Bottle closure with chamber for holding an item

A closure for beverage containers, such as wine bottles, champagne bottles, beer bottles, liquor bottles, soda bottles, and the like, may include a head portion defining a chamber for housing an item and an opening for providing access to the item. The closure may further include a stub portion for sealing a mouth of the bottle and a cap that releasably engages the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to capsules for containers, and more particularly to capsules for housing items with beverage containers, such as wine bottles, champagne bottles, beer bottles, liquor bottles, soda bottles, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a capsule for a bottle, which may include a substantially tubular, conformable skirt and a chamber for housing an item. The skirt may include at least one vent hole through the skirt to permit gas to pass through the skirt. The chamber may be positioned at least partially inside and releasably secured to at least a portion of the skirt. The chamber may also comprise at least one standoff extending from the housing for mounting the chamber on a top of the bottle, wherein the at least one standoff may include at least one rim guide for centering the chamber on the bottle, and at least one bottle mount for connecting the chamber to the top of the bottle. The chamber may further comprise at least one vent aperture, which may be aligned with at least one vent hole in the skirt.

The capsule of the present invention may form a secondary closure on the bottle. The skirt may include an aperture for displaying the item through at least a top wall of the chamber. A portion of the chamber may protrude through the aperture in the skirt for displaying the item through a top wall of the chamber and also through at least one side wall of the chamber. The skirt may be formed from a thin sheet comprising one of a metal, a thermoplastic, wood pulp, or wax. The capsule may further include indicia on an inner surface of the capsule, such as on an inner surface of the skirt or under a disk that may cover the aperture.

The chamber may further comprise a housing having a cavity, an opening in the housing to permit the insertion and removal of the item into and from the cavity, and a cover releasably covering the opening to releasably secure the item inside the chamber. The skirt may include a tear strip, which may be circumferentially positioned on an inner surface of the skirt and axially below the at least one vent hole. An end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible to permit actuation of the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may release the chamber from the bottle and permit access to the cover and also to a primary closure of the bottle.

The chamber may be capable of bearing a compressive force longitudinally transmitted through the at least one standoff when the capsule is mounted on the bottle. The bottle may be one of a wine bottle, a champagne bottle, a liquor bottle, or a soda bottle.

In another embodiment, a capsule may form a secondary closure on a bottle, comprising a skirt having at least one vent hole therethrough, and a chamber positioned at least partially inside and releasably secured to at least a portion of the skirt. The chamber may comprise an item, which may be removably insertable into and from a cavity in the chamber through an opening in the chamber. The chamber may also comprise a cover removably secured to the chamber and covering the opening for releasably securing the item in the cavity, and a tear strip positioned on the skirt. An end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may release the chamber from the bottle and may permit access to the cover and also to a primary closure of the bottle. The chamber may also comprise at least one vent cavity, which may be aligned with at least one vent hole.

The item may be visible through at least one wall of the chamber. The chamber may comprise a plan form that is one of a circle or a polygon. A top wall of the chamber may include a raised surface or a recessed surface. A top wall of the chamber may alternatively, or additionally, include a lens for magnifying the item.

The skirt may conformably attached to the chamber and the skirt may be transparent. The capsule may also include indicia on an inner surface of the capsule, such as on an inner surface of the skirt.

In another embodiment, the invention may comprise a system for housing an item with a bottle. The system may comprise a closure having a chamber for housing the item where the closure may be positioned in a mouth of the bottle and a cap releasably positioned on the closure and over the chamber for releasably retaining the item. The cap may include a first aperture along an outer edge of the cap to assist in removing the cap from the closure for accessing the item. The system may also comprise a skirt positioned over the closure and the cap and secured to at least a portion of the bottle.

The skirt may include a second aperture that may expose at least a portion of the cap. The cap may be transparent for displaying the item. The skirt may further comprise a second aperture exposing at least a portion of the first aperture to permit communication of gas through the first and second apertures, and a tear strip positioned on the skirt. An end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may separate at least a portion of the skirt to permit access to the cap. The capsule may include indicia on an inner surface of the capsule.

Another embodiment of the present invention may comprise a punt capsule for a bottle punt. The punt capsule may comprise an inner capsule including a cavity adapted to be received by the bottle punt and a chamber positioned in the cavity for housing an item. The chamber may comprise a cover forming a bottom of the chamber wherein the cover may be releasably secured to the chamber to releasably secure the item inside the chamber. The punt capsule may further comprise an outer capsule connected to the inner capsule and enclosing the chamber in the cavity. The outer capsule may include a tear strip wherein an end of the tear strip may be exteriorly accessible for gripping and actuating the tear strip. Actuation of the tear strip may at least partially separate a portion of the outer capsule from the inner capsule to release the chamber from the punt capsule.

