Color-coded shrink wrapped closure system

Abstract

A packaging system for improved management of cap inventory when different beverages, such as different types of milk (skim, 1%, 2% and whole) or water (spring, distilled, fortified, mineral etc.) are bottled in the same bottling lines at various facilities. The system includes maintaining a supply of standard caps, which may be free of colorants or pigments, and a supplies of reels of different colored (or differently printed) shrink sleeve material. The different types of beverage are bottled in containers that have a single standard cap and standard uniform bottles, and the different contents of said bottles are differentiated from one another by the application of colored (or distinctively printed) shrink sleeves or bands. The cap and/or the bottle neck are adapted to be engaged by the shrink band in a way that protects the bottle from being tampered with, and when threaded caps are used, helps prevent the inadvertent loosening of the caps during in shipment.

1 . A closure arrangement for a container comprising a bottle cap, a bottle neck, and a shrink sleeve the bottle neck comprising 
 an opening at an upper end of the neck;    an exterior surface having a at least one cap engaging protrusion;    a circumferential transfer ring disposed below the cap engaging protrusion,    the bottle cap comprising,    a circular cover,    a skirt depending from the periphery of the cover,    the neck and bottle cap being dimensioned to receive and engage said shrink sleeve after said shrink sleeve is brought into close-fitting contact with said cap and bottle neck; and    said shrink sleeve containing printing and/or coloring to signify the contents and/or the supply of said container.    
   
   
       2 . The closure arrangement of  claim 1  wherein said neck is part of a blow molded bottle made of HDPE.  
   
   
       3 . The closure arrangement of  claim 1  wherein said neck has first sleeve engaging formations and said cap has second sleeve engaging formations, said first and second formations cooperating with said sleeve to limit rotational motion of said cap after said sleeve is shrunk into engagement with said cap and neck.  
   
   
       4 . The closure arrangement of  claim 3  wherein said first sleeve engaging formations comprise a series of radially inwardly formed indentations on the outermost periphery of said bumper roll.  
   
   
       5 . The closure arrangement of  claim 3  wherein said first sleeve engaging formations comprise a series of indentations on underside of said bumper roll.  
   
   
       6 . The closure arrangement of  claim 3  wherein said first sleeve engaging formations comprise a series of projections extending outwardly from an outer surface of said bumper roll.  
   
   
       7 . The closure arrangement of  claim 1  wherein said cap is injection molded without the use of any pigment or colorant other than white.  
   
   
       8 . A system for managing closure inventory in a bottling facility in which a plurality of different kinds of beverages are bottled in blow molded containers, said system comprising: 
 a plurality of different shrink sleeve materials, each one of said materials corresponding to a particular kind of beverage,    standard undifferentiated closures and blow molded containers being used on all of said plurality of kinds of beverage bottled at said facility,    a supply of inventory of said standard closures being maintained at said facility, whereby bottles with any of said plurality of different kinds of beverage are bottled in said containers with standard undifferentiated closures, and differentiation of beverages bottled at said facility is done by applying particular shrink sleeve material to a container corresponding to a particular beverage in said container, wherein particularized shrink sleeves are the primary indicia carried by said containers identifying the particular nature of the contents of said containers.    
   
   
       9 . A system in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said plurality of different shrink sleeve materials differ from one another in color.  
   
   
       10 . A system in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said shrink sleeves are the only indicia differentiating the contents of said containers.  
   
   
       11 . A system in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said containers are made of HDPE.  
   
   
       12 . A system in accordance with  claim 8  wherein each of said standard closures comprises: 
 a bottle cap having a circular cover,    a skirt depending from the periphery of the cover, the skirt including an interior surface having radial sleeve engaging undulations for engaging a shrink sleeve applied to said cap whereby the ability of said cap to inadvertently rotate relative to a container to which said cap is applied is restricted.    
   
