EP2351693A1

EP2351693A1 - Container with protective label for shielding its contents from light

Info

Publication number: EP2351693A1
Application number: EP09821633A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juan Luis Gomez Martin; Pedro Jose Carvalho Branco
Original assignee: Joselito Guijuelo SL
Current assignee: Joselito Guijuelo SL
Priority date: 2008-10-24
Filing date: 2009-10-22
Publication date: 2011-08-03
Also published as: WO2010046518A1; EP2351693A4; ES1068991Y; ES1068991U; BRPI0919843A2

Abstract

Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light, preferably intended for liquids which are prone to deteriorate if exposed to the effects of light for prolonged periods, allowing the contents of the container to be protected from light and, by means of a simple rotational movement, allowing viewing of the inside thereof in order to check the nature and the condition of said contents, comprising a container, bottle or similar opaque vessel which is provided with at least two openings through which the light can penetrate and a label which is able to rotate with respect to the container and is opaque except for at least two openings through which the light can enter, the openings in the bottle and its label being superimposed on each other at least partially during the rotational travel path of the label with respect to the bottle.

Description

Object of the Invention

As expressed by the title of the present specification, the invention relates to a container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light, giving several advantages to the function for which it is intended, besides other functions inherent to its organization and constitution, which will be described in detail below, being a substantial improvement compared to what is already known in this field.
More particularly, the object of the invention relates to a container of the type commonly used in industry for the distribution and marketing of substances or liquids and/or beverages, being particularly intended for those which, such as oil, milk or others, are prone to deteriorate if exposed to the effects of light for prolonged periods, presenting the particularity of having a labeling system with openings which, while protecting and preserving the contents of the container from the light, allows the inside of the container to be observed to clearly see the characteristics and conditions of said contents by means of a simple rotational movement.
The container can therefore be a bottle and a jar or any other similar container, preferably being completely or partially cylindrical, necessarily being transparent, made of glass, crystal, plastic or any other suitable material.

Field of Application of the Invention

The field of application of the present invention is within the sector of the industry dedicated to the manufacture of containers in general, and particularly to the manufacture of containers for liquids such as oil, vinegar, which can deteriorate by exposure to ultraviolet rays.

Background of the Invention

As is known, there are many types of substances, especially food substances, which are very negatively affected by the light, deteriorating them such that they lose important properties, such as flavor, quality, nutritional capacity, etc. In most cases, said substances are usually distributed packaged in opaque vessels. However said vessels or containers do not allow the consumer to observe the condition of their contents until it is opened and poured out or consumed.
Furthermore, there are substances of another type that are affected by the light, though not as obviously, preferring marketing these substances in transparent containers so that the user can directly check their color and their condition. However, such substances, such as olive oil for example, lose important flavor and color nuances due to the light, which acts as an oxidation process catalyst, which are desirable to preserve given the refinement and quality of some of said products.
It would therefore be desirable to create a suitably opaque container that allows protecting any type of contents from the light and, in turn, allows even before purchasing and/or opening it to check the condition and color of its contents. However, the applicant is unaware of the existence of any such container having technical, structural and configuration features which give it those advantages, and this is the main objective of the present invention.

Description of the Invention

Therefore the container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light proposed by the invention is a remarkable novelty in its field because, due to its application, the objectives previously indicated as being suitable, i.e., protecting any substance or liquid contained in said container from the light and, at the same time, allowing its contents to be observed at any time, are fully and satisfactorily met, the characterizing details that make it possible and distinguish the proposed container from what is already known on the market being suitably included in the final claims attached to the present specification.
To that end and specifically, as indicated above the container of the invention can be a bottle, a jar or any other similar container, with the condition that it is preferably completely or partially cylindrical and made of a transparent material.
The container, which is transparent as mentioned, is painted in its entirety to achieve opacity in order to protect the liquid or substance contained therein, at least two openings or portions arranged in different areas of its cylindrical side surface, which can adopt any shape and size, according to the design it is to be given (circular, square, forming a silhouette, etc.) and through which the light can pass to see the contents of the container, having been left unpainted.
Furthermore, incorporated on the aforementioned cylindrical side surface of the container is a protective tubular label made of any suitably opaque and flexible material, such as plastic or cardboard, completely surrounding said surface allowing its rotational turning on said cylindrical surface, having at least two openings or open portions of shape and dimensions similar to the unpainted openings provided in the container and arranged so as to match up with them or partially or completely intersect them.
Thus, depending on the position of the label which, as mentioned above, can rotate around the cylindrical body of the container, the inner contents thereof are completely protected from the light, or, if the unpainted openings of the container are matched up with the windows of the label, said contents can be clearly seen, their color, transparency, etc., being observed. The openings do not have to match up completely since they can match up partially.
Given that the aforementioned openings and windows of both the label and the container are at opposite points of the cylindrical body, the entrance of the light through both parts thereof allow perfectly viewing the contents without having to have opened it. On the other hand, by partially rotating the label again and not matching up openings with windows, said contents are completely protected from the light.
It is important to mention that in order to prevent unwanted axial displacement of the label on the cylindrical body of the container, it has been envisaged that the latter has respective steps acting as an upper and lower stop, such that the cylindrical area of the container form an inner groove in which the tubular label tightly fits.
On the other hand, it should be mentioned that said label, which will logically allow the incorporation of conventional printed elements, advertisements, brand elements, information, etc., could have windows like holes made in the material of the label, such as die cut holes, or they could be made of a transparent material, being covered in its entirety by printed or painted elements, with the exception of the areas occupied by said windows, where it will be transparent in order to view the contents of the container.
The windows can be made of the same material as the label, but in a transparent color.
The aforementioned container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light thus represents an innovative structure having structural and constitutional features that have been unknown up until now for the purpose for which it is intended. For these reasons as well as its practicality, the container is provided with sufficient grounds to obtain the exclusive privilege that is sought.
Labels known in the state of the as shrink-wrapping, which are shrunk by means of heat, packaging the bottle, being more or less loose depending on the heat applied, are also adapted for this functionality.
The most important aspect of the aforementioned invention is that since it is an opaque bottle and an opaque label preserving the contents of the bottle from the light, the windows made in the label at least partially match up with the openings or hollows of the bottle so that, in a determined position, the light enters through the openings of the label and of the bottle in order to observe its contents.
The shape of the openings of the label and of the bottle can be any shape or they can even be vertical strips whereby obtaining the same effect.