The inner capsule may nest in the outer capsule. The punt capsule may be inserted over and shrink-fit to a bottom of a bottle. The chamber of the punt capsule may nest in the cavity.

In another embodiment, a closure for a bottle comprises a head portion comprising a chamber for housing an item, where the chamber comprises an opening formed in a top of the head portion to provide access to the item. The head portion in this embodiment is configured to abut a rim of the bottle. The closure also comprises a stub portion extending from a bottom of the head portion, where the stub portion is resilient and forms a releasable interference fit with an inside surface of the bottle. In this way, the stub may be capable of multiple insertions into and extractions from a bottle by simply gripping the closure, rotating the closure to exceed the static friction between the stub and the bottle wall, and either inserting or extracting the stub into or from the bottle. The closure further comprises a cap releasably connectable to the head portion and over the opening for releasably retaining the item. The cap includes a protrusion extending from a bottom of the cap for engaging the opening.

The head portion may include a grip positioned on a periphery of the head portion, where the grip comprises at least one of a plurality of longitudinally oriented protrusions and a plurality of longitudinally oriented depressions. The head portion may include an approximately flat, annular surface on the bottom of the head portion for abutting the rim of the bottle and for controlling a depth of insertion of the closure in the bottle. The head portion may be integrally formed with the stub portion to form the closure.

The cap may be transparent to provide visual access to the item in the chamber. The cap may comprise a lip extending peripherally and outwardly beyond the protrusion to approximately a transition between the top and a side wall of the head portion, where a bottom edge of the lip may be accessible to pry the cap from the head portion. The cap may include a convex top surface to form a lens. The protrusion extending from the cap may comprise a bell-shaped profile having a base larger than a neck. The neck of the protrusion may engage the opening in the head portion to releasably secure the cap to the head portion. The opening in the head portion may include a lip for engaging the neck of the bell-shaped protrusion, where the lip may comprise a clearance with the neck and an interference with the base. The lip of may be resilient and cooperate with the base and the neck of the protrusion extending from the cap.

In one embodiment of the closure, at least one of the head portion and the stub portion may comprise a thermochromic property.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments that are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated herein.

Turning now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, there is illustrated inFIGS. 1-11capsule10incorporating the improvements of the present invention.FIG. 1illustrates, for example, one particular application out of a multitude of possible applications of capsule10where capsule10is shown installed upon the top of bottle66, such as that commonly used for wine, champagne, liquor, beer, soda, and the like. Capsule10may include skirt11and chamber20. Capsule10may contain and may display item46, which may include, for example, a promotional item, a charm, a trinket, or the like, within chamber20positioned inside capsule10or simply positioned inside or underneath skirt11if chamber20is not present. In addition, capsule10may act as a secondary closure for the contents of the bottle in addition to primary closure60of bottle66, such as a cork (seeFIG. 5) or a cap (not shown), to secure the contents of bottle66, such as a beverage, inside bottle66.

Skirt11of capsule10may be made from a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. Skirt11may be fabricated to substantially conform to at least a portion of chamber20and to bottle66, such as neck70, and may include wall15forming aperture16for the retainable housing and optional display of the contents of chamber20. For example, as shown inFIG. 2, skirt11may be fabricated in the shape of a tube for insertion over chamber20and neck70of bottle66. Skirt11may be secured to and substantially conform to at least a portion of chamber20and to bottle66, over the entirety of bottle66or over any portion of bottle66, such as neck70, using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt11using heat or by compressing skirt11under pressure to conform to bottle66, or both. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt11to neck70. Skirt11may be transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque.

To permit the optional visual access to item46while housed in chamber20, aperture16of skirt11may reveal chamber20and its contents. Chamber20may include housing22, which may include top surface24. If visibility of item46while housed in chamber20is desired, at least top surface24of housing22may be transparent or semi-transparent and may be left exposed to and visible through aperture16in skirt11to permit display of item46. Housing22of chamber20may instead be opaque to obscure display of item46. Alternatively, skirt11of capsule10may, in addition to or in place of chamber20, include a transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque disk or other cover that spans aperture16to display, obscure, or prevent display of item46. Skirt11of capsule10may optionally not include aperture16and instead may completely cover chamber20. However, a completely covered chamber20may still be visible depending on the chosen transparency of skirt11.

It is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that housing22of chamber20may be made in any shape. For example, as shown inFIG. 2, housing22may be generally circular on its periphery. Alternatively, housing22may be made in the shape of, for example, a polygon. Likewise, top surface24may be generally flat, as shown inFIG. 2or take on any shape, such as a dome, for example, and may include a raised impression, a depression, or a lens for magnifying item46.

