in a open stage. The bottle 10 can be made of glass, ceramics or any other kind of durable water tight material. In this example a glass bottle with typically a contents of between 500 and 1000 ml is used with an aesthetic texture generally referred to as opaline glass or white glass. Such a bottle may for instance be used for luxurious spirits and liquors like cognac, brandy, whisk(e)y, vodka and tequila. The bottle 10 comprises a belly 11 together with a neck 12 and is accessible through an opening 13 at the end of the neck that is surrounded by a rim 14. The neck 12 comprises a lower neck portion 121 adjacent an upper portion 122 that is somewhat thicker between a shoulder 123 and the rim 14.

[0019] In order to be able to securely close the bottle, said bottle is provided with closure means. Said closure means comprise a closing member 20 in the form of a cap or stopper that fits into the opening 13. An bottom portion 22 of the cap 20 is formed of a resilient material like rubber or any other elastomer compound or, like in this case, cork. The resilient nature of this bottom portion 22 ensures a close fit in the opening 13 in order to properly seal the bottle 10. At the front face said cap may carry an adornment 25 or other attractive decoration to give the bottle and product contained therein a more luxurious appearance. According to the invention this closure member 20 is provided with radially outwardly extending lugs 25. These lugs extend on opposite sides of the cap 20 and each comprise a seat 27 at substantially a same distance from a centre of the cap 20. In the case of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the seats 27 comprise local depressions that are formed in said lugs 25. Alternatively the lugs 25 may be given a slight upward inclination and seats 28 may be formed adjacent the cap. This is depicted in FIGS. 2C and 2D.

[0020] The closing means further comprises locking means that are intended and capable of securing the closure member 20 to the opening 13. These locking means comprise a collar 30 that sits around the neck portion 121 adjacent the upper portion 122 of the neck 12. Said collar 30 thereby rests against a ridge that is formed by the shoulder 123 of said upper portion 122. At opposite sides locking levers 35 are hingedly connected to said collar 30. Both the collar 30 and locking levers are formed of metal in the present embodiment, more particularly of gold plated or gold paint coated metal. Metal not only provides strength and durability but moreover adds to the image and appearance of the bottle, especially if made of or looking like a noble metal like gold.

[0021] The locking levers 35 each comprise a lever 351 together with a link member 352. The link members 352 comprise latches or clasps and are pivotally connected to the levers 351 at a certain distance from a pivot point of the levers 351 with respect to the collar. As a consequence, on pulling down the levers 352 the latches 352 will be retracted by this action. As shown in FIG. 1, the latches 352 comprise a wire loops that hinge around the levers 352 and that have a constriction 353 near a distal end to for an eye 355 at said distal end. Said constriction 353 is made to a smaller dimension than the width of the lugs 25 at the area of the seats 27 as will be explained in further detail below.

[0022] In order to close the bottle 10, the closure member 20 is placed in top of the opening, see FIG. 2A. Next the latches 352 are swung out and placed over the lugs 25, see FIGS. 2A 2D, until the distal ends of the latches engage the top surface of the lugs 25 and are seated at the location of the depression 27, see FIG. 2B. In this situation, the lugs 25 are caught and captured within the eye portion 355 of the latches 352. Alternatively, see FIG. 2C, the latches 352 will slide down to be seated against the seats 28, see FIG. 2D, due to the slight inclination of the lugs 25. Both alternatives ensure that the eventual position of the lugs with respect of the centre of the cap will be the same at both sides of the cap.

[0023] In order to secure the closure member 20 to the bottle, next the levers 351 are pulled down, taking with them the latches 352, until they reach there final position, see FIG. 2D. This will exert a downwardly directed force on the lugs 352 that is being transmitted by the latches 352 and that presses the closure 20 firmly down to inside the opening 13 and against the rim 14 to seal the bottle 10.

[0024] The previous steps may be performed in reverse order to unlock and open up the bottle. Because the eye portion 355 of the latches 352 will in that case engage the lugs 25 which they surround, these lugs 25, and hence the closure 20, will be lifted in that case to a certain degree as the latches are increasingly released and eventually leave the lugs 25. This substantially eases the opening up of the bottle 10, especially if the cork bottom portion 22 of the closure 20 is sunk relatively deeply inside the opening 13.

[0025] Although the invention has been described in greater detail with reference to merely a single embodiment, it will be appreciated that the invention is by no means limited to the embodiment given. On the contrary many variations and embodiments are conceivable for a skilled person without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and without requiring him to exercise any inventive skill.