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(11) | EP 0 138 777 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Automatically removable top bottle covering cup by washing machine |
| (57) Capsule of plastic sheet (A) for covering taps/corks and bottle tops (B), prearranged
for removing automatically, when washing the bottle, the adhering portion left thereon,
wherein, for joining the respective longitudinal edges (1) a degradable joint is provided,
such as adhesive material or welding or also an intermediate joining material like
a strip constituted of degradable material which loses resistance characteristics
thereof (2) in the presence of normal washing treatment for bottles (B), so as to
cause automatic removal thereof by means of the mechanical action of said washing. |
[0001] The present invention relates to an automatically removable top bottle covering cup by washing machine, consisting in a capsule for covering bottle tops and relative cap/cork, prearranged so as to remove automatically, when washing the bottles, the adherent portion left thereon, and bottles provided with these capsules.
[0003] At the present state of the art, the same applicant has already devised capsules, such as plastic sheet capsules, for covering caps/corks and bottle tops, wherein the main feature consists in that the capsules are prearranged for tear opening, reference being made to Italian Patent Application No. 83369A/83 of 20.04.1983 and Italian Utility Model No. 60375B/83 of 26.05.1983.
[0004] The embodiments in accordance with the above-mentioned applications use as tearing means a strip or thread placed longitudinally under the plastic sheet of the capsule, with respective free end below in order to allow longitudinal tear openicig' of the capsule pressed around the neck top of the bottle for removing said capsule.
[0005] Other known embodiments provide only partial removal, that is removal of the capsule head by means of strip with free tab for tearing in annular direction, practically at the upper end of the capsule.
[0006] The first embodiment has the great advantage of allowing total removal of the capsule but involves fairly high cost, while the second embodiment, already widely adopted on the market, has the considerable disadvantage of leaving around the neck of the bottle the capsule strip which must be necessarily removed afterwards with other means for reusing the bottle.
[0008] The invention as claimed is intended to provide a remedy to the above-mentioned disadvantages. It solves the problem providing a longitudinal joint of the two edges of the capsule, being said joint physically degradable, thus losing its resistance characteristics when the bottle is normally washed.
[0009] The advantages offered by this invention are mainly that automatic removal of the capsule left portion is carried out during washing without any manual operation.
[0010] One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate some preferred embodiments, in which:
[0011] Figures 1 is a front perspective view of the neck top of a bottle with a heat treated capsule according to the present invention applied thereon, in a first preferred embodiment, using in this specific case a paper strip which loses its consistency in the presence of water; Figure 2 is a view of a capsule applied as in Figure 1 but slightly different, before heat treating; Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention with the degradable joint strip applied inside; Figure 4 shows in partial sectional transversal view how to apply the degradable strip in the first preferred embodiment, that is outside as in Figure 2; Figure 5 shows in similar view how to apply the degradable joint strip inside, that is between the bottle and the joint edges.
[0012] According to the above figures the invention provides joint of the two longitudinal edges of the capsule (1) by means of a strip of degradable material (2). This material can be for instance any material which in hot water and soda (normal washing solution for bottles) gets mashed or anyway loses its resistance characteristic so that jets of washing solutions and/or maceration allow removal thereof, for example the strip can be of paper.
[0013] In the embodiments illustrated in the figures the paper strip has been applied on or under the capsule, but it is obvious that said strip can be applied underneath at one side and over at the other side.
[0014] Futhermore, the paper strip (2) illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 has the same length as the capsule but could obviously be longer or anyhow have a tab (2') for manual tear as shown in Figure 2.
[0015] Instead of the strip joining the edges being degradable, an alternative can obviously be provided by the adhesive or welding being degradable, for instance the former can be water-soluble while the latter can be degradable due to heat present in the washing aqueous solution, since it is well known that heat, for instance in the case of plastic material, weakens resistance characteristics thereof.
[0016] Anyhow, weakening level of the joint resistance can be also not excessive, provided that the mechanical action of washing (e.g. more or less violent jets of washing solution, associated or not with brushing) causes removal thereof.
[0017] Obviously, washing solution will be suitable for performing the object of the invention, therefore said solution may contain also possible chemical agents which obviously should not corrode the bottle material but the materials constituting the capsule and in particular its longitudinal joint, weakening same so as to permit automatic spontaneous removal or successive removal by means of the above-mentioned integrative mechanical action.
1. Capsule for covering bottles tops and relevant cap/cork, prearranged for removing
automatically, during washing, the adhering portion left on the bottles, characterised
in that a degradable joint is provided which loses its resistance characteristics
when the bottle is washed with a washing solution using a fluid with more or less
chemical agents or having solvent effectiveness, with possible aid of heat, and wherein
joint weakening is anyhow such that with a possible mechanical action of the same
washing (brushing, more or less violent jets of the washing fluid,...) automatic removal
from the bottle is obtained.
2. A capsule as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that joint degradability is due
to the adhesive or welding material.
3. A capsule as claimed in claims 1 and/or 2, characterised in that joint degradability
is due to the material (2) joining the joint.
4. A capsule as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, of the type made of plastic
sheet (A) for covering caps/corks and neck top of bottles (B), prearranged for removing
automatically, when washing the bottle, the adhering portion left thereon, characterised
in that, for joining the respective longitudinal edges (1), a strip is provided consisting
of degradable material which loses resistance characteristcs thereof (2) in the presence
of normal washing treatment for bottles (B), so as to cause automatic removal thereof
by means of the mechanical action of said washing.
5. A capsule as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said strip of degradable
material (2) is a strip of paper glued or heat-glued or heat-welded between the edges.
6. A capsule as claimed in claims 4 and/or 5, characterised in that said strip of
degradable material has a tab for tear.
7. A capsule as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
said strip of degradable material (2) is applied longitudinally along the joint line
of the two opposite edges to be joined, outside on at least one respective edge (1).
8. A capsule as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
said strip of degradable material (2) is applied longitudinally along the joint line
of the two opposite edges to be joined, inside on at least one respective edge (1).
9. A capsule as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
said strip of degradable material (2) is applied longitudinally along the joint line
of the two opposite edges to be joined, inside at one side and outside at the other
side respectively of the respective opposite edges (1).
10. A capsule as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
said strip of degradable material (2) is applied longitudinally along the joint line
of the two opposite edges to be joined, between the respective opposite edges placed
in superimposition (1).
11. A capsule as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
said strip of degradable material (2) is associated with a resistant thread or further
strip applied longitudinally along the joint line of the two opposite edges to be
joined (1), with free end projecting upwards or downwards for tearing the capsule.
12. Bottle provided with a capsule according to any one of the preceding claims. Udine,
October 18, 1984.