As shown inFIGS. 1-2, capsule10may also include at least one vent hole14, which may be radially positioned along the perimeter of, and through, skirt11for communicating gas through skirt11. If more than one vent hole14is included, as may be determined, for example, by the contents of bottle66and the porosity and/or permeability of primary closure60or for ease of installation of skirt11over bottle66, vent holes14may be spaced equidistant from one another, or they may be spaced with irregular spacing to maximize potential alignment with other features of the invention, as described below, for communicating gas through skirt11. The at least one vent hole14may be positioned above mouth72of bottle66to permit transmission of gas through skirt11.

Capsule10may optionally include tear strip12affixed to inside surface18of skirt11(seeFIG. 6). Tear strip12may provide a convenient method for partially or completely severing top portion17of skirt11from skirt11to release chamber20from bottle66and to permit access to both the contents of chamber20(i.e., item46) as well as to primary closure60of bottle66, such as a cork (seeFIG. 5) or a cap (not shown). Alternatively, if tear strip12is not included in capsule10, top portion17may be separated from capsule10using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt11may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt11off of bottle66.

Tear strip12may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inside surface18at a position below the at least one vent hole14, as shown inFIGS. 1-2to permit partial or complete removal of at least top portion17of capsule10, or possibly the entirety of capsule10, if desired, from bottle66while also permitting venting of gas from inside bottle66. Tear strip12may optionally be positioned near bottle top68to release chamber20and to provide a torn edge of skirt11approximately at or below bottle top68. Alternatively, tear strip12may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit partial or complete removal of top portion17, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule10from bottle66. Tear strip12may be a separate piece that is affixed to inside surface18of skirt11or tear strip12may be integrally formed with skirt11. If tear strip12is a separate piece, fear strip12may be made from a different material than skirt11.

As shown inFIG. 2, capsule10may also include indicia19positioned on an inner surface of capsule10, such as on inside surface18of skirt11, underneath a disk (not shown) or other cover that may cover aperture16, on bottom surface44of peel strip42, or separately included under chamber20. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle66after releasing chamber20from skirt11.

As best shown inFIGS. 2,4and5, chamber20of capsule10may include housing22, item46and peel strip42. Peel strip42may be adhesively secured to underside surface29of bottom wall28of housing22to fully encapsulate item46to prevent intrusion of potentially corrosive moisture or gas from entering chamber20and damaging item46. Alternatively, peel strip42may comprise any form of closure or cover to simply cover opening30and to contain item46. Chamber20may also be pre-assembled with item46and with peel strip42for ease of manufacture of capsule10.

As shown inFIG. 5, capsule10may form a secondary closure over primary closure60. Primary closure60may be inserted into mouth72of bottle66using conventional means. Once installed, top surface62of primary closure60may be either above, below, or flush with bottle top68of bottle66so long as gas is permitted to pass through at least one of vent holes14.

As shown inFIGS. 7-10, housing22may include opening30to permit installation and removal of item46into and from cavity40of housing22. Housing22may also include at least one standoff32. The at least one standoff32may extend approximately from bottom wall28of housing22, and may include at least one bottle mount34for connecting chamber20to bottle top68, at least one rim guide for centering chamber20on bottle66, and at least one vent cavity38. The at least one vent cavity38may be oriented to align with the at least one vent hole14for communicating gas through the at least one vent hole14arranged in skirt11of capsule10. Depending on the number of vent cavities38included in housing22, each of vent cavities38may be spaced equidistant from one another, or they may be spaced with irregular spacing to maximize the possibility that at least one vent cavity38aligns with at least one vent hole14to permit passage of gas, for example, from within inside bottle66to the atmosphere.

FIG. 11shows a complete capsule10ready for final installation on bottle66. Specifically, capsule10is shown with chamber20inserted into and affixed to inside surface18of skirt11using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt11using heat or by compressing skirt11under pressure to conform to chamber20, or both. Alternatively or additionally, skirt11may be pre-formed into the general shape shown inFIG. 11and simply adhered to chamber20using an adhesive. In either case, skirt11may not initially be shrunk below chamber20to permit later insertion of capsule10over neck70of bottle66.

A method for using capsule10shown inFIG. 11includes first installing capsule10onto neck70of bottle66. Rim guides36may assist in the assembly process by helping to center chamber20over bottle top68until contact is made between bottle mounts34of chamber20onto bottle top68. Capsule10may then be secured onto neck70by conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt11using heat or by compressing skirt11of capsule10under pressure to conform to neck70, or both. Additionally, capsule10may be adhered to neck70using an adhesive. Once installed upon bottle66, capsule10and particularly chamber20may be capable of bearing a compressive force longitudinally transmitted through the at least one standoff32.