   
       13 . A system in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said closures are part of a closure arrangement for a container comprising: a bottle cap, a bottle neck, and a shrink sleeve, the bottle neck comprising 
 an opening at an upper end of the neck;    an exterior surface having a at least one cap engaging protrusion;    a circumferential transfer ring disposed below the cap engaging protrusion;    the neck having first radial sleeve engaging undulations;    the bottle cap comprising, 
 a circular cover,  
 a skirt depending from the periphery of the cover, the skirt including an interior surface having second radial sleeve engaging undulations;  
 the first and second undulations being dimensioned to engage said shrink sleeve and prevent loosening of said cap with respect to said neck after said shrink sleeve is brought into close-fitting contact with said cap and bottle neck; and  
   said shrink wrap band containing printing and/or coloring to signify the contents and/or the supply of said container.    
   
   
       14 . A method of bottle cap and shrink sleeve distribution wherein a plurality of bottling facilities served by a distribution center can package different kinds of beverages using standard bottles and standard caps, said method comprising the steps of: 
 keeping a supply of standard bottle cap at a distribution center and at each of a plurality of bottling facilities served by said distribution center;    keeping a supply of a plurality of different shrink sleeve materials, each one of said materials corresponding to a particular kind of beverage, at said bottling facilities at said distribution center and at each of said plurality of bottling facilities;    bottling the desired liquid/beverage at said bottling facilities;    changing a shrink wrap sleeve reel to the desired shrink sleeve material, corresponding to the desired liquid/beverage to be bottled;    providing a shrink wrap seal over the bottle cap and neck to sealingly engage the contents of the container/bottle, said shrink wrap seal being adapted to receive color or printing;    transporting said bottled beverage to a distribution center;    transporting a re-supply of standard closures to said bottling facilities on the return trips from the distribution center to the bottling facilities.    
   
   
       15 . A closure arrangement for a container comprising a bottle cap, a bottle neck, and a shrink sleeve the bottle neck comprising 
 an opening at an upper end of the neck;    an exterior surface of the bottle having a at least one cap engaging protrusion;    the bottle cap comprising, 
 a closed end and an open end,  
 a skirt depending from the periphery of the closed end,  
   the bottle cap being dimensioned to receive and engage said shrink sleeve after said shrink sleeve is brought into close-fitting contact with at least a portion of said cap; and    said shrink sleeve containing printing and/or coloring to signify the contents and/or the supply of said container.    
   
   
       16 . The closure arrangement of  claim 15  wherein said neck is part of a blow molded bottle made of a material selected from the group consisting of HDPE, Polycarbonate and PET.  
   
   
       17 . The closure arrangement of  claim 15  wherein said cap has a label, and said sleeve, together with said label, substantially cover exterior portions of said cap.  
   
   
       18 . The closure arrangement of  claim 15  wherein said container has a neck, and said neck comprises first shrink sleeve engaging formations and said cap has second shrink sleeve engaging formations, said first and second formations cooperating with said shrink sleeve to limit rotational motion of said cap after said sleeve is shrunk into engagement with said cap and neck.  
   
   
       19 . A closure comprising: a closed end and a skirt extending away from said closed end defining an open end, a shrink sleeve carried by said closure, said shrink sleeve being partially shrunk into engagement with a portion of said closure, said shrink sleeve and said skirt defining a gap by which said skirt is at least partially spaced inwardly from said sleeve, whereby said skirt may expand upon installation of said closure onto a bottle without rupturing said shrink sleeve.  
   
   
       20 . A closure in accordance with  claim 19  wherein said closed end is openable when said closure is inserted into a dispenser of liquid contained within a container to which said closure is applied.  
   
   
       21 . A closure in accordance with  claim 19  wherein said closure is adapted for use on a 5-gallon bottle, and said shrink sleeve substantially covers the skirt of said closure.  
   
   
       22 . A closure in accordance with  claim 19  wherein said closure has an area of enlarged diameter forming a protrusion on the exterior of said closure, said shrink sleeve being only partially shrunk and engaging said protrusion, said shrink sleeve forming a gap between said skirt and said shrink sleeve, whereby completion of shrinking of said shrink sleeve around said closure is adapted to be completed after said closure is applied to a container.