Description of the Drawings

To complement the description being made and for the purpose of aiding to better understand the features of the invention a set of drawings is attached to the present specification as an integral part thereof, wherein the following has been depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

Figures 1 and 2 show respective perspective views of an embodiment of the container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light, object of the invention, in which its constituting parts and elements as well as the configuration and arrangement thereof can be seen, Figure 1 showing the windows without matching up and therefore protecting the contents, and Figure 2 showing the windows and openings matched up, such that the contents of the container can be seen.
Figures 3 and 4 show respective sectional views according to a cross-section of the container object of the invention, respectively showing the openings thereof and of the label matched up and displaced.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of the mentioned figures and according to the numbering used, a preferred embodiment of the invention, comprising the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below, can be observed in said figures.
Therefore, as seen in the figures, the invention consists of a container (1) formed by a bottle, a jar or any other similar container, being completely or partially cylindrical and made of a transparent material.
Said container (1) is painted in its entirety to achieve opacity in order to protect the liquid or substance contained therein, at least two openings (2) arranged on opposite sides of its cylindrical side surface, which can adopt any shape and size, having been left unpainted.
Incorporated on the aforementioned cylindrical side surface of the container (1) is a tubular label (3) made of any suitably opaque and flexible material, such as plastic or cardboard, completely surrounding said surface allowing its rotational turning thereon, having at least two openings (4), of shape and dimensions similar to the unpainted openings (2) provided in the container (1) and arranged so as to match up with them such that, according to the position of the label (3) which, as mentioned above, can rotate around the cylindrical body of the container (1), the openings (4) of the label (3) and the openings (2) of the body (1) will match up and allow seeing the contents of the container (1), as observed in Figure 3, or they will not match up and as a result of the opacity of the container (1) and of the label (3), they will be protected from the light, as depicted in Figure 4.
It is important to mention that in order to prevent unwanted axial displacement of the label (3) on the cylindrical body of the container (1), it has been envisaged that the latter has respective steps or ribs (5) acting as an upper and lower stop, such that the label (3) is adjusted between them in the cylindrical area of the container (1).
Finally, it should be mentioned that depending on the type of material used to make the label (3), its openings (4) could consist of die cut holes or areas of transparent material.
Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to provide a more extensive description so that any person skilled in the art can understand its scope and the advantages derived therefrom, hereby stating that within its essential nature, it can be carried out to practice in other embodiments differing in detail from that indicated by way of example and it will equally be covered by the protection that is obtained provided that its fundamental principle is neither altered, changed nor modified.

Claims

Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light, characterized in that it comprises:
- a container, bottle or similar opaque vessel, which is provided with at least two openings or gaps through which the light can penetrate.

- a label or outer cover on the container or bottle which is able to rotate with respect to the container and is opaque except for at least two openings through which the light can penetrate, with the feature that both the openings of the bottle and of its label or outer cover are superimposed on each other at least partially during the rotational travel of the label or outer cover with respect to the bottle.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claim 1, characterized in that the container, bottle or similar vessel and the label or outer cover have a circular section.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the label or outer cover is tubular-shaped.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claim 1, characterized in that the label or outer cover is made of a flexible material.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claim 1, characterized in that the openings provided in the label or outer cover are made by means of die cut holes.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claim 1, characterized in that the openings provided in the label or outer cover are made of the same base material as the label but in a transparent color.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claim 1, characterized in that the label or outer cover or the container or bottle have means which prevent the axial displacement of one with respect to the other.
Container with a protective label for shielding its contents from light according to claim 7, characterized in that the container has respective steps or ribs acting as an upper and lower stop for the label.