If a user wishes to access item46from within chamber20when capsule10is fully installed on bottle66, the user must first tear or score skirt11to release chamber20from capsule10and bottle66. To tear skirt11, a user may grip loose end13of tear strip12, which may extend exteriorly through, for example, either a longitudinal seam in skirt11or through an opening in skirt11, and pull tear strip12to rupture skirt11along the periphery of skirt11until chamber20is released. In so doing, a torn edge of skirt11may be formed approximately at or below bottle top68. Alternatively, to release chamber20in cases when tear strip12is not present on capsule10, a sharp knife or other tool known to one of ordinary skill can be used to tear, cut, score or otherwise cleave skirt11along the periphery of skirt11. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt11may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt11off of bottle66.

Once chamber20is released from capsule10on bottle66, the contents of chamber20may be accessed by gripping loose end43of peel strip42(seeFIG. 2, for example) and peeling or removing peel strip42away from bottom wall28of housing22. Item46may then be retrieved through opening30of housing22. In addition, once chamber20is released from capsule10on bottle66, primary closure60of bottle66, such as a cork (seeFIG. 5) or a cap (not shown), may also be accessed and removed using conventional means to gain access to the contents of bottle66.

FIGS. 12-13show another embodiment of the invention. Skirt81of this embodiment has properties and features similar to skirt11described above except that chamber20may protrude or extend past opening86of skirt81to reveal top surface24and at least one side wall26of housing22of chamber20to further enhance visibility of item46. Chamber20may also be inserted into skirt81and affixed or secured to inner surface88of skirt81in the same manner as described above for the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-11. For example, chamber20may be secured to inner surface88of skirt81using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt81using heat or by compressing skirt81under pressure to conform to chamber20, or both. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach chamber20to skirt81in capsule80.

Capsule80inFIG. 12may also include at least one vent hole84, which may be radially positioned along the perimeter of, and through, skirt81for communicating gas through skirt81. If more than one vent hole84is included, as may be determined, for example, by the contents of bottle66and the porosity, the permeability of primary closure60, or for ease of installation of skirt11over bottle66, vent holes84may be spaced equidistant from one another, or they may be spaced with irregular spacing to maximize potential alignment with other features of the invention, as described below, for communicating gas through skirt81. The at least one vent hole84may be positioned above mouth72of bottle66to permit transmission of gas through skirt81.

Chamber20may be released from capsule80in the same manner as described above for the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-11. Specifically, skirt81may optionally include tear strip82affixed to inner surface88of skirt81and loose end83for gripping and actuating tear strip82. Tear strip82may provide a convenient method for partially or completely separating top portion90of skirt81from skirt81to release chamber20from bottle66and to permit access to both the contents of chamber20(i.e., item46) as well as to primary closure60of bottle66, such as a cork (seeFIG. 5) or a cap (not shown). Alternatively, if tear strip82is not included in capsule80, top portion90may be separated from capsule80using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt81may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt81off of bottle66.

Like the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-11, tear strip82shown inFIGS. 12-13may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inner surface88at a position below the at least one vent hole84to permit removal of at least top portion90of capsule80, or possibly the entirety of capsule80, if desired, from bottle66while also permitting venting of gas from inside bottle66. Tear strip82may optionally be positioned near bottle top68to release chamber20and to provide a torn edge of skirt81approximately at or below bottle top68. Alternatively, tear strip82may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit removal of at least top portion90, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule80from bottle66. Tear strip82may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface88of skirt81or tear strip82may be integrally formed with skirt81. If tear strip82is a separate piece, tear strip82may be made from a different material than skirt81.

As shown inFIG. 13, capsule80may also include indicia92positioned on an inner surface of capsule80, such as on inner surface88of skirt81, on bottom surface44of peel strip42, or separately included under chamber20. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle66after releasing chamber20from skirt81.

It should be understood that the method for using capsule80, and for displaying and removing item46from chamber20is generally the same as described above for the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-11.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIG. 14. In this embodiment, capsule100may include primary closure108, item46, cap112and skirt101. Primary closure108may include chamber110for housing item46. Chamber110may be concentrically drilled, bored, or molded into primary closure108. For best results, given the geometry of chamber110, primary closure108may comprise a synthetic material to reduce porosity of primary closure108and to provide sufficient radial wall loads to at least prevent leakage of fluid from inside bottle66.

As shown inFIG. 14, primary closure108may be inserted into mouth72of bottle66using conventional means. Once installed, top surface109of primary closure108may be any one of approximately below, flush, or above bottle top68of bottle66. Item46may be inserted into chamber110either before or after installation of primary closure108into mouth72. If chamber110is inserted before primary closure108is inserted into mouth72, then a temporary closure may be employed to retain item46in chamber110.

To secure item46inside chamber110, cap112may be inserted into and over chamber110. To accomplish this, cap112may include outer wall116, which may form an interference fit with inner wall111of chamber110upon insertion of outer wall116of cap112inside chamber110. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, anywhere cap112adjoins primary closure108to seal item46from atmospheric dirt and contamination. To secure cap112to chamber110, skirt101of capsule100may include wall106. Skirt101may include aperture104, which may be smaller in size than cap112.

To permit the optional visual access to item46while housed in chamber110, aperture104of skirt101may reveal chamber110and its contents through optional cap112. Skirt101of capsule100may also include a transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque disk or other cover that spans aperture104to display, obscure, or prevent display of item46and to secure item46in chamber110if cap112is not present. Skirt101of capsule100may optionally not include aperture104and instead may completely cover chamber110. However, a completely covered chamber110may still be visible depending on the chosen transparency of skirt101.

To gain access to cap112and item46, skirt101of capsule100may include tear strip102affixed or secured to inner surface105of skirt101. Tear strip102, and loose end103usable for gripping and actuating tear strip102, may provide a convenient method for partially or completely separating top portion118of skirt101from skirt101to access cap112and to permit access to both the contents of chamber110(i.e., item46) as well as to primary closure108of bottle66. Alternatively, if tear strip102is not included with capsule100, top portion118may be separated from capsule100using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt101may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt101off of bottle66.

Like the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-11, tear strip102shown inFIG. 14may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inner surface105to permit removal of at least top portion118of capsule100, or possibly the entirety of capsule100, if desired, from bottle66. Tear strip102may optionally be positioned near bottle top68to provide a torn edge of skirt101approximately at or below bottle top68. Alternatively, tear strip102may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit removal of at least top portion118, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule100from bottle66. Tear strip102may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface105of skirt101or tear strip102may be integrally formed with skirt101. If tear strip102is a separate piece, tear strip102may be made from a different material than skirt101.

As shown inFIG. 14, capsule100may also include indicia107positioned on an inner surface of capsule100, such as on inner surface105of skirt101, underneath a disk (not shown) or other cover that may cover aperture104, or separately included under cap112. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle66after removing top portion118from skirt101.

To gain access to item46housed in chamber110, cap112may also include aperture114positioned along a portion of the outer edge of cap112. To remove cap112from primary closure108, an object, such as a fingernail or even a screw driver, may be inserted into aperture114to pry cap112off of primary closure108using lever action.

Skirt101of this embodiment may have properties and features similar to skirt11described above, except that skirt101may not necessarily include any vent holes along its periphery, such as vent holes14shown onFIG. 1. Instead, gas may permeate to/from the contents of bottle66past or through primary closure108, through aperture114of cap112, and through aperture104of skirt101.

InFIG. 15there is shown a complete capsule100, which may be formed by installing and securing skirt101over neck70of bottle66using conventional means, such as by shrinking skirt101using heat or by compressing skirt101under pressure to conform to neck70of bottle66, or both. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt101to neck70. As shown inFIG. 15, cap112may be transparent to optimize visibility of item46. However, cap112may be semi-transparent or opaque to obscure visibility of item46. Alternatively, cap112may be covered altogether with yet another cap, cover, or disk, as described above, to partially or completely prevent visibility of item46.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention shown inFIGS. 16-26, punt capsule150may alternatively be placed over bottle punt cavity74to house and/or display item204, which may include a promotional item, a charm, a trinket, or the like. To provide punt capsule with the capability of housing and easily releasing item204from punt capsule150, punt capsule150may optionally be formed from the following major components: inner capsule152, outer capsule180, and chamber200. Inner capsule152may include skirt154and bottom158.

As shown inFIG. 16, skirt154of inner capsule152may initially comprise a thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. As shown inFIGS. 16-19, skirt154may be formed into a thin-walled cylinder having vertical seam155where side edges157may join and/or overlap. Adhesive may be used to connect side edges157to one another.

As shown inFIG. 17, bottom158may initially comprise a relatively thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which, like skirt154, may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. Using die set170and172or similar, bottom158may be press-formed having a shallow cup-like shape and having cavity160formed underneath bottom158. Optionally, cavity160may approximately conform to the profile of the punt cavity of bottle66.

Inner capsule152, shown inFIGS. 18-19, may be formed by inserting skirt154inside bottom158and joining the two components using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking side wall159of bottom158to outer wall156of skirt154using heat or by compressing side wall159against outer wall156under pressure to fasten the parts together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt154to bottom158.

As shown inFIGS. 20-23, outer capsule180may include skirt182and base188. Like skirt154, skirt182of outer capsule180may initially comprise a thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. And similar to skirt154, skirt182may be formed into a thin-walled cylinder having vertical seam186where side edges187may join and/or overlap. Adhesive may be used to connect side edges187to one another.

Skirt182may differ from skirt154in that skirt182may also include tear strip185affixed circumferentially along inner surface183of skirt182. Tear strip185may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface183of skirt182or tear strip185may be integrally formed with skirt185. If tear strip185is a separate piece, tear strip185may be made from a different material than skirt185.

Similarly to bottom158, as shown inFIG. 21, base188of outer capsule180may initially comprise a relatively thin, transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque sheet, which, like bottom158, may be one of a variety of suitable materials, such as, for example, metal, including aluminum or tin, a thermoplastic, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, wood pulp, wax, or any other material that may be formed into and function as a capsule. Using die set130and132or similar, base188may be press-formed into a shallow cup-like shape having a generally flat bottom wall189and a generally circular plan form.

Outer capsule180, shown inFIGS. 22-23, may be formed by inserting skirt182inside base188and joining the two components using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking side wall190of base188to outer wall184of skirt182using heat or by compressing side wall190against outer wall184under pressure to fasten the parts together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt182to base188.

Chamber200may house item204for optional display in the punt cavity of bottle66and may comprise a self-contained package for installation into punt capsule150. Chamber200may be made from any transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque material, such as for example, a metal, a thermo-plastic, or glass. In addition, chamber200may include surface202and peel strip206. Surface202may optionally conform to the profile of cavity160, which, as described above, may optionally conform to the profile of the punt cavity of bottle66. Peel strip206may form a closure for chamber200, and may include an adhesive so as to adhere peel strip206to surface202of chamber200. Peel strip206may comprise any form of closure or cover sufficient to enclose and retain item204. Peel strip206or other closure for chamber200may be fabricated from the same material as surface202and may, for example, be attached to chamber200using conventional methods, such as by hinging, to create an opening for insertion and removal of item204. Chamber200may also be pre-assembled with item204and with peel strip206or other closure for ease of manufacture of punt capsule150. It should be understood that chamber200may comprise any number of geometries, configurations, and features so long as item204may be housed in releasable storage in the punt cavity of bottle66.

Punt capsule150may be formed by first inserting chamber200in cavity160of bottom158of inner capsule152. Depending on the shape of chamber200and cavity160of bottom158, surface202of chamber200may nest with cavity160. Once chamber200is inserted in cavity160, inner capsule152may be joined with outer capsule180using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking outer capsule180to inner capsule152using heat or by compressing outer capsule180against inner capsule152under pressure to fasten the parts together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach outer capsule180to inner capsule152.

Installation of punt capsule150onto bottle66may occur by inserting punt capsule150over the bottom of bottle66and over bottle wall76, as shown inFIG. 26, so as to nest the various surfaces of inner capsule152against the bottom surfaces of bottle66, including the punt cavity of bottle66. Punt capsule150may be secured to bottle66using the techniques described above, such as by shrinking punt capsule150to bottle66using heat or by compressing punt capsule150against bottle66under pressure to fasten the components together. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach punt capsule150to bottle66.

To release and access item204from within chamber200when punt capsule150is fully installed on bottle66, the user must first tear outer capsule180to sever and release the portion of outer capsule180below tear strip185. To tear outer capsule180, a user may grip loose end193of tear strip185, which may extend exteriorly through, for example, either longitudinal seam186in skirt182or through an opening in skirt182, and pull tear strip185to rupture skirt182along the periphery of skirt182until the portion of outer capsule180below tear strip185is severed and chamber200is released.

Once chamber200has been released from punt capsule150on bottle66, the contents of chamber200may be accessed by, for example, gripping peel tab208of peel strip206(seeFIG. 24, for example) and peeling peel strip206away off of chamber200. Item204may then be retrieved from chamber200. The technique for opening chamber200may depend on the type of closure actually employed on chamber200.

Indicia similar to that shown and described for the previously described embodiments may be positioned on outer surfaces of inner capsule152, such as in cavity160or on bottom158, on or in chamber200, on inside surfaces of outer capsule180, such as on skirt182or on base188, or separately included in cavity160or between inner capsule152and outer capsule180. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle66after the portion of outer capsule180below tear strip185is severed and chamber200is released from punt capsule150.

