This invention was not federally sponsored.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mounting device and has been devised particularly to enable articles to be mounted on the neck of a bottle. It will be apparent however that the device will also allow articles to be mounted on constructions similar to the neck of a bottle or other objects having a shape similar to such a neck.
2. Background Art
In commerce today it has become increasingly common to give away gifts, prizes, or promotional items with a purchase. The gift, prize, or promotional item can be supplied separately to the purchase which increase time, at for example, a supermarket check-out or the presenting of the gift, prize, or promotional item can easily be overlooked leading to customer dissatisfaction. The gift, prize or promotional item may alternatively be attached to the product being purchased. Difficulties arise however in that frequently the gift, promotional item or prize is able to be easily removed from the product with which it is sold or otherwise provided. In the event that the item is so removed from the product, then instead of acting as an incentive to buy the product, there can in fact be a disincentive to buy the product particularly where the gift, promotional item, or prize has been widely promoted. Where the product is a bottle, it is also necessary that the promotional item, gift or prize, or any packaging within which it is contained, does not extend to any substantial extent beyond the maximum transverse diameter of the bottle. If the gift were larger than that size, extra volume would be required to store, transport or display the items. Of lesser importance, but also a consideration, is the need to minimize any additional height to the bottle during any particular transportation or storage.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mounting device which will go at least some way towards obviating or minimizing the foregoing disadvantages and/or going at last some way towards meeting the foregoing requirements in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
Accordingly, one aspect the invention includes a mounting device comprising a sleeve carrying thereon a receiving means, the sleeve having internally thereof holding means to enable, in use, the sleeve to be mounted on the neck of a bottle, or the like article, in a manner such that removal of the sleeve from the neck is resisted, and the receiving means comprising a flange extending outwardly of the sleeve to, in use, provide means whereby an article may be held to the sleeve, the internal diameter of the sleeve being such that the sleeve may be passed onto the neck of a bottle or the like.
Preferably the maximum diameter of the flange is equal to or less than the maximum diameter of the bottle or the like.
Preferably the flange is provided adjacent one end of the sleeve.
Alternatively the flange is positioned intermediate of the length of the sleeve.
Preferably the holding means comprises a plurality of inwardly extending teeth within the sleeve.
Alternatively the holding means comprises an inwardly extending rib within the sleeve.
Preferably the sleeve includes a tear strip.
A further aspect the invention includes a mounting device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs and an article secured to the flange, or at least in part secured by the flange.
Preferably the article comprises an opened mouth vessel, the mouth of the vessel being positioned adjacent the flange.
Preferably the vessel is secured to the flange by wrapping material.
Alternatively the article comprises a package having a pair of substantially opposite apertures therein, the sleeve passing through the apertures and the flange being positioned adjacent the material defining one said aperture.
A further aspect the invention includes a mounting device and an article secured thereon according to any one of the preceding paragraphs mounted on the neck of a bottle or the like device.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings.
In the preferred forms of the invention
The mounting device may be formed from any suitable material, preferably a plastics material which has substantial rigidity but which can flex to at least some extent, as will be described further hereinafter.
A holding means is provided preferably internally of the sleeve to hold the device on a bottle. In the construction of
In the construction of
A further circle of the teeth or catches 15 may be provided so as to allow a range of catches or teeth which may fit under the annular protrusion indicated at 16 in
It will be apparent that any selected number of ribs or catches may be provided and indeed in
As the mounting device 1 is intentionally difficult to remove once in position on a bottle, removal at the intended time can be assisted by providing a pull tab 20. The pull tab 20 can be provided by forming a pair of spaced apart parallel slits 21 and 22 in the material. The slits 21 or 22 extend some distance up the sleeve 2, and in use, the slits could in part be weakened lines if desired. Pulling on the pull tab 20 will split the sleeve 2 to facilitate removal thereof in use.
In
The construction of
In use the mounting device 1 is positioned so that the sleeve 2 is placed onto the neck of the bottle 28 substantially as shown in
Referring now to
The box part 51 has an inwardly turned flange 56 at its lower end enabling the base part 53 to be attached thereto, for example, by gluing, heat welding or in any other suitable manner.
The mounting device 1, which in this case is of the form shown in
It is not essential for the sleeve 2 to pass completely through the package 50 providing that there is satisfactory engagement between the sleeve 2 and the bottle neck, as the package will be held between the flange 4 and the shoulders of the bottle 28.
It will be apparent that a gift, promotional item or prize, or other item can be contained within the package 50 in use.
In use the construction is such that a gift, prize or promotional item such as the vessel 40 or the package 50 with an item therein can be engaged either with the mounting device 1, as in the case of the vessel 40, or clamped between the flange 4 of the mounting device 1 and the shoulder 58 of a bottle 28. The engagement of the mounting device makes it more difficult to remove the mounting device form the neck of a bottle than is the case with most other means of attaching items to the neck of a bottle.
It will also be apparent that the constructions can be dimensioned so that the whole of the mounting device and package or vessel attached thereto can be within the maximum horizontal or transverse dimensions of the bottle.
It is also clear that the construction can be structured in such a way that the overall height of a bottle is not significantly increased. For example, in the case of the drinking vessel the overall height of the construction is in effect increased only by the thickness of the base of the drinking vessel if that is placed closely adjacent to the closure device of the bottle.
Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention, a mounting device is provided which allows a gift, promotional item or prize, or other item to be securely attached to a construction having a neck, such as a bottle. The construction is such that the mounting device and its attached item are not readily removed, thereby substantially reducing theft from bottles when they are on display.
However, if it is desired to remove the sleeve, this is possible by destroying the mounting device, for example, by use of the tear tab.
It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.
All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
This is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/357,658 filed on Feb. 21, 2006, which in turn claims the benefit of PCT/NZ 2004/000138 filed on Aug. 29, 2003, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11357658 | Feb 2006 | US |
Child | 12395853 | US |