It should be understood that the teachings of the present invention would also apply to any punt cavity shape and to any cross sectional shape of bottle66or of chamber200. It should also be understood that punt capsule150may comprise fewer parts to accomplish the same function as disclosed herein if punt capsule150is fabricated using alternative methods, such as by injection molding.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIGS. 27-37. In this embodiment, capsule300may include primary closure310, item46, cap322and skirt301. Capsule300may, alternatively, only include primary closure310and cap322for housing item46. Primary closure310may include chamber312for housing item46.

As best shown inFIGS. 30-33, primary closure310may include head311and stub318. Head311may include grip314positioned along a periphery of head311to assist a consumer in gripping primary closure310for installation or removal of primary closure310to and from bottle66. Grip314may include a plurality of longitudinally oriented protrusions or a plurality of longitudinally oriented depressions, or both. Head311may also include bottom surface315, which may be approximately flat and annular for abutting the rim of the bottle and for controlling the depth of insertion of stub318in a bottle.

Head311may further include chamber312for housing item46. Chamber312may be formed completely within head311, and may be disposed at or above top surface68of bottle66. Alternatively, chamber312may extend partially into stub318, and therefore extend below top surface68, to form a larger cavity in primary closure310. Chamber312and inner wall313may cooperate to form lip317of head311. Lip317may comprise a relatively thin yet sturdy and resilient ring of material extending inwardly, the thickness of which is determined by the size and/or volume of chamber312relative to the size and/or volume of head311.

Primary closure310may be made of any number and combination of materials and formed using any number or combination of techniques. For example, primary closure310may be made from cork, plastic, wood, metal, glass, or any combination of these. To form a reliable and reusable seal against bottle66, primary closure310is preferably made from a resilient material. In one embodiment, primary closure310may comprise a synthetic material to reduce porosity of primary closure310. Head311and stub318may be integrally formed to form primary closure310as a single piece, such as through a thermoplastic molding process, including a blow molding process, or a milling process using a single billet of material. Alternatively, head311and stub318may each be separately formed and brought together at a later stage in the manufacturing process. In this way, head311and stub318may each be made of different materials and/or use different manufacturing techniques to produce primary closure310. If head311and stub318are separately formed, head311and stub318may be joined together using, for example, an adhesive or an insert molding process, to form primary closure310. In one embodiment, chamber312is integrally formed with primary closure310. In another embodiment, chamber312is formed by drilling and/or milling primary closure310.

Primary closure310may also be made, at least in part, using one or more thermochromic materials that change color when exposed to specific temperatures. Primary closure310having thermochromic properties may be valuable to consumers of wine and other products as an indicator of product quality by indicating current or previous exposure to temperatures above or below a predetermined threshold or outside a given range. For example, primary closure310may be configured to include a thermochromic property where at least a portion of primary closure310turns black (or some other predetermined color) if primary closure310is ever exposed to a predetermined undesirable temperature during storage or transit after installation onto bottle66.

As best shown inFIGS. 34-37, cap322may include protrusion324and lip326. Protrusion324may extend from the bottom of cap322to at least the thickness of lip317of head311. Lip326may extend peripherally and outwardly beyond protrusion324to approximately transition316when installed on head311, as best shown inFIG. 28. Transition316may comprise a radius connecting the top of head311to a side wall of head311. In this way, bottom edge328of cap322may become accessible to pry cap322from head311using, for example, a pry tool or a fingernail. To provide accessibility of lip326without extending lip326to approximately transition316, lip326may alternatively comprise a chamfer along at least a portion of bottom edge328. In one embodiment, cap322includes convex top surface334to form a lens through which item46may appear magnified.

The underside of cap322inside protrusion324may be hollow, as shown inFIGS. 34-37. Alternatively, protrusion324may be solid. Protrusion324may be configured to be generally circular, as shown inFIGS. 34-37, or may be any closed geometric shape so as to fit within a complementary opening formed by chamber312. In one embodiment, protrusion324of cap322may be configured to fit within a groove formed in primary closure310. In another embodiment, cap322may be hingedly attached to primary closure310. In yet another embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 38-41, protrusion330of cap322may be bell-shaped to engage opening320of chamber312. For example, neck332of bell-shaped protrusion330may be smaller than base336of protrusion330and be configured to cooperate with inner wall313and lip317of head311. In this way, neck332may nest with inner wall313and lip317once cap322is installed on head311to removably secure cap322to head311.

Cap322may be made from any number of materials and formed using any number of techniques. For example, cap322may be made from cork, plastic, wood, metal, or glass. Cap322may be as a single piece, such as through a thermoplastic molding process, including a blow molding process, or by a milling process using a single billet of material. In one embodiment, cap322is configured to be transparent to permit visual access to item46in chamber312. In another embodiment, cap322is configured to be semi-transparent to partially hide item46from view. In yet another embodiment, cap322is configured to be opaque to completely hide item46from view.

As shown inFIG. 27, primary closure310may be inserted into mouth72of bottle66using conventional means. Once installed, bottom surface315of primary closure310may abut bottle top68to form a seal against bottle66in addition to forming a seal between stub318of primary closure310and the inside wall of bottle66. Item46may be inserted into chamber312either before or after installation of primary closure310into mouth72. If chamber312is inserted before primary closure310is inserted into mouth72, then a temporary closure may be employed to retain item46in chamber312. Stub318of primary closure310may be capable of multiple insertions into and extractions from a bottle by simply gripping primary closure310, rotating primary closure310to exceed the static friction between stub318and the wall of bottle66, and either inserting or extracting stub318into or from bottle66.

To secure item46inside chamber312, cap322may be inserted onto head311and over opening320of chamber312. While inserting cap322onto head311, protrusion324of cap322may cause inner wall313and lip317to resiliently deform. When inserted, protrusion324of cap322may form an interference fit with inner wall313. In another embodiment, when inserting cap322, protrusion330of cap322may initially resiliently deform inner wall313and lip317, but when fully inserted, neck332of protrusion330may form a slight clearance or a slight interference fit with inner wall313and lip317. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, anywhere cap322adjoins primary closure310to seal item46from atmospheric dirt and contamination.

To further secure cap322to chamber312, skirt301may be installed over cap322and primary closure310to cause wall306to at least partially cover cap322. Skirt301may include aperture304, which may be smaller in size than cap322. Skirt301may be secured to and substantially conform to at least a portion of primary closure310and to bottle66, over the entirety of bottle66or over any portion of bottle66, such as neck70. Skirt301may be shrink-fit by shrinking skirt301using heat or by compressing skirt301under pressure to conform to bottle66, to primary closure310and/or cap322, or to all three components. An adhesive may also be used, if desired, to more securely attach skirt301to these components. Skirt301may be transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque.

To permit the optional visual access to item46while housed in chamber312, aperture304of skirt301may reveal chamber312and its contents through optional cap322. Skirt301of capsule300may also include a transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque disk or other cover that spans aperture304to display, obscure, or prevent display of item46and to secure item46in chamber312if cap322is not present. Skirt301of capsule300may optionally not include aperture304and instead may completely cover chamber312. However, a completely covered chamber312may still be visible depending on the chosen transparency of skirt301.

To gain access to cap322and item46, skirt301of capsule300may include tear strip302affixed or secured to inner surface305of skirt301. Tear strip302, and loose end303usable for gripping and actuating tear strip302, may provide a convenient method for partially or completely separating top portion308of skirt301from skirt301to access cap322and to permit access to both the contents of chamber312(i.e., item46) as well as to primary closure310of bottle66. Alternatively, if tear strip302is not included with capsule300, top portion308may be separated from capsule300using any conventional tool for such purpose. However, using such additional tool may be more expensive to acquire and cumbersome to deploy as compared to using the features disclosed in the present invention. Alternatively, skirt301may instead be configured to be removed by hand by, for example, simply pulling or peeling skirt301off of bottle66.

Tear strip302shown inFIG. 27may be oriented substantially circumferentially on inner surface305to permit removal of at least top portion308of capsule300, or possibly the entirety of capsule300, if desired, from bottle66. Tear strip302may optionally be positioned near bottle top68to provide a torn edge of skirt301approximately at or below bottle top68. Alternatively, tear strip302may be oriented in any one of a number of different orientations, such as in a helical pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a substantially longitudinal (vertical) orientation to permit removal of at least top portion308, and perhaps the entirety, of capsule300from bottle66. Tear strip302may be a separate piece that is affixed to inner surface305of skirt301or tear strip302may be integrally formed with skirt301. If tear strip302is a separate piece, tear strip302may be made from a different material than skirt301.

Similar to what is shown inFIG. 14, capsule300ofFIG. 27may also include indicia, such as indicia107, positioned on an inner surface of capsule300, such as on inner surface305of skirt301, underneath a disk (not shown) or other cover that may cover aperture304, or separately included under cap322. In this way, hidden messages may be provided to and read by, for example, consumers of bottle66after removing top portion308from skirt301.

To gain access to item46housed in chamber312, cap322may be removed from primary closure310using an object, such as a fingernail or even a screw driver inserted under lip326of cap322, to pry cap322off of primary closure310using